Jump to content
JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q1. Performing for 'the Audience of One'


Recommended Posts

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

The commands in this section are those of how we must do

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

When I minister others in any way; pray; and tithe, I do it to honor and glorify one - God Almighty. Not for anyone else and not for my personal glorification.

The sin of pride can be dealt with by spending time with God alone.

Often times some churches and organizations will use human nature (pride/egotism), to promote the open giving in a competitive way that brings glory to the individual and not to God. They are trying to make money and not looking at what Jesus taught in giving and serving. Drop the pride and ego.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

(1) We are not to do our giving and praying for other's, it is for God only, our audience of One. (2) We are to give our of love and not for our wants and our own desires. Show the love of God by putting other's first. (3) Churches and non-profit organizations often use pride to motivate people to give. They thank by being seen in giving, God is going to bless you greater, but they are being selfish, looking out for themselves only. God looks at the Heart!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

The commands in this section relate to the "performance of one " in the sense that whatever we do we should do it in the name of God and not in the name of our fellow men. Our alms and offerings should be because we love God and not because we want people to see us so that they can praise us. The chief sin addressed here is self centredness, self praise, palying to the people rather than to God.

When such groups as NGOs and even churches ask for donations they usually do it with pomp. Those who have given are publicly praised and decorated. The danger is that the donor may be tempted to enjoy the pomp rather than God's glory in giving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

We are to do things, e.g. fasting, praying, giving to the poor in secret with God, not openly for others to see.

The antidote for pride is to spend more secret time with God. It is in these times we are free to receive His word, and listen to what He has to say to us, without being bombarded by "audiences" who see our good works

They may print that person's name and photo for everyone else to see or they may manipulate them by telling them they will only put a plaque in their name if they give a certain amount or more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"?

Our giving, praying and fasting need not be done to impress others but rather these should be done out of love for our Lord.

What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here?

The chief sin here is "pride." The antidote for this sin is genuine love for others.

In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

Some churches motivate their people to give by offering them rewards for giving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

Everything that we do should be done so that our Father in Heaven will be glorified and get the praise. If we do anything with love in our hearts, this will be accomplished. It is not about me-it IS about God and His work and will to be done by us.

If we think we are going to get something for our contribution, then we will be more willing to give more. That's why preachers on tv make offers like they do. You send them a big offering and they'll send you a big prize.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One" by instructing us to not make our giving, sharing, or praying in public but just for God's eyes. The antidote for the chief sin is love. Churches and non-profit organizations use this sin by encouraging people to be public with their giving, playing on their pride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?
we could never know love, until we surrender too it. all is amiss in our own power. we struggle to love, we try our best to relate to others as they hurt deeply, yet our compassion usually fades as we walk out the door in another direction. but HIS love refreshes and embraces,restores us in deeper relations with Himself and with others, as we yield to His spirit. you know its been said, see a need, fill a need. but what good is this without first being in line with His spirit? we must be in right relationship with God and His spirit will come through us. and giving will become so much easier without thinking about it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

Wen we pray, we are to pray to the Father with a loving and sincere heart. It is not to be a show for men or even to draw attention to ourselves. The motive of our righteousness should be for Christ only. The chief sin was pride. The antidote is God's love and His righteousness. In churches, they make a spectacke of the people by putting their names and how much they gave on a public record or announce it out loud, and they intimidate other people in doing this. They praise and fuss over themselves, saying look what I have done. It is so wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

We are to give to our brothers and sisters without letting other men see our acts of kindness. When only our Lord knows about our kindess it exalts him because we are not giving for a reward from men, but out of a loving heart given to us by the love of God. Prayer. Praying to God to replace the sinful giving and helping us to give for the love of our Father in heaven. By exalting people for an earthly reward in front of other members of the church.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18)

How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

The three areas of practical righteousness Jesus deals with here, namely, charitable deeds, prayer, and fasting, should all be done for His approval only, not for our own glorification. It is only by spending secret time with our Heavenly Father that we learn to reflect His love onto others; and not to be too concerned with self. Professional fund raisers get us to donate more by exalting the person; letting the whole world see what a wonderful and generous person they are; getting them to bask in personal glory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

All the commands are related to good things that people often do for the wrong motives. Jesus is telling us that we should be doing good works because we love and follow Him, not to be seen by others and to gain status as being better or more religious than they are. The main sin that is being addressed is pride. The antidote is to go to God in private prayer and deepen your love relationship with Him. God will fill you with so much love, the approval and acclamation of others will cease to be a motivation for you. You will do the good things Jesus talks about out of your desire to love as God does, and for His approval, not the world's.

Many oganizations use pridefulness in their fundraising efforts. They may put up plaques with people's names on them, or statues, or give progressively nicer gifts for different levels of donation. They may encourage people to go up in front of a crowd to show that they are giving, or even to show how much they are giving. There are many other ways as well, but what they all boil down to is exploiting the human tendency to pridefulness, the need to say "hey look at me! I do way more than you, or him, or her."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

In this section, Jesus is warning people against pride. Often people want to get approval from other humans rather than from God. God requires that are good deeds and prayers be done in secret. Churches and non-profits know that people what this type of approval. They may name a building after someone, or put plaques on the wall, or give special recognition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

If we pray/donate/fast, we have to do that for the Lord and not to make good impression on people.

