How to Be Charitable Matthew 6:1-4

The Spring of 1990… A college tour with a half dozen students It was a memorable trip… One of his stated ambitions... To have a university building named after him! A particular Scripture came to mind...

I. Principle: There is a right way and reason to do the right thing “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1, NKJV)

A. We are expected to do righteous and charitable deeds We are to be giving people Deut 15:11“For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’” (NKJV) Matt 5:42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” (NKJV)

-We are to be service oriented Mal 3:18 “Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.” (NKJV) Mk 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (NKJV)

-We are to be intentionally charitable Rom 15:26 “For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.” (NKJV) Gal 2:10 “They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.” (NKJV) Matt 25:40 ….inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (NKJV)

B. We are expected to have the right motivation in service We are to be motivated by the love of Christ We are not to be motivated by recognition of men We may be recognized by men as a consequence

2 Corinthians 5:14-15… “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (NKJV) Matt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)

-Many texts mention rewards for believers… Matt 16:27“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (NKJV) 1 Cor 3:8 “Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (NKJV)

-Rewards are a proper and biblical concept… 2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (NKJV) -Consider the proper source of rewards 1 Cor 9:25 “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (NKJV)

II. Practice: There is a wrong way and reason to do right things “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:2, NKJV)

A. Deeds done to glorify self have limited value Deeds done for show do not negate the deed Deeds done for show do negate the rewards of God Deeds done for good reasons may gain human recognition

Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (NKJV)

B. Deeds done to glorify God have reward value Charitable deeds should be done unpretentiously The practical ignorance here is pure hyperbole God’s unlimited observation leads to accurate reward distribution

In serving God and others… We must consider the motivation factor We must consider the personality factor We must consider the Christological factor “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30, NKJV)