Any good habit we develop in our life involves a struggle, but we do it because there's something good waiting for us at the end. More on becoming fully devoted to God coming up.
God says, stop babbling. I don't want to hear your babbling. Talk to me. God loves to see people that are passionately expressing their heart to them. You don't need to learn a prayer. You need to pray.
Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. God seeks authentic, sold out, all in passionate followers. Today, we continue with part two of the Power Habits disciplines that, when implemented in practice, create a fully devoted heart for God. It's our prayer that you are moving in that direction. This is a powerful series, and if you'd like to listen again or hear any past message, you can do
so at Bold Steps Radio.com. Or perhaps there's someone you know who would be blessed by the teaching. You can easily share bold steps with them when you go to bold steps. All right. Now continuing in Matthew chapter six. Here is Mark Jobe with today's bold steps.
Verse one says, 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 that is in heaven. The word reward is used seven times in this passage. Give. There's a reward. Pray. There's a reward. Fast. There's a reward. But he also says. Be careful. Do you know that you can fast, pray and give and lose your spiritual or heavenly reward? And then Jesus goes on and tells us how we lose
a reward. Now, no one likes to engage in a discipline. Typically, disciplines are difficult, but we engage in disciplines because we know that at the end of this discipline, something good is coming. Uh, someone goes to college and they engage in the discipline of study and doing midterm examinations and papers that they have to go through, not because they enjoy homework, but because they know at the end they're going to receive a degree. And that degree will facilitate
job opportunities in the future. So they go through the discipline because they know there's a reward at the end. Some of you here get up and go to the gym at six in the morning. You get on that StairMaster. You hate that StairMaster. There's a reward at the end. And it is so with our spiritual disciplines, we fast, we pray, we give. Not because it's easy, but because we know at the end the favor of God or
the reward of God is coming in our direction. And so this passage says, don't lose the reward, because it tells us that if you're not careful, you could lose the reward of giving. If you're not careful, you could lose the reward of praying, or you could lose the reward of giving. Notice what he says in verse two. He says, so when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly,
I tell you, they have received their reward. And he goes on to say, but when you give, 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. In essence, what he's saying is that if you give simply so that others will think you're spiritual, then you
received your reward. But if you give driven out of God opportunities because you feel like God is calling you to give and you want the favor of God, then you will receive your reward. It's like the guy that's walking down the street and sees a homeless person, and he pauses for a second. The homeless person asks for something. He looks around. He noticed several people are there, and so he says, okay. People look around. He pulls out his wallet, flips through his bills a little bit. Someone's
watching him. So he goes through, pulls out. He was going to give a one. Then he pulls out a five because someone's watching. He crumbles. Make sure she sees it over there. He says, here you go, sir. This is what you deserve. This is what you deserve and gives it to him. And after he gives him, he says, how about a selfie? Boom! We got a selfie together. Hey, I just helped a homeless person puts on Instagram and Jesus says if you do it to be seen by others,
guess what? You already receive your reward. Because you're not giving really out of a heart of generosity that says, God, I'm compelled to give. I give because you're calling me to give, to be generous. Because I know that in my releasing there will be an increased spiritual you're giving so that people will think you're generous. And God says, don't give so that people can see what you give. Give so that I know what you're giving and I will reward you exponentially. Rewards you in what you do.
Let me ask you the question when's the last time you really gave sacrificially and didn't tell anybody about it? Seriously? Or how about it? The last time that you gave to your cousin that was in need and you said, okay, I'm going to give you $300, but, you know, and then you brought it up about ten times since then and told the other cousin and the other cousin and the uncle and the aunt and the other. And so everybody knows you gave and you kind of bring it
up subtly. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, I gave $300 to Cousin Jake the other day. Yeah, you told me that already. Oh, yeah. I probably already told you that. You got your reward. The heart of generosity gives out of something. That's that God is driving you to give. You give because you know that God has given so much to you that you want to give back. You
don't give so that people will think you're generous. Because if you do it to be seen by men, this is what Jesus says you've lost your reward from God. You've gained your reward from men. So your reward is that people will think you're generous, but God is. God is erased. The reward that's going to come to you from heaven. Let me tell you, you want God's reward much more than you want men's reward. And he says,
and when you pray. It's the same thing. If you're praying to be seen by others, do not be like the hypocrites. It says in verse five. 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 babbling like the pagans, for they think that they will be heard by their many words. Don't be like them. For though your father already knows what you need before you ask them, you know what he's saying. If you pray, don't pray. Just when you're in public. Long, flowery prayers to be heard or seen by others. When you pray, if you really want God to listen to your prayers, you really want to impress
the heart of God. Pray in private. Go to your closet. Literally mean the storage room. Go to your basement. Spend some time in the presence of God in your basement where no one can see you. It's just you and God and you call out. You pray, Lord, touch my prodigal son or daughter. God work in my heart. God move in my marriage. God, may my heart be on fire for you. Lord, I pray for and pray in private.
