WEBVTT

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 I am going to be preaching on Matthew chapter 6 today.

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 Specifically, I'm going to be talking about the aspects of Matthew chapter 6 that demarcate

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 reward in heaven versus reward on earth.

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 Another way of saying it is there are aspects of the Christian life that the Lord wants us

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 to do in secret.

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 And that the Lord has a reward for us when we do them in secret.

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 In fact, I was thinking about this topic especially because I think that we live in a day and age

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 where the intimacy that comes from appropriate privacy is almost entirely elusive to this generation.

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 We live in a generation that hides that which should be brought into the light, our shame and our sin,

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 and displays that which should be private.

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 Right?

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 Like, just think about how much on the social media front is a prostitution of things that should be private.

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 Not even just the scandalous side of things, not even just the scandalous side of things,

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 but even the more subtle side of things where, like, the Instagram couple only reads to their kids before bed

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 when they're making an Instagram post about it and posting it online.

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 You know?

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 Right?

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 Right?

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 We're kind of in a day and age where I think partially because of rampant loneliness,

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 everyone's longing for the benefits of intimacy in places where intimacy is actually losing its innocence,

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 if that makes sense.

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 We're addicted to quasi-intimacy where that which is most powerful and rewarding about intimacy

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 is actually being stripped of those primary qualities.

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 Right?

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 We're a generation.

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 We live in a media-centric generation that doesn't know the power and reward of true intimacy.

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 That's what I would say.

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 And I would say that not just for the world, but also even for the church.

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 Even for the church.

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 I was even thinking about this because this whole chapter, Matthew chapter 6,

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 that's where Jesus talks about when you give, do it in secret.

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 When you pray, do it in secret.

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 When you fast, do it in secret.

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 All the, you know what I mean?

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 For instance, let's just use one example.

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 Even like with IHOP here in town.

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 One of the things I've actually thought about for many years is I wonder how different the fruit

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 would have been if they would have exalted this chapter in their ministry.

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 Because exalting prayer, what a powerful thing.

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 Exalting fasting, what a powerful thing.

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 The scripture exalts these things.

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 But unfortunately, the system created in that context was all designed to be done publicly.

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 You know what I mean?

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 For those of you who have been attached to that movement for a long time.

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 The amount of clout that is extended to people who do long fasts.

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 The amount of communication that happens when people spend massive amounts of time in the

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 prayer room.

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 All of these things.

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 The degree to which people see and value these spiritual disciplines in that specific context

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 is enormous.

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 Now, I think the thing is, though, I think that we do this too, if that makes sense.

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 And I think that maybe on our side of things, it's in a more subtle way.

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 But how much of our Christian walk with the Lord, I'm going to use an analogy here.

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 This is an analogy that pertains to me, but I think perhaps some of us would relate with this.

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 I think that sometimes because we do full-time church, talking about us, Christ Church,

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 I think sometimes because we do full-time church, we're not like part-time church, we're like

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 full-time church.

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 You know what I mean?

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 That so much of our life is dominated by church-related, Christian-related activities that a lot of our

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 spiritual practices not only fall under that umbrella, but are swallowed under that umbrella.

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 And here's an analogy.

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 Imagine a couple, husband and wife, that not only are married, but also work together 40

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 hours a week.

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 Imagine you and your wife.

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 You clock in and you spend your eight hours together.

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 And then you clock out and now you've already spent so much time working together.

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 It's easy to imagine that we're kind of like, okay, we're good.

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 Like we've been in proximity enough.

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 I'm going to go do other things now.

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 Imagine that as an analogy.

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 I think there's an extent to which even in the full-time church mentality that we have,

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 that we are praying in proximity to each other.

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 We are reading the scripture, let's say, at MC.

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 We're coming together for fellowship on Sunday.

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 And so much of that is taking up the umbrella of our Christian walk that sometimes when we're

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 clocking out, we're not really as interested in seeking the Lord in our own time.

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 You know what I'm saying?

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 And that's not to condemn how, let's see, how robust our walk is as a body.

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 I am wanting to highlight this other side of things that's just you and the Lord, that

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 Jesus would, I'm tempted to say the word abandon.

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 Jesus would leave his disciples and all of the crowds that were following him, he would

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 disappear and go be alone with the Lord because that's how important it was.

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 You know, this is the most important human of all time with, let's say, the most important

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 mission, the most responsibility of all time, leaving all of those pressures to go get this

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 one thing, which is, I would call, let's say, intimacy with the Lord, intimacy with the Father.

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 Doing the spiritual disciplines in a way that gets no credit for other people.

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 Only other thing I want to add real quick is I think, too, this pertains, it pertains to many

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 areas, but there is something that we're always fostering by what we're partaking of in our own

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 secret world, in our own invisible world.

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 And one of the analogies I was even thinking of, this is a true analogy, so some of you guys

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 know this, maybe some of you don't.

