Closet Christians

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity / Prayer; Closet; Secret; Hypocrisy / Matthew 6:5–8

When Coach Bobby Bowden played baseball in college, he never hit a home run. His senior year at Howard College, he was the only player not to hit a home run. One day, he hit a line drive against Auburn. As he approached third, the coach was waving him on. As he made his turn, he heard his third base coach say, “But hurry!”

When he touched home, the team was ecstatic, slapping his back and shaking his hand back in the day before “high fives.” The first baseman yelled for the catcher to throw him the ball. The umpire yelled, “out.” When he ran the bases, Bobby Bowden never touched first.

Maybe that’s why he became a football coach. Anyway, you can probably imagine he told his players, “If you don’t take care of first base, it doesn’t matter what you do.”

Matthew 6:6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the first time Jesus taught his first disciples about prayer. His first lesson was, “Spend time alone with the Father in prayer.” If we don’t follow his first lesson, we are not following the example or the command of Christ.

In the last several weeks we have been looking at Jesus’ radical sermon on true Christianity. We have seen that we must do better than the Scribes and Pharisees, and they claim to be better than everybody.

Matthew 5:20 KJV

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

We have seen that our righteousness must start in the heart with a true conversion, then extend to our actions. Last week we talked about alms giving. We saw that we must not do it to be seen as righteous, but we must do it ,often in secret, to be righteous. This week we will look at prayer in the same light. While some of us may pray in public from time to time, the real power comes when we learn to be Prayer Closet Christians.

A Closet Christian Will Pray to God.

Matthew 6:5 KJV

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 • When you pray – not if… when was the last time you really prayed?

Psalm 55:17 KJV

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice.

 • Don’t pray for others to hear.

  • If you quote scripture, quote it to claim it, not to educate your audience.

  • Don’t pray to preach

  • Don’t pray to rebuke an audience

  • Don’t pray to impress others

  • Don’t be a hypocrite, God knows the real truth anyway.

 A pious church member, who thought himself to be a great Christian, says Warren W. Wiersbe, visited the Junior Department of the Sunday school. The Superintendent asked him to say a few words to the boys and girls. He stood pompously before them, and asked, “Why do you think people call me a Christian?”

  There was an embarrassing silence, then a small voice from the back of the room said, “Because they don’t know you.”

—Christian Victory1

1 Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 1136.

 • Pray to God.

A Closet Christian Will Pray In Private

Matthew 6:6 KJV

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 • Thy closet – have a place that is yours. (Describe the one I found in Shaffer dorm and the one on the top floor of Jackson Hall.

 • Shut the door. Have a place and a time where you are completely alone and undistracted with God. No cell phone, no background noise, no audience.

 • Be intimate in this place of intimacy.  

 • God will reward openly.

Psalm 34:15 KJV

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, And his ears are open unto their cry.

 • Make it a priority to have AND USE this private place of prayer

  Of Mr. John Shepherd, of the United States, it is recorded that he was greatly distinguished for his success in the pulpit. When on his death-bed he said to some young ministers who were present, “The secret of my success is in these three things:

  “1st. The studying of my sermons very frequently cost me tears. 2nd. Before I preached a sermon to others I derived good from it myself. 3rd. I have always gone into the pulpit as if I were immediately after to render an account to my Master.”

  All who knew that devoted man would have united in expressing his secret in three words—”In the closet.”1

1 Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 1079.

A Closet Christian Will Pray For Real!

Matthew 6:7–8 KJV

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 • Do not use empty repetition… like praying on auto pilot.  

 • Prayer is to communicate, not to put you in a trance or mood. The heathen would repeat the same prayer same words, same mantra, to induce feelings… it would work even when praying to a lifeless idol.

  I love the story about the Lutheran pastor who always started each service off with the phrase, “The Lord be with you.” The people would then respond, “and also with you.”

  However, one Sunday the sound system wasn’t working very well. The pastor stepped up to the pulpit and said, “There’s something wrong with this microphone.”

  The people responded, “AND ALSO WITH YOU!.”

 • This does not mean we can’t pray for something more than once… Jesus did… Paul did.

