Laying a Firm Foundation - Love & Hate [32 mb]

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This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. This message is based on Matthew 5:21-27.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We are involved in a series of sermons based on the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus and recorded by Matthew in chapters 5-7.

We have named this series, “Laying a Firm Foundation” because of the words that Jesus spoke in Matt. 7, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand….”

We are examining the sermon given by Jesus in order to learn what kinds of attitudes, character and actions are needed in order to build our lives on a solid foundation. So far in this series I have been saying that we need to learn these things in order to be better prepared for the storms of life. However, with today’s lesson, I believe we will see that learning these lessons not only helps us prepare for the storms of life, but if we don’t learn these lessons, that may even cause severe storms to come into our lives.

Starting with today’s topic and continuing through the next several topics, Jesus seems to be confirming the truth of the previous lesson; i.e. He didn’t come to destroy the law, but to complete it or fulfill it. You will notice with the next several paragraphs, Jesus starts off each one by saying, “You have heard that it was said by them of old time” – Or, “by them of ancient times.” He is probably speaking about those Rabbis and teachers of the law that gave traditional interpretations along with their man-made additions and explanations.

It seems very unlikely that Jesus was contrasting His teaching against Moses, for that would go against what he had just said in the previous paragraph about not coming to destroy the law. More than likely these are references to the common interpretations as understood by the Rabbis and teachers of the Law. However, Jesus is expanding the meanings and showing the genuine intent and purpose of the commands. After all, being the Second Person of the Trinity, He was the One who gave the law to begin with.

Our topic today is based on verses 21-26 and concerns the matter of relationships with our fellowman.

With the help of God’s Spirit, I want to discuss three important principles that spring from this lesson in Jesus’ sermon.

I.    Murder is an assault on the image of God.

We can tell by the way that this verse begins that it is based on the Sixth Commandment from the Law: “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”

Many of you were here last year when I did a series of messages on the Ten Commandments. If you recall, when we talked about the Sixth Commandment, we emphasized the point that murder is so evil because it is an attack against a creature that has been created in the image of God. Human beings are the only creatures in God’s entire universe that are defined as being created in God’s image. It is that image of God that gives human life more value over and above any other creature in the world. So, to attack and murder another human being is, in a sense, equivalent to attacking God Himself.

Now, I admit that Jesus did not mention the image of God in this passage, but I am doing so because of the obvious connection to the Ten Commandments and the reasoning God used back in the OT when He originally gave the command, “Do not kill.”

I will be enlarging on this in a moment, but it seems to me that when Jesus starts out this paragraph by making a reference to the commandment, “Do not kill,” He is re-establishing the all-important principle that we are made in the image of God and that principle has implications for behaviors other than just murder.

II.   Anger (and Hatred) is the seed of murder.

A. Anger as a root of evil

After re-establishing the foundational principle of the sacredness of human life, Jesus moves on to further implications in the law.

“Whoever is angry …” – Jesus is now explaining that there is another principle that is at the root of murder and that principle is the seed of anger (or hatred).

We will discuss in a moment some of the expressions of anger that Jesus highlights, but it is important to understand that anger is the seed of hatred and murder as well as other outward expressions, and it must be addressed if one is to avoid the guilt and judgment that Jesus mentions. Anger against another human being must be understood as an attitude that is directed toward someone that is created in the image of God.

Now, I recognize that sometimes humans do things that are evil and wrong and contrary to the image of God that we all were meant to reflect in this life. And yet, this does not give any of us the right to deny another person the value attached to God’s image with which they were created.

“… without cause….” – This phrase does not appear in the oldest manuscripts. Therefore, many Bible scholars believe that it was a marginal note made by some scribe that eventually made its way into the text. Yet we do need to acknowledge that anger in itself is not always wrong. Jesus was described in various places in the Gospels as having anger and expressing anger. The Apostle Paul advised, “Be angry [but] do not sin.” So this phrase is a reminder that Jesus seems to be speaking about the kind of anger that is self-centered and retaliatory, rather than anger that is focused on the defense of God’s righteous character.

B. Expressions of anger and their consequences

1. The verbal expressions of anger

“Whoever says…” – with these words Jesus introduces two different degrees of verbal attack against another person that spring from internal anger.

Notice that Jesus first of all addresses the principle of anger and then He mentions the verbal expressions of anger. It is important to notice that inward attitudes and motivations are just as serious as outward actions and expressions of them. (This is a primary point in all these lessons about the law.)

“Raca” – (Adam Clarke) to be empty. It signifies a vain, empty, worthless fellow, shallow brains; a term of great contempt.

(IVP Bible Background Commentary) “Raca” is Aramaic for “empty-headed one….”

“Fool” – (A. Clarke) probably from a word meaning, to rebel, a rebel against God, apostate from all good. This term implied, among the Jews, the highest enormity, and most aggravated guilt, [i.e. apostasy].

(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown) Every age and every country has its modes of expressing such things; and no doubt our Lord seized on the current phraseology of unholy disrespect and contempt merely to … condemn the different degrees of such feeling when brought out in words, as he had immediately before condemned the feeling itself.