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 It was the case at one time that I used to play music a lot.

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 In fact, I even went to school for music.

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 But one of the things that's interesting in retrospect, and by way of analogy, is that

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 a lot of my relationship to music prior to going to college for it was one of quasi-journaling

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 and kind of spending time with the Lord playing, like, worship music and, like, doing something

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 that was not really before people.

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 It was just, like, me alone in my room playing guitar or playing piano, and it wasn't really

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 displayed.

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 I wasn't, like, playing on the worship team.

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 I was just having fun with music in the same way that you might enjoy journaling, right?

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 And I went from that to, like, a very intensive program that was scrutinizing, you know, what

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 is it?

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 It's as much the opposite of that as possible.

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 It's completely performance-oriented.

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 It's scrutinizing what you're doing.

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 There's, everything is done through the lens of performance in the stage.

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 And one of the things that was really interesting, people will ask me about this every once in

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 a while, like, why do you never play music?

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 Well, it killed everything I loved about music.

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 That's actually what happened.

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 It killed everything I loved about music.

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 Going to school for music killed everything I loved about music.

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 And I think the things that I loved about music was something that is almost, like, the spiritual

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 aspect about music, which is there's, like, a real intimate reward when you can, like, partake.

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 It's music.

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 Music, like, journaling and praying and reading the scripture can be something that's very

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 worshipful and intimate.

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 But it also can be something that's just on display for other people to see.

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 And that aspect of music was stolen from me by the performance and by the scrutiny.

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 Right?

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 So I just want to get this tension in our heads and then we're going to roll through these

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 passages.

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 So I'm just going to go ahead and start Matthew chapter 6, starting in verse 1.

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 I'm reading out of the ESV.

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 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.

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 For then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

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 Which is to say, the reward that you can receive from giving is an exclusive reward insofar

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 as the reward is concerned.

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 If it is done for people, you do not receive the reward that comes from the Lord.

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 Verse 2.

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 Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in

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 the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.

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 Which is another way of saying that they may have a value assigned them, honor assigned them,

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 that they would be puffed up in the eyes of other people.

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 Truly I say to you, they have received their reward.

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 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is

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 doing so that your giving may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward

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 you.

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 So this is to say, the only way you can receive a heavenly reward is if you give in a manner

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 that only the Lord sees it.

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 In fact, he doesn't even use the analogy.

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 His analogy is not when you give, give in a way that no one sees it.

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 He goes further than that.

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 He says, give in a way where even part of you doesn't see it.

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 Does that make sense?

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 Like he's, he's almost, he's like taking the point to another level.

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 He's saying, don't just do it where nobody sees it.

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 Don't do it where you're like, let your left hand not know that your right hand does it.

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 This is a very high degree of secrecy.

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 This is kind of interesting.

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 The Lord commands us to be secretive about certain things.

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 Verse five.

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 It's interesting.

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 It says that the Lord is in secret.

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 It doesn't say go secretly meet with the Lord, but it says, shut the door and pray to

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 your father who is in secret.

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 It is if that is the place that the Lord resides.

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 He resides in the secret place.

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 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they

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 will be heard for their many words.

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 Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him.

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 Pray then like this.

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 As an aside, uh,

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 think about how much we talk about the Lord forgiving us, how much our prayers are seasoned

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 with prayers or seasoned with the topic of Lord, forgive me.

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 But it's interesting that when he's teaching us to pray, he says, forgive us our debts as

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 we also have forgiven our debtors.

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 Like we don't, I don't hear us praying very much and I don't pray very much.

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 Like, Lord, please forgive me my sins as I forgive other people into the amount at which

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 I forgive other people.

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 You know what I mean?

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 There's like this assumption that like, I would expect the Lord's forgiveness to extend

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 beyond that because I'm a very broken man.

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 It's interesting that that is the Lord's prayer.

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 In fact, not only is it the Lord's prayer going on further, lead us not into temptation,

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 but deliver us from evil.

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 And then what's he saying in the next verse?

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 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you.

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 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your father forgive you your

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 trespasses.

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 He actually doubles down on that line.

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 You know what I mean?

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 Like instead of passing, passing over, he goes ahead and just to make sure I was being

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 very clear on that one.

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 Anyway, total aside.

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 All right.

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 Well, before I hop to the next passage, how much is prayer as a specific topic, something

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 that facilitates intimacy in our hearts when it is done in solitude?

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 And how much of it is something that we take for granted when we don't, I would say.

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 And also, as an aside, it seems to me that one of the real litmus tests to how intimate

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 I am with the Lord is how quickly my heart longs for connecting with the Lord as soon as

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 there is solitude.

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 Meaning like as soon as I get in my car and I'm alone, or as soon as I get in the shower

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 and I'm alone, or even when I'm laying down and waking up in the morning, there's something

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 about the Lord's presence that can be so robustly before you when things are, when you're in

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 solitude.

