Matthew 6:1-4

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/The_Sermon_on_the_Mount.htm

Motives are very important to God.  Performing righteous deeds in order to be seen by men will gain the praise of men but no reward from God.  Pats on the back, complements and looks of admiration from other people can be very appealing to us.  These things fill our hearts with pride and make us feel good about ourselves.  However, that “feeling” is the only reward we will ever receive for that righteous act.  God wants us to be motivated by eternal rewards that will be given in the future because of righteous deeds that are performed out of a genuine love for God and others.  These are acts of worship that seek the glory of God instead of the praise of men.  It is impossible for us to judge the motives of others but it is important for us to constantly examine our own motives.  As enjoyable as a pat on the back might be; it cannot be compared to the eternal rewards God has in store for those who faithfully serve Him from a heart that is motivated by His glory above our own.

THE DANGER OF PUBLIC GIVING: Giving to the poor is a righteous deed that is to be commended and encouraged in the lives of all followers of Jesus Christ.  God’s blessings are meant to be shared with others.  Helping the poor with the resources we have is an important responsibility all followers of Jesus have.  However, our giving must not be done in a public manner that calls attention to ourselves.  Jesus says it is hypocritical to draw public attention to ourselves when we make a donation to help others.  Men may honor our generosity but God is not impressed.  Apparently, the Pharisees would sound a trumpet in the streets when they contributed to the poor.  The poor certainly appreciated the help.  The people who observed these actions might have been impressed but quite honestly, if I saw someone calling attention to his own giving I would more likely roll my eyes than clap my hands.  Whatever the opinions of others might be towards such a spectacle, that opinion and the reaction it elicits is the extent of the reward that will be given.  The danger is that most of our hearts crave the approval and praise of others.  It is vital that we constantly examine our motives and adjust our attitudes and actions in order to prevent pride, promote humility and value pleasing God over impressing men.  

THE DELIGHT OF PRIVATE GIVING: The alternative to sounding a trumpet in the streets to attract attention to our deeds; is to not allow our left hand to know what our right hand is doing.  All believers are a part of the body of Christ.  We should make every effort to keep other members of the body of Christ from knowing about our charitable donations or our gifts to the poor.  Giving is a personal matter that should be kept secret.  There should be no place in our churches for charts that record the amount each member contributes to the church.  Lists that publicize tithers should not be published in our church bulletins.  Giving should be a secret practice that only God knows about.  There are no secrets from God.  He sees every gift and knows the amount in every envelope placed in an offering basket.  Not only does God know all this information; but He promises to reward those who give in this way.  It is hard to know exactly what this reward will be.  The Bible speaks of crowns being distributed to believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  These crowns will later be cast at the feet of Jesus in recognition of His work being the true power behind all that we accomplished.  Crowns are usually indicative of authority and responsibility.  So it is quite possible that the eternal rewards of which Jesus speaks so frequently are eternal abilities and positions of authority granted as we reign with Him for all of eternity.  Whatever the rewards might be, we honor God when we place a high value upon the rewards He promises.   

APPLICATION: Be generous in our support of the work of God and helping those who are in need.  Do our best to keep our gifts anonymous.  Constantly evaluate our motives behind anything that we do.  Beware of the desire to please men that so easily infects our hearts.  Place a high value on eternal rewards offered by God even though we don’t fully understand what those rewards might be.