REVIEW
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving). Repeat the verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Heb. 10:14)
FLIP CHART: John Stott’s outline of SOM.
INTRODUCTION
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Mt. 6:1-4).
ILL: William Barclay refers to an old saint who said that he would like to quench all of the fires of hell with water and destroy all of the joys of heaven with fire so that men would seek goodness for goodness’ sake and that the idea of reward and punishment might be totally eliminated from life. (Barclay, 179).
We have all heard the statement, “Virtue is its own reward.” Which really means doing the right thing is enough of a reward. Don’t hope for something more.
We need to be careful of being so spiritual that we want to serve without the thought of reward. We will be in danger of being more spiritual than Jesus, who referred to rewards not once or twice but over and over again in the Gospels.
WHAT? REWARDS? REALLY?
I. BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES RELATING TO REWARDS
OUR FATHER NOTICES EVERYTHING WE DO
We may be tempted to live as if God is distant, not close by, and doesn’t pay attention to or care for us …. Or if He is close by He is just wanting to make sure we do our job.
But God is our “Dear Father” and is truly interested in rewarding his fragile children. Our text says, “… then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
In these verses God is not referred to as Lord, Sovereign, King, Master but as “Father.” And our Father “sees” what we do with an eye on rewarding us.
When we think no one is present and no one cares, God our Father, is watching, in those secret places, during those secret moments.
Nothing is lost on our Father. He sees even the smallest acts of kindness or goodness that we do. He notes every tiny step in his direction.
OUR FATHER PROMISES TO REWARD US
Look at our text: “… reward from your Father in heaven” (1); “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (4); “Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (6); “…and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (18).
Jesus is not saying it is wrong to desire rewards but that it is wrong to seek the reward from the wrong place, from people, and not from the Father. Only the Father can give a worthy reward.
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Mt. 10:42).
The Parable of the Talents in Mt. 25:14-30 is about being rewarded for faithful service.
In Luke 6:36 Jesus teaches, “… lend (to your enemies) without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great …”
In Luke 12:33 Jesus says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted …”
The author to the Hebrews wrote, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Heb. 6:10).
THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF REWARDS
“For the Son of Man …. will reward each person according to what he has done” (Mt. 16:27).
“He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God” (I Cor. 4:5).
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).
THE EXACT DESCRIPTION OF FUTURE REWARDS IS VAGUE
We read about “treasures in heaven” but nothing is spelled out. Our tendency is to feel or think of a “reward” as something material.
ILL: Gloria tells of a story where a person died and they put lots of gold in his coffin. When he got to heaven someone asked him why he brought all of the “asphalt” with him to heaven.
We do read of crowns, e.g. “crown of righteousness” (II Tim. 4:8); “crown of life” (James 1:12, Rev. 2:10); “Crown of Glory” (I Pt. 5:4).
SOME KEY REWARDS ARE RECEIVED HERE ON EARTH
“What, then, is the ‘reward’ which the heavenly Father gives the secret giver? [The secret prayer? The secret faster?] It is neither public nor necessarily future. It is probably the only reward which genuine love wants when making a gift to the needy, namely to see the need relieved” (Stott, 132).
ILL: “The poet George Herbert was a member of a little group of friends, who used to meet to play their musical instruments together like a little orchestra. Once he was on his way to a meeting of this group, when he passed a carter whose cart was stuck in the mud of the ditch. George Herbert laid aside his instrument and went to help the man. It was a long job to get the cart out, and he finished covered with mud. When he arrived at the house of his friends, it was too late for music. He told them what had detained him on the way. One said: ‘You have missed all the music.” George Herbert smiled. ‘Yes, he said, ‘but I will have songs at midnight.’ He had his reward, the satisfaction of having doing the Christlike thing.” (Barclay, 183).
“It is more blessed (rewarding) to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)
II. THE REWARD OF HAPPINESS
FLIP CHART / QUESTION: What do we want, do all humans want, above all other things? What is the basic, underlying desire of every human being on earth? Can we nail that down to just one word?
Write the ideas of the group on the Flip Chart.
Hedonism: The belief that pleasure is the principle good, and should be the highest aim of the individual and society. My happiness is my greatest goal.
You would think that if God really loves us that He would not only provide salvation for us but would also show us how to obtain that one thing that all of us yearn for.
I define happiness as … a true joy that springs from the heart and does not depend upon the circumstances. (J. David Kumar, India)
Happiness often depends on “happenings” whereas joy is deep and not dependent on outward circumstances.
