WEBVTT 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.280 Well, good morning and welcome to Church at the Grove Online. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:48.000 My name is Nathan. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:49.359 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:53.200 And we just want to say first, man, if you're watching this in real time, congratulations. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:55.039 School is coming to an end. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:56.399 Parents, you did it. 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:03.280 Kids, you did it, and summer vacation is upon us, and we're excited about the summer and all that God has in store for us. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:09.040 And hopefully you've been joining us the last few weeks and months as we've been kind of journeying through the Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:13.439 And we've been recently looking at this kind of second section that we've been calling Say What. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:37.519 And as I was looking at the passage this week, I really began to realize just from a story earlier on in my life, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to be in a group that was an online kind of discipleship group, leadership group, with a few other pastors from around the country, and we met on Zoom, and we would meet every single week and we would talk about different things that were going on, and there was a leader of the group that was kind of coaching us in this whole process. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:39.760 And there's really two questions that we were wrestling with. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.159 The first question was this, what is God saying to you? 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:44.799 And the second question was, what are you going to do about it? 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:59.280 Now on the surface, that seems like two pretty easy questions to answer, but when you really begin to dig down into the root of those questions, into the depth of those questions, those are pretty complex and difficult questions to wrestle with and answer. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:03.920 And I have this tendency, I kind of don't want to be vulnerable a lot of times in life. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.439 And so as a result, I can put up walls, I can kind of know how to kind of give surface level answers. 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:14.719 I can kind of wear a mask and try to present myself one way when I'm really not that way at all. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:16.960 Like that's just kind of the tendency that I have. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:23.199 And so for me, I could sit in that group and when these questions were being asked, I could kind of give these churchy answers back. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.240 You know, just to kind of get people off my back, stop asking questions. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.560 I could just talk about, well, I just need to trust the Lord more, and that's what God's saying to me, right? 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.199 And so I'd give these kind of churchy answers, and the people in that group really wouldn't leave it there. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:39.439 They wouldn't let me have these churchy surface level answers, but they would just kind of go, really? 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:42.879 Like, is that really all that's going on? 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:48.719 And I thought back about that this week because the passage we're talking about, Jesus is kind of asking the same question, really? 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.759 And I think this is the natural human condition. 00:02:51.840 --> 00:03:00.400 I think that we all struggle with trying to put on the appearance of something and uh maybe don't possess what we actually are trying to appear to be. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:10.479 I mean, you think about it, you've got um I've sat in counseling sessions with people and um marriage counseling or counseling individuals, and they'll tell me partial truths, right? 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:18.400 They'll tell me part of the story, and they don't want to tell me the whole story because they're afraid of what that might look like or they're afraid of what I might think of them. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:22.080 And so sometimes I just want to go, is that really all that's going on? 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:34.960 I mean, my kids who are six and three, I mean, I've I've caught them before drawing on the walls with markers in their hands, and they've got markers all on them, and they've got the marker in their hand, and they're standing next to the wall that's been colored on. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:36.960 I'm like, did you just color on the walls? 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:40.319 And they go, No, well, of course that's not the answer. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:41.599 And I want to just go, really? 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:48.639 But the reason they're doing that is one, they don't want to get in trouble, but two, they don't want me to think less of them for doing something they knew they weren't supposed to do. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:55.840 And so this is just a natural human condition that we try to put on the appearance of something that maybe actually isn't who we are. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.159 And the church has had a bad rap in this. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.919 The church has been called hypocrites. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:13.039 In fact, you might be watching this and you might be going, hey, the reason that I'm not part of organized religion, the reason I'm not a part of a church is because, man, I've dealt with people like that that have said one thing, but then they've lived something totally different. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:18.879 And they put on the appearance of something, but inwardly they didn't really practice what they were preaching. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.560 They didn't really possess what they said they practiced. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:26.720 And then the final message that we're looking at today, Jesus is going to hit on this. 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:39.839 And he's gonna show us that there's this easy trap that we oftentimes fall into that I that we can just act like we are, or that we don't have to actually be one way, but we as long as we look that way, then we're okay with that. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:41.680 And Jesus is gonna take things deeper. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.079 He's really gonna ask us the question, really? 