A New Kind of Community

Holy Spirit, we just invite your presence into this place. Asking for you to move in areas of our heart that have been closed off asking for you to encourage Us in areas where we feel just self-loathing and bummed out and hurting just asking for your move to happen in this people in this day give you this time in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Well, we are working our way through the Gospel according to Matthew and a couple of weeks ago text. It's been a minute since I've been up here at 3 weeks of not preaching so who look crazy for me and it felt great. I've been as we're making our way through Matthew we're highlighting putting great emphasis on this idea of the kingdom of God, and we've also been noticing a bunch of parallels. I've been happening through the story that Matthew is telling in relation even to The Exodus story he can draw way back when she when I was discussing this around Christmas time. And we've come to this moment where Jesus is gathering these disciples and followers and the wording is uncanny Matthew says he goes up to the amount and it's the same kind of emphasis if your Bible nerd whatsoever of The Exodus story in which God has called the Israelites out of Egypt brought them into the Wilderness in which then Moses is given this law that he's to take down and share with the people of Israel and what we see here in Matthew and I can't highlight all of the parallels today. You have to go back and read listen, but we moved to this moment where Jesus is gathering his disciples and he's talking about this new kind of community. This new kind of people and Matthew is telling us all the different kinds of people that God that Jesus is Calling is drawing in to be a part of his kingdom in 2 weeks ago. Michael talked about blessed are the meek blessed are the poor in spirit blessed are the persecuted and you can continue to read Matthew's account and you can see that Jesus is not going after those who are powerful and prestigious and in palaces in high places, but he's going and calling those that are marginalized and pushed to the outskirts and he's calling them into his kingdom. and his kingdom is radically different some might say contrast culture counterculture and now he's going to begin to give teaching on what it looks like to be in his kingdom and let me tell you there is a lots and lots to discuss and Matthew Chapter 5, we can honestly spend months in just this section alone, but I've been tasked with moving through it fairly quickly here this morning, but where we're going with this is and if you've missed this you've missed the whole thing of Matthew Jesus is the King Jesus is the king and he has a kingdom and he is calling people to participate to be in his kingdom. Now, what's intriguing and interesting about this is anytime there is a movement of a king coming in there is going to be some type of rule that is established amongst the people that are under this not let me get a soft example of this Durbin in a corporation. We've had some type of take over where you just a cog in the system and employee that's going about and all the sudden you have new leadership who bought you out. What do you inevitably get new rules new handbook new things that you can do new things that you can't do and there's going to be this resistance of but wait a second. This is our way of doing things. This is our culture and maybe in this example, there is some leniency in which some things might slide into the table and they're not too detrimental. But think about this whenever you read for example, even in the scriptures Israel was taken over by force for Tampa Babylon. they had to come under whose rule their rules are Nebuchadnezzar's are King Darius he set forth new decrees over the Israelites new rules new rain new lost even Moses when the people come out of Egypt goes to the mountain and says you know what here's how we're going to function as a grouping of people here's what it looks like to have a moral code of conduct with one another here's what it looks like when it comes to lending money here's what it looks like when it comes to strangers and pilgrims here's what it looks like an hour to treat one another enough for us we put some distance between this thought process this year we're not under a monarch or threats of some kind of foreign kingship coming Measure q and I don't know we'll see some kind of rulership Rio everything is about to change but that's that's what Kingswood bring in to hear. You have Jesus who is a king who has a kingdom who is calling a people what's unique about the circumstances situation is when most kings are just about everything I can think of in culture takes over a grouping of people. They do it through Power. They do it through Force. They do it through brutal means in order to conquer their people but is that the way of Jesus actually is a submission on the people who are saying you are a teacher or king or leader a ruler Emily Hauser and Matthew is a little bit of what we call progressive revelation. Where at this point the starting to get this feel for Jesus. Who is he what is he about? He said he's a king. But what kind of King is he under learning as The Story Goes On who this Jesus as we look back on and go to Jesus is the king now if Jesus is the king. How do we respond to that? What's our position? What place do you and I today should we be in before this and I want us to see attention this morning its attention that we're going to talk about often. It's the now but not yet. It's the idea that Jesus is the king. He rules He reigns amongst his people V present with us. Skip is going to be a future consummation of his kingdom in which physically he rules physically He reigns but now right now he is our King and what we should have in the back of our minds is there is a trajectory in which every single follower of Jesus is on one in which one we see him. We'll be like him and as followers of Jesus today, we're technically reaching into the future of what will be and we're saying we want to be this now by the power of the Holy Spirit. I share all this to say this this morning, please take Jesus is teaching seriously today. Because for some reason we liked you as Western evangelicals, look at this and go this is the stuff that like the goody-goody Christians do but it's free and I can go ahead and I want to ask to choose the ones I like and not participate in those but Jesus is actually calling us into something now. This is going to teach us to things this morning. She just many things I said, we could spend 15 weeks 20 weeks in the section going to teach us two things this morning one Jesus fulfills the law. To Jesus fulfills the law so you can live under him. Joyfully moving towards him, but I didn't Michael talk about a couple of weeks ago moving towards him. Now. Let's open our Bible and read chapter 5 verse 17 do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets that is all of the Old Testament scripture Jesus the thing I did not come to get rid of this as we know it as the Old Testament. He talks about is the law and the prophets uses. I have come to a but I'm not come to abolish them. But to fill them throughout my many readings of the last few week. This term fulfill is one that is frequent in Matthews account of the Gospel right constantly is talking about Jesus fulfilling and so we should chew and we should be up this idea of this is an important word that is here in the scriptures for us. He says 4 Truly I say to you to heaven and earth pass away. Not an Iota not a. Will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these Commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called the Great in the Kingdom of Heaven for I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees. You will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven this verse for 17. I've not come to abolish but to fulfill is really the Crux the center the thrust of this entire message not only here this morning, but if what Jesus is talking about on The Sermon on the Mount just said something about who Jesus is and it also tells us something about who we are or how we should respond to who Jesus is. because he comes he came to fulfill therefore it gives us an assurance and a motivation we have to have some background on this idea and what Jesus is doing as he's talking to these crowds is he forcing this issue of who he is and what he's all about not this idea of fulfilling something does not mean doing away with in fact it's a very flexible word that is used in Greek another example of this if you want to you can turn over to Matthew chapter 26 Go get verses 54 through 56.

