Sermons

Consumer or Worshipper

 

Church culture has shifted and is shifting. 

• A year ago, it was natural to attend church out of a religious motive.
  • Whooshing in and out of services to be seen by friend groups, reassured that you are under God’s blessing.
  • This approach never flies with God as he tests our motives when we worship.

 

• Self-seeking, religious motivations have been regularly spewed out of God’s mouth being lukewarm and superficial, having nothing to do with true worship.   
  • This is meeting God as a consumer.
  • Kin to getting a good deal at Best Buy.
  • 180 out from what God seeks and blesses.

 

True worshippers approach God with a single motivation. Giving. 

• The Old Testament sacrificial system always meant worshippers approached God with their gift or offering.   

 

• Carrying this all the way to heaven’s vision found in Revelation 4 reveals the same.

^ESV  Revelation 4:10-11 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ¹¹ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

 

The creature/Creator distinction is the point, where God is God, and we are not! 

• We bring worthy offerings to God for God to receive.
• He receives what we give.

The word “worship” itself finds an Old English origin tying the word “worth” with a suffix “ship.” 

• Words ending in “ship” take on the state of being with whatever comes before it.
• Putting “worth” with “ship” makes its object always in the state of being worthy.
• Biblically speaking, this can only reference God.

God is the only Being forever-worthy!  God’s value based on being Creator!

• Christians understand this reality and this has bearing on someone’s approach taken private and public worship.
• Bring this full circle, when people gather for church as consumer, this is in direct opposition to what God requires.

The Coronavirus has shaped church culture. 

• Massive building projects are not the current mission focus.

 

• Attraction-based gatherings are not in vogue.

 

• Gathering for church has taken a step purer in terms of motivations.

 

• Soul-search and ask, “Are you are tempted in new ways as a consumer ‘take it or leave it mindset’ when it comes to regularly gathering at church.

 

The culture of being critical runs rampant in our world. 

• People enjoy the distraction buzz from running something they disagree with to ground. What they could do better. 
  • Reference any political issue on Twitter and the 200 comments in the comment section vindicate this.
  • Social media affords an immediate platform for YouTube Rockstar’s to critique anything.
  • News media, instead of reporting, stirs viewership by criticizing opposing agendas.

Self-consumption is not how God created us to be. 

• People reborn are rebuilt have new capacities and desires to give.
  • Fellowship in church becomes powerful when the focus it right.
  • Gathering with a sense of purpose, not to take but give.
  • As living sacrifices (cf. Rom. 12:1-2).

“Is giving is all there is?”  “Do we not receive blessing from God and is it wrong to seek this sort of thing?”

• There is no true contradiction with coming to God as an offering and coming to God to receive a blessing.

 

• At the same time, the chasm between approaching God as a religious consumer or true worshipper is as wide as the difference between heaven and hell.

 

• When you come to God with sacrifices of praise, your heart opens and receives blessings from heaven.

 

• When you come to God as a critic, your heart closes shut and all of God’s blessings are held shut up in heaven.

 

In Matthew 6 Jesus introduces the dramatic difference between true worship and religious worship.  Authentic versus hypocritical. 

 

 ^ESV  Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

I have heard an old illustration of an eastern holy man:

He who would cover himself with ashes as a symbol of humility.  He would sit prominently on the city street corner where tourists would come and ask permission to take his picture, so the mystic would rearrange his ashes to give the be[st image of destitution. 

Before we criticize, we need to ask whether we too stand guilty with the way we approach God or gather for church. 

• There are subtle traps, playacting our faith.

 

• Going through the motions, people assume we are well in our relationship with God.

 

This brings us to our text differentiating Consumer from Worshipper. 

• Matthew 6:1-18 breaks into three sections – Giving (vv. 1-4), Praying (vv. 5-15), Fasting (vv. 16-18).
  • Any religion or cult incorporates these three practices.
  • What makes them acceptable to God comes down to one thing: Motive.

 

• You can have the right Christ and correct Gospel, but you must still possess a heart that has been made right with God.

 

• I want to clarify, I have been using the word “religion” synonymously with consumerism, but in fact, James 1:27 uses the word “religion” as a synonym for living faith which again returns to someone’s motive.     

^ESV  James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Religion that is undefiled is marked by a faith that works and not in the reverse where people work to take on the appearance of faith. 

^ESV  Mark 7:6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

• This comes down to whether someone is caught up in self-promotion verses Christ-promotion.

 

Chapter 6 moves to the core of how a true motivation is born by faith and how this faith is put into practice. 

• Chapters 1-5 peel back layers of religion exposing what is false.

 

• Chapter 6 ties together True Orthodoxy with True Orthopraxy.
  • Orthodoxy breaks down as “ortho” meaning “straight” or “right” or “truth” and “doxy” meaning your belief.
    • Generally, conservative, Christian doctrine.

 

• Orthopraxy “praxis” speaks to “practicing” what is “straight” or “right” or “true.”
  • Truth in action or a faith that works!