Romans 1:9 KJV

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

1 Thessalonians 1:2 KJV

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

Philemon 4 KJV

I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

 • Remember who you are talking to! You are talking the God of the universe, and the Savior who loves you.

   The brother of a seminary student came to visit him one day. Unsure of directions, he turned to the first person who passed by and asked, “Is this Davidson Hall?” On hearing the man described later, the seminary student asked his brother if he had realized that he had been talking to a world-famous theologian. The brother couldn’t believe it. He had the opportunity to ask any question—and he asked only where a building was.

   Unfortunately that’s how many of us pray. We talk to God and ask for inane little things that are really insignificant.

 • Prayer needs to be passionate and intimate. It is appropriate (especially in the prayer closet) to get in touch with powerful emotions. This can be done when we pray aloud.

James 5:16 KJV

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The truth in today’s passage is pivotal to living a successful Christian life. We all know we should pray. But this morning we discovered that if we pray in public, we must check our hearts and not pray for people, or pray empty routine phrases. We have seen that the lion’s share of our prayer life is to take place in private, with the door closed and our heart open. We must develop a habit of becoming Closet Christians.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:59 AM February 29, 2020.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity / Giving; Hypocrisy; Righteousness; Pride / Matthew 6:1–4

 A father complained about the amount of time his family spent in front of the television. His children watched cartoons and neglected school work. His wife preferred soap operas to housework. His solution? “As soon as the baseball season’s over, I’m going to pull the plug.”7051

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 201.

Hypocrisy can or from the Greek “play acting” can be found everywhere. It is much easier to appear to be righteous than to be righteous. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed this kind of plastic fake religion by first of all calling out the religious leaders.

Matthew 5:20 KJV

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

As we continue our study “Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity” we move on to Matthew 6. Here Jesus exposes three different things that Hypocrites do as they seek more to appear righteous than to be righteous. This morning we are going to discover that when we give sacrificially to the poor, we need to keep it secret.

Don’t Give Charity In Order To Be Seen By Others.

Matthew 6:1 KJV

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Take heed

 prosecho (???????, 4337), “to take heed, give heed,” is said of the priests who “gave attendance at the altar,” Heb. 7:13. It suggests devotion of thought and effort to a thing. In 1 Tim. 4:13 (in the exhortation regarding the public reading of the Scriptures), the rv translates it “give heed,” for the kjv, “give attendance.” In Acts 16:14, “to give heed” (for kjv, “attended). See beware, give, No. 17, regard.1

1 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 44.

 eleemosune (??????????, 1654), connected with eleemon, “merciful,” signifies (a) “mercy, pity, particularly in giving alms,

Motive Matters 

Matthew 5:16 KJV

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 Secondly, and more importantly, this passage is about a deliberate search for public recognition, whereas 5:16 summed up a searching character-study of true disciples which focused on essential qualities; those who live like that will inevitably be “a town built on top of a hill which cannot be hidden,” whether they like it or not. And whereas the outcome of religious ostentation is the desired “reward” of human applause, the result of the shining light of the disciples’ lifestyle is that people glorify God, not them.1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 234.

  When Howard Carter and his associates found the tomb of King Tutankhamen, they opened up his casket and found another within it. They opened up the second, which was covered with gold leaf, and found a third. Inside the third casket was a fourth made of pure gold. The pharaoh’s body was in the fourth, wrapped in gold cloth with a gold face mask. But when the body was unwrapped, it was leathery and shriveled.

  Whether we are trying to cloak a dead spiritual life, or something else, in caskets of gold to impress others, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the interior.7041

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 201.

Put Your Trumpet Away

Matthew 6:2 KJV

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

When not If

Matthew 5:42 KJV

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Matthew 25:35 KJV

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Deuteronomy 15:7–11 KJV

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 

Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Alms/ Charity is Not Tithing

 Thus, when you give alms is given in more contemporary language by TEV: “So when you give something to a needy person.” NEB (“Thus, when you do some act of charity”) and Brc (“When you are going to perform an act of charity”) are similar. GeCL translates “When you help someone.” However, this and Phps (“So, when you do good to other people”) may not emphasize enough that what is involved here is giving help to the needy. Other than in Matthew 6:2, 3, 4 the word alms is found in the New Testament only in the Lukan writings: Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 3:2, 3, 10; 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17.1

1 Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 159.