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 And it's a real interesting thing that when I take the word for granted, not only does

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 it take a ding on how much I experience the Lord's presence, but also it also diminishes

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 the amount in which I immediately long for it.

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 Does that make sense?

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 That's an aside.

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 I'm going to keep going.

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 Verses 16.

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 And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces

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 and that their fasting may be seen by others.

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 Truly I say to you, they have received the reward.

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 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen

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 by others, but by your father who is in secret.

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 Again, by your father who is in secret is as if the secret place is the place in which

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 he resides.

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 And your father who sees in secret will reward you.

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 All right.

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 And I think that this next paragraph is the summary of the purposes and intents of this whole chapter.

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 Verse 19.

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 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

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 Which is to say, this world in which we live is not something that has eternal.

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 This world is something that is dying and fading.

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 Don't put your value in something that is only temporary.

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 Verse 20.

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 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal.

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 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

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 Very famous verses.

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 I just want to tie this part of the paragraph together before I move to the next part.

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 There is an aspect of our heart that assigns value, that perceives with weight and value what is most important.

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 These verses are saying, what are you growing in your heart as being most valuable?

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 Right?

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 We can participate in a secret place where the Lord is that causes our heart to treasure which is worthy of being treasured.

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 Or we can let our heart become something that most values that which is temporal.

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 Value that which is seen by men.

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 We can become exactly as our generation is.

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 You know what I mean?

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 Even think about this.

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 Even in so far as church is concerned.

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 The most prominent churches that come to people's minds, if we can call them churches, for the most part are mega churches that embrace marketing as their primary strategy.

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 That actually embrace appearance as their primary quality, as how they are perceived.

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 It is a show.

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 It is a show.

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 So much of the precedent, not only in the world, but also in the church, normalizes us caring about what people think or what people see.

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 Right?

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 Even to the point that many of the men that we do not know, but yet influence us, many of the men that we are listening to all the time, receiving teaching from all the time, that are these mega church pastors.

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 We are receiving influence very disconnected from their real lives, assuming many things about them.

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 But the only thing oftentimes that we really know is that the business model of their organization is to garner more attention, to get more book sales, to get the podcast more famous, get the YouTube channel bigger, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

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 And I think that's even part of the irony with like, let's say I have, I'm not trying to dog on IHOP all the time, but it's just very pertinent to this analogy.

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 How much are we taking our Christian walk and letting it be something that's very much on display and like does not have this spiritual depth that comes from secret intimacy with the Lord, that seeks the Lord in a place where no one is ever going to know.

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 You know what I mean?

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 I'm going to keep on going.

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 Verse 22.

00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:12.500
 This is an awesome analogy.

00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:13.839
 Verse 22.

00:19:14.879 --> 00:19:18.299
 The eye is the lamp of the body.

00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:23.579
 So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

00:19:24.199 --> 00:19:27.479
 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:32.879
 If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness?

00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:33.939
 Okay.

00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:52.440
 I believe that there is a secret intimacy with the Lord that transforms what our heart treasures and transforms what our eyes see and perceive in life.

00:19:52.440 --> 00:20:03.519
 Which is another way of saying there is eternal value that can be found in temporary spaces.

00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:14.859
 Because we go about in a temporary world, but our heart can be in a secret place with the Lord that we see what's really going on and the real important things.

00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:29.099
 We also can coast into a place where we are tethering our heart to things that are fading, that things are slowly dying.

00:20:29.439 --> 00:20:32.599
 We can become bound to a temporary world.

00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:39.179
 And in a sense, these commandments are two roads in which we can take.

00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:46.579
 And ultimately, it does come down to what do we want?

00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:50.159
 Because in all of the rewards, it's what the person wanted.

00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:52.679
 You want to be seen before men?

00:20:53.179 --> 00:20:53.919
 What does he say?

00:20:55.099 --> 00:20:56.519
 You will have your reward.

00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:57.579
 What do you want?

00:20:57.579 --> 00:20:57.599
 What do you want?

00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:03.939
 Did you do this because you wanted the Lord's reward?

00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:06.419
 The Father who's in the secret place?

00:21:06.959 --> 00:21:07.799
 Then you get it.

00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:11.939
 So, in a sense, the real choice is, what do you want?

00:21:12.959 --> 00:21:13.579
 What do you want?

00:21:14.059 --> 00:21:21.699
 And I think the reason why I'm making such a big deal about it as it pertains to our generation is our generation is a very lonely generation that has forgotten the weightiness of intimacy.

00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:23.719
 Right?

00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:27.920
 And I think that there's something, there's an appropriate Christian rebellion that does that.

00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:28.920
 You know what I mean?

00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:37.779
 There's something that's so on display about, I mean, like, go down so many bunny trails here.

00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:42.680
 But not only, like, think about this, for instance.

00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:51.000
 Even, I think the average person that gets into a relationship nowadays met them through a dating app.

