Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 6:1-15 (Click title for audio access)

The Believer's Private Life • 5.30.10 • Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- Jesus has called our attention to the righteous character of the His people.

- They will be poor in spirit, mourn their sinful condition, be utterly submitted and merciful. The world will respond to them with insults and persecution. Even here, the believer is blessed.

- At the end of the chapter, Christ shows us how we are to shine in the world and relate to those of the family of God through the law.

- Turning the page, we come to chapter 6, Jesus now speaks towards the righteous actions of His people. He will warn us that there is a right and wrong way to express what we are.

- In our section today, we are going to look at two actions that will accompany the life of believers: Good works and prayer.

Text

• Matthew 6:1 : "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven." : Jesus says "take heed." That means that we are to beware. There is a danger nearby.

- The NKJV translates this word "charitable deeds." The word is more generic and wide in it's application. Many have commented that it means our "righteousnesses."

- The NKJV translators decided on this phrase given the context of the next verse. The NIV rightly has this translated as "acts of righteousness."

- Jesus assumes that His people will act righteously towards other people. They will be ministers, looking outside of themselves, with a desire to bless others.

- Today, this could refer to giving someone a word of counsel, encouraging someone, giving someone a lift or helping to meet a need. In our context, Jesus uses the illustration of charity

- In the days of Christ, there were many that were poor and destitute. Many were so because of physical ailments. There was great opportunity to be charitable or give righteously financially.

- This is where Jesus tells us to beware: Don't do for the sake of being seen by men!

- There is often no choice when it comes to doing a deed "before men." Christ's point is don't do it for that reason.

- The word "seen" comes from the same Greek root for "theatre." When your giving is an act meant to draw the applause of me, that human recognition is your reward.

- Listen to His words: Your Father in heaven. He wants to reward us. He wants to be the one that showers blessing upon us.

- To do something for the audience of another is to forfeit the reward that comes from the Lord!

- Now, something to take note of here. This refers to our motivation. Let's say you have the right motivation, someone sees what you have done and congratulates you.

- The Lord will still reward you simply because you were motivated to please Him. You understood that He alone was your audience.

- What's funny, is that the guy that sees and congratulates to encourage you will likely also get a reward for being so encouraging.

• Matthew 6:2-4 : "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have 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 Himself reward you openly." : This scene that Jesus describes literally occurred on a daily basis.

- The Pharisees, in order to draw the attention of the poor, blew a little trumpet to signal their pending charity. This likely began as a practice by one good hearted Pharisee.

- Later, it became an occasion to receive glory from men.

- Jesus, and the people, knew that this was not the real reason for their trumpets. They craved attention. By the way, this is the origin of the phrase, "Don't toot your own horn!"

- Jesus calls such people "hypocrites." This is the first of 14 times that we see this word employed in Matthew's gospel. The word refers to one who played a theatrical part.

- In those days, emotions would be portrayed on large masks that were worn by the actors and actresses. These masks would be large so that all could see in the large outdoor theatres.

- Jesus is saying that there were people who were acting before the audience of men and their applause would be the reward for their performance.

- Jesus assumes correctly that we will still want to give and to do so in order to bless Him. He tells us, don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.

- To this moment, I have not heard one definitive answer with regard to what this means. I wonder if this was a euphemism of some sort referring to being so quick so as to fool the other hand.

- Jesus leaves no room for doubt: Do your charity in secret! Don't let anyone know about it! Keep it between you and Him.

- The promise here regards two items. First, God sees what takes place in secret. This has a bad connotation when it comes to our sins. Nothing is hidden from Him.

- On the other hand, when that which is good is done in secret, God sees this also!

- The second promise is that the Lord will reward you openly, for all to see.

- The irony is that if you want to be seen by men, that will be your reward. But if you want to be seen by God, then being acknowledged by all will accompany your reward!

- In other words, do you want the few people who might see you to give you a few accolades, or do you want God's acknowledgement before the host of heaven? I'll take that!

• Matthew 6:5 : "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." : There were people who used the occasion of prayer to draw attention to themselves.

- There were several times of the day that one could come to pray. Scholars have differing times, but most point to 9, noon and 3.

- You had to get there in time or else capacity would force you out. Many took to the practice of leaving as late as possible so that they would be forced to make their prayers outside.

- Of course, once on the corner, their prayer could not be simple and quiet. It was an ostentatious display of piety, with wide arms and loud mouth!

