- You are not a superhero Matthew 6:1-15
- We’ve been watching a lot of superhero movies during this year. They are entertaining. Many superheros have alter-egos. Batman/ Bruce Wayne. Superman/Clark Kent. Spiderman/Peter Parker. Iron Man/Tony Stark. They are two different people. One in public- one in private
- It makes for interesting cinema- it just doesn’t make for a good example of Christian life
- God never intended for duplicity in the Christian walk. Becoming a Christian is supposed to be an all encompassing endeavor- public and private are supposed to match up
- I have seen a ton of double lives in Christianity in my life as a pastor except its not superheros
- Abusers, drunkards, pornographers, cheaters, liars, gossipers, thiefs, druggers, gamblers, etc
- Faking it through- and then years later- it all comes out- divorce, jail, destruction, pain LIES
- Walking through it alone needlessly instead of just being honest and repenting and growing
- They talk a great talk and are PROS at putting on the superhero cape on Sunday, but that person is no where to be found the rest of the week- and it all eventually comes to light
- None of us should want to be that person- we should want congruency in everything
- Todays scripture speaks to private and public life congruency- its very important
- Who are you when no one is watching
- READ 1-7 “do not sound a trumpet -do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, will Himself reward you openly.”” your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”
- “ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.”
- Jesus is talking to this disciples and talking about acts of service- is it to be seen?
- Again- hyperbole- obviously your right hand knows what your left hand is doing- but it’s the HEART- why are you doing what you are doing and does it match up to your private life?
- Anyone can do something publicly to be seen- but the true test is the heart in private past SUN
- James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
- Conversely What does it profit a man if he has works but no faith? No sense of commitment
- People say personal relationship with Jesus- but they have no personal relationship with Jesus
- They Hide behind these words as a barrier to accountability or reality “look what im doing”
- Your wife is sad, angry, and neglected- but you have a personal relationship with your wife?
- Many people hide behind no works and claim faith- but many claim their works are their faith
- True faith is private faith that you hold and exercise when no one is watching- this isn’t a game
- Matthew 5:20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 7:21-23 ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
- God wants to know you and you to know him intimately- but outward acts isn’t the ticket
- God wants a robust private relationship with you- not one where you come into a group of believers and try to act like you got it all together on a Sunday and then go to Hell
- This is a safe place- find someone to be honest about whats holding you back and lets work on it- Don’t live a private destructive existence- it wont get better on its own.
- 2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
- Diligence in your Christian walk requires a measure of work and commitment- and HONESTY
- I’ll take the “I can’t stop drinking and cussing guy” over the “Yeah man, I’m good” guy any day.
- Wrestling- run over break- every day- show up get on the scale- clear who was diligent
- Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
- That’s a demanding scripture! That’s a Scripture that should scare you! If your private life isn’t matching up to your public life- its time to set them in the right place no “vain repetitions”
- Here’s the truth- If interviewed your coworkers, friends, spouse, kids etc. what would they say?
- Many a kid raised in a Christian home and church leave Christ because of their parents hypocrisy- I asked my kids- what hypocrisy is there in my life- Faith: you repent when you lose it
- 1 John 2:4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
- I don’t want to be a liar- I don’t want my kids to not serve God because they think im a liar
- This has been a problem of people of faith for thousands of years but it doesn’t have to be
- Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said:“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
- And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
- Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
- Get your heart close to God- spend personal time with him. Worship him, live for him.
- Pray- GOD GET MY MOTIVES RIGHT- HELP ME Tear out those things that aren’t of you
- Here’s what we don’t want-
- 2 tim 3:7 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- And I appreciate your patience with me as we walk through this as a church- if I sound like a broken record its because its that important- to get you to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus!
- I want our church to be filled with fully devoted followers- not a bunch of fake superheros
- Jude 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
- God knows who you really are and it should concern you- Job 1:6-9 READ GOD KNOWS
- Pray right in private
- Public prayers aren’t wrong- God just doesn’t want vain repetitions or grand standing for the sake of outward piety- I pray different in public than private- I exhort- in private- its obv diff
- Jesus gave us a model for prayer-
- V 9 Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.10 Your kingdom come.Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts,
- As we forgive our debtors.13 And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one.For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- This model can guide your daily prayer life- people ask- how much should I pray? More
- I don’t excel at praying- I’m not a prayer warrior- I pray- but I can do better- I can pray more
- I wonder about those superhero Christians- what do they pray about? What does God speak?