Dear friends, let me remind each of us on the authority of Jesus’ own words, it is a serious offense against the divine image of God to verbally attack another human being and call them derogatory names. Even when expressing anger over conduct that is evil, we must remain focused on the behavior and not attack the inherent worth of the person.

2. The consequences for anger and its expressions

As Jesus talks about anger and its consequences, He seems to indicate that there are not only varying degrees in the expression of it but in the consequences for it as well.

“…judgment; council; and hell fire…” – The literal meanings are:

Judgment – (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown) [A word used to describe] the lowest of Jewish tribunals. (Clarke) A senate composed of 23 magistrates whose business it was to judge in cases of murder and other capital crimes.

Council – The word used is the word for Sanhedrin. (Clarke) It was composed of 72 elders and received appeals from the lower senate, as well as tried cases of the highest crimes.

Hell fire – lit. “fire of Gehenna” which was a reference to the valley of the Sons of Hinnom; a valley outside Jerusalem where refuse was consumed by the fires that were often burning.

Some Bible scholars think that these three terms represent three different expressions for the same punishment or judgment. Others insist that they truly represent varying degrees of punishment. Most seem to agree that these terms really refer to future and divine judgments of God for the violations of this commandment. By describing these consequences, Jesus is vividly establishing God’s attitude toward murder and its predecessors that all violate His divine image that was implanted in every human being. 

III.   Reconciliation and Harmony is God’s Design.

The final principle we want to point out today is this:

God’s first and primary desire regarding anger and hatred is for people to be reconciled with one another and for relationships to be healed, rather than allowing anger to fester and develop into words and actions that are seriously destructive. By these examples that Jesus describes next, we can’t help but recognize that God’s heart is set on reconciliation and healing of relationships. Jesus demonstrates this principle by using two examples or illustrations – offering of a sacrifice, and charges pending in court.

Without taking the time to describe the intimate details of these analogies, let me simply summarize the conclusion drawn by Jesus.

In both cases, it is absolutely essential to reconcile with the offended party beforehand in order to receive God’s approval and acceptance or to avoid the consequences of judgment in the court. In both of these examples Jesus was undoubtedly using real life examples to express spiritual truths.

Sacrifice – Before anyone attempts to offer up to God any type of spiritual service as a sacrifice to the Lord, he / she must first of all become reconciled with anyone that has “ought against” me.

(Notice that this is not primarily talking about those whom I may have something against, but it is talking about the ones who have something against me. This places the burden upon me to seek them to be reconciled, rather than waiting for them to come to me.)

Agree with Adversary – Make every effort to come to an acceptable agreement with the one that is bringing charges against you before you get to the point of being forced to accept the judgment of the court.

Reconciliation and healing are very high in priority with God. He is not pleased with anger and bitterness or any broken relationships that might end up in the kind of expressions we have already discussed. It is not so important for me to demand my rights and insist on having my way. It is far more important to patch up relationships and demonstrate the kind of love for each other that God has demonstrated towards us. The seed of anger can and will develop into hatred or even murder, but God’s desire is that we receive His divine love and let it produce reconciliation and healing in our broken lives and broken relationships.

Conclusion:

What is the Holy Spirit bringing to your mind right now?

Who is the individual or individuals that you are thinking of right now?

Are there roots of bitterness and anger festering within your heart and your spirit?

Are there wounds that you are nursing and grudges that you are harboring?

Is there anyone that you know has anger or a grudge toward you?

These kinds of things will lead to serious violations of God’s design for how we treat one another.

The only solution is to confess it all to God and give it to Him, and then become reconciled with those against whom we may have harbored anger and bitterness.

 

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Laying a Firm Foundation - Law & Gospel [35 mb]

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This is the third sermon in a series of messages dealing with the Sermon on the Mount. This message is based on Matthew 5:17-20 in which Jesus states that He did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but came to fulfill them.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Jesus said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand…. (Matt. 7:24ff)

 We’re continuing our study of “these sayings” of Jesus in order to build our “house” on a foundation that is solid rock. The first sermon was a quick overview of all the beatitudes in verses 1-12. These are a list of attitudes or viewpoints on life that God blesses. These qualities represent “curses” in the thinking of the world, but they represent “blessings” in the eyes of God. Why? Because God views things from a completely different perspective than we do or the world does. These are attitudes that are necessary in order to have a life that can stand up in the midst of the storm, because they emphasize character qualities that are important in life.

The second message was concerning the privilege that God has given to each one of us to be salt and light in the world. We talked about the analogies that Jesus used to express our God-given mission in the world: to prevent spiritual/moral decay; to season our world with His character qualities; and to shine the light and dispel the darkness around us.

Today, we are resuming the study of this sermon to grasp more of the truth about what it means to lay a firm foundation for a life filled with storms. I want to read the verses that we will be discussing today…

Matthew 5:17-20 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ¹⁹Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

There are at least three principles that Jesus seems to be teaching in this paragraph.