00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:58.980
 The way they began an intimate relationship is because they created an advertisement.

00:21:59.940 --> 00:22:00.099
 You know what I mean?

00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:00.839
 I can just go on and on.

00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:09.299
 Just think about how much social media is just, the degree to which intimacy escapes us is astounding.

00:22:09.460 --> 00:22:11.319
 And people don't know why they're so lonely, I would say.

00:22:11.380 --> 00:22:13.339
 And people probably aren't even aware of it, I would say.

00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:17.980
 Verse 24.

00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:21.620
 Actually, hold on, one more point about the lamp of the body.

00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:26.279
 A lamp is not just something like a window.

00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.400
 He's not using the analogy of a window here.

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:35.299
 He's not saying the eyes or the window of the body, where you just perceive what's exterior.

00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:37.980
 He's saying it's a lamp.

00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:42.079
 A lamp is something that illuminates reality.

00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:49.939
 The Lord wants us to have an illuminated perspective of reality.

00:22:52.179 --> 00:22:56.699
 Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

00:22:56.899 --> 00:23:08.639
 I think that there's a competing theology, which is to say you choose this eternal disconnected world or you choose this physical world.

00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:26.920
 I think that what a lot that this actual chapter is talking about is the Lord's will, the Lord's perspective being bred in our heart that we would see as he sees everywhere we go.

00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:31.480
 I think there's more of an aspect, and this is what it's going to say at the end of this, because it's going to say,

00:23:31.980 --> 00:23:35.500
 seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:43.620
 I don't think that the message here is this world and all the temporary things are just bad and evil and run from them.

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.420
 I think actually the Lord is trying to transform our heart and our eyes.

00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:50.620
 He's trying to transform our perspective and what we care most about.

00:23:50.619 --> 00:23:57.539
 And I think the lamp analogy is to say, let the Lord's light illuminate your life.

00:23:58.399 --> 00:24:04.539
 Let the Lord's eternity display itself in the temporary brokenness of this world.

00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:06.379
 We need light.

00:24:06.839 --> 00:24:07.319
 We need light.

00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:09.519
 All right.

00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:10.379
 Verse 24.

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:19.339
 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:22.899
 You cannot serve God and money.

00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:30.720
 I think a lot of times this whole paragraph here, almost all of these verses are oftentimes read in isolation, and they're not read together.

00:24:30.980 --> 00:24:35.720
 And when you read them in isolation, you can come up with like a very different interpretation than when you read them all together.

00:24:35.819 --> 00:24:37.199
 I think they're all talking about the same thing.

00:24:37.619 --> 00:24:42.059
 I think the treasure thing is about treasuring earth or treasuring the Lord.

00:24:42.699 --> 00:24:46.659
 Your heart is a wellspring of treasuring, both for good or for bad.

00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:52.380
 The lamp thing is about the Lord's perspective, that the Lord can enlighten your perspective of all of life.

00:24:52.940 --> 00:25:01.200
 And then I think that the two masters thing, God and money, is about treasuring the things of this earth or treasuring the Lord's things.

00:25:01.660 --> 00:25:02.980
 What is the reward you want?

00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:06.019
 Is it the Lord's rewards or is it this earth's rewards?

00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:13.200
 I think money is what he's talking about insofar as money is concerned is treasuring the things of this earth.

00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:16.079
 I think it's money broadly, not money narrowly, right?

00:25:16.460 --> 00:25:17.359
 I think that's what he's talking about here.

00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:18.879
 We do choose.

00:25:19.379 --> 00:25:20.339
 We do choose.

00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:25.079
 Is the Lord our reward or is the things of this earth our reward?

00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:28.179
 I'm going to keep on going.

00:25:28.399 --> 00:25:29.000
 Verse 25.

00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:39.480
 Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:44.559
 Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

00:25:45.879 --> 00:25:47.059
 Look at the birds of the air.

00:25:47.639 --> 00:25:53.439
 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:57.860
 Are you not of more value than they?

00:25:58.059 --> 00:25:58.180
 Okay.

00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:04.360
 Earlier, when it's talking about being seen by men, it actually says that they may be praised by them.

00:26:04.580 --> 00:26:08.180
 Some other translations say that they may be honored by them.

00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:16.740
 There is an extent to which we can look to people and how they see us as the thing that defines our value.

00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:21.400
 We are looking for their hearts that are these wellsprings of treasurings.

00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:25.200
 And we're looking for their heart to assign us value.

00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:26.680
 Do you value me?

00:26:26.900 --> 00:26:27.080
 Right?

00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:28.580
 It's the question of value.

00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:43.500
 But what Jesus is saying here is when you are anxious and when you worry, you reveal that you are not receiving the value that I am giving you.

00:26:44.439 --> 00:26:46.379
 The birds of the air are not worried.

00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:49.139
 And I take care of them.

00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:50.819
 You worry.

