Matthew 5-7

The Light of the World

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I don’t know if everyone knows this or not, but one of the things I’m doing is taking classes online to get my Master of Divinity. I just finished up for the semester last week. And one of the classes I took this year was a preaching class.

And among other things, they gave us a list of thing NOT to do in a sermon, they said if you do these things, people will lose interest, and they won’t enjoy your sermon.

they said never start your sermon out by simply reading from scripture. Because people will get bored too quickly

Never just read verse by verse through the bible in your sermon, you always need to have a structure where you say here’s my first point, here’s my second point, here my third point, here’s my theme. They said if you just go though scripture from top to bottom people will get bored and they won’t remember it.

And the third thing they said was if you’re going to read more than two chapters you need to summarize. Don’t ever go through large sections of bible. you need to summarize parts so that it's more digestible.

With all that said, I intend on breaking all three of those rules today.

If you have your bibles I’d love for you to open up to Matthew chapter 5 verse 1.

This is the first of five major speeches of Jesus that Matthew is weaving the life of Jesus around. You can think of this as the first of five major pillars in the book of Matthew.

And we’re just going to start in verse one and we’re going to just go through what jesus has to say and j

Matthew 5:1 NET 2nd ed.

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him.

“Up the Mountain” This comes immediately after Jesus gives his mission statement “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” And he goes up on the mountain and teaches the values of this kingdom. which is very reminiscent of Moses going up on the Mountain to receive the Law.

Matthew 5:2–3 NET 2nd ed.

Then he began to teach them by saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

-Jesus gives us a whole list of different people. But all of them are examples of the first group. They’re a sub-set of people who are poor in spirit

Matthew 5:4-12

Matthew 5:4–12 NET 2nd ed.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

Make no mistake. If you follow this king, you will have trouble. That’s not an if statement, it’s a will statement. You will be at odds with the world. How are we supposed to act when we’re at odds with the rest of the world?

Matthew 5:13-20

Matthew 5:13–16 NET 2nd ed.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people! You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Our actions should be such that by the way we live our lives, people can’t help but notice the power of christ working in us.

Remember Jesus is up on the mountain, we’re supposed to be reminded of the 10 commandments here. Jesus wants us to obey God’s commandments so much that people can’t help but see the light of Christ working in us.

Matthew 5:17–20 NET 2nd ed.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!

This is a tough one. Because on one hand, none of us is able to reach that standard. Paul tells us All have fallen short of the glory of God. And on the other hand, Jesus is calling us to keep striving toward it anyway.

Here in verse 21 Jesus actually takes the commandments of God and doesn’t nullify the commandments. He actually doubles down and raises the bar on God’s commandments.

Matthew 5:21 NET 2nd ed.

“You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’

Matthew 5:22–26 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell. So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!

Matthew 5:27 NET 2nd ed.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

Matthew 5:28–30 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

quick disclaimer, that’s a metaphor by the way. Just in case anybody was unclear, it’s a metaphor. Don’t actually cut your hand off.

Matthew 5:31 NET 2nd ed.

“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’

Matthew 5:32 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:33 NET 2nd ed.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

Matthew 5:34–37 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.

Matthew 5:38 NET 2nd ed.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

Matthew 5:39–42 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, let him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:43 NET 2nd ed.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’

Matthew 5:44–47 NET 2nd ed.

But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they?

And that word perfect in the greek isn’t the way you and I think about it. The word has a meaning that gives the idea of wholeness. Completeness. Jesus is asking us to constantly be striving toward the version of yourself that God has intended you to become.

And this is all for the goal verse 16, let your light shine, so that people can see your good deeds and honor your father in heaven.

But if you’re not careful, we can take that idea down the wrong path.

Matthew 6:1 NET 2nd ed.

“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:2–8 NET 2nd ed.

Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward! But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Being “salt and light” to the world, showing christ so that other people can see christ though our actions is not the same thing as doing good deeds in order to get attention.

If we have to draw extra attention to ourselves so that people notice that we’re good Christians, Then I would venture to say we’re not actually being good christians.

Even the way we pray.

Matthew 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9–13 NET 2nd ed.

So pray this way: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

This is not a prayer of someone who honors them self. This the prayer of someone who understands exactly where they stand in relationship to the king Someone who understands that they need forgiveness. And in return we should be giving forgiveness away.

Matthew 6:14–15 NET 2nd ed.

“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

When you forgive, when you are forgiven, when you have a relationship with God it brings joy to your life. Let people see it.

Matthew 6:16-24

Matthew 6:16–18 NET 2nd ed.

“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

And the key to all of this is to remain focued on the values of the kingdom.

Matthew 6:19 NET 2nd ed.

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and devouring insect destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Your bible might say moth and “rust” some say moth and “vermin” The word there actually is probably best translated as “things that eat” whether that’s corrosion, or insects or vermin. The point is if we keep our sights on this world, everything in this world fades away.

Matthew 6:20–22 NET 2nd ed.

But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and devouring insect do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

Where is your focus? Where are your eyes looking? Are you looking around at the storm? or are you looking at Jesus

Matthew 6:23 NET 2nd ed.