I.    His life and ministry do not annul God’s previous revelation.

At the beginning of this chapter we noted that when Jesus went up on the mountain, His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them by giving this discourse. We mentioned that disciple means follower, learner, etc. It is kin to the word discipline which is required of anyone who desires to have his life molded and modeled after the Master Teacher. In this group of disciples, there undoubtedly were people who would identify with the popular religious groups of that day – Pharisees and Sadducees. No doubt some of these people were critically watching His life and listening to His words in order to see if He was promoting anything that was contrary to the writings of Moses and the prophets. They were skeptical about some of His motives and intentions about the OT Law by the way He was teaching and “bucking” the religious system of the day.

I think Jesus was addressing their concerns to affirm His respect and allegiance to the Law, but it wasn’t necessarily on their terms; it was on God’s terms. It was in a way to show them that their understanding wasn’t exactly the way God intended.

On the other hand, there were plenty of common folk who were perhaps not so familiar with Moses and the prophets. We get the impression from the Gospels that common folk were drawn to His ministry. It seems that they enjoyed the fact that Jesus irritated the religious rulers so much. There is a good possibility that they were on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Pharisees. They were feeling: “Yippee, here is a teacher that is breaking free from all the old traditions and the norms of the past. Now, we are free to be whatever we want to be and do whatever we want to do. And, I think Jesus is addressing their misconceptions as well.

“Don’t be celebrating and thinking that I’m advocating a ‘do-your-own-thing’ kind of philosophy.

“Law / Prophets” – euphemism that referred to OT Writings.

 “I didn’t come to destroy” – demolish, invalidate.

 “fulfill” – make full; make complete; bring to realization.

(Life Application Bible Commentary) The meaning for “fulfill” has been taken three ways: (1) to accomplish or obey the Old Testament laws; [e.g. Matt. 3:15 regarding his baptism.] (2) to bring out the full meaning of the law and prophecy, showing how Christ is the fulfillment of all to which they pointed; (3) to bring the Old Testament law and promises to their destined end or intended completion. [I personally believe it can include all three.] Jesus fills to fullness; he completes and transcends the law. The Old Testament law is not rescinded but now must be reinterpreted and reapplied in light of Jesus. God does not change his mind. He did not send his Son to repeal, abolish, or annul what he had told his people previously.

And so we emphasize that Jesus’ life and ministry do not, cannot, and will not annul God’s earlier revelation in the Old Testament. Granted, He did contradict many of their own laws and interpretations of the Law of Moses. He definitely went against their traditions, and that upset most of the religious ruling authorities. However, we must never forget that Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word of God. He is God-speaking-in-the-flesh. Jesus can no more deny, destroy or contradict the OT Word than He can deny being Himself.

II.    God’s Word (truth) is fixed and permanent.

The next principle Jesus is emphasizing here is the fact that God’s Word is eternally fixed and permanent.

Jesus’ words may have some relation to this OT passage:

Ps. 102:25-27 “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. ²⁶ They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: ²⁷ But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

God’s Word is permanent, because God is permanent.

Jesus affirms: “Not only did I not come to destroy or annul the Word of God, but it cannot be destroyed or annulled by anyone.”

People have tried ever since the beginning of time to override and overrule the commands of God. They have violated them with impunity. Yet, God’s commandments and God’s Word is still standing today. People have boasted about breaking God’s commandments, but in the end, they are the ones who end up broken and ruined and destroyed; not God or His Word.

III.   Respect for and obedience to God’s Word is indispensable.

Rabbis often debated the differences between greater and lesser commandments. In their religious and theological debates, they would allow for the least commands to be ignored or disobeyed, but the greater commands must be precisely and diligently followed.

Jesus apparently uses their own technique against them in order to emphasize that all are important.

The Apostle James writes, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

v. 19 “Therefore” – in light of the previous statements, we must understand that:

A. Anyone who promotes by example or instruction the idea that any of God’s laws can be reduced to a place of dishonor and thus ignored, will also be viewed in the same way in the perception of God’s kingdom.

B. Anyone who promotes by example or instruction the idea that all of God’s laws are sacred and must be obeyed will be viewed in the same way according the perceptions in God’s kingdom.

It seems to go completely against the whole message that Jesus is trying to give to assume that He is saying you can promote disobedience to God’s law and still be a part of the kingdom of God, but you’re just at the bottom end of the “spiritual ladder.”

I believe that He is emphasizing the fact that “being called least in the kingdom of God” actually means, “In the vocabulary and perspective of God’s kingdom, anyone who teaches others to disobey God’s law is just as low and shameful as the philosophy they are advocating.”

C. Everyone who wants to live up to the standard of God’s law must rise above the letter and embrace the spirit of it.

Jesus teaches all of us, even religious zealots, that there is a lot more to the Word of God than mere outward conformity to its requirements.

 “exceed… scribes and Pharisees” – our observance or obedience must rise above the mere performance of duties and obligations. We must have a genuine love for God that seeks the intent and spirit of the Word.

I think Jesus is really emphasizing here what we often call the distinction between religion and relationship. It is not mere performance of rules and obligations that God is seeking. It is a love relationship between us and Him that draws us to seek and follow everything that we know pleases Him.