Analog these away and think about him and let me just give this brief quick summary of what I think she's getting out here. Then we'll read these idea of fulfill is to bring to fruition the eschatological stents and I'll share what I mean in just a moment and verse 54 says but then how then should the scriptures be fulfilled that I must be so happy hour. Jesus said to the crowd had you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me day after day. I sat in the temple teaching and you did not seize me but all this is taking place at the scriptures of the Prophet might be fulfilled and all the disciples left him and fled from the opening scene here in Matthew Chapter 5 to this ending scene hear Jesus has this idea of fulfillment on and what it means to fulfill is to make something full to complete. . Of time or that which is already begun to finish complete or bring to a designated ends. The our tendency to pick one of those and say this is what Jesus means by fulfill, but when this word is used in the context that he's using it it comes about in all three forms of Jesus came to fill up to make full that he completes the. And the time basically it is real witch nrt2 gun, and he brings it to it's completed or designated and. Patrick Schreiner Western Seminary how he puts it Jesus fills up Jewish history. He completes the time of Israel and he brings Israel to its logical tell which essentially means ultimate object or aim essentially Jesus becomes all that the law and Prophets have pointed to great. How do I know this is super nerdy today? And I had a fun week. It's all going to come to an important and for us as we listen to this Joshua. He wrote this about this idea kings in ancient times were to give the law and embody the law internally and produce good legislation that transforms the people and lead them into obedience to the law goes on evidence exists both in the ancient near Eastern culture in biblical tax that Kings were to be living embodiment of law who instructed through both teaching and example what it meant to follow the law essentially as the King goes. So does the nation Jesus therefore and doing this here in Matthew 5 is the davidic king who becomes the living la he's not just a prophet though. He is the prophet who speaks and proclaims the law but he's also the king who live the law out perfect. I want you to think about this just even in our context today if there is a mayor if there is a governor if there is some kind of other ruler or leader who gives a lot and breaks it. How do we feel about that? Write like we expect everybody else to kind of break laws and rules with those who are in some position of leadership and those who are giving the law. They should not be breaking. The law. They should be perfectly embodying living breathing doing the law as they proclaimed with lots of flexibility for ourselves very little for other people history, which team ruler leader Governor Mayer parent Whoever has ever fulfilled that perfectly Absolutely absurd thoughts. Is a paradigm like super good to give him the lawn my house. Do this do that. Why didn't you we can go to for them to embody at to live it? I often stay landfall very short of that. Could Jesus Christ talk about importance of his life and he conducts himself in such a way that he actually live what he teaches now Leon Morris another great commentator said we must bear in mind that fulfill does not mean the same as Keep. Jesus is speaking of more than obedience regulations. But listen is off the tree does not mean for Less do understand what fulfilled Allah means from a monarchical perspective one must put themselves to the first century conduct and the common notion about Kings both Hellenistic that that is Greek and Old Testament King ship discourse a certain virtuous change to submit the law and thereby internalized them. We're going to get to the point in the near pasture geryon, essay on kingship speak Arkansas's presents. The good King is the animed LA he lives it and the people imitate it that was the purpose. Stretch that the king lives it and the people imitate it what is Jesus doing just like Moses. He finds himself at the mount just like Moses. He has a crowd. He has a crew. He has a people in the Kingdom. Moses is no king without a pretty bad. However in this situation what Jesus is saying and what he's calling us to is to listen up to my words. I want you to hear these and let these see deep into your hearts because there is a way in which I'm calling you to live. He did not come to nullify or set aside. The law firm dit accomplished it and brought it into reality. He embodies it both and speaking it and in doing it and acting Justice for his people. So here is the big question is the law bad.

