S1: Any good habit we develop in our life involves a struggle,
S1: but we do it because there's something good waiting for
S1: us at the end. More on becoming fully devoted to
S1: God coming up.
S2: God says, stop babbling. I don't want to hear your babbling.
S2: Talk to me. God loves to see people that are
S2: passionately expressing their heart to them. You don't need to
S2: learn a prayer. You need to pray.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody
S1: Bible Institute and senior pastor of New Life Community Church
S1: in Chicago. God seeks authentic, sold out, all in passionate followers. Today,
S1: we continue with part two of the Power Habits disciplines that,
S1: when implemented in practice, create a fully devoted heart for God.
S1: It's our prayer that you are moving in that direction.
S1: This is a powerful series, and if you'd like to
S1: listen again or hear any past message, you can do
S1: so at Bold Steps Radio.com. Or perhaps there's someone you
S1: know who would be blessed by the teaching. You can
S1: easily share bold steps with them when you go to
S1: bold steps. All right. Now continuing in Matthew chapter six.
S1: Here is Mark Jobe with today's bold steps.
S2: Verse one says, be careful not to practice your righteousness
S2: in front of others, to be seen by them. If
S2: you do, you will have no reward from your father
S2: that is in heaven. The word reward is used seven
S2: times in this passage. Give. There's a reward. Pray. There's
S2: a reward. Fast. There's a reward. But he also says.
S2: Be careful. Do you know that you can fast, pray
S2: and give and lose your spiritual or heavenly reward? And
S2: then Jesus goes on and tells us how we lose
S2: a reward. Now, no one likes to engage in a discipline. Typically,
S2: disciplines are difficult, but we engage in disciplines because we
S2: know that at the end of this discipline, something good
S2: is coming. Uh, someone goes to college and they engage
S2: in the discipline of study and doing midterm examinations and
S2: papers that they have to go through, not because they
S2: enjoy homework, but because they know at the end they're
S2: going to receive a degree. And that degree will facilitate
S2: job opportunities in the future. So they go through the
S2: discipline because they know there's a reward at the end.
S2: Some of you here get up and go to the
S2: gym at six in the morning. You get on that StairMaster.
S2: You hate that StairMaster. There's a reward at the end.
S2: And it is so with our spiritual disciplines, we fast,
S2: we pray, we give. Not because it's easy, but because
S2: we know at the end the favor of God or
S2: the reward of God is coming in our direction. And
S2: so this passage says, don't lose the reward, because it
S2: tells us that if you're not careful, you could lose
S2: the reward of giving. If you're not careful, you could
S2: lose the reward of praying, or you could lose the
S2: reward of giving. Notice what he says in verse two.
S2: He says, so when you give to the needy, do
S2: not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in
S2: the synagogue and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly,
S2: I tell you, they have received their reward. And he
S2: goes on to say, but when you give, do not
S2: let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
S2: so that your giving may be in secret. Then your father,
S2: who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
S2: In essence, what he's saying is that if you give
S2: simply so that others will think you're spiritual, then you
S2: received your reward. But if you give driven out of
S2: God opportunities because you feel like God is calling you
S2: to give and you want the favor of God, then
S2: you will receive your reward. It's like the guy that's
S2: walking down the street and sees a homeless person, and
S2: he pauses for a second. The homeless person asks for something.
S2: He looks around. He noticed several people are there, and
S2: so he says, okay. People look around. He pulls out
S2: his wallet, flips through his bills a little bit. Someone's
S2: watching him. So he goes through, pulls out. He was
S2: going to give a one. Then he pulls out a
S2: five because someone's watching. He crumbles. Make sure she sees
S2: it over there. He says, here you go, sir. This
S2: is what you deserve. This is what you deserve and
S2: gives it to him. And after he gives him, he says,
S2: how about a selfie? Boom! We got a selfie together. Hey,
S2: I just helped a homeless person puts on Instagram and
S2: Jesus says if you do it to be seen by others,
S2: guess what? You already receive your reward. Because you're not
S2: giving really out of a heart of generosity that says, God,
S2: I'm compelled to give. I give because you're calling me
S2: to give, to be generous. Because I know that in
S2: my releasing there will be an increased spiritual you're giving
S2: so that people will think you're generous. And God says,
S2: don't give so that people can see what you give.
S2: Give so that I know what you're giving and I
S2: will reward you exponentially. Rewards you in what you do.
S2: Let me ask you the question when's the last time
S2: you really gave sacrificially and didn't tell anybody about it? Seriously?
S2: Or how about it? The last time that you gave
S2: to your cousin that was in need and you said, okay,
S2: I'm going to give you $300, but, you know, and
S2: then you brought it up about ten times since then
S2: and told the other cousin and the other cousin and
S2: the uncle and the aunt and the other. And so
S2: everybody knows you gave and you kind of bring it
S2: up subtly. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, I gave $300
S2: to Cousin Jake the other day. Yeah, you told me
S2: that already. Oh, yeah. I probably already told you that.
