January 13, 2013
Morning Service

Matthew 5

 

Last week we began studying the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus addressed this to his disciples (and us) outlining the attitudes and perspectives we are to strive to live out.  These attitudes and perspectives do not come easily.  They are contrary to our natural sinful nature.  He wants us to “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and in so doing we will be satisfied and blessed.

 

Psalms 1:1-6 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful.  (2)  But his delight is only in the Law of the Lord; and in His Law he meditates day and night.  (3)  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of water that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf shall not wither, and all which he does shall prosper.  (4)  The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away.  (5)  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  (6)  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Remember these are the words of Christ.  They are spirit and they are life (John 6:63).  His teachings here are very clear.  His words are a path to a closer walk with Him.  Listen to Him!

 

Mat 5:17-19 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.  (18)  For truly I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.  (19)  Therefore whoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.

·         This has been God’s plan all along.  Jesus has fulfilled all the Old Testament laws and prophecies.  All of the OT pointed to a time when the Messiah would come and create the “new” covenant.

 Hebrews 10:16-17  "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"  (17)  also He adds, "their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."  (Quoted from Jeremiah 31)

·         The new covenant we live under is one written in our hearts, as we are given the Holy Spirit to guide us.

·         He states that nothing, not even the smallest detail, will go unfulfilled.  We are encouraged (verse 19) not to rationalize or relax (conform) even one of the least commandments, but to follow them and teach others.  The Pharisees often differentiated between the lighter and heavier matters (conforming) of the law.  Jesus tells us here that they are all equally important.

 

Mat 5:20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

·         Jesus gives us a criteria to judge our righteousness (right living) by; the Pharisees.

·         The Pharisees were the strictest sect of the Jewish faith.  They stressed the importance of the religious ceremonies and carried things out to the letter of the law, which gave them outward appearance of righteousness, ignoring the intentions of their hearts.  It mattered only what and how they did things, not necessarily why. 

·         Our righteousness must exceed that and we must try to do the right thing with the right motive.

1Co 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.  (2)  And though I have prophecies, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and do not have charity, I am nothing.  (3)  And though I give out all my goods to feed the poor, and though I deliver my body to be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.

·         You see our righteousness is not in what we do, but it is more of the motive behind it (heart)

·          As we yield our heart (motives) to Christ and accept Him as our Savior, His righteousness becomes our righteousness.  We exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees by following His example and commandments.

 

2Co 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Isa 42:21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness sake; He will magnify the Law and make it honorable.

·         Jesus now explains what Isaiah wrote about.  He now magnifies not only the action of obedience, but also the motivation of our heart.

 

Mat 5:21-22 You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder" --and, "Whoever murders shall in danger of the judgment."  (22)  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whoever shall say, Fool! shall be in danger of hell fire.

·         The command of do not murder is now amended to include unwarranted anger.  We can no longer claim righteousness for not committing the act of murder, but must now we must even guard our thoughts from unrighteous anger, contempt, and condemnation.

Mat 12:36-37 But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the Day of Judgment.  (37)  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

·         Anger, abusive language, and cursing all contain the seeds of murder.

 

Mat 5:23-24 Therefore if you offer your gift on the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,  (24)  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

·         Notice how this deals with the internal state of the believer.  You cannot honestly give your best offerings to God without offering them with a pure heart. 

1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

·         We are called to be peacemakers (5:9).  It is our responsibility to go to someone who has something against us and try to make amends.  Forgiveness works two ways, and we can only control our part of the process.

 

Mat 5:25-26 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him; that the opponent not deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  (26)  Truly I say to you, you shall by no means come out from there until you have paid the last penny.

·         Just because we are right is not a reason for pursuing someone who has wronged you to court.

1Co 6:6-7 But brother goes to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.  (7)  Indeed then there is already on the whole a failure among you, that you have lawsuits with yourselves. Why not instead be wronged? Why not instead be defrauded?

·         It is much better to prayerfully seek a solution on your own and even accept being wronged rather than pursuing justice.  Never forget that Christ doesn’t offer us justice, but offers us mercy.

 

Mat 5:27-28 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery."  (28)  But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

·         He really magnifies this area of sin.  It is not only the act of adultery, but the looking and lusting.  The secret world of our minds and our wondering eyes has to be under the Spirit’s control.  All sin is conceived in the mind first and must be dealt with there.

 

Mat 5:29-30 And if your right eye offends you, pluck it out and throw it from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell.  (30)  And if your right hand offends you, cut it off and throw it from you. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell.

·         He conveys the seriousness of sin.  We must be in control of what our eyes look at, our hands touch, and our mind thinks.  This is a battle of self-discipline, with the aid of the Spirit, where we are willing to remove things in our lives that drag us down and hold us back from being what God desires.

·         In cutting them off, He refers to removing yourself from that temptation at all, even extreme cost.

 

 

Lord please help us to display these magnified laws in our lives and be the salt and light You desire us to be.