Pride is very bad so we have to do things in private.

They make you feel guilty if you don't give them money.

In my country, people come to the door to collect money and they most times have a list on which you can write youre name.

That way, you can see how much the neighbours gave.

No need to say that this method raises more money than just a box in which you can put money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

We should only do things for God and not seek to gain others' favour. We must always think about our motives and try to serve only God. Be quiet and not flashy. Be there to help and to comfort and to be a friend...don't expect praise or even thanks.

Sometimes churches get so caught up in pomp and ceremony as well as trying to force people to give more..that they do not encourage people to act out of love..but for show, recognition or fame..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

[quuote name=Pastor Ralph' date='19 December 2007 - 10:33 PM' timestamp='1198121594' post='32203]

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

We need to give to thole who are needy, to give our time and with discernment a piece of our heart. Is we can teach them to be fishermen and so they learn how to fish, we have helped them come out of poverty a little. Our "job" is to give to those who are needy, and not seek any reward. Just to be doing in God's time what would please him. To seek nothing in return.

If we have pride it is because our notion of "love" to others has been mutated by our life experience. We need to let God heal us in private prayer and submission to Him. This will allow us to give and seek noithing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? The audience of one is God. Whatever we do in response to this command must be done before God alone to please Him adn Him only.

What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? Spending time with God, turning ourselves solely towards God and away from the World and our own desires.

In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give? All humans crave to some extent the appreciation and approbation of other humans. Some churches and non-profit organiastions play on this desire by offering people a way to feed this craving. We should turn away from this (not from the giving part) but from the expectation of gaining recognition of others as a result of our giving. The only recognition we should crave is that of God.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? If we examine our hearts and see that we truly love God and people, then we should do our good works for God and not to be noticed by people.

What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? The main sin is pride, and the way to combat it is to remain focused on God. We should talk with Him daily and read His word to stay ahead of this temptation.

In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give? Both often have contests where the people who donate funds have their names attached to their giving. Then, the ones who give are often publicized with how much they have given.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

The commands in this section relate to performing for the audience of one by Jesus warning us not to seek man's approval when doing services to God such as prayer fasting and caring for the poor. The chief sin that os addressed here is pride and the antedote is time alone with God. Many churches and non-denominations will send newsletters and in it write a thankyou to their "financial partners" and list them all often times categorizing them with different level of giving such as "lifetime" or "gold" etc. I never really thought about it in this way before but now can see how thatcould make people feel proud to see their name in a public newsletter like that from the community hospital or local crisis pregnancy center. I also will refrain from reading those as I don't need to have any idea who has given what to taint my view of people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

Our good deeds are to be done from our heart, not for recognition from others. If our deeds are pure, and done out of love than the only audience we need is Jesus. Since God's knows all that is in our hearts, all our motives, He sees everything, He IS the audience of one!

antidote-Humility. Know God's love so you can share God's love. Godly love and humility are the antidote.

Advertizement, giving away free materials,to draw people into participating in programs for the poor. visualization-showing picture of the poor.This is all fine, IF it draws people in for all the right reasons and the organization does not take advantage of the monies collected. Awarding a person for giving with a plaque or in some cases a wing or wall in the church itself, a statue, or some other type of influential reward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18)

How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"?

The commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One" in that, whatever we do or give we should not do or give to be seen by others but we should give and do as we are giving to or doing for the Lord.

What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here?

The antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here is LOVE.

In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

Churches and non-profit organisations use this sin to motivate people to give by -

- putting a person's name on a publicly displayed plaque if they give at a certain level;

- getting people to publicly wave a certain denomination of bill that they plan to give;

-- trooping down to the front of the church to make an offering that can be seen by all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The problem seems to be pride. Could this be taken one step fruther? Is it pride before men, or pride before God? If I consider the question from that perspective it clarifies things for me. We could never be prideful before God. He eclipes all things so anything we might do would pale.

So any pride we exhibit would have to be before men. In that context we put men's praise before God's. Isn't that the issue? Can we value the opinions of sinful, fallible men over the the perfect judgement of God? Seems just another slight to His Lordship.

Organizations built by men seem to often be built on self-importance and self-praise. The values are too often the things men want rather than what God wants. Can prideful men judge themselves, their actions and their values as God judges them? I think this is a blindness God deals with when He 'ruins' some people's lives.

Out of the blessed ashes He may create His better workmanship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

"Performing for the audience of One" is for God.  Often we do things like praying, helping others, and giving so others can see what we do.  We should give to "impress" God.  We need to give with a cheerful heart and with the intention of helping another in Christian. love.  Pride is something that really goes before a fall.  People can be insecure and need the personal pats on the back of others to feel they have done something good.  All we really need is the love of our Heavenly Father.  A lot of times the Churches use Matthew 25 and the fact that several of your friends have already given to make you give also.  When you give it should be give with the right intentions.  Those intentions are because of the love of your neighbor and the increasing of His Kingdom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...