Righteousness: A Heartfelt Relationship with God

 

Summary

In Matthew 6, Jesus challenges us to examine the motivations behind our actions, particularly in the areas of giving, prayer, and fasting. He warns against practicing righteousness for the sake of being seen by others, as this leads to a superficial faith that seeks human approval rather than divine reward. Jesus contrasts the behavior of hypocrites, who perform religious acts for public recognition, with the righteous, who act out of a genuine relationship with God. The hypocrites' actions are driven by a desire for admiration, but they miss out on the deeper, more fulfilling reward that comes from God.

Righteousness, as Jesus teaches, is not merely about outward actions but is deeply rooted in our relationship with God. It involves aligning our hearts with God's will and allowing that alignment to influence our actions. The righteous person gives, prays, and fasts in secret, knowing that God sees and rewards what is done in private. This kind of righteousness flows from a heart transformed by a relationship with God, not from a desire for human praise.

The Lord's Prayer, placed in the middle of this teaching, serves as a model for true relationship with God. It emphasizes the importance of approaching God as our Father, seeking His will, and relying on Him for our needs. This prayer reorients our focus from ourselves to God, reminding us of our dependence on Him and our desire to see His kingdom come.

Through the lens of the cross, we understand that our righteousness is not something we earn but is a gift from Jesus, who took our unrighteousness upon Himself and imputed His righteousness to us. This transforms our hearts and aligns our motivations with God's, enabling us to live righteously out of love for Him.

Key Takeaways:

- True righteousness is rooted in a relationship with God, not in seeking human approval. Our actions should flow from a desire to please God, who sees what is done in secret and rewards us accordingly. [06:15]

- The hypocrite's righteousness is superficial, focused on outward appearances and the admiration of others. In contrast, the righteous person acts out of genuine devotion to God, seeking His approval above all else. [13:39]

- The Lord's Prayer models a relationship with God that is intimate and dependent. It teaches us to approach God as our Father, seeking His will and relying on Him for our needs, which reorients our lives toward Him. [27:24]

- Jesus' sacrifice on the cross transforms our hearts, aligning our motivations with God's. Through His righteousness, we are adopted into a relationship with God, enabling us to live righteously out of love for Him. [24:59]

- Our motivations can often stem from sinful desires, but through our relationship with God, we can reorient our lives to desire Him above all else. This relationship shifts our focus from ourselves to God, influencing all aspects of our lives. [31:40]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Introduction to Matthew 6
[00:50] - The Hypocrites' Motivation
[01:42] - The Lord's Prayer
[02:22] - Fasting in Secret
[03:25] - Personal Reflection on Motivation
[05:36] - Jesus' Teaching on Righteousness
[06:59] - Breaking Down the Passage
[08:03] - Understanding Righteousness
[10:15] - The Way of the Hypocrite
[13:39] - The Purpose of Righteous Acts
[16:11] - The Reward of the Righteous
[19:34] - The Way of the Righteous
[21:38] - The Nature of the Reward
[24:08] - The Cross and Righteousness
[26:17] - The Model of True Relationship
[31:40] - Reorienting Our Lives
[32:13] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 6:1-18

Observation Questions:
1. What are the three acts of righteousness that Jesus discusses in Matthew 6, and how does He instruct us to perform them? [06:44]
2. How does Jesus describe the behavior of hypocrites in their acts of giving, praying, and fasting? [11:03]
3. What is the significance of the Lord's Prayer being placed in the middle of Jesus' teaching on righteousness? [06:59]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 challenge the traditional Jewish understanding of righteousness? [09:28]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our motivations for righteous acts can be misaligned with God's desires? [10:15]
3. How does the concept of righteousness being a gift from Jesus, as explained in the sermon, change the way we view our relationship with God? [24:59]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you performed a good deed. Was your motivation more aligned with seeking human approval or pleasing God? How can you shift your focus to align more with God's desires? [16:52]
2. The sermon discusses the importance of secret acts of righteousness. What is one way you can practice giving, praying, or fasting in secret this week? [18:23]
3. How can the Lord's Prayer serve as a model for your daily prayer life? What specific changes can you make to incorporate its principles? [27:24]
4. Consider the areas in your life where you might be acting like a hypocrite, seeking admiration from others. What steps can you take to change this behavior? [13:39]
5. The sermon emphasizes the transformation of our hearts through Jesus' sacrifice. How can you actively seek to align your motivations with God's in your daily life? [24:59]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle with sinful motivations. How can your relationship with God help you reorient your desires? [31:40]
7. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God that influences all aspects of your life, as suggested by the sermon? [31:56]

Devotional

Day 1: True Righteousness Stems from a Relationship with God
True righteousness is not about external validation but is deeply rooted in a personal relationship with God. Jesus emphasizes that our actions should be motivated by a desire to please God, who sees what is done in secret and rewards us accordingly. This kind of righteousness flows from a heart transformed by a relationship with God, not from a desire for human praise. When we align our hearts with God's will, our actions naturally follow, reflecting a genuine devotion to Him. [06:15]

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9a, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God that influences your actions today?