- The model is simple- Praise God, pray for his kingdom, depend on him for today, ask for and give forgiveness, pray for protection, give him the Glory- you can expound more in your own
- The point is- Jesus wants us to pray every day in every way to him all thetime-
- If you haven’t memorized the Lord’s prayer you should- why? Jesus said “this is how”
- You notice this prayer isn’t asking God to make your life easier or give you what you want.
- Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
- Jesus wanted people to pray- he was a prayer guy- If the savior of the universe prayed shouldn’t we? Shouldn’t we make it central to our faith?
- Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a [a]solitary place; and there He prayed.
- The bible talks A LOT about prayer-
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,
- Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
- Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
- One of the biggest lies in Christianity is “I prayed about it” did you? Or did you make a decision, take action, and then come around and make sure that God was OK with it?
- God is not impressed with HOW you pray- he just wants you to PRAY- any old way-
- I’ll tell you- people are always looking for a yes- I think the best way to discern God’s will in prayer is ask for no’s, stops, closes, redirections, lack of peace, restlessness and prophesy
- I pray- God- if this isn’t of you- shut it down. Make it clear. Don’t let it happen.
- And much of my prayer- I don’t know what to pray- so I let the Spirit intercede for me
- Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [a]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
- I’m holy ghost- I believe in tongues. I believe in prayer language. I pray that way and God does stuff- But God doesn’t just want public superhero prayers- he wants private intimate prayers
- If you’re not praying you’re not connecting with God personally- and in that time- ask him
- What needs to change about me? Who do I need to forgive? What do I need to be doing/not doing, how can I serve you better? Pray for others- pray for the world- pray pray pray
- Some of ya’ll don’t see God move because you don’t pray enough and seek enough
- Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
- I can say- God has given me everything I prayed for that he ever wanted me to have
- I get it- jobs, money, relationships, issues, life, world etc. Prayer changes YOU not God
- Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, Romans 12:12 continuing steadfastly in prayer;Proverbs 15:29 He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- I put out a challenge that We should all read our Bibles every day- not long- but something
- Can we agree as a church to pray every day? As long as it needs to be- but agree to pray every day? Can we watch what God does?
- Pastor Mugi runs prayer every Monday- I encourage you to come- at least once a month- but more if you can. Why not? Praying is good for the soul!
- You got to Forgive people
- Lets make it as simple as possible. Christians are supposed to forgive everyone. Everyone
- True superheros are forgiving- They don’t destroy- They want Thanos to make heaven
- There are no exception clauses- there are no- whatifs there are no except whens
- 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
- Forgiveness is what we have received and forgiveness is what we will extend to others
- Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
- And if you are a person that holds grudges, has people you hate and don’t forgive- you’re wrong. God doesn’t accept it, and you shouldn’t either- you have to learn to forgive
- And this is a theme that you hear a lot- why? We all get hurt by people. By their words, their actions, their inaction, their abuse, their attacks, indirect, direct, accidental and purposeful
- But unforgiveness is rooted in this thought- “I didn’t deserve to be treated that way” and often times its true- you didn’t. And I’m sorry- but what the Bible says and God knows- is that you can’t go back and make everything right- but you can forgive that broken person like God forgave you for your nastiness and move on
- Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- I want God’s forgiveness! I want him to receive me into his kingdom! So I forgive! I let it go
- How do we do that? REMEMBER WHAT YOU WERE FORGIVEN- SO so much
- Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
- Don’t think about how great you are and how you don’t deserve it- think you deserve worse
- Then- treat people better than they deserve to be treated- don’t take their abuse- forgive
- Jesus- crucified savior- said-Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And that true for most people- sociopaths just live- they don’t care
- But YOU care and YOU’RE up in knots about it- and you can have a better life by forgiving
- Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts,As we forgive our debtors.
- This is that daily prayer- are you praying daily to be forgiven and forgive others?
- Your family, your business, your church, your life will not move forward without forgiveness
- The Bible says that God will not remember our sins no more
- Jeremiah 31:34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
- And that’s the proof of forgiveness- you stop thinking about the how and I why you were hurt
- “love keeps no record of wrongs’ and for me in my life- if I’ve forgiven someone- I try to forget
- And often times I do- I do not have the time or the energy to remember all the people who have wronged me- I just don’t- I want to forgive people and just keep on living life.
- Don’t be a superhero- don’t live a double life- be real in private and public. Really pray and really forgive people from the heart and watch what God does
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