Secret Serving Part 1

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

Good deeds can be seen, motivations can't. Why we do what we do is a key focus of Christ's teaching in Matthew chapter 6. Here we experience radical surgery as our motives are dissected. Today, we go to the clinic to get Christ's diagnosis.

From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, you're teaching us about sharing secrets with God, and today you're putting our focus on secret serving. Yes, Dave, we oftentimes forget that God sees us in the secret place, and the way he sees us and what he sees is most important. You know, it's interesting just yesterday in my devotions I was reading the Gospel of John, and I came across that verse where the Bible says that the Pharisees were more concerned about the glory that they receive from man than the glory that they receive from God. I believe very deeply that we ought to have secrets in the Christian life, secrets with God. I used to have that even when I was very young, running outside, looking at the stars at night, and communicating with God. Secrets with God.

Let's have many. You know, the ministry of Running to Win could not continue were it not for those who supported us regularly. And you'll notice that we talk about enduring, making it across the finish line. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner?

That's somebody who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. You want to learn more? You go to RTWOffer.com. That's RTWOffer.com.

Click on the endurance partner button. Or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337. And now let's go to the pulpit of Moody Church and learn more about sharing secrets with God. So I begin today with a question. Do you love God? Do you love God? By the way, how many of you would say yes to that question?

Could I see your hands, please? All right. I hope that that's true of all of us, that we love God. Because God loves us. And Jesus, in the sixth chapter of the book of Matthew, which is the passage that I invite you to turn to, in Matthew chapter 6, we have been talking about sharing secrets with God. Sharing secrets with God.

You'll notice in these messages we talked about secret giving. When you give your alms, give your alms in secret. And the Father who sees you will reward you. We've spoken about secret praying. When you pray, enter into your closet.

And when you have shut the door, then you pray. And your Father who sees in secret, he will reward you. Last time we spoke about secret fasting.

When you fast, don't tell people about it, but wash your face, look good, go about your normal duties, that it may not appear unto men that you are fasting because your Father sees it. We've stressed during this series the need to develop those kinds of secrets, things that you do for God. Why in secret?

Of course, that doesn't mean that you should just do it in secret. But the reason for the secrecy is to help us with purifying our motives. Because you and I know how powerfully easy it is to do things because other people see us and we like to look good. That is just a part of who we are. God says, why don't you do some things just for me?

Just for me. The other thing about secrecy, of course, is it helps keep us on track. It helps to remind us of the fact that there is some things that are very important and that is who we are on the inside. Because remember what a man or woman is before God, that is who he or she is and nothing more.

That's all there is. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. It's the revelation of the heart to God.

In fact, in the Old Testament, he says I've gone from one end of the country to another looking for someone whose heart is perfect towards me. I'm looking for a good heart, a good heart. Well, today we're going to not do heart check America but we are going to do some searching of our hearts and we're going to go into God's clinic and we're going to see how our hearts are. Saw a cartoon this past week of a man who was on his knees praying and the caption as I remember it said something like this, in keeping with the Freedom of Information Act, please show me what you have on me in your file. Well, that's what we'd like to do.

In keeping with the Freedom of Information Act, oh God, show us the goods that you've got on us. Let's do a little bit of heart analysis. Let's look at what's going on and let's check where we are and where our loyalties lie. All right, you're ready for the tests.

Test number one is a test of our affections, a test of our affections. You'll notice that the text says now and we're in verse 19 of chapter 6, do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. In ancient times there were three different forms of wealth. There was first of all clothes. They were very important because clothes even today in poor countries have a great deal of importance attached to them. You remember reading the Old Testament, you frequently come across phrases like this in making a deal with somebody it says and he gave them two changes of raiment.

We may look at that and say well why that? We don't exchange suits today or coats or clothes when we make business deals but in those days they were a rarity and to have a good coat was to have something that was valuable. We noticed that when we were in Belarus how people hang on to their clothes because they can't afford new clothes and Jesus said don't put to your treasure some place where moths can get to them. I remember when we were growing up out on the farm there in southern Saskatchewan Canada we used to often have people who lived next to us who used to use an awful lot of moth balls.

I don't know if you had neighbors like that or not but we could tell them if the wind was right at a distance of about 20 yards. Well there was a reason. Now in those days they didn't have moth balls and the moths would go in and they would ruin the clothes. Some of the clothes had very beautiful linings and the moths would go in and destroy them. There was a second kind of wealth and that was corn, barns of corn and Jesus says here the rust destroys. Actually the Greek word is that which eats away and it could be rust.

There is also rust on grain by the way but very probably Jesus has in mind the mice and the rats, the rodents that go in and then they take these beautiful barns that might be built filled with corn and grain and they eat and they destroy and they disfigure and they make dirty that which you intended to eat. Then there was a third form of wealth and that was silver or gold, precious metal and people would take that. They didn't have banks in those days and they would dig a hole in the tent or wherever it is that they lived in their home and they would dig a hole there and that was the safe in those days and when they were gone someone would break through the house, that baked clay that was used to build houses and they would dig in and they dig the treasure and you'd come back and it would be gone.

