She's going to get me water because I'm coughing, so if y'all can be patient for just a minute. Matthew chapter six. I'll give my title at any rate. The title of this message is alms, prayer, and fasting. Alms, acts of mercy toward others, prayer, the worship of God, and fasting, which really represents self-denial.

Now, the Lord says in no uncertain terms. Who usually gets water, Jonathan? Okay. Thank you.

Now let's read the first 18 verses together with the idea that he says, take heed that you do not your alms before men. And he breaks this up into three different sections. The way we treat others, our worship of God, and the way we view ourself. Now let's read that together.

Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them Otherwise, you have no reward of your father, which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men, Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. They are seen of men. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when you pray, Use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they should be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye, our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.

Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward, but thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father, which is in secret. And thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

And I love the Lord's opening statement with regard to this. Take heed, it's a warning. It's a warning I need to hear. It's a warning you need to hear. Take heed that you do not your alms and under the heading of alms, works of mercy, the worship of God, and self-denial, which is what fasting represents. He says, take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. Otherwise, you have no reward of your father, which is in heaven.

Now, this is something that scares me to death. I don't want to do what I do to be seen of men. And yet there's so much in me that wants to be seen of men. And our Lord tells us what happens when we do what we do to be seen of men. We have our reward, the miserable reward that is. I'm impressed with you. You're impressed with me. What difference does that make? You have your reward.

Now this is actually being controlled by the lust of the eyes. How do I appear to other men? wanting to impress them and wanting their approval. I love what the Lord said in John chapter five, verse 44. How can you believe which receive honor one of another and seek not that honor that cometh from God only? When this controls a man wanting to impress the flesh, he's not really concerned about God's approval.

Now, look what he says in verse two. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets, that they may have glory of men. Look in verse five. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not pray as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verse 16, moreover, when you fast, do not, as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, what's wrong with you? I'm fasting. Oh. They disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

Now you'll also notice in verses two, five, and 16, We have the word when. When thou doest thine alms. Not if you do, when you do. When thou prayest. Not if you pray, but when thou prayest. When you fast. Not if you fast, but when you fast. And like I said, These three areas demonstrate my attitude toward my fellow men, my fellow sinners, my attitude toward God, and my attitude toward myself. This is what this passage of scripture is all about.

First, let's think about our attitude toward God. our father. He's not everybody's father, but he's every believer's father. And I want to be in this group that can truly pray our father, which art in heaven. I want that to come from my heart because he is my father, which is in heaven.

Now he says in verse five, when you pray, this has to do with our attitude toward God and attitude of worship. I hope we're going to be able to see this. When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. For they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. I have to make this statement when you see somebody praying in a restaurant. What are they doing? There's only one reason. They're doing it to be seen of men. The Lord says to pray in secret. Go in your closet, shut your door where nobody knows what you're doing. I always feel so awkward when people say, particularly because I'm a preacher, you want to pray here in the restaurant? We're thankful. We're thankful. I just don't want to put that show on. And the Lord warns about that. When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.

What's a hypocrite? He's an actor. What he's doing is not real. It's phony. It's fake. In all of these instances, it's not real. The Lord calls them hypocrites. He said, when you pray, don't pray like the hypocrites do. As a matter of fact, hold your finger there and turn to Matthew chapter 23 for a moment. Verse one, then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens, grievous to be born, their rules and their regulations, and they lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. They say and they do not, but all their works they do, For to be seen of men, they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments.

And they love the uppermost rooms of the feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market and being called of men, rabbi, rabbi, teacher, teacher. They love that. They love that kind of recognition.

Now back to our text. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. They love to pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou shalt thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret. And thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. You see, there is a reward involved. Matter of fact, that's spoken in all of these passages. Verse four, thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Verse six, thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Verse 18. Thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

And it's the reward of grace. I love the reward of grace because I know that apart from his grace, I'm going to sound the trumpet so everybody can know what I'm giving and what I'm doing. I know apart from His grace, I'm going to make sure everybody knows about my devotional life, and my prayer, and my study, and my scripture reading. Apart from His grace, I know I'm gonna disfigure my face so everybody will know I'm fasting. The reward of grace is doing this for Him and not for men. Doing this for His glory, for His approval, and not for the approval of men.

