The Sermon on the Mount: What Jesus Said About Anger

How many times will you get wrapped up? No pun intended in the season. We think of the jolly old man in a red suit. We think of how many gifts were going to get or how many gifts we have to get for other people. That we lose sight of the true meaning of Advent. Today we celebrate the whole for the coming Lord. The hope of the Messiah that came to give us salvation.

This is where our thoughts should be. It matters not if there's a present under the tree. As long as his presence. Is in your heart.

Let us now. Turn to our Lord in prayer. Gracious God we continue today.

with our study of The Sermon on the Mount We begin to difficult sections of the sermon. dealing with lost dealing with divorce. But we begin. today with loss

some pastors might go ahead and skip over the sections. but I think it's right to rightfully. Look at every word of scripture.

amen

If you are able if you could please stand for the reading of God's word.

I ask this because it is God's word and we should be respectful of it. You have heard it said.

That you should not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lust with lustful and 10 has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members then that's your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away for it is better that you lose one of your members that that your whole body go into hell. May God bring blessings to the reading of his word. You may be seated.

Last week we spoke. about anger and in the same way as he opened the section on anger Jesus continues with a comparison. In the main comparison that he is showing is the outward comparison of the Pharisees and the people of Israel. into their inner heart

now these Pharisees and scribes had added to the law of Moses. We see the law of Moses in The pentateuch Witcher within the first five books of the Bible Deuteronomy and exodus.

If you see that they've added to it only so that they can go ahead and Complete the laws you see they want to look on the outside as if they are the ones keeping the law. but Jesus comes he tells them that's not the wall. That's exterior traping. So you've toppings that you put on yourselves. You made your own God.

You Caesars God's law.

The fair silica law in Jesus Is Telling these people that your adherence to the law has to be greater than that of the Pharisees?

this Is very hard for these people to understand? You see the Pharisees are there and they are.

Really the role models for the people of Israel. They are looking at these people and say oh, this is the law. This is what I'm supposed to be like. The Jesus is saying no it's not. he teaches

that unless your righteousness is above that of the Pharisees and the scribes. You will not enter the kingdom.

He is not saying that hey, you look good. Come on in. No, you say You must follow the Mosaic law.

See that above the teachings. of the religious leaders

Jesus is not dealing with the outward signs. He's dealing with the heart. The heart is where send begins where it takes root word grows until it shows its evil face. Jesus told us later in Matthew or just before this in Matthew do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them for truly I say to you until Heaven and Earth pass away. Not an Iota not adopt will pass from the law until it is all accomplished. We went over what the total was.

Nothing will change in the law until it is fulfilled. He did not come with a new law. You did not come with a higher law.

He came to fulfill. the one Mosaic law

Is he the scribes and the Pharisees had change that law? They made it more user-friendly. We all like stuff that's user-friendly, right? We don't like difficult stuff. Well, if we're going to eat here to what God is telling us in the Bible. He never said it was going to be easy.

It made these Pharisees and scribes appear that they were upholding the law. But Christ came to write the wrong.

He came to uphold the first law the mosaic law the law that came from God's own finger.

This is why I don't not with the outward but the n word. He called for a higher standard than the Pharisees. Harder than the one that they were now a polling. their righteousness needed to exceed What they were being shown by the Pharisees. and the Scribe

sounds pretty difficult. Sounds like it's something that's almost impossible for us. as Christians

to a pool So is it at a noble?

Well in the eyes of these Israelites these Jews, they saw the Pharisees as their leader.

What Jesus is just said that they didn't really understand?

How can we be more righteous than the most righteous? of Israel

Jesus is putting something in front of them that they feel it's just something just Out Of Reach.

but as I famous verb verse says With God all things are possible

is he in this entire sermon The Sermon on the Mount Jesus is his main subject the main thing that he is dealing with his sin.

Let's face it the last thing that we really want to look at in our lives. it said

Numbers 32:23 what if you will not do so behold you have sinned against the Lord? And be sure your sin will find you out.

This year's really the topic of his message.

Especially 4 verses 21 through verse 48 of this chapter.

