Sermon on the Mount -03- A Higher Standard

Reading: Matt.5:17-37

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 (NIV)

I.   A righteousness of the Heart

     A.  Is it Law or Grace?

           1.  vv. 17-19 might lead us to conclude that Jesus intends our relationship with God to be founded on obedience to O.T. law.

                 a.  He does call us to “practice and teach” God’s commandments - even the least of them.

                 b.  Yet, notice that those who don’t aren’t excluded from the kingdom, but simply have a lower rank.

                 c.  Because restoring our relationship doesn’t depend on our obedience but on what Jesus did for us.

           2.  In Galatians Paul makes two comments on just this point:

                 a.  a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 2:16a)

                 b.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Gal.2:21)

           3.  By “law and prophets” we must understand the whole O.T. message.

     B.  Jesus the Fulfiller

           1.  v.17 Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets.

           2.  He does this in 2 ways:

                 a.  1 he fulfills all the requirements of the law and the prophets (he does this for us!)

                 b.  The law and the prophets point to him - he is what they were talking about all along.

                       (1)       The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. Hebrews 10:1a (NIV)

     C.  Being right Within

           1.  Read Jeremiah 31:31-34

           2.  Jesus fulfills this passage. In so doing the law — or rather, the righteousness the law of God sought to work in us — is written on our hearts.

II.  Going beyond the Written rules

     A.  More righteous than the Legalists

           1.  The problem with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law wasn’t their exactitude but their externalism.

                 a.  They missed the forest for the trees — or as Jesus put it: they strained out a gnat but swallowed a camel.(Matt.23:24) They are like cups shiny clean on the outside but dirty where it counts. They are like painted cemetery vaults, pretty on the outside, putrid with decay within.

           2.  Our non-Christian (pre-Christian?) neighbors can spot a hypocrite a mile away.

           3.  Don’t just act different. Be different

     B.  Not just the act, but the Motive

           1.  When Jesus gives us this litany of “You have heard it said...” what he’s getting at is this: It’s not just about what you’re not doing it’s where your heart is at.

           2.  The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1Sam 16:7b)

           3.  When we “obey” to win God’s favor we are acting self-centeredly. When we follow God’s Word out of our love for him - because of what he has done for us, then we are truly following God’s will.

III. Positive People

     A.  Heading Sin off at the pass

           1.  In the examples Jesus gives of what he means by surpassing righteousness, in each case Jesus encourages us to avoid not merely breaking the law, but also avoiding the motives which eventually lead to law breaking.

                 a.  Instead of simply avoiding murder, we are to avoid name-calling, and seek reconciliation with those we’re in trouble with.

                 b.  Instead of being satisfied with not committing adultery, we are supposed to avoid merely contemplating it.

                 c.  Instead of feeling OK about merely satisfying the legal requirements of divorce, we have to recognize that a marriage doesn’t end except for weighty reasons — both partners become adulterers if they remarry then (see Matt.19:3)

                 d.  Instead of tying ourselves down to actions by making vows to God, Jesus tells us to simply be people of integrity.

     B.  Drastic steps when Necessary

           1.  In place of murder (which is pretty drastic) we are to take drastic steps to reconcile — even leaving a gift on the altar if necessary, or settling a matter outside the protection of court

           2.  In place of adultery we are to make sure to rid ourselves of our “wandering eye” or our “roamin’ fingers.”

     C.  People of our Word

           1.  “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.”

           2.  It is better to be a promise keeper than a promise maker

           3.  Jesus wants us to be people of integrity, people of authenticity. People of the heart.

!! The Bottom Line:

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