Verse seven, when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Don't think God can be manipulated. Don't think if you pray more or with more fervency and with more power, somehow that's going to get God to respond to you. God cannot be manipulated. God is God. Now that doesn't take away from our desire to pray, but don't think you can strike some kind of deal with God and make him move toward you. Don't use vain repetitions as the heathen do, thinking they'll be hurt for the much speaking.

Oh, don't you love the fact that God's no respecter of persons and that he can't be manipulated and conjoled by human beings? Verse eight, be not ye therefore likened to them for your father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask him. I love this. You know, the Lord knows everything. He knows what I need before I even ask him. And I think maybe one of the Most effective prayers I could pray is, Lord, give me what you know I need. That's what I want. I want him to give me what he knows I need.

But he knows everything. I love the omniscience of God. I love the omnipresence of God. He's not bound by space or time the way you and I are. I love the omnipotence of God. He's all powerful. Whatever he wills, he must have. This is our Father. Now, don't use vain repetitions. Realize this, he knows what you need before you even ask him.

Now here's our attitude, and this is the thing I wanted to consider in verse nine. Our attitude toward God. After this manner, therefore pray ye. You know, in Luke's account, it actually says say this. But here he says, have this spirit. this attitude, this manner in prayer. Now, what do you pray about? What you can't do anything about. That's what you pray about. What you cannot do anything about. What does that cover? Everything. Everything. You don't have any control. You can't change yourself. You can't change somebody else. You ask the Lord to do. Let your requests be made known. Be careful for nothing, but let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

You know, the Lord actually said with regard to the man who is in Luke chapter 8, he was teaching us to pray. And he said there was a certain judge that feared not God nor regarded men. And a woman came up to him and said, avenge me of my adversary. And he didn't pay attention to her, and she kept doing it and doing it and doing it. And finally, he said, lest she drive me crazy, I'm going to give her what she asks. So we're encouraged to pray and pray and pray over again. Don't be discouraged about this. But understand, he knows what you need. He can't be manipulated. I love having that in mind as I think of this thing of prayer.

And let me say this, too. After this manner, therefore, pray you, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. This is our attitude toward God. This is the attitude of worship. This is the attitude of reverence. This is the attitude of fear. This is the attitude of faith. Hallowed be thy name. Our attitude toward the living God, our Father. hallowed, holy, reverend, to be feared is thy name.

Now let me say at the outset, the only right attitude toward God is faith in Christ. If you don't look to Christ only, you can't say hallowed, holy, sanctified is thy name. The only people who have any idea of the holiness of God, the only people who can say from their heart and him here, hallowed, holy to be revered, reverend is thy name, are the people who look to Christ only as everything in their salvation. You see, anybody else didn't really have any respect for God. If you have the fear of God, you look to Christ only as your everything in salvation, as your everything in wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and you won't look anywhere else. And until that is established, there is no fear of God. There's no from the heart hallowed, sanctified is thy name.

I love when Paul said in Acts chapter 17, speaking to a bunch of heathen, people who are not believers. And I can say this to every unbeliever, in him we live. and move and have our being. The reason you're breathing right now is because he's willing it. Whatever is going on with you, he's in absolute, complete control of. You may not know it, but it's still so. I love the way Paul said he's Lord both of the dead and the living. He's the Lord of those who are dead in sins. He's the Lord of those who have life before him that he's given life to, but he's Lord of everybody. And in him, we can say this to everybody, in him we live and move and have our being.

God is the explanation. This one in whom we say sanctified is thy name. Why is there something and not nothing? God. There is no other explanation. You can tell me matter is eternal. Life somehow happened through some chemical reaction and some primordial stew billions of years ago, and now we have all of this? God is the only explanation for the creation of the world. God is the only explanation for providence. He controls everything, and I love it when the Lord said to his people, not a sparrow falls to the ground. without your father. He didn't say without your father knowing it. He said without your father. He's the first cause of everything that takes place in time. The lot is cast into the lap, what seems to be luck, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord, our father. He's the cause of creation. He's the cause of providence, and I like this part the best. He's the cause of salvation. He's the reason for salvation.