And when you pray in private, the Bible says that your heavenly father will see that, and he will reward you. And by the way, he says, and when you pray and don't babble, you know, some of you are taught to babble when you prayed. He says, don't babble like the pagans. Pagans are people that you know, follow. False gods don't babble like the pagans because just because you say a lot of words doesn't mean you're really praying.
I mentioned that before. Some of you were actually, some of you came from traditions, and I don't want to offend anybody, but some of you came from traditions where you were taught to babble when you pray, because I've asked some people. So you pray. Oh yeah, I pray. And you were given instruments to count your prayers. And you say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I prayed the Our Father 25 times. I'd rather have a job well done one. Our father, our father in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Give us this day our daily bread. Two. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Three. You know what that's called? Babylon. How many of you know what I'm talking about? Just nod your head at me like I know what I'm talking about. How many of you. How many of you used to do that? You don't have to raise your hand. Just kind of nod at me like, I know. I know what you're
talking about. And you know, that's babbling. You're not praying. You're reciting a prayer. And it makes no sense to God. It's like me coming home to my wife and saying, honey, I want to tell you something. Roses are red, violets are blue. No one's as pretty as you. And she would say, oh that's nice. And I said, no, no, no, wait. Roses are red, violets are blue, and no one's as pretty as you two. No, no. Okay, I got it. No, no. Roses are red. Violets are blue. And no one's as
pretty as you. Three roses are red. Violets are roses. She'd say. Get out of here, I heard it. Stop just repeating something to me. Talk to me. And some of you repeat a prayer to God as though repeating a prayer to God somehow impresses God. And God says, stop babbling. I don't want to hear your babbling. Pray. Talk to me. Converse with me. Share your heart with me. Be passionate about it. Know what you're saying. Get involved
in it. I'm your father. God. God loves to see people that are passionately expressing their heart to them, that are praying in Jesus name, that are in faith, are talking to God. You don't need to learn a prayer. You need to pray. You say, well, pastor, why is the Lord's Prayer in the Bible? Because Jesus says, pray after this manner. He didn't say pray this prayer. He said, pray after this pattern. The pattern is worship thy kingdom come.
Our personal finances don't fall into temptation. Let us forgive other people and you deserve all the glory. That's the pattern of the Lord's Prayer. Some of you need to learn how to pray. We can't be a church that has power. You can't be a person that has spiritual influence and power unless you learn the power of prayer.
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And then in verse 16 he talks about fasting. He says, and when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly you have received your reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head, wash your face so that it is not 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. So he's talking about
people that come to church. Maybe you're not in a fast. It's not a corporate fast. So no one knows. And you come to church and you get up and you say, I'm not going to comb my hair. I do that all the time. I'm not going to comb my hair. But some of you that have more hair, your ladies, I'm not going to comb my hair. I'm fasting. I'm not going to put up makeup on. Boy, you look really different without it, I'm not going to put makeup on.
I'm going to get all my dirty clothes that I use to clean the house in, and I'm going to show up in church and you show up in church and, and someone says, are you okay? Yeah. Are you sick? No. Are you sure something's not wrong with you? Well, if you insist. I'm fasting. You just lost your reward because you were just dying for someone to ask you so you could tell them you're fasting. So they would think, oh, you're really spiritual. You're fasting. And Jesus says, if you
do it for people, you've lost your reward. But instead put on your best clothes, comb your hair like you normally do, put on that makeup like you do. Tweeze your eyebrows again, put on those high heels. Go to work and look good when you're fasting. That's what he's basically saying. People shouldn't be able to see that you're fasting because you're not doing it for people's acclaim. You're doing it so that your father in heaven could see that you are actually giving up food for the purpose
of pressing in to follow God, not out of. Can I just say this about fasting? I know some of you have never fasted before. Some of you are new to this. Some of you it's a new discipline. But let me tell you, you don't fast for God to take away your sins. That's heresy. Your sins were paid for in full at the cross of Jesus. 100%. 100%, 100%. There's nothing that you can add or take away from that. You can't work to get your sins taken away. The full price was paid by the spotless Lamb of God.