Not that is the Lubbock. Jesus is teaching us how to beat he is giving us his kingdom Essick your ultimate and as a follower of Jesus you say this is the trajectory that you're going towards. So why not begin living like this now Jesus fulfilled the law so you can joyfully pursue him. I'm going to stick around this. There is a way in which God wants us to live is agree or not agree enemies to treat are Frenemies. There is a way in which he wants us to treat our children. There is a way in which he wants us to conduct herself in this life is back in Genesis in that world that was created in the garden. Got to cure the mandates. Here's how I want you to be I want you to rule. I want you to flourish. I want you to make I want you to create I want you to be obedient to me in the Epistles in this sermon. We continue to get instruction on how to live our lives as the people of God in a contract culture. There's a way that God wants us to be the laws not a soul sucking fun sucking human soul to my Zine ruleset given to us to prevent us from Joy. Actually living in the way of Jesus to lead us to Joy. What's certificate of humans as we said we know the true way to Joy in your ways not very good because it doesn't give me a scan gratification. So let's do it our way and we have this human project and seeing how well. Actually gone not very good at his ways. We cannot do it on our own this problem. That's a problem. So we need somebody to lead us into righteousness. Now what this means for us in Ezekiel, I believe it was also in Exodus were told that we're going to be given this rule that is actually Upon Our Hearts and the law of God is going to be written on our hearts in Jeremiah 31:33. He says I'll put my law within them. I will write it upon their hearts. This is what God promised through Jeremiah and Ezekiel. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes. I will put my spirit in you. What is your act or response in that passive something that God actively does he is going to give you his Spirit in order to do what to then walk in his statutes that is active that is something that God has done for us then in return. We are participating and as a result of what he has done in our lives. It's a Jesus is talking about to this crowd to this group is way of righteousness.