- When all who passed noted how "spiritual" they were, Jesus says, "That's their reward!"

• Matthew 6:6-8 : "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." : "But you." There must be a contrast between the Kingdom person and the hypocrite.

- Jesus tells us to go into our closet! Remember, that this is not to be taken absolutely literally in terms of the word "closet."

- Christ's point is that you would go to this length that ensures that this prayer time is sincerely between you and God.

- Christ promises a reward for praying as well! Your reward will be peace, comfort and wisdom now on earth, but in heaven, who knows what other blessing God has!

- Christ's first corrective is privacy. His second corrective is brevity.

- This one is more subtle, in that sometimes prayer can be just about ourselves as well.

- He is describing a situation where we can become our own audience! We are impressed by listening to ourselves, or perhaps, by the length of our prayers.

- We evaluate the quality of our prayers with time and eloquence. That is not necessarily what God is looking at. By the way, this is good for when we pray as a group.

- "For the first 3 minutes, we are praying with you. In the second 3 minutes, we are praying for you! For the third 3 minutes, we are praying AGAINST YOU!" David Guzik

- "Don't use vain repetitions." The word employed here is thought to be reminiscent of a well known King of that time who had a difficulty in speech. Literally, he babbled or stammered.

- Jesus is not condemning speech impediments, but a heart that comes to God, seeking to impress Him with the use of may words.

- It was taught and believed that the one that spoke many words would indeed be heard. Jesus counters that way of thinking.

- Understand that Jesus is not condemning a great vocabulary or a long period of time in prayer. If that is what He draws you to, that is fine. Just understand that it's your heart He wants.

- The first corrective is privacy. The second is brevity. Here, the final corrective is clarity.

- Let's be clear: He already knows what it is that we need before we even ask Him.

- Does that mean that we should not ask Him? He already knows after all? His omniscience is undeniable. We cannot surprise Him. In fact, before we even are aware of a need, He knows it!

- Prayer is not meant to inform God, it's meant to conform us! It is meant to remind us of who He is and who we are in relation to Him!

• Matthew 6:9,10 : "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." : With these correctives in mind, Jesus offers us an example. This prayer, known as the Lord's prayer, is not a form, but a conceptual marker for prayer.

- You'll note that the first tenets of this prayer have to do with honoring the Lord, His Kingdom and His will. It is His name that is to be reverenced.

- Prayer is meant to remind us of His holiness and greatness. He is wonderful and powerful and worthy of our deepest respect and honor. His name speaks to His character.

- After His name, we are reminded of the desire that we have to see His Kingdom come. Literally, "come now!" Be established now, here in my life. Let your rule be my desire.

- In the now, this refers to the establishment of His reign in and through our lives.

- We are showing the world what it's like to be a Kingdom citizen...or rather, we should be!

- The second part of this is the expansion of His Kingdom to reign universally! We want Him to reveal His reign upon the earth!

- Finally, the believer lives for God's will. In heaven, God's will is done instantaneously. There is no interruption in service.

- To pray in line with this, we are saying, "God, let me be instant in following you. Let me not lag behind, but hear your command and in the same moment, spring forth to do it!"

• Matthew 6:11-13 : "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." : After coming to grips with who God is, what His Kingdom requires and the desire for His will, we are directed to look at our own needs.

- It's interesting that we come to think and pray about our own needs after deep consideration of our Father, His Kingdom and His will for our lives.

- I am really impressed that we can stand to think a lot less about ourselves. Going further, our thoughts about God, His Kingdom and His will are worthy thoughts that we don't consider enough!

- Jesus reminds us to pray that the Lord would provide for us, first, in issues of physical concern. Bread was a staple in the diet of that day.

- Notice He says, "give us this day our daily bread." It's of vital importance in the Kingdom, to be about today and what our needs are for today. To often, we live our lives far in the distance.

- "What will happen 30 years from now? What will I be doing when I'm 60?" Certainly, there is wisdom in planning for the potential future, but there is no value in living for at the expense of now!

- Jesus moves from our physical needs to our spiritual needs. We are to pray for forgiveness of our debts. What debts? The debt of our sins against us.

- Notice this: AS we forgive our debtors! Asking for forgiveness while simultaneously doling it out to others is key.

- Spiritually, we are to forgive and to pray for our protection. "Lead us not into temptation" might be best understood by this euphemism: Keep me on a tight leash! Don't let me wander!