Conclusion:

Now, I haven’t mentioned this point since the beginning of the message today, but we are still talking about laying a solid spiritual foundation in our lives so we can withstand the storms that come our way in life.

What does all this emphasis on the Law and the Prophets have to do with laying a firm foundation?

It is essentially this…

In every life that is stable and solid there is a sense of a higher authority than myself; a higher authority that governs my life and to which I am accountable. My life is not my own, to simply run as I wish, according to all my impulses and desires. If I am merely living my life from day to day to satisfy whatever happens to be appealing to me today, then I will never develop a stability and a discipline that will guide me and hold me steady in the storms of life and physical, emotional, or spiritual attacks from Satan.

From the beginning of creation, God has steadily and progressively revealed His nature, His purposes and His redemptive actions to men of all ages. Every stage of revelation had its divine design and accomplished its intended purpose. Jesus did not negate any of the previous revelation; He brings it to fulfillment.

If we are to be a disciple of Jesus, we too must demonstrate a respect and dedication to the Word of God and be committed to let it and let Him change us. I believe that God wants us to first of all discover anew and afresh how Jesus Christ fulfills all the requirements of the law to provide our redemption and establish our relationship with the Father. I also believe that God wants us to submit to His divine authority over our lives and seek to live in a way that is pleasing to Him because we seek to honor His Word by obeying it. If we do this as a way of life, I know it will develop a solid foundation of faith in us that no storm can shake or destroy.

Our closing song today is a new hymn to me, but it has a very familiar tune, which we sing mostly as a Christmas Carol.

This hymn emphasizes God’s Word being spoken through Creation, through His people, through His Son, through the written word, and through His Spirit.

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Discerning the Lord's Body [25mb]

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This is a message given at Wayside Community Church on 1/29/12 during the worship service which included the sacrament of commuion.

Written Excerpts:

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 “²⁷Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ”

Introduction:

Simply by reading the words of the Apostle Paul in these three verses, one can begin to sense the seriousness of participating in the communion elements. Based on my years of ministry I have concluded that there are many people who have misinterpreted this passage by either taking its meaning too lightly, or by applying the message more severely than the Apostle intended.

There may be more that can be said about this passage in a future sermon, but for today I simply want to briefly discuss the mistreatment of the Lord’s table that this passage refers to, then I want to draw a couple of conclusions for our benefit and understanding today.

I.    Mistreatment of the Lord’s Supper

In reading the comments of various scholars on this chapter it seems that the Apostle is clearly and strongly denouncing the practices that had been taking place in the Corinthian congregation. He explicitly condemns them for their actions and attitudes surrounding the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

A. Divisions or schisms

In v. 18, Paul is again bringing up the problem of divisions among the believers, which he had addressed earlier in the letter. These various groups or cliques were pitted against each other or at least in competition with each other (“our version of grace is better than yours”). This attitude had carried over into all aspects of church life and the resulting conflicts were not expressing the basic attitudes of Christ at all.

B. Heresies

(Beacon Comm) The word is derived from a term stressing the idea of choosing between alternative. In biblical and church language the word usually means wrong choice, and hence a false doctrine.

C. Common meal

Adam Clarke stresses that the Corinthians had included the Lord’s Supper into a common meal similar to the Jewish Passover meal. In the process of eating these feasts together, the attitudes of division / schism and other similar qualities had also infected their behavior at the meal. Therefore, some were “pigging out” while others were still hungry. Every person or every clique was looking out for “#1” while others, especially the poor, were going hungry.

These practices were completely distorting the whole message implied with the observance of Communion, which was to emphasize the unselfish love of our Lord who gave up himself in order to provide for our salvation.

II.    Conclusions to draw from this lesson

A. Eating and drinking unworthily

(Clarke) To put … these words [within] the context, let the reader observe, that to eat and drink the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper unworthily, is to eat and drink as the Corinthians did…. and did not, in the whole institution, discern the Lord’s body and blood as a sacrificial offering for sin: and besides, in their celebration of it they acted in a way utterly unbecoming the gravity of a sacred ordinance.

The KJV and its use of the word, “unworthily,” is sometimes understood by some people as referring to those who partake and are not “worthy” to do so. In this view, many have taken the position “I am not worthy of Christ’s sacrifice, so I won’t partake of the communion emblems.” The newer translations of the passage use the words, “unworthy manner,” which more clearly ties in with the context and the abuses or mistreatment of the Lord’s Supper that the Apostle had just been describing.

B. Eating and drinking “damnation” or judgment

This word is better understood to mean condemnation. It is not referring to eternal judgment that is often associated with the word damnation. Verse 32 confirms this point in stressing that God’s momentary condemnation or judgment is for the purpose of steering us away from the future or eternal judgment.

C. Self-examination is strongly recommended

Certainly the Apostle is doing his part in pointing out to them the errors of their ways and urging them to make the needed adjustments. However, he is emphasizing the importance of every person taking a hard look at their own attitudes and behaviors to see if they are properly and reverently observing the Lord’s Supper.

