Desires of the heart

Matthew 5:21-48

Good morning church!

Welcome to CCMP! Thank you so much for being with us in the Lord’s house this morning.

Don’t we serve a faithful and incredible God!

Amen?

This morning, we are going to continue in our study of the sermon on the mount.

We will be in the second half of chapter 5 this morning.

Last week, we took a look at Jesus introducing the Kingdom of God to the world.

We saw Kingdom Power, Kingdom Principles, Kingdom Revelation, and Kingdom Requirements.

We looked at the Beatitudes and how important that the first one is to the rest of the sermon.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.

We discussed how poor in spirit meant humility in spirit. The opposite of spiritual pride.

Its recognition that even in this Christian life, we can do nothing apart from the work of the HS in our lives.

This sermon is not a list of do’s and don’t’s. It a list of things that the HS wants to work out within your heart.

This morning, I want to do something a little different.

Typically, we would go straight into the scripture and start breaking it down. and then at the end I try to give a summary or an overall explanation of the passage.

This morning, I feel like we should go through a few explanation points that will help us view and see the main ideas that Jesus is trying to communicate to us this morning.

I think it will avoid miscommunication of these passages.

Sound good?

Let’s pray.

For the last few months, we have been discussing our hearts.

Our summer study of Malachi was entitled Heart of Stone. The Lord was revealing to us that before Christ and the salvation work of the HS, our hearts are made of stone and are hardened to our own fleshly desires. The NT calls is slaves to sin.

But we also looked at Ezekiel passages that prophesied that Jesus would come to bring us a new heart. That He would remove the heart of stone and give us hearts of flesh.

So, when we get to Jesus’ revelation to the world and Him revealing the teachings and principles of His Kingdom, we should look at it through the lens of Jesus’ redemption and the sanctification process of the heart of the believer by the indwelling HS.

Jesus desires that His kingdom be revealed in this world today through HS filled believers.

He desires us to be the salt and light of the world and a city sat on a hill that elevates Jesus will draw all men to unto Him and glorify God.

So, as members of the Kingdom, we are to have shining out of us the Kingdom principles taught in the Sermon on the mount.

But He starts it with being poor in spirit. Don’t try to do these things without me or from a hard heart.

Let me do these works within you but you have recognize when the time arrises to be like these things and then lean into my Spirit to produce them in you.

The Law was a list of rules, do’s and don’t’s and Jesus said he is not abolishing the law, He is actually taking the law further past righteous actions and into righteous hearts and motives.

That is why He says over and over again, “You have heard it said, but I say to you.”

He is moving beyond keeping the actions of the law without the more important matter, the heart.

Jesus cares deeply about your heart and your motives for you acts of obedience.

Jesus called out the Pharisees for this over and over again. Most specifically, He called them white washed tombs. He said on the outside they were polished, but on the inside they were dead.

We must be caution to not fall into the trap of this type of obedience.

The difference between legalism and obedience is the desires of the heart.

If you feel the pressure to obey without the desire to obey, then you know what you must pray.

Lord, give me the desires of my heart. Meaning, give my heart new desires. Change the desires of my heart to align with your will and give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

The desire to both sin and obedience starts in the heart.

Jesus, by teaching us these things, is helping us recognize that all sin will move from our hearts to our thoughts, words and actions.

But if we recognize them early, with the power of the Holy Spirit and submission to Him, we can cut these things, these thoughts out of lives by catching them at the source.

You will see that in our passages and applications today.

The point is to recognize that you are poor in Spirit and that you have got to have the Spirit's help in defeating these sins.

But we have a part to play! When temptation arises, He is our way of escape. Begin to recognize temptation closer to the source of our hearts, take captive the thought and run to Spirit in prayer.

The Freedom from sin that Jesus offers is a spiritual heart change that help you defeat even the desire to sin.

It is not beating you into submission or killing your own sin by your own strength.

You can not defeat sin in your life by turning away from or trying to love sin less. Trust me, because your focus in constantly on the sin…

I once started a book about defeating sinful thoughts. And I found myself thinking more sinful thoughts because I was focusing on sinful thoughts!

You stop loving something bad by loving something good more!

You defeat sin by turning more towards Jesus more and loving Him more that you love sin.

That is the steps to freedom from sin that Jesus is offering. He is offering Himself!

And it is accomplishable by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, as we work through these passages today, remember that this is not about legalism.

This is about a freedom in our hearts from the desires to sin brought to you by the HS.

This morning, through the Word, the HS might bring something to you mind that He desires to bring freedom in your heart to you today.

He wants to do that in you today.

Some of these points can be prisons that keep our hearts very, very hard and can affect our lives and relationships and even effect our worship.

But Jesus’ kingdom is offering freedom in your heart today.

