Sunday, July 4, 2021

When Your Halo Is Too Tight




This is the manuscript of the fifth sermon in the "Listening To Heaven's Infallible Teacher" series from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapters 5-7.

When we think that certain individuals have their religion on parade, we say they are wearing their halos too tight. When your halo is too tight, all kinds of complications set in. When your hat is too tight, you get a headache. But when your halo is too tight, you give other people a headache. You turn them off and make Christianity distasteful and Christ unattractive.
Your halo is too tight: when you do good deeds to attract attention, when you pray to impress others, and when you fast to appear spiritual.

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

To see a video of the entire service, click this link https://youtu.be/64yl8dBgT1o

Scripture

Matthew 6:1‭-‬8‭, ‬16‭-‬18 NIV ““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. 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. “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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think 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. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Text: Matthew 6:16 NIV “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Introduction

When we think that certain individuals have their religion on parade, we say they are wearing their halos too tight. When your halo is too tight, all kinds of complications set in. When your hat is too tight, you get a headache. But when your halo is too tight, you give other people a headache. You turn them off and make Christianity distasteful and Christ unattractive.

An old slogan of the advertising industry is “Running a business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you’re doing, but she doesn’t.” The slogan is true. It pays to advertise. Advertisements stimulate sales and increase profits!

There are some things, however, that advertising kills. 

Advertising kills humility. Advertise it, and it becomes pride. 

Another is altruism. Advertise it, and it becomes egotism. 

Advertise spirituality, and it becomes hypocrisy.

Jesus spoke out against wearing our halos too tight. He warned of three areas where we must avoid any pretentious demonstration of superior spirituality. To advertise our spirituality is to destroy it! 

Your halo is to tight:

when you do good deeds to attract attention 
when you pray to impress others
when you fast to appear spiritual

I. Your halo is too tight when you do good deeds to attract attention (Matt. 6:1–4).

Matthew 6:1‭-‬4 NIV “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. 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.

Jesus does want us to work for His kingdom, He doesn’t want us to be idle or lazy, so He wasn’t advocating that we keep our discipleship secret. However, He was warning us against wrong motives, against doing our good deeds to attract attention to ourselves. T. S. Eliot, in his book Murder in the Cathedral, said, “The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

Now on the surface it might appear that this teaching conflicts with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:16 that we should do our work and live in such a way as to let our light shine before others.  You remember we talked about that a few weeks ago.

Matthew 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

But there is really no conflict here.   When Jesus admonished us to let our light shine, it was for the purpose of glorifying God and leading others to become his followers. Here He's dealing with the practice of people putting their reverence and religion on parade. The end result of such religion is to glorify self and not God. 

In Matthew 6:2 when Jesus said that they “will have received their reward in full,” he used a word from the business world. This word signifies the settlement of an account. Jesus was saying that when we do our deeds before others and receive their applause, our transaction has resulted in our good deeds being paid for by the attention from others. For instance, the generous giver is called generous, and so his or her account is paid in full and closed. Those who do good deeds for the praise of others have received their reward by being applauded as being “truly spiritual people.” They have received what they really wanted and all that they will ever get.

When we do good deeds not to call attention to ourselves but as an expression of our love for God, we are following the guidance of Christ. To do good deeds for any other reason is to destroy the blessing and joy of having done them. This happens only when your halo is too tight.

II. Your halo is too tight when you pray to impress others (Matt. 6:5–15).

Something dies within us and within our prayer life whenever we advertise it. To help us in keeping our prayer life alive and vibrant, Jesus issued a plea, offered a pattern, and made a promise.

A. Here’s the plea (vv. 5–8). 

Matthew 6:5‭-‬8 NIV “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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think 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.

Jesus’ plea was that we do not pray like the hypocrites do. Our prayers are to be a sincere matter between ourselves and our God. We are not to get lost in needless verbiage, lots of words. 

Definite times of the day were set aside for prayer by committed Jews. They were expected to pray at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 3:00 p.m. every day. From this practice, which started after their return from exile in Babylon, the prayer life of Israel had become increasingly mechanical and routine. 

Hypocrites were happy if the specified hour of prayer caught them in a public place. In fact, they often took great care to arrange it. Jesus said in verse 5 that they loved to stand in synagogues and on street corners to be seen by others when they prayed.  

Jesus was not condemning public prayer. He often attended the synagogue and engaged in public prayer Himself, and so did His disciples. However, Jesus was asking us to direct our prayer to God instead of to the crowd. If our public prayer is directed to God, it will be as private a prayer as we might offer if we were alone.

Jesus asked that we not think of prayer as the repetition of many, many words. Our heavenly Father knows what we need even before we ask. Like with large reservoir filled with water, our prayers do not put water in the reservoir; they only open the gates and allow the water to flow. Prayer is never overcoming God’s reluctance, but it is grabbing hold to his willingness.  Jesus showed that our halo is too tight when we pray to impress others.

B. That was the plea now here is the pattern to keeping our prayer alive and vibrant (vv. 8–13). 

The best-known prayer in history can be repeated in twenty seconds. It is composed of sixty-six words, fifty of which are one-syllable words.  We repeat it or sing it every week.  This prayer is simple enough to be understood by a child and yet profound enough to express the heart’s desires of the most mature believer. On one hand, the prayer is personal enough to be prayed in private and, on the other hand, public enough to be prayed by entire congregations in worship services.  

Matthew 6:9‭-‬13 NIV “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’

Jesus certainly had no intention of stifling spontaneous prayers when he said, “This, then, is how you should pray" This prayer pattern is not designed as a straitjacket but as a stimulant to meaningful prayer.

