The Law
Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
Speeding in Sublette
The law is the law no matter who we are and there is grace when we step outside of God’s Law just as that trooper showed me grace. But what is God’s law and what exactly is it we are talking about by saying we want to walk by His law, well we get a taste, pun intended, in Matt 5:13:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Salt was such an integral part of ancient times, including the 1st century when Jesus lived. Using Salt as a metaphor here, is so appropriate. People in that time would understand the important properties of salt. It was used in preservation, medicines, curing, tanning, smelting and food. We use it today in our homes, mostly just to season, but it was much more important in Christ’s time. Now imagine if you tried to preserve meat with a salt that had lost its’ conserving properties, it wouldn’t be any good anymore. It is the same when we lose the writing of God’s Law on our hearts, So how do we prevent losing our salty properties, well, it begins with treating God right. Look what it says in verse 14-16
Treating God Right
Treating God Right
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
A. Love the Lord your God
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
1. How we stay salty as it talked about in verse 13
a. Seasoned with God’s love
b. Seasoned with God’s works
2. Being the Light of the World
a. Service brings about remembrance
b. Service grants us insight to God’s love
B. Serve Him Only
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
1. Be the light, reflect God as it says in verse 15
2. Don’t hide the light, provide it to all you know
C. Commandments
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
1. About loving God with all you have
a. Didn’t go away, still about loving God
b. Most of the Law, Leviticus
i. About please God
ii. Showing devotion to Him
2. What have I done to please the Father today
a. Do we think about that in the morning
b. All about how God can serve me?
c. Do the things that please God
Don’t waste what God gives you, don’t let your saltiness go away
Throw something seemingly valuable away. This is what happens when we waste what God gives us, this is what it looks like to lose your saltiness.
Treating Others Right
Treating Others Right
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
A. Love your neighbor
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
1. Who is my neighbor
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
a. Everyone
b. What the good Samaritan story is about
i. Same command is given as in Matt 22
ii. Different context same meaning
c. Being the light to the world
2. As Yourself
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
a. Treat yourself good, treat your neighbor good
b. Led to salvation in Christ, lead others
c. Good enough for you, good enough for neighbor
B. Commandments
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
1. Protecting people
a. Means loving them well
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
b. Watching out for each other
c. Let my actions bring honor to them
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
2. Love as God loves
a. As God loves them
b. As we would love ourselves
3. Give your best
a. Part of service is serving right
b. All of loving is loving well
c. If God didn’t spare Jesus
I remember back when I first started ministry in Knob Noster Missouri. I was so busy, being a bi-vocational minister is tough, but we were making it through. And I was working 16-20 hours a day and it wasn’t fun. At one point my wife looked at me and said, stop giving me your left overs. I was confused, she said you are giving to everyone else and then if you have time, you are giving a little bit to me, I am your leftovers!
Its like getting a steak at Texas Roadhouse, then take it home. Don’t treat God or people like leftovers.
Conclusion:
We never want to waste what God has given to us through the Gospel of Jesus. That means we have to remain salty! To do that we must remain first in His law, which is summed up by loving God above all and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God and loving people, that’s what are mission statement is all about, when we say: Focusing on Christ as we connect Kaw valley to authentic worship, genuine service, unconditional love and unarmed Truth, we are saying we want to remain salty and in the Law of God. I don’t know about you but with a world looking to focus on self, saying things like do what makes you happy and you do you, I am looking for something more, something greater. Well, that’s the Law of God, serving and loving outside of the self, loving and serving in a bigger way than me, Loving God and loving my neighbor, that’s where joy is found.