Mat 6:1-18; Rewards Common to All Forms of Worshiping God.

Class Outline:

Wednesday July 24, 2024

 

In MAT 6:1, Jesus is referring to the reward for proper worship of God. Forms of worship that are “doing” things.

 

All disciples are to worship God properly, but you can only control your own worship, and you can blame no one if it is not fruitful. 

 

The key term, as it was in Mat 5 is righteousness. 

 

In Mat 5 it was personal and social ethics. In Mat 6 it is in matters of religious observance. 

 

Jesus’ quarrel is not with doing them - He assumes that they all do them - but with their manner and motive. 

 

It is a complete distortion to practice any spiritual discipline with the opinion of others in mind.

 

Rewards in the case of these three spiritual disciplines overlap.

 

Giving alms (ἐλεημοσύνην) = exercise of benevolent goodwill. (emphasis is the poor). Relief for the poor was set out in the law in multiple places. It was the religious duty of every Israelite (DEU 15:7-11; PSA 112:9). By the first century there was a well-organized system of relief for the poor based in the synagogues, something like our modern welfare system. 

 

Reward to your own soul: a gracious heart. Unlike that system, in the church God institutes a means of giving from a gracious heart (2CO 9:6-15). 

 

Reward to others: relief of those in need (GAL 2:10; JAM 1:27). 

 

Reward to the church in unity - the result of a gracious community is that they bind together closely (ACT 4:32-35).  

 

Reward to your relationship with God: Being like Him provides a deeper understanding of Him and therefore a deeper relationship with Him (JOH 17:3, JOH 17:22-26). 

 

Praying - Jesus has in mind the inner closet prayer where time is specifically set aside (not the flare prayer). 

 

Reward to self: increased comfortability and awareness of being in God’s presence (EPH 2:18; EPH 3:11; HEB 4:16).

 

Reward to others: relief of those in need (EPH 6:18-20). 

 

I have seen in our own prayer group text that people are very blessed to know that multiple people are actually and specifically praying for their needs. 

 

Reward to the church in unity - participation in the needs and struggles of the saints. Knowledge that the community is praying for you (1TH 5:18; 1TI 2:8). 

 

Reward to your relationship with God: Being like Him provides a deeper understanding of Him and therefore a deeper relationship with Him. The Trinity is in constant, intimate communication (ROM 8:26; HEB 7:25). 

 

Fasting - denying the flesh of something (temporarily or permanently) in order to serve or communicate or walk with God in a more focused way (1CO 8:13; 1CO 9:24-27).

 

Reward to self: developing the strength and confidence of self-control (GAL 5:23). 

 

Reward to others: relief of those in need - instead of a stumbling block, you were a comfort, encouragement, and relief (GAL 6:1-2). 

 

Reward to the church in unity: sacrifice for another is, in some, very appreciated and draws you together (ACT 4:32-35 again).  

 

Reward to your relationship with God: Being like Him provides a deeper understanding of Him and therefore a deeper relationship with Him. Need we look for the example of God sacrificing, i.e. denying Himself in a fasting way in order to draw us closer to Him. (Php 2:5-8)

 

Conclusion: Some of the rewards of worshiping God …

 

Blessing to your soul

 

Relief to those in need. 

 

Unity in the body. 

 

Being like God resulting in a closer walk with Him.