Alms / Charity is Personal, not Governmental

Trumpet = Metaphor for making a racket about your good deed

 According to Reuters news agency, on April 28 at the 1992 Galveston County Fair and Rodeo, a steer named Husker, weighing in at 1,190 pounds, was named grand champion. The steer was sold at auction for $13,500 and slaughtered a few days after the competition. When veterinarians examined the carcass, said a contest official, they found something suspicious. They discovered evidence of what is called “airing.”

  To give steers a better appearance, competitors have been known to inject air into their animals’ hides with a syringe or a needle attached to a bicycle pump. Pump long enough, and they’ve got themselves what looks like a grand champion steer, though of course it’s against the rules.

  The Galveston County Fair and Rodeo Association withdrew the championship title and sale money from Husker.

  A pumped-up steer is like a hypocritical person. Hypocrites appear more virtuous than they are.1

1 Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 258.

Hypocrites Reap a Temporary Reward

Keep It Secret

Matthew 6:3–4 KJV

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Again When not If

Secret Righteousness Is Not Hidden From God.

Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Matthew 19:29 KJV

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Matthew 25:21 KJV

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

  The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades and a world war she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California.

  During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. But on the dock they crumbled.

  Nothing was left of the 3/4-inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than thirty coats of paint that had been applied over the years. The steel had rusted away.

  When Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs,” he meant they had no substance, only an exterior appearance.1

1 Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 259.

As representatives and ambassadors of Jesus to the world, we need to be generous and charitable. We must however, guard against simply doing so in order to impress other… while others may be in awe, God is not. So the steps are simple, When you give charity, check your motives. Do not do it to be seen. When you give, put your trumpet away, do not proclaim loudly to others what you are doing. When you give charity, the best way to check your motives is to keep it secret.  

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:29 AM February 22, 2020.

Me?… Love WHO???

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity / Love; Christlike / Matthew 5:43–48

The story is told of a soldier who was fighting over in Iraq who received a letter from his girlfriend that said she was breaking up with him. In the letter she also asked for him to return the picture of herself that she had given him, because she needed it for her bridal announcement.

The soldier was heartbroken and told his friends about the breakup and about her request. Someone came up with this idea — the whole platoon gave him pictures of all of their girlfriends and told him to send them to his ex-girlfriend with this note, “For the life of me, I can’t remember which picture is yours, so please remove your picture from all of these pictures I’m sending and return the rest of them to me!”

Vengeance and hatred toward one’s perceived enemies seems to be a part of the fabric of our society. People who consider themselves to be loving and kind still would not cross the line and show love to their enemy. It is one thing to forgive them, or ignore them, but it is a completely different thing to actually go out of the way to actively show love toward them.

As we continue our study, “Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity”, we come to the part in the sermon on the Mount where Jesus commands His disciples to love and do good to their enemies. This indeed in different than the love shown by the respected religious leadership. This is radical! This is true Christlike behavior. This is what it is like to really demonstrate that you are a for real Christian. This testimony is not rooted in external conformity to appearance, traditional behavior or extra-Biblical norms. This radical behavior that changes people from the inside out happens when we listen to Jesus and answer the question: Me? Love WHO???

You Heard it Wrong

Leviticus 19:18 KJV

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

The specification of one’s neighbor allowed some to add the “implied” exception.

Matthew 5:43 KJV

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you…. Jesus is about to correct this with Divine Authority.

Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:44 KJV

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Bless Them That Curse You

eulogeo (???????, 2127), lit., “to speak well of” (eu, “well,” logos, “a word”), signifies, (a) “to praise, to celebrate with praises,” of that which is addressed to God, acknowledging His goodness, with desire for His glory, Luke 1:64; 2:28; 24:51, 53; Jas. 3:9; (b) “to invoke blessings upon a person,” e.g., Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14.1

1 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 69.

