Life of Christ 19

Introduction

Started into the Sermon on The Mount

Beattitudes - The picture is given of life of a disciple of Christ

It is completely counter intituitive than American Christianity

The disciple of Christ is the picture of a beggar seeking righteousness. Meek, merciful, and persecuted.

From here Jesus is going to describe the role of His disciples in the world - Salt and Light

After that Jesus is going to try to get “saved people lost”

The issue is self-righteousness - Jesus is going to destroy the self-righteousness of the Jews and us

Salt and Light (v13-16)

The role of Jesus followers is to be salt and light

Salt - purpose (yes, to perserve but that is not the context given)

The issue here is flavor

Why don’t you eat Caulliflower? Taste bad

The lifestyle of the disciple should taste good

Colossians 4:6 ESV

6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

There is something about the meek, humble, beggar.

God uses us to draw -

Explain biblical salt

The danger is that we can allow the elements of the world wash out the saltiness

We are called to be different

This is why the seeker sensitive movement misses the mark

What about light?

Purpose of light is to expose

Salt draws/flavors

Light exposes

What Jesus saying?

Don’t be worldly and . . .

Don’t hide your faith

The Church is to be in the world but not of the world so that the world sees the lives and works of the followers of Christ and become believers themselves

What is the practical application here? How do we do this?

-Treating a server terrible

-Speech

Christ and The Law (v17-20)

How did Christ accomplish (fulfill) the law?

The Cross

Now that Christ has fulfilled the law, do we still teach it? Why?

Galatians 3:19–25 ESV

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Galatians 3:19-

The law is not bad - Its of God

It leads us to Christ

It raises the standard

Here is the problem, the Jews thought they were keeping the law. They were keeping “their” version of the law.

God is not only interested in outward obedience but inward obedience.

Illuss.: I want to imagine that you ask your son to mow the grass. If he doesn’t, he will be grounded. You look outside and he is out there mowing but he is grumbling, slamming things around. pouting. Did he obey? . . . in his heart

God desires obedience from a loving heart not compliance from a begrudging heart.

Now Jesus is going to apply this truth in a variety of different ways . . .

He is using the law as a guide to lead the people to realize they are not righteous. They are sinners in need of a Savior.

Anger and Murder (21-26)

Hate is murder

Verbal insults stem from hate

Withholding forgiveness stems from hate

Holding grudges

Lust and Adultery (27-30)