Righteousness that Exceeds
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Text - Matthew 5.20
Text - Matthew 5.20
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Sermon Title - Righteousness that Exceeds
Intro
Intro
Jesus’s sermon on the mount
Matthew 5-7 is called Christ’s sermon on the mount
Jesus addressed a multitude - composed Jews, Galileans, Samaritans, and his disciples
Jesus introduced what it means to be his disciple
you pursue righteousness
you pursue righteousness that is beyond what was demonstrated by the Pharisees at that time
Definition: Righteousness
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Righteousness
RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrew צדק, tsdq;, צְדָקָה, tsedaqah;, צַדִּיק, tsaddiq; Greek δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosynē, δίκαιος, dikaios). The quality, state, and characteristic of being in the right.
The English word “righteousness” refers to the quality of being righteous or in the right and is cognate to “just,” “justness,” and “justice.”
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Righteousness
Righteousness. Conformity to a certain set of expectations, which vary from role to role. Righteousness is fulfillment of the expectations in any relationship, whether with God or other people.
Definition: Righteous
one whose actions, speech and behavior, conform to what is right, good, and true
the ultimate standard of righteousness is God and His revealed Word
Background truths
righteousness and the kingdom of God are connected
Matthew 6.22 - seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
Romans 14.17 - the kingdom of Go dis not eating and drinking, but righteousness....
not all forms of righteousness fits in the kingdom of God
Questions
Why were the righteousness of the Pharisees not enough/unacceptable? What did they miss?
What kind of righteousness was Jesus demanding/expecting from His disciples?
Righteousness that stems from faith
Righteousness that stems from faith
Problems with the righteousness of the Pharisees
Problems with the righteousness of the Pharisees
(which the Jews populace also demonstrated)
Pharisaic righteousness is based on tradition
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.
30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
the Jews believed in their history, but NOT in the present work of God
the Jews did not truly believe
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Pharisaic righteousness is hypocrytical
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
their righteous acts were covering for their evil hearts
their righteous acts were self-serving - self-righteous
True righteousness comes from faith
True righteousness comes from faith
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
Faith in the Word/promise of God
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Faith in the present work of God
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Faith in subsequent works of God
the prophets whom he sends
the apostles who were sent
the progress of God’s work in church history
Righteousness that impacts your world
Righteousness that impacts your world
Two “types” of righteous people
Two “types” of righteous people
The “Lot” type
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—
Lot was righteous man - a believer of God, no doubt
Lot ket his faith to himself
he failed to influence Sodom
he failed to influence even his own family
Lot was numbered among the heroes of Hebrews 11
The “Hebrews 11” type (or the Elders type)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
Abel the righteous
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
Noah, the heir of righteousness
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Abraham, the righteous (Hebrews 11.8-16)
Believers are to be “salt” and “light” in the world
Believers are to be “salt” and “light” in the world
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Salt - an agent of preservation
salt suspends or hold back corruption
salt gives flavor to unsavory food
Light - an agent of illumination
light drives away darkness
light gives illumination
How? In what way?
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
let the world see your good works
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
believers’ attitudes - poor in spirit, mourn, meek
believers’ actions - hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers
believers’ suffering - persecuted for the sake of righteousness
These “good works” are acts of faith
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
True Righteousness is the result of one’s faith in God and His Word and Work
True Righteousness produces “righteous acts” that glorify God
True Righteousness EXCEEDS that of the Pharisees and will be the beleiver’s adornment in glory!
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
the Bride of Christ will be clothed in fine linen of the righteous acts of the saints
41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
the righteous will SHINE FORTH as the sun in the kingdom of God!
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