Kingdom Living

Sermon Series: Sermon on the Mount Week 6

Good morning, Church.

Grab your Bibles and make your way to Matthew 5.

Hey before we jump in- I just want to let you know what is going on this morning at the end of the service this morning, we are going to pray over and commission our groups of prayer triplets.

We made the decision to have our local association come along side us and walk with us as we are revitalizing the church. This is literally what I am working towards with my Doctorate.

My doctorate project is literally titled Equipping small group leaders at Cedar Bay Baptist Church to enchance church revitalization through Discipleship.

Because my job as the Head Pastor of this church is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry and partnering with our Mission Strategist, Chris Reinolds and the family of churches, it creates the opportunity for the church- the congregation- to prayerfully consider how we can do things differently or enhance what we are currently doing to make a bigger impact for the kingdom and in ways we can all grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord and with each other.

And the first thing we did- in the revitalization process was the CALE weekend- were select members of our church got together. None of the staff were there during the small group times. I wasn’t there at all, and no one directly related to me was there.

So, conversation could be completely open and honest. If the preaching ain’t good. If people thought the pastor wasn’t doing good- that needed to be identified.

Through open and honest conversations, a survey or two, and small group discussions, we gained some insight into the spiritual health of our church—what we would consider our strengths, challenges, and the opportunities God is placing before us for future growth and renewal.

The next step we are taking is what we are calling prayer triplets. During that initial weekend, 7 people were identified with Positive Spiritual Passion. Over the last few weeks, those 7 individuals, have been praying and considering who to ask to be a part of there triplet.

The task was to ask people- from every age and every stage of life. Old new members. New Old Members. Young peole, old people.

And at the end of the service today, we are going to call them up. Pray over them and commission them for this assignment.

Now hear me—these prayer groups are not business meetings. They’re not brainstorming sessions or decision rooms. They’re listening posts. The goal is renewal, not results.

This isn’t about forming committees or coming up with clever strategies—it’s about coming before the Lord in humility and saying, “God, speak. Show us what You’re already doing.”

We want to learn how to be still before Him, to listen for His Spirit, and to develop a shared heart for where He’s leading Cedar Bay. When we meet in that way—humbly, prayerfully, and expectantly—it builds unity. It creates a holy urgency for revival and a fresh vision for what God wants to do in and through His church.

Because when God’s people pray with open hands and obedient hearts, the Spirit begins to stir. He renews what’s grown weary. He brings life where there’s been dryness. And He gives clarity where there’s been confusion.

That’s what these prayer triplets are all about—listening for God’s voice together so that Cedar Bay can move forward together.

And understand this—the goal for all of this isn’t to grow in numbers. If it were only about numbers, we wouldn’t be doing it. The church is already growing. Since May of 2024—less than a year and a half—our membership at Cedar Bay has increased by 33%. Praise God for that! But we’re not chasing statistics—we’re chasing the Savior.

This isn’t about packing pews; it’s about changing hearts. It’s about seeing where God wants to make an impact in us so He can make an impact through us. Inside these walls, outside these walls, starting right here in our own backyard.

It’s about letting God renew us so that He can work through us.

So for the next 100 days, I’m asking us—as a church family—to pray. Pray for these groups. Pray that the Lord would give them wisdom, guidance, and discernment. Because we serve a God who listens when we pray. We serve a God who hears us.

Now, with that same heart of listening, let’s open God’s Word together.

We’re in the sixth week of our Sermon on the Mount series, and today we come to Matthew 5:38–48.

This is one of those passages that cuts deep. Jesus is going to confront how we respond when we’re wronged, mistreated, or hurt—and He’s going to show us what it really means to reflect the heart of our Father.

Jesus is going to confront how we respond when we’re wronged, mistreated, or hurt—and He’s going to show us what it really means to reflect the heart of our Father.

Now men, let’s be honest for a second—our default setting isn’t what Jesus calls us to in this passage. Our flesh doesn’t drift toward humility, patience, or mercy. We’re wired to fight back, to defend, to win. You hit me, I’m swinging back. You wrong me, I’ll make it right on my terms. That’s the world’s way. That’s our natural response.

But Jesus doesn’t call us to live naturally—He calls us to live supernaturally. To walk in a strength that looks different from the world’s idea of strength.

