Do It In Secret.

Matthew 6:3 - 4 "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: (4.) That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." We want to look today at doing something in secret; and no we are not talking about sinful acts. We are talking about “alms” or compassionate acts or acts of generosity or etc. Have you ever noticed that people and a lot of “Christians” have few secret acts of generosity about them. If you watch so many today they want everyone to see them drop money in the plate at church or they will make sure everyone knows what they did because they want to be known for their acts of kindness. There is simply too much of this in our society and a way too much among those that call themselves Christians. I will confess and smile when I say in our church this is not an issue. We have some good gracious folks that simply want to beautify God house or help financially or do acts of graciousness in other areas and desire that no one ever knows. I remember back several years when the churches fund got so low that there was not enough to pay the Pastors salary; and someone graciously contributed enough to pay that and leave a little in the church fund. Now, if the church could not pay the Pastor that would have been absolutely fine; but due to these gracious folks or person I received my paid in full. Now as low as the church fund was at the time I told the church not to worry about it the Lord will supply and He did; however as mush as I wanted to return the check, how could I. What a blessing this person or persons must have received from God! Now as close as Brother Mollette and I am; I never asked who it was and he never told me. So as small as our church was at the time I still today several years later have no idea who it was; but God does, and He will be the rewarder of those that did it. I used this as an example because this is absolutely the proper way acts of graciousness should be done. And may I add even several years later your act of kindness has not gone unremembered by this Pastor; nor has it by God. The Lord says not to let your right hand know what you left hand does because some things beloved is simply between you and the Lord. The Lord also says “…thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." Two very important details here: (a.) God sees everything and (b.) God knows everything; therefore He never forgets anything except for the sins covered by the blood of Jesus. When you do alms for the Lord then they are for the Lord and therefore your Pastor and others in the church never need to know; because would you rather be rewarded by man or God? Psalmist said “Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Psalms 139:12 Beloved it is also so with prayer; we do not need to speak to be heard and we certainly do not need to speak to be heard of man. Matthew 6:6 "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." Notice very carefully that both of theses acts; the gracious giving and the gracious prayer both will be manifested by God and opened for all to see and beloved that will be a wonderful revealing. Luke 8:17 “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Therefore beloved “do it in secret” and if God wants it made known He will make it known. It may be like to the person or persons that gave above and beyond to make sure this Pastor received his pay; it may not be made known until we are in heaven and God openly rewards them.