Mission Possible Pt 6
Mission Possible • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsIs it any wonder the Pharisees wanted Christ done away with? I mean, think about it... Christ enters the picture and turns things upside down! He likens anger to murder, and proves everyone to be an unfaithful adulterer... But, What is His point in doing so? Life... the Christian Life... our calling and mission is not about a "Comfortable Life"... It is about Living and Life of Faithfulness to the One who Created us... Loves us... and Redeemed us... thus calling us to the Life He created us for....
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How did this Happen?!
How did this Happen?!
Have you ever read or heard a news story that left you amazed… thinking: “How did this happen?”
I’m sure many people felt that way when they heard about Bill Hybels — pastor of Willow Creek Church in California....
And He is just one of many who have fallen prey to the trappings of Lust…
One of our greatest examples is that of King David in the OT.
We all know the story....
One night, David is out on his balcony… enjoying the view… looking out across the great city of Jerusalem… And what does he see? A naked woman! Bathing on her rooftop!
She is a beautiful woman! David can’t resist meeting her....
So, he finds out who she is… He sends for her… He wines and dines her… then he sleeps with her… even though she’s married!
But he doesn’t stop there.... does he?!
No! David goes on and tries to “cover up” what he has done by attempting to “trick” her husband.... when that doesn’t work, he has him killed!
How did this happen?!
I mean… this is the greatest king in the Israelites history…
The answer lies in the opening verse of 2 Samuel 11:
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
The Spring time was the time when Kings led their militaries into battle to secure their borders… But, King David did not go!
No! Instead, we find him at home! Sitting safely in his palace in Jerusalem — or at least he thought!
You see… His mind was not one the things that it should have been… and that led to his failure!
Look at Mt 5:27-30
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
Lust is an issue, amen? Lust has often been an issue in the lives of men…
We could say that it is a “secular” issue… But, history proves otherwise…
Many “Godly” men have fallen prey to the exact same temptation as King David, which has led many women to condemn David… and many men for even “looking” at another woman walking down the street or sitting in a restaurant… And that’s reasonable, right?
I mean… after all… Jesus doesn’t mention women lusting after men… and that means that it is an issue with men and not women, right?!
WRONG!!!
History proves that when women are not dominated by men (as they were in that time)… when they have the same personal power and freedom of choice… they fall into the same trap!!!
Look at Potipher’s wife… she had the power… she had the freedom… she sees this handsome Israelite servant, and she wants him! So, she tempts him — “Come to bed with me.” (Gen 39:7)
Not many men would resist… but Joseph did, and it landed him in jail!!!
Talk about “sexual harassment!”
Over the years since Matthew’s gospel was written, it has gotten worse! Men and women experience the same temptation of lust...
In 1544, Martin Luther wrote about the University of Wittenberg: “The race of girls is getting bold, and run after the fellows into their rooms and chambers and wherever they can, and offer them free love.”
Now… Don’t get me wrong… I am not against Women’s lib… But we need to understand that lust is an issue that we ALL deal with!!!
There is no gender that is excluded…
This is why L. Nelson Bell — father-in-law of Billy Graham — wrote: “It is, even for the true Christian the last frontier to surrender to the cleansing and redemptive work of the living Christ.”
Lust is an extremely dangerous temptation for Christians… it is a never-ending battle!
Which is why Luther said: “If no other work was commanded than chasteness, we would all have enough to do, so dangerous and raging a vice is unchasteness.”
Unlike what we want to believe… there is no “moral majority” when it comes to lust.
Think about it....
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
When it was just the Law… when considered from a worldly viewpoint… the majority of spouses are faithful… But, Jesus changed the rules!
He explains that faithfulness involves the heart and mind, not just physical actions.... And in doing so, He thrusts the majority (if not all) of the human race into the camp of “Guilty.”
WHY?!?! Why does Jesus do that?
Some would say that He is “being to radical here!” It’s obvious He never read “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
It really is no wonder that the Pharisees wanted Him out of the picture.
With just a few words, Jesus has just made the majority of the human race murders and adulterers, by making anger equivalent to murder and lust equivalent to adultery...
But, What is Jesus’s point?
— External legalistic righteousness just won’t cut it!
The external hypocritical show of the Pharisees… is not True Religion!
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
“True religion, and a relationship to God that pleases Him is one where men are honest about their sin, and seek His help to conquer it.” — Pastor Glenn Pease
It’s not about legalism… it’s not about avoiding even looking at the opposite sex… It’s about Faithfulness to God!