It is the message on Divine definition of sin.

Be sure your sin will find you out.

New York Times once ran an article Quoting from it said the fee for sure the church was a safe hideout. Just inside a spider rope. Up to the Garrett. Okie climbed only to hear the church bell ringing his whereabouts.

A Mexican man, man in Mexico City has snatched a woman's purse. He ran into a doorway to hide. It turned out to be the doorway of the police station. Where he was questioned and later identified by the victim. shoplifting in the department store in Rochester, New York a man picked up an alarm clock and headed for the nearest exit. The claw concealed under his coat went off before he could get out of the store. And it brought the detectives running. A Canadian who had a custom-built radio stolen from his automobile advertise in the local paper for a custom-built radio first person to contact him. About this advertisement was the thief.

And finally a Glasgow pickpocket got a 60-day prison term after trying his luck on an Excursion boat hearing 20 police officers and their wife.

if this one. I got to read this one cuz it's pretty hilarious actually police in Palo Alto sees the suspect as he stood in the post office admiring. His wanted person poster that that's pretty good. Be sure your sin will find you out. Let's face. It folks in devastates our lives.

These were kind of funny.

And obviously they're not mine. I I borrowed them from a commentary but aromasin is just as hilarious. We think we could hide it. We think that people don't know what's going on.

Your sin will find you out.

You have heard it said. That it was you have heard that it was said. You shall not commit adultery.

He can begins with this statement that the Israelites have heard in the past. They've heard from the Pharisees.

It's that comparison. You have heard but now I tell you.

And you shall not commit adultery?

Deuteronomy 5:18 also found in Exodus

adultery the word adultery it's a very simple word the wrote means this unlawful intercourse with a spouse of someone else. That's basically the technical. straightforward meaning of the word

But it goes beyond this basic. meaning of the word

the road here in Matthew of course is imperative. It's a command. But most Bible scholar of Scholars. Do not see it only as a command. Not to engage in sexual activity with somebody else's spouse. But they see it in a general sense because of where is also used in a general way and some other sources for example, and some places the word means to seduce or violate a woman. That's very general. I married or unmarried woman. Other places is translated as committing harlotry.

So that the generally the word has been used to speak of any kind of a licit intercourse at all. And anything is illicit outside the bonds of marriage.

It's all primarily it refers to a sexual relationship that violates marriage. Jesus direct us to the inward heart. But I say to you. The everyone who looks at a woman with lust full intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. What is Jesus saying here?

He's broadening the definition that the Pharisees have kept. Don't pump their chest and say I've never committed adultery. I've never had intercourse with somebody else's wife.

But Jesus points to the heart. Four Seasons not tell us whether the woman he speaks of is married or not. This makes our latter definition. a little bit more plausible

To seduce or violate a woman in general married or unmarried?

in other words anybody with any woman who's not their wife?

examples Well first there's a warning in the Book of Proverbs it talks. about the seductress My son be attentive to my wisdom.

Incline your ear to my understanding that you might keep discretion and your lips met guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip, honey, and Her speech is smoother than oil. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edged sword her feet go down to death her steps follow the path to steal. She does not Ponder the path of life. Her way is wander. And she does not know it. And now on Sons listen to me and do not depart for the words of my mouth.

Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house.

Everything is not greener. On the other side of the fence.

Let's look at the Old Testament. There is a a few passages where our heroes of the Bible fall and we will go into one more in depth later.

Truly adultery is a sin of fools.

witness David

and what happened with him? the best Shiba Witness shechem Who defiled Dinah? and later his whole Village all the mails for slaughtered

What does Absalom? Who defiled others and sexual sins? Will he wound up hanging from a tree by his hair and killed? It is a sin of fools. The Bible says you take the fire into your bosom. fornicators and adulterers Hebrews 13:4 God will judge

the New Testament confirms it it reiterates with finality and firmness this prohibition.

