dr. adrian todd - acts of righteousness part 1: giving

Dr. Adrian Todd - www.gatewaychurch.org.uk

Acts of Righteousness

Part 1: Giving

http://www.gatewaychurch.org.uk/


Matthew 6: Acts of Righteousness• Matthew 6:1-21

• NRSV practicing your piety

• NASB practicing your righteousness- Giving- Fasting- Praying- All “when” not “if”

• What do I “have to do”?• How do I “have to behave”?



How do I get saved?• We are saved based on our

relationship with Christ (1 John 3:23, Acts2:38)- believe that Jesus is the Christ the

Son of God- repent- be baptised- you will receive the Holy Spirit

• We are judged on the basis of what we have done (1 Cor 3)


So, how do I behave?


• However, you like!• BUT!, there is always a “but”

- Why would you want to?• Romans 6

- v14 not under law but under grace- v1 Shall I continue in sin?- NO WAY!

• James 2:17 - faith, if it has no works, is dead


Expressions of love & joy


• The way we live speaks of how we relate to God- good works flow from our salvation,

not the other way round• How much do we want to please Jesus?

- we are to live out the character of Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23)

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control


What does giving do?


• Giving is first in Jesus’ list of three Acts of Righteousness

• Giving declares who we are worshipping- Matt 6:24 you cannot serve God and

wealth• Giving breaks the hold of money over us- giving inoculates us against Affluenza

affluenza; n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more

• Giving ensures we are living in the Kingdom, not in in consumerism


Why do we respond by giving?


• Because we have a giving God?- John 3:16 He gave us His Son- we love because He first loved us

• The Prodigal God- recklessly extravagant- not irresponsible


Attitude not amount


• God loves a cheerful (joyous, hilarious) giver- joy comes from obeying & pleasing God (2 Cor

9:7)• Give and it will be given to you (Luke 6:38)

- we do NOT give to get, but what we get will be what God values (Phil 4 His riches)

• Do not give out of fear (Acts 5)- all we have comes from God, but it is ours

(Matt 20:15)- Ananias and Sapphira were condemned for

lying to the Holy Spirit


Discerning the Body


• Lying to God- they worried about what people would

think- God knew, but He “doesn’t matter”

• the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit- withholding from the body- not discerning the body (1 Cor 11)


How, and how much?


• a regular portion- 1 Cor 16 set aside on the first day of the

week- a tithe (10%) a good guide, not under the

law- tax- to the household of God• Offerings and Alms• Give through the church (Malachi 3:10)


Generosity


• Be generous because God is (James 1:5)

• 1Tim 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

• Your response, either- “Whoopee! I can keep it all to myself”- Or, “It really is better to give than to

receive”• Let’ be generous and store up treasure

in heaven




Part 2: Fasting



A reminder• Matthew 6:1-21, Acts of Righteousness

- Giving, Fasting, Praying• We are saved based on our

relationship with Christ • We are under grace not under law, so

we can behave however we like- But why would we want to

• We are judged on the basis of what we have done, so our behaviour does matter



How much do we want to please Jesus?

How much do we want to grow in our relationship with him?

The BIG Question



Who and what are we?• Before we talk about fasting we need to

know who and what we are• We are made in the image of God (Gen

1:26)• God is spirit (John 4:24)• There are several aspects to our being

- You shall love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, strength (Matt, Mark, Luke)

• the tripartite nature of man; body, soul and spirit (1 Thess 5:23)


Which part is dominant?


• Who rules?- As the image of God, it should be our

spirit- More often it is our body, our flesh

• How do we make the adjustment?- by disciplining (subduing) our body (1Cor

9:27)- context has sporting allusion, training- not body worship

• Fasting subdues the body- or the soul (depends what you fast from)


What does fasting do?


• The body is used to being served• Fasting

- puts the body back in it’s place- brings our natural appetites under

control- humbles us- aligns our heart with God’s heart- focuses our attention away from

ourselves- resists the selfish spirit of the age


The “sins of the flesh”


• Fasting strengthens us to resist the “sins of the flesh” (1 Peter 4:1-3)

• Romans 6- do not go on presenting the members

of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness

- do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,


Practicalities


• choose how you want to fast- 24 hours or a few days, partial or total- decide what to fast from- What rules you?- food, sex, TV, the internet, facebook,

the phone, computer games, alcohol, meat

• be realistic- try to stick to what you decide- do not get under condemnation


Shift your focus


• From self to God; build up the spirit- set aside time to pray and worship- read the Bible- speak in tongues- listen, expect God to speak- let your spirit grow

• Fasting can be hard work- the flesh fights back- the benefits may come later

What is your source of life?


• That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)

• Man does not live on bread alonebut on every word that proceed from

the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)• Blessed are those who hunger and

thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6)• Self control is fruit of the spirit



Part 3: Praying


A reminder• Matthew 6:1-21, Acts of Righteousness

- Giving, Fasting, Praying• We are saved based on our

relationship with Christ • We are under grace not under law, so

we can behave however we like- But why would we want to

• We are judged on the basis of what we have done, so our behaviour does matter


Prayer

• Left it until third• I wanted something fresh to say• Spoken on prayer before - see “Pushing a bus uphill”, corporate intercession

• Personally, not good at the personal prayer side


Why these three?

• Often wondered why these three disciplines; giving, fasting, praying

• Tom Wright says they were, and still are, standard Jewish “obligations”

• Motive matters, and that they are beneficial

• There is a reward- from God (v1)- treasures in heaven (v20)

• They relate to our personal life


How does prayer supply life?

It plugs us in to the “Living One”.

Prayer is more about relationship, rather than about petition.

John 1:4, 3:16, 6:48, 10:10, 14:26


There is nothing more human than prayer. When we look into the heart of God we find that his purpose for humankind, before the world ever began, was that we should have communion with each other and with him. It is only when we pray that we are truly human, because it is only as we pray that we can truly discover, get to know and commune with God. Prayer is our very life-breath as humans. If life is not shared with someone it is dead: ‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God’ (John 17:3).

Prayer by Roger Forster


For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. - St. Teresa

Carmelite Reflections

Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us. - another St. Teresa

At its highest, prayer merges into love, as the presence of God becomes so real that we pass beyond words and into the sense of his reality, generosity, delight and grace.- Tom Wright


Prayer as Relationship

• Our Father…- prayer is both personal and

corporate• Not repetitive pagan prayer

- persuading and placating• God is LOVE, God is Trinity, hence

there is relationship


How do we do it?• I am deeply unqualified• There is no method, BUT…

- v6 Go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father

- vv7 & 8 do not use meaningless repetition and spend less time asking

- vv14 & 15 forgiveness is important- vv9-13 give us content

• Give it time, patience and practice


How much do we want to please Jesus?

How much do we want to grow in our relationship with him?

The BIG Question

dr. adrian todd - acts of righteousness part 1: giving

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