In other letters written by the Apostle Paul there are references to the appropriate use of mutual accountability and edification between Christians. We are urged to meekly seek to restore and correct those who have gone astray. Yet, it is much better if one that is starting to go astray to “examine himself” and discover the discrepancy between his behavior and the conduct approved in God’s Word.

D. The goal is to properly “discern” the Lord’s body

The word “discern” means to distinguish or to make a judgment. It apparently emphasizes the lack of spiritual judgment on the part of the Corinthians to place the proper value on the emblems as the symbol of Christ’s body. Certainly, to carry on at the Lord’s Table like the Corinthians were doing was to woefully fail in observing the proper reverence and sacredness attached to the emblems as symbols of Christ’s suffering and sacrifice.

Paul was urging them to distinguish properly between something that represents the body and suffering of our Lord and any other meal that was simply for physical nourishment. Apparently, satisfying physical hunger was not the main focus of this meal or ordinance. They were to eat at home in order that they might properly focus on the appropriate sobriety during the celebration of Communion.

So, even today, we must never come to the Communion service with anything less than reverence and respect for the true meaning behind the bread and the wine (or juice) that we share in observance of Jesus’ suffering and death.

These emblems we will receive today and in every observance of Communion truly represent the horrible suffering and sacrifice of our Lord. They represent the painful tearing of his flesh and shedding of his blood. They reflect the ebbing away of His life at the hands of those who sought to appease the hatred of His accusers.

Certainly we ought to carefully examine our own motives and our own attitudes to make sure that we have accurately judged the sacredness of what we are doing. We ought to reinforce that accurate assessment by living our lives in obedience to His Word and His will.

Sanctity of Human Life 2012 [42mb]

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This is a message presented to the congregation of Wayside Community Church near Mercer PA on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2012. The speaker was Brian Beals, Executive Director of Pro Life of Mercer County.

Laying a Firm Foundation - Salt & Light [29 mb]

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Written Excerpts:

Matthew 5:13-16

Introduction:

A couple of Sundays ago I spoke to you about the wise man and the foolish man described at the end of Matthew 7. When Jesus gave this analogy, He stated that the wise man was like the one who hears and practices the sayings of Jesus, while the foolish man was like the one who hears Jesus’ sayings, but does not practice them.

When Jesus used the phrase, “these sayings of mine,” He was probably talking about the Sermon on the Mount that He was just finishing. So we have started a series of messages to take a closer look at the Sermon on the Mount and learn what Jesus was referring to when he said we must hear and practice His sayings in order to have a rock solid foundation.

We certainly do not want our lives to come crashing down when we face the storms of life, so let’s purpose to hear and follow the teachings of Jesus.

Last week we looked at the verses that are normally called the Beatitudes. I trust that each of us understands that in order to prepare a firm foundation for life, we must avoid the normal worldly way of looking at life and life’s circumstances and see them as God does. This will require a complete reshaping of our attitudes and outlook.

We can either have attitudes and a frame of mind like Christ, or we can have the attitudes of the world. With His descriptions of blessedness, Jesus shows us that we must not only view life differently than the rest of the world does, but we must live life differently as well.

Today we are going to move on to the next section in chapter five to discuss Jesus’ teaching about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As we think about His message, we want to remember that we must not only hear what He says, but we must practice what He says if we are going to have the kind of foundation that will hold up in the storms of life.

Proposition: In these verses of Scripture I find Two Profound Metaphors along with Two Potential Perils but One Prominent Outcome.

Transition: Let us take the next several minutes to examine these words of Jesus to gain insight and motivation for action.

I. Two Profound Metaphors

A. You are the salt of the earth.

Most Bible commentators define at least two characteristics of salt that are relevant to this metaphor Jesus implies.

1. Salt is a preserving agent.

In a literal sense, salt was used a lot before the days of refrigeration to keep meat and other foods from spoiling and help preserve them for future use.

Salt, in a figurative sense, should have a preserving effect on society against moral and spiritual decay and corruption.

2. Salt is a seasoning agent.

Not only was salt used to preserve food from decaying and spoiling, but salt is used to season or flavor food. Seasoning makes many foods more pleasing and palatable.

In that same way, Christians should be representing Jesus Christ and the Gospel in such a way to make people hungry to know Him.

 (JFB) "Salt operates internally." In other words, salt cannot do its work and accomplish any good unless it gets mixed into the meat/food it is expected to change. This implies that, in one sense of the word, salt must “lose its identity” in order to effectively accomplish its intended purpose. It must get out of the “salt-shaker” and into the decaying carcass in order to accomplish its preserving and seasoning action. As long as it remains inside the salt-shaker it will have no impact on the food it was intended to preserve and season.

At the same time, it must “retain its identity” in the sense that it must continue to possess the qualities of saltiness. It must be different from the carcass in order to change it.

B. You are the light of the world.

(JFB) "Light operates externally. " The opposite of what we said about salt. While salt must get mixed into the object it is to affect, light stands apart from the darkness.

Light dispels darkness.

Light exposes what is hidden or secret.

Light reveals or illuminates what is real and true.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Here it seems that He implies we are to be luminaries in the dark world, just the same as He would be if He were here today.