Jesus used his favorite term for God when he urged us to call God “our Father.” This expression speaks of the direct access we have to our Father. Heaven had come to identify the majesty of God. So, Jesus, in his prayer, spoke of our Father as one who abides in heaven. Such a beginning opens the way for the requests that follow. It is significant that the first petition of the prayer is an expression of adoration: “Hallowed be thy name.” To hallow God’s name is to hold God’s name in respect and reverence.

The reign of God is expressed in the words “Your kingdom come.” God’s reign has already started, but its consummation is in the future. As believers we are to wait and pray. The kingdom of God is both a future promise and a present reality. It is open for business in the here and now, and people can enter it today. But it is our responsibility to work with God in bringing about the realization of his kingdom, so we are to pray, “Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Jesus directed his attention from the future to the present in the second half of this prayer. He said that we should pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It is true that a person does not live by bread alone, but it is equally true that without bread, or food,  he or she does not live at all. Jesus is clearly saying that God is vitally interested in our physical needs. 

Our need is also characterized by the requirement for daily forgiveness. So we are to ask that our heavenly Father will “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Or better understood, forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 

Temptation is an ever-present problem in the Christian’s life too, so Jesus says that we should ask God to help us when temptations come our way. We are to pray that God will spare us those temptations and trials that will severely test our faith. When those trials do come, we pray that he will give us the ability to live through them victoriously.

1 Corinthians 10:12‭-‬13 NIV So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

C. In the model prayer Jesus gave us the plea, the pattern, and now the promise (vv. 6, 14–15). 

Matthew 6:14‭-‬15 NIV For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

After Jesus completed the model prayer, he felt it necessary to go back and give special attention to one of the requests: 

Go back and look at;

Matthew 6:12 NIV And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Refusing to forgive others is detrimental to the person who refuses to grant forgiveness. Unforgiveness can wreck personal health, destroy our sense of well-being, spoil our relation to other people, and build a barrier between us and God.

In the book that we are studying in Bible Study, Christian Atheist, one of the chapters is “When You Believe in God but Won’t Forgive.  In it the author says;

We all know Christians are supposed to forgive. But many of us Christian Atheists think that there are exceptions to this rule. Sure, we should forgive most of the time—maybe even almost all of the time." But there may be some things that are unforgivable. 

     
The person who does not forgive thinks more of grudges than grace and more of halos than holiness. That unforgiveness may turn to bitter hatred.  Here’s what the Bible says;

Hebrews 12:15 NIV See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Ephesians 4:31‭-‬32 NIV Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Forgiving is easier said than done, of course. Only God’s power can bring us to a place of being willing to forgive.

Your halo is too tight when in your prayers to impress others there is no room for forgiving those who have offended you.




III. Your halo is too tight when you fast to appear spiritual (Matt. 6:16–18).

Matthew 6:16‭-‬18 NIV “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Just like advertising the prayers we offer and the good deeds we do, advertising our fasting destroys whatever blessings it might bring. 

It appears that the fasting prevalent in Jesus’ day had three main purposes. First, it was designed to draw attention from God to the individual who fasted. Second, it was an obvious attempt to prove that repentance was genuine. And third, fasting was often vicarious. That is, it was not designed for one’s own personal benefit, but rather to move God to save the nation from its problems.

Jesus admonishes us not to look pitiful like the hypocrites when we fast. Jesus is saying that we are never to put our spirituality on parade.

Let me give you some examples of things being done to show the appearance of goodness or right living or religiosity.

For instance, individuals may arrive at church late so that their attendance will be noticed by everyone. I have known who do this. Or they may contribute to worthy causes with the main intention of being recognized for their generosity.  I have also known some of them. Also beware of those politicians and those seeking public office who go out of their way to announce that they are an “ordained elder” or a deacon, steward, or minister, or born again. .

The question then is, “What is legitimate fasting?” Legitimate fasting centers the mind so much on God that the person does not care for physical food or accolades. In this case, fasting comes from the heart and soul.

Isaiah 58:3‭-‬8 NIV ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

In verses 16–18, of Matthew 6, Jesus explained the great paradox of the Christian’s reward. Those who look for rewards and who assume they are deserving never really receive them. On the other hand, those who diligently work for the kingdom of God and who never think they deserve a reward do in fact receive that reward.

Matthew 6:16‭-‬18 NIV “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Conclusion

Halos are a figment of the imagination created by medieval artists. And in spiritual matters they are doubly a figment of the imagination. Your relation to Christ and to others will become far more meaningful when you not only stop wearing your halo so tight but stop wearing it at all!

In the “land of the free,” we often confuse the true nature of freedom. For many of us, freedom has become synonymous with personal independence — the ability to make our own decisions and choose our own path in life, to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

But this is not the freedom that Jesus promised us. When Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah, He said that He had come to Earth to “proclaim freedom”. And on another occasion, He said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”  

Jesus was not setting us free to do whatever we wanted; He was freeing us to do what we ought to do. He was liberating us to walk in relationship with God and to be the kind of people He created us to be.

How do we find freedom from the penalty and power of sin? That comes through accepting Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross as the payment for our sin. As we submit to Christ, sin loses its power — Christ’s power takes over. As we choose to trust and follow Him, our sinful habits, thoughts and attitudes lose their control. Guilt disappears, and peace of mind dominates. Right habits become the norm. That’s freedom — true freedom!

You can have that freedom today just

Romans 10:8‭-‬10 NIV But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Sermon Audio







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