In Secret

  1. There are a series of lessons taught by Jesus about living for the approval of God and not man.
  2. He teaches His disciples to give in secret and not announce their giving. He teaches them to fast in secret, not letting anyone know.
  3. The goal is to receive your praise from God, not man. The warning is that they would have no reward from God if they received glory from men for their good deeds.
  4. However, the disciples are also told that the Lord would reward them openly. Jesus had just told them to let their light shine so that people would see their good works and glorify their father in heaven.
  5. What’s the difference? Who gets the glory.
  6. Again, it’s the heart that matters. Either way a good deed is being done. One gets rewarded and one doesn’t. The difference is the heart.
  7. Were you doing it unto the Lord or unto yourself? Were you seeking God’s approval or the approval of man? Was your heart to receive the glory or to give God the glory?
  8. I guess you could also put it this way: were you loving yourself or loving God and others?
  9. In this section Jesus also talks about praying in secret. He says to go and close the door and pray to your Father in the secret place.
  10. There is a still the promise of God rewarding you openly, so why is it important to pray in secret?
  11. There’s no showing off in the kingdom of God. Ananias and Sapphira try to look good and are struck dead. We’ll get to their story in Acts.
  12. This isn’t about you. John the Baptist had the right idea saying, “I must decrease; He must increase.”
  13. Prayer isn’t about you. It’s about Him, acknowledging God, acknowledging your need for God, acknowledging His greatness and your weakness and glorying in that!