00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:54.699
 How much more valuable are you than they?

00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:56.720
 Look at me taking care of them.

00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:58.640
 How much more valuable are you?

00:26:59.740 --> 00:27:07.880
 We worry because we are like orphan children adopted into a home where we don't believe the father of the home is going to take care of us.

00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:11.200
 We still believe like we have to take care of this ourself.

00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:18.019
 It's actually an affront to the adoptive parents that you're worried that we're not going to feed you.

00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:20.380
 That you're worried that we're not going to clothe you.

00:27:20.840 --> 00:27:22.080
 Give you a place to stay.

00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:24.380
 You're our child.

00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:25.660
 You've been adopted.

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:34.259
 Our anxiousness and worry reveals that we are not receiving the adoptive value that the Lord has extended to us.

00:27:34.360 --> 00:27:35.539
 That he is going to provide for us.

00:27:35.600 --> 00:27:37.279
 That he is going to take care of us.

00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:43.480
 And which of you, this is a very ironic verse.

00:27:43.859 --> 00:27:44.720
 This is verse 27.

00:27:45.339 --> 00:27:52.599
 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life?

00:27:52.700 --> 00:28:01.180
 The irony here is when we're anxious and when we're stressed, we are most certainly decreasing how long we're going to live.

00:28:01.180 --> 00:28:08.900
 But the irony there is most of our worry and anxiety is self-protective.

00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:10.480
 So ironic.

00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:16.420
 We are trying to keep aspects of ourself from being destroyed.

00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:24.839
 And so stepping foot onto a hamster wheel that ensures that our life is actually going to be shorter.

00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:25.860
 Isn't that ironic?

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:29.120
 Not only are we not adding time, we're actually taking time away.

00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:32.639
 Because of our inability to see that the Lord is our provider.

00:28:33.239 --> 00:28:34.099
 That we are his child.

00:28:34.339 --> 00:28:35.239
 He's taking care of us.

00:28:37.299 --> 00:28:38.119
 Verse 27.

00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.099
 And which, sorry, verse 28.

00:28:41.339 --> 00:28:43.039
 And why are you anxious about clothing?

00:28:43.419 --> 00:28:45.379
 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.

00:28:45.739 --> 00:28:47.099
 They neither toil nor spin.

00:28:47.239 --> 00:28:51.659
 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

00:28:51.660 --> 00:29:03.920
 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

00:29:05.900 --> 00:29:06.720
 Verse 31.

00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:11.000
 Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink?

00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.340
 What shall we wear?

00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:15.120
 For the Gentiles seek after all these things.

00:29:15.340 --> 00:29:19.000
 And your heavenly Father knows that you need all of them.

00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:22.019
 Verse 33.

00:29:22.299 --> 00:29:27.920
 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

00:29:28.500 --> 00:29:32.460
 Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.

00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:34.259
 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.740
 Again, famous verse.

00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:41.380
 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

00:29:42.279 --> 00:29:46.519
 There is a treasuring of an intimate secret place before the Lord.

00:29:46.519 --> 00:30:06.740
 That shifts our desires, gives us a reward, changes our perspective, and wins our hearts over such that the most important thing is received.

00:30:06.740 --> 00:30:12.720
 And the other things of this life are still given to us.

00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:19.660
 And I think that's one of the things that sometimes we get to, our instinct is to be too aesthetic,

00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:26.059
 where we don't realize that the Lord actually is saying that we need all of these things,

00:30:26.220 --> 00:30:28.440
 and that he is going to provide all of these things,

00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:33.599
 rather than treating them as things that need to be discarded, and we just need to live like monks.

00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:34.640
 You know what I mean?

00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:44.800
 The Lord does care to provide for us, but he wants us to be rewarded by his person and on his terms.

00:30:44.799 --> 00:31:01.299
 So just a handful of practicals to wrap things up.

00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:08.240
 Specifically, I want to talk about what is called the spiritual disciplines, or at least the ones that are referenced here,

00:31:08.659 --> 00:31:13.500
 which are giving, prayer, fasting.

00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.019
 Notice reading the Bible is not on this list.

00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:25.859
 So I think there is a reward that comes from doing these things in secret.

00:31:27.579 --> 00:31:33.000
 And I would say of all of them, well, actually, we'll just start with giving.

00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:41.339
 Giving in particular, I would say, of all of these things, is probably the hardest one to do in secret,

00:31:41.339 --> 00:31:43.259
 especially for those of us who are married.

00:31:44.639 --> 00:31:48.799
 It's like, man, babe, I could have sworn there was more money in our bank account.

00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:52.740
 What do you do with it?

00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:53.500
 I can't say.

00:31:58.959 --> 00:31:59.639
 Bible says.

00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:07.680
 Oh, as an aside, I was thinking about it because I was preparing for this.

00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:12.900
 I was like, oh, it would be so funny if I just take all the money in our regular account and just put it back into the business account.

