Secret Ministry
I really want to talk about something dear to my heart…and that is “the words of Jesus”. I want to call us to a more “obedient” place to His Word. After Jesus just called us to a higher call ….one of the most important messages in Matthew 5 titled “The Sermon on the Mount”, he then gives us instruction for “Secret Ministry” in Matthew 6:1-18. He instructs us in Matthew 6:1 to “Take heed” (Pay attention) that we DO NOT our alms before men, to be see of them: OTHERWISE we will have NO REWARD of our Father in heaven. This word “ALMS” in the Greek translates as “compassionateness, mercy, benefaction or donation to the poor”, basically “OUR GIVING”. God says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that every man as he purposeth in HIS HEART, so let him give, NOT grudgingly, or of necessity, for GOD loveth a cheerful giver. SO GIVING starts predominately by what is in your HEART. What is your HEART motive for GIVING? I am hoping it is NOT done with the following motives: 1. Competition with others as in “AUCTION Style” giving 2. Manipulation to give based on coercion, obligation, guilt or threats of curses 3. To be SEEN before men and that gives us affirmation. JESUS instructs us to “DO IT IN SECRET”, because he warns us in Matthew 6:2 that “the hypocrites” do it loudly for attention in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have “glory of men”, and THIS is their reward. HE instructs us in Verse 4 “That thine alms may be in SECRET: and they Father which seeth in SECRET himself shall reward thee openly”. GIVING is a “SECRET MINISTRY” to the Father.
The second “SECRET MINISTRY” that Jesus instructs us in is PRAYER in verses 5-8, and says in verse 6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (ROOM), and when thou hast SHUT THE DOOR, PRAY to thy FATHER which is IN SECRET: and thy Father which seeth in SECRET shall reward thee openly. Jesus then instructs us even by giving us a pattern and specifics on HOW to pray in verses 7-13, and along with PRAYING a PRE-REQUISITE to being able to PRAY is “walking in forgiveness” in verses 14-15.
The third “SECRET MINISTRY” that Jesus instructs us in is FASTING. He warns us again in verse 16 “Moreover when ye 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”. SO again, we see here, where men are doing something that looks really GOOD, but the motive of their HEART is not of GOD! These hypocrites are basically announcing to the people around them, “Hey look at me, I’m fasting”. Again, we always have to SEARCH our HEARTS and allow the Lord to point out to us the “HEART motives” that are NOT of HIM! Jesus then gave us instructions on how to fast in verses 17-18.
So we learn in Matthew 6:1-18 that JESUS’s intention was for a part of our ministry to be a “SECRET MINISTRY” done for HIM and for HIS reward. Pleasing MY LORD, and carrying HIS MOTIVES and HEART, should always be MY FOCUS! THIS….in essence is “SECRET MINISTRY”!