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:46.000 Is that really what's going on? 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:47.839 Is that really who you are? 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:56.399 And so the big idea that Jesus is telling us this morning through the passage we're gonna look at is it's not just about what you do, but it's about why you do it. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:03.519 And this is what we've seen all throughout the Sermon on the Mount and in this series specifically, where Jesus is addressing the heart of the matter. 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:16.079 We've seen in several instances now where Jesus is saying, You have heard it said, but I say unto you, you have heard it said that you should not murder, but I say unto you, if anyone has looked at his brother in anger, he is liable for judgment. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:23.600 Ah, you have heard it said that you should not commit adultery, but I say unto you, if you've looked at a woman in lust, then you have committed adultery. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:31.439 And so what Jesus is doing is saying, it's not just about the physical actions, it's not just about what we do on the outside that people can see, but it's about what the heart is. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:40.720 It's about what's going on in our heart and our soul, and ultimately it's pointing us to rely and to focus on Jesus to be really the Lord and Savior of our lives. 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:44.399 Well, this morning Jesus is gonna kind of flip the script a little bit. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.360 He's still gonna address the heart of the matter, but he's gonna take on more of a positive tone to it. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:55.199 So in the past he was looking at murder and adultery and that type of thing, and now he's going to be talking about our generosity. 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:56.720 So, what do we do with our good deeds? 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:58.800 What's the heart behind our good deeds? 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.680 This is what it says in Matthew chapter 6, verse 1. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:10.319 It says, Watch out, don't do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:18.319 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.360 I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:28.480 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:34.240 Give your gift in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:43.120 Now Jesus is starting off this passage of Scripture, and he's saying, Watch out, beware about making your good deeds public for all to see. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:48.879 Because he's saying it's less about what you do, but it's more about why you are doing it. 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:55.360 So let's just break that down because really we have two decisions that we have to make that Jesus is giving us through this passage. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:07:01.600 We have to understand that we're gonna either live for public spectacle or private devotion. 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.319 Public spectacle or private devotion. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:10.399 Again, he says, watch out, don't do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:13.519 And so he's pushing us into the private devotion world. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:18.959 He wants us to be doing things that are flowing out of our heart, not just to be seen by others. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:27.839 Now, if you remember back a few weeks and months ago, we talked about Matthew chapter 5, verse 14, the very familiar passage for many people that have grown up in church. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.879 And it almost seems like Jesus is contradicting himself. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:37.199 He says in Matthew chapter 5, verse 14, he says, You are the light of the world, a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.839 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:44.319 Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:52.560 In the same way, let your good work, good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:53.839 So isn't that interesting? 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:04.800 That just a few verses that separate these two passages, but in one he's saying, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, and in the other one he's saying, don't do your good deeds publicly. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:06.959 Is Jesus contradicting himself here? 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:07.439 No. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.160 What he's ultimately saying is about the motive behind what you're doing. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:14.639 Why am I doing the good works? 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:21.360 What is my motivation behind doing these good works like giving and praying and fasting and serving others? 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.720 Is my desire to honor God and to bring glory to God? 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:31.680 Or is my acts of service to really gain glory for myself and praise for myself and the applause of men? 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.679 And let's just sit in that for a second. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.440 Don't just gloss over that. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:42.080 Jesus is really asking us the question, what are the motives behind your actions really? 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.320 Think about that for a second. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.679 What are the motives behind your actions really? 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:53.120 And I and I think in our world, in our culture today, this is really difficult to live out. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:57.440 We live in this social media society where if you don't post about it, it didn't happen. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:01.279 And we feel like we've got to share our lives totally with the world around us. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:08.159 And there's people in our community and our world and you know, friends and loved ones that we have that are doing incredible works for the kingdom. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:17.039 They're giving, they're serving, they're going on mission trips, they're meeting practical needs, they're serving at food banks and delivering lunches for fish for kids. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:19.120 I mean, they're doing these incredible things. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:23.279 And we feel like we have to post, we have to share about all these things that we're doing. 