An Alternative Community Part 8

Intro

Opening Story/Illustration/Question: Show Video on whether or not people ready the Bible

The Bible is an interesting topic, even among Christians.

Show Video on whether or not people ready the Bible

Many Christians haven’t read through the entire Bible (Show lifeway graphic)

Quote from Lifeway Research: “Americans also differ in how they approach reading the Bible. Twenty-two percent read a little bit each day, in a systematic approach. A third (35 percent) never pick it up at all, while 30 percent look up things in the Bible when they need to. Nineteen percent re-read their favorite parts, while 17 percent flip open the Bible and read a passage at random. A quarter (27 percent) read sections suggested by others, while 16 percent say they look things up to help others.”

Americans also differ in how they approach reading the Bible. Twenty-two percent read a little bit each day, in a systematic approach. A third (35 percent) never pick it up at all, while 30 percent look up things in the Bible when they need to. Nineteen percent re-read their favorite parts, while 17 percent flip open the Bible and read a passage at random. A quarter (27 percent) read sections suggested by others, while 16 percent say they look things up to help others.

Do you think it’s important that Christians read the Bible? Why?

Recap: We’ve been in the middle of a series here on the sermon on the mount. We’ve talked about how it’s Jesus sort of guidelines for this “alternative community” he’s calling us into. We’ve been through the beatitudes where Jesus laid out what type of people we should be. A couple of weeks ago we talked about being Salt and Light and this idea that we are called to permeate or saturate the world. it is the “blessed” people who are called to be the salt and light. And that doesn’t mean “blessed” in a Joel Osteen sense. It means the humble, the meek, the poor, the peacemakers, the mourners, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the persecuted. Today we are going to move into sort of a transition passage. This passage is going to set up much of the rest of the sermon. We’re moving from the type of people we should be to the type of actions we should take.

The Bible, In my opinion, answers a few questions:

Who Am I?

Who Is God?

How should I relate to God?

How should I relate to others?

The Bible is not, primarily, a History book, it is not a science book, it is not something we use to pull out one-liners to zing our opponents, it is not primarily meant to inspire us or make us feel good. Although, it can, at times, do that.

The Bible is a Story. ONE, UNIFIED story. God is the main character. If you fail to grasp that the Bible is ONE, UNIFIED story of God, then you will miss the point.

It is the story of how God created, How sin disrupted that good creation and How God is on a mission to undo what Sin has done.

Transition to message: And all of this sets us up for our passage tonight.

Recap: We’ve been in the middle of a series here on the sermon on the mount. We’ve talked about how it’s Jesus sort of guidelines for this “alternative community” he’s calling us into. We’ve been through the beatitudes where Jesus laid out what type of people we should be. A couple of weeks ago we talked about being Salt and Light and this idea that we are called to permeate or saturate the world. it is the “blessed” people who are called to be the salt and light. And that doesn’t mean “blessed” in a Joel Osteen sense. It means the humble, the meek, the poor, the peacemakers, the mourners, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the persecuted. Today we are going to move into sort of a transition passage. This passage is going to set up much of the rest of the sermon. We’re moving from the type of people we should be to the type of actions we should take.

Transition to Text: Today’s text is all about the Bible. It’s all about Scripture. Jesus is going to stun his listeners with what he has to say about scripture.

Transition to Text:

Text:

Matthew 5:17–20 NLT

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Main Idea: The Point of the Bible is Jesus

Points

Jesus begins by warning his readers not to misunderstand his mission.

He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets.

The “Law and Prophets” is the Old Testament

There are many that think the Old Testament doesn’t matter - That we should just ignore it and read the New Testament.

Why would this be a bad viewpoint?

Jesus’ own words here make it a bad viewpoint

Illustration: When I was a kid I remember going to see a movie with my parents. Halfway through the movie, my dad gets a phone call that someone is in the hospital from his church. We have to leave the movie. I missed the entire second half. Another time, I remember showing up late to a movie. The only seats left were the front row. We had to sit with our necks pointed almost straight up. I had no idea what was going on.

If you don’t have the Old Testament, it’s like coming into a movie halfway through. You miss the context of Jesus. You miss the “why?” question that the OT answers.

If you don’t have the New Testament, It’s like leaving halfway through. You don’t get the answers to your questions. The world is broken..what now?

The Point of the Bible is Jesus.

He is the main character (He is God) and he is it’s climax.

The

Jesus tells his listeners here that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.

The

This means that Jesus is the completion of it all.

This doesn’t mean that any of it is done away with..it means that it’s all moving towards, pointing do, and finding it’s completion in JESUS!

One Commentator has stated, “Now Christ makes clear that he is not contradicting the law, but neither is he preserving it unchanged. He comes “to fulfill” it, i.e., he will bring the law to its intended goal.”

So what are we to make of how we read the Old Testament? Should we follow it? Should we not?

“All of the Old Testament remains normative and relevant for Jesus’ followers (), but none of it can rightly be interpreted until one understands how it has been fulfilled in Christ. Every Old Testament text must be viewed in light of Jesus’ person and ministry and the changes introduced by the new covenant he inaugurated.”

We are called to obey

We are called to obey

We are called to

Jesus says his listeners should obey and teach the laws - unrelaxed.

Again, for us as 21st Century Christians, this doesn’t mean going back and following food laws, etc. It means we follow the OT in light of Jesus and his New Covenant.

But don’t miss the point here - Obedience.

Jesus even says if you don’t follow better than the Pharisees, you’ll miss the kingdom. This is harsh!

He means by this - the heart (As we shall see in the coming verses), but he also means the actions. It is not simply a call to right motivation (heart), it is a call to right action as well.

If we simply emphasize actions, we can have a bunch of people running around doing good things the wrong way.

Illustration of Actions only: Rebecca Vandergrift

Illustration of heart only: You hear it all the time - It’s not about what you do - But scripture is clear, you must apply and live out the teachings of Jesus. In an effort to correct the above illustration, we often think actions don’t matter - But the truth is, they do. Because of this, we have a bunch of people running around who have great “feelings” but aren’t actually living it out.

Conclusion

What are some ways we can better read/engage with the Bible as a Unified story about Jesus?

How can we keep from getting trapped in the either/or of heart or actions?