The Sermon on the Mount 6

A clean Heart

The Sermon on the Mount 6

We are in the middle of series on the Sermon on the Mount

We are in the book of Mathew chapter 5

This is a magnificent sermon,

The sermon Is about the kingdom of God.

This sermon was for the disciples.

Mat 5:1 Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him.

Mat 5:2 Then he began to teach them. He said,

Our Lord was concerned to describe a citizen of the kingdom Heaven

In the beatitudes he describes the essential nature of the Christian man or woman.

Then he immediately begins to share how a citizen of the kingdom relates to the law.

It was important for Him to show how, He related to the law of Moses and how He was not coming against the law but fulfilling the law, He was not giving a new law.

Let me repeat something Aaron shared with you last week.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body

God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Not only did Christ fulfill the law in himself through following the law to the smallest detail, but he also fulfills it in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we have seen all throughout our study on the Sermon on the Mount so far, the high calling of holiness Jesus’ taught is not possible for us to attain by our own strength.

Every attribute of the beatitudes is only possible for us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our faith in Jesus leads us into a saving relationship with Him and His nature and character become more alive in us every day as we follow after Him.

We are not made holy by our human efforts to obey the law. We are made holy by our faith in Christ that leads us into His righteousness.

Gal 3:11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because "the righteous will live by faith."

Jesus finishes this portion of His sermon with this statement.

Is important verse to remember

Mat 5:19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

There was a big shock for his disciples these guys are the most holy and righteous people on the face of the earth.and

Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Let’s pray

A clean heart

Jesus preoccupation was to give a True account of the Law

He lays down the principle and illustrates it.

1 Murder

Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'

He is referring to what the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching, to that he was bringing correction.

Notice that Jesus didn’t say as you read in the law Moses, but what you have heard, and they heard about what was written from the Pharisees and Sadducees who had the authority, to teach, they were men devoted to the law, their whole lives were dedicated to learn and to keep the law of Moses, they were the ones translating the scriptures from Hebrew, into Aramaic and Greek, but adding their own interpretation.

Before the protestant reformation took place, we were under the same predicament. The bible was read in Latin, many did not speak Latin, so people were hearing the interpretation of the priest, and here in the US was taught that in order to be saved we must believe in all the sacraments, and there was no salvation apart from the church and the priesthood. The Catholic church teaches about 7 sacraments.

The protestant churches and the Baptist recognize only 2 sacraments, Baptism and communion, and they are not essential for salvation.

The Pharisees were not teaching what was written but their own interpretation

Jesus was correcting what they had said

Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'

What they were saying was

You shall not Kill, because you shall be in danger of judgment in a court of law, they were reducing what the law said.

Exo 21:12 "Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.

Exo 21:13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate.

Exo 21:14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.

In The law there was a consequence for murderer, a spiritual consequence and a physical one.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were always reducing the meaning of the law, they very conveniently change the words so they would be OK before God, as long as they could keep a good appearance.

Jesus points right to the heart of the issue.

Do not be angry.

Mat 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

But I tell you, This was Jesus the son of God the one who gave the law, interpreting for them. He with no education or training had no problem in exercising His authority.

If you allow anger to dwell in your heart you will be subject to judgment by God.

How do I know if I’m carrying anger in my heart, one simple way to know is just to observe how you treat people, or how you treat the ones who frustrate you.

Anger in the heart is a terrible thing

contempt is the feeling that leads you to murder, there are ways we can murder someone without touching them, by destroying their reputation, their character.

Our judgments and how much we despise someone, is what leads us to murder

Our anger must always be against sin and evil not against people, Jesus anger and words were against evil, not against the sinner.

We must take steps towards making things right with each other

The law of God is about thoughts and actions.

Ex:

A few years ago I was listen to message from Craig Hills, and pastor Neil Campbell, asked me this question, is anyone in your life you have not forgiven? My very prompt answer was I have forgiven everyone, in my mind I was thinking, I been teaching in this subject over 30 years, I have forgiven everyone, but before he let me even speak, he said lets ask the Lord to speak to you, because He will know for sure so I prayed Lord is anyone that I still need to forgive in my heart, and to my surprise a list of name appeared before me, I was humbled by my own deception.

The Pharisees and Sadducees made the same mistake, they were going by the letter of the law. I’m not killing anyone physically or even cussing at them, so must to be ok.

is always about the attitude of our hearts, is your heart clean before God?

He is the only one who can help us to see the condition of our hearts, out of a relationship with Him.

Psa 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Psa 139:24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Is not a code of ethics we must hold on to the principle

A clean heart before God

Just to say I’m not a murderer doesn’t mean that my heart is right and pure before God.

is the spirit of the law that is important

2 Make things right with each other

Mat 5:23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

Mat 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Make sure you are not doing spiritual good to compensate for the evil you have done, if you are giving a gift to the Lord and he re

Saul had been told by the Lord to kill everything

If I regard iniquity in my heart my worship is worthless

I believe Bill gates and his ex wife are the largest donors towards orphans this year, they gave over 15 million dollars, when Hugh Hefner the founder of Playboy, was alive he was a good giver too, doing good to cover up sin doesn’t work.

Mat 5:25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

If you have done something, wrong make it right, the holy Spirit will convict you and show you exactly what you have done, this prison maybe physical or spiritual.

Mat 5:26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

3 Do not commit adultery.

Mat 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

Mat 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Lust begins in the heart, you may have not committed adultery, or ever been with another women or if you are a woman you may never be with another man, but if is in your heart, it will happen, you are already and adulterer.

Mat 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

We need to keep our hearts clean before our Heavenly Father

Deal with the source.

Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Mat 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Do whatever you can to not fall into sin. To not disobey God.

cut off, the source,

I heard this man sharing that whenever he drank he would become violent and would end up hitting his wife. He came to Jesus and made a commitment that he would never drink again.

Whatever problem you have, whatever sin is knocking at your door cut off the source and it will leave you.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

God gives us the grace to live in freedom and he forgives us from all our sins.

Keep a clean heart, it will keep you away from killing each other

Trying to cover up your guilt

From lusting or committing adultery.

To become a Disciple, we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16