How Much & Why?

Steve Bowyer

Words & Works of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Matthew 6:1–18

Sermon on the Mount/Plain

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Right Gauges

There’s a commercial on TV for an app for your phone and a device that will help you track your heart health. “Medical Grade EKGs”.

I don’t know, that’s just what they say.

The analogy they use is, “Your car has a ‘check-engine’ light. But you don’t have a ‘check-heart’ light. So, we all need this app and device.

I find it a little misleading and amusing b/c, I don’t know much about car engines, but I have had my ‘check-engine’ light come on in other vehicles enough to know what it means.

And, it may not mean what you think it means. Is my engine dying? Do I need service? Am I headed for a major repair bill?

Probably not. What the check engine light means is something is off regarding your emissions from the engine.

Simply put, the most common reason for that light to come on is your gas cap is not secure. You’re leaking fumes into the air.

Sometimes it has to do w/ a censor around you catalytic converter. Those are expensive to replace. The labor involved. But your engine is fine. It’s just polluting a little more than it should.

For your car engine, it’s important to watch the right gauges and know what they mean. Listening to your car, knowing what it’s supposed to sound like, is important, too.

My GMC, the dashboard display, has several gauges I keep an eye on. Speedometer and tachometer are the most prominent. They help me make sure I’m driving safe.

Then, across the top, smaller gauges keep measure the oil pressure, temp of the engine, gas in the tank, and battery strength.

It’s important to keep up w/ these. I have a computer that I can go to different pages and see tire pressure and when to change my oil. But those 4 are always up and important to watch.

Oil pressure. If the pressure drops, it means there’s a leak in the hose and if I run my engine out of oil that’s catastrophic. The engine is toast.

Temp. If it goes way up, it means there’s a leak in the coolant system somewhere. The radiator or a hose. Driving up I-17, overheating the engine can be catastrophic, too.

Some engines have a lot of aluminum in them. Overheating the aluminum will give you a blob of uselessness under your hood.

Your nose is a good indicator of a coolant leak, too. That green liquid has a sweet smell.

Gas gauge. Fairly obvious. If I run it out of gas I’m not going anywhere. Usually not catastrophic, more inconvenient. Although, some fuel injected engines are affected worse by running out of gas.

When we first moved up here we bought a quad from friends. The gas gauge didn’t work. Sara and I took off for a picnic and cruise thru the forest, just the two of us, and I ran it out of gas. We had to call Mike and Trish to come and bring us a gallon of gas so we could get back. We planned for a picnic in the forest. It worked out okay. Especially when you have friends who will come and rescue you.

Battery. When I’ve got the a/c on, music, both phones charging, it shows up on this gauge. But, if the generator is good, then the battery re-=charges and it starts the next time.

Listening can help you keep up w/ the health of your battery. When you turn the key or press the button, does start up right away? Or, does it take a few seconds longer to crank and go?

I had to replace my battery this past winter. The cold took it out in March.

These are gauges that are important to keep up w/ to maintain the health of your car’s engine and avoid trouble.

Some folks miss these gauges and watch others, thinking, they are keeping up w/ what’s important.

Like the a/c. We want t/b comfortable in the summer, right?

Seat warmers. Likewise, we want t/b comfortable in the winter, too.

Music. If the engine is making too much noise, just turn the music up. To your favorite station and everything will be just fine.

Oil changes, tire pressure, whatever. They just take care of themselves, right?

Teaching our adult children how to adult involves watching these things and getting maintenance done on schedule and avoiding trouble wherever you can.

Relationally, there are gauges we have to keep an eye on, too.

It’s important as a married couple, parents and kids, friends; to keep an eye on the gauges to maintain health and avoid trouble. Don’t wait for trouble to fix the problem.

Married couples, are you being intimate on a regular basis? As we age, things change, but these times, however they look, are still important to a healthy marriage.

All your relationships, are you spending a quantity of quality time together? When you are dedicated to paying attention and doing things you both enjoy.

Are you communicating? Sharing thoughts and feelings? Are you asking good questions to draw these things out. And, are you sharing these things even w/out being asked.

Honesty. W/ actions and feelings.

Are you staying on budget?