1 Peter 3:9–10 KJV

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Do Good To Them That Hate You

?????a, ?, ??; ?????a: pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued—‘good, fine, praiseworthy.’

?????a: ? ?????? ? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ???????? ‘the good shepherd is willing to die for the sheep’ Jn 10:11.

?????a: ???????? ???? ?? ????? ‘they have a deep concern for you, but their intentions are not good’ Ga 4:17

John 10:11 KJV

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Pray For Them That Spitefully Persecute You.

His demand here goes even beyond v. 39: not only are they not to retaliate, nor even to resist, but even positively to seek the good of their persecutors and to pray for them. The example of Stephen (Acts 7:60) was followed by many of the early Christian martyrs. Prayer is mentioned primarily as an expression of good will towards the persecutors, without specifying its content, but presumably it would at least include the request that they, like Saul of Tarsus, might see the light.1581

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 225–226.

Acts 7:60 KJV

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

In his sermon “Spiritual PTSD” Bob Grey Jr. tearfully apologizes to those folks he was part of bullying and belittling in order to exert pastoral leadership. Would to God we would refuse name calling, vengeful and manipulating preaching, and hatred cloaked in religious pretence. May we instead love our enemies aggressively and publically.

Learn From Your Father

Matthew 5:45 KJV

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven is a fairly literal rendering of the Greek text. AB is barely one step away from a literal rendering by beginning a new sentence with this verse: “In this way you will become sons of your heavenly Father …” The more precise meaning of the verb be in the context is “will show that you are.” This is the basis of NAB (“This will prove that you are sons of your heavenly Father”), AT (“so that you may show yourselves true sons of your Father in heaven”), and GeCL (“So you will prove yourselves to be children of your Father in heaven”). Another way is to say “so that people will know (or, see) that you are children of God, your Father in heaven.”1

1 Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 153.

Show Common Grace

Unmerited favor for the just and the unjust.

King James Version Chapter 5

…for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust

Psalm 145:9 KJV

The LORD is good to all: And his tender mercies are over all his works.

Acts 14:17 KJV

Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Show Amazing Grace

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Colossians 4:6 KJV

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Show Unique Grace – Like Your Father.

Matthew 5:46–47 KJV

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

1 Peter 2:20 KJV

For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

John 13:35 KJV

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Show Genuine Grace

Matthew 5:48 KJV

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The wording of this summary recalls the repeated formula of Leviticus, “You are to be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev 19:2; cf. 11:44, 45; 20:26). God’s people were to reflect his character, and the same is now true for those who are subjects of the kingdom of heaven.  The use of  teleios  (perfect) instead of “holy” may derive from the requirement of total loyalty to God in  Deut 18:13 , where the Hebrew  t?mîm  (complete, unblemished, blameless, perfect) is rendered by  teleios  in LXX. It is a wider term than moral flawlessness, and is used for spiritual “maturity,” for example, in  1 Cor 2:6 ;  14:20 ;  Phil 3:15 , and frequently in Hebrews. Matthew will use teleios again in 19:21 to denote the higher level of commitment represented by the rich man’s selling his possessions in contrast with his merely keeping the commandments (including again Lev 19:18). It is thus a suitable term to sum up the “greater righteousness” of v. 20, a righteousness which is demanded not only from an upper echelon of spiritual elites but from all who belong to the kingdom of God. It is in the promotion of this standard of perfection, going far beyond the literal requirements of the OT law, that Jesus “fulfills” it.1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 228–229.

When I think of drawing on love’s source, I think of Corrie ten Boom. Her family had all died in the Nazi concentration camps. Their crime? Hiding Jews in their home. Somehow Corrie survived. The war had ended, the camps had been liberated, and Corrie was speaking in various churches, sharing about God’s love and faithfulness, even in the midst of horror. She writes in her best-selling book, “The Hiding Place”:

“It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, a former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, [my sister] Betsie’s pain-blanched face.

“He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. ‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.’ He said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’ His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

“Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I prayed, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.

“As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.”