Now here's Christ's point. You know what the problem with those kinds of treasures are? It's not wrong to have treasure but it's the wrong place for them because number one it is very temporary, very temporary. It's here and it's gone tomorrow.

It disappears. People steal it and it gives you a false sense of security. You are not as rich as you think you are because somebody can take your wealth away and if somebody does not take it away from you most assuredly you will be taken away from it. Therefore Jesus said make a better investment. He says put your treasures in heaven where moth and rust does not corrupt and where thieves cannot break through and steal.

Do something good with it to take it out of the high risk that you have when you have it in this world. In order to understand what this means let's suppose that all American money that you and I knew that the American dollar was someday instantly going to be totally devalued and canceled and the only money that survives is the British pound. Let's suppose that that were the case and and today yet though you can get a good rate of exchange.

Wouldn't wouldn't you take your money and you translate it into British pounds and keep only as much American money as you need to live from day to day because you don't want too much of this stuff because it is going to be canceled absolutely. That's what Jesus is saying. You know whenever Jesus talks about money we begin to get somewhat skittish and a little bit on edge because because the topic is it touches us at a place where we don't like to be touched but actually you know Jesus is doing us a favor. He's saying hey look you have good investments but just invest them in the right places. Put them into heaven where you don't have this erosion of values and when you have your heart there your treasure and your heart are going to be in the same place.

They're going to be in heaven. You say well how do we do that? We do it by giving money. Yes of course by giving money but that's only one way. It's by giving time.

It's by giving energy. It's going to Cabrini-Greene and holding a Bible study. It is it is ministering to Angel Tree and and becoming a prayer partner. I mean there are so many different ways that we can begin to lay up treasures in heaven and I remember reading a story about a couple who had a worldwide tour that they were on. Every place that they went they bought some gifts and they couldn't keep them with them but they sent them back home and they were anxious to get home then to see all of the gifts that had accumulated during those months that they were gone. Treasure begins to get home because that's where you sent it on ahead and in the very same way we think about heaven and and the more we have in heaven the better off we are and then we begin to think heavenly.

I frequently am asked probably maybe not every week but very frequently when we're out with friends people say are you a grandfather yet? And I always have to pause a little bit and I say this very gently and nicely but I say yes yes we are grandparents but our little Sarah is in heaven. You know when you say that you begin to realize that that the more you have in heaven the more you look forward to seeing the people whom you loved here on earth or even as in our case someone whom we didn't get to know your your your affections begin to be heavenward because that's where your treasure is and Jesus is saying do those kinds of things that have heavenly value have lots of treasure and when the time comes for you to go it will be easy to go because your treasure is already there like the young woman who said as her dad was dying of cancer that in the weeks before he died he spent more time in heaven than he did on earth. Jesus is saying make good investments. Now I know that he does not say expressly here do it in secret but of course this is a further exposition on what he talked about when he said in the giving of alms he said do it in secret that your father will reward you openly.

It only makes sense because our money is going to be canceled so put it into something that will survive the crisis. So here's a question for you. The first test the first test of our hearts today is the test of our affections a test of our affections. Do we really love God or do we love the things of this world whatever they may be? Is a relationship more important to us than the will of God? Is it possible for us to say yes I want this relationship even though God says no because I want what I want when I want it and that is idolatry and that is not the way you lay up treasures in heaven and you really in your heart do not love God.

You don't love God. So that's the first. Let me ask on a scale of one to ten how would you rate your affections? An eight, a seven, a six, a five, a nine, a two, a one, a zero? Your love for God.

Let's go on to a second test a second test. This has to do with our attitude. Jesus is still speaking here in the sixth chapter of Matthew and he says in verse 22 the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good your whole body will be full of light but if your eyes are bad your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light which is within you is darkness how great is that darkness?

Now in order to understand that you have to realize that let's talk about buildings first of all. If you have a building and all of the walls and the doors are closed the only possibility of light is through the window and whether or not much light comes through whether the room is flooded with light or not really depends on the window. It depends on its size of course but also on the glass.

Is it glass that has been painted? Sometimes you see painted glass and and the light that comes through it is is dingy though the at least the room looks very very dingy or you can have a clear glass you can have a clear window and the light just streams through and the whole room is flooded with light. Now Jesus said that in the very same way and this is really an analogy Jesus is saying that your body is really the light of the body is the eye. If your eye is single if your eye is clear as the translation says here your whole body is going to be flooded with light but if your eye is is a bad eye that's what it talks about.

It says then your body your soul all of you is going to be flooded with darkness if you can flood something with darkness. Now what is it that what does Christ mean by a good eye? He says the eye is the lamp of the body if your eyes are good your body will be filled with light. You know what a good eye is? Really the Greek text means it is a generous eye.

