Sermon On The Mount (Week 6)
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SERMON ON THE MOUNT (WEEK 6)
It is easy to turn your intimacy with God into a performance to get public praise — so acting like you're close with God might gain you social status or applause, yet wont yield devotion to God.
Matthew 6:1 (NLT): "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
So how do we keep ourselves devoted to God?
Devotion to God involves a conscious choice to prioritize Him in the ways and teachings of Christ, actively engaging in spiritual disciplines, trusting in His plan amidst challenges, and living a life that reflects His generous love toward us.
The main measure of your devotion to God is not your devotional life. It is simply your life. - John Ortberg
Generosity: a way in which we publicly display the generous love of Christ, not necessarily for the world to see but rather the individual to receive, experience and sense the love of God.
Acts 20:35 (NLT): And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Prayer: where we connect to God! It's where we spend time with him privately, making our petitions known and intercession for others. It's a place where we are thankful and grateful for Christ and what he has provided for us through his death, burial, and resurrection.
Matthew 6:6 (NLT): But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Fasting is a way in which we work on our physical discipline in order to turn our attention toward God’s ways.
To be effective in the world, we should care the least about our social standing, for our ultimate goal is simply to know and be known by the God for our generous love to Him and to others.
