Episode Summary: "Jesus Wants to Reward You" – Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin (Matthew S2E4)

Main Theme Overview:
This episode is a deep dive into Matthew 6:1–18, where Jesus teaches about secret spiritual practices: giving, prayer, and fasting. Pastor Joby Martin and his guests explore the heart behind these disciplines, the concept of spiritual "reward," and the motives that drive believers in their relationship with God. They reflect on the dangers of practicing faith as a performance for others and discuss how true intimacy with God is cultivated in secret.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Doctrine of Secrecy" and Spiritual Reward

Timestamps: 00:53–04:29

• The episode starts with light-hearted references to worship songs about the “secret place,” segues into Bob Sorge’s book “Secrets of the Secret Place,” and discusses the lack of a formal “doctrine of secrecy” in Christian teaching.
• Pastor Joby highlights Matthew 6:1 as the thematic thesis: “Don’t practice your righteousness before others.”
• Quote [02:04], Pastor Joby:
  “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” – (citing C.S. Lewis)
• Insight: Evangelicals have moved away from language about “rewards” due to abuses in prosperity preaching, yet Jesus insists there is real reward in intimacy with God, not merely earthly gain.

2. The Motive Behind Righteous Acts

Timestamps: 04:29–13:19

• The conversation explores approval-seeking in religious life, noting that everyone craves approval—if not universally, then at least from “someone.”
• Examples from Pastor Joby’s family and team members illustrate different wiring for seeking praise or anonymity.
• Exploration of Pharisaic behavior: Examples given of Pharisees performing acts for attention, such as loudly dropping coins or flashy prayers.
• Quote [11:18], Pastor Joby:
  “The Pharisees ... are leveraging religious activities ... to put God in their debt and impress people with their religiosity. And Jesus is like, that ain’t it.”

3. Hypocrisy and Heart-level Faith

Timestamps: 11:55–14:21

• Jesus uses “hypocrite” to describe those who make faith a performance – literally, stage actors in ancient Greek.
• The group reflects on how God is never fooled by appearances, even when people are.
• Discussion on judging motives:
  “Assigning motives is one of the most dangerous things on the planet.” – Pastor Joby [13:19]
• The difficulty of reading others’ motives is noted, stressing that love and one-on-one care is necessary when correction is needed.

4. Teaching on Giving: Tithes, Offerings, and Gifts

Timestamps: 14:21–19:30

• Pastor Joby gives clear distinctions:
  • Tithe: The first and best 10%, brought to the local church as belonging to the Lord.
  • Offerings: Above and beyond, directed toward gospel-centered initiatives.
  • Gifts/Alms: Spontaneous, Spirit-led giving to meet needs as prompted.
• Quote [18:49], Pastor Joby: “I would challenge you this lint [Lent] season to put some folding money in your pocket ... and be on the lookout to give it away.”

5. The Idolatry of Money & Perspectives on Wealth

Timestamps: 19:30–26:08

• Discussion of cultural taboos around money in the church, both the prosperity and the “poverty gospel.”
• Stories show how upbringing shapes attitudes toward money, generosity, and the opinions of others.
• Conversation about distorted theologies pulled out of context, such as "don’t let the left hand know what the right is doing," and how these are often self-serving.

6. Approaches to Prayer: Authenticity vs. Performance

Timestamps: 26:08–38:35

• Warnings against turning prayer and other disciplines into performances; real prayer is for God, not the crowd.
• Reflection on Jesus’ model prayer (the Lord’s Prayer) as both a pattern and a practice.
• Quote [29:24], Pastor Joby:
  “God sees you. You. And in this case, in the secret, goes, good job. That’s it. What else could you ever want?”
• Confession from Pastor Joby: He admits conviction about not leading the church deeply enough in prayer, wanting to move from supplemental to fundamental prayer culture:
  “What was fundamental to the early church has become like supplemental to today’s church.” [33:59]

7. Practical Steps for a Secret Prayer Life

Timestamps: 44:51–51:16

• Encouragement to set a consistent time and place for prayer.
• Use scripture as the starting point (“start with the words that began in heaven”).
• Start prayer with the Lord’s Prayer, mix both brief and extended times of prayer (analogy to texting and face-to-face time in marriage).
• Prayer involves both talking to God and listening/receiving.