Corinthian 1st Corinthians 6 condemns it 2nd Peter 2 Cadenza Revelation 2 Cadenza the end of the book of Revelation says that fornicators and adulterers won't even enter into God's Kingdom. This is a serious heinous vial crime. hen chickens assistant talking about the exterior Act He's talking about what happened in the heart far before. Any of that happened?

Boise the Pharisees I actually had something kind of right. because they basically had the log you catch on in Stoneham. Because that's what God's law said. If you're caught they still want you to death some of us might remember in John chapter 8. There's a an account and it goes early in the morning. He came again to the temple speaking of Jesus and all the people came to him and he sat down and talked them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who have been caught in adultery. And placing her in the midst they said to him teacher. This woman has been caught in the act of adultery. What was the law of Moses commanded us to Stone such a woman? So what do you say? This they did to test him. That they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and he wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continue to ask him he stood up and said to them. Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. He wants more he bent down and he wrote on the ground. But when they had heard it, they went away one by one beginning with the older ones and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him Jesus stood up and said to her woman, where are they has no one condemned you. She said no one Lord. And Jesus said neither do I condemn you go in from now on? Send no more. There's a couple of interesting things. in this account

it takes two to tango. The last time I knew where's the guy?

Was he not also caught? in adultery

the other question I've always had was I really wonder what price was writing on the ground. You know, he's doing something on the ground. He's writing something and then he writes it again and

It's it it's an interesting story. Some subs manuscripts. It doesn't appear in. But even if it was added later, it is a good example of Christ teaching.

It also shows that the Pharisees took adultery seriously and they knew the penalty the penalty was death. They did not count.

On what Jesus could do though?

They were trying to trick him instead. He illuminated them. He put the spotlight on them. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.

Gaming with the root word Hearts were they know they had sinned?

One by one they drop their stones and they walked away.

Tell it was only her standing before the Lord. You see one thing that none of those men could do.

What's the forgive? Jesus What's the one that could forgive? And he forgave her. of her transgressions and told her to go and sin no more.

You know, it's more when they talk about lost it when you were talking about lost of

here with a woman girls. You're not off the hook here. We can reverse this. It could easily say when you lustfully look at a guy.

They ate me the Bible was written in me. Male gender kind of but it means both ways same thing.

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust full and 10. Is he? The King James really got this one, right? because they put look at

You see the look. I look look at this implies that you looked and you're continually looking and you keep looking. It's not just a quick glance.

Jesus is not speaking of a casual glance at a pretty woman or a handsome guy. He's talking about when you get infatuated. What all you want to do is go to that movie and see that actress. Go on the internet and look at whatever. Going to get that magazine.

He speaking of the ongoing. in constant lusting of another

you see the person is actually making an active action. to fulfill their lust

They keep running through their minds. Waze to fulfill their lust

Evan pure thoughts

So why is that all important? Why is priced pointing to the heart?

Because that's where adultery began. All of a sudden you weren't just out with someone you shouldn't have been with.

It began somewhere.

It began in your heart. It began.

When you did something that you knew you shouldn't be doing.

So what does that mean? When we look at the heart of Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he?

So if you got that sin that junk in your heart.

That's what you are.

You see when we come to Salvation. Brand new man. We're giving a new heart. A heart that is there to worship God.

But when we keep going back to the old man in plucking that heart back in. Where do you filing? the heart that God gave us

It's festered. Send festers in the heart.

Then again, it's not only for men. It pertains to women also. Jesus is emphasizing that sin begins in man's heart. deep within the heart where others can't see see we could be like the Pharisees we can have all the trappings of holiness. Everyone will think that were good Christians. But deep in our hearts.

kind of like the Grinch three sizes too small

I think I'll end at this point because we do have the Lord's Supper to celebrate which

I'm going to warn you to examine your heart. So let us pray. gracious Heavenly Father We come upon some difficult passages in the Bible difficult to study difficult to prepare difficult. to give sometimes more difficult to hear

The Lord let us take what your word says.

a place in our hearts

you've come to this earth. And you went to a cross to forgive us of those sins.

If we Scott syndrome running rampid in our hearts, let us turn back to you.

Let us turn. Become the new creature. That we should be in you. in Christ's name amen