God is our source of love, and his supply never runs low. When you have trouble loving someone, whether friend or enemy, ask God for the love you need. He will surely supply it from the inside out. He will enable YOU to actually love YOUR ENEMY.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 3:24 PM February 15, 2020.

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

In Judith Viorst’s children’s book I’ll Fix Anthony, the younger brother complains about the way his older brother Anthony treats him:

 My brother Anthony can read books now, but he won’t read any books to me. He plays checkers with Bruce from his school. But when I want to play he says “Go away or I’ll clobber you.” I let him wear my Snoopy sweatshirt, but he never lets me borrow his sword. Mother says deep down in his heart Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep down in his heart he thinks I stink. Mother says deep deep down in his heart, where he doesn’t even know it, Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep deep down in his heart he still thinks I stink. When I’m six, I’ll fix Anthony …

    When I’m six, I’ll float, but Anthony will sink to the bottom. I’ll dive off the board, but Anthony will change his mind. I’ll breathe in and out when I should, but Anthony will only go glug, glug.… When I’m six my teeth will fall out, and I’ll put them under the bed, and the tooth fairy will take them away and leave dimes. Anthony’s teeth won’t fall out. He’ll wiggle and wiggle them, but they won’t fall out. I might sell him one of my teeth, but I might not …

    Anthony is chasing me out of the playroom. He says I stink. He says he is going to clobber me. I have to run now, but I won’t have to run when I’m six. When I’m six, I’ll fix Anthony.

Most of us know the feeling of Anthony’s brother. The Bible calls it revenge.

As we continue our series “Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity”, we come to a section of Jesus’ Sermon on the mount that focuses on the subject of revenge. It is easy to be righteous on the outside like the Pharisees and Sadducees, but we have learned that this is not good enough fro God.

Matthew 5:20 KJV

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

In our passage this morning Jesus explains how we can take the Biblical principle of governmental justice as a license for personal vengeance. As we look at this often quoted, and often misunderstood passage we will see that Jesus gives us 5 specific commandments to help us to discern if our motives are vengeance or justice.

Do Not Resist Evil

Matthew 5:38–39 KJV

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

O.T. Law is set up to deal with evil doers.

Exodus 21:22–25 KJV

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

NT law gives the Government a mandate to deal with evil doers.

Romans 13:1–4 KJV

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Some have taken that as permission to exact personal vengeance.

An Internet entrepreneur discovered that revenge can be popular. Mat Carpenter started a website where patrons can order an envelope with a folded up piece of paper filled with glitter and send it to people they don’t like. He says the idea for sending glitter came from personal experience. Glitter gets everywhere and never seems to come out. He added, “It reminded me of a few relatives over the years who used to send small amounts of glitter with their birthday of Christmas cards and how it annoyed me.”

When Carpenter launched the site, it became so popular so quickly that he had to beg people to stop buying his product because he couldn’t keep up. Carpenter plans to reopen the site as soon as he can catch up.

—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell1

1 Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell, “Taking Revenge with Glitter,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

Jesus commands us not to resist evil (those that perpetrate evil)

King James Version Chapter 5

…But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil

  An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow she escaped and later became a nurse in a military hospital. One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her brother had been captured and brought wounded to the hospital where she worked. Something within her cried out “Vengeance.” But a stronger voice called for her to love. She nursed the man back to health. Finally, the recuperating soldier asked her, “Why didn’t you let me die?” Her answer was, “I am a follower of Him who said, ’Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you’” (Luk_6:27). Impressed with her answer, the young soldier replied, “I never heard such words before. Tell me more. I want this kind of religion.”