- Save me from the evil one, his schemes, his designs upon my life.

- At the end of the prayer, Jesus brings us back to the reality that we are living for. We have been strengthened and focused from it as well as for it!

- Jesus tells us that we view our lives through the lens of God, His Kingdom and His will. And the end of that life, the goal of that life, is to worship and add value to His Kingdom forever!

- Can we say "amen" to that!? The Kingdom person knows that this is what life is all about.

• Matthew 6:14,15 : "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." : I have pondered this over and over again. What is Jesus saying here? It seems fairly easy: Forgive and you will be forgiven.

- If you choose not to forgive, then you will not be forgiven. Let's leave it there and choose to be men and women who learn to forgive.

- But for those that this is not enough for, let's attempt to explain why it is that a person who is not generous in forgiveness, is not himself forgiven.

- A person who is not willing to forgive denies the power of God's ability to reverse and eliminate a wrong. In essence, by not choosing to forgive, you oppose the heart of God.

- By holding onto your case, you are revealing a heart that does not know mercy. By being unwilling to forgive, you reveal a heart that is a harbor for bitterness and anger.

- Turn with me to Ephesians 4. We'll leave this for now with Paul's words to the first century church, who even then, needed these words.

• Ephesians 4:31,32 : "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Conclusion

- God is reminding us that there is a reward waiting for us. Living for eternity in the circumstances of today is the continuous challenge of each believer.

- This section of scripture reminds us of the audience of One. Live to be seen by Him. Live to please Him. What pleases Him?

- A life that gives without thought of reward. A life that fellowships with God. A life that consciously let's go of the pain that has been received. There's reward for that life!

Thursday Night Bible Study

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Genesis 30:1-24 

Jacob's Real Trouble! • 5.27.10 • Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- In chapter 29, we saw Jacob the deceiver being deceived by his mother's brother Laban.

- The morning after his wedding night, he opened his eyes to an unwelcome surprise. Laban had given Jacob his older, less attractive daughter Leah.

- Rachel, the younger daughter was his love interest.

- There is a bit of irony in this story. Jacob had deceived his Father Isaac. Now, Laban, Rachel's Father, deceives him.

- Jacob had deceived Isaac who was in the dark, being nearly blind. Laban gave Leah to Jacob while he was in the dark of his tent.

- God had chosen Jacob, the younger to rule, which was against the custom of the land. Now, God had chosen the older sister Leah for him to marry, which was the prevailing custom.

- Genesis 29:28ff gives us the rest of the story: "Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years."

- I wonder what would have happened if Jacob had just left with Leah and cut his losses? Instead, he takes Rachel as his second wife.

- His love for Rachel was more than his love for Leah, in fact, Leah was hated. When the Lord saw that she was unloved, he opened her womb.

- At the end of chapter 29, we see that Leah bore him 4 sons, the last of which, Judah, is the one who will carry the line of the Messiah.

- But Rachel, the loved one was barren. In the chapter before us, we are going to look at Rachel and prayerfully get a perspective about how to respond when God witholds.

Text

• Genesis 30:1-3 : "Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or else I die!'
And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, 'Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?'" : We are meant to see that Rachel's motivation comes from a place of envy. She sees what has happened with her sister, and she desires to have what Leah has.

- In an ironic turn, I believe that Leah would have been happy being loved by her husband. That is what Rachel had, but it was not enough for her.

- Let us begin here with a proper view of what God has given to each of us. You and I need to be reminded that the envy of another is the opposite of personal contentment.

• Proverbs 14:30 : "A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones."

˚ "Envy and jealousy are most tormenting passions to the breast which harbours them, vexatious to all around, and introductory to much impatience and ungodliness." Unknown Author

- Turn over to Galatians 5. How serious a sin is envy? Take a listen to Paul.

• Galatians 4:19-21 : "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

- Envy is mentioned right alongside such words as fornication, adultery and sorcery! God condemns the envious heart.

- In Rachel's jealous rage, she took out her frustration on Jacob, telling him, "Give me children, or else I die." This is an inevitable side effect when envy exists in our hearts.

- When God witholds from us, we tend to begin to look at others around us. Most of us do not have the relationship chops with God, to express our whole heart to Him.

- At this point, we lash out at those closest to us and in this case, Jacob is the recipient.

- Rachel is putting all the pressure upon Jacob to do something that he cannot change.

