17 September 2023 (am) – Matthew 6:1-6
 | Andy Bruins preaching from Matthew on Sunday 17th September 2023. |
Having addressed how citizens of God’s Kingdom should apply the Law in their lives, Jesus now addresses our “acts of righteousness”. The connection between the two is that what is going on in our hearts is far more important than the actual obedience or the acts themselves.
Q What are some of the motives that people might have for doing good deeds? Do motives really matter as long as the good things get done?
Q Read v1. What is the principle that Jesus is teaching here?
Q What is the reward we will miss out on if we do things to be seen by men? (For more on rewards see Romans 2:6-10)
Q Read v2-6. What characterises the way that hypocrites give and pray? How are we to be different?
Q Is our giving and praying ultimately worthless if people know about it? Why / why not? (look up Acts 4:32-37 and Acts 4:23-31) What is Jesus really saying here about how we do these things?
Q What things are we most likely to be tempted to do to be seen by others? How can we safeguard our hearts against hypocrisy?
