Secret Things

Introduction

Are you ready? I want to take you through a range of emotions as we begin this morning. I have a secret. I know something that you don’t know. But that secret’s not about me. It’s about somebody else. And I may be willing to tell that secret this morning. But that secret’s about you. You know, we all have secrets, don’t we? We all have something about us that others don’t and maybe sometimes can’t know. What about those secrets? What about the things about you? And you can relax now, because what about the things about you that I don’t know? And that no one else on earth knows. I want to talk to you about some secret things this morning. And again, I’m not going to reveal any of your secrets, mainly because I don’t know them.

1. Good Things Being Done in Secret

And I’m surely not going to reveal any of my secrets. But I want to talk about what we share in common. And that is our secrets. Let’s start on the positive. Let’s start on the positive and recognize this that your brethren are good people. And because of that, there are many good and encouraging things being done in secret. And you never know about them. You know, sometimes we may become discouraged because we do know little about one another. And we have little exposure with one another. We get to see each other on Sundays and Wednesday nights.

We may think, is that all there is? Sure, those people go to church. But what else are they doing? Are they really living the Christ? I don’t get to see them living the Christian life. I don’t get to see them doing good deeds of charity and kindness and studying their Bibles and reaching out to the lost and helping others. And I may become suspicious and even cynical and wonder if those things are being done at all. But they are. You just don’t get to see them always. And that’s the way it ought to be. Turn with me in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us that as his father’s children, that we ought to be full of good works. But we don’t have to be showy about that.

In Matthew chapter 6, you’ll recognize this admonition in Matthew chapter 6 and in verse 1 it says, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have their glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, 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 reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogue and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.

Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you’ve shut your door, pray to your father who is in the secret place, and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Jesus commands there to do many of our Christian deeds in secret, to many of us may seem counterintuitive. Because we may want people to see. We may want people to know, we may want that instant reward, that instant gratification.

In fact, we may not like doing something if we don’t get credit for it. But Jesus tells us that whether it be our charitable deeds or whether it be our private prayers, that we don’t do those openly to be seen by men. And I want to tell you this morning that your brethren, to a large degree, are living out their Christian lives that way. You just don’t get to see it. But it’s happening. Prayers are being offered. Bibles are being opened and read and studied. Charitable deeds are being taken care of. Encouragement of fallen and weak brethren is happening. People are reconciling. People are helping one another. And just because you don’t get to see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

But I’ll kind of tell you a secret.

2. Be as Much a Christian in Secret as in Public

But oftentimes I get to see what you don’t see. And I don’t want to violate Matthew 6 for another person, but I’ll let you know good things are being done. Be encouraged. But what about you? Is that you? Are you doing those good things that Jesus says we need to be about but doing them privately? Is that you? Are you offering those prayers privately? Are you encouraging others, not in some grand show of piety, but doing it nonetheless. I want to encourage you to start. To start your Christian private life. You understand that there is no thing. There is nothing in the scriptures that would lead us to the conclusion that God is okay with a part-time Christian. We’re to be Christians in every facet and every way in every arena of our lives.

Privately, sometimes publicly, but many times in secret, doing the work of a child of God, of just living our good Christian lives. Don’t just measure your faith by church things. You are just as much a Christian and a child of God when you leave this building as you are inside it. You are just as much a Christian and a child of God when you’re surrounded by worldly ungodly people as you are when you assemble together and are surrounded by good godly people. Be a Christian. But don’t be overwhelmed. Don’t become overly discouraged. Because sometimes when we look into the mirror, and we should, we may think that we’re losing this spiritual battle. That we may think that it’s inevitable that we will never be a child of God in this fullest sense of the word, that we can never do it.

We may feel like I’m not doing that. And I’m failing. But please understand this this morning. The answer to temporary failure is never permanent failure. Be better. Look in the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. After noticing the encouragement and the example of those old Testament saints who had sacrificed and given so much. Then he turns the focus upon us and upon our lives as Christians and what we ought to be doing, as he would say in the beginning verses, as we’re running the race that is set before us. Look what he says in Hebrews chapter 12. Begin in verse 12. Hebrews chapter 12. And in verse 12, he says, therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. And make straight paths for your feet.

So that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed. What a powerful encouragement. The Hebrew writer is saying, I know you’re not doing it right yet. You’re not doing all you need to do. In fact, he says, you’re walking with a limp in this spiritual race. But he doesn’t say give up. He says strengthen. Be encouraged. Don’t let that limp turn into a full-blown spiritual handicap.

3. People Are Going Through Hard Times in Secret

Start small. Make a list. But decide, determine today that you’re going to be as much a Christian in secret as you are in public. You can do it. Another thing about secrets that we need to know and be aware of spiritually is that people are going through hard times, facing struggles. And to a large extent, they’re doing that in secret.