He's still talking about money he's still talking about investments. He's talking about people who have an eye toward toward generosity who can who can rejoice with others and who can generously give of their time and their money and their faithfulness and their efforts and they do so with gladness because freely they have received freely they give. God loves that kind of spontaneity. That's why he loves a cheerful giver. It's it's someone who gives because he loves to give. Now now that's a good eye it's a good eye.

The Bible says in the book of Romans let love be without hypocrisy abhor what is evil cleave to that which is good. A good eye is someone who has a ring of truth and honesty and openness and transparency. Now what about the bad eye? The bad eye is stinginess.

It is stinginess and if your eye is stingy if that glass using the analogy is is glass that has been what shall we say smeared if it is glass that is colored and therefore the light is diffused then Jesus Christ said your whole body the real you is filled with is filled with darkness. Of course there are other things also other than stinginess but but since stinginess is the primary meaning have you ever lived with someone who is really really miserly and stingy? Have you lived with someone like that? Some of you perhaps married somebody like that and so you know right well that you've had to live with them and and there's something about they begrudge the success of everyone else. They're always thinking about their own needs whether or not they have deep needs or not whether or not their situation is as bad as they make it out to be.

The point is they are always always begrudging generosity. It's a darkness and their whole eye is filled with darkness and so is their souls. There are other ways also that we can be filled with darkness and that is if our eye is filled with prejudice and jealousy and anger and moral impurity and and all of these things the window of the soul is therefore cut off from the light and Jesus said make sure that your your your heart is right and your eye is right. Remember it it's symbolic I mean it's not I mean there are blind people and and they're they've never seen the light and yet their souls are pure and open and filled with light but Jesus is saying that your eye the way in which you view things determines actually the amount of light in your body.

My wife and I have been to Mount Blanc which is really on the border of Switzerland and France as I recall one of the tallest mountains in the in all of Europe if I remember correctly and it's gorgeous beautiful hill and you can ski there for miles and miles and miles and probably no trees as I remember on so you can probably even make it all the way down. But there's a friend of mine who says that he's been there many times and there's a house a beautiful house one of those nice mountain homes facing Mount Blanc with all of a whole array of windows but the shutters are always closed. Now if you like mountains and if you like beauty you wonder why do they keep these shutters closed? You know that that's the way some lives are. This is Pastor Lutzer let me ask you a question does that represent your life in the presence of God's truth in the presence of Jesus Christ your shutters are closed? Perhaps because of hard-heartedness you've experienced prayers that have gone unanswered you've gone through a very difficult period. It's very easy for us to close our lives to God would you open your life to God today and for those of you who are ministered to by the continuing ministry of Running to Win would you consider becoming an endurance partner standing with us regularly with your prayers and your gifts? Here's what you do you go to rtwoffer.com that's rtwoffer.com click on the endurance partner button and there you'll receive all the information that you need to become an endurance partner helping us make it all the way to the finish line or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 let me give you that phone number again 1-888-218-9337 take a moment and pray to the Lord and ask him whether or not you should become an endurance partner. It's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life.

Dr. Lutzer we have a question today from Andrew who lives in Illinois. Our 29 year old daughter is now a Christian but when she was 18 she rebelled and left home. She now has an eight year old son whom we adopted at age two and a half.

She's divorced and is an ex cocaine user. We're helping her financially so she can finish nursing school. She's trying to get her life together and we feel that if we don't help she'll give up. We're struggling financially and using some of our tithe to pay for her expenses. Are we interfering with God by using some of our tithe to pay for her living expenses?

It does bother me that we don't bring all the tithes in the storehouse. After all she is past the age of accountability. My flesh wants to cut her off from the family but the Holy Spirit won't let me.

After all I sin and God is long suffering with me. Well Andrew I want you to know that you should be under no great obligation or guilt because you are taking some money that you would normally give to the church to help your poor daughter. You know in the New Testament we do not have the same laws that were laid down in the Old Testament and I believe that all Christians should give at least ten percent maybe a little bit more but there are times when perhaps we can't and you're in a situation right now where you have to make that very very tough decision and there's something about your question that really does touch my heart because you want to do what is right. The only caution that I would say is be sure that you are not simply an enabler with your daughter. She's come through a very difficult period of life. She has some addictions that apparently she is getting over so make sure that any investment that you make in her life is one that is going to be productive and from your letter it appears as if you're doing just that.

So you sit down with your wife in the presence of God and decide how you are going to allocate your money but from my heart to yours today I put no guilt upon you because once you and God have it figured out he will lead you all the way. Thank you Dr. Lutzer. I'm sure that Andrew is appreciative of your answer. If you'd like to hear your question answered go to rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-9337.

You can write to us at Running to Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard Chicago Illinois 60614. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. That's especially true for the words of Jesus who knows us through and through. In this series we're hearing his words on our motivations. Our job is to let in the light to scatter the darkness in our lives. Next time on Running to Win, learning to run life's race ablaze with light. Running to Win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Thanks for listening today. For Dr. Erwin Lutzer this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.