THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Matt. 5, 6, 7 (25)

January 5, 2019

19-6-18

Key: SCHAFF: “When the Lord open his mouth, we should open our ears and hearts” 

GOOD WORKS WITHOUT OSTENTATION. Matt. 6:5-15 … Prayers …2

The Lord Jesus Christ, apart from correcting ostentation in prayers, is interested in His disciples having time with God. Time with God is the only absolute imperative in life. Hearing His word, listening to His voice and learning at His feet. That is all we really need to make us effective, lead us to right decisions, and positively affect everything in our lives. Everything else can be let go, delayed, or pushed into distant second place in your life, but miss the priority to be with Him privately, and nothing else will be truly successful at all.

  1. Matt. 6:6 “But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in the secret place, and you father who sees in secret will answer you openly.”
    1. “enter into your closet”. This is a private or retired room, ‘bed-chamber’Is. 26:20. He is using this to represent any place of privacy, as He was always doing when He was here on earth. Mk. 1:35, 6:46; 14:32. This is to tell us to have a quiet time with God.
    2. A regular time and place. Ps. 88:13 NIv; 55:17, Gen. 19:27. A place where you can pray loud without embarrassment, you’re comfortable (Don’t stay in bed, that’s too comfortable).
      1. Don’t clock-watch, and don’t start with too long hours. Emphasize quality, not quantity. Don’t be in a hurry. Samuel Chadwick said “Hurry is the death of prayer”
      2. Expect to give and get from Him. Make it a time of intimacy. It calls for being alone.
    3. An open Bible. Read until a verse ‘hits’ you, then stop and meditate on it There will be promises to claim, commands to obey, examples to learn from. The bible is God talking to you.
    4. Quiet time problems and discipline.
      1. Make a covenant with God. Eccl.5:4-5
      2. Put it in your schedule. Block out time, just as a time to meet your doctor or business time.
      3. Go to bed on time.
      4. Get up immediately upon waking
      5. Be sure you’re thoroughly awake. Walk while you’re praying.
      6. Use a memo pad. When you suddenly ‘remember’ everything you have to do or have left undone. So write things down as they come to you, then tell yourself, I’ll get to that later.
  2. It continues