S2: You got your reward. The heart of generosity gives out
S2: of something. That's that God is driving you to give.
S2: You give because you know that God has given so
S2: much to you that you want to give back. You
S2: don't give so that people will think you're generous. Because
S2: if you do it to be seen by men, this
S2: is what Jesus says you've lost your reward from God.
S2: You've gained your reward from men. So your reward is
S2: that people will think you're generous, but God is. God
S2: is erased. The reward that's going to come to you
S2: from heaven. Let me tell you, you want God's reward
S2: much more than you want men's reward. And he says,
S2: and when you pray. It's the same thing. If you're
S2: praying to be seen by others, do not be like
S2: the hypocrites. It says in verse five. For they love
S2: to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the street
S2: corners to be seen by others. Truly, I tell you,
S2: they have received their reward in full. But when you pray,
S2: go into your room, close the door, and pray to
S2: your father who is unseen. Then your father, who sees
S2: what is done in secret, will reward you. And when
S2: you pray, do not keep babbling like the pagans, for
S2: they think that they will be heard by their many words.
S2: Don't be like them. For though your father already knows
S2: what you need before you ask them, you know what
S2: he's saying. If you pray, don't pray. Just when you're
S2: in public. Long, flowery prayers to be heard or seen
S2: by others. When you pray, if you really want God
S2: to listen to your prayers, you really want to impress
S2: the heart of God. Pray in private. Go to your closet.
S2: Literally mean the storage room. Go to your basement. Spend
S2: some time in the presence of God in your basement
S2: where no one can see you. It's just you and
S2: God and you call out. You pray, Lord, touch my
S2: prodigal son or daughter. God work in my heart. God
S2: move in my marriage. God, may my heart be on
S2: fire for you. Lord, I pray for and pray in private.
S2: And when you pray in private, the Bible says that
S2: your heavenly father will see that, and he will reward you.
S2: And by the way, he says, and when you pray
S2: and don't babble, you know, some of you are taught
S2: to babble when you prayed. He says, don't babble like
S2: the pagans. Pagans are people that you know, follow. False
S2: gods don't babble like the pagans because just because you
S2: say a lot of words doesn't mean you're really praying.
S2: I mentioned that before. Some of you were actually, some
S2: of you came from traditions, and I don't want to
S2: offend anybody, but some of you came from traditions where
S2: you were taught to babble when you pray, because I've
S2: asked some people. So you pray. Oh yeah, I pray.
S2: And you were given instruments to count your prayers. And
S2: you say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I prayed the
S2: Our Father 25 times. I'd rather have a job well
S2: done one. Our father, our father in heaven, hallowed be
S2: thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Give
S2: us this day our daily bread. Two. Our father, who
S2: art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Three.
S2: You know what that's called? Babylon. How many of you
S2: know what I'm talking about? Just nod your head at
S2: me like I know what I'm talking about. How many
S2: of you. How many of you used to do that?
S2: You don't have to raise your hand. Just kind of
S2: nod at me like, I know. I know what you're
S2: talking about. And you know, that's babbling. You're not praying.
S2: You're reciting a prayer. And it makes no sense to God.
S2: It's like me coming home to my wife and saying, honey,
S2: I want to tell you something. Roses are red, violets
S2: are blue. No one's as pretty as you. And she
S2: would say, oh that's nice. And I said, no, no, no, wait.
S2: Roses are red, violets are blue, and no one's as
S2: pretty as you two. No, no. Okay, I got it. No, no.
S2: Roses are red. Violets are blue. And no one's as
S2: pretty as you. Three roses are red. Violets are roses.
S2: She'd say. Get out of here, I heard it. Stop
S2: just repeating something to me. Talk to me. And some
S2: of you repeat a prayer to God as though repeating
S2: a prayer to God somehow impresses God. And God says,
S2: stop babbling. I don't want to hear your babbling. Pray.
S2: Talk to me. Converse with me. Share your heart with me.
S2: Be passionate about it. Know what you're saying. Get involved
S2: in it. I'm your father. God. God loves to see
S2: people that are passionately expressing their heart to them, that
S2: are praying in Jesus name, that are in faith, are
S2: talking to God. You don't need to learn a prayer.
S2: You need to pray. You say, well, pastor, why is
S2: the Lord's Prayer in the Bible? Because Jesus says, pray
S2: after this manner. He didn't say pray this prayer. He said,
S2: pray after this pattern. The pattern is worship thy kingdom come.