And hear me—saved does not mean soft. Following Christ doesn’t make you passive; it makes you powerful under control. It takes more courage to forgive than to fight. It takes more strength to turn the other cheek than to throw a punch. Any man can react—but it takes a Spirit-filled man to respond like Jesus.

That’s what He’s teaching us in Matthew 5:38–48. This is not weakness; this is what real biblical manhood looks like—meekness under authority, strength under surrender, power under purpose. Jesus isn’t stripping us of masculinity; He’s redeeming it.

So as we walk through this text today, I want us to look honestly at our hearts. What happens when someone wrongs us? When someone speaks against us? When we’re tempted to get even instead of showing grace?

That’s where the truth of our discipleship shows. Not in how loud we sing on Sunday, but in how we respond on Monday. Not in what we say we believe, but in how we treat the people who make it hard to believe they deserve it.

Lets read God’s Word together: Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:38–48 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. “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.

pray.

Just look at those first two verses

Matthew 5:38–39 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.

Thats the old Testament, right there. That’s one of the laws of Moses- one of the 613.

But, we aren’t to live in such a way because the Pharisees have distorted and warped this law.

Kingdom People are to live by Grace.

Thats our first truth.

Bet let’s also clear a few things up first and foremost because it sure sounds like Jesus is getting rid of one of the moral laws of God. But that is not the case.

So let’s be clear—the “eye for an eye” principle isn’t bad or outdated. It’s actually good, right, and just. It shows up three times in the Old Testament law (Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deuteronomy 19). God gave it to Israel as part of His justice system, not to promote revenge but to limit it.

It was meant to protect people from taking matters into their own hands. In a world where vengeance could easily spiral out of control—where someone could repay an insult with a killing—God established a law that kept justice balanced and fair. The punishment had to fit the crime, not exceed it.

For example, Deuteronomy 19 says that if someone lied in court to harm another person, they would receive the same penalty they tried to bring on their neighbor. That’s perfect justice. And unlike other ancient law codes that mutilated or killed thieves, God’s law required restitution instead—thieves had to repay double what they stole. In other words, they lost exactly what they tried to gain, and the victim was restored exactly what they lost.

So “eye for eye” was never a license for payback—it was a restraint on it. It gave structure to justice and placed that authority in the hands of judges and magistrates, not in the emotions of the offended. Romans 13 even reminds us that civil authorities are God’s servants, meant to punish evil and protect what’s right.

But here’s the issue: when that principle leaves the courtroom and enters our hearts, it becomes dangerous. Because privately, we twist justice into vengeance. We start dreaming of payback—of making someone else hurt like we’ve been hurt.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Someone cuts us deep — with words, betrayal, disrespect, whatever it is — and before we even realize it, our mind starts running the replay. We picture what we should’ve said, what we could’ve done, how we’re going to make them feel it next time.

It’s subtle at first. But before long, we’re sitting in the courtroom of our own heart — and we’ve already become judge, jury, and executioner. We’re writing the verdict, deciding the sentence, and playing it out in our heads. And it feels justified, because they really did hurt us.

Maybe for you it was a friend who turned their back on you. Maybe a coworker threw you under the bus. Maybe someone spread something about you that wasn’t true. You lie awake at night thinking, “they better hope I don’t see them tomrrow.” Or maybe you’ve never said a word out loud, but deep down, you hope life humbles them — that they feel some of the hurt you felt.

And let’s be real — sometimes we dress up our bitterness with spiritual language. We say things like, “Well, I’ll just let karma take care of it.”

But listen to me, Church — karma is not a real thing. That’s not Bible. That’s not gospel. Karma is not a thing. And if you think it is- you are outside of scripture. and Scripture is never wrong.

That’s Eastern religion dressed up like justice. Karma says you get what you deserve. Grace says Jesus got what you deserved.

We don’t live by karma; we live by the cross. The cross is what makes forgiveness possible. The cross is what reminds us that vengeance doesn’t belong to us — it belongs to God. Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.”

That means you can stop trying to balance the scales, because God already did that perfectly in Christ.

So when you think, “They’re gonna get what’s coming to them,” remember — that’s not your job. Justice isn’t karma working itself out. Justice is God being faithful to His Word. And sometimes, His justice looks like mercy. Sometimes, the same grace that saved you is the grace He’ll extend to the one who hurt you.