 

• Jesus’ sermon is now taking the role of purging the flesh, opening up three main Christian practices.

 

Prop: Undefiled orthopraxy breaks down into three practices: Giving, Praying, and Fasting. 

 1. Giving (vv. 1-4) [Read]

Jesus begins with a real warning. 

• “Beware” meaning, guard yourself.
  • Pay attention to real temptation.
  • The language of the verse reveals the motivation.
    • Purposely parading your “righteousness” directly in view of others.
    • To “be seen” by them.
    • To “see” or being “seen” or someone “sees” is a theme of this section (cf. v. 1, 4, 5, 6).

 

• The question is always, “Who is your audience?” “Man or God?” 

If you argue, “You are shy, so this does not apply,” this will not work. 

• The temptation no respecter of persons.
  • Someone shy covers pride with false humility.
  • Reclusive choices, being conspicuously absent in the name of “holiness!”

 

• One subtle twist within this temptation is what the Bible calls “the fear of man.”

^ESV  Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

 

^ESV  Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

 

^ESV  John 12:42-43 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

⁴³ for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God

 

^ESV  Genesis 12:12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

 

^ESV  Genesis 26:7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance.

 

^ESV  1 Samuel 15:24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

 

Whether a recluse or showman, the sin-motive is the same and what every believer is warned not to do. 

 

Performing religious actions for man’s empty applause is the sum total of what you receive. 

• This reveals an empty spiritual condition.
  • “No reward” from God, speaks to someone’s spiritual status.
  • “Reward” is heaven.
    • We run the race to receive the prize, the upward call.
    • Hypocrites do not have eternal life.
    • Who Jesus is exposing (v. 2).

Believers may fall prey to this temptation but when hypocrisy characterizes your life, you should expect not “reward” and reexamine your spiritual condition.   

• Rewards are down here on earth have nothing to do with heaven.
• Hypocrisy is very dangerous, per our Lord.

In verse 2, Jesus uses sarcastic humor, illustrating this sad spiritual deficit. 

• Giving as some sort of show.

 

 “What is going on with ‘sounding a trumpet?’” (cf . v. 2).

• Jesus points to a regular cultural happening.
  • In the Jewish community, a need would arise.
  • A public official would seize on it by “sounding a trumpet!”

 

• Like a fireman’s siren in the community, something everyone was familiar with.

 

• An opportunity to score points with “God” and show everyone you are scoring points with “God!”

 

• Town shops would close, and everyone would crowd around to see this display of religious charity.
  • “Hypocrites” or “play-actors” coming to the rescue.
    • A hypocrite was the same word used for a Greek actor who wore a mask while performing.
    • Walking out on the stage of the synagogue or prominent town square “street corner” (v. 2).

 

• Wanting the applause of men.

 

Like when Hollywood actors donate small portions of massive incomes as a tax write-off.  Placarding monetary amounts on massive cardboard checks for charities. 

 

• Normal people desperate for approval.

 

Jesus says, “when you give to the needy” acknowledging “needs” will arise.

^ESV  Matthew 26:11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.

• When needs arise, “sound no trumpet before you” (v. 2).
  • Why? Jesus’ indictment, “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (v. 2). 
  • When you give to get you are a hypocrite.
  • Consumers unlike worshippers receive what’s down here.

 

• Applause down here, not heaven.

 

Verse 3 curbs saying, “I can never give with a pure motive, so why give at all?” 

• Jesus drives forward saying, “But when you give to the needy” (v. 3).
  • Jesus expects you will.
  • If tempted not to give, repent, and then give.
  • The act of giving rewarms your heart to give.

 

Give the way Jesus says to, “…do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (v. 3). 

• Jesus assumes you will need to kill selfish motivations.

 

• The “left hand and right hand” symbolize personal awareness.
  • Self-consciousness.
  • Jonah tells of God’s pity for the Ninevites.

Jonah was angry over God’s command to warn of imminent judgment. 

• Jonah knew Nineveh repented; God’s anger would abate.
• Jonah wanted nuclear judgment.
• God’s response was Jonah 4:11.

^ESV  Jonah 4:11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

 

God’s pity for the Ninevites was based on their complete ignorance. 

• Our own ignorance of self should look like this when we give.
  • Not ignorant needs.
  • Not ignorant of God.
  • Ignorant of self.

Most likely you are not so bold as to seek for public applause. 

More likely you seek applause from more privately from your spouse or friends. 

Most likely the temptation for approval is buried inside your heart; what Jesus sees. 

 

• Jesus is saying, “When your right-hand does something, do not tell your left hand.”
  • Do not talk to yourself about it.
  • No self-congratulation!

 

In verse 4, Jesus states the reason is, “…so that your giving may be in secret” (v. 4). 

• “Secret” meaning “hidden.”
  • So, secret that your giving is “hidden” from your own self.
  • Without dwelling on what you did, you move on.

 

• Religious histrionics posted on Christian media are emotional parades having nothing to do with God.

