The World's Applause

Matthew 6:1

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.

Romans 3 is a tough passage to read and an even tougher passage to swallow.  In this passage of Scripture, Paul makes it clear by quoting Old Testament words: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no now who does good, not even one."  Those words are just from verses 10 through 12.  Paul goes on to say in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Why is this a tough passage to read, a tough passage to swallow?  I believe it is because we want to believe we are good; we want to believe we are better than this.  The truth is simple: we are not good; we are sinners.  The words in Romans 3 are not all tough to read or tough to swallow.  We also find these words from Romans 3:24, which offer us freedom: "And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Thank God for His amazing grace!  Thank God for Jesus!

One of the struggles we face with sin is the promotion of self.  As sinners, we need to be rescued.  Yes, we need to be rescued from sin; but more than that, we need to be rescued from self.  Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 6:1, "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."  He goes on to say in Matthew 6:5-6, "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.  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."  Jesus points out a very particular and prideful problem: seeking the world's applause.  When we are full of self and deep in our own sinful desire, we really want the world to know just how good we are.  We really want the world to see all the good we have done and are doing.  When we are full of self, we really love the world's applause.  Jesus warns us over and over again to deny self, to turn from sin, and to walk humbly with our God.  In another passage, Jesus again warns of the dangers that come from seeking the world's applause.  In Matthew 23:2-12, Jesus says, "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.  EVERYTHING THEY DO IS DONE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE; they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others.  But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.  THE GREATEST AMONG YOU WILL BE YOUR SERVANT.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Recently, I brought up the subject of our PRIDE PROBLEM.  What can we do about the pride in our lives?  We confess it; we repent of it; we trust and believe in Jesus; and we walk in humility before God and man.  I believe the same can be said in this area.  We need to be careful when receiving the world's applause, just as we need to be careful when receiving the world's rejection.  If we are living for the applause of man, then we are living in a prideful place.  If we are constantly wanting attention for ourselves, then we are fulfilling the desires of our own sinful hearts.  Paul asked the questions in Galatians 1:10, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?"  He gave a chilling response to his own questions: "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."  Wow!  When I want the attention of the world, the applause of the world, then I am living for self.  When I am trying to please people, then I am not serving Christ, but rather, I am serving self.  Jesus made it clear with His word and His life that He came to serve, that He came to give attention to the Father.  Jesus said in Mark 10:42-45, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Jesus makes it clear that we are to humble ourselves before the Father.  We are to put on humility and servanthood.  When we practice righteousness, let's remember that we are not righteous in and of ourselves.  When we practice righteousness it is the righteousness of Christ, and it is practiced for the glory of God.  It is practiced for His attention, for His sake.  What I have found with the worlds' applause is that it will never be enough!  It will never truly satisfy!  Lord, help me.  I am a sinner.  I turn from my sin and my self.  I deny myself.  I need You to rescue me.  Lord, I need Your help when it comes to pride and when it comes to attention and applause.  In my sinful and selfish nature, I crave attention of man.  I crave the world's applause.  However, I see in Your Word that I must turn from this sinful state.  I see in Your Word that I am to live differently.  Help me to be a humble servant in Your kingdom.  Help me to be like Jesus, to live like Jesus, and to love like Jesus.  Thank You for saving me, for sanctifying me!  Thank You for forgiving me and for enabling me to live for You!  I choose today to confess my sin, to repent of my sin, and to believe in what You say in Your Word.  I choose today to walk in this truth!  Amen!