That’s why Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

Because praying for them doesn’t mean you agree with them — it means you trust God with them.

Praying and forgiving someone is completely different than justice being served.

You know, before ministry, while I was still in college to be a JSO officer- we see how that worked out- I used to work loss prevention over at Sears in Regency. And man, I saw some things. My job was to stop people from stealing, no uniform, dress in street clothes, pair of cuffs and a Loss Prevention ID — in Regency Mall- It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I started working there in 2005. This was right before the St. Johns Towncenter took all the business away and the mall started dying- I worked there for almost 10 years.

Sears store 1635- had the 3rd most shoplifting arrests in all of Sears the first year I was working there. It was awesome. And let me tell you, people will try to steal anything. Tools, cologne, even socks. I caught a woman one time put a 55 inch flat screen between her legs- she was wearing a dress- squeezed her legs together and try to walk out.

We couldn’t just stop the people while they were in the store after they concealed the merchandise- that would make too much sense. We had to wait until they walked out the door. So normally I would be the one waiting on the outside- and they had options- they always had options.

They could walk back or be drug back.

It was so much fun. It was like the wild west. But it was also times were it was scary. I was on the phone with JSO one time, and my co-worker was waiting for the shoplifter to walk out.

Once she walked out, She pulled a knife. I told JSO what was going on and took off- I don’t know how she didnt hear me coming but I speared her as hard as I could.

That was her 34th shoplifting arrest.

I had a guy, put it his hands around my neck and choke me out for a $25 dollar watch. He actually didn’t leave in the back of a cop car. He was escorted to Baptist hospital.

I had one man try to walk out with a $600 tool set. I approached him and he tried to hand it to me. I told him he can walk it back- he dropped it and ran. He made it to his car. My boss and I were right on him. He managed to get in his car and he started to reach for his glove box and thats when I started wailing on him.

He stopped reaching when I hit him.

The scariest incident was I had this short fat older guy trying to steal tools and when we walked out a car pulled up to let him in. I closed the car door in front of him and put him on the ground. He told the guy in the car to take out his gun and shoot us.

I got him sat up and I’m behind him. I cross faced him as hard as I could to get him to stop talking and my manger told the guy the cops are on the way and luckily, he drove off.

I don’t tell you all this to talk about a job that was awesome even though it was.

It was a fun job that came with some dangers behind it.

More times then not, I’d catch somebody, and they would come back with no problems. But they’d start making excuses. “I was gonna pay for it,” or “My cousin said it was okay,” or my favorite one, “I forgot I was holding it.” Right. Because you just forgot there’s a giant tool set under your jacket.

But here’s what’s wild — I’d go home some days angry. Aggravated we didn’t catch anyone or aggravated that they got away. I’m not really built for speed so that happened a few times.

I’d think about how much of dirt bag they are. I’d think, “when they come back and do this again, i’m gonna make them regret it.”

And that’s exactly what Jesus is warning us about here. Because when we nurse resentment, when we keep the score, when we hold the gavel in our own hand — we stop trusting God to do what’s right.

Our heart becomes the courtroom, and we start playing God.

Is stealing wrong? 100%. I’d have more sympathy if they were trying to take food but it was always something they wanted and thought they deserved.

But listen — that’s not my call to make.

Did Sears go out of business because people stole from them? No. They were grossly mismanaged. I still don’t know how a company that exclusively sold Craftsman, Kinsmore and Diehard went bankrupt, but here we are.

And that’s the point. God doesn’t ask us to ignore what’s wrong — He asks us to release the right to retaliate. Because when we put down the gavel, He picks it up. When we stop trying to make it right in our own strength, He steps in and starts healing what our anger would only make worse.

That’s what Jesus means when He says, “Do not resist the one who is evil.” It’s not weakness — it’s surrender. It’s trusting the Righteous Judge to handle justice while you keep your heart free from hate.

Let me also make one more thing about super clear — when Jesus limits the “eye for an eye” principle, He’s not saying we can’t defend ourselves or protect others.

He’s not talking about police officers doing their job, soldiers defending their country, or someone stepping in to stop harm. Those roles are established by God to uphold justice and protect the innocent — Romans 13 makes that plain.

“Turn the other cheek” doesn’t mean you stand by while someone breaks into your house and harms your family.

