A Canadian who has skated since childhood is invited to the rink and immediately thinks about whom he will impress, only later remembering he was supposed to go for his wife and daughter. That very itch to be seen is where Jesus begins, speaking about giving, prayer and fasting (Matthew 6). The Greek word we translate as hypocrite simply meant an actor swapping masks, and a religious act on its own changes no one. Listen and ask how much of what you do for God would remain if nobody ever found out about it.
Discreet Righteousness
Missio Dei
What’s important in this series is its reference to the broader picture of the Missio Dei—that is, God’s plan for the redemption of ALL creation. The point is to show that everything we do—our commitment, our self-sacrifice, our prayer, our fasting, or our acts of service—is all part of a larger story, and we want to do these things because we are part of the Missio Dei, or God’s mission.
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10 sermons