- We have to understand something critical here: Our envy and desire for things that God witholds will bring undue stress upon each of our most precious relationships.

- "I want what that person has. Make it happen!" What is never considered is the context of the other individual and how they attained their status.

- Before long, we resent the person in our life instead of looking at them as a unique gift. That is what Rachel is guilty of here.

- Jacob rightly says, "Am I in the place of God!" He is theologically correct, and is correct in correcting his wife.

- When considering the needs of our spouse, or anyone, we need to remember this. We are not in the place of God who withholds.

- However, he was not right for 2 reasons: He neglected to pray for her and he answered her in his wrath.

- When Isaac and Rebekah faced the issue of her infertility, Isaac prayed and did so for persistently, consistently for 20 years. Jacob, the fruit of those prayers, did not follow that example

- Second, Moses tells us that his anger was aroused. The word seems to indicate a visual, facial inflammation. Jacob was livid with her.

- I wonder if this was the first time she had come to him or if it was the 1,000th time. Either way, we are never going to get our point across communicating to one another in anger.

• Proverbs 15:1 : "A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."

- When we are the target of another person's frustration, it's important to remember to point them kindly and softly to the Lord.

• Genesis 30:4-8 : "So she said, 'Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.' Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, 'God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.' Therefore she called his name Dan. And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, 'With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.' So she called his name Naphtali." : The mutual frustration, Rachel at Jacob and Jacob at Rachel, caused them to consider surrogacy with Rachel's maid Bilhah.

- We ran into this topic of surrogacy back in the story of Abraham and Sarah, who also employed this method with Hagar. It was an accepted practice among the other nations.

- It was not a practice that God sought to bring into the life of His people. The Bible tells us that this happened, but it does not carry God's endorsement.

- Here again, we have a choice when it comes to God witholding our desires from us. The choice will be patient acceptance with contentment or impatient manipulation.

- How can I make this happen? What can I do to bring this to pass?

- This plan works and brings forth two more sons to Jacob, Dan and Naphtali. Rachel's attitude is seen in her naming of Naphtali, as she felt that she had prevailed over Leah.

• Genesis 30:9-13 : "When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, 'A troop comes!' So she called his name Gad. And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, 'I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.' So she called his name Asher." : Now it's Leah's turn to get back in the act. Her last child was Judah and she believed that she was now finished.

- She saw that Rachel had involved her maid. Leah says, "two can play at that game!"

- Time to call the bullpen! Zilpah comes in in relief and provides Jacob with two more sons, Gad and Asher.

- Gad's name means "A troop comes." He was a real trooper! Her naming of him with a military name is perfect for this family.

- Sadly, Leah is far from her high point last week. She had brought Judah into the world and praised the Lord, likely acknowledging God's hand in bringing her son into the line of the Messiah.

- Here, she allows her sisters envy to rub off on her and stoops down to her level. There is a good lesson in all this, as we must ever be aware to not rest on our spiritual laurels.

- At the end of chapter 29, there seemed to be some progress in Leah's relationship with the Lord. Then, a new pressure revealed itself, and it was two steps backward.

- We need to be careful to walk with our Lord everyday.

• Genesis 30:14-21 : "Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.' But she said to her, 'Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?' And Rachel said, 'Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.' When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.' And he lay with her that night. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, 'God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.' So she called his name Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. And Leah said, 'God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.' So she called his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah." : Reuben is Jacob's oldest son, old enough to be out in the fields.

- He went out at the wheat harvest and came upon some mandrakes. These mandrakes have the look between a lemon and an orange. They look like little bulbs.

- Literally, their name means "love apples." They were thought to have some power with regard to fertility. This is why Rachel bargains for them. She is that desperate!

- Rachel is trusting in mandrakes. We might laugh at her, but today our little blue pills and oyster collections are just as telling! What is the bargain? Leah gets to sleep with Jacob that night!

- I wonder if Jacob worked out in the field and just hoped he could come home and not be bothered.

- Jacob is on his way home, the sun is going down behind him, his sack is full of wheat from the day. Just as he is about to enter the property gates, there is Leah standing there waiting for him.

- She tells Jacob with a wry smile, "Reuben found some mandrakes." Jacob probably wanted to slap that kid right then! But the thing here is that Moses comments that God listened to Leah.

- What was she speaking to Him about? It might again relate to her being unloved by Jacob. Somehow, God blessed her and she conceived 3 more times, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah.