And in the answers to all these questions, how often, how much, will be different. There’s not 1 answer for everyone. But everyone needs to be doing these things and watching to make sure you are maintaining your health and avoiding trouble.

There are other gauges. You, and the ppl you are involved w/ need to determine what they are and what the mean in order to maintain your health.

The same it true spiritually. There are lots of gauges to watch to maintain your spiritual health and to avoid trouble.

Who your friends are, worship attendance, anxiety level, patience amount, self-control, anger issues, sobriety, knowledge of God’s word, etc.

Lots.

Jesus, in Mt. 6, addresses 3 of them. I’ll explain why these 3 in a minute. Just like the 4 gauges across the top of my dash display, they are not all the gauges, but important ones to keep an eye on.

These are 3 gauges, indicators that measure parts of your spiritual health and avoid trouble that help you maintain a close relationship with Jesus. They are:

How much and why do you give, listen, and give up?

We are in the Sermon on the Mount. 3 chapters in Matthew where Jesus lays out fundamentals of the Christian life. We’ve studied the beatitudes and a Christian’s application of the OT law. Today, 3 gauges that help measure your spiritual health and help you avoid trouble.

Let’s get into it.

Why These 3?

Matthew 6:1 NIV

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Jesus had just said, and we looked at it last week in the Christian’s application of the law, we’ve got to do better than the Pharisees.

First of all, they did not have faith. They did not believe in Jesus t/b saved. Doing anything that He laid out in the sermon do you no good if you have no faith.

Good works apart from faith accomplish nothing between you and God. They activities may help some ppl. But, you’re not accomplishing anything of any spiritual value.

Second, they put on a show. They wanted ppl to notice and be impressed when they did these 3 things.

God is concerned that we do these things. And he is also concerned why we do these things. Our heart condition matters.

In the OT, the first king of Israel, Saul. He was told to attack the destroy the Amalekites. All of them. Everything.

He saved the life of the king and all their livestock. When Samuel, the prophet showed up, he asked Saul if he’d done what he’d been told to do. His reply was a very confident, ‘yes’.

Sam’s response was, then what’s all the mooing of cattle and bleating of sheep I hear.

Oh, that’s all the livestock I brought back to sacrifice to God in worship.

Then, Sam told him this. God doesn’t want your worship, he wants your heart.

God wants our faithful and obedient heart before we attend any worship service or make any offering.

The Pharisees, brought their offering, but left their heart out of it. They wanted to impress ppl. What the ended up doing was pushing God away.

They had no idea.

They made a big deal about the 3 things Jesus is about to bring up. They made a bigger deal about these 3 than just about everything else. That’s why Jesus addressed them here in this way.

They made a big deal out of it, and they misread what the gauges meant.

it was like turning up the music when the engine starts to sound funny.

The 3 gauges. What are they?

First

How much and why do you give?

Giving

Matthew 6:2–4 NIV

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Before I go any farther, there is no set amount or even percentage given in the NT about how much we should all give. It will be different for all of us. More on this later.

Starting out, again, the Pharisees made a show of it. They blew trumpets announcing they were about to drop a big check in the basket.

Like at the coronation of King Charles III. Trumpets were blown to honor the king and attract his subjects’ attention. All eyes on the king and queen Camilla.

For the religious leaders who did this, it did them no good w/ God. They have already rec’d every reward they are going to get. They wanted to impress ppl. Well, their reward is the ppl who are impressed. That’s it. Not what they expected.

Also on their minds, they bel’d the more they gave, the more likely their prayers would be answered. (Hint: That’s the next gauge.)

They bel’d, they could, in effect, buy what they wanted from God. If they gave enough, then they’d get what they asked for. And what they would ask for was outrageous.

Not only did they give to impress ppl, they gave in order to get something from God.

That they gave, how much they gave, maybe that was okay. But why they gave was a huge problem

Give privately. The analogy, your left hand should not even know how much your right hand is putting in the basket.

Give mercifully. In the beatitudes, Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful.

This is a practical application of being merciful. Giving to ppl who deserve to struggle b/c of their financial situation.

Mercy is not allowing bad to happen that is deserved. Grace is doing good for those who don’t deserve it. But the emphasis here is mercy.