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:25.759 Now, let me just say, I don't think it's wrong to post. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:36.080 I don't think it's wrong to share how God's using you and how God's working in your life, but I do think we need to question our motives behind why we're posting, why we're sharing what we're doing. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:37.840 Is it because we want more likes? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.279 Is it because we want more followers? 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:51.840 Is it because we want people to pat us on the back and tell us how awesome we are, or is it because we really do want to bring glory to our Heavenly Father, that we want to make much of who Jesus is in our lives? 00:09:52.240 --> 00:10:03.440 Jesus' desire is that we would be living in the world, but that we would not be making a public spectacle out of our good works, but instead it would be fueled out of a private devotion. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:19.039 And so here's a question that I've just been wrestling with the last few weeks as I've written this message is when is the last time that I have done something kind and served someone else or gave generously to someone else and it remained completely anonymous? 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:31.279 Where there was no one that knew, I didn't send a card with my name in it, or I didn't, you know, you know, make a public spectacle of it posting it on social media or telling friends or coworkers about what I've done. 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:36.559 When was the last time I've just done something and just strictly stayed completely anonymous? 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.240 That's a question we need to wrestle with. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:47.919 And I think if we have a hard time and a difficult time answering that question and we can't recall a time, I think we do have to question, maybe our motives are more for the public spectacle. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:55.039 Maybe the things we're doing are more for public spectacle rather than because we have a private devotion to our Heavenly Father. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.799 But the other thing that Jesus is showing us is that we have a choice to make. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:06.000 So we can either go live out of a public spectacle, doing our good works for public spectacle, or for out of a private devotion. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:09.360 And those two things reap two very different rewards. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:15.919 For those that are living out of a public spectacle, wanting others to see their good works, they get temporary praise. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:20.240 But for those that live out of a private devotion, they get an eternal reward. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:21.600 So that's another choice that we have. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:26.000 Do we want temporary praise or do we want an eternal reward? 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.559 Listen to what he says again in verse 2. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:36.799 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do, blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:40.879 I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.679 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:51.600 Give your gift in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:59.360 Now, back in the first century in the time of Jesus, giving alms or giving an offering to the temple was not an uncommon practice. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:01.440 It was actually commanded by the law. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:02.960 And so people would do that. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:08.639 And we know from other stories in the gospel that when people gave, it became a public spectacle a lot of times. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:17.279 There was the big container they were throwing their coins into, and it would make a clinging and a loud noise as it fell into the temple temple treasury. 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.240 And Jesus is saying, listen, it's great to give. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:21.360 I want you to be generous. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:28.080 I want you to give, I want you to serve, I want you to do all these good works, but not because you can make a public spectacle out of it. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:35.440 I want you to be generous because you want to be generous, because you want to bring honor and glory to me, not so that you can just get the praise of other people. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.320 And that's really the two options, again, that we have. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:42.320 Do we want the temporary praise or do we want the eternal reward? 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:46.159 The temporary praise is all about what we get here on earth. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:51.759 It's all about someone patting us on the back and thanking us for our generosity. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:13:06.080 But when we give to someone in need and we do that in a private, out of our private devotion, wanting the eternal reward, then Jesus is saying, hey, listen, the eternal reward is what awaits you, and that is the reward that lasts forever. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:11.279 See, earthly rewards burn, but heavenly rewards last forever. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:13.440 And that's what we're actually after. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:15.120 And so that's the question we gotta ask ourselves. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:17.120 The question is, what would we rather have? 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:19.600 Temporary praise or eternal rewards? 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:21.440 Now, let's just be honest for a second. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:23.039 Let's just be really honest. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:27.440 I think for some of us, we would rather have the temporary praise. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:35.200 I mean, temporary praise is immediate, and we care more about what others think of us than we really what we think of God thinking about us. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.080 We care more about trying to earn our parents' approval. 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:49.440 We try more about getting our neighbors to think much of us or our coworker or our boss to really like us and hopefully we can do enough good things so that we can get ahead in our careers. