“From the Inside-Out” February 17, 2010

Matthew 6:1-6 Ash Wednesday

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

I. If the snow ever melts then people will be able to move from indoor activities like watching television to outdoor activities like gardening and mowing the grass.

A. And those who enjoy playing baseball or softball or golf will start practicing their swing.

1. In those three sports some of the better athletes, like Derek Jeter who plays shortstop for the New York Yankees, use what is known as an inside-out swing and it sure works for them.

II. For those of us who call ourselves Christians we would do well beginning this Ash Wednesday to follow that pattern of inside-out.

A. Beginning in Matthew 6:1 Jesus encourages his followers to employ three ancient acts of Jewish piety which are almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

1. Each of these acts begins on the inside and then they have outward manifestations.

2. The early church followed up on this guidance from Jesus and strongly urged believers to commit themselves to these three practices during Lent in the hope that such acts would become second nature and would then be practiced for the rest of the year.

3. Since athletes talk about their swing becoming routine it is not much of a stretch for us Christians to say that we want our spiritual disciplines to become part of our every day routine.

4. While it pleases the coach or manager or even the team owner for whom an athlete plays to see the athlete being so disciplined, how much more must it please God when our Creator observes us being committed to our spiritual disciplines.

5. So today I remind you that historically the church has called upon its members to more deeply commit themselves during Lent to the spiritual disciplines of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

III. But let me caution you about how you carry out these spiritual disciplines.

A. Most athletes practice their disciplines to bring glory to themselves.

1. The Olympic athletes are trying to bring some glory to their country but there is great personal glory one receives when there is a gold, silver or bronze medal hanging around your neck.

B. When we Christians practice our disciplines we are to remember that we do so for the purpose of lifting up the Savior, Jesus Christ, rather than ourselves.

1. In the portion of the Sermon of the Mount that I read earlier Jesus is preaching to people like me who like to be noticed and affirmed for whatever I’m doing.

2. I admit, I like attention, but Jesus says to folks like me, “If that’s how you go about these practices you’ll receive the praise of men and women and that will be the end of it. If you’re that self-centered you won’t receive God’s blessing.”

3. Then Jesus goes on to point out that if these practices are done in secret, as in privately, then God alone will see them and that will convey to God that you are undertaking these practices for the right reason and when done for the right reason God will be moved to bless you.

4. So I guess you and I have a choice – do these things with a brass band accompanying our activities and receive a kind word from our friends or do these things quietly, even silently, and be blessed by the Almighty God.

5. And that is a choice we make.

IV. To assist us in making this all important choice the church observes Ash Wednesday whose primary purpose is to remind us of our mortality.

A. Through the imposition of the ashes when the words are spoken “You are dust and to dust you shall return” there is in an essence a gentle whisper that says “It’s not about you.”

1. Life is not about glorifying myself or any of the rest of creation, but is about glorifying the Creator.

2. The words that Jesus spoke and the church continues to speak “Repent and believe the gospel” is a strong rebuke to our tendency to protect our own image and ego rather than growing in the image of God.

V. In an article by Jeffrey Tribble, Sr. who is on the faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, he asks “Might the season of Lent be a time of penitence and transformation from our selfish consumerism to unselfish contributor?”

A. “What if during Lent we learn to serve together with persons of other races, classes, churches and religions without being concerned about who gets the credit?”

1. “What if repenting, believing, and doing the gospel were to become more important than our reputations?”

2. One part of the good news for today is that despite of our mixed motives, imperfections, and many mistakes, God uses hearts that are right.

3. And getting our hearts right is inside-out work.

4. Let us begin practicing that this Ash Wednesday and continue practicing our spiritual disciplines all Lent so that those disciplines become part of our everyday life and God receives the glory for it.