Sermon on the Mount Mathew 5

Part 1 - What are the foundations for joy in life.

Everyone wants to happy.

Humble / Repentant / Gentle / Holiness / Merciful / Honest Heart / PeaceMaker

Willing to suffer for doing right, Willing to stand for Jesus

Part 2 - The Value of a Standard

The law is good / The Law is not perfectly attainable and is not presented for justification / Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and by Him we are justified

Our Focus today is

But I say to you… “A Higher Standard”!

Matthew 5:21–48 NASB 95

“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. “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 lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. “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 an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to 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 causes His 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? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus exposes the heart of God

The heart of God is that we treat others righteously

He raises the Bar in all these examples.

Notice that these are all about how he wants us to treat others.

Anger is as bad as Murder

21-26

Again the desire for unity, forgiveness, forebarance, against degradation, against character assacination

Lust is as bad as Adultery

27-32

God’s deep desire is our hunger for purity

A certificate does not justify adultery, under rare circumstances divorce and remarriage may be lawful but according to Paul, it still may not be profitable

No vow needed

33-37

God wants our word to be so honest that there is no need to say “I promise”

Seek no revenge

38-42

It is our basic human instinct to want fairness and retribution. We want to exact our pound of flesh when wronged.

The heart of God is that we would not take vengence. Vengance is mine says the Lord.

Matthew 7:12 NASB 95

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Be generous to those in need!

shirt / second mile / help those who ask for it if you can

The heart of God is that we would Dare to be Different

Love those hard to love

43-47

Enemy, even if it is hard, do more than what may expect

The heart of God calls us to the highest Standard

Matthew 5:48 NASB 95

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Perfect! No one can do that.

Jeremiah 17:9 NASB 95

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

God “wants” the best!

That is the goal, not from duty but from the heart.

Perfection is found in Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 95

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We are perfected by Him!

when we come into relationship with Jesus He puts a new spirit in us

Have you trusted Him for forgivenss and received new life in Him?

Ezekiel 36:26 NASB 95

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

He changes our desires

2 Corinthians 3:3 NASB 95

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.