00:32:13.040 --> 00:32:14.980
 You can see how long it takes at Angela to figure it out.

00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:26.660
 But anyway, what I was going to say was giving.

00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:32.460
 We put, again, I shouldn't say we because probably some of you guys have a more mature perspective.

00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:35.920
 I'm going to say I, but I think probably many of us struggle with this perspective.

00:32:36.299 --> 00:32:41.720
 I think a lot of times we think of prayer, fasting, reading of Scripture as being something,

00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:46.660
 some things that are distinctly nourishing for our walk before the Lord, the spiritual disciplines.

00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:49.940
 But Jesus puts giving on this list.

00:32:50.360 --> 00:32:55.380
 And I think that it's good for us to remember that when we give, especially to the needy,

00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:02.380
 that this is something that is between us and the Lord, or at least the Lord commands us to be between us and him.

00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:02.819
 Right?

00:33:03.180 --> 00:33:07.079
 In the same way that we should think of prayer and fasting as being between us and him.

00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:09.500
 It's like a husband and a wife being intimate with one another.

00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:12.579
 This is only meant to be between these two people.

00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:13.319
 Right?

00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:16.940
 And I think that there's aspects of our Christian life that the Lord has designed this way.

00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:19.460
 This is like spiritual intimacy with the Lord.

00:33:20.579 --> 00:33:26.759
 I think that giving is probably, for me at least, one of the ones I don't put in this category, number one.

00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:31.279
 But also number two, it's probably the one you have to be most intentional about

00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:35.559
 if you're going to do it in a way where your right hand doesn't know what your left hand is doing.

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:36.519
 You know what I'm saying?

00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:38.259
 You have to be very strategic.

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:51.160
 But one of my curiosities is, I wonder how much the Lord enlightens and changes the perspective of our heart

00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:54.339
 when we're extremely secretive about what we give.

00:33:54.759 --> 00:33:55.220
 You know what I mean?

00:33:55.420 --> 00:33:56.440
 In a way that's very godly.

00:33:56.839 --> 00:33:59.460
 When we give in a way that nobody knows about.

00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:04.700
 There is, there's actually one particular person in my life who not only is extremely generous,

00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:08.860
 they do it in extremely sneaky way where nobody knows.

00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:13.720
 And like there's just been a couple instances where I just happened to be able to figure it out.

00:34:13.860 --> 00:34:16.000
 And I was like, wow, that's so cool that they're doing that all the time.

00:34:16.340 --> 00:34:17.460
 Nobody even knows this.

00:34:18.039 --> 00:34:22.280
 Probably nobody even knows how generous a person they are because they're doing such a good job of honoring this passage.

00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:23.300
 That's really cool.

00:34:23.300 --> 00:34:24.539
 And I want to get better at this.

00:34:24.660 --> 00:34:25.019
 You know what I mean?

00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:26.740
 It's a really powerful thing.

00:34:27.160 --> 00:34:37.940
 When we can have our hearts transformed and our perspectives transformed by honoring the Lord in this.

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:39.860
 Prayer.

00:34:39.860 --> 00:34:45.680
 Think of Jesus making the sacrifice to go and be alone with the Lord.

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:46.880
 That's of great importance.

00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:50.760
 I think prayer is one of those ones that we probably have in our life.

00:34:51.720 --> 00:34:58.039
 But we underestimate the importance of making a sacrifice to be alone with the Lord.

00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:03.640
 Because he actually, the one, the thing with giving is, give and don't let anybody see it.

00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:07.160
 But the thing with praying is, you actually do have to be alone.

00:35:07.579 --> 00:35:08.860
 He says, go be alone.

00:35:09.079 --> 00:35:09.579
 Close the door.

00:35:09.860 --> 00:35:15.019
 There's a power of prayer when prayer is combined with solitude.

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:24.160
 And I kind of mentioned this earlier, but I think a really good starting place is in the moments, the natural moments of solitude.

00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:38.539
 Trying to fan into flame and get those to be a place where the pull of your heart, the gravitational pull of your heart is wanting to be intimate with the Lord in those natural moments of solitude.

00:35:38.539 --> 00:35:40.059
 When you're finally driving alone.

00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:41.719
 When you're finally in the shower alone.

00:35:42.099 --> 00:35:43.400
 You know, when you're going to bed.

00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:44.159
 When you're waking up.

00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:49.219
 And I think the next thing too, is that we would schedule time to be alone with the Lord.

00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:50.199
 You know what I mean?

00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:51.139
 Jesus did.

00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:53.840
 Jesus would leave everything and go and be alone with his Father.

00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:56.720
 I think that we underestimate sometimes.

00:35:56.940 --> 00:35:57.740
 Not all of us.

00:35:57.800 --> 00:35:59.120
 But I think we underestimate sometimes.

00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:04.440
 How much we're probably giving into that temptation to be like full-time church clock out.