God the Father elected a people before time began. They were chosen in Christ and the Lamb slain for the foundation of the world. That's the Father's work. God the Son redeemed those people. He said, I lay down my life for the sheep. When he came, he represented his people. He represented me. This wasn't a generic death. He represented me. He put away my sins. He worked out a perfect righteousness for me. Salvation's of the Lord in regeneration. If I'm born again, it's because he birthed me into the kingdom of heaven. He gave me life. Salvation is of the Lord.

Now this is the father that we're praying to. And we're aware of this. We're aware that every part of salvation is of the Lord. Love it that way too. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Not the man upstairs. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. And what is that attitude? Worship. Now understand this, you will only worship an absolute sovereign. If you can manipulate him, if you can get him to respond to your works, you will worship. You will only worship an absolute sovereign. You're in his hands, he's not in yours. Now that God you will worship.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Holy and reverend is thy name. And this is the attitude of worship. It's the fear of the Lord. It's reverence for the Lord. It's respect for the Lord. It's actually the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. There is no wisdom that doesn't have this as its source. The fear. The respect, the reverence for the Lord. Now, this isn't a slavish fear. Most folks have a fear of, well, if I'm not obedient, I'll wreck my car, I'll lose my bank account, or I'll get sick or something horrible will happen. My kids will get sick. God will take it out in the coffin. That's not the fear of God. There's no respect or reverence for God. That's just bringing God down to your level, thinking he would act as you would act.

No, holy and reverent is thy Name. I love the third commandment in the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. His name is so holy and to be revered that to even speak his name without the proper reverence is a sin that deserves damnation. That's how holy God is. And when I hear of this God, all I can do is bow down. This is who he is. Holy and reverend is thy name. Now, the name of the Lord is the person behind the name. His name is his attributes.

Turn with me for a moment, keep your finger there in Matthew 6, and turn with me to Exodus 34. See, this isn't just a formula we use when we pray, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Our father, which is in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Exodus 34. Verse five. And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Now, before I go on reading, this is the name upon which we call. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Here's the one we're calling on. He's described so clearly in this passage of scripture. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord Jehovah, the self-existent one, the Lord God, God almighty, the self-existent, independent being almighty, You know, he's the only self-sustaining being there is. He has no needs. This is who he is.

And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.

Now how can you, you forgive iniquity and transgression and sins and you'll by no means clear the guilty? How's that happen? That's the gospel, my friends. He's made a way to be just and justify the ungodly. I'm somewhat, just a little bit, I'm aware of my own sinfulness. I'm sure I haven't touched the tip of the iceberg, but I have some awareness of it. When I stand before God and am judged, I will be judged as one who has never committed a sin. It's called justification. Because Christ bore my sins, and put them away. And so he's not clearing a guilty sinner when he clears me. He's justifying someone who has never sinned. That's what justification is, and that's the power of the blood of Christ. He's made a way for God to actually forgive sin, and yet by no means, under no circumstance, clear the guilty. Now that's the God we're worshiping. That's his name.

Let me go on reading. I left that text. Verse seven, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, and they will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the children's children, and to the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. That is the only response to the living God.

Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Jehovah, the self-existent one. Jehovah Nisi, the Lord, our banner. Jehovah Raha, the Lord is my shepherd. What a shepherd to have, my shepherd to the Lord. I'll not want. Jehovah Rapha, I am the Lord that healeth thee. The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I need him to heal me. Jehovah Shama, the Lord is there, is present. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff. They come from me. Jehoza Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. Jehovah Mekodishkem, I am the Lord who sanctifies thee. Jehovah Jarrah, the Lord will provide. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace. Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts. Now what a name. This is the one we pray to.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed, sanctified, holy, altogether glorious, altogether other, transcendent is thy name. Now, if I am in this group, our, our Father, this is every believer. If I'm in this group, this will be by his grace, my worship, hallowed be thy name.