II. Two Potential Perils

A. If salt loses its savor…

(JFB) "The meaning is: If that Christianity on which the health of the world depends, does in any age, region, or individual, exist only in name, or if it contain not those saving elements for want of which the world languishes… "

“Wherewith shall it be salted?” – How shall the salting qualities be restored? (JFB)

If salt loses its ability to flavor or preserve, then it has essentially acquired the qualities of its surroundings and has no changing effect. It has no purpose or no use.

B. If light is hidden…

Although Jesus doesn’t present this point as a hypothetical possibility like He did when He said, “If salt loses its savor," yet the point seems to be the same.

A city that is on a hill, in a prominent place or position, cannot be hidden. People from miles around will be able to see the lights of that city and see the skyline of its buildings. It will be noticeable. He also declares, “You don’t take a light and place it under a basket or a bowl, but you put it up on a lamp stand to give light to everyone in the house.”

However, the implication is that IF someone would put the light under a basket, then the result would be unthinkable or undesirable – there will be no light for those in the house.

III. One Prominent Outcome

Glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus declares that when people purpose to let their lights shine in the dark world, it will result in them doing good works that others will be able to see. When they see these good works, they will glorify our Father in heaven.

The point here I think we need to realize is that when we obey and practice these words of Jesus, it is not for our own benefit or recognition. It is for the glory of God. 

An appropriate question one might ask himself would be, “Have my actions caused any others to glorify and honor God?”

Conclusion:

In closing I would like to raise some questions that I think each one of us should be asking ourselves.

Have any of my actions had any impact to slow or reverse the process of moral and spiritual decay in our society?

Have any of my actions had any impact to flavor or season my world and create a desire to know Christ?

Have any of my actions effectively penetrated the darkness and brought the light of truth to those around me?

Finally, I want to bring us back to the original connection with the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. Jesus said if we hear and obey his sayings, then we will be like the man who built his house on a rock solid foundation and was able to withstand the severe storm.

I truly believe there is nothing else that can have the same stabilizing effect on our own spiritual welfare like getting involved and standing up to make a difference in our world. There is nothing else that challenges us to grow more godly and more spiritual than attempting to have a positive influence on others. The more that we get involved in penetrating our darkened world with the light of truth and the salt of righteousness, the stronger we will become in our own spiritual lives.

If we don’t who will?

I want to conclude our service with a song that should be the prayer of our hearts. The title of the song is, "I Do Not Ask to Choose My Path." It may be better known by "make me a blessing today." Let this be our prayer as we sing it together.

 

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Laying a Firm Foundation - Beatitudes [42 mb]

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This is a sermon on the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 5:3-12

Introduction:

Last Sunday I spoke to you on the passage found in Matthew 7:24-27, which contains the story of the wise man and the foolish man. When Jesus introduced this analogy, He stated that the reason one house stood and the other one didn’t was due to the quality of the foundation. One built on the rock, the other built on the sand. He further described the differences between the builders by saying the wise man was like the person who both heard and practiced the sayings of Jesus, while the foolish man was like the person who heard Jesus’ sayings, but did not practice them or live according to them.

I mentioned last week that some Bible scholars believe that when Jesus used the phrase, “these sayings of mine,” He was specifically talking about the entire Sermon on the Mount that He was just concluding.

The more I have prayed about God’s direction for today’s message, the more I was convinced we should review “these sayings of Jesus” that He says we should hear and do in order to “build our lives on a foundation that is rock solid.” So, for today and over the next several weeks we are going to be looking at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to examine Jesus’ words. We are going to do our best to not only listen to what He said, but we are going to practice what He said, so that we can be wise builders who have a foundation on the rock and can withstand the coming storms in life.

Before I move away from my introductory comments, I wanted to point out a few words that are found in verse 1: “…when He was seated His disciples came to Him.” I want to make sure we understand the significance of this statement. A Disciple of Jesus is one who seeks Him to learn of Him and imitate Him.

Some may argue that a person can be born again and believe in Jesus without demonstrating a passion to learn more about Him and to imitate Him by practicing His teachings. But, a true disciple of Christ will seek Him and learn all he can in order to put His teachings into practice. Let me challenge each one of us in this church to earnestly seek to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our topic for today is what is very commonly known as: “The Beatitudes.”

The word, “beatitude,” is not a biblical word, but is a word that scholars have used to describe the eight “blessed(s)” that appear in our text. It is believed that the word comes from a similar Latin term that was used to refer to condition of blessedness.

On the other hand, let’s consider the word that does appear in the Bible and is used by Jesus – the word, “blessed.”

“Blessed” – μακάριος makarios; fem. makaria, neut. makarion, adj. form of (n.f.) makar, blessed one. Blessed, possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God…. Makarios differs from the word “happy” in that the person is happy who has good luck (from the root hap meaning luck as a favorable circumstance). To be makarios, blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)

According to these descriptions, it would appear that being blessed is the opposite of being “cursed.”