S2: Our personal finances don't fall into temptation. Let us forgive
S2: other people and you deserve all the glory. That's the
S2: pattern of the Lord's Prayer. Some of you need to
S2: learn how to pray. We can't be a church that
S2: has power. You can't be a person that has spiritual
S2: influence and power unless you learn the power of prayer.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. I hope
S1: you'll go to Bold steps.org for more. And if you
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S1: to the message. Now here's Mark Jobe as we conclude
S1: this message.
S2: And then in verse 16 he talks about fasting. He says,
S2: and when you fast, do not look somber as the
S2: hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others
S2: that they are fasting. Truly you have received your reward
S2: in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head,
S2: wash your face so that it is not obvious to
S2: others that you are fasting, but only to your father,
S2: who is unseen. And your father, who sees what is
S2: done in secret will reward you. So he's talking about
S2: people that come to church. Maybe you're not in a fast.
S2: It's not a corporate fast. So no one knows. And
S2: you come to church and you get up and you say,
S2: I'm not going to comb my hair. I do that
S2: all the time. I'm not going to comb my hair.
S2: But some of you that have more hair, your ladies,
S2: I'm not going to comb my hair. I'm fasting. I'm
S2: not going to put up makeup on. Boy, you look
S2: really different without it, I'm not going to put makeup on.
S2: I'm going to get all my dirty clothes that I
S2: use to clean the house in, and I'm going to
S2: show up in church and you show up in church and,
S2: and someone says, are you okay? Yeah. Are you sick? No.
S2: Are you sure something's not wrong with you? Well, if
S2: you insist. I'm fasting. You just lost your reward because
S2: you were just dying for someone to ask you so
S2: you could tell them you're fasting. So they would think, oh,
S2: you're really spiritual. You're fasting. And Jesus says, if you
S2: do it for people, you've lost your reward. But instead
S2: put on your best clothes, comb your hair like you
S2: normally do, put on that makeup like you do. Tweeze
S2: your eyebrows again, put on those high heels. Go to
S2: work and look good when you're fasting. That's what he's
S2: basically saying. People shouldn't be able to see that you're
S2: fasting because you're not doing it for people's acclaim. You're
S2: doing it so that your father in heaven could see
S2: that you are actually giving up food for the purpose
S2: of pressing in to follow God, not out of. Can
S2: I just say this about fasting? I know some of
S2: you have never fasted before. Some of you are new
S2: to this. Some of you it's a new discipline. But
S2: let me tell you, you don't fast for God to
S2: take away your sins. That's heresy. Your sins were paid
S2: for in full at the cross of Jesus. 100%. 100%, 100%.
S2: There's nothing that you can add or take away from that.
S2: You can't work to get your sins taken away. The
S2: full price was paid by the spotless Lamb of God.
S2: All God, all man on that cross. If you try
S2: to work for your salvation, if you try to add
S2: to your salvation, you are insulting the God that is
S2: forgiven you. The only way that you can receive forgiveness
S2: is by repenting and believing and humbling yourself, and receiving
S2: this mighty gift of God. As you receive Jesus as
S2: Lord and Savior of your life. If you add, if
S2: you do penance, if you whip your back, if you
S2: go on your knees, if you abstain from food, if
S2: you do pilgrimages somehow to take away your sin, you
S2: are insulting and insulting the work of Jesus Christ on
S2: the cross, paid in full For by grace, through faith,
S2: nothing of your own. Some of you need to understand that.
S2: So when we fast, we don't fast to take sins
S2: away or to purify our life. When we fast, we
S2: fast to acknowledge that we need God more than we
S2: need food. We fast so that our physical hunger reminds
S2: us of our spiritual desire and appetite for God. We
S2: fast so that we can press in and pray. When
S2: I fast, I always know I'm fasting because my body
S2: reminds me. I get up in the morning and I think, wow,
S2: I'm hungry. And then I remember I'm fasting. Yeah, I
S2: need to press in and seek God. Lunchtime comes and
S2: I smell Paco's Tacos and I smell carne asada tacos.
S2: Al pastor. That's my favorite tacos. Al pastor. Of course,
S2: I'm a pastor. Tacos al pastor. And you know, there's
S2: something about my stomach that says, go in. But I
S2: have to tell myself, no, I'm fasting. And why am
S2: I fasting? I'm fasting so I can seek God. And
S2: so it reminds me depression and seek the heart of God.
S2: That's what you're fasting is for. The first time I
S2: fasted when I was about 16 years old and I'd
S2: heard about it, I'd never really done it. So I
S2: took a tent. I was going to fast for three days,
S2: took a tent, went out to the hills with my
S2: Bible and my tent, and spent two days there. I
S2: felt like I was dying of hunger and I was
S2: alone in the mountains, and I just, I it was hard.
S2: I ran back home and I ate so much I
S2: can't believe I think I got sick, I ate so much.