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:14:03.440 Now, there's nothing wrong with getting ahead in your career, but if you're living and you're working in such a way and you're doing the good works that God's called you to do in order to get the temporary praise of men, man, you're missing out on the eternal rewards. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:10.879 And let me just say that being quite honest, oftentimes the temporary praise looks better in the moment than the eternal rewards. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:21.279 I mean, if we have the temporary praises of others, we can climb the corporate ladder, we can rise in success, we can get the promotion, we can have more success potentially in life. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:29.519 These are all signs of temporary praise that we might enjoy, but we don't get to have a life that is marked by eternity. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:42.480 If all we ever look for is the temporary praise here on earth, we'll move forward in life, but we won't have our eyes set on eternity because earthly rewards burn, but heavenly rewards last forever. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.919 And so we have a choice. 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:49.840 Jesus is saying, Hey, I want you to be generous, I want you to do good works, I want you to be the people that I've called you to be. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:51.200 That's who my kingdom people are. 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.759 They're generous people, they're doing good works. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.120 But you have to make the choice. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.879 Am I going to do that for public spectacle or private devotion? 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:05.600 Am I going to yearn and long for temporary praise or eternal rewards? 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.600 And listen, I want our church to be a generous church. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:14.799 I want us to be a church that makes a powerful impact on the community around us. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:23.120 I want us to love and to serve in ways that people just are amazed by how we give so sacrificially to the people around us. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:28.240 But I don't want to do that so that we can build up the name of Church of the Grove. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:38.799 I don't want us to do that on a personal level so that we can make much of myself or we can make much of our name or our family, but rather we can make much of Jesus. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:54.720 Listen, I want us to ultimately work in such a way that we're doing everything we do to bring glory to God, to bring praise and honor to Him, that we're living out of a private devotion, and we're not wanting and looking and longing for the public spectacle. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:01.759 We're not looking for the temporary praise, but we're longing and basing our lives on the eternal reward that awaits us. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:09.200 I don't want us to be just an organization, but I want us to be people that live lives that are full. 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:20.240 I want us to be people that live lives of joy and of peace, that are so satisfied in Jesus that we don't look for the praise of others to bring us fulfillment in our lives. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:25.600 We want eternal rewards of abundant life that are ultimately offered to us. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:29.600 See, Christianity is a faith that's based on generosity. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:38.080 Up until the time of Jesus, there were generous people, but the generous people were typically generous because of selfish motives. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:44.960 But Jesus comes on the scene and he tells them, I don't want you to just focus on what you do, but why you do it. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.120 It's a heart issue. 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:50.080 And really, Jesus is the perfect example of this. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:17:03.519 All the times that Jesus was here on earth, all the stories that we have, Jesus is constantly not looking and longing to make much of himself, but he's constantly looking to bring glory and honor to his heavenly Father. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.839 I mean, just think of this feeding of the 5,000. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:06.480 I love that story. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.599 The feeding of the 5,000, Jesus does this incredible miracle. 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:10.960 There's this crowd of people there. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:21.039 They're praising him, they're glorifying him, they're singing his praises for what they have just seen and what the rewards that they have received from him with the food and from the fishes and the loaves. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.200 But then what does Jesus do in that moment? 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:27.119 Jesus is kind of this ninja-like creature and he just disappears. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:29.759 He just sneaks off. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.200 Like the people are wanting to put him into a place of prominence. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:36.960 They're wanting him to come and to take over and be the ruler of the Jewish people. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:38.160 And what does Jesus do? 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:39.920 He runs from that. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:45.039 He goes to the mountain to again be with his heavenly father, to have this private devotion. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:55.759 And over and over and over again, we see this in the life of Jesus: that he was constantly concerned with bringing glory to his heavenly father rather than making much of himself. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.160 And that's the example that we should follow. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:05.680 We should be people that don't want to yearn and long to make much of ourselves, but instead we want to make much of our God. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:08.480 That we want to bring glory to our Heavenly Father. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:14.319 And when we do that, when people see our good works, then they will give glory to God as well. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:33.279 And so maybe you're listening to this this morning and you are thinking, man, I can't think of the last time I actually did something that was anonymous, where I didn't get credit for it, where I wasn't looking for the temporary praise of man, where I was doing it more for a public spectacle and to kind of get congratulated for what I have done. