August 23, 2015
Evening Service

We are continuing with Jesus’ discourse known now as the “Sermon on the mount.”  He has taught us on the “Beatitudes,” which explained the attitudes that we need to display to be pleasing to Him.  He then explained that we are to be “salt and light” to this bitter and dark world making it a better place.  This morning Jesus explained that He has not come to “destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.”  All the teachings in the OT simply lay the foundation that Jesus now is building on.  He is magnifying or revealing to us what the intent of the Law truly was.  He is now here to complete the work the Law began.  The OT Law was all about “what” you do and now the NT teachings are all about “why” you do it.  This new law is now written upon our hearts, fulfilling scripture.

Jer 31:31-34  Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,  (32)  not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the Lord;  (33)  but this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My Law in their minds, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  (34)  And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.

 

The scribes and Pharisees in the OT knew the Law word for word, taught it that way, and lived it that way.  They lived by the letter of the Law, but not up to the intent of the Law.  They took great pride in being “holier than thou” by exaltiing their works as being superior to others.  This is told wonderfully in a parable by Jesus.

 

 Luk 18:9-14  And He spoke this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others:  (10)  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed within himself in this way: “God, I thank You that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.  (12)  I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”  (13)  And standing afar off, the tax-collector would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but struck on his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

• It was not the one who exalted himself by his works that was justified, but the one whose heart belonged to God that was.
• As we are all honest with ourselves we must admit that we are all sinners saved by grace, not by our works.  It is that attitude that separates the OT from the NT. 

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.

• We can in no way ever “earn” our salvation through our works, but we are changed into His likeness when we surrender to His will.  The scribes and Pharisees did not stand upon grace, but solely upon their works.  As we embrace grace, our works will soon follow.  Notice what Paul said next;

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

• We are His “workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works.”  We do not follow the law to increase our righteousness, but simply to reflect His righteousness.   It is our act of worship (love) to Him to follow, not our duty or obligation.  Can you see the difference?  Jesus said this;

 

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

• Is your love for Jesus why you are here tonight?  Is it your heart’s desire to please Him as a bride seeks to please her husband?
• Or, are you here simply because it is expected of you and you are trying to “do the right thing?”
• Are you a spectator in the service tonight or are you a participant?
• Are you a “Christ follower” on the inside or only on the outside?
• Jesus only spoke critically to those who proclaimed great righteousness, but did not live it out.

 

Mat 23:25-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  (26)  Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also.  (27)  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  (28)  Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

• God is after your heart.  He wants you to want Him.  His has no pleasure in the works of your hands (the outside) if they are not coming from your heart (the inside).  He is not pleased so much in “what” you do as much as “why” you do it.
• The scribes and Pharisees were faithful to the Law, but it was to exalt themselves not their Lord.  This is the meaning behind verse 20.

 

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.

• God’s desire for us to be sold out to Him and doing the things that please Him out of love.  He does not want us to be simply going through the motions, but He want to change our lives.

 

2Co 5:17 So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

• It is not simply that we are “doing” things differently; it is that we are now different.

 

As we continue in this study, notice how Jesus continually magnifies our righteousness to go beyond the works of our hands to become the desires of our heart.  He is cleansing the outer man by changing the inner one first. 

 

Lord we surrender our heart, will, and desires all to You.