The Complete Christian

1. The Hook

In Genesis 1:27 we read Moses recording “27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Man is created in the image of God. What does that mean? We are created in His likeness. An image in ancient times was often associated with a physical representation of a ruler (king or emperor) or a deity. Think about statues or idols.

Now when you grasp that concept with the reality of what God I think it brings forth a truth that very convicting. Instead of God creating a statue for people to follow or bow down to of himself He created mankind to represent Him on this earth. We are to be a reflection of Him while we are living on this earth.

When you look into a mirror what does it reflect? It reflects your true image. Everything you see in the mirror can be seen on your physical self. That is what God intended for us. We should be relfecting His true image.

So what does God look like? God is love. God is just. God is merciful. God is wise. God is Holy. Etc. the list could go on an on. And none of that sounds to complicated to understand but once you dig into the meaning of those reflections it starts to show the full image.

FOR INSTANCE

Black Dot Illustration - (Put a black dot on the screen)

What do you see? Most everyone in here will say they see a black dot. Interesting how probably none of us would say a giant white screen.

The dot often becomes our focus because it is what stands out in the image. But the dot is only part of the picture.

“The Jews in Jesus’ day had focused on one small part of Love part of God’s character. They understood loving people who loved them. They understood caring for their own. But they missed the larger picture of God’s heart. Jesus is about to show them that God’s love extends far beyond friends and neighbors. It even reaches enemies.”

2. The Context

Jesus’ intention throughout this sermon and throughout this chapter has been to help these people understand how they can possess a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees so they can enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 says,“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Over the last several weeks, we have studied five different contrasts where Jesus has shown what that greater righteousness actually looks like. It is not merely external obedience. It is transformed hearts. It is not just avoiding murder but overcoming anger. It is not just avoiding adultery but conquering lust. It is not just keeping promises but becoming people of integrity.

Now we arrive at what may be the most difficult teaching in the entire chapter.

I will be honest with you. This week I have wrestled with these verses. I have struggled with them. I have had to examine my own heart because Jesus is asking something here that does not come naturally to us.

And the reason this teaching feels so massive is because of how Jesus concludes it.

Matthew 5:48: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

At first glance, that sounds impossible.

The Greek word translated “perfect” is teleios. The idea is not sinless perfection. The idea is completeness, maturity, wholeness, becoming everything God intends you to be.

And here is what is fascinating: Jesus does not define that completeness by how much Bible we know, how often we attend worship, or even how well we treat our friends.

In this context, completeness is defined by loving the way the Father loves.

The Father loves neighbors. The Father loves strangers. The Father even shows kindness toward His enemies.

So if I want to reflect the complete image of my Father, I cannot pick and choose who receives my love.

To be complete, I must learn to love like God loves. Let’s learn how to do that with the rest of the passage.

3. The Text

The Usual - (v.43-44)

The beginning of this passage starts with the same structure that we have seen Jesus use throughout this chapter: “You have heard it said BUT I say to you.”

Now notice exactly what was being taught to the Jewish people by their teachers.

“You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy”

“You shall love your neighbor” is quoted from Leviticus 19:18 “18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Now this is where what the Jews were being taught gets interesting. Notice that Jesus says that these Jews had heard they were to “hate their enemy”

This teaching is not found in the Old Law. Actually, if you read the beginning of Leviticus 19:18 which I intentionally skipped you will notice these Teachers of the law were actually in contradiction to the Law of Moses. “18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Illustration: Have you ever had a family recipe that everyone swore had to be made a certain way?

“Maybe Grandma always cut off the end of the ham before cooking it. So Mom did it. Then the kids did it.

Finally somebody asked, “Why do we cut off the end?”

Grandma replied, “Because my pan was too small.”

What started as a practical choice became a family rule because nobody ever questioned it.”

That can be so true in the church today too.

I am assuming a lot of us growing up could bring up something you were taught and then later found out that it wasn’t actually located in the Bible.

Let me show you:

Teaching: Cain killed Abel with a Rock

Truth: Genesis 4:8 “8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.”

Teaching: Eve ate the apple

Truth: Genesis 3:6 “6 …she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

Teaching: On the night that Jesus was to be born the innkeeper turned them away

Truth: In Luke 2 we never find an innkeeper mentioned and actually when you look at the text in the original language it almost seems they were just in the animal area of the house because the guest room occupied.

maybe it was a preacher who taught these things because he had it taught to him. Or maybe it was a Bible class teacher growing up. They had been taught it to them by their parents and other authoritative people and so they passed it down without ever searching the Bible to find out it was so.

Thankfully none of those mistruths are going to cause someone to lose their salvation BUT their are some things that are taught that people believe because it taught to them by the preacher or an elder or someone else and come to find out later that this teaching would have an effect on their standing with God.

