SERMON SERIES · HEART AND SOUL

All Hat No Cattle

Jesus had hard words for people who looked impressive on Sunday and were empty on Monday. This message from Matthew 6 unpacks what authentic Christianity actually requires when no one is watching.

You want to be a Christian that makes a difference in the world. You need a prayer life that is felt, not seen.

WHAT THIS SERMON IS ABOUT

Authentic Christianity Starts Where No One Is Watching

All hat, no cattle. It is what people in the south say about a person who struts around looking the part with nothing to back it up. Big belt buckle. Pressed shirt. Not a speck of dirt anywhere. But when you go looking for the herd, there is no herd. Jesus had a word for the religious version of that person. Hypocrite. The original Greek word meant a stage actor wearing a mask. Valor Church is an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado, serving Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, and Candelas. Sundays at 10am at Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave.

The text is Matthew 6:1-8 and 16-18, the next section of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus moves from how to handle the law to how to handle religious practice. Giving. Praying. Fasting. Three times he warns his followers not to do these things to be seen by people. Three times he promises that the Father who sees in secret will reward you. The Greek word for hypocrite is hypokrites, a play actor wearing a mask. Jesus is saying the religious leaders of his day were performers, and the mask was hiding a dead heart underneath.

Two observations carry the sermon. First, God is your audience and your rewarder. The fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that God is watching and weighing every thought, word, action, and attitude. That is not paranoia. That is intimacy. Second, God expects prayer to be secret and simple. Not eloquent. Not long. Not impressive. Desperate. Honest. The kind of prayer a child prays to a father who already knows what they need.

Christianity has no value if it is performative. Whitewashed tombs look clean on the outside and are full of rot on the inside. Jesus came to destroy that kind of religion and replace it with relationship. If you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, that relationship begins by trusting that his death paid for your sin and his resurrection gives you new life. From there, a prayer life that is felt and not seen will mark you for the rest of your days.

A new church plant in NW Arvada.

Sundays at 10a at Excel Academy. Expository preaching, real community, a clear next step.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

A 7-DAY DEVOTIONAL

Go deeper with this message all week.

Seven days of Scripture, reflection, and prayer drawn from this sermon. One a day. Read it in five minutes. Carry it the rest of the day.

DAY 1

Take Off The Mask

Matthew 6:1

Jesus warns about practicing righteousness to be seen by others. He is not saying hide every good deed. He is asking what is driving it. The mask is heavy. Take it off. Your Father already sees what is underneath, and he is not waiting for the performance.

Prayer
Father, expose anything in me that is performing for people instead of pleasing you.

DAY 2

An Audience Of One

Matthew 6:4

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Most of your life happens where no one is looking. That is not the boring part of your discipleship. That is the real part. The God of the universe is watching the unseen hours.

Prayer
Father, help me live today like you are the only audience in the room.

DAY 3

The Fear Of The Lord

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that God is weighing every thought, word, action, and attitude. This is not terror. It is reverence. It is the kind of awareness that makes secret obedience feel like the most honest thing in the world.

Prayer
Father, give me a holy awareness of your presence in every room I walk into today.

DAY 4

Go Into Your Room

Matthew 6:6

When you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret. Public prayer has its place. But the prayer life that shapes you is the one no one ever hears. Find the room. Shut the door. Start small if you have to.

Prayer
Father, build in me a secret prayer life that nobody but you sees.

DAY 5

He Already Knows

Matthew 6:8

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. You do not need to convince him. You do not need to dress it up. He is not impressed by length. He is moved by desperation. Come as a child.

Prayer
Father, free me from fancy prayers. Make me desperate and honest in front of you.

DAY 6

Felt, Not Seen

Mark 1:35

Jesus himself withdrew to lonely places to pray. The Son spoke to the Father in secret. If that was the rhythm of his life, it has to be the rhythm of ours. Think of the strongest Christians you know. The common thread is almost always a prayer life you felt but never saw.

Prayer
Father, make my prayer life felt by the people around me, not performed for them.

DAY 7

Examine Your Heart

1 Corinthians 11:28

Paul tells the Corinthians to examine themselves before they take the Lord’s Supper. Ask the hard questions. Am I performing? Am I desperate? Am I chasing the approval of people because I doubt God’s reward is real? Conviction may come. Grace will follow.

Prayer
Father, search me. Show me what is real and what is mask. Make me whole.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

For your small group, family, or personal reflection.

Where in your life are you most tempted to perform your faith for an audience of people instead of God?
What would change about your week if you actually believed God was watching and weighing every moment?
Describe your current prayer life in one honest sentence. Is it felt or only seen?
Jesus says go into your room and shut the door. What is the practical version of that for you this week?
Why do you think Jesus connects giving, praying, and fasting in the same passage? What do all three have in common?
Have you ever doubted that God’s reward is real or worth it? What pulls you back toward chasing the approval of people?
Take communion seriously this week. Where do you need to repent, and where do you need to receive grace?

Want to work through these with others? Small groups at Valor meet throughout the week. Find a Group

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions people search for. Here are honest answers.

How to know if a church is a good church?

Look for expository preaching that lets the Bible set the agenda, a plurality of qualified elders, clear gospel teaching, and a culture where Jesus’ hard sayings are not softened. Valor Church preaches through whole books of the Bible verse by verse. Plan your visit and see for yourself.

What are the characteristics of a biblically-based church?

Expository preaching, qualified elders, the Bible treated as the inspired authority on every question it addresses, baptism and the Lord’s Supper practiced as Christ taught, and real community that knows each other by name. Valor is an expository Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado.

How do I find a local church to help me become a Christian?

Find a church that preaches the Bible plainly, that explains the gospel clearly week after week, and where the people will sit with you in your questions. If you are in NW Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, or the surrounding area, we would love to walk this with you. Talk with a pastor or come this Sunday at 10am.

How do I become a Christian step-by-step?

It starts with honest acknowledgment that you are separated from God by sin and you cannot bridge that gap on your own. It moves to trusting that Jesus lived the perfect life, died the death you deserved, and rose again three days later. Then you confess him as Lord, repent of your sin, and follow him in baptism. Talk with a pastor and we will walk you through it.

What is the typical process for getting baptized in a Christian tradition?

At Valor we practice baptism by immersion of professing believers, the pattern Jesus modeled and the New Testament teaches. After someone trusts Christ, we talk through the meaning of baptism, schedule a Sunday, and celebrate it in front of the church. Talk with a pastor if you are ready.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Talk with a pastor.

Whether you are wrestling with what you just watched or with what life is throwing at you. A pastor will reach out within 48 hours.

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Sundays at 10a in NW Arvada.

Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave. Come as you are. A friendly face will save you a seat.

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