You don’t know. Remember those three words. You don’t know. Whether that person you encounter is a Christian or not a Christian. You don’t know what they’re going through. You don’t know what family struggles they may be having. You don’t know if their marriage is in shambles and they’re trying their best to hold that relationship together. You don’t know if that parent is crying themselves to sleep at night as they’re waiting for that prodigal son or daughter to come home.

We’re pretty good at hiding it.

Trying their best, maybe failing temporarily at times, but you don’t know. Several years ago when we lived in Missouri, we turned off of Rangeline Road onto 20th Street on our way home. Familiar path. But this day, a not so familiar occurrence happened. We saw a car approaching us that was driving up into the yards of the houses that lined 20th Street. Doing so at a rapid speed so that we could see yards in advance the dust and the dirt and the grass flying. And in my rash judgment and impatience, I got mad. Because I could tell from almost a half a mile away that that was a teenager. Who was disrespecting people’s yards, tearing through it. And I had determined, and Deedra will tell you I have a problem thinking I’m the world’s policeman.

I had determined that I was going to put a stop to it. That I was going to turn around and follow them home and give them a good talking to.

Come to find out that wasn’t a teenager who wasn’t being disrespectful, who wasn’t destroying other people’s property.

And someone kinder and more understanding than me had recognized that. And rather than pulling them over and getting them told, they pulled their vehicle in front of his vehicle. And matched his speed. And then slowly slowed down and let that truck hit the back of their car to bring it to a stop before it went out onto the busy intersection. Before we make rash judgments, before we speak in haste, realize you don’t know. Look with me in the book of 1 Peter. We ought to know. Or at least kind of know. Look in 1 Peter chapter 5. Now you don’t know, but you kind of know, or you should, that people are going through stuff. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 9, after saying we need to be vigilant and be looking out for Satan, he says this in 1 Peter 5, verse 9, resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

We ought to have some clue, shouldn’t we? That people are going through some bad stuff. Because I am.

Look in the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Colossians chapter three, and in verse twelve, here’s our response.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and long suffering. What about you? What are you going through? I know it’s something. I know something that’s testing your faith, as it’s testing your patience. Something that’s making you want to just stand up and scream in anger. We don’t know. But we want to help. And whether you want to divulge those secrets or not, just know that you’ve got brethren that love you and want to help. And as Peter said, are going through the same things in their life? Well, we’ve all got secrets. Some of them good, some of them troubling.

4. Some Secrets Are Just Bad

But some of them are just bad. You and I know this is no revelation to you this morning that we live in a culture and a time in which it seems that more and more people are sinning just right out in the open. They don’t care who sees, who knows, there’s no sense of shame. They’ve lost the ability to blush. But there’s also still sin being done under the guise of darkness. Look at the warning of Jesus in the book of Luke, chapter 12. His familiar target, the Pharisees, were guilty of this. When he says in Luke chapter 12, let’s look at the first three verses. Luke 12, verse 1, in the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, he began to say to his disciples, first of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

For there’s nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you’ve spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Let me correct something I’ve been saying all morning. We all have secrets. They’re not really secrets, are they? Because somebody knows. And somebody sees.

Anybody who’s struggling with living that double life, who wears that mask of Christianity and of godliness and holiness, when all along you know, in your heart of hearts that inside is dead man’s bones. You know the burden of living that double life, of putting forth that face of being a child of God when you know the truth. You truly have those skeletons in the closet. And you think that no one knows. And you may even be able to fool yourself for part of the time. But remember the words of the Hebrew writer in Hebrews chapter 4.

In Hebrews chapter 4, beginning in verse 12, it says, For the word of God, the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. And he adds this, and there is no creature hidden from his sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

Was it simply to say you’re not going to get away with it? Was it to say, because you’re doing that, you’re going to be lost eternally? No hope. No. Because he goes on to say, seeing then that we have a great high priest who’s passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That’s the answer to our secrets. Come to God. He already knows. Then why not come to Him? And let the maybe the only one who knows, and certainly the only one who can deal with the sin in your life.

Conclusion

Why not come to Him? What about you? What are you doing? Why not come to His throne this morning? If you’ve never become a Christian, why not recognize that no matter what you have done, no matter what He has seen, you have a sympathetic high priest who has shed his blood and who is standing at the sitting at the right hand of the Father, pleading on your behalf. Why not believe in him? Confess your faith, repent of those sins, and be baptized this morning. Maybe you’ve done that, but there’s still something in your life, some secret that you may have that stands between you and God. You still have a sympathetic high priest who is still pleading. To whom you can still come boldly and confess your sins.

What are our secrets? And who truly knows? If we can help you in any spiritual way as you answer the gospel call this morning, why not come right now as we stand and as we sing?