Paul was grateful for the Bereans because they searched the Scriptures to see if what he was saying was so.

We should be that much more diligent as well so that we can become the Complete Christian God has called us to be!

The Contrast (v.44-45)

Jesus teaches that the people should Matthew 5:44 “44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

Seems quite the contrast to what they had been taught.

Love your enemies

Pray for those who persecute you

It is easy to love my neighbor when we get along. It is easy to love my neighbor when they have the same belief system I do. It is easy to love my neighbor when they don’t let their dog use the bathroom on my lawn and leave it there for me to step in. It is easy to love my neighbor when they lend me a helping hand.

What happens when our neighbor isn’t like that? What happens when that neighbor has a different religion, or what happens when that person is consistently rude to you, what if this person has hurt you in the past?

Its not easy to love them is it?

But Jesus again is calling us to a higher standard and to be totally honest He is calling us to the Highest standard because notice how he purposes this teaching.

You see the “so that” right after his two teachings. This shows his purpose.

Our purpose to treating others this way is so that we may be sons of our Father who is in Heaven.

So many of you have commented on how little John looks exactly me and some have asked what do you want him to be when he gets older and I would be tickled if he decided to follow in my steps as a preacher.

I am reminded of the phrase “Like father, like son.” I wanted to find the origins of that phrase so I did a little bit of research this and found that the phrase originally began in latin as

“Qualis pater, talis fililus” - “As the father, so the son”

Usually we use it when a son looks like his father, talks like his father, or acts like his father.

But Jesus takes that idea to a much deeper level.

In Matthew 5:45 Jesus says we are to love our enemies “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

In other words, the family resemblance God is looking for is not found in our appearance. It is found in our character.

When we love our enemies, we show the world, “Like Father, like son.”

And as we focus on being the complete Christian Jesus is calling us to be the image bearer of God by loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute.

The Example (v. 45b)

Notice how God is such a great example of one who love His enemies.

Matthew 5:45 “45…For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

God doesn’t just let the sun shine in a righteous persons life. The sun also shines on the evil doer. The rain did not just benefit the follower of God but it also helped the crops of those where wicked.

Please don’t confuse God’s love for someone to be Him saying they are saved. Same thing for us. Our love for a soul is not our accepting of the sins they may have in their life. We love our enemies like God loves his enemies because we want them to obey the Gospel message and become a follower of His.

We pray for those who persecute us because we want them to have the same response as our enemies. God created them to be His image bearers and right now they are not doing that. And that may be why they are in life so we can be the example for God in their life to help them see God’s love.

The Reasoning (V.46-47)

Jesus in the next two verses does something that I love so dearly about His teaching style. He gets into their life and makes this teaching so real to them.

He brings up hypothetical situations that have had and are going keep happening in their life.

Matthew 5:46 “46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

A Jesus’ context a tax collector was often known to be correct and someone who took advantage of the Jewish folks even though they were raised a Jew as well. They would rob the people of the money they had earned working tirelessly and the would line their own pockets while making sure to give to Rome their portion. Of course they would love those who paid their taxes. That was easy for them and it meant reward.

But Jesus says even these unrighteous are able to love those who benefit them. But to be the complete Christian you need to love those who don’t benefit you. That is where true Reward can be found.

Matthew 5:47 “47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

The Gentiles have no problem greeting fellow Gentiles. Thats easy. But the more we are called to do is reach across the line and greet those who are not like us.

4. The Application

So that brings us back to v. 48? The challenge.

Matthew 5:48 “48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus is calling us not to be sinless but to be complete and to be a reflection of our Father in heaven.

As we close, I want you to think back to the black dot on the screen.

Most of us immediately saw the black dot. Very few of us noticed the giant white screen surrounding it.

The Jews had done the same thing with God’s love. They focused on loving neighbors. They focused on loving people who loved them. They focused on loving people who looked like them, acted like them, and believed like them.

But they missed the larger picture.

God’s love extends beyond friends.

God’s love extends beyond family.

God’s love extends beyond people who agree with Him.

God’s love reaches enemies.

And if we are going to reflect His image to the world, our love must do the same.

The real question this morning is not whether we love our friends. Almost everyone does that.

The real question is this:

Who is your enemy?

Who is the person you avoid?

Who is the person that hurt you?

Who is the person that wronged you?

Who is the person you secretly hope gets what they deserve?

Jesus says, “Love them.”

Pray for them.

Seek their good.

Treat them the way your Father has treated you.

Because the truth is, every one of us was once an enemy of God.

Yet He loved us.

He sent His Son for us.

He pursued us.

He offered us forgiveness.

And now He calls us to extend that same love to others.

Church, if we are going to be the complete Christians God desires us to be, then we must learn to love like our Father loves.

Because when we love our enemies, the world sees the family resemblance.

Like Father, like son/daughter.

5. The Invitation