The Six Temptations

Extraordinary Love

Matthew 5:20–22 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “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.”

[Then Jesus gives a total of 6 “You have heard it said…but I tell you… statements. Ending with this one…]

Matthew 5:43–48 ““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.”

The First Task of the Church

I want to start off with this statement that I opened up with in the first message, and here it is:

"The first and primary task of the church is not to make the world more just, but to make the world the world" (or "to be the church in the world”).

In other words, when the church is truly the church, there's a clear distinction between the way the church lives and the way the world lives. There's really no need to point it out because it becomes so obvious, these people are different!

That's why Facebook rants and angry tirades fail to change people's lives.

The only thing capable of truly changing the interior of a man or woman's life is the work of Jesus. Here's how Jesus put it.

John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Simply put, the Love coming from the Church should be our defining characteristic!

Not our beliefs. Not what we stand for. Not what we stand against. Just this: Love on display all the time to all people.

Just a few verses earlier in chapter 5, in verse 20, Jesus uses this word that everything in the Sermon on the Mount hinges on.

Here's the word: Extraordinary (from the Greek word perisseuō)

Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness [is extraordinary]…you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

We are completely incapable of that kind of love without the work of the Holy Spirit in our life.

Without the the Holy Spirit, bitterness and unforgiveness set in.

Without the Holy Spirit, secret pride destroys us from the inside out.

Without the Holy Spirit, we can no longer see the image of God in the face of our enemy.

Without the Holy Spirit, we lose the strength to forgive one more time.

Put succinctly: To love like Jesus loves you need the constant work of Jesus in your heart.

How many of you have ever known someone (from close up or from far away) who was “Hard to Love”??

Next question: How many of you have ever been a person that was hard to love?

It's tempting to dismiss this command Jesus gives us to love our enemy because most of us would probably say, "I don't have any enemies.” For Jesus’ audience their enemies were (1) Roman soldiers who persecuted and killed them, (2) tax collectors who robbed them, and (3) the religious elite who excluded them.

But let me just suggest this:

{Center this on the screen]

Who’s my enemy?

Anyone who has acted in such a way to offend, pain, or hurt me to the extent that I can no longer feel compassion for them, nor extend hospitality towards them.

The work of Satan is to sow division, discord, and broken relationships in the world, especially when it comes to the church. The Accuser would like nothing more than to break the bond of relationship and ruin our ability to love one another and love our enemies.

Why?

Because where there is unity, God commands the blessing. [jot these scriptures down]

Psalm 133:1–3 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

Romans 12:16–18 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

The kind of love we are called to, the Jesus kind of love, is marked by unity, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and hospitality, at all times to all people.

In Matthew 5, Jesus points out 6 Temptations that corrupt the extraordinary love of God in the Church.

These are temptations that ruin our ability to love others, and Jesus puts them in order from those relationships closest to us, all the way to those people who have become our enemies.

1. The Temptation to Harbor Bitterness (Anger / Murder)

The Brokenness: We justify silent grudges, character assassination, or bitterness simply because we haven't committed overt violence.

We justify destroying someone’s dignity with cold shoulders, derogatory name calling mumbled under our breath, and unchecked anger, convincing ourselves that as long as our hands are physically clean, our hearts are innocent.

Quiet contempt (bitterness in your heart) is like carbon monoxide in a marriage or church. It has no smell and makes no sound, but people slowly fall asleep and die inside the relationship.

Ephesians 4:26: Never let the sun go down on your anger. Instead of burying the hurt and the bitterness, why not clear your heart before you go to bed tonight? Why not call that person and ask for forgiveness? Why not send a text and just say you're sorry?

2. The Temptation to Abuse & Use Others (Lust / Adultery)

The Brokenness: We reduce a fellow human being—an image-bearer—to an instrument for private fantasy or emotional consumption.

Relational betrayal begins long before a physical line is crossed.

We live in a culture that swipes left or right on human souls based on what they can offer us (if you’re not sure what swiping left or right means, we’ll get Pastor Jordan to explain it to you later).

Our culture reduces people (particularly women) to images of desire rather than images of God.

3. The Temptation to Abandon Covenant (Divorce / Certificates)

The Brokenness: We use legal compliance or technical loopholes to walk away when a relationship becomes costly.

We search for technical exits to escape deep mutual responsibility. We ask, "Is it permissible to leave?" instead of "How do I remain faithful?" choosing convenience and self-preservation over covenant perseverance.

This isn't just about wedding rings; this is about how quickly we pull the ripcord on church membership, long-term friendships, or family relationships the moment they stop serving our personal preferences.

4. The Temptation of Dishonesty (Oaths / Fine Print)

The Brokenness: We use half-truths, religious lingo, or technicalities to hide not telling the whole truth.

Growing up, when our kids were little, we would always remind them that partial obedience is disobedience. The same thing is true for honesty. We can't hide behind technicalities and expect to be in relationship with one another. It's like putting the tiniest font, small print on a contract and trying to get away with it. Partial honesty is dishonesty.

5. The Temptation to Keep Score (Retaliation / Eye for an Eye)

The Brokenness: We fight fire with fire, refusing to stop the cycle and instead looking to even the score.

Some of you might not know this, but I'm a really famous girls' 14-year-old volleyball coach in the city of Easley. I've been known to win some championships! In volleyball, no matter who serves the ball, a point always goes on the scoreboard, whether for our team or their team. Some of our marriages and relationships, we treat that way. Both of us are keeping score and tallying up how many times we've been hurt or let down, or someone's made a mistake.

6. The Temptation to Withhold God’s Love & Compassion (Enemy Love)

The Brokenness: We reserve love only to those who look, think, and vote like us, while justifying hostility toward outsiders.

Corrie Ten Boom (survived a Nazi concentration camp after they were caught hiding Jews during the war) was speaking in a church in Munich, Germany. 

She noticed a balding man in a gray overcoat near the rear of the church making his way towards her. She recognized him immediately as one of the guards from the concentration camp where she had been in-prisoned and tortured. Immediately she was gripped fear and anger. 

The balding man said: “In your testimony you mentioned Ravensbruck concentration camp. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was a guard there. Since then, I’ve come to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It has been hard for me to forgive myself for all the cruel things I did but I know that God has forgiven me. 

Then the man extended his hand to Corrie Ten Boom and said, “please, if you would, I would like to hear from your lips too that God has forgiven me.” 

He held out his hand. Corrie froze. Her heart was ice. She said in her heart, 'Jesus, I can’t do this.' But out of sheer, mechanical obedience, she pushed out her hand into his. The moment their skin touched, the dam broke...

In her book she says, “the healing warmth (of forgiveness) seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother,” I cried. “With all my heart!”

For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.

Here’s my question: Who among us needs to repent from one of these love-killing temptations in our lives??

The Answer: All of Us

Who do we need to release from unforgiveness prison?

Who do you need to come clean with this week?

What do you need to confess with complete honesty?

Who is hard for you to love this week?

Only the work of Jesus in our lives can make us the kind of people who can turn the other cheek or return offense with kindness and forgiveness.

Prayer: Lord, forgive where I’ve allowed sin to creep into my heart and destroy my relationships.