Sermon on the Mount VIII

1
Sermon on the Mount (VIII)

• Externalism vs. True Spirituality
• Mt 6.1-18

2
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Beware of externalism -- Mt 6.1

Mt 6.1 Beware of practicing your righteousness
before men to be noticed by them otherwise you
have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
3
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Beware of externalism -- Mt 6.1
• E.g. Sounding a trumpet when giving vs.2-4

Matthew 62-4 So when you give to the poor, do
not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that
they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you,
they have their reward in full. But when you give
to the poor, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing, so that your giving
will be in secret and your Father who sees what
is done in secret will reward you.
4
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Beware of externalism -- Mt 6.1
• E.g. Long, public prayers vs.5-8

Mt 65-8 When you pray, you are not to be like
the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray
in the synagogues and on the street corners so
that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you,
they have their reward in full. But you, when you
pray, go into your inner room, close your door
and pray to your Father who is in secret, and
your Father who sees what is done in secret will
reward you.
5
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Beware of externalism -- Mt 6.1
• E.g. Putting on a gloomy face, neglect appearance
  when fasting vs.16-18

Mt 6.16-19 Whenever you fast, do not put on a
gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they
neglect their appearance so that they will be
noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say
to you, they have their reward in full. But you,
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your
face so that your fasting will not be noticed by
men, but by your Father who is in secret and
your Father who sees what is done in secret will
reward you.
6
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Any discrepancy between what we profess or appear
  to be and what we really are?

7
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Do we appear more spiritual in public than we are
  behind closed doors?

8
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Is our spirituality motivated by the desire to
  consider ourselves spiritual?

9
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Am I a people pleaser? Do I have trouble saying
  no to people?

10
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Are you self-conscious? Do you worry about what
  people will say or think about you?

11
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Is your self-image controlled by the perceptions
  and expectations of others?

12
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Do I works-drop (like name-dropping, do good
  and then tell someone)?

13
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Why do I come to worship?

14
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)
• Those like myself, whose imagination far exceeds
  their obedience, are subject to a just penalty
  we easily imagine conditions far higher than any
  we have really reached. If we describe what we
  have imagined we may make others, and make
  ourselves, believe that we have really been
  there.

15
An External Religion and False Spirituality

• Do we do the same (to lesser degree)?
• Hypocrisy
• When our desire for approval of men becomes our
  motive for supposedly pleasing God.
• When we are trying to be something we are not or
  something more than we are.

16
A True Spirituality

• Personal
• In spirit

Jn 424 God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.
17
A True Spirituality

• Personal
• In spirit
• From the heart

Isaiah 2913 Then the Lord said, Because this
people draw near with their words and honor Me
with their lip service, but they remove their
hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me
consists of tradition learned by rote
18
A True Spirituality

• Personal
• In spirit
• From the heart

Jer 122 You have planted them, they have also
taken root They grow, they have even produced
fruit. You are near to their lips, But far from
their mind.
19
A True Spirituality

• Sincere
• In truth

Jn 424 God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.
20
A True Spirituality

• Sincere
• In truth

Ps 51.6 Behold, You desire truth in the
innermost being, And in the hidden part You will
make me know wisdom.
21
A True Spirituality

• Sincere
• In truth
• Israel loved to worship -- Amos 4.4-5
• But God hated their worship -- 5.21-24
• Because it was insincere Amos 8.4-6

22
A True Spirituality

• Consistent
• Ps 51.16-17 1 Sam 15.22 Isa 1.10-17

Psa 5116-17 For You do not delight in
sacrifice, otherwise I would give it You are not
pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit A broken and a contrite
heart, O God, You will not despise.
23
A True Spirituality

• Consistent
• Ps 51.16-17 1 Sam 15.22 Isa 1.10-17

1 Sam 1522 Samuel said, Has the LORD as much
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in
obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat
of rams.
24
A True Spirituality

• Personal
• Sincere
• Consistent