(From a sermon by Jeremias Fababier, fruitfulness comes from the heart, 5/29/2012)

Turn the Other Cheek

King James Version Chapter 5

…but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

The first results from a slap on the right cheek. To slap another’s cheek was a serious insult (2 Cor 11:20; cf. Lam 3:30) for which legal redress could be claimed (the code of Hammurabi deals with this too, in paragraphs 202–205, with penalties ranging from a small fine to the cutting off of an ear, depending on the social standing of the two parties involved), but to slap the right cheek required (if the assailant was right-handed) a slap with the back of the hand, which was far more insulting and would entail double damages (m. B. Qam. 8:6). This is more a matter of honor than of physical injury, and honor required appropriate recompense. Yet Jesus tells the disciple to forgo the financial benefit to which he is legally entitled, to accept the insult without responding,143 and even to offer the left cheek for a further, if less serious, insult. Such a response follows the model of God’s servant who “gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard (LXX has “to slapping”); I did not hide my face from insult and spitting,” Isa 50:6. In a culture which took honor and shame far more seriously than ours, this was a paradoxical and humiliating demand.1451

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 220–221.

**Illustrate a right hand slap to the right cheek***

  Sir Walter Scott had difficulty with the idea of “turning the other cheek.” But Jesus’ words took on special meaning one day when Scott threw a rock at a stray dog to chase it away. His aim was like a baseball pitchers and he hit the animal and broke its leg. Instead of running off, the dog limped over to him and licked his hand. Sir Walter never forgot that touching response. He said, “That dog preached the Sermon on the Mount to me as few ministers have ever presented it.” Scott said he had not found human beings so ready to forgive their enemies.

Give More Than You Have Been Forced to Give.

Matthew 5:40 KJV

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

The second illustration is even more clearly located in the law-court, with the opponent suing for possession of the disciple’s “shirt.” To forfeit the shirt would be bad enough, but the disciple is to voluntarily give up his “coat” (the himation, the larger, heavier and more valuable outer garment) as well. Whatever the legal rights with regard to the shirt (perhaps claimed as pledge for the payment of a debt), there could be no question of legally forfeiting the coat, since this was explicitly prohibited on humanitarian grounds in the OT law (Exod 22:25–27; Deut 24:12–13, showing that the himation could double as a sleeping blanket). What the opponent could not have dared to claim, the disciple is to offer freely, even at the cost of leaving himself with nothing to wear or to keep warm with. Cf. Paul’s exhortation to be wronged and defrauded rather than to institute a law-suit (1 Cor 6:7).1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 221.

1 Corinthians 6:1–7 KJV

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 

But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

  “The Jumbo Shrimp Gospel” was inspired by a conversation I had with my 7 year old. I read her the part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount where Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and getting undressed when someone takes your shirt (yeah, that’s what he said). After I explained it to her, she said, “Dad, that’s stupid!”

  And she’s right.

  The life of an agent of the kingdom of God goes against the grain of everything we hold dear. We desire safety, security, and comfort. The gospel of the kingdom of God calls us to risk, danger, and suffering. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s divinely brilliant.

From Aaron Saufley-  

Go The Extra Mile

Matthew 5:41 KJV

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

The third illustration takes up a specific grievance of subject people under the Roman occupation. “Dragoons you as a porter” is an attempt to capture the military force of angareu?, a rare term originally used for the stages ridden by officers in the Persian postal service, but in first-century Palestine referring especially to the Roman soldier’s right to enlist a member of the subject population for forced labor, in this case presumably as a porter for his equipment; the only other NT use of the verb is for Simon of Cyrene forced to carry Jesus’ cross (27:32). This oppressive practice was of course deeply resented by the people of occupied Palestine, but it was a Roman legal provision and they would have no choice about complying up to the limit required (“mile” was a Roman, not a Jewish measure). But Jesus calls on the disciple not only to accept the imposition but also to volunteer for a double stint. To do this for anyone would be remarkable, but to do it for the enemy was unheard of. This cameo thus serves not only to illustrate Jesus’ demand to renounce one’s rights, but also prepares us for his equally revolutionary command to love one’s enemies (v. 44), and suggests that Jesus advocated a response to the Roman occupation which not only full-blown Zealots but even the ordinarily patriotic populace would have found incomprehensible.1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 221–222.

If you are forced to perform a task against your will… or at least against your want, rather than resisting the evil doer by doing the very minimum, do more than is required.

Romans 12:17–21 KJV

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Lend Even When It is Against Personal Interest.

