Transformed By The Parables - Part 2

Principle Living!

Matthew 5:21–24 NLT

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

Think about some of your first things from the past.

Your First:Bicycle—Car—Date—Home—Bible—Etc.

These first things were important to you.

Today, I want to share with you some principles that are priorities Jesus shared with his disciples and those who would hear!

As we are on our transformation journey, there must be principles that we should live by as believers

Principles that govern our behavior!

Principles that distinguish believer’s from the world

Matthew 5:21 NCV

21 “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged.’

The law against murder is the sixth commandment in the ten commands listed in the Old Testament

Exodus 20:13 NKJV

13 “You shall not murder.

Romans 13:9 NKJV

9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In all these things, I believe the law was given to protect life! Life is to be respected! Life is to be cherished! No life is to be taken, not our own life or the life of someone else!

Principle Living

Now here is where many of us struggle:

Matthew 5:22 NKJV

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

I think the real meaning of this law is about anger!

We like to interpret the bible to say what we want it to say!

We like to apply the bible only to the outward acts - the visible acts - Like Murder!

Here is where the transformation begins! On the Inside

We fail to look inside to the root of the cause

You got to get this

Murder is deeper than just an outward act!

It is an inward act of anger, bitterness,and hatred!

Murder is born from within!

Murder comes from an uncontrolled spirit

Murder comes from an unregulated urge

Murder comes from an inner anger

Anger is the real sin!

Anger is the sin that breaks God’s law

Mark 7:14–23 The Message

14 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. 15 It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.” 17 When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, “We don’t get it. Put it in plain language.” 18 Jesus said, “Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? 19 It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed.” (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.) 20 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: 21 obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness— 23 all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.”

Principle Living

Hear’s the deal - Jesus was talking to those who knew the Word!

Those of us who know the Word need to hear this message as much as anyone else!

This Word existed from the beginning! It won’t change, it won’t be annulled, it won’t be done away with!

This is what we must live by!

This is what we must submit to

Matthew 5:22 NCV

22 But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Anger

The growth of anger is dangerous! It can be uncontrollable and give birth to murder!

There are three steps in the growth of anger

1. There is an anger -that occurs when you think so deeply about someone or something that you become unhappy!

That anger is selfish! That anger harbors malice! That anger will not forget! That anger lingers!

That anger desires revenge and will seek it!

2, There is an anger that despises! - That type of anger ridicules,

This anger arrogantly exalts itself and calls other people empty and useless!

This anger is full of intention to do evil

This anger despises and lashes out

This anger arises from pride

Proverbs 21:24 NIrV

24 A proud person is called a “mocker.” He thinks much too highly of himself.

This anger walks over and tramples a person!

3. The third anger is one that curses!

This anger is looking to destroy a person

This anger is seeking to destroy a person’s reputation morally

This anger is seeking to destroy a person’s reputation intellectually

This anger is trying to destroy a person’s reputation spiritually

Principle Living

Now there are times when anger is justified!

As believer’s we can be angry at sin!

As A believer we can be angry with those who do wrong

As a believer we can be angry with those who are unjust and selfish in their behavior!

But a justified anger is always disciplined and controlled!

A justified anger is limited to those who do wrong against God or against others!

Justified anger is never selfish!

It is an anger with purpose!

It is anger with a legitimate reason and with a purpose to correct the situation or circumstance in the most peaceful way possible!

Ephesians 4:26 NKJV

26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Romans 12:18 NLT

18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Even Jesus was angry with things that were happening in the temple

John 2:13–16 NKJV

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

So here is what I want you to think about

Too many hurt feelings exist between those who are supposed to be the closest!

Husband & Wife

parent and child

neighbors

friends

employers and employees

members of the local church

Jesus is clear about this issue of anger

Never let it take hold of you without just cause

James 1:19 NKJV

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

1 John 3:15 NKJV

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Proverbs 16:32 NKJV

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 19:11 NLT

11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Finally - there is the judgement of anger!

The bible tells us that anger is a serious matter

To hold feelings against another person is a very serious issue!

Matthew 5:22 (NKJV)

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.

Then it continues on tell us that we risk the danger of hell fire.

Principle Living

Matthew 5:23 NLT

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,

Matthew 5:24 NLT

24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

The answer to anger is reconciliation

Jesus tells us that there is an urgency to reconciliation! Reconciliation should always precede worship!

Even entering a place of worship If there is a problem with a brother or sister - we are to turn around from worship and go seek reconciliation!

We come to worship to Reconcile with God!

We come to worship to seek fellowship with God and the people of God!

So God will not accept the worship of anyone who holds malice against Him or against any of his people!

A break with another believer is like a break with God

UN-forgiveness toward another person means UN-forgiveness by God

Broken fellowship with another person means broken fellowship with God

Bad feelings towards another person means UN-acceptance by God

Anger against another person means rejection by God

We cannot hope or expect to be right with God if we are not right with our brothers and sisters in Christ

1 John 4:20–21 NKJV

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Today we must forgive and be reconciled with each other if we expect to be forgiven and reconciled to God

God bless you and God keep you as we are Transformed By The Parables!!