Let’s be clear — that’s not what Jesus is saying.

Scripture never calls a man to be passive in the face of evil. The biblical thing to do as a man — as a husband, as a father, as a protector — is to defend the ones you love without reservation and without apology.

If someone threatens your wife or your kids, you step in. Period.

You don’t pray about whether or not to act; you act. That’s not vengeance — that’s stewardship. God gave you that family to protect, to lead, and to lay your life down for if necessary.

David didn’t stand by when the lion came for the sheep. He didn’t say, “Well, I’ll just turn the other cheek and let it go.” No — he struck it down. Why? Because God called him to protect what was entrusted to him.

But here’s the distinction Jesus is making — personal offense and righteous defense are not the same thing. “Turn the other cheek” isn’t about surrendering your responsibility to defend; it’s about surrendering your desire to retaliate. It’s about the posture of your heart, not the strength of your hands.

When someone insults you, lies about you, disrespects you — Jesus says, “Don’t respond with the same poison they gave you.” Because when you do, the enemy wins twice — once through their action and again through your reaction.

Real strength is knowing when to fight and when to let go. There’s a time to stand your ground, and there’s a time to stand in grace. And that takes discernment — not weakness, not softness, but Spirit-led wisdom.

As men, we’re called to be both warriors and worshipers — strong enough to defend, humble enough to forgive. And if you ever doubt that balance, just look at the cross.

Jesus wasn’t weak when He was struck — He was in complete control. He could’ve called down the angels and put a stop to everything, but He chose restraint for our redemption. That’s not cowardice; that’s courage under submission.

It means that in your personal relationships, you don’t return insult for insult, evil for evil, or hate for hate.

“An eye for an eye” was meant for judges — not for daily life.

Jesus is saying, you’re not the judge. Your call as a believer is different. You’re guided by grace, not by payback. The world says, “You did this to me, so I’ll do it to you.” But the follower of Christ says, “You hurt me, but I’m going to forgive you — because that’s exactly what Jesus did for me.”

That’s what sets us apart. The Christian life doesn’t look like the natural reaction — it looks like a supernatural response. And that response is what shows the world who we belong to.

So we see our need to live by grace but secondly-

2. Kingdom Love Refuses to Draw Lines.

Jesus pushes further: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (v. 44)

That’s not natural — it’s supernatural. Jesus isn’t just talking about tolerating people who get on your nerves.

He’s talking about loving the ones who hurt you, slander you, oppose you.

Let me tell you about Richard Wurmbrand — a pastor in Romania who was imprisoned for preaching the gospel when the communists took over after World War II.

They tried to break him. For fourteen years, he was beaten, starved, and locked in solitary confinement. He was tortured for preaching Christ, and yet he kept doing it — sometimes in whispers, sometimes by tapping Scripture through the walls to other prisoners.

The guards hated him for it. They mocked him, beat him, and tried to silence him. But one day, a guard asked him, “Why do you keep preaching about love when we keep beating you?” And Wurmbrand said, “Because love is stronger than hate.”

He later wrote that he prayed for the very men who tortured him. He said, “It was in prison that we found the deepest joy — loving those who hated us.”

That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” That’s not weakness — that’s supernatural strength.

Now- Let’s just be honest — loving our enemies is hard. It’s one of the hardest things Jesus ever told us to do.

When Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” He wasn’t talking about a mild disagreement.

He was talking about people who despised His followers, who wanted to silence them, imprison them, even kill them. And yet, He said, “Love them.”

Now, fast-forward that to our day. In our country right now, Our “enemies” don’t always carry swords- sometimes they carry weapons — sometimes they carry ideologies. Sometimes they represent worldviews that are directly opposed to God’s Word.

For us, that might look like:

Those who openly mock the name of Jesus and call good “evil” and evil “good.”

Those who tear down biblical truth and replace it with lies. Like you can switch your gender and love is love.

Those who push systems and movements — communism, Antifa, or Trans — that erase God from the center of society and glorify man instead.

Those who want to silence the church and label truth as hate.

Everything in us wants to fight fire with fire. To get on social media and torch them with words. To wish judgment would fall and prove us right. But that’s not the way of the cross.

You know, not too long ago I got into a conversation online with a guy who was trying to blend Buddhism and Christianity. He said, “They’re basically the same — both about peace, love, and compassion.”

