But He Said...
2020 Sunday Sermons • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
deut 30:15-
Why should I care?
Why should I care?
This is Jesus being the new and better Moses
Why should I care?
Why should I care?
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
ps 119:
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
-3
Jesus on Anger - 5:21-26
Jesus on Anger - 5:21-26
But I say
But I say
rabbinical way to oppose a false notion; Jesus providing authoritative interpretation on the Law
Murder - 6th Commandment
Murder - 6th Commandment
Anger
Anger
this is anger without cause or that is sinful
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Insult
Insult
Raca - indignation, contempt, to be spat upon
liable to the council = for punishment or exclusion from the community
You Fool
You Fool
The word fool does not signify a man of weak parts, one that is very ignorant in things natural; this, the word Raca imports; but a wicked, reprobate man; in which sense Solomon often uses the word.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
“Well, I see what you’re saying, and the Bible seems to support it, but I’m not sure I like it yet.” - Bert Lanier
This is why Jesus immediately turns to instruct us to reconciliation, which necessarily requires repentance for one or both parties; it is fruit or true repentance AND clears the way for worshipping God from a pure, undistracted heart.
If anger is a current, or recurrent problem in your heart and mind, lay it down now in the name of Jesus and by the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit; repent and believe the gospel anew. Be reconciled to your brother and find renewed joy in and with the Lord.
Jesus on Lust - 5:27-30
Jesus on Lust - 5:27-30
Same formula - You have heard, but i say
Adultery
Adultery
Anything other than a consensual physically intimate relationship in the context of a husband and wife
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
The churches of Jesus have failed to hold the Biblical standard consistently in many, if not all the ages of church history.
condone or excuse implicitly or explicitly fornication and adultery in the church
enthrone fornication in our heroes and entertainment
It was a wrong impulse to be disgusted seeing mixed races kiss on TV. It is an understandable reaction to same sex kissing, but why have we never been disgusted by the continual barrage of serial adulterers so long as they are heterosexual and of the same race?
The harsh truth is that we have been for all our lives more informed by culture than God in this area; we have been blinded and largely remained complicit in this sin of not honoring and keeping the marriage bed undefiled and we need repent as a people.
Looking lustfully with intent
Looking lustfully with intent
temptation is not sin
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Jesus in
David in
Joseph in
English Standard Version Chapter 39
How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?
How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? ()
Paul said take every thought captive
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
We must cleanse and keep ourselves of outright fornications and adultery.
When and where lust is a struggle, we must flee temptation, and then by intentional warfare on our flesh, include time in the Word and prayer, we must mutually encourage each other in the church family, and by God’s grace gain victory over this demonic stronghold.
Jesus on Divorce - 5:31-32
Jesus on Divorce - 5:31-32
There is no such thing as divorce without sin. That does not mean that everyone who is divorced sinned in so doing, but the Word of God and the historic churches of Jesus know nothing of so-called no fault divorce.
He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Why is it such a big deal?
Why is it such a big deal?
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
God said he divorced Israel in . It was for just cause, and it was (not unlike the true purpose of excluding a church member) a means of discipline for the purpose of a greater reconciliation.
Any other understanding is evidence you do not understand the sweeping meta-narrative of scripture
Does Paul contradict or broaden the teaching?
Does Paul contradict or broaden the teaching?
Paul speaks of abandonment setting the remaining spouse at liberty in but this is not in contradiction. The one leaving has left the marriage; broken the covenant by absence; neglect. Jesus is addressing the covenant being broken while in proximity.
There is no perpetuity or state of adultery for remarriage
There is no perpetuity or state of adultery for remarriage
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;
for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
In this brief exchange, Jesus both affirms the sinfulness of her living with a man she is not married to and also calls her multiple marriages marriages.
If there was a wrongful divorce, it is sin to be repented of; reconciled if possible, but either way is done. Stigma or mental and emotional issues may remain, but any sin actually repented of is forgiven and cleansed.
Do NOT presume grace
Do NOT presume grace
God’s Word is singularly and ultimately authoritative over all things, including marriage and divorce.
A child of God cannot both affirm this and choose rebellion, while expecting grace and blessing. For a glut of evidence to this fact, read any, or especially ALL of the history on Israel and Judah in the Old Testament.
The Good News
The Good News
Even just these 3 topics cuts across the board, proving what the Psalmist and Paul both wrote; that NONE of us are righteous, but...
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
While it is true that He said anger is murder in the heart; that giving into lustful temptation even in our minds is adultery, and that there is no divorce apart from sin, it is also true that He said there is no sin too grievous that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse and restore us. Thanks be to God for Christ Jesus.
There is much depth and difficulty in the sweep of scripture, but then there is also plain speech. God help us to be blameless; to walk in Your ways; to keep Your statutes.