Day Six – Wednesday, January 8, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Matthew 6

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Charitable Deeds

1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Points to Ponder:

• In the days of Jesus, much of religion was ceremonial or–at worst–done for status or notoriety. The motivation may have included some true piety, but so often, worship or ministry was performed to draw attention or adoration, for selfish reasons.
• Jesus told the listeners that they should never do anything meant for God in order to impress men. If you do, you already have your reward on earth from men and women.
• However, doing your giving or benevolence in private, with no need for recognition, will lead to eternal rewards.
• Be discreet. Be generous. Be Godly.

Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus teaching begins with a call to prayer. The opening begins with an assumption that Godly people pray (“When you pray,…”).
• First, He again encourages prayer not for recognition, but rather privately so that the reward is from God and not from men.
• He also warns against the vanity of praying long, repetitive prayers. God is not impressed by the length of your prayer, but by the faith behind it.
• After these admonitions, Jesus then offers them a model prayer.
• There are several elements to this prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer (it should actually be called the disciples prayer).
  • Identification
  • Worship
  • Submission to God’s will
  • Petition
  • Repentance and forgiveness
  • Protection and Deliverance
  • More Worship
• Jesus finally warns them that forgiveness is reciprocal. When Christians forgive their enemies, God will forgive the offended Christian.

Fasting

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus here addresses the practice of fasting. Again, Jesus requires that fasting not be done for attention.
• Wash you face, fix your hair, go out into the world looking like any other day. Those who make it known that they are fasting have their reward, the admiration of people.
• Fast to God in the secret place. God will see. He the only one that needs to know. He is the true rewarder of those who fast.

Wealth

Luke 11:34–36; 12:22–34

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22  “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus addresses the element of wealth. He cautions against trying to hoard wealth on earth.
• Wealth gathered on earth can be lost. Things can break down and deteriorate. Eternal things are stored in heaven. Trust that!
• He then addresses several loosely related issues:
  • Live in a way that reflect the light of Christ. Let your lens toward the earth be illuminated by His truth and light.
  • Only serve God in Christ. You cannot serve two masters. Don’t let money (or anything else) rule your heart and mind. Be single-minded and love God.
• Another great point about wealth is this: Don’t worry about money!
• God takes care of lives that are not even eternal, like animals and plants. Surely He cares about humanity, made in His image.
• Don’t be like those who do not know God and worry all the time about the future and money.
• Trust the great God you serve and be content and at peace concerning money.
• Put God first. Seek Him first. Live in His righteousness, and He will add to you everything you need.
• Don’t worry!!

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page.