This way of righteousness cannot simply be external. I have to be in word Heart Change. If I could you read the Old Testament, we have tons and tons of laws 613 of them and Israel does a really good job of failing every single one of them don't they what it shows is we could not live up to it in such a way to get our own righteousness. And then what are they start doing they started looking at the laws and they started just looking towards the external portions of it. For example, if you were a Pharisee and maybe you were a little bit greedy and you didn't like your parents and they found themselves down and out and it was your responsibility to take care of your parents by Corbin. We are dedicating this money over here for God later on and then I'll use it for themselves satisfied for the temple. You see they were all about the external laws. It would look at like we won't get into it all today, but this about divorce. And they actually had this exception in there that if a man found anything anything that just please Tim and his wife. Well, then you could cry divorce and it be justified. First-year marriage for me not this year. We're going on 13 praise God, but this one could have ended it for us. She came home for lunch and they're my wife was getting ready to make me lunch grilled cheese sandwiches of all things. Our first fight was not of her money was not over till it's over sandwiches.

She's in there and she throws the butter in the pan. What are you doing? What do you mean I'm making you a grilled cheese sandwich. The next words that came out of my mouth. Listen every man do never ever under them. That is not how my mother makes it.

How to say I made my own sandwich that day could have said something like I don't like how she makes my sandwiches we're out of here I decry the she is displeasing in my eyes and they found ways around these laws and was always about how can we just externally view these and look at these in order to get what I want and over and over again we see that the idea of legalism is not what God it's after its loyalty to him loyalty to him. Not just outward action its inward heart transaction that takes place in our lives the Jews they aim to satisfy the law of God dead. They could not measure up. So here we have this Jesus and he comes and you must hear this today without faith in Jesus righteousness will never be had on your parts. You can try to do everything that has said in here, but without Jesus there is no forgiveness. No reconciliation No Redemption, we can continue use the word propitiation for your sins. Without Jesus. None of what we're going to discuss in the next 10 to 15 minutes is even possible. So this is what I want you to share this morning. There has to be and with Jesus is showing here one who fulfilled this one who lived this one whose righteousness fin is imputed or given to us. But that's where a lot of Christianity stops for many people and it's nippy and Yahoo, and baptism and migrates and Eternity and we dismiss any of the teachings of Jesus. I think you know what it's just covered over there. I don't need to look at my own heart over here. It's much easier to not desire in word change. Jesus may be talked about but I only want to talk about how he fulfilled it and gave me his righteousness.

And isn't all participated in different forms of sin. We've seen how it brings about Natalie the own destruction to ourselves and then doing it unraveling but it creates a ripple effect that goes into the world and Jesus's I have such a different way for you to live. Listen, why not start living like you will live ultimately in eternity now, Radical thought you're sitting in staff meeting and Michael just dropped that on us. I was like, oh Yeah, maybe we should start doing that. Maybe we should strive for that. Maybe we should reach into what is Future and say because Christ is King even now his rule. His Spirit has been written on a heart there is a way in which were called to live and he wants us to live in that now and the tension exists where the law is limited because it could never lead us into salvation cannot save us redeem as we cannot live up to it. The movie turn to do is just a minute. Throw it all away. Who cares? Why even try why even strive? I just be all worked out in the end anyways. so when we look at the rest of this chapter and verses