• Genesis 30:22-24 : "Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, 'God has taken away my reproach.' So she called his name Joseph, and said, 'The Lord shall add to me another son.'" : This section ends with Rachel pregnancy. Follow the progression that we see in Rachel's life.

- She begins with envy and jealousy. She lashes out in frustration toward Jacob and likely toward God. She watches everyone around her get pregnant, including Leah that had stopped.

- Somewhere along the way, she got a clue. It seems that she started a prayer life of her own.

- Understand this: She began her prayer life as a last resort! This was not her first resource. Had it been her first resource, she may have avoided some of the ugliness that she brought.

- God listened to her just as He had listened to Leah. There are now 11 children that comprise Jacob's family.

- This is not to say that Rachel's prayer life manipulated God into action. It was always the Lord's will to open her womb. But God allows His children to wait for Him patiently.

- The trial caused Rachel to draw close to the Lord, which is something that each of us should take the initiative to learn.

Conclusion

- Tonight, there my be something that God has kept out of your reach. It is causing you great envy and dissatisfaction. God is calling you to thanksgiving, contentment and joy in what you can do.

- More than anything, surrender your feelings to the Lord and begin to ask Him in prayer to change your heart or your circumstances.

Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 5:21-48 (Click title for audio access)

"Righteousness Defined." • 5.23.10 • Calvary Colton Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- The shocking words of Christ rang deep in the souls of those who initially heard them.

- "Unless your righteousness exceeds the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of heaven!" The word "exceeds" means to be beyond measure, to be over.

- That sets the tone for this entire message. It's meant to define us.

˚ "(There is) nothing (that) shows me the absolute need of the new birth, and of the Holy Spirit and His work within, so much as the Sermon on the Mount. These beatitudes crush me to the ground. They show me my utter helplessness. Were it not for the new birth, I am undone. Read and study it, face yourself in the light of it. It will drive you to see your ultimate need of the rebirth and the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that so leads to the gospel and it's grace as the Sermon on the Mount." Martyn Lloyd-Jones[i]

- Jesus turns the attention to His people's response toward God's law. In this section, Jesus exposes 6 commandments that deal with human relationship.

- In each, He will expose misinterpretation, with the words "you have heard that it was said."

- Then He authoritatively exposes the divine intention with the words "but I say to you."

- Finally, He will offer a positive application for His people to follow. He begins with murder.

Text

• Matthew 5:21,22 : "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.'" : Most of the people that Jesus was preaching to were not literate. Most of the people had received the law orally, either through the synagogue or through parents.

- "You shall not murder" was a commandment given by the Lord in Exodus 20:13. The penalty for murder was death, a sentence to be feared, and rightfully so.

- The act of murder is condemned, but it was widely believed that you could hate and be angry with someone as much and as long as you wanted.

- It is this that Jesus responds to. When He does respond, He speaks on His own authority, offering His own word.

- Usually, a Rabbi would quote other Rabbis or cite something from another source. Obviously Jesus was not your typical Rabbi!

- Jesus lets us know that murder begins in the heart. Jesus tells us that the morality of God deals both with the end, murder, as well as it's beginning, hatred. It deals with the deed and the seed

- Anger in the heart, expressed in insults like "Raca" and "fool" brings danger to themselves, even the danger of hell!

- "Raca" is less a word and more of a sound that is made. Many attempts have been made to properly define it. Some have said "empty head" would be about the closest translation.

- The words "raca" and "fool" are simply examples of how rage in our hearts can be seen and show a type of anger that escalates from passive anger to aggressive, even pre-meditated anger.

- What is Jesus saying? These angry attitudes always come out and if not checked, the trouble will get deeper and deeper.

- Now, let us say this: Anger itself does not need to be sinful. We can be angry and yet not sin. And Paul instructs us that anger can be resolved and must be done in a timely manner.

- Jesus here is referring to festering, boiling and directed anger.

• Matthew 5:23-26 : "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny." : What are we to do with our anger? How important is it to the Lord? It's important enough to interrupt worship.

- The picture painted here is of a Hebrew worship service. The altar of worship, the place where a person would bring their lambs, was in sight.

- Right as the person is about to approach, he then remembers a dispute that has been unresolved. Notice that this refers to some one that has something against you.

- That is God letting you know that something needs to be resolved. It is the conviction of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus says that we are to leave and reconcile and then bring our gifts to God.