In these eight qualities or conditions of blessedness, described in our scripture, it seems that Jesus is purposely and directly contradicting the usual understanding of these terms in the worldly viewpoint. In other words, each condition that Jesus describes as a state of blessedness or favor of God, we would normally think of as a condition of being cursed.

With His descriptions of blessedness, Jesus shows us that we must not only view life differently than the rest of the world does, but we must live life differently as well. Let us now briefly define and describe the conditions of blessedness named by the Lord.

1. Poor in Spirit

This phrase, most scholars believe, is a reference to humility; i.e., sensing one’s utter poverty apart from God’s grace; nothing to boast of in self. The unbeliever often views humility as a weakness and therefore a curse. It is supposed that this trait is the opposite of what one must demonstrate to be successful and get ahead.

However, Jesus says the humble person is blessed rather than cursed. And, he declares that this person, rather than missing out on success will actually be rewarded by attaining the Kingdom of Heaven.

Humility is a trait that is heralded in many places throughout the Bible. One of the passages that has stuck with me the most is the verse in James 4:6, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

If you want to build your life on a solid foundation, learn humility and practice it.

2. They that Mourn

“mourn” – to lament or grieve.

(Clarke) “…those who, feeling their spiritual poverty ["poor in spirit"], mourn after God, lamenting the iniquity that separated them from the fountain of blessedness…”

It would appear that Jesus may have had the general meaning in mind as well. That is, those who experience those seasons of sorrow and grief due to the various adversities in life. General opinion would look at grief and sorrow as a curse; a sign of God’s disfavor. But, our Lord says that it is only in our grief that we have the blessing of experiencing the comfort of our God.

“comforted” – From the compound word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit (Comforter), i.e. one called alongside to aid.

(Clarke) He will call them to himself, and speak the words of pardon, peace, and life eternal, to their hearts.

If you want to build your life on a solid foundation, you must start with a genuine sorrow over the sin that has separated you from God. Accept the comfort that He offers through forgiveness and the canceling of your record. Then, as you walk life’s road through the valleys of sorrow, allow Him to call you to Himself for comfort, peace and strength, rather than slipping into the ditch of self-pity and bitterness.

3. The Meek

Those who possess a quiet, gentle spirit. (Clarke)

Someone described meekness as an inward strength to be mild, quiet and gentle. (Unknown) It is somewhat related to the trait of humility. It is commonly assumed that when someone demonstrates meekness it is because he cannot help himself, i.e. he is weak. However, the Lord was truly meek, yet He had all the resources of His Heavenly Father at His command.

A phrase that has been repeated often is this, “If you think being ‘meek’ is ‘weak,’ then try being meek for a week." It seems to me that this word is describing the person that has the fortitude and strength to quietly trust God to resolve unpleasant situations rather than rising up and demanding his or her rights and better treatment.

Again, if we simply view this as another example of people who seem be cursed, but are actually blessed, then the least we can say is that the meek person will receive the exact reward that non-believers would expect to be given to the one who is demanding, forceful and aggressive.

4. Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness

These words describe a craving or appetite for something. Our bodies let us know when they are hungry or thirsty for physical nourishment. There is nothing that can satisfy that need until we are fed. Those who spiritually crave the qualities of God-likeness, will be filled by the Spirit.

 If you want to be strong enough to stand the violent storms of life, then you must let God develop in you a hunger and thirst for His righteousness, His character, and His presence.

5. The Merciful

Those who are compassionate and benevolent in thought and actions. (Complete Word Study Dictionary)

This quality is exactly opposite of being judgmental and condemning. Jesus said those who judge will be judged. Here He is describing the opposite condition. Those who have the disposition to demonstrate mercy will themselves receive mercy.

Showing mercy or having the character trait of mercy in one’s heart does not mean we have to be gullible or condone evil. It simply means that we remember the God has extended mercy to us after we sinned against Him, and we extend that same attitude toward those who have sinned against us.

Possessing a heart of mercy will help you lay a solid foundation in your life.

6. The Pure in Heart

The word for “pure” here means clean, unsoiled, or unalloyed. It is specifically applied to the sphere of the heart which is the seat of the will and the affections. This is a person that has no “dirt” or competing affections to dilute or contaminate his/her love for God.

(Clarke) There is a stark contrast from the Pharisees who Jesus condemned for keeping the “outside of the cup and platter clean and spotless” but inwardly they were full of corruption.

They shall see God – (Clarke) This is a Hebraism, which signifies, possess God, enjoy his felicity: as seeing a thing, was used among the Hebrews for possessing it.

These people are especially blessed because they desire God and are satisfied with nothing else but God. All competing passions and devotions have been purified and cleansed. Having a pure heart is possible in this life. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience the purity of purpose and affection that God has for His children.
 

7. The Peacemakers

Some people are easily identified by their inclinations to start a fight! It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or who they are with, they always seem to find a way to start or escalate an argument or conflict. In stark contrast to these people, Jesus is saying God’s blessing rests on those who strive to mediate and settle disputes rather than instigate them.

People who instigate peace will be called children of God. Why? Because they are imitating their Heavenly Father.