And I’ll be real with you — something in me wanted to just set the record straight. I wanted to win the debate. I’ve got degrees in this stuff. I’ve studied world religions. I know the arguments, the doctrines, the history. Everything in me wanted to prove that Christianity and Buddhism cannot coexist — and they can’t. They are fundamentally opposed. They’re two competing worldviews that cannot logically flow together.

Buddhism teaches there is no personal God — that salvation is achieved by detachment, by escaping desire, by reaching enlightenment through self-discipline. Christianity says salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

You can’t blend those two and still call it the gospel. Its not even a logical worldview.

But here’s what convicted me — in my effort to win the argument, I almost missed the opportunity to win the man.

Because what he didn’t need in that moment was a theological beatdown — he needed to see Jesus. He needed someone to listen long enough to understand why he was drawn to Buddhism in the first place. For him, it was suffering. Life had hurt him deeply, and Buddhism had offered him a language for peace — but not a Savior who could actually bring it.

And I realized — I was so busy trying to be right that I almost forgot to be loving. And if we’re not careful, we can do that too. We can get so caught up defending the truth that we stop reflecting the truth in love.

But here’s the beauty of the gospel — it’s not just true in theory; it’s true in love. Jesus never compromised truth, but He also never crushed people with it. He embodied it. He is the Truth — full of grace and full of truth.

So yes — Christianity and Buddhism cannot go together. You cannot follow a God who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and at the same time follow a philosophy that denies His existence. But even as we hold that line, we must do it with compassion. Because behind every worldview is a person made in the image of God — and that person matters more than the argument.

That doesn’t mean we compromise truth. It doesn’t mean we stay quiet when the world runs from God’s design. It means that while we stand firm, we do it with a heart that breaks — not one that burns with hatred.

Because here’s the thing — you can win the argument and still lose the person. And the mission of Jesus has always been people. When we choose to love our enemies — even the loud, angry, anti-God ones — we reflect the heart of the Father who loved us when we were His enemies.

Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That’s the standard. We don’t love because they deserve it; we love because we’ve been loved by the One who did.

So yes, we stand for truth. Yes, we protect what’s right. But we never let the world’s hate turn us into what we’re called to resist.

We fight with prayer, not bitterness. We overcome with grace, not vengeance. Because the only real victory is when an enemy becomes a brother.

Because the truth is, this battle we’re in — it’s not physical, it’s spiritual. The weapons of our warfare aren’t swords and fists; they’re prayer and faith. We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood — we wrestle against powers and principalities, against the forces of darkness that blind people to the truth of the gospel.

And while we might feel tension here — people mocking our faith, pushing back against biblical truth — Charlie Kirk was martyred for his faith. there are brothers and sisters around the world paying the ultimate price for following Jesus.

Right now, in places like Nigeria, Christians are being hunted down simply for belonging to Christ.

Over the last 14 years, more than 52,000 believers have been murdered by Islamists because of their faith. Just last year alone, over 3,100 Christians were killed and nearly 3,000 kidnapped. Some entire villages have been wiped out. 18,000 churches have been destroyed. Pastors executed. Families scattered. Children orphaned. All because they refused to deny the name of Jesus.

And here’s what wrecks me — so many of them are praying for the very people who persecute them. They’re not calling for vengeance; they’re pleading for mercy. While we wrestle with being bold on social media, they’re wrestling for their lives — and still choosing to love their enemies.

That’s what Kingdom strength looks like. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Do not resist the one who is evil.” Not weakness, not silence, not fear — but a heart so anchored in Christ that even when the world hates you, you respond with faith instead of fear.

So what can we do? We can pray — not casually, but fervently. Pray for protection, endurance, and courage. Pray for pastors leading underground churches. Pray for their persecutors to encounter Jesus. We can speak — use our voice to raise awareness and remind others that the global church is not a Western institution; it’s a worldwide body, and when one part suffers, we all suffer. And we can live — with that same kind of faith. If they can stand for Christ under the threat of death, then surely we can stand for Him in the face of discomfort.

Because this battle isn’t against people. It’s against sin, Satan, and systems that want to silence truth. And our greatest weapon isn’t revenge — it’s love rooted in truth, carried by prayer, and grounded in the unshakable name of Jesus.

