For Real Or For Show
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – For Real or For Show
Bro Timothy Ting | 24 August 2025 | Matthew 6:1–18
Sometimes in life, things look so real but turn out to be false. It looks genuine, it feels exciting—but later you find out it’s nothing more than a scam. The experience leaves a mark. It teaches you to be more careful, to look beyond appearances, and to warn others so they don’t fall into the same trap.
Jesus gives us the very same kind of lesson in Matthew 6. Faith, charity, prayer, fasting—these can all look real on the outside, but the real test is whether they are genuine before God. Just like the scam promised something but delivered nothing, outward “show religion” may earn temporary applause from men but carries no eternal reward. The lesson is simple yet piercing: what matters is not what looks convincing to others, but what is sincere before God.
The Warnings – Beware of Hypocrisy
Jesus began with a strong caution: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1 NKJV).
He then applied this to three areas of righteousness: giving, praying, and fasting. In each case, the pattern is the same:
Warning: Don’t do it for show, like the hypocrites.
Proper practice: Do it in secret, before God.
If we seek man’s glory, we may gain temporary praise but lose eternal reward. “Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16 NKJV).
Giving – For God, Not for Show
Warning: “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do… that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:2 NKJV).
Proper Practice: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:3–4 NKJV).
True giving is done quietly, without craving recognition. Humans naturally seek glory, but when we take glory for ourselves, we rob God of what belongs to Him.
Prayer – Sincere and Secret
Warning: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing… that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:5 NKJV).
Proper Practice: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6 NKJV).
Prayer is not about impressing others. It is about sincerity before God, pouring out our true hearts to Him.
Fasting – Genuine, Not for Attention
Warning: “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance… that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Matthew 6:16 NKJV).
Proper Practice: “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:17–18 NKJV).
Even fasting, a deeply spiritual act, can be corrupted if done for attention. Jesus calls us to do it humbly, seeking God alone.
The Heart of the Matter
Jesus repeats three times: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” This is the key truth. Temporary applause from men fades away, but God’s reward is eternal.
As Paul wrote: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23–24 NKJV).
Modern Applications – For Real or for Show
This teaching is not outdated—it applies directly to us today.
Public worship: Are we attending and serving for God’s glory, or for the praise of men? Teachers and preachers especially face temptation, because their words and delivery are visible, like praying at a street corner. Constantly ask yourself: Would I still do this work even if no one gave me a single compliment?
Social media: Do our posts promote self-glory or God’s glory? Are we subtly “sounding a trumpet” with every act of service?
The test is simple:
What am I truly seeking—God’s approval, self-approval, or people’s approval?
Can I keep it secret, or do I feel compelled to tell others?
What’s my true motivation—would I still do it if no one noticed?
These questions reveal the heart. At the same time, Jesus’ words do not mean we should never encourage or appreciate others. Encouragement helps spur one another on—but our motives must remain pure.
Closing Thought
In giving, in prayer, and in fasting, the central question remains: Are we doing it for real—or for show? God is not fooled by appearances. He looks at the heart. May we serve Him with sincerity, knowing that our Father who sees in secret will Himself reward us openly.
