Exhortation, Confession, & Assurance from Sunday, December 18th, 2022

Exhortation

In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus gives us a command and a warning that fits the season and the week we find ourselves in, He says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” 

Now, Christ is of course not prohibiting us from practicing our righteousness in public. He’s not condemning acts of charity, party hosting, present giving, family dinner preparations, or any who might write a non-profit and end-of-the-year check (shameless plug: redeemerdenver.org/giving). Jesus received gifts from the magi, He received countless invitations to Judean dinners, celebrations, and parties, and he attended them with joy. He honored the woman who gave to the work of the Lord in the temple courts, and He gladly received an anointing of a very costly perfume. And all these were acts that took place in public, in front of onlookers.

So what then? How are we to understand Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6? And as we begin a week full of celebration, party hosting, lavished dinners, gift-giving, and acts of charity, how are we to heed the warning of Christ?

Well, what Jesus is warning against, is a disposition that would host and cook meals and give gifts and live charitably in order to be seen, hoping for the praise of man or neighbor or even child. As we begin this week, a week that for most will culminate in all the above, we must prepare our hearts to give in such a way that, were no one but God to see our kindnesses, our labor, our thoughtfulness and preparation, our joy and contentment would in no way be diminished. We must remember that when we give gifts or host dinners or show hospitality and charity, we are reflecting the heart of the Father, the grace and generosity of the Father. And it is from the Father that we should seek our reward.

But to receive such a reward from the Father, it would be wise to prepare in advance. You must not let the response, or lack thereof, of the recipients of your gifts, thoughtfulness, careful preparation, or charity dictate either your good work or your joyful response. If a child, friend, or family member does not respond to your generosity in the way that you hoped or anticipated and that wrecks the Christmas feast later in the day, then you have missed the point. You have let your left hand know what your right is doing. And if that happens, don’t compound the error, but rather, tuck away to a back bedroom, confess your sin, and come back out with joy in your heart, and shining all over your face, knowing that your Father sees your love of family and neighbor and delights in your thoughtful preparation.

In short, avoid the sin of seeking and being dictated by the applause and praise of man, avoid it lick the plague it is, and do so by confessing your sin, and delighting yourself in the delight of your Father who sees in secret your heart of sacrificial generosity.

Playing the role of a Generous Grinch is, of course, a sin that we must confess regularly, but it seems it is one that is primed and eager to wreck fellowship around Christmas. So read this confession of sin with me.

Corporate Confession

Together: God and Father have mercy on us, have mercy. We have sinned against You, we have broken Your law. Forgive us! Sprinkle clean water on us and make us clean. Cleanse us from our idolatries, renew our hearts, and restore our spirit within us. Soften our hearts, and by Your Spirit, cause us to walk in Your statutes, being careful to obey Your rules. Wash us and cleanse us for Your glory and our joy, in Christ Jesus. Amen!

Assurance of Pardon

Oh! hear these astonishing words from Ephesians Chapter 1, 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” 

The answer to the sin of seeking praise and glory from man is to know and believe that God has already richly blessed us in every way. Because of Jesus you have been glorified, your’s is His inheritance, and therefore you can love and serve with no strings attached, for Christ has died for you, Christ was raised for you, and in Christ, you have been given the approval of God the Father himself.

Minister: And therefore it is my great joy to declare, to remind you this morning, that all who turn to Christ in faith, who trust the finished work of Jesus for your sins, and confess them to God in Christ, Your sins are forgiven, through Christ.

Together: Thanks be to God!!!

by: Jefff Rodland