EXPOSITIONS OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
XIX – “Charitable Deeds”
Matthew 6:1-4                                        October 14, 2007

INTRODUCTION
The focus in chapter 5 is on developing characteristics that should describe the life of every Christian person.  In chapter 6 we begin looking at the subject of practicing righteousness, the outward manifestation of what is taking place in the heart of the believer.  Here, in chapter 6, the Lord Jesus uses 3 illustrations: giving, praying and fasting, and says of each of these that sacrifice, self-discipline, and self-denail, are called for in living the Christian life. 

I. THE DANGER OF FALSE RIGHTEOUSNESS
I Timothy 4, Amos 5, Isaiah 1.  The Lord Jesus calls us to purity and righteousness, not perfunctory rituals performed to our satisfaction.  There are calls throughout Scripture to replace superficial ceremony with genuine righteousness: Jeremiah 11, Amos 4, Micah 6, Job 1, 15, 16, Mark 15.

II. GIVING THAT PLEASES & GLORIFIES GOD.
“Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue,” said St. Augustine.  Scripture calls us to take care of widows, orphans, the poor, the needy.  The Pharisees taught that a person could be saved by his/her giving.   Our Lord taught that righteousness begins in the heart.  Why do you give?  What is your motive for giving?  We are to give without effort or show.  Giving to help others should be a normal activity of the Christian life.  It should be done simply, directly, discretely.  Giving that pleases the Lord is done in love out of response to a need and then forgotten.  The Chamber of the Silent.  Both Old and New Testaments teach that willing, generous giving characterizes the people of God.
Seven basic principles of non-hypocritical giving:
                a)             Giving from the heart is investing with God.
                b)            Genuine giving is to be sacrificial.
                c)             Responsibility for giving has no relationship to the amount we       possess.
                d)            Material giving correlates to spiritual blessings.
                e)             Giving is between you and the Lord.
                f)             Giving is in response to need.
                g)             Giving demonstrates love not law.
The key to our giving is the attitude of our heart.  What motivates our reasons for giving? 

The greatest reward for believers is the knowledge that we have pleased the Lord.