They are needy. Maybe even due to their foolishness w/ their finances. Help them anyway.

What reward do we get? We will be blessed. This is not an investment program. Jesus is not saying give money so you will get more money in return.

I defined what blessed means in the beatitudes. Deeply contented. Satisfied. At peace w/ life. It does not mean we are going to get rich. He is scolding the Pharisees on this issue. They are giving to get something from God. We should give, just to give.

We may never see another dime as long as we live. But we will be content living on less b/c we gave some away and content w/ whatever we have if we are generous and merciful in how we give.

How much? That’s between you and God.

The OT principle, in the law, was the first 10% of everything you took in. Ag society, so, 10% of all your grain was the starting point. The least amount.

Then, the first, most perfect calf in the herd, lamb or goat in the flock.

Spring harvest and fall. The first 10%. Birthing season. The first and best.

Tithe means 10%. These tithes supported the priests, temple, and synagogues.

God first, then pay your bills, then play w/ what’s left. Not, pay your bills, play, then give God what’s left. Too often, there would be nothing left.

Then, after the tithe, at every major feast, and there were several every year, they gave offerings.

The offerings were for the needy, poor, and special projects.

They had already tithed. Then they were expected to give generously to meet these special needs.

The NT principle comes from 2 Cor.

2 Corinthians 9:6–9 NIV

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

A few quick points.

If any of you feel pressured by me right now to give anything, put your money away and don’t give it today. If you feel compelled by me, don’t do it.

Talk. Pray. Come next week when there’s no pressure and money isn’t part of the sermon.

God should be your highest priority in your life. How much you give should reflect that. Not that you give God a huge amount. He’s not asking for that. He is asking you to be generous and sacrificial in what you put in our baskets.

Be generous. Whatever that means to you. Probably, $20/wk, or $100/mo, unless you’re living only on your Social Security, isn’t really a generous amount.

Be sacrificial. It should hurt a little. It does not need to hurt a lot. It should be enough that it prevents you from buying all that you want. But it should not prevent you from buying all that you need. Many payments will be more.

Give to God first. Not last.

What you give pays mine and Tom’s salary, pays the bills, keeps the lights on, the trash picked up, all the things that make the church go.

We give almost 20% of what our budget to the missionaries and organizations we support. We are generous and sacrificial as a church.

In various ways we help ppl in financial need thru the missionaries, bread ministry, and our benevolence fund.

When you support the church, you help us accomplish our mission of leading those close to us closer to Christ. Included in that, we help those in need.

When you are generous, sacrificial, and cheerful; we are responsible w/ what you give and God is generous w/ all of us.

The first gauge is how much and why you give. Do you give enough reflecting that God is your highest priority? Not the church. God. Do you give b/c God has given so much to you? Or, do you give to get more from God?

Give enough and don’t give to get. Give to give b/c you love God.

The second gauge. How much do you listen to God? Also called prayer.

Listening

Matthew 6:5–15 NIV

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

The religious leaders prayed to impress. They made a show of it. It was dramatic w/ flowery language and many words.

When you pray, pray privately, get to the point.

Do you like when ppl try to impress you w/ the big words they know and their long stories that have no point?

My seminary prof used to always say, “Whoever prays for a long time in public, is not praying in private.”

If you’re called on to pray publicly, be brief. Get to the point.

How do you know what to pray? It begins w/ listening more than you speak.

Nobody appreciates that guy who only calls when he needs something. One of my golfing friends, when we were all single in the church he was the only guy w/ a pickup truck. He told me, the only time some ppl called him was when they were moving.

This is the model Jesus gave us. Due respect to liturgical churches and those of you who prefer to recite the Lord’s prayer, this was never intended to be repeated verbatim.

It’s a guide, a model, to follow topically. And, we can only do right if we’ve paid attention to God all those times we’re in God’s word.

Start by praising God for Who He is. Holy is your name, all of them. Above all. More important. More capable. Better. More valuable. Do you know the names of God?

Your will be done. Not mine. What you want. What you desire. Jesus in the Garden.

Do you know what God’s desires are. Are you listening?