8. The Persecuted

Finally, Jesus says those who are persecuted, reviled, and maligned are blessed – they are in a state of receiving God’s blessing.

For the worldly person, persecution surely represented God’s curse rather than blessing. The Pharisees and religious leaders who loved the praise of men, would surely think that persecution indicated they were cursed.

Jesus says those who endure the hateful, despising treatment of the world for the cause of Christ, will inherit a Kingdom that is not of this world. They will enjoy the rewards of another world that nothing in this world can compare to.

Anyone who wants to lay a solid foundation, must determine to keep on trusting Christ, and obeying Christ in spite of fierce opposition, knowing that we are not living for the benefits and blessings of this world, but we are living for the rewards of another world.

Conclusion:

These states of blessedness that Jesus describes here are qualities that we must not only learn about, but we must live by them and practice them.

But… as you have already figured out, they cannot be lived out successfully simply by our decision to do so. If we are going to have these qualities as a part of our daily lives, it will require a direct action of God’s Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. We can’t do it alone and in our own strength. Yet, we must submit to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. We must let Him have His way.

 

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A Fool and His House Are Soon Parted [23 mb]

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This is a sermon based on the story Jesus told about the wise man and the foolish man.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 7:24-27

Introduction: The Bible has a great deal to say about being wise and being foolish. The book of Proverbs speaks often about the attitudes, choices and conduct of the fool or the wise. In the scripture we have chosen for today we find a short analogy presented by Jesus regarding the wise man and the foolish man.

I want to take a little while to point out some observations about this story and discuss some lessons we need to learn from His analogy.

1. The storms came upon both the wise and the foolish.

“Storms” are a fact of life, figuratively speaking. One of the reasons why I felt prompted to consider this familiar text this Sunday is because I wanted to remind all of us that we will no doubt face many “storms” in this new year. It’s not a matter of if we face difficult situations, but when we do. Probably all of us here today can testify to the fact that we know we can count on adversity of some kind and severity every year.

We know from past experience that even when it seems like things are going well, we will sooner or later meet up with some kind of adversity that will test us severely. How many of you would testify today that you have endured some pretty harsh storms this past year that you really never thought you would have to endure? I am sure most of us can say that we have.

If you look at verses 25 and 27 you will notice that storm which came against the house of each man is described exactly the same. The wise man did not experience a less severe storm just because he was wise, and the foolish man did not experience a more severe storm just because he was foolish.

Life is full of unexpected trials, pressures and adversities. This happens to all of us, whether we are “good” or “bad.” I know what it is like to wonder why some good people go through so much suffering. We asked those same questions when my mother-in-law was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease. But suffering is part of our human life. Ever since sin entered the picture in the Garden of Eden, suffering and adversity has been a part of life.

Look at the description of the storm in these verses: Rains, floods, and winds. Any one of these would be bad enough in itself, but they come one upon the other. That is often how life is. Even though both houses endured the same conditions, one house stood and the other house fell. This reminds me of a comment given by another preacher many years ago, “The storms of life cannot destroy your house; they only reveal how well you have built.” (Rev. Ronald Mayhle)

In this case, it really wasn’t the storm that destroyed the foolish man’s house, because the other house endured the exact same storm and it didn’t fall. Instead, it was the faulty construction or inadequate preparation that caused the fall of the house.

2. Both of these men heard the words of Jesus.

(v. 24, v. 26) The wise man heard Jesus’ words and obeyed or followed through with action. The foolish man heard His words, but didn’t follow up with any action or obedience. It is foolish to think that merely listening to good truth is enough to prepare one for the adversities of life, and especially for eternity.

This world is full of people that have listened to the gospel and the truths of God’s Word, but have not acted upon what they have heard. I’ve met scores of people over the years of my ministry that have heard enough to know what they need to do in order to prepare for eternity and have a stable, consistent Christian walk. The problem with most of them is that, for whatever reason, they have not followed through on what they know they ought to do.

While we are talking about this, I might as well point out how much more foolish it is to expect to be prepared for the storms of life without putting forth the effort to even “hear” what the Lord has to say.

I am amazed at times when people wonder why they are not strong enough to hold up under reverses and adversity. Yet, when you take a look at their lives, you often can find no real commitment to put God first and to faithfully feed on His Word either through private study or through public preaching and teaching.

I don’t care who you are, if you are not hearing the Word and feeding on the Word, then you are not going to be ready when the storms hit.

3. It is foolish to expect a favorable outcome without the necessary preparation.

One man was called “wise,” and the other man was called “foolish.” Why?

There was only one difference noted between the two buildings – the foundation. One house was built on solid rock and the other house was built on shifting sand. One had a stable foundation, the other didn’t. The foolish man really is a fool because he expected his house to stand when he hadn’t adequately prepared and hadn’t paid the price for stability and strength that the other man did.

In this story, the differences in the foundations are compared to those who listen and do what Jesus says, versus those who merely listen but do nothing.

(Adam Clarke) Talking about Christ, his righteousness, merits, and atonement, while … not conform[ing] to his word and spirit, is no other than solemn self-deception.

“These sayings of mine” – probably a reference to the entire discourse