An Audience of One
July 21–22
An Audience of One
Series: Developing a Secret History With God
Speaker: Brian T. Anderson
- Introduction
- Matt. 6:1 (NLT) “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
- Matt. 6:2-4 (NLT) 2“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.3“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
- Matt. 6:5-6 (NLT) 5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
- Matt. 7:21-23 (NAS) 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
- The “Secrecy” Test
- How much money would you give to Kingdom causes , if the only One who knows about it was God ?
- How often would you pray , if no one else but God were keeping track?
- How important would fasting be in your Spiritual development, if the only One who knew you were fasting was God?
- Matt. 6:16-18 (NLT) 16“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.17“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face18so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
- Biblical Examples
- The Apostle Paul
- II Cor. 5:9 (NAS) Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
- Nicodemus
- Matt. 6:4b (NAS) “And your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
- Conclusion