So we do not drawn lines. We love.

third truth

Kingdom Maturity Looks Like the Father, Not the World.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way — “Believer, don’t aim low. Stretch toward the highest standard of holiness and don’t be satisfied with anything less.”

And that’s exactly what Jesus is calling us to in Matthew 5:48 — “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” He’s not talking about sinless perfection; He’s talking about wholehearted devotion.

He’s saying, Don’t settle for surface-level Christianity. Reflect your Father’s heart in everything you do.

The goal isn’t to be flawless — it’s to be faithful. To let His love shape how we live, how we respond, and how we treat even the people who don’t deserve it. That’s maturity. That’s holiness. That’s what it means to be like our Father in heaven.

When Jesus said, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect,” He wasn’t demanding sinless perfection.

He knows none of us can live completely without fault this side of eternity. What He’s calling us to is a lifelong pursuit of holiness — not to earn salvation, but because of salvation.

That word perfect can also be translated complete or mature. Jesus is saying, “Grow up in your faith. Don’t stay where you started.” Spiritual maturity isn’t about never falling — it’s about getting back up, learning, and becoming more like Christ through every step.

Before I started teaching Bible at Providence, I got the opportunity to teach weightlifting at Providence. And I thought, “This is going to be awesome. I love the gym. I love training. This’ll be great.” I’m going to get these boys huge. Swole is the goal and size is the prize.

But I learned something real quick — teenage boys don’t actually want to get hot and sweaty during the school day.

They will find any and every excuse not to lift. “Coach, my wrist hurts.” “Coach, I got a game today.” “Coach, our team is lifting after school.” And I’d just shake my head, laugh, and tell them “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”

The truth was — the vast majority of them never improved, they never got stronger, they never got bigger because they never put in the effort. They wanted the results without the resistance.

And that’s exactly how a lot of believers approach spiritual growth.

We want maturity, but we don’t want movement. We want God to make us strong, but we avoid the weight He puts in front of us.

Growth happens under tension. Strength is built through resistance. Spiritually, Jesus isn’t saying, “Be flawless.” He’s saying, “Be faithful under pressure.” Because that’s where maturity is built — when you don’t quit, when you get back up, when you keep showing up even when it’s hard.

God’s not impressed with perfection — He’s shaping endurance, character, and Christlikeness. And every time you stay faithful under the weight of life, He’s building something in you that can stand firm when everything else falls apart.

Now listen — the good news of the gospel is not “God is good, you’re bad, try harder.”

That’s religion, not redemption. The gospel isn’t about self-improvement; it’s about divine transformation. It’s not “try harder to be perfect,” it’s “trust deeper in the One who is.”

We already have a perfect standing before God because of Jesus — His righteousness covers us completely. But that doesn’t mean we coast. It means we keep growing. We press on toward that standard, not to prove ourselves, but to reflect the One who saved us.

So we don’t strive to earn His love — we strive because we already have it. Every step of obedience, every act of grace, every moment of surrender — it’s not about perfection, it’s about direction. And the direction is always toward Jesus.

And that’s the direction Jesus is calling us toward — toward Himself. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about discipline for the sake of discipline. It’s not about checking boxes or chasing spiritual gold stars. It’s about devotion to a Savior who loved us first, when we didn’t deserve it, and when we couldn’t love Him back.

If you want to know what perfect love looks like, look at the cross.

Jesus didn’t just talk about turning the other cheek or loving His enemies — He did it. When the nails were driven through His hands, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” When they stripped Him, mocked Him, and spat on Him, He didn’t retaliate — He remained silent. When they pressed the crown of thorns onto His head, He didn’t curse them — He bore it. When they tried to break Him, He stayed faithful.

That’s what perfection looks like. Not sinless performance, but surrendered love. A love that says, “I’ll bear the weight so you don’t have to.” A love that absorbs the offense instead of returning it. A love that doesn’t make sense — because it’s not of this world.

That’s the standard we’re chasing — not moral polish or public image, but the heart of Jesus. And that’s the Savior who empowers us to chase it. The One who took our sin, our shame, our rebellion, and nailed it to the cross so we could stand righteous before God.

You can’t love like that until you’ve been loved like that. You can’t forgive your enemy until you’ve experienced the forgiveness of God. You can’t live out the Sermon on the Mount until the One who preached it lives in you.