- Jesus then gives a civil illustration of the court system. The point is that we must be quick to agree, quick to find resolution to our differences.

• Matthew 5:27,28 : "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." : Jesus attacks the issue of adultery. It has been a problem since then and has not stopped being a problem.

- In the oldest book of the Bible, a man named Job wrote down a great quote that shows us just how ancient a problem that this is:

• Job 31:1 (NLT) : "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman."

- Statistically, I read this week that 60% of all marriages have dealt with the actual act of adultery at least once in their marrriage.[ii] Biblically, that number is much higher!

- Adultery is prohibited in the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:14. Most people would not consider themselves adulterers because they have not committed a sexual act with a non-spouse.

- Jesus tells us it begins with a look. The word that Jesus uses here is insightful. It's not that a man sees a woman, but that he takes the time to process that vision, in order to understand it.

- The looking alone is condemned by God. Most men know exactly what this is about and it's no accident that Jesus puts it like this. Men are primarily visual.

- Jesus lets us know that such a man has already committed adultery with her in the place that God is watching: the heart!

- Jesus speaks this specifically to men, but principally to Ladies as well. Fantasy lives and wandering eyes are not just for men.

- I read this last week that pornography viewership is a 75% to 25% split between men and women. Ladies might be thinking, "We're still a minority. Why bring it up?"

- I bring it up because that number is climbing higher each year. In one study of 813 college students, 31% of ladies viewed pornography, while 49% of them deemed it acceptable![iii]

- This quote was staggering to me, and a real sign of the times.

˚ "Women, far more than men, are likely to act out their behaviors in real life, such as having multiple partners, casual sex or affairs."[iv]

- There is a real problem here and we need to catch what Jesus is saying about it.

• Matthew 5:29,30 : "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." : Our Lord is not cruel or unrealistic. He knows that these are our weaknesses, but He does not allow that to be our excuse.

- He calls our attention to an illustration which allows us to see what is at stake. Eternity is at stake. When one continues in such a sin, it offends the living God and there is no other outcome.

- Jesus is telling His people that instead of allowing yourself the pleasure of the moment, be drastic and cut out what is offensive!

- Jesus refers to the eye and the hand. Cut off that which leads you to the offense.

- He did not mean this literally, but the sense of urgency is no less necessary! We can never be soft on our sinful natures. We must crucify our flesh if we are to live for Christ.

- Is it an internet connection? Cut it off! Is it a relationship at work? Cut it off! A seemingly innocent magazine subscription? Cut it off and cast it from you!

• Matthew 5:31,32 : "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." : In Christ's time, a divorce was just as easy to procure as it is today.

- Divorce was granted simply, and some rabbis liberally declared that any reason was good enough. Others were a more strict, but there was still a lax attitude.

- The law allowed for divorce. Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, allowed for this in the law. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 specifies that man could divorce a woman who was found unclean.

- Most believe that this refers to a loss of virginity that was not reported prior to marriage.

- In Christ's day, this law had been interpreted to include just about any offense. Jesus gives the heart of His command when He specifies that sexual immorality was the only grounds for divorce.

- The word for sexual immorality is pretty extensive. The word "porneia" has as wide a meaning as possible, but most scholars believe this to be specifically infidelity.

- Now, you have to follow this culturally: Jesus has just put a moratorium on divorce for any reason. A woman in that scenario would be divorced from her man legally, but not in God's eyes.

- If or when she remarried, she being married in God's eyes, would be committing adultery, and the man that married her legally, would also be committing adultery.

- Jesus tells them that His intent, God's intent for marriage was that it was binding and would only offer the exception to those caught in sexual immorality.

- Even in that case, a man or woman does not HAVE to divorce, but it is given as an exception.

- I have personally witnessed several couples who have decided that staying together was worth the struggle. God desires that there be the greatest respect given to marriage.

• Matthew 5:33-37 : "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." : The people listening to the Lord knew what it was to swear an oath. We often do the same thing, swearing by something greater than us, or more grave.

- For them, they swore by each of these things. By heaven, earth, and Jerusalem. The problem is that each of those places belonged to God!

- They did not invoke God's name specifically, but they did principally. It was only one step removed because the stuff that they swore on belonged to God!

- Even their own head, which we are powerless to affect!