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:41.599 And maybe, maybe the question for you this morning is, hey, am I really more focused on myself or am I more focused on following Jesus? 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:44.640 And for some of you, maybe you don't have a relationship with Jesus. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.279 And that's really the first start, first step in this. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.480 You can't live in such a way that we're talking about. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:59.279 You can't be part of God's kingdom, and you can't live in this radical different way unless you have a relationship with Jesus, unless you have been empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.960 And so if that's the step that you need to take, we'd love to have a conversation with you. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.359 We say here at Church of the Grove, it's ABC. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:18.160 It's admit, believe, confess, that we admit that we're sinful, that we believe that Jesus died on a cross for us some 2,000 years ago, rose again on the third day, and now he says anyone that puts their faith and trust in him will have newness of life. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:20.000 We'll be with him for all of eternity. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.599 And then we confess him as our Lord and our Savior. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:32.880 Not only does he forgive us of our sins, but he's also the Lord of our lives, where he's calling the shots for us and he's making the decisions for our lives. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.640 And so maybe that's a step you need to take. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.440 And if that is, we would love to have a conversation with you, like I said. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.880 And you can do that by simply texting the words start to follow to 97000. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:48.960 Start to follow all one word, 9700, and we'll follow up with you this week. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:55.599 But for the rest of us, if you're a follower of Jesus, man, this is a convicting and difficult message to wrestle with. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.319 And it's not just about what you do on the outside, but it's really about the heart of the matter. 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:09.200 And I think that we have to do the deep work of trying to figure out truly what our motives are in order to honor God in this area. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:12.640 And so I think we ask ourselves the question, what are my motives? 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:13.519 Really? 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:16.000 What am I really after? 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:19.279 Is it the temporary praise or is it the eternal rewards? 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:25.680 Do I focus more on what I do, or rather do I focus more on why I'm doing it? 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:34.079 Jesus wants us to be a people that focuses not just on what we do, but also why we do it. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.359 And so I would encourage you to really wrestle with those questions. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:40.880 And I would even encourage you to do this in the context of community. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:55.920 I think that the best way to really mine for the deep truth here of really what's going on in your heart is to do that within a group of people that love you and care for you, that are asking you difficult questions to really get to the root and to the core of what your motives are all about. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:08.799 And so this week, if you're part of a community group and you guys are still meeting at this time in the year, man, our community group questions are wrestling through these ideas and these questions to get to the heart of the matter to see what our motives truly are. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:11.440 Because we want to be faithful followers of Jesus. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:17.599 We want to be people that live generous lives out of a private devotion for eternal rewards. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:18.880 Lord, let me pray for us. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:25.680 Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for who you are, and I thank you for all that you have done for us, in us, and through us. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.319 Lord, we want to be people that are generous. 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:33.279 Generous with our time, generous with our money, generous with our talents, generous with our resources. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:39.759 We want to be people that give sacrificially to the world around us in everything that we do, Lord. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:41.279 We want to be seen in that light. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:46.000 But Lord, we don't want to be people that just do it because that's what's been commanded for us to do. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:51.039 Or we don't want to be people that just do it so that we can get the praise and the honor of the others around us. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:55.200 We don't want to do these things just so we can get the temporary praise. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:22:01.519 But Lord, we want to do the deep work of seeing our hearts that are totally transformed, totally affixed on you. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.519 And we're willing to live out of a private devotion. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:09.680 We're willing to serve and to give and be willing to be anonymous in that. 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:16.559 Because our motive is not for us to get much praise from others, but ultimately for us to live and to honor and to glorify you. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:24.079 And so, Lord, I pray that you would use our people, that you would use our church, that you would use the people that are watching that, this message today. 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:36.960 Lord, that you would use us to be the generous people you called us to be, but let it be out of a heart for private devotion, not seeking the temporary praise of others, but the eternal rewards that await us. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:41.119 And so, Lord, we thank you for who you are and for setting the perfect example in this. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.359 And it's in your name we pray, in the name of Jesus. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:43.920 Amen.