We serve a God who sees what we do in secret ……
and He says : I can not keep it in secret!
Matthew 6:1, 4-6, 16-18
1- ““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 in heaven. (Jesus is speaking about our charitable deeds , how to help people)
4- so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5- “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, 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.
6- 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.
16- “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17- But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face
(You also can use month wash – Bad breath)
18- so that it will not be 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.”
Jesus talks about three duties of every Christian: giving, praying and fasting.
Jesus doesn’t use the word if, He uses the word when.
What that means ?
Title’s message : The Power of the Secret
We serve a God who sees what we do in secret ……
and He says : I can not keep it in secret !
What you do in secret place , in private discipline is going to release public reward
If you seek me privately – in prayer, in reading the word ….
Just me and you , and I see it , nobody else sees it ……..
when you pushing that table, fasting,
when I see you worshiping me , in repentance, crying out to me , giving tithes and offerings , spending your time helping someone , I WILL REWARD YOU
Christianity is not just conduct , Christianity is not check list biblical rules – Christianity is a relationship with Christ and if you don’t have that – you don’t have anything!
If you read all chapter 6 , He says 3 times : Do not worry
Don’t worry after you give , after you pray , after you fast , don’t worry, don’t worry and he concludes at verse 33
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
God said : Seek first – that’s why we are fasting in the beginning of the year –
He says when you seek me first , when you put me first in your time / get ready – because I have seen what you have done, putting me first / then I Gonna add to you everything you need
Fasting is one of the weapons that release the power of the secret !
Is not easy to fast but it’s powerful!
Fasting is like you are climbing a mountain, it’s very difficult, it’s tiredness, it’s hard , even people, friends , family , are going to criticising you because you’re fasting .
Your own mind are going to tell you : this is not necessary, this is extreme , you need to eat ,
But : God sees what you’re doing in secret and he’s going to release the reward
After fasting – You are going to see miracles in family , miracles in your children!
We are gonna see souls been saved , people coming to Christ , people been healed, people been delivered and the kingdom of God coming over Monaghan , over Ireland 🇮🇪
What you do in secret – God is NOT going to keep in secret / He will release public rewards and everybody will see it!
God say : Because of your private disciple I will release rewards!
Jesus fasted for 40 days , in private, in secret , nobody was in the wilderness, but Him , God and the devil !
3 people see you in the secret!
Be careful what you do in secret ! Everything you do in secret / you are going to receive the result in your life !
God and the devil is watching you what you’re doing in secret !
Be careful with your yes – What are you looking at !
Be careful with your month/ tong what are you saying in the secret ! The judgment, the gossip
Because you are gonna receive the results !
When Jesus was fasting the devil came and said : If you are the son of God ! If you are who you say you are –
Satan was attaching his identity
And Jesus said : it’s written, it’s written, it’s written – I know who I am !
This battle in secret was won when Jesus said : it is written (3 times)
At the end his fasting Luke 4:14 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,…….
Nothing happened when He fasted , but He returned to his life in the power of Holy Spirit
You’re going to return to your job in power of Holy Spirit
You’re going to return to College in the power of the Holy Spirit
After this period of fasting you’re going to see things you never saw before.
Answers are waiting on the top of the fasting mountain
Joel 2:12 God said , “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.””
God is saying : get broken again , be sensitive , been alive in your faith , be in love , come to me again – when you’re fasting and praying that happens in your life !
Remember that : normally
- you don’t have the answers when you are given !
- You don’t have the answers when you are praying
- You don’t have the answers when you are fasting!
Maybe you’re praying and fasting and nothing happens!
The miracle doesn’t come when you fast ! It usually came after the fasting!
You have to win this battle in secret – then your father releases the reward publicly
When you pray and fast we clean the temple of the Holy Spirit – that is our body
Esau was deceived by his brother Jacob because his hunger for food
Esau won a bow of lentil – His brother Jacob said : give me the birth of right and I will give you the food ! (Gen 25:31)
He choose Food over Spiritual blessings / This still happens today !
God sees what you choose in secret !
James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Listen he said : I don’t want my children have dirty hands , Hard hearts , and double minds !
I want you come to me in the secret and say : wash my hands , wash my heart , wash my mind , wash my yes , renew me God , restore the joy of my salvation ,
I’m emptying now so you will fill me up!
That what the secret of fasting , praying and given is !
1 Corinthians 6:12 Paul said ““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”
All things are lawful for me , but not all things are helpful- I will not be under the power of any .
That includes food , includes some addiction – you can fast , you can give up Because you’re not slave ! But children of God !
If you smoke , you can fast this whole week ! If you were not fasting food you can fast this week !
Not just changing food you are eating, but not eating …..
1 Corinthians 10:7 is warning us ! “Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play .””
Do you know God says : If I call you to fast and seek me face and you turn around , sit down, and eat , and drink and play /
God says: I see it as idolatry !
We are not here , just to enjoy life !
We are here to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable to God !
You’re here to bring the Kingdom of God to this Town !
What is amazing is : The more you give of yourself to Him , the more life you’ll enjoy! The more will come alive !
Ordinary people will never see great things from God
if they do not enter in the secret place ! In fasting , praying and giving!
They will be just church members !
Going to the secret place means : clean us !
Everything needs cleaning!
Sometimes your car gets dirty and needs cleaning, your house sometimes needs spray cleaning! Because it start accumulating dirty
Sometimes we need to put the trash out of our house !
We as a christians are the same / we start accumulating dirty and we need to consecrate ourself /
When we go to a fasting , prayer we consecrate : our time , we consecrate our entertainment, our family , our marriage, our tongue, our soul, our spirit , our mind our body
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
The bible is saying: Cleans ourself – How do I do that?
when you go on a fast , praying , you’re saying God cleans me from the dirty ness , impurity of my flesh and of the spirit
Fasting is taking spiritual bath , fasting is taking the trash out , all the rubbish , all the works of the flesh , all of the faults, all the things we’ve sinned , all we have look at , we have seen,
When you became a carnal Christian , neglecting the word of God , neglecting to fast , neglecting to help people / something is wrong with you !
You start accumulating so much of world in your life , your heart is not receptive and sensitive to the Holy Spirit
But When you fast you take the trash out and The Holy Spirit presence comes back
Because your body is the temple of the living God !
We were made by him , you were born for him, if we do not watch we start accumulating trash , rubbish in your life and when you fast you take the trash out!
When you fast You empty yourself of the rubbish.
We need seasons of prayer , fasting to clean ourselves
When you fast you’re saying: God take the trash out / I’m yours , I belong to you
He sees what you’re doing in the secret – that you’re cleaning yourself !
He is going to reward you !
I want to challenge all of you this next week, the last week Fasting
I challenge you to Hassle, to fight against your flesh and to go to the secret place !
Fasting meals , fasting entertainment, and going to the secret place !
Amen ? Do you accept this challenge?
For those who are not baptised, we’re gonna have soon our next Baptism and if you are smoking, please this week fast cigarette !
I know your flesh are going to manifest: but you need to hassle, you need to fight against your flesh and the Holy Spirit are going to help you!
Every voice in hell gonna say : give up , give up – but you need to hassle, to struggle, to fight as the same Jacob hassle with the Angel !
I won’t let you go if you do not bless me !
When you fast you have power from God and favour with man (Genesis 32)
You are going to see the power of the secret place !
This why I fell strongly in this fasting : God is going to reward us Publicly!! (Also As a church)
He is going to prepare a table in the presence of our enemies !
God that sees private discipline and He’s not keep it in secret and He will reward you openly in 2018 if you seek Him first.