S2: It was hard. But over the years I've learned something
S2: about fasting. What our body tends. Your body tends to
S2: tell you that it dominates. Carnal people are driven by
S2: the desires of the flesh. The body says have sex
S2: and they have sex. Don't care if they're married, unmarried,
S2: who it is, what they look like. Party. You get
S2: a little drunk. I'm having sex. Your body's dominating. Your
S2: body says eat. You overeat over stuff. Eat what's not
S2: healthy because your body says you're hungry. Appetites. The flesh.
S2: Your body says sleep. You oversleep. Sleep. Way lazing around.
S2: And sometimes our body dominates us. You're a slave to
S2: the desires of your flesh. The mastery of your body.
S2: But there's something about getting up and saying, no, I'm
S2: not a slave to my body. I'm a slave to
S2: my spirit. Jesus. His spirit rules in me. So body,
S2: get in line. No. No body. I'm telling you today
S2: you're not eating because I'm seeking God. No body. I'm
S2: telling you today we're getting up early because I'm getting
S2: into my Bible and praying nobody. I'm telling you today
S2: I'm getting out of bed because I want to be
S2: in the house of God, worshiping the King of Kings
S2: and the Lord of Lords. Because my spirit rules over
S2: my body. My body doesn't tell my being what to do.
S2: My spirit tells my body to get in line. That's
S2: what it means to be spirit led as opposed to
S2: fleshly led. And some of you are making the transition
S2: from being led by the spirit. Because you've lived years
S2: dominated by the flesh, you barely know, you barely can
S2: say no to your body because your body is dominated
S2: you for so long. But God says, no, I've put
S2: my spirit inside of your body and you are ruled
S2: by the spirit instead of by the flesh. The last thing,
S2: the last point is not only God expects. God sees.
S2: God rewards. Seven times the word reward is used. Verse four.
S2: Then your heavenly father, who sees what is done in
S2: secret will reward you. That's about giving. Verse six. Then
S2: your father, who sees what is done in secret, will
S2: reward you. That's about prayer. Verse 14. So then it
S2: will not be obvious to others that you are fasting,
S2: but your father who is in heaven is unseen. And
S2: your father who sees what is done in secret, will
S2: reward you. That's about fasting. Think about God says, I'm
S2: wanting to reward your giving, your fasting, your praying. I'm
S2: guaranteeing you God is saying that I will reward you,
S2: but I want you to do it for me. I
S2: want it to be driven out of your love for me.
S2: God says out of your heart's desire to please me,
S2: out of your hunger for me. And then I will
S2: reward you. And this reward, by the way, splashes into
S2: every area of our life. Hebrews 11 says, and without
S2: faith it's impossible to please him. To please God. For
S2: whoever draws near to God must believe that he exists,
S2: and that he rewards those who seek him. You have
S2: to believe that God exists. This is this intangible being
S2: in the universe that you cannot see or touch or
S2: grab on to. This spirit, God who created the heavens
S2: and the earth, who transforms you, yet you cannot see
S2: him who speaks to you, yet you have never heard
S2: an audible voice. You must believe that he is. And
S2: not only that he is, but that he rewards those
S2: that diligently seek him. That's what Hebrews says. Believe that
S2: he is and that he rewards. There's something powerful about
S2: faith that God says I will honor. Faith that drives
S2: us to give. It drives us to pray. And it
S2: drives us to fast.
S1: That's Mark Jobe, and this is Bold Steps wrapping up
S1: the message entitled The Power Habits. Next time, the first
S1: of two parts to the message. It's not over yet.
S1: The conclusion to our series. Mark, I want to share
S1: an email that came in recently, and I want to
S1: read this to you. It should be an encouragement. Susan
S1: in Colorado Springs writes to us. I am giving an
S1: offering to Moody Radio Bold Steps because I'm so happy
S1: to hear Mark Jobe teach the truth in depth in
S1: a way that reveals the heart of God. She says,
S1: simply amazing. Thank you.
S2: Susan, thank you so much. That's encouraging. By the way,
S2: I've been to Colorado Springs. Beautiful place.
S1: Sure is.
S2: And, you know, that's part of our goal here at
S2: Bold Steps. We want to take the truth, the Word
S2: of God. And by the way, can I say as
S2: as I preach the Word of God, I'm not just
S2: preaching to people that need to listen. I am preaching
S2: to myself. God is doing a work in me. I'm convicted.
S2: As I study, I have to repent. I have to
S2: get on my face and say, Lord, am I living
S2: this out? And so I love the fact that I
S2: get to go through it before I actually share it out.
S2: But that's our goal, is we don't want to just
S2: fill your head with, um, knowledge about the truth. We
S2: want you to have the practical challenge to apply the
S2: truth in your day to day living.
S1: Oh, that's such a good word, Mark. Thank you for
S1: that vulnerability. Maybe you're like Susan. And you can also
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