So, keeping those truths in mind, let’s work through these passages.

Matthew 5:21–26 ESV

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Jesus is saying that murder doesn’t just pop out.

It starts with an emotion, anger, then out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Anger turns into insults, talking behind someones back.

Then turns to saying to their face, “You fool!” or personally attacking them.

Direct confrontation.

Getting to the point that you insult someone to their face, comes from a prideful heart. A prideful enough heart that looks at them and sees yourself as better than them.

The crazy thing about this is that in our culture today, we call that bravery…

“Well, at least I had the courage to say it to their face…”

You mean, the anger and pride in your heart was strong enough for you to insult someone to their face and tell them what you really think about them?

That’s not courage, that’s pride. And its actually worse than thinking bad thoughts about them.

Jesus is saying anger in your heart, insulting words about someone or at someone is like murder in that it tears down that person or damages the relationship.

It even damages your witness.

And if that person is a believer, then your anger and your insults are like taking a wrecking ball to the Temple of the Living God.

That person is the Temple of God and if you try to tear them down with your words, what are you doing to the temple, the body of Christ and the Kingdom of heaven.

This passage shows us that anger in the heart leads to broken relationships and broken worship.

The main point of this section is that murder, slander, anger, personal attacks and insults cause broken relationship and worship. And that comes from a sickness of the heart.

The desire of our heart is to speak our minds and release the anger in our hearts, because we believe that is going to make us feel better.

But the HS desires us to turn to Him and He will give us desires for what is right and give us freedom for the darkness of anger, hatred, unforgiveness and bitterness.

We must lean into the HS in moments that we feel anger begin to rise up within us.

Recognize the sickness of anger as it starts to rise up in your heart before it moves into angry or hateful thoughts about someone.

Stop in your tracks and pray. Ask the HS to make you poor in spirit, ask for meekness in dealing with them, remember the mercies of God in our lives and show mercy to them.

Or maybe, as we are talking about this, anger is swelling up in your heart towards that one person, that co-worker, that family member.

Our prayer should be “Holy Spirit, help me to be a peacemaker. Help me to seek peace with that person as far as it is up to me. Help me to find forgiveness and release the bitterness in my heart.”

Anger, bitterness and hatred in your heart is a cancer that hardens your heart.

Or maybe there is someone that you need to run to and apologize to them for hurting them.

Jesus desires to set your heart free from anger and bitterness.

Matthew 5:27–30 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus is directing adultery from an outward action to a lustful intent in your heart.

Lust is rampant in our hearts.

Lusting for a man or woman is only apart of the many desires of our flesh that we seek to fulfill on a daily basis.

Again, temptation is not sin. If that was the case, we would have to get rid of all tv’s, phones, electronics and never go in public because of the things people wear nowadays.

Sin is when we linger and lust.

Adultery and satisfying any desires of our flesh starts in the heart, moves to lustful intent and then becomes action.

Now, this passage is not about physical mutilation.

But can you imagine hating sin and lust more than you love your hand or your eye?

Can you imagine hating the sins of the flesh so much that we are willing to cut off the temptations in front of our eyes and the cut out the temptation of our hands?

The cost of lustf is great and we must violently oppose it in our lives.

We must cut it out of our lives!

We need to become aware of the willful temptations that we allow in our lives and cast them out.

We need to set up guards over our eyes and our hearts.

Recognize the temptation and turn the Spirit and ask Him to help you be pure in heart.

Not divided in your worship or commitment to Him.

Matthew 5:31–37 ESV

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

I combined these two part because I believe the main thought is the same.

But first let’s address the divorce passage.

This one Jesus actually superseding the Law and making it more strict.

In the law, a man could divorce his wife for many different reasons, even if she just displeased him.

But we know that Jesus elevated the status of women in His kingdom and brought them to a place of honor.

Jesus is not getting rid of divorce but stating that a reason for divorce is sexual immorality.

The main point of both of these passages I believe is to be the type of person that is trustworthy and faithful to your word and commitments.

Be faithful and trustworthy enough that people won’t require you to be sign a contract or an affidavit.

If we, as Christians are not faithful to our word and commitments, how does that reflect the trustworthiness and faithfulness of Jesus?

Now, there is no way that we will ever reach the faithfulness of our Lord and Savior, but we should be such faithful and trustworthy people that it shines in this world as different!

The desire of our heart is honestly towards laziness and selfishness. And sometimes our mouth speaks but our body is not willing…

How do we do this?

First of all, slow down before you speak and make a commitment.

James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”

Slow to speak. Before you make a commitment, or enter into an agreement, pray. Ask the Lord if it is His will for you.

Marriage is not a love promise that you keep as long as the love is there.

Marriage is a commitment to God and your spouse that you will be faithful and trustworthy to them.

