Sermon on the Mount: Matt 5:17-27 - Murder and Anger
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Good morning Life Church / Will you all stand and read with the me the Word of God for today.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
“Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
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TODAY WE LOOK AT JESUS TEACHING ON THE LAW OF GOD AND IN PARTICULAR THE LAW TO NOT MURDER!
TODAY WE LOOK AT JESUS TEACHING ON THE LAW OF GOD AND IN PARTICULAR THE LAW TO NOT MURDER!
Matthew continues to organize the teachings of Jesus into groups of threes.
The first three are:
Murder
Adultery
Divorce
THE COMMON THEME IN ALL THREE OF THESE IS THEIR ABILITY TO DESTROY A FAMILY, LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY.
THE COMMON THEME IN ALL THREE OF THESE IS THEIR ABILITY TO DESTROY A FAMILY, LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY.
Over the next few weeks we will look at each of these three individually and then we will take the rest in their groupings of 3.
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BEFORE WE JUMP INTO DISCUSSING NURDER, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW JESUS RELATES TO THE LAW OF GOD.
BEFORE WE JUMP INTO DISCUSSING NURDER, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW JESUS RELATES TO THE LAW OF GOD.
Many think the NT did away with the law of God.
Some teachers have even called for the Church to “Unhitch itself from the OT”.
Others have claimed that the Sermon on the Mount is not for the Church but should be considered part of the OT,
SO HOW DOES JESUS RELATE TO THE LAW OF GOD?
SO HOW DOES JESUS RELATE TO THE LAW OF GOD?
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is not in the business of abolishing the law but fulfilling it.
He makes clear that the law will be fully accomplished
Who ever annuals the very least command of God will be the least in the Kingdom.
But who ever keeps and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom.
JESUS OBVIOUSLY SEES THE LAWS OF GOD AS HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
LOOK AT WHY THE PROPHET DECLARES THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LOOK AT WHY THE PROPHET DECLARES THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
KEEP THIS IN MIND, JESUS IS LORD AND HE IS THE WORD MADE FLESH.
JESUS IS THE LAW AND HE IS THE FINGER OF GOD THAT WROTE IT.
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THE LAW IS TO CREATE A CULTURE OF FREEDOM AND SAFETY.
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NOT ONLY IS THE LAW GOOD BUT WE ARE CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
NOT ONLY IS THE LAW GOOD BUT WE ARE CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS AGAIN?
Justice that restores community, shalom - PEACE.
Righteousness towards God - Living in a way where we are at Peace with Him as God (Total ruler).
Righteousness towards others -
Living in community in a way where we do not enslave, oppress, and dominate others and to help one another leave in peace with God.
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NOW JESUS SHOWS US NOT ONLY THE GOODNESS OF THE LAW BUT HOW TO LIVE IT RIGHTEOUSLY.
NOW JESUS SHOWS US NOT ONLY THE GOODNESS OF THE LAW BUT HOW TO LIVE IT RIGHTEOUSLY.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
“You shall not murder.
Jesus here is simply laying out the law of God as a blessing!
A statement of fact.
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THE DIAGNOSIS OF MURDER!
THE DIAGNOSIS OF MURDER!
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
JESUS IS NOT GIVING US A NEW LAW OR DISMISSING HIS OWN LAW.
JESUS IS GIVING A DIAGNOSIS FOR THE REASON OF MURDER.
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NOTICE JESUS DID NOT SAY, A NEW LAW I GIVE YOU DO NOT BE ANGERY.
NOTICE JESUS DID NOT SAY, A NEW LAW I GIVE YOU DO NOT BE ANGERY.
ANGER - PRESENT, PASSIVE, PARTICIPLE.
As a participle the reading should be - Being continually angry.
We know that remaining in a state of anger
Causes stress / sickness / ulcers / heart attacks / and yes even murder.
My anger at my dad for feeling like he rejected me as a child manifested in many evils.
Jesus is not saying you cannot get angry.
He himself was angry.
After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Jesus even called the Pharisees fools.
“You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
SO THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO THIS.
SO THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO THIS.
The Law - Do not murder
The Diagnosis - Continuing to be in anger leads to murder.
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
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WHAT WE ARE MISSING IS THE SUBTLE HINT OF GENESIS AND THE CAIN AND ABLE STORY.
WHAT WE ARE MISSING IS THE SUBTLE HINT OF GENESIS AND THE CAIN AND ABLE STORY.
Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Cain became angry because His offering did not produce a good crop.
His brother obviously was a better planter.
Sin used Cains anger and mounted him.
Stuck it’s ugly fangs into the heart and mind of cain, which led to murder.
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HAVE YOU EVER HELD A GRUDGE OF ANGER? ARE YOU HOLDING A GRUDGE OF ANGER?
Our political climate was made this way to turn us into wild animals, mounted by sin through our anger.
Been angry so long you forgot what about - but still angry.
Day in and day out - angry?
JESUS IS SAYING THIS IS WHAT LEADS TO MURDER.
JESUS IS SAYING THIS IS WHAT LEADS TO MURDER.
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JESUS ALSO SHOWS US HOW TO ESCAPE THE SPIRAL OF ANGER.
JESUS ALSO SHOWS US HOW TO ESCAPE THE SPIRAL OF ANGER.
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
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OUR LORD DESIRES FOR US TO BE FREE FROM THE TYRANY OF BEING IN A STATE OF ANGER.
HE WANTS TO FREE US
RESTORE THE BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS.
BRING THE COMMUNITY INTO A PLACE OF PEACE THROUGH RECONCILIATION AND FORGIVENESS.
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I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR SOME OF YOU!
Seek reconciliation through repentance and forgiveness.
Some of you have been tragically broken by others and your anger feels righteous.
But that anger is also destroying you.
Parents, co-workers, relatives, ex-friends who stabbed you in the back.
FOR SOME OF YOU, YOU DO NOT HOLD ANGER BUT YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS A GRUDGE AGAINST YOU.
I know the feeling of “The ball is in their court.”
If they want reconciliation then they can come talk to me.
But we must have a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees.
That means if we know a brother or sister has an issue with us, we need to go to them and try to make it right.
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ESCAPING BEING DOMINATED BY ANGER AND BEING SET FREE IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT JESUS.
ESCAPING BEING DOMINATED BY ANGER AND BEING SET FREE IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT JESUS.
Our flesh says no.
Our anger filled heart is warped by sin and does not desire reconciliation.
THEREFORE FOR US TO LIVE OUT THE LAW, WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WE NEED JESUS TO EMPOWER US TO FOLLOW HIS TEACHINGS.
I WANT TO PRAY WITH YOU TODAY IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH ANGER.
I WANT TO GO TO JESUS WITH YOU AND SEEK HM TO GIVE YOU HIS SPIRIT TO EMPOWER YOU TO BRING PEACE.