Where did the ten thousand foot View and I'm going to take an extra five minutes of Liberty. So it'll be it'll be great. I got eight minutes if you're looking to see what we're looking at today in verses 21 through 48 and in Matthew chapter 7 1 through 5 adult section on judging. Is the ten thousand foot view that begins with submission to Jesus? He's not coming as this King that is going to take a sword and put it to your nap and tell you to convert or die. He's not throwing himself on you in enforcing this way of life. He is simply giving you an invitation and you are submitting to that invitation think about all of the geological language that we Western Christians use and talking about coming to know Jesus we can say things like have you given your heart to Jesus? What is that? Really? It's submission a heading over your wishes your want your desires. How about have you ever given your life to Jesus? What is that? It's a lay down of your life a ticking on of his life who he is or the one that we have two lot. Are you a follower of Jesus? What is that? Do you walk in the ways of Jesus all of this language that we kind of nuance in our culture to make it more appetizing for people to here comes down to this point. Do you submit to Jesus as king and if you submit to him as king do you live like he is king or do you still live like you are King? How do I know, read The Sermon on the Mount? Can I convince you to crush you also going to cause you to say I can't he did not help me? Couldn't save myself I couldn't do this on my own. He did this for me. Now. He's giving me a new heart so I can walk in him. This whole idea is that you are no longer the independent human who does whatever you wish or pleases whenever you would like what you've come under a new king that says I know the way to life. I know how you can experience Abundant Life even now I'm not talking Prosperity Gospel Shalom between you and God given to us. I'm not saying that you lose your individuality, but you've now submitted to a new chain. Somebody came today. I wasn't who tells you where the good life is. It tells you how to get the good life. What do you believe about the good life? Jesus is telling us what that looks like and he says here's how I want you to live but a lot of people have done as they said Jesus is Love for others. I love is reconciliation aspect. I love the idea of turning the other cheek. I love these things that man I hate his sexual ethic. I don't like when it comes to generosity and what many people have done as they said I might go ahead and pick and choose and piecemeal this thing together and I'll kind of follow these and kind of followed those and what I'm saying take all of all of the words of Jesus very serious this morning. So here's what he says. You've heard that it was said to those of old. You shall not murder. Whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother will be liable to counsel. Whoever says you fool be liable to the hell fire. If you were offering your gift at the altar and then remember that your brother has something against you leave your gift there before the Altar and go first be reconciled to your brother then, and offer your guests come to terms quickly with your accuser while you're going with him to court unless your accuser hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard and you be put in prison truly. I say to you you'll never get out until you paid every last penny. You've heard that it was said You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with Lust For intent is already committed adultery with her in his heart if your eye causes you to send tear it out and throw it away for this better that you lose one of your members and that your whole body to turn into hell and if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw Fairway Ford is better that you lose one of your members in your whole body going to hell. It's also said whoever divorces his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife stepped on the grounds of sexual morality makes her commit adultery for marries a divorced woman commits adultery again, you've heard that it was said to those of old you shall not swear falsely, but she'll performed the Lord would he have sworn that I say to you do not take an at all either by heaven for his throne of God or by Perth Road is supposed to him or by Jerusalem for the city of the great king. Do not take an oath by your head for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simple yes or no anything more than this comes from Evil. You've heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth which is actually restrictive but we won't get into that today. I say to you do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn into the other also anyone would sue you and take off your tunic let him have your cloak as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile go with him to give to the one who bakes from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You heard that it was said You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy and I say to you love your enemies pray for those who persecute you say that you may be sons of the fathers in heaven for he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust or if you love those who love you will reward. You have not even Tax Collectors do the same degree. Only your brother's what more you doing in others. Do not even the Gentiles do the same you therefore must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect chapter 7 verses Judge not first one that you be charged for the Judgment you pronounce you will be judged with the measure you use the measured to you. Why do you see the speck that's in your brother's eye, but you not noticed the log in your own eye. How can you save your brother? Let me take the speck out of your eye when there is a log in your own eye you hypocrite first take the log out of your own eye and you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's I see her this morning is that because Jesus is King. He has a kingdom and he has a people he has given a rule we notice is we can't live up to that rule, but he is the one that has fulfilled that righteousness. He brings it to its end. He even gives bad as we know the whole story of scriptures because of his life death and resurrection and Ascension Heroes Reigns as king he has given us his righteousness and filled Us in with the holy spirit's now because of that. We're not given the Play Spirit just to have some like weird Church Gatherings and do some gnarly stuff. We're giving the Holy Spirit to live in the ways that Jesus has called us to live without you convicted to move on our hearts to grow us to change us and so it begins with this idea of submission. And then Jesus calls us into both outward. And as you read this in word change that happens in our lives with the highest calling of loving your brother or sister and not what Jesus does in the section of teaching and is a little bit of debates and maybe some of you will like this information maybe not but some people think that Jesus is upping the ante and they're forgiving some kind of new law new testimony to God essentially. You heard it said in the past, but now I'm telling you to do this. I had a great possibility and not going to argue this with anybody over lunch. There's also another idea that what Jesus is doing. He's a fantastic Bible teacher and see opening up the Old Testament scriptures much like we did we went through Genesis and he says this is what this means. This means that you're not supposed to have some external view of religiosity and legalistic standpoint in check marks of hey, I didn't murder anybody. So I'm a pretty darn good guy. He goes this this command sleep so that you might love your neighbor. Hirsutism Dakine with them to not even be angry with them. And so what Jesus in my opinion is doing is he the bounty on the scriptures where they had missed it had some wrong ideas and interpretations of what was originally written and they took it this other way and said look, we're not doing these things. Jesus is safe and there are no this is what is meant in the scriptures and how I want you to live. He says I want you to look at your heart.