If you don’t pray before committing to that, you are putting yourself in a tough spot!

If you have broken a commitment or the trust of someone, pray and ask the Lord if and how you might need to seek reconciliation with that person.

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Do the best that you can to restore peace with that person. But sometimes they are not ready to forgive or be restored.

But as far as it is up to you, seek to restore peace.

Lastly, ask the HS to help you not speak out of pleasing people or an inability to say “No.”

Pray, seek the Lord before saying “yes” and ask if this is His will for you.

These next two passage might ring a little more difficult this week.

A week that we have seen hatred on display.

A week that we have seen not a slap to the check but a cold-blooded murder.

As Christians, as followers of Jesus, we must remember to align ourselves with Jesus as His teachings to respond.

Matthew 5:38–42 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

When one of us is shot and killed the temptation is to seek an eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

The desire of our heart is revenge and seeing them get what they deserve.

But the inverted Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus brings to this Earth, that shines bright in a world of hatred and division, is a heart that not only doesn’t resist that evil, but goes the extra mile for those when hit us.

As Christians, we are to take the beating for our faith and then go the extra mile for those who knock us down.

We need the HS’s help in remembering that we were once enemies of God. Dead in our trespasses and sin. Following the course of this world. Following the evil spirit that is still at work in our world.

But if not for the grace of God, we would be right there with them!

In fact, Jesus, while we were His enemy and sinning against Him, went the ultimate extra mile for you and for me by going to the cross and dying for us! His enemy!

Like Christ saw past our sins, we should look past the sins of those who are lost and evil and see that there is a person, a soul in there who needs Jesus just as bad as we need Jesus!

If not for the grace of God, not our own works, but grace, we would be right there next them!

We must remember the mercies of God that pour down on our lives that we don’t deserve and pour out mercies on the lost in this world.

Being poor in spirit and a conduit of the mercies of God towards the evil people in this world are bright shining beacons of light in a dark world.

HS help us to reflect Jesus in this time.

Matthew 5:43–48 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Its easy to love those who love us, right?

Imagine if that was the way that God worked?

Think about that, what if Jesus only loved you when you love Him.

Jesus’ love was on full display when those who hated Him falsely accused Him, beat Him, stripped Him naked, whipped Him, led Him up on a hill to crucify Him and He looks down and says, “Father, forgive them.”

Jesus was laying down His life and dying for the sins being committed against Him in that moment.

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus says that even tax collectors, evil people and Gentiles love those who love them.

But we are called to live and look like Jesus in a world full of enemies.

We are called to love like Christ and that means to lay down our lives for our enemies.

That means that we pray for their souls. We pray that God will move into their lives and they leave the live of sin and join in the Kingdom of God.

How often do we pray for our enemies?

Those of a different world view than our’s?

Those persecuting Christians across the world?

89 Christians were killed worshiping at a funeral Monday in the nation of Congo.

Children were shot and killed in a worship service in Wisconsin.

Charlie Kirk was assassinated this week.

We pray as we should for those affected by these atrocities. But do we go the extra mile and pray for those who are attacking and killing?

Our flesh is repulsed at the thought of loving them and praying for them.

But a heart that is changed and led by the Holy Spirit, will love them with the love of Christ and pray for the their repentance and turning to the Lord.

I’m not saying its easy or simple.

But we do it by asking the HS to help us view them as the Lord views us, though we were enemies of God, Christ loved us and died for us.

We must remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but of spiritual powers of this world.

And we don’t fight spiritual battles with physical weapons. We fight them on the battle field of prayer.

(invite band)

So, I’m going to invite us to a time of reflection and prayer.

Let us reflect on recognizing the sickness and hardness of our hearts.

Let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show us the areas that we need His help in.

Weather its anger towards someone

or seeking restoration with someone that we hurt.

Weather it is violently cutting areas of temptation out of our lives.

Or maybe its asking the HS help us to be more trustworthy to our word and being slow to speaking commitments.

Or its asking the HS to help us be more like Christ in loving, praying and laying down our lives for our “enemies” in this world.

Asking Him to shine the light and live of Jesus in the darkness and division of this world.

Pray.

In the battle between our flesh and Spirit, our hearts are the desire and motivation center from which we make decsions.

Both desires to sin and obey you and your Word come from our hearts.

We are incapable of changing out hearts, but you came to set us free from the sinful desires of our hearts and give us desires to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

God, we ask that you do that in our lives.

We pray, Lord, for all of those effected by persecution and the new martyrs of the faith the week.

But we also pray for those who are weapons of the enemy who week to steal, kill and destroy the Kingdom of God.

May they see the light, Your light, of love, grace, undeserved mercy, repentance and the goodness of you our God.

Invite people to join you at the alter to reflect and pray.