All God, all man on that cross. If you try to work for your salvation, if you try to add to your salvation, you are insulting the God that is forgiven you. The only way that you can receive forgiveness is by repenting and believing and humbling yourself, and receiving this mighty gift of God. As you receive Jesus as
Lord and Savior of your life. If you add, if you do penance, if you whip your back, if you go on your knees, if you abstain from food, if you do pilgrimages somehow to take away your sin, you are insulting and insulting the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, paid in full For by grace, through faith, nothing of your own. Some of you need to understand that. So when we fast, we don't fast to take sins away or to purify our life. When we fast, we fast to acknowledge that we need God more than we
need food. We fast so that our physical hunger reminds us of our spiritual desire and appetite for God. We fast so that we can press in and pray. When I fast, I always know I'm fasting because my body reminds me. I get up in the morning and I think, wow, I'm hungry. And then I remember I'm fasting. Yeah, I need to press in and seek God. Lunchtime comes and I smell Paco's Tacos and I smell carne asada tacos. Al pastor. That's my favorite tacos. Al pastor. Of course,
I'm a pastor. Tacos al pastor. And you know, there's something about my stomach that says, go in. But I have to tell myself, no, I'm fasting. And why am I fasting? I'm fasting so I can seek God. And so it reminds me depression and seek the heart of God. That's what you're fasting is for. The first time I fasted when I was about 16 years old and I'd heard about it, I'd never really done it. So I took a tent. I was going to fast for three days, took a tent, went out to the hills with my
Bible and my tent, and spent two days there. I felt like I was dying of hunger and I was alone in the mountains, and I just, I it was hard. I ran back home and I ate so much I can't believe I think I got sick, I ate so much. It was hard. But over the years I've learned something about fasting. What our body tends. Your body tends to tell you that it dominates. Carnal people are driven by the desires of the flesh. The body says have sex and they have sex. Don't care if they're married, unmarried,
who it is, what they look like. Party. You get a little drunk. I'm having sex. Your body's dominating. Your body says eat. You overeat over stuff. Eat what's not healthy because your body says you're hungry. Appetites. The flesh. Your body says sleep. You oversleep. Sleep. Way lazing around. And sometimes our body dominates us. You're a slave to the desires of your flesh. The mastery of your body. But there's something about getting up and saying, no, I'm not a slave to my body. I'm a slave to
my spirit. Jesus. His spirit rules in me. So body, get in line. No. No body. I'm telling you today you're not eating because I'm seeking God. No body. I'm telling you today we're getting up early because I'm getting into my Bible and praying nobody. I'm telling you today I'm getting out of bed because I want to be in the house of God, worshiping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Because my spirit rules over my body. My body doesn't tell my being what to do.
My spirit tells my body to get in line. That's what it means to be spirit led as opposed to fleshly led. And some of you are making the transition from being led by the spirit. Because you've lived years dominated by the flesh, you barely know, you barely can say no to your body because your body is dominated you for so long. But God says, no, I've put my spirit inside of your body and you are ruled by the spirit instead of by the flesh. The last thing,
the last point is not only God expects. God sees. God rewards. Seven times the word reward is used. Verse four. Then your heavenly father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you. That's about giving. Verse six. Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. That's about prayer. Verse 14. So then it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but your father who is in heaven is unseen. And your father who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you. That's about fasting. Think about God says, I'm wanting to reward your giving, your fasting, your praying. I'm guaranteeing you God is saying that I will reward you, but I want you to do it for me. I want it to be driven out of your love for me. God says out of your heart's desire to please me, out of your hunger for me. And then I will reward you. And this reward, by the way, splashes into every area of our life. Hebrews 11 says, and without
faith it's impossible to please him. To please God. For whoever draws near to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him. You have to believe that God exists. This is this intangible being in the universe that you cannot see or touch or grab on to. This spirit, God who created the heavens and the earth, who transforms you, yet you cannot see him who speaks to you, yet you have never heard
an audible voice. You must believe that he is. And not only that he is, but that he rewards those that diligently seek him. That's what Hebrews says. Believe that he is and that he rewards. There's something powerful about faith that God says I will honor. Faith that drives us to give. It drives us to pray. And it drives us to fast.
That's Mark Jobe, and this is Bold Steps wrapping up the message entitled The Power Habits. Next time, the first of two parts to the message. It's not over yet. The conclusion to our series. Mark, I want to share an email that came in recently, and I want to read this to you. It should be an encouragement. Susan in Colorado Springs writes to us. I am giving an offering to Moody Radio Bold Steps because I'm so happy to hear Mark Jobe teach the truth in depth in
a way that reveals the heart of God. She says, simply amazing. Thank you.
Susan, thank you so much. That's encouraging. By the way, I've been to Colorado Springs. Beautiful place.
Sure is.
And, you know, that's part of our goal here at Bold Steps. We want to take the truth, the Word of God. And by the way, can I say as as I preach the Word of God, I'm not just preaching to people that need to listen. I am preaching to myself. God is doing a work in me. I'm convicted. As I study, I have to repent. I have to get on my face and say, Lord, am I living this out? And so I love the fact that I get to go through it before I actually share it out.
But that's our goal, is we don't want to just fill your head with, um, knowledge about the truth. We want you to have the practical challenge to apply the truth in your day to day living.
Oh, that's such a good word, Mark. Thank you for that vulnerability. Maybe you're like Susan. And you can also say that Bold Steps has blessed your life. Would you consider helping support this ministry? Because your prayers and financial gifts keep us on the air and online? When you send your gift of any amount, we'll be happy to
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That means you'll get half off every devotional Bible study kids book available at Moody Publishers website. So take your next bold step today and sign up to become a bold partner at Bold steps.org or call 800 Moody. Well, coming your way tomorrow, a special message titled It's not over yet. We're all in a race and there's still time to get life back on track. I hope you're able to join us next time for this encouraging message. I'm Wayne Sheppard. We'll see you Friday. For more bold
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