WPC K@9l] 4j@l2l, `BC83DPZpz^GD gX m@ W W "m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m  rHP LaserJet 5/5M PostScript0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,(O Z(Times New Roman 4 (;3u$ O!ʏ  (;3u$ O!ʏ  )S`0SWFTE CenturyGlyphixu4:i+003|xU        >  u)XXXX  _ZZ  TheSermonontheMountLesson17  h u*XXXX  _ TheatricalRighteousness !USUS.,  _TRO'3Avery 5198 Audio Tape LandscapeX3' Letter'3Avery 5198 Audio Tape LandscapeX3'3'LetterTXXX   XX  }    i st-XX9, XX-5@ #    }# C   #XXC  #DXX THESERMONONTHEMOUNTLESSONSEVENTEEN#XXD#8GXX  X  @$$ "TheatricalRighteous"   @   #XXG8ф##XXMatthew6:18,1618 @ ffff#XX#A#C XXINTRODUCTION W ffffI.0 9 HavingsetforththerighteousnessrequiredbytheNewTestament,as | againstthatofthescribesandPharisees,Jesusnowwarnsofareal N dangerlurkinginthepathofourdoingthosethingsHerequires.x 9p9p ffff 9 A.0  Itisnotthedangerofidleness. E pp  9 B.0  Itisnotthedangerofmerelynotdoing.o  pp  9 C.0  NorisHewarningagainstpublicdiscipleship,prayer,etc.A  pp ffffII.0 9 TheLordcondemnsallostentationinthedoingofourrighteousness: f   "Takeheedthatyedonotyourrighteousnessbeforementobeseenof 8  them:elseyehavenorewardwithyourFatherwhoisinheaven."(6:1)  9p9p ffff 9 A.0  "Becarefulnottomakeashowofyourreligionbeforemen." /  (NEB) pp  9 B.0  JesusiswarningagainstawrongmotivefordoingwhatGod { requiresinallourobligations:Righteousnessonparade.Mpp  9 C.0  ThereisasubtletemptationfacingallwhowouldfollowJesus,and w hewouldsaveusfromyieldingtothedesiretoparadeourpiety I beforemenwithadesiretoobtaintheirapprovalratherthanGod's.pp ffffIII.0  Jesusteachesthatweshouldletourlightsshinethroughthedoing @ ofgoodworks(5:1416),sothisisnotanappealforabsolute  secrecy.pp ffff 9 A.0  However,privacy,whenpossible,isusuallybestinmattersthat   looktowardourneedybrotherandaresummedupintheword  "almsgiving."(6:24).U pp  9 B.0  Themotivecanalsobetestedbestbyprivacyinthedoingofthose '! obligationswhichrelatetoGod,summedupintheword"praying." Q" (6:515)##pp  9 C.0  Ostentationisalsoforbiddeninthoseobligationsthatlooktoward $ ourselves,summedupintheword"fasting."(6:1618)o%pp ffffDISCUSSION ' ffff I.0 9 AGAINSTWRONGMOTIVESINGIVINGANDHELPING (6:2  ) 4). *9p9p ffff 9 A.0  Soundnotatrumpet :"Whenthereforethoudoestalms,soundnot ", atrumpetbeforethee,asthehypocritesdointhesynagoguesandin " - thestreets,thattheymayhavegloryofmen.VerilyIsayuntoyou, #T!. theyhavereceivedtheirreward."(2)#~$&"/pp  #   >    9   1.0  Jesusdoesnotsay,"If,"but,"Whenthou_doest_Ԁalms,"assuming X thateverytruediscipledoeshelpotherpeople.*pp  9   2.0  Isoursuprememotiveinthis(a)tosupplythewantofthe  needy?(b)ForGod'sapproval?Or,_(c_)Towinhumanfavor v andpraise?Hpp  9   3.0  Jesusdoesn'tsaythehypocritesliterallysoundedatrumpetto r callattentiontotheirdeeds;buttheexpressionhasdoubtless D givenrisetothemodernexpressionofostentation,"Heblows  hisownhorn."pp  9   4.0  Thedesireto"putonashow"mustnotbecomethereasonfor  b  doingour"worksofmercy,"ifwedesiretherewardofGodfor  4  doingthem.^  pp  9 B.0  Lefthand,righthand :"Butwhenthou_doest_Ԁalms,letnotthyleft 0  handknowwhatthyrighthand_doeth_."(3) pp  9   1.0  Thisisastriking,unforgettableexpression,giventoguideusin  |  almsgiving,butitmaybemisapplied.Jesustaughtalessonby N  publishingwhatthepoorwidowgave(Mark12:4144;cf.Acts x  4:36,37;etc.).J pp  9   2.0  Thisstatementisevidentlymade forreflective emphasis ,asa  guidelinetohelpmaintainthedesiredprivacyandpurityof  motivemoresothanasaliteralrule.hpp  9   3.0  Whetherwearelayinguptreasureinheavenbyourgivingis : determinedbyourmotiveingiving,notbywinninghuman d  applause.6pp  9 C.0  ThatGodmayrecompense :"Thatthinealmsmaybeinsecret:  andthyFatherwho_seeth_Ԁinsecretshallrecompensethee."(4)pp  9   1.0  Secretgiving(a)encouragesandhelpsinsureapuremotive,(b) T respectstheprivacy,esteem,andhonoroftherecipient,_(c_) ~& establishesabasisoftruefriendship,and(d)honorsthe P teachingofJesus._Coffman_."pp  9   2.0  Itisnotwrongformentoseeusgiving,butitiswrongtogive  tobeseenofmen.Jesusdoesnotforbidpublicity,butthespirit n whichdoesitforpublicity.