Give us our daily bread. What we need. Too often we stress over not getting what we want. God promises our needs will be met. Trust His provision.

Forgive our sins, the things we do that create a deficit w/ God. The condition is, just like we have forgiven the ppl who hurt us. So, it’s important to forgive the ppl who have hurt you, even if they don’t deserve it, to understand what you’re asking God to do for you.

Being unforgiving is a measure that you may not appreciate that you need to be forgiven.

Then, trust God to protect you and save you. Satan can’t have you. He can’t touch you.

There is so much more here than I have time for. Entire sermons are preached about prayer.

The point here is, are you listening to God, paying attention when His word is being taught and discussed, so you know what to say when it’s time to say it, mostly in private, and you can get right to the point and not belabor the time nor issue.

Spirituality is not measured in the length of your prayers nor the number of multi-syllabic words you can include.

It is measured by your ability to recite back to God what you know about Him and what you know He wants for you.

Pay attention. Listen. Then speak what you hear.

The 3rd gauge Jesus addresses here is how much and why to do you give up for God?

Also called fasting.

Fasting

Matthew 6:16–18 NIV

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The Pharisees made a show of this, too. They made it a point to look weak, ashen, hungry. Like it was a huge deal to them, they gave up some food. They had skipped a meal or two. Or maybe for a day or two.

Again, they hoped to impress whomever was looking that they were so spiritual that they fasted regularly. And again, it made no difference to God b/c they were more concerned about how they looked and what they could get from God than humbly making a sacrifice for Him.

Jesus says here, if you fast, then make sure nobody can see it on your face.

Fasting is willingly giving up something you don’t have to, something you like, something that maybe occasionally gets in the way of your spiritual life.

It’s a temporary thing. But, it’s a reminder that Jesus is more important than food, social media, hobbies, activities, and pleasures. Not only is he more important, he’s the provider of everything good and necessary.

Give it up b/c you love Jesus and appreciate everything He has done for you.

Jesus has sac’d more for you than you ever could for Him. How about acknowledging it and showing Him in a tangible way that you appreciate it by giving something up for Him for a short tim.

God will reward you. Not necessarily w/ more of what you gave up, but w/ more contentment and security. Few things in life are more important than being deeply satisfied in life.

BTW, next Jesus goes into storing up treasures in heaven and not preoccupied w/ your comfort on earth. But, that’s next week.

These 3 gauges that Jesus addressed in this passage help measure the health of your spiritual life and help you avoid trouble when God promises contentment for your appropriate participation.

If your gas tank is near empty, fill it up.

If your battery is weak, replace it before it fails.

If you have a leak in your oil line or radiator, fix it before you suffer a catastrophic failure of your engine.

If you’re not giving the right amount to God, or for the wrong reasons, fix it.

If you’re not listening well enough to know what to say to God when you pray, fix it.

If you’re not giving up enough, or for the right reasons, fix it.

You have the gauges and can measure the condition of your relationship w/ God. Make sure you stay on top of them and keep things humming along.

Applications

Giving

First, this church is very healthy financially. This is not a fund-raising sermon. This is, is your spiritual life where it should be? Is God your highest priority?

Does how much you give reflect this?

If you’re giving for the wrong reason, you may be giving too much and need to cut back. Bet you never thought you’d hear your preacher say you need to give less!

Give the right amount for the right reasons. How much and why?

Praying

Are you listening? Do you know the names of God? Do you know what He has promised to do for you? Do you know his characteristics?

Pay attention here, in bible study, and when you read.

Then, you will know much better what to say when you pray.

Nobody likes that guy who only talks about himself, who only calls when he wants something, never takes responsibility, only does what he wants to do.

Don’t be that guy.

Listen well. Listen actively. Speak what you hear. Get to the point.

Giving up

Do you fast? Pick something you enjoy, something you appreciate the opportunity to do, give it up for a time.

Don’t give up something to get something from God. Just do it b/c you love God, you appreciate the opportunity to do it, and you appreciate how much more Jesus gave up for you.

Fast regularly from something. What can you give up for a short time to communicate these things to God?

There are lots of gauges that help you keep your car humming along, working like it’s supposed to, and keep you out of trouble.