Christian Hedonism: The pursuit of happiness or joy is not wrong. The problem is that most grasp for such a low quality, tasteless and vapid sort of happiness. Christian Hedonism focuses on experiencing the highest quality of happiness available to the human race.
The Christian Hedonist believes that people are too easily satisfied with low-level happiness based on lust, power, money etc. The Christian Hedonist is not satisfied with trinkets, with poor quality happiness.
In Hebrews 1:9 we read that Jesus was anointed with “the oil of joy.”
Jesus taught his disciples about the vine, branches, obedience and then said, in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
In Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” the night before he was crucified He prayed, “I am coming to you [Father] now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (John 17:13).
In Galatians 5:22 we read that the fruit of the Spirit is joy.
In Romans 14:17 Paul writes, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit …”
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy ……….. ” (I Peter 1:8).
David prayed, “You have made know to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence” (Acts 2:28).
QUESTION: Happiness, joy is a Christian’s reward but why then are not Christians always full of joy and happiness?
QUESTION: Based on these verses what could then give a Christian Hedonist his/her greatest happiness and deepest joy?
III. KNOWING & LOVING GOD REWARDS US WITH THE GREATEST JOY AND HAPPINESS POSSIBLE
God speaking to Abram in Genesis 15:1 says, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Gen. 15:1).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Mt. 22:37).
This is the most important commandment because, besides God receiving our love and worship and adoration, we experience the greatest joy and happiness when our hearts and lives are engrossed in loving him.
“O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee.” (Rabi’a al-‘Adawiyya, 8th century Sufi mystic from Iraq)
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied [find our happiness and joy] in him” (John Piper).
Paul speaks of the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ” (Phil. 3:8).
In the Beatitudes Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8). We know from earlier studies, “blessed” means to be applauded, to be happy.
IV. PRACTICING THE 15 “SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES” PRODUCE THE REWARD OF JOY BECAUSE THEY HELP US CULTIVATE A MORE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
Giving to the needy (6:2), praying (6:6) and fasting (6:17) cultivate a more intimate relationship with our Father which automatically gives us the reward of a deep joy. But when we do these things for the praise of men their purpose is subverted and they fail to help us relate to God. We are playing to the wrong audience.
All of the “Spiritual Disciplines” enable us to love God, that is develop a more intimate relationship with Him. The most immediate and most important reward is our happiness and joy, a direct result of interacting with our Dear Heavenly Father.
ILL: Gloria challenged me saying that all of the “Spiritual Disciplines” are about me. In one sense that is true. They are all exercises to draw me into closer fellowship with God, to help me to love Him as I should. But you could also say that all of the “Spiritual Disciplines” are all about God for they enable me to love Him as I should. And as John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied (have our greatest happiness and joy) in Him.”
FLIP CHART: Go over the list and point out how each “Spiritual Discipline” should lead us into a more intimate relationship with God.
Thanksgiving, Solitude / Silence, Fasting, Meditation, Personal Bible Study, Service (helping, teaching, mercy …), Private Personal Worship / Praise, Confession, Attending Adult Community, Journaling / Reflection, Prayer, Small Group Bible Study, Bible Memorization, giving (including to the poor), Church Worship Attendance, Practicing the Presence of God, Fellowship with Other Christians, etc.
“If your eye be single (good) your whole body will be filled with light” (Mt. 6:22). If we focus our lives, practicing these “Spiritual Disciplines” with a goal to loving God our lives will be full of light [and joy].
FLIP CHART: Draw a circle on the Flip Chart. On the top of the circle write: Love God. At the 3 o’clock position write “Spiritual Disciplines;” at the 6 o’clock position write “Intimate Relationship,” at the 9 o’clock position write “Reward = Joy / Happiness.” Then draw arrows clock wise from “Love God” to “Spiritual Disciplines” to “Intimate Relationship” to “Reward = Joy/Happiness.”
So the key reward of practicing spiritual disciplines (including giving, praying and fasting) is joy, happiness which is the result of an intimate relationship with our Dear Heavenly Father.
SO WHAT???
1. Our Heavenly Father pays attention to everything we do with an earnest desire to reward us.
2. We are not sure what most of the eternal rewards are like.
3. One of the rewards we receive is the joy of having done the right thing.
4. A Christian Hedonist is not wrong for seeking joy and happiness but he must never be satisfied with low-level joy, happiness in trinkets.
5. The greatest reward of practicing “Spiritual Disciplines” is the joy and happiness we experience because of developing an intimate relationship with our Dear Heavenly Father.