That’s the beauty of the gospel. Jesus doesn’t just set the bar — He lifts us to it. He doesn’t just call us to holiness — He gives us His holiness. He doesn’t just command perfection — He covers our imperfection.

And the cross isn’t just proof of His love; it’s the power of it. That’s where divine love and divine justice met. That’s where sin was paid for and mercy was poured out. That’s where the Son of God turned His cheek to the world’s hatred — and in doing so, opened the door for our salvation.

So when Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect,” He’s not pointing a finger of condemnation; He’s extending a hand of invitation. He’s saying, “Come walk with Me. Come live like Me. Come love like Me.”

And the good news is — we don’t have to do it alone. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us, shaping us, strengthening us, and day by day making us look a little more like Him.

And maybe this morning, as you’ve listened, the Holy Spirit’s been pressing on something in your heart.

Maybe you’ve been trying to carry the weight of religion — working harder, trying to be “good enough,” trying to prove you’re worthy of God’s love. But hear me — the gospel is not try harder, it’s trust deeper. It’s not “do better,” it’s “Jesus already did it.”

Or maybe you’ve been holding on to bitterness — toward someone who hurt you, toward an enemy, maybe even toward yourself. And you’ve realized today that the reason it still feels heavy is because you haven’t let go. You’ve been trying to play judge and jury when God’s asking you to lay down the gavel.

Whatever it is, today’s the day to release it. To stop striving, stop performing, and start trusting.

If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, this is where it starts — not with perfection, but with confession. To say, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own. I’ve fallen short, but I believe You died for me, rose for me, and can make me new.”

And if you already know Him, maybe today’s the day to say, “Lord, make me more like You.” Help me love like You loved, forgive like You forgave, and walk in holiness not because I have to, but because I get to.

Let’s pray together.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the kind of love that doesn’t make sense to this world — a love that forgives enemies, that turns the other cheek, that stretches us toward holiness. Lord, for the one who’s tired of trying harder, would You remind them that Your grace is enough? For the one holding on to hurt, would You bring freedom through forgiveness? And for all of us, would You help us reflect Your heart — not just in our words, but in how we live, love, and lead? Jesus, make us faithful. Make us mature. Make us more like You. In Your name we pray — amen.

Commission

Prayer Triplet Commissioning — Pastor Jordan Chambers

Alright, Church — before we head out today, go ahead and have a seat for just a moment.

At the beginning of the message, I told you that today’s service would end a little differently — and this is that moment.

We’ve talked about our Prayer Triplets — these groups who’ve committed to spend the next 100 days praying for renewal, unity, and direction for Cedar Bay Baptist Church. They’re not decision rooms; they’re listening posts. And today, we want to commission them — to set them apart for the work God’s called them to do.

So right now, I’d like to invite our triplet leaders and their groups to come forward and line up across the front.

[Pause as they come forward.]

Church family, I want you to look at these faces — because this is what obedience looks like. These are men and women who’ve said, “We’ll pray. We’ll listen. We’ll seek God’s heart for our church.”

Over the next 100 days, they’ll be meeting together, walking through Scripture, listening to the Spirit, and asking one simple question: “Lord, what do You want to do in and through Cedar Bay?”

And I believe — with everything in me — that what happens in these small circles of prayer is going to shape the future of this church.

So here’s what I want us to do — I want to commission them together as a church family. And if you’re comfortable, would you just stretch your hands forward as we pray over them?

Commissioning Prayer

Father, we thank You for what You’re doing in this place. We thank You for stirring hearts to seek You. And today, we lift up these men and women standing before us — not as experts, but as servants.

Would You fill them with Your Spirit? Give them ears to hear and hearts that are tender to Your leading. Let every conversation be marked by grace and every prayer be guided by faith.

Lord, use these 100 days to draw our church closer to You — not just for information, but for transformation. Birth fresh vision. Renew unity. And awaken a hunger for revival that starts right here at Cedar Bay.

We trust You, Jesus. This is Your church, and we want what You want. So we send these prayer triplets out in Your name — equipped, empowered, and expectant.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray — Amen.

[After the prayer]

Church family, would you join me in showing your love and support for these groups? [Pause for applause.]

Let’s keep praying for them daily — because this isn’t the end of something; it’s the beginning of something God is doing among us.

Amen? Amen, and we are dismissed.