00:36:05.279 --> 00:36:07.880
 No real intimate time with the Lord.

00:36:08.099 --> 00:36:08.460
 You know what I mean?

00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:25.539
 I wonder sometimes how much, and this is true for me, how much we reactively do the duties as Christians and don't have much experience or have let ourselves coast away from having a robust intimacy with the Lord.

00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:26.400
 You know what I mean?

00:36:27.059 --> 00:36:29.000
 Where this is all work.

00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:30.300
 This is all for other people.

00:36:31.880 --> 00:36:33.240
 Clock in, clock out.

00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:34.039
 You know what I mean?

00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:47.679
 We're really missing that the place from which this flows is the place where the Father is, which is a secret place, as the scripture says.

00:36:48.019 --> 00:36:48.759
 It's a secret place.

00:36:50.219 --> 00:36:51.159
 All right, last one.

00:36:51.340 --> 00:36:51.840
 Fasting.

00:36:51.840 --> 00:37:01.800
 I think fasting is actually maybe one of the easiest ones to do and just to completely do it in silence.

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:03.639
 Meaning, do it in a way that nobody knows.

00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:09.900
 It's so, so easy to just not eat and then when it's a meal together, be like, yeah, I'm skipping dinner.

00:37:10.819 --> 00:37:11.159
 You know what I mean?

00:37:11.819 --> 00:37:19.319
 Fasting is one of those ones that I think is, perhaps of all of these, the least disruptive because it's a not doing something rather than a doing something.

00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:19.920
 You know what I mean?

00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:27.819
 Again, a lot of our Christian life, I think, orbits around what we're doing corporately.

00:37:27.820 --> 00:37:36.840
 I think that there is one of the costs for me has been clock in, clock out and missing some of these intimate things with the Lord.

00:37:36.840 --> 00:37:44.019
 And I think a good challenge for us is to fast and nobody else know anything about it.

00:37:44.059 --> 00:37:45.100
 It's just between us and the Lord.

00:37:45.340 --> 00:37:45.680
 You know what I mean?

00:37:45.820 --> 00:37:47.720
 And obviously the scripture does corporate fasts.

00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:48.840
 Obviously we do corporate fasts.

00:37:49.579 --> 00:37:55.780
 You know, there's many times in scripture, even the way that the Sabbath is done, there's many times in scripture where people are fasting together.

00:37:55.780 --> 00:38:02.460
 But I think one of the things I would like to encourage us in is to try to practice all of these things in a way that nobody knows about it.

00:38:03.220 --> 00:38:04.640
 Be a spiritual sniper.

00:38:05.220 --> 00:38:05.660
 You know what I mean?

00:38:06.160 --> 00:38:12.280
 Just like be, have a robust secret life that's just in the Lord.

00:38:13.200 --> 00:38:15.380
 Actually, even one more aside on giving.

00:38:15.660 --> 00:38:18.700
 This is just kind of one of the costs of not honoring the Lord in this.

00:38:19.260 --> 00:38:21.360
 There is a congregation that I was a part of previously.

00:38:21.620 --> 00:38:23.140
 It was a large church I was a part of.

00:38:23.700 --> 00:38:25.140
 And it was really interesting.

00:38:25.139 --> 00:38:31.819
 There was this huge falling out between the lead pastor and one of the other prominent pastors.

00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:39.719
 Because with the blessing of the church, this other pastor went to plant a church.

00:38:40.019 --> 00:38:45.179
 But what was unanticipated was that many of the biggest givers to the congregation would go and be a part of his church.

00:38:47.219 --> 00:38:51.980
 These two men had been very good friends for many, many, many years.

00:38:51.980 --> 00:38:55.780
 And there was a huge fallout simply because of the finances.

00:38:57.340 --> 00:38:58.099
 You know what I mean?

00:38:58.619 --> 00:39:01.400
 Which is kind of something that is, what is it?

00:39:02.360 --> 00:39:02.980
 I don't know.

00:39:03.559 --> 00:39:10.980
 I don't really have a strong opinion on stewardship of finances insofar as like knowledge of elders and stuff is concerned.

00:39:10.980 --> 00:39:13.500
 But I know with confidence that's really inappropriate.

00:39:13.820 --> 00:39:14.300
 You know what I mean?

00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:22.980
 That we're having a spiritual fallout between two elders because of we know who's giving what.

00:39:23.500 --> 00:39:24.019
 You know what I mean?

00:39:24.659 --> 00:39:25.740
 That's very strange.

00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:26.880
 That's very, very strange.

00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:28.420
 It's a very strange thing.

00:39:28.420 --> 00:39:28.940
 You know?

00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:35.880
 And again, I think there's so much of this public nature in which has infiltrated the church.

00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:38.820
 And so much of the church can even just be business model Christianity.

00:39:39.059 --> 00:39:39.460
 You know what I mean?