 

• Consumers, self-gratify, rather than offering selfless worship to God.

 

Verses 5-6 introduce the second worship practice. 

What must also be undefiled orthopraxy.  Your prayers. 

2. Praying (vv. 5-6) [Read]

Unpacking this second practice is essentially the same lesson, taking the same approach in prayer as giving.  Prayer God hears. 

Jesus in verse 5, likewise assumes that giving you will also pray. 

• “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites” (v. 5).
  • Praying so people hear you.
    • Instead of God hearing your prayers.
    • “Play-acting” rooted selfish motives by what “they love” (v. 5).

 

• People feeding on approval.

 

I remember a preacher, not qualified to preach, claiming he was still preaching because “he loved the strokes he received.” 

 

• Religious leaders who “love to stand and pray” (v. 5)
  • Standing while praying can be a symbol of respect.
  • Prophets stood, Jesus stood and prayed.

 

• Posture is not the issue; Assuming a posture to be noticed is.

 

I recently heard of a pastor who would kneel beside his pulpit to pray before his congregation before preaching.  His motive was not selfish as much as something he was caught up in.  Reverence is always a matter of someone’s heart. 

 

Verse 5 reveals a religious hypocrite’s heart. 

• Praying in “synagogues and street corners, that they may be seen by others” (v. 5).
  • Practicing prayer to be seen means your “reward” is over.
    • “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (v. 5) meaning nothing to do with God.
    • Praying that hardens your heart.

 

• Saying, “Amen” where you take a bow after a performance.

 

• Defiled Orthopraxy leaves the heart vacuous.

 

Verse 6, calls believers to fight for secrecy. 

• “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret” (v. 6).
  • Like giving, Jesus assumes you will pray.
  • It has been said, “Pray for the believer is as natural as breathing.”
  • [CH Spurgeon] “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the hand of a Sovereign God.”

 

Unlike other spiritual disciplines like: giving, singing, teaching, or even evangelizing; prayer requires the most faith. 

• Prayer is the least of anything we do as believers.
• Yet, praying is the most authenticating
• Praying, especially in “secret” is carrying on a relationship with reverence with God who is invisible.

 

• Jesus is not directing believers to a literal prayer closet, though some believers do designate an area.
  • Jesus instead builds a night and day contrast between praying upright and out loud in front of crowds, for the purpose of accolades and praying in your private space with the door closed, meaning going to a space where no one can see or hear you but God.
  • Remember you are not even supposed to be self-conscious when you give.

 

One of the main reasons we do not pray as we ought is that we do not shut out the noise of the world.  Turn off media!  God outside.  Get away.  Drive away.  But pray!  This is intimacy! 

A stinging rebuke: “I believe not one praying in a 100 (in church) is actually praying to the Almighty God…people are praying to other men or themselves.”

The difference between being tuned into AM or FM radio. 

Like being in the flesh or the Spirit.

^ESV  Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

 

The Lord “rewards” prayer in secret but what does that mean? 

• The emphasis is that God “sees in secret” and what he “sees in secret” this he “rewards” in secret (v. 6).
• Prayer practiced in “secret” that God “sees” in “secret” is real prayer.

This means you are a real Christian.  Real prayers mean real Christianity!

 

Susanna Wesley known as the mother of the Methodist Church, in the late 1600’s was married to a pastor in London.  Born to a family of 25 children, she married a minister and had 19 of her own, two of whom were John and Charles Wesley.  Susanna was known for her discipline in prayer where she carved in hours of praying.  If she could not find a room to retreat to, these children would watch her flip her apron up over her head and pray!

Are you a consumer or worshipper? 

• “Is your life self-consuming or self-emptying?”

 

• “When you give or serve, are you concerned with what others think about how much or how often?”

 

• “When you sing, are you concerned with your level of expression compared to your neighbor?

 

• “When you fellowship, are you concerned to sound more “with it” spiritually than you really are now?”

All these temptations can be held in check, going back to our Source of giving! 

 

The greatest example of giving is God in Christ. 

• God so loved the world that he gave.
• Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice.
• He is the gift of God which gives you eternal life.

 

God gives common grace.

^ESV  Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

• At the end of chapter 6, real answers to anxiety are provided, “What we shall…eat” “What we shall…drink” “What we shall…wear” (cf. Matt. 6:31).

 

• We say, “God is worthy” because he promises “our day to day.”

 

• We praise God not self because God provides temporally but provides also eternally.

^ESV  James 1:17-18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸ Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

 

The Old Testament record captures the contrast between the outward and inward like nowhere else comparing Saul with David. 

• Remember the basis for which Saul was nominated to be Israel’s first king?

 

• Remember the basis for which David was anointed as king?

 

 

 

 

Saul

 

^ESV  1 Samuel 9:1-2 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.² And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

 

 

 

David

 

 

^ESV  1 Samuel 16:5-7 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.”⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

 

 

^ESV  1 Samuel 16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.”