But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 6:24 NET 2nd ed.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

This is another one, your Bible might say “Mammon” or “wealth”

It just means stuff. Things you accumulate

Jesus says don’t focus on earthly things.

Don’t even focus on basic neccecities over the kingdom.

Matthew 6:25 NET 2nd ed.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

We should be so commited to Christ that we don’t even spend our time thinking about food and water.

Matthew 6:26–34 NET 2nd ed.

Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith? So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

If anybody ever told you that being a Christian was going to be easy? It’s not easy. It’s not a place you go once a week. It’s a radical transformation

I don’t think I’ve even come this close to living up to the standard that Jesus has set here. None of us does.

So the last thing I’m going to do is start standing on the street trying to fix the people who sin in different ways than I sin.

Matthew 7:1 NET 2nd ed.

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

Matthew 7:2–5 NET 2nd ed.

For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

By the way, I don’t buy into the idea that Jesus is telling us that we’re allowed to Judge others just as long as we fix our own sin first.

Mainly because in this world in this earthly life I don’t think that any one of us ever gets to a point where we actually get the log out of our own eye. I know I haven’t.

I’m still working on my log.

Now can you and I team up and work on our sin together? absolutely. Can I point out places where I can help you with your sin, sure. Can you point out places where you can help me with my sin? please do. I need it. We all do.

And then Jesus says

Matthew 7:6 NET 2nd ed.

Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.

This is probably one of the most difficult parts of Jesus’ sermon to understand. But it helps to understand that it comes right on the heels of do not judge. And it helps to understand that dogs and pigs were both unclean animals in judaism. Meaning they represented anything or anyone that wasn’t following God.

Imagine what it would be like if someone came in to ACC, struggling with their faith, And right out of the gate I just said “Well I hope you know you’re a hopeless wretched sinner and you deserve the firey pits of hell”

It’s technically true. We’re all hopeless wretched sinners, and we all deserve the firey pits of hell. That’ part one of the good news, part 2 is that Jesus took our punishment for us.

But you come right out the gate with that and it’s going in one ear and out the other. You’re taking the gospel message, something very valuable, and you’re just indiscriminately throwing it against the wall and hoping it sticks. That’s not going to change anybody’s life.

Our job as Christians is not to fix people. It’s not to make people better.

Our job is to introduce people to Jesus, and allow him to make them better.

And he will. Jesus will transform your life.

Matthew 7:7-11

Matthew 7:7–11 NET 2nd ed.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

In the context of everything Jesus is saying here about this unattainable standard, about the values of this perfect complete kingdom. If we are in relationship with God, if we allow the Holy Spirit within us to work, God will change our hearts.

And we have to understand that every single Christian is in the process of having his or her heart changed. Nobody has arrived yet.

Matthew 7:12 NET 2nd ed.

In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

Look at other people the way you would want them to see you. The way God sees you. As a work in progress.

We are all doing our best to stay on the narrow path that leads to life.

Matthew 7:13-27

Matthew 7:13–14 NET 2nd ed.

“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it!

That includes the way we live our lives, as well as the people and things we allow to influence our lives.

Matthew 7:15–23 NET 2nd ed.

“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

Because Jesus’ standard is so high, each and every one of us should be on guard for what we let influence us.

And that includes me. If you want a really easy rule of thumb, just go back and re-read everything we’ve read so far. And if someone is telling you to act in a way that’s different than what Jesus has been describing, it’s a bad tree.

If I ever tell you to act differently than what jesus described, I would hope that would call me out on it.

And it’s not just words. Jesus wants action.

Matthew 7:24–27 NET 2nd ed.

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation had been laid on rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!”

I know we just went through a lot of bible. I know that a lot of the stuff that we talked about was frankly really difficult. And what’s crazy is every time I read the sermon on the mount, I feel inspired.

I feel like Jesus sees me. And I’ve never been able to understand it, because almost everything he talked about was how we’re not living up to the standard. Go back and read it again, Jesus is teaching hard things. And Jesus is telling us, he’s telling me You’re not doing enough. And yet somehow Jesus tells me all the ways I’m failing and I can walk away feeling uplifted about it.

I could never preach this sermon. If I preached like this you all wouldn’t want to come back, because you’d say man, Josh is just one of those angry hellfire and brimestone preachers.

As a side note, if this sermon felt hellfire and brimestoney, that wasn’t me. That was all him. because I read every single word of His sermon, and then gave you some insights here and there.

Jesus can preach this sermon because because he’s the king. Josh McCay in alliance nebraska couldn’t get away with preaching this sermon. But he can. Because he has the authority of the king.

Matthew 7:28 NET 2nd ed.

When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching,

Matthew 7:29 NET 2nd ed.

because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.

If we have a right orientation toward the king, we will receive the kingdom. And it’s a hard life. It’s an unattainable standard that God calls us to, but He wants us to keep our eyes focused on kingdom things. Not the sins of other people, not the worries of this world. But on Him. And he will transform your life. He will give you a life altering transformation.

And the first step, is accepting that calling.

If you’ve decided that you want to be a part of this kingdom, here in a minute I’m going to sing a song of invitation, our elder Ron will be up front here to talk to you about what that looks like.