00:39:39.860 --> 00:39:45.960
 That like, of course, if you go start your own competing business and take a bunch of my accounts, I'm going to be pissed.

00:39:46.400 --> 00:39:47.840
 But this is the Lord we're talking about.

00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:48.380
 You know what I mean?

00:39:48.440 --> 00:39:49.800
 We're just treating so much like a business.

00:39:50.019 --> 00:39:50.380
 You know what I mean?

00:39:50.539 --> 00:39:56.079
 And what other analogy than this analogy connecting the power of money to the treasures in heaven?

00:39:56.240 --> 00:39:56.659
 You know what I mean?

00:39:56.659 --> 00:39:58.379
 That's literally what we're doing.

00:39:58.639 --> 00:39:58.879
 You know what I mean?

00:39:58.899 --> 00:40:02.139
 We get upset about these kinds of things is we're literally treasuring the things of earth.

00:40:02.339 --> 00:40:03.859
 We're literally treasuring things of earth.

00:40:04.539 --> 00:40:04.779
 You know?

00:40:10.839 --> 00:40:25.039
 Another thing I think that is really powerful to some extent is for us to practice doing things and having nobody see it.

00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:34.300
 But also even be comfortable in building our ability to not defend oneself and even be misunderstood by people.

00:40:34.699 --> 00:40:38.659
 I think there's something about how people see us that can be very, very corrupting.

00:40:38.659 --> 00:40:48.460
 And one of the things I think is very admirable is when I see people who are being misunderstood and have such security in the Lord, they don't need to defend themselves.

00:40:49.019 --> 00:41:02.359
 And I think there's an extent to which it's really powerful when we are so locked into our identity in the Lord and the value he extends us that we really are okay with people viewing us poorly.

00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:03.480
 You know what I mean?

00:41:03.480 --> 00:41:09.860
 I mean, both the positive and the negative because there is an extent to which we need to grieve being seen in a particular way by people.

00:41:10.280 --> 00:41:14.800
 But also there's an extent to which we need to be okay when people see us in a negative light.

00:41:14.800 --> 00:41:27.539
 Again, I think we live in a generation, I think we should be convicted by this, I need to be convicted by this, where we take the things that should be hidden and we display them for people.

00:41:28.160 --> 00:41:32.600
 And we take the things that should be displayed before people and we hide them.

00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:37.639
 And we can't figure out why the Lord feels so far or why we're so weary.

00:41:38.179 --> 00:41:38.679
 You know what I mean?

00:41:39.420 --> 00:41:46.639
 I just encourage us, let us have a robust, what is it?

00:41:47.539 --> 00:41:54.679
 That we would participate and partake of the secret place where the Father is.

00:41:55.219 --> 00:41:56.000
 That's where he is.

00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:13.559
 And I think that the mystery of intimacy is something that causes the dutiful aspects of the Christian life to come alive and no longer be duty.

00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:14.539
 You know what I mean?

00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:19.260
 And I even say this, I think it's a thing in marriage.

00:42:19.260 --> 00:42:26.840
 You'll see, this is usually the women, who are like the intimate aspects of marriage, our duties.

00:42:27.700 --> 00:42:30.540
 And to me, I've always felt like that's how people talk about the relationship with the Lord.

00:42:30.620 --> 00:42:31.920
 And I see people talk about their marriage like that.

00:42:32.160 --> 00:42:33.200
 And to me, I feel like, no.

00:42:34.100 --> 00:42:40.320
 I feel like we can have a robust intimacy that is what we long for, satisfying to our souls.

00:42:40.500 --> 00:42:45.120
 And it actually is something that's a facilitating of treasuring the right thing.

00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:57.920
 Again, this is, again, an aside, but one of the distinct factors of addiction is hiding.

00:42:58.559 --> 00:43:05.579
 When you're starting to hide something, that is fanning into flame the bondage that is addiction.

00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:08.559
 It's one of the things that causes it to grow more powerful.

00:43:09.980 --> 00:43:13.519
 It's also one of the things that makes it, truly demarcates it.

00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:34.639
 I believe getting what is done in the dark out into the light, but also hiding this reward causes this reverse catalyzing where we're actually growing how we care about the Lord.

00:43:34.739 --> 00:43:40.280
 We're growing the reward that is the Lord so that that's what has control of us in a good way.

00:43:40.519 --> 00:43:43.079
 And we're being free of the things that would dissuade us.

00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:44.139
 Does that make sense?

00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:56.599
 And so I think it's really powerful when we take things that are tempting to display before people and actually just keep them between us and the Lord.

00:43:56.800 --> 00:43:57.159
 You know what I mean?

00:43:57.179 --> 00:43:58.099
 I think that's the mystery here.

00:43:58.159 --> 00:44:06.400
 I think there's a mystery of intimacy that is found when our heart is hidden in the Lord, in that secret place where the Father is.

00:44:06.400 --> 00:44:07.220
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