Reading a fantastic book called the celebration of discipline by Richard Foster. Ansys quote of Leo Tolstoy this Russian famous author, Nobel Peace Prize winner early 1900 late eighteen hundreds. And he says this is why does everybody thinks of changing Humanity? But nobody thinks of changing himself.

Foster goes on and says let us be among the transformation of Our Lives is a goal worthy of our best efforts.

I understand this morning that every sin you have committed because of Jesus been forgiven the shame taken the guilt is gone.

And they're going to be a host a large amount of Christians.

What we're doing is our quenching the work of the spirit in our lives, when we ignore this idea that there's an inner transformation that is to actually take place and half for the benefit of herself, but for the benefit of our neighbors in the people around us, we do a major disservice to the teachings of Jesus.

cuz I want to do this morning cuz I can probably talk for another 40 minutes and I want But I want you to think through one of these areas. I don't murder. Are you angry with your brother or your sister?

Let me put it this way. Have you said he's the word Rocca? RBC said you're a dumb dumb. You're stupid. You've used harsh language and talking about somebody. And we need to deal with that in our hearts. Man women have we been lustful in our hearts by don't commit adultery. Have you been lustful? Jesus says, that's the intent that you're just as guilty.

Have you taken an oath and not been trustworthy and truthful with your words? Have you participated not Injustice but in retaliation because that's how humans often respond you wrong me. I'm going to wrong you worse. That's how we tend to treat people. I'm going to make this 10 times harder for you. I do not forgiving. All the brother uncovered another gas you are let me tell you something. We've been given in 1st Peter the Divine by there is a way that Jesus calls us to live and it's not to your destruction. I promise you but it is for your Choi. Take the words of Jesus serious this week set your Gaze on him and ask him. Where do I need to grow? Where do I need to change? How can I practically love my enemies? Where do I need to apologize? What do you have for maiming spray? God thank you for Your word that is true. Jesus first and foremost. Thank you so much that he who knew no sin became sin for me. That you stood in that Gap that you stood in that place and you rise Victorious and there is hope that even in the places that I have failed that I have let others down that I've used my words that there is Adam amount of Grace a deep well to draw from that is not exhausted and I thank you for that today. We are the church as a people take your words. Seriously if they where where do you want us to grow and want us to change? Ask for the spirit just to move in that way that we create space for you to have your way in our hearts and in our lives this morning, so we give this time to you in Jesus name.