8. Listening Prayer, Wise Counsel, and Discernment

Timestamps: 51:16–53:40

• The group discusses learning to listen for God’s voice, discerning God’s nudges, and balancing these with confirmation from scripture and community.

9. On Fasting: Purpose, Challenge, and Mystery

Timestamps: 53:40–59:33

• Jesus assumes his followers will fast; the challenge is both how to fast and whether people are willing to do hard things at all.
• Fasting is secret, but its discomfort is meant to remind us of deeper hunger for God.
• Prayer and fasting are part of a profound spiritual mystery: “Right in the middle of this cosmic mystery, he puts you and me.” [56:49]
• Fasting develops spiritual resilience: “You tell your flesh no to food... and then you just translate that to every other temptation in your life.” [58:15]

10. Lenten Application: Giving, Prayer, Fasting

Timestamps: 59:33–61:58

• Practical invitation for listeners to participate in Lenten practices of generosity, prayer, and fasting in preparation for Easter.
• The goal is for hearts to be ready to celebrate the resurrection, living a lifestyle of reward rooted in intimacy with Christ.
• Quote [60:49], Pastor Joby:
  “There is a rewards program.”

11. Final Encouragements

Timestamps: 61:09–62:20

• “If God answered all your prayers from the past week, what would be different?” – A challenge to pray boldly and regularly for significant things.
• Call to corporate prayer at local campuses.
• Closing prayer centered on glorifying God and seeking his will.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:04] Joby Martin: “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” (C.S. Lewis)
• [11:18] Joby Martin: “The Pharisees ... are leveraging religious activities ... to put God in their debt and impress people with their religiosity. And Jesus is like, that ain’t it.”
• [13:19] Joby Martin: “Assigning motives is one of the most dangerous things on the planet.”
• [18:49] Joby Martin: “I would challenge you this lint [Lent] season to put some folding money in your pocket ... and be on the lookout to give it away.”
• [29:24] Joby Martin: “God sees you. You. And in this case, in the secret, goes, good job. That’s it. What else could you ever want?”
• [33:59] Joby Martin: “What was fundamental to the early church has become like supplemental to today’s church.”
• [60:49] Joby Martin: “There is a rewards program.”

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:53 — Introduction to secrecy in the spiritual life
• 02:04 — "Unblushing promises of reward" (C.S. Lewis)
• 11:18 — Pharisees and performance religion
• 13:19 — The danger of assigning motives
• 14:39 — The categories of giving (tithes, offerings, gifts)
• 29:24 — The true reward: being seen by God
• 33:59 — Prayer as church foundation
• 44:51 — Practical advice on growing in prayer
• 53:40 — Fasting as means of spiritual discipline
• 60:49 — Living a life that pursues God’s “rewards”

Applied Takeaways

• Secret life with God matters most; outward acts are to flow from inward intimacy.
• Check motives: Do righteousness for God, not for man’s applause.
• Freely receive and give: Practical advice for giving, prayer, and fasting; making them regular and heart-driven.
• God’s reward is Himself: Experiencing the presence, fruit, and affirmation of God is the promised reward.
• Lent preparation: Engage in increased generosity, prayer, and fasting to prepare for Easter and cultivate deeper intimacy with Christ.

Tone:
Warm, candid, pastoral, sometimes humorous, and deeply practical — true to the conversational spirit and teaching style of Pastor Joby Martin and The Church of Eleven22.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode offers both theological clarity and usable advice for a richer, more authentic relationship with Jesus—one that seeks God’s reward in the hidden places.