The Heart of Sin
Notes
Transcript
Good morning Church! It’s great to see you this morning. Go on and open up to Matthew 5:21.
This morning we are starting a new direction for four weeks as we study through the Sermon on the Mount. This short series, we are calling “The Theme of the Kingdom.” Jesus has already been hinting at this through the beatitudes but now he is going to leave no doubt. The Theme of the Kingdom is the heart!
This week and next we are going to go through the same passage looking at a couple different ideas.
So, Let me read this, pray, and we will come back and start working through it...
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.
But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
PRAY
There are a couple misconceptions that were occuring then and even now as we hear or read Jesus’ teaching here.
1. Jesus isn’t trashing the OT
1. Jesus isn’t trashing the OT
We have already said this last week, but it’s important to say again. Jesus knew how this teaching was going to sound. That’s why he prefaced it by saying, I’m not here to do away with everything God has said in the past! He knew that would be a natural response of the people. But that didn’t keep him from speaking truth.
We know that Jesus wasn’t saying the Old Testament is no longer relevant to what we are doing. We are living in a new day and we need new teaching.
For us as Christians, we can quickly jump to read and teach on the new Testament more than the Old, but as I’ve told you over and over again, this is not a good idea.
We need both testaments to fully grasp who God is, who we are and the importance of God’s Grace.
There is another misunderstanding that
2. Jesus isn’t adding more commands.
2. Jesus isn’t adding more commands.
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
This is how we can be exactly like the first century Jews! Many read this teaching of Jesus, and think, “OK, so we had murder. Now we add anger, insults and saying the word “fool.” Jesus took the 6th command given from God to the people of Israel through Moses and has multiplied it!
This is literally what we do! I know of people who consider “fool” a cuss word essentially because Jesus says we shouldn’t say it here.
But Jesus Himself says it! In Matthew 23:17, Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees we were introduced to last week FOOLS!
Well does Jesus blatantly contradict himself?
Of course not.
Jesus clearly isnt’ trying to add more laws to what already existed. He is doing something far more intense!
3. Jesus is teaching proper interpretation
3. Jesus is teaching proper interpretation
When we sit down to study the Bible, we are first looking for ORIGINAL MEANING! And guess what? There’s only one! There is a particular meaning for the original audience that we need to know before we ever start thinking about what the text means for us.
That’s the same as it was for the Jews in the first century. Jesus was a Jew in the first century. The Jews knew the Hebrew Bible well (What is that acronym we learned last week for the Hebrew Bible?)TANAKH. God had spoken through the prophets of old, they had this great collection of writings that were inspired by God, but they were reading it wrong! They hitched their beliefs to the wrong meaning.
And it’s interesting what Jesus didn’t say. Jesus didn’t come to earth and say “Well, if you read that and it speaks to you that way, then that’s good. You work hard to keep all those laws. But I read it a little differently.” Instead, Jesus jumps right in to help them see that they have been INTERPRETING God’s word Improperly.
The Jews knew their Scriptures well, but they lacked understanding! They could quote most of the commands God gave, but they missed the point that these commands were not meant to be read as rules of conduct. Jesus shows that they were supposed to reveal the character of God and in turn the principles of the Kingdom. That’s the point!
So, what did Jesus show them here?
4. Sin is a heart issue.
4. Sin is a heart issue.
Jesus brings up two of the ten commandments: Murder and adultery. And he helps his disciples see that sin is not what they thought!
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.
But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
You see, many thought and still think that obedience to God is learning to control your actions. I am eat up with anger but I don’t murder. I am eat up with lust, but I don’t commit adultery. This is that Fireproof mentality!
You remember that movie? Kirk Cameron had a pornography problem so he threw his computer out the window or smashed it with a bat, or both, I can’t remember. I might have just given the cord to my wife to hide or something. But Kirk’s character did away with the device that caused him to indulge in pornography. But did that affect his desire for it at all? Did Kirk still have images in his mind? Would not having a computer improve the way he looked at women at work or anywhere he went?
NO!
His heart is wicked! That’s where his sin is! His sin is not in his hands or his eyes. Angry=emotion/heart “adultery with her in his heart.”
If you have been weighing your obedience to God by looking at the number of deeds you do or don’t do, you have an interpretation problem! You need to see that your sin lies in your mind and heart.
Next week, we will look at what our response should be...
Invitation....