Day 2: The Superficiality of Hypocritical Righteousness
The hypocrite's righteousness is superficial, focused on outward appearances and the admiration of others. Jesus warns against practicing righteousness for the sake of being seen by others, as this leads to a faith that seeks human approval rather than divine reward. In contrast, the righteous person acts out of genuine devotion to God, seeking His approval above all else. This distinction challenges us to examine our motivations and ensure that our actions are rooted in a sincere relationship with God. [13:39]

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you seek approval from others rather than God? How can you shift your focus to seek God's approval?


Day 3: The Lord's Prayer as a Model for Intimacy with God
The Lord's Prayer models a relationship with God that is intimate and dependent. It teaches us to approach God as our Father, seeking His will and relying on Him for our needs. This prayer reorients our focus from ourselves to God, reminding us of our dependence on Him and our desire to see His kingdom come. By praying in this way, we align our hearts with God's purposes and cultivate a deeper relationship with Him. [27:24]

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." (Jeremiah 33:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate the principles of the Lord's Prayer into your daily prayer life to deepen your intimacy with God?


Day 4: The Transformative Power of Jesus' Sacrifice
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross transforms our hearts, aligning our motivations with God's. Through His righteousness, we are adopted into a relationship with God, enabling us to live righteously out of love for Him. This transformation is not something we earn but is a gift from Jesus, who took our unrighteousness upon Himself and imputed His righteousness to us. As we embrace this gift, our lives are reoriented toward God, and our actions reflect His love and grace. [24:59]

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding Jesus' sacrifice change the way you view your own righteousness and relationship with God?


Day 5: Reorienting Our Lives Toward God
Our motivations can often stem from sinful desires, but through our relationship with God, we can reorient our lives to desire Him above all else. This relationship shifts our focus from ourselves to God, influencing all aspects of our lives. As we grow in our relationship with God, our desires and motivations are transformed, leading us to live in a way that honors Him and reflects His love to the world. [31:40]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you need to reorient your focus toward God? What steps can you take today to begin this process?

Quotes

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others." [00:00:50]

"Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." [00:00:58]

"And when you pray, do not be like the Hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen." [00:01:53]

"Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." [00:02:17]

"Righteousness can be a really tricky word to define. Simply, you could say that righteousness is living rightly before God, but there is a complex relational aspect to righteousness as well. For the Jews that Jesus is talking to here in Matthew, righteousness stems from their relationship with God and the law that they were given in the Old Testament." [00:07:36]

"Jesus isn't taking aim at their good works, but instead, he addresses their motivations. If doing good things is stemming from a desire to be seen or appreciated, then that is something wrong. There's something wrong with those motivations, and this is how Jesus introduces the teaching point." [00:10:12]

"The hypocrite goes into the synagogue, he stands in an obvious place in front of everybody and makes it obvious that he is praying. He wants all to see him. He goes and picks a busy street corner after he's done in the synagogue, and again he makes it obvious that he is praying." [00:12:42]

"The righteous person finds the room in their house where no one will notice them, and they pray to their Father. They pray not so they get some feeling from others, but because they have a relationship with God. They talk to their heavenly Father; they want to know him and please him." [00:19:44]

"The righteous person recognizes their position before God, their utter dependence on God. They fast not so others get a high opinion of them, but to remind themselves that God is their strength. He is the one they rely on and provides for them. Fasting grows them closer to God." [00:20:29]

"Jesus always did right by God; he always met God's moral standard. He knows God because he is God. He is the righteous man, and when Jesus went to the Cross, he took all of our moral failing, all of our unrighteousness upon himself." [00:24:29]

"Jesus offers it freely to those who trust him. So if you want to trust him, then come and chat with me after the service or one of the regulars here. I'm sure just about anyone who trusts Jesus would love to tell you just how great it is and how you can do it too." [00:25:54]

"Our motivations can often stem from our sinful desires when our focus becomes all about us and we forget about God and even others. But how amazing is it that Jesus brings us into a relationship with God, that through his righteousness and the new relationship we have with God as children, we can call him Father." [00:31:40]

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Transcript
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