Birth of a Just Nation | Real C's Move in Silence | Matthew 6:1-4

I pressed us to live for the audience of One. Jesus warns us not to practice righteousness to be seen by people. That craving to be noticed is usually insecurity dressed up as holiness. Like Saul, we can obey partially and then scramble to protect our reputation, asking to be honored before the people instead of being broken before God. Real righteousness is the quiet kind—no trumpet-blowing, no posting receipts, no self-applause—just obedience that trusts the Father who sees in secret.

We walked through Jesus’ call to give to the needy without announcement. I unpacked how almsgiving worked in the synagogue—metal “trumpet” containers that made your coins sing. The kingdom way flips that. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Don’t even clap for yourself in your heart. People-driven giving gets people-sized rewards; Godward giving receives a reward moth and rust can’t touch. That’s why I challenged us to remember we’re all “charity cases.” Charity comes from grace. If we’ve received mercy, we don’t look down; we look out and open our hands.

I shared how we mask our spiritual funk with spiritual cologne—announcing every quiet time, every act of service—because we fear no one will believe we’re real if we don’t advertise. But Jesus calls that hypocrisy at the motivation level: doing right things for wrong reasons. So I urged us to “shout about Him, shut up about us.” Praise God and move on.

And then we looked at Jesus—the Real G who moved in silence. Born on a silent night, thirty quiet years, miracles without milking the moment, riding a donkey not a Corvette, washing feet not chasing clout, silent under insult, using His final words for mercy. He rose with power but deposited His life into us through the Spirit, and now prepares a place where need, famine, and sin are gone. One day, the silence will break with trumpets and every knee will bow. Until then, the real disciples move in silence—generous, faithful, unseen, known by the Father.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Practice righteousness for the Audience of One People-pleasing is a treadmill with a moving finish line. Jesus warns that when we do the right thing “to be seen,” we trade eternal reward for a momentary nod. Choose the stable approval of the unchanging God over the fickle applause of a changing crowd. Live like your only eyes are His. [04:35]
• 2. Secrecy in generosity forms the soul Jesus doesn’t just forbid announcements; He forbids self-applause—“don’t let your left hand know.” Hidden giving trains us to need nothing but the Father’s smile. It breaks addiction to visibility and purifies motives. God sees in secret, and He will reward in ways people never can. [28:07]
• 3. Remember you are a charity case Charity comes from grace; we give mercy because we received mercy. Forgetting our spiritual poverty makes us proud and stingy; remembering it makes us gentle and open-handed. We don’t rescue from above—we participate as the formerly rescued. Grace received becomes grace released. [34:12]
• 4. Seek infinite reward, not instant applause “Instaglor y” looks good but evaporates quickly; the Father’s reward endures. When we trade God’s “well done” for likes, reposts, and reputations, we settle for crumbs. Choose the long game of hidden faithfulness over the shortcut of public performance. Infinite beats instant, every time. [17:50]
• 5. Follow Jesus, the Real G who moved in silence Our Savior refused clout: quiet birth, lowly ride, basin and towel, silence under slander, words of mercy on the cross. He rose without self-promotion and poured His life into us. If that’s how the King walked, that’s our path too—humble, unseen, faithful, and free. [55:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:36] - Real G’s move in silence
• [04:35] - Audience of One vs. people-pleasing
• [07:29] - Saul: partial obedience and reputation
• [10:43] - “At least honor me before the people”
• [13:20] - Ben Simmons and performative practice
• [17:50] - Insta rewards vs. infinite rewards
• [20:28] - Trumpet-shaped giving and hypocrisy
• [25:49] - My $67 test: joy of hidden giving
• [28:07] - Don’t let left hand know
• [34:12] - You’re a charity case: grace and generosity
• [40:16] - Hypocrisy: right actions, wrong motives
• [47:03] - Shout about Him, shut up about you
• [55:28] - Jesus: the silent, humble King
• [61:13] - Resurrection power without self-promotion
• [65:34] - Call to move in silence like disciples

1. What exactly does Jesus forbid in Matthew 6:1–4, and what consequence does he gives for doing righteousness "to be seen" by others?
2. What detail about how almsgiving was done in the synagogue (the trumpet-shaped containers and ringing coins) helps explain why public giving tempted people to seek praise? ([20:28])
3. What does Jesus mean by “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”? How would that look in a real, concrete act of giving?
4. What example from Israel’s history shows someone seeking people’s honor instead of God’s approval, and what was revealed about his heart? ([07:29])

1. What is the difference, in God’s economy, between receiving a human “reward” (praise, reputation) and receiving the Father’s reward in secret? How does that difference shape what “faithfulness” looks like?
2. How would partial obedience (doing some of what God asks while holding back a significant thing) alter the outward appearance of righteousness but still leave the heart unchanged? ([10:43])
3. How does hiding one’s giving train motives differently than public giving that seeks applause? What does the Scripture mean when it links secret giving to a future, secure reward? ([28:07])
4. How would a person distinguish genuine humility from simply hiding good deeds to avoid accountability or growth? In other words, how can secrecy in service still be checked by community? ([42:48])

1. Christians are called to practice righteousness for the Audience of One. Where in your life this week are you most tempted to perform for human approval (work, social media, church roles, family)? Name one concrete change you will make to live for God’s approval instead. ([04:35])
2. Secrecy in generosity forms the soul. Identify one specific way you will give anonymously or without announcement in the next 30 days (an unmarked gift, paying a bill for someone, leaving groceries for a neighbor). How will you make sure no one knows? ([28:07])
3. Remember you are a charity case: grace received becomes grace released. Think of a time you experienced mercy you didn’t earn. How can that memory shape one concrete act of kindness this month (time, money, hospitality) toward someone you might otherwise judge? ([34:12])
4. Seek infinite reward, not instant applause. Where do you most chase “insta-glory” (likes, followers, public recognition)? Name one habit to limit that chasing (e.g., no faith posts for 30 days, remove a notification app, don’t speak aloud about private spiritual practices) and how you’ll keep yourself accountable. ([17:50])
5. Follow Jesus, who moved in silence. Pick one area of discipleship (serving, prayer, Bible reading, mentoring) and commit to doing it quietly for 21 days without announcing it. How will you measure whether your motive is to honor God rather than self? ([55:28])
6. Hypocrisy is doing right things for wrong reasons. What is one spiritual practice you currently announce publicly (Bible reading plan posts, prayer updates, giving receipts) that you will keep private for the next month? What will you do instead to guard against inward self-applause? ([40:16])