- Jesus tells them that Kingdom people are not to swear oaths at all! They are to let their word be true and right. We should need nothing more from one another than a simple yes or no.

- This requires commitment on our part to speak carefully.

- Stop saying some of the following: I'll be praying for you this week. Pray right then and commit time to pray for that person during the week.

- "Let's get together this week." Bust out your calendar and put something down!

• Matthew 5:38-42 : "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." : The law that Jesus is referring to here is the law of retribution, which limited a person to exact the same punishment for what he had received.

- If a tooth was lost in a fight, then that person could respond by taking the same tooth. It was a fair rendering. Usually, when people take something from us, we want to give double back.

- The judges employed this as a way of limiting people's desire for personal revenge.

- This law was taken out of context and used by people for their personal injustices.

- Now, this is one of the more misunderstood portions of the sermon on the mount. Jesus is not prohibiting self defense. This slap of the right cheek was more of an insult in Christ's day.

- It's akin to the removal of a glove and asking for a duel.

- Jesus is saying that there will be people in your life that will seek to incite you to conflict.

- Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek. The idea here is metaphorical. Evil people will seek to take advantage of our submitted nature.

• “Jesus is here saying that the true Christian has learned to resent no insult and to seek retaliation for no slight.” William Barclay

- The tunic was the outer wear, the cloak was usually the underwear and sleep attire. The law said that one could not be sued for this. Jesus says, "Give it to him."

- A Roman soldier could make a Jewish person carry their equipment for up to a mile, which was in their rendering, a thousand steps. Jesus said, "Be the guy who goes even farther!"

- Some will want to have, give it. Some will want to borrow, give it!

- Don't be a person marked by needing to keep or have what you think is yours! Disarm those who would see to exploit you and give to them.

• "The old said, Insist on your own right, and loving your neighbor, hate your enemy, and so secure your safety. The new says, Suffer wrong, and lavish your love on all." G. Campbell Morgan

• Matthew 5:43-45 : "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." : The Bible says that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Tradition had taken the logical opposite, in that they thought that it was fine to hate your enemies.

- God never tells us to hate anyone! There is no justification for hatred. Jesus turns these people around and tells them, not only NOT to hate their enemies, but in fact to love them.

- This was a hard word for these Jewish men, as their enemy was supremely oppressive.

- Rome was not known as a benevolent dictator over it's lands. These men had a very clear picture in their mind of their enemies.

- Jesus lets us know that the proper reaction that a Kingdom person has is to bless when cursed, give good for hatred, and pray for those who persecute!

- This reveals that you are sons of God, in that He does the same thing. Those who curse God, still get blessed by Him, even though they do not acknowledge it.

- Those who actively seek to do damage to God's reputation and kingdom, to no avail, still receive God's good toward them.

- His sun rises each day upon them and the rain falls equally. These are common blessings that come from His good nature.

- God is not asking you to do anything more or less than He is willing to do Himself!

• Matthew 5:46-48 : "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." : Is there anything special about treating someone good that treats you good?

- The tax collectors, often Jewish people who worked for the enemy and cheated the people for their salary, lived their lives like this. This is no mark of spirituality!

- God's people are not just people who treat those who love them with love. The mark of God's people is that those who treat them terribly are treated wonderfully!

- Only God can do that in a person's life.

- The person who would do these things would be perfect. This refers to complete and whole, just as the Lord is complete and whole.

• "If a man could live the way Jesus has told us to in this chapter, he would truly be perfect. He would never hate, slander or speak evil of another person. He would never lust in his heart or mind, and not covet anything. He would never make a false oath, and always be completely truthful. He would let God defend his personal rights, and not take it upon himself to defend those rights. He would always love his neighbors, and even his enemies." Pastor David Guzik

Conclusion

- If anything, this last line brings us to our knees. We know that we are not complete and whole. We give preferential treatment, fight endlessly for our rights, look when we shouldn't and hate!

- We are undone and look at these right interpretations as the standard for our lives. Thankfully, we can run to Jesus, who has fulfilled each of these demands perfectly.

- But that is not all. Because His Spirit lives in us, we can ask Him for the power to conform to these things. Today, you might have that need to confess your impotence to carry this out.

- When you do, He will strengthen you and give you the power where you were once weak.

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[i] Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, pg. 18

[ii] http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/cheating-and-infidelity/stats-about-infidelity.html

[iii] http://jar.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/1/6

[iv] http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics-pg6.html