Matthew 5:42 KJV

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

The point they are making is that in the kingdom of heaven self-interest does not rule, and even our legal rights and legitimate expectations may have to give way to the interests of others. It is for each disciple to work out for themselves how this principle can most responsibly be applied to the issue of giving and lending in the different personal and social circumstances in which we find ourselves.1

1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 222–223.

So as we endeavor to let our righteousness flow from the inside out, let us surrender to do the following: Quit resisting the evil doer. by exacting revenge. Instead let us turn the other cheek even when publically insulted and humiliated. If we are forced to give our shirt, let us give our coats too… blowing the mind of our civil litigant. If we have been forced by a boss, ruler, or even law enforcement to go one mile, let us, out of love for Jesus go two. If someone wished to borrow something, let us lend even we are not convinced of their good intentions.  

  There was a little girl who had a very large collection of dolls heaped on her bed. A guest in her room one day asked herd “Do you love dolls” Then, with tender loving care, she spread out the whole collection for the guest to inspect and admire. The guest asked her, “Which doll do you love the most?”

  She hesitated, then said, “Promise not to laugh if I tell you.” He promised. She picked a ragged doll with a broken nose whose hair had mostly come off, and one arm and leg were missing. “This is the one.”

  “Why?” the visitor asked.

  “Because if I didn’t love this one, nobody else would.”

(From a sermon by Tim Zingale, “An Encounter with God” 1/19/2009)

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:11 AM February 8, 2020.

To Tell The Truth

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Inside Out: The Pursuit of Genuine Christianity / Truth; Deceit; Lie; Hypocrisy / Matthew 5:33–37

I remember a television show from my childhood that featured three people claiming to be the same person. The celebrity panel would ask questions of each person to try to determine which one was not the imposter. The title of the program was “To Tell The Truth”

In our continuing study, “Inside Out, the Pursuit of Genuine Christianity” we continue with the thought that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 5:20 KJV
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus has explained that external compliance but internal rebellion is still sin. He exposed the fact that murder and hatred are linked. Last week we saw the association between adultery, lust and fornication – any kind of sexual activity outside the marriage bond.

This morning we are going to discover that God wants us to always keep out word whether or not we have sworn an oath to do so. No matter the circumstances, God wants His children To Tell The Truth.

Don’t Break Your Oath

Matthew 5:33 KJV
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Forswear
epiorkeo (????????, 1964) signifies “to swear falsely, to undo one’s swearing, forswear oneself” (epi, “against,” orkos, “an oath”), Matt. 5:33.¶ Cf. epiorkos, “a perjured person, a perjurer,” 1 Tim. 1:10, “false swearers

1 Timothy 1:10 KJV
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Swear falsely translates a Greek verb which may mean either “break an oath” or “commit perjury.” This is its only occurrence in the New Testament, and both meanings are possible for the context. A related noun form is used in 1 Timothy 1:10 (TEV “those who … give false testimony”). Translations are divided rather sharply on the meaning. TEV, NEB, NJB have “break promise (or, oath)”; while others go in the direction of “to perjure” (for example, Mft, Phps, “forswear”; NAB “take a false oath”; RSV, AT, GeCL 1st edition “swear falsely”). AB has “make vows rashly.” As one may expect, New Testament scholars are also divided on their interpretation of this verb, though several commentators note that the meaning “break an oath” goes better with the last clause of the verse.1

1 Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 143.

Leviticus 19:12 KJV
And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Someone suggested the top ten lies told in America: 10) Your table will be ready in a minute. 9) One size fits all. 8) This will hurt me more than it hurts you. 7) I’m sorry I’m late; I got stuck in traffic. 6) The check is in the mail. 5) This offer is limited to the first 50 callers. 4) It’s not the money; it’s the principle of the thing. 3) I need just five minutes of your time. 2) I’ll start my diet tomorrow. 1) I’m from the IRS and I’m here to help you. Our culture doesn’t place much value on integrity, but Scripture does.1

1 Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2004 Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004), 132.