“Adultery exists first in the heart before it is expressed in the body.” — Roger Hahn
Thus the issue is not one of physical or psychological infidelity, but one of faithfulness.
Let’s face it — Lust is not something that only a small group of people experience… Lust is not a “teenage” thing.... It is not a “pervert” thing… it’s not a “dirty old man” thing… Lust effects ALL of us!
“Of the seven deadly sins, lust is the only one about which ALL humankind (with very few exceptions), knows something from experience.” — Christopher Sykes
But let me ask you this — “Is lust all about sex?”
No!
We can all name a time when we have gone to a restaurant, and everyone else’s meal looks better then what we ordered… or we have seen that new house our friends just bought and played out in our minds how great it would be living there… or caught the “itch” for a new Bike/car/whatever....
The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence!
It is a part of human nature to desire what we do not have… when that desire turns to lust, it becomes deadly!
That’s what happened in the Garden…
So… What is Lust?
Lust is any good thing gone to extreme.
Have I told you that I love the Greek language?! I love digging into it.... The Greek word for “LUST” is “epithumeo” — “strong desire… both good and bad”
Desire is not a bad thing… We can desire to have a better job… more pay… a better home… a stronger marriage… success for our children… those are not bad things!
BUT… when desire turns to LUST… it destroys …
That is Jesus’s concern here! When Lust takes control, it will destroy us! It will destroy our relationships… it will destroy our testimony…
Let me ask you — What is the number one destroyer of marriages?
Lust.
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Notice that Jesus never commands divorce… in fact, He portrays it as a step toward adultery…
Why?
Because spiritually, that is what it is!
Think about it — If God never gives up on us, why would we give up on our spouse — especially knowing that the marriage relationship is a representation of the Covenant Relationship with God, through Christ?
We are the Bride… Christ is the Groom… He is faithful to us… We must be faithful to Him...
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Lust destroys that relationship.
So, How do we deal with it?
“You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.” — Luther
That is what Jesus is saying here… We have a choice!
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
Whatever causes you to sin is the culprit you focus on, and you prevent that cause from having its effect.
How? How do we do that?
This is where the world… the Church… usually says: “You take control and choose what life is going to be. If the eye causes you to lose control, you take it back… you cut off the temptation… So… you gotta stop watching those TV shows and movies that tempt you… you gotta stop listening to that “suggestive” music… you gotta stop dancing… hanging out… reading those “questionable” books… etc....
You know how it goes… we’ve all heard it before…
It all sounds pretty legalistic doesn’t it?!
Let me tell you — That doesn’t work!!!!!
Legalistic rules will not help us.
They will only push us closer to sin!
Jesus’s point is that we need to realize what causes the fall… what caused David’s fall…
As one pastor put it — “We all live in the space between our ears!”
Where we put our focus matters!
What we set our minds on reflects and determines the nature of our spiritual experience.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
We’ve all heard the expression — “You are what you Eat”
Let me tell you — “You Are What You Think!”
The person who sets his mind on the things of the flesh will live accordingly… The person who sets his mind on the things of the Spirit will live within that dynamic…
Paul makes it clear — The way we think is intimately connected to the way we live!
What is it that occupies your mind?
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
These are the things that should occupy our minds...
Paul tells us to — “Meditate on these things”
The Greek word translated “meditate” is “logizomai” — “to give careful thought to a matter, think (about), consider, ponder, let one’s mind dwell on.”
Paul (and Jesus for that matter) is not talking about those “fleeting” thoughts that cross our mind… He is talking about those thoughts that we hold on to… that we think about… that we dwell on and ponder…
You see… those are the thoughts that effect our lives!
Think about it — We all have experienced a time when someone hurt us… made us angry, but we didn’t say anything… instead, we just bottled it up… held on to it… pondered it…
How did that make you feel? How did it effect your life? Your relationships?
This is why scripture tells us to “take captive our thoughts”… in obedience to Christ!
Look at Ephesians 6:16-17
16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The helmet is meant to protect your head!
We are talking about protecting our thought life!
The enemy shoots flaming arrows of temptation and lust at us all the time… The only way we will protect ourselves from them is to pick up the “Shield of Faith”!
We do that by dwelling on… by meditating on… by carefully considering… what salvation means to us and how the Word of God directs us!
The enemy cannot stand against a Christian armed with a deep understanding of the Truth of God!
What are you “meditating” on?