@ pp ffff II.0 9 AGAINSTWRONGMOTIVESINPRAYING (6:515)e"9p9p ffff 9 A.0  Notasthehypocrites :"Andwhenyepray,yeshallnotbeasthe $ hypocrites:Fortheylovetostandandprayinthesynagoguesand \% inthecornersofthestreets,thattheymaybeseenofmen.Verily,I  .& sayuntoyou,Theyhavereceivedtheirreward."(5)X!'pp  9   1.0  Prayer,ofallreligiousduties,shouldbefreefromostentation.*"(pp  9   2.0  Jesusteachesagainst"show"inprayerinthreeways:(a)In " ) 5 >   choosingaplace;(b)Inusing"vain"repetitions;and_(c_)in X makinglongprayers:"muchspeaking",forthesakeofbeing * "longwinded."pp  9   3.0  "Streetcornersituations" might includeaprivateprayerbefore v acongregation,onaradioprogram,orbeforeamealina_cafe_. H Letusnot"standandpray"anywhere"tobeseenofmen." r Likethosewhogiveprimarilyforhumanpraise,suchprayers D arecondemnedbyJesusasbeingmerepretenseafalse  posture.pp  9 B.0  Prayinsecret:"Butthouwhenthou_prayest_,enterintothineinner  b  chamber,andhavingshutthydoor,praytothyFatherwhoisin  4  secret,andthyFather,who_seeth_Ԁinsecretshallrecompensethee." ^   (6)0 pp  9   1.0  Althoughthisforbidsallostentation,itdoesnotprohibitpublic   prayersfortheedificationandcomfortofothersandforthe  |  worshipofGod.(1Kings8:22;Acts12:12;2:42).N pp  9   2.0  Concerningprivateprayers,however,itshouldbeliterally x  applied:Shutmenout,andGodin:Closeyourdoorwhenyou J  pray.pp  9   3.0  Sincereprivateprayers,byrighteouspeople,withoutnoiseor  show,willberewardedaccordingtothewillofGod.hpp  9 C.0  Vainrepetitions :"Andinprayingusenotvainrepetitions,asthe : Gentilesdo:fortheythinkthattheyshallbeheardfortheirmuch d  speaking."(7)6pp  9   1.0  AccordingtoJesus,theGentilemethodofprayerofmuchvain  speakingwaspureformalitytoimpressmen.pp  9   2.0  CardinalCushingrambledfor17_1/2_ԀminutesatJohn T Kennedy'sinaugural.~&pp  9   3.0  AimeeSimple_McPhereson_Ԁ"prayed"31minutesand10 P secondsatthe1932DemocraticNationalConventionin " Chicago.WillRogers,whoimmediatelyfollowedher,  remarked,"Well,Ididn'tknowanybodycouldthinkupthat n muchtoimpresstheLordinfavorofaDemocrat._Coffman_, @  p.76.j!pp  9   4.0  Thisdoesn'talwaysrequirealiteralcloset,anditdoesn'tforbid <" persistence,longprayers,orrepeatedpetitions(Matt.26:44; # Luke6:18:18);butitdoesrequireearnestness,simplicity,and $ humility. Z%pp  9 D.0  YourFatherknows :"Benotthereforelikeuntothem:foryour !,& Father_knoweth_Ԁwhatthingsyehaveneedof,beforeyouaskhim." V"' (8)(# (pp  9   1.0  Prevailingprayersarenotmeasuredbytheirlength,frequency, X orhumaneloquence;butbytheirfervencyandhonesty.*pp  9   2.0  SincetheGodwhoanswersallprayersknowsallourneeds  beforeweask,vainrepetitionandelaborateexplanationsare v useless.Hpp  9   3.0  Earnestprayersofrighteouspeople,however,putthemselvesin r suchcommunionwithGodastomakethemfittoreceive.(See D _McGarvey_).pp ffff IV.0  AGAINSTWRONGMOTIVESINFASTING (6:1618);  pp ffff 9 A.0  "Moreoverwhenyefast, benotasthehypocrites ,ofasad `   countenance:fortheydisfiguretheirfaces,thattheymaybeseenof 2   mentofast."(16) pp  9   1.0  Fastingisnotwrongwhendoneasanaidtoselfabasementand  ~  masteryinsubduingthephysicaltothespiritual,asanaidto  P  meditationandpayer,orasanaidtoinwardpeace.z" pp  9   2.0  Itiswronghowevertofasttoattracthumanpraise.L pp  9 B.0  "Butthou,whenthoufastest ,anointthyhead,andwashthyface;   thatthoubenotseenofmentofast,butofthyFatherwho_seeth_Ԁin  secret:andthyFather,who_seeth_Ԁinsecret,shallrecompensethee." j (17,18)<pp  9   1.0  Whenfastingprivately,theChristianmustmaintainordinary f appearancetoavoidhollowformalityandpride.8pp  9   2.0  Statedfasts,commandedbyreligiousorganizations,arenot   taughtintheN.T.Butsuchritualsareidentifiedwiththe  apostasy.(1Tim.4:13.)Vpp  9   3.0  Selfdenial,expressedinfasting,isbetweenthediscipleand ( God,notmen.Rpp ffffCONCLUSION w ffffI.0 9 Thedangersofwrongmotives:(1)Poisonsthefountoflife;(2)poisons D  thestreamoflife;(3)makesGod'srewardimpossible.n!9p9p ffffII.0 9 Thecureforwrongmotives:(1)LetGod'slove&Christcomeinand ;# rule;(2)cultivatethetruemotive,which"_vaunteth_Ԁnotitself..._seeketh_Ԁnot e $ itsown."(1Cor13:4,5).Thisgivesrealmeaningtoworship,service, 7% life. &9p9p $pCharlesCrouch ' Ѐ