Keep It In The Closet

Text:

Matthew 6:6:

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Luke 12:3:

Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

 

Theme:

Keep It In The Closet

 

Introduction:

• In 1991 Michael Jackson in junction with Teddy Riley produced a song on Michael’s album Dangerous, called “In the Closet”. The album was an instant hit referring to the seductive way that a woman can make a man keep everything in the closet for fear of others finding out.  The chorus goes like this:

Just promise me

Whatever we say

Whatever we do to each other

For now we take a vow to just

KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET!

…Michael didn’t want to share

• Even in our society, the “closet” is used to describe the safe haven in which those who live alternate lifestyles can hide their homosexual activity.
  • For this reason, when one announces their being anything other than heterosexual, it is known as “coming out of the closet”.
  • When we were growing up we could hear the comments from the older generation saying that they should “KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET”!
• However, in our text the closet mentioned is similar yet very different. Both Matthew, the converted tax collector who became Jesus’ disciple, and Luke, the physician who chose to write a Gospel of Jesus’ life more packed with information than any of the other Gospels, mirror the same understanding of a closet in their passages.
• Let us remind ourselves that in everyday life:
  • The closet is a place to hide things.
  • The closet is a place to store unused things.
  • The closet is the one place in the home that people do not live or hang out.

 

Body:

• Matthew speaks of the closet in the context of “when thou prayest”

• “enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father”
  • The closet is the heart
    • Where the true self lives
    • Where we harbor feelings and emotions
    • Only special people can have access to it
  • Shut the door to the closet!
    • Can’t let just anyone into your heart!
    • Let Jesus in…”Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”,  Only Jesus!!!!
  • Once open, the closet provides what you need or reminds you of where it really is.

• Luke speaks of the closet in the context of the place where we thought that we could hide evil words.

• However, Luke reminds us that our words are not hidden from God.
  • God hears our sinful words.  God never turns his ear from us.
• Luke also explains words spoken in privacy about other people is just as bad as it being spoken in front of them.
  • When God asks for all of our deeds, even the ones done behind someone’s back are put on the table.

• These two passages give us greater insight into our relationship with Christ:
  • Matthew 6:6:

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

• The closet is the security that protects God’s Child during prayer
  • When we pray we are open to receive God’s Spirit
  • When we pray we need to go into the security of the closet and SHUT the DOOR so as to not let any other spirits of the adversary come in.
• We have to give God dominion in our closet and consequently our lives.
  • Let Him in…He is at the door knocking!
• Luke 12:3:

“Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

• Whatever you allow to be housed in your closet or heart will be known to others. Proverbs 10:32 says, “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.”
• As the old saying goes — ”out of the mouth, the heart speaks”

 

Conclusion:

Let’s look at the closet of our hearts!

The closet in our homes gives a good picture of the closet of our hearts.

• It is overly packed with “stuff”
  • Our hearts are weighed down by “baggage” in our lives
  • As Hebrews 12:1 says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
• We always intend to clean it but never get around to it.
  • Don’t we tend to say, “I’m gonna get right one day and go to church.”
  • Don’t we tend to say, “I know that I shouldn’t, but I can’t be perfect.”
  • 1John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – God will do it if you let Him!!
• We still use it to store more “stuff”….pack it in.
  • We already have problems, but we still keep heaping more problems onto our life through sin.
  • Romans 7:21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
• We can always find what we want in all the “stuff” but can ever find what we need.
  • We have a desire and determination to find what we want.
  • We are apathetic and not thorough in finding what we need.
  • We can find sin, but claim that we can’t find God.
  • We can announce it now. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
  • The want is added while every need is supplied!
• So, what do we need to KEEP IN THE CLOSET?
  • The goodness of our lives.
    • Joy, gladness, blessings
  • The weights that so easily beset us.
    • Sin
  • The needs in our lives
    • What we need from God
• Why does God want us to KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET?
  • The closet of the heart is where God dwells in our lives. It is where He connects with our lives.
    • It is a Personal Relationship that God requires of us!
  • The closet is our sacrifice to God in allowing Him to break and make us.
    • Psalms 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
• What does God do with the stuff in our closet?
  • The GOODNESS — He takes for His own praise and glory.
  • The WEIGHTS – He remove to allow His children to grow and to allow Him to have a holy place dwell.
  • The NEEDS – He supplies according His riches in Glory.
• KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET!!
  • Don’t depend on the psychologist
  • Don’t depend on Mama
  • Don’t depend on friends
    • KEEP IT IN THE CLOSET, and let God have it!!!

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