Don’t Make An Oath

Matthew 5:34–36 KJV
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Jesus goes to the heart of the law’s intent regarding oaths when he says that his disciples are not to swear “at all.” This does not mean “profanity” or “cursing” but invoking God’s name, or substitutes for it, to guarantee the truth of what one says. Jesus understands the duplicity of the human heart, for people sometimes invoked an oath in order to conceal an attempt to deceive. By contrast, Jesus’ disciples should be people of such integrity of character and truthfulness of heart that whatever they say is absolutely believable and dependable. A person of integrity is one who in daily conversation is so truthful, dependable, genuine, guileless, and reliable that his or her words are believed without an oath.1

1 Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004), 247–248.

Don’t swear by God’s creation

Heaven … earth … Jerusalem. The last half of this verse and the first half of verse 35 contain an allusion to Isaiah 66:1, where the Lord declares “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” Some Jewish teachers taught that an oath was not binding if made in the name of heaven or earth. But Jesus teaches that whether the name of God is used or not, a person has to deal with God when he makes a vow.1

1 Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 144.

Isaiah 66:1 KJV
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest?

Don’t swear by yourself

  To swear by your head has sometimes been difficult to express. Some translators have said here “Do not even use your own head as authority when you declare something is true” or “When you declare something true, don’t even refer to your head to confirm it.”

For you cannot make one hair black or white reveals that God is called into the situation even when one invokes one’s own head. Even the color of one’s hair is determined by God. The translation can be “you can’t even make one hair change color (from white to black).” The translation should not mean one hair is first made white then black or that some hairs will be made one color and others the other color. Some translations have had to say “because you do not even have enough authority over your head to make one hair white or black (or, to change the color of one hair).”1

1 Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 146.

James 5:12 KJV
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

No oath is in itself simply good, and voluntarily to be used; but only as medicines are, in case of necessity. But to use it ordinarily and indifferently, without being constrained by any cogent necessity, or called to it by any lawful authority, is such a sin as wears off all reverence and dread of the Great God: and we have very great cause to suspect that where his name is so much upon the tongue, there his fear is but little in the heart.1

1 Elliot Ritzema and Elizabeth Vince, eds., 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013).

Always Tell The Truth

Matthew 5:37 KJV
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

A Believer Should Not Have to Swear To Anything in Order to be Believed

A businessman was traveling on a plane for the first time. He had always been terrified of flying but his next appointment required him to do so. The flight was going well when suddenly the plane shuddered. The pilot came over the intercom and announced that the engines on the right side had stopped so the were making an emergency landing. Shortly there after, another shudder and the pilot announced the other engines had stopped. Everyone was informed to assume the crash position with their head between their knees.

For the first time the businessman felt vulnerable. He had never felt the need to cry out to God but at that moment he did. “God,” he prayed. “ If you will allow me to survive this crash I take a solemn vow to give to charity half of all my possessions.”

Suddenly all four engines began working again and the plane glided smoothly onto the runway. The businessman rushed to disembark.

As he made his way out of the runway area the man who had been seated beside him spoke to him. “Excuse me sir. I am a pastor involved in several charities. I heard your vow to the Lord concerning your possessions. I can guide you in keeping that vow by recommending some outstanding charities that have needs.”

The businessman replied “That won’t be necessary. You see I made a new vow with God. I vowed if I ever got on another plane, He could have it all.”

Proverbs 6:16–17 KJV
These six things doth the LORD hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

Anything Other Than Truth Comes From The Evil One

Matthew 5:37 KJV
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

John 8:44 KJV
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

During one of his political campaigns, a delegation called on Theodore Roosevelt at his home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The President met them with his coat off and his sleeves rolled up. “Ah, gentlemen,” he said, “come down to the barn and we will talk while I do some work.” At the barn, Roosevelt picked up a pitchfork and looked around for the hay. Then he called out, “John, where’s all the hay?”

“Sorry, sir,” John called down from the hayloft. “I ain’t have time to toss it back down again after you pitched it up while the Iowa folks were here.”

Source: Bits & Pieces, November 12, 1992, pp. 19-20.

What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. If we have to swear to something in a specific manor in order to be truthful or believable, there is a problem. Lying lips betray a devilish heart. Repent and learn to Tell The Truth from the Inside Out.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:55 PM February 1, 2020.