Sermons

Week 16 – Matthew 6:1-18 – 4/28/24 Why do you do the things you do?

This week’s bulletin                                        YouVersion Bible App                                      Listen to the podcast of this week’s message on Spotify

Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

Giving to the Needy

6 “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.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord’s Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[a]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[b]
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.[d]

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is in the midst of teaching what it looks like for people to be a part of the Kingdom of God. Today, we’re looking at what He has to say about our intentions and why we do what we do. He teaches us that we need to realize:

1. God cares about our intentions and motivation

Matt. 6:1-18, Heb. 4:12, Ps. 44:21, Col. 3:23-24, 1 Cor. 15:58, Prov. 3:5

 

2. When we do good things, for the wrong reasons, we often become hypocrites                    

Matt. 6:2, 5, 16, 15:7-9, 7:21-23, Luke 12:2, Titus 1:16, 2 Tim. 3:5

                              

3. God’s rewards are better than earthly rewards

Matt. 6:1-2, 4-6, 16, 18, Gal. 6:9, James 1:12, Luke 12:33-34

        

 

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 6:1-18 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • Take some time to think and pray about your intentions and motivations. Ask God to bring to light any intentions and motivations that you might have that aren’t honoring Him. 

Diving In 

  1. Read over Matthew 6:1-18 again, intentionally looking for how God cares about what our intentions are, and what motivates us. 
  • After praying about it, do you feel like you have any motivations or intentions that aren’t honoring God? 
  • How has God worked on your heart, and changed any of your motivations or intentions in the past? 
  • How would it change the way you live, if all of your motivations and intentions were pure? 

  1. Read over Matthew 6:2, 5, and 16 again, specifically looking at what He has to say about hypocrites. What does Jesus’ teaching about being hypocritical teach us about our human nature? 
  • What aspects of your faith have you been hypocritical about before? 
  • Spend some time in prayer, asking God to point out any areas of your life that you are hypocritical in right now. Jot down anything you feel like God puts on your heart. 
  • How would it change your life if you could avoid being a hypocrite? How would it affect your relationships? 

  1. Read over Matthew 6:1-2, 4-6, 16, and 18 again, specifically focusing on what Jesus says about rewards. 
  • Have you ever tried working towards an earthly reward? What was it? 
  • Spend some time in prayer, asking that God would help you to look more towards His rewards than man’s. 
  • How would it change your life if you worked more towards God’s rewards than earthly rewards? 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?