Verse six, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. When thou shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret. and thy father which seeth in secret shall ward thee openly. Now this is our attitude toward the living God.

Now, secondly, and I'll be brief on these last two, our attitude toward self. Moreover, verse 16, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast, Verily I say unto you, they have their reward, but thou, when thou fastest, not if, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Fasting represents self-denial. What do you do when you fast? You deny yourself food. But this represents this entire thing of self-denial.

Now this I know. If I ever see who the Lord really is, if I can say from my heart, Hallowed be thy name. Something else I'm going to see is I'm going to see that self is the biggest problem I have. Self. You see the Lord like Isaiah. You'll see yourself. In the year of the king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord. sitting on the throne, high and lifted up, and its drain filled the temple. What did Isaiah say of himself? Then said I, woe is me, I am undone.

Men have a lot to say about fasting. How long do you fast? Is it sun up, sun down? 24 hours? 40 days? Is it depriving yourself of food only, or food and water? You know, I don't know the answer to any of those questions, and the Bible doesn't give an answer. People have all kinds of things they like to say about fasting. The point behind fasting is self-denial, and the only clear thing about this is that nobody better know it if you're fasting.

I remember at the gym that I go to, I came up to a guy who was a preacher. I knew him, and I hadn't seen him in three weeks. We talked some. He knew what I believed. I knew what he believed. We had some discussion. I said, I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been? He said, I've been fasting. Oh. All right. 18 days. Oh. Well, he got his reward. I was impressed. And a miserable reward that is.

If any man will come after me, let him, what's the first thing he said to do? Deny himself. The principle behind fasting is self-denial. Anybody who worships God recognizes that the biggest problem he or she has is self, and if that's not recognized, it's because we're ignorant of God's character and there's no true knowledge of God. The only way a person can See who they are is if they see who God is. And if you see who He is, deny self.

I think the word selfish is very interesting, don't you? Selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-righteous, self-interest, self-indulgent, self-seeking, self-pity, self-promoting. I know a lot about self, don't you? Deny self. Take up your cross daily and follow me.

Now, when we see, hallowed be thy name, we want to deny self. We see what an evil person this person is. And when you see who he is, and when you see who you are, this is how you're going to view others.

Verse two. Therefore, when thou doest thine owns. Now that is, my marginal reading says acts of kindness and acts of mercy. Actually, the word comes out of the word merciful. Remember in the, Beatitudes, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Now, you don't obtain mercy because you're merciful. You're merciful because you've obtained mercy. You understand that the reason you're saved is because of the sheer, free, sovereign mercy of God.

But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. He saved me by his mercy. Oh, I know that. If he gave me what I deserved, he'd send me to hell. He'd do that with you as well. But thank God, salvation is by his mercy. And if I've experienced God's mercy, my chief concern with my fellow sinners is to be merciful toward them. My chief concern.

Now look what he says. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, he didn't say if, he said when, Don't sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward, a miserable reward that is.

But when thou doest thine own acts of mercy, deeds of kindness, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Now I thought, how do you do that? I mean, both hands are on your body, but he says this secrecy is to be such that your left hand shouldn't even know what your right hand is doing. Isn't that beautiful? Not sounding a trumpet before you. Nobody knows about it but him. See here's, he sees. Is that enough? He sees. that thine alms may be in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret." And he says that three times. Thy father, he sees in secret. What's he gonna do? Himself shall reward thee openly.

Your alms, take heed that you do not your alms, for lack of a better word, your religious activities. And he covers everything in this. Your activities towards others, your attitude toward yourself, and your attitude toward God. Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them. Otherwise you have no reward of your father, which is in heaven. This is so beautiful. The Lord is so beautiful. Every word he says is so beautiful. And I would love to be able to, and if I'm a believer, I do, to enter in to worshiping him, being merciful to my brothers and sisters and to all men. and to deny myself. May the Lord cause this to be with all of us.

Let's pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. Lord, let us not even be tried. but deliver us from evil, deliver us from the evil one, deliver us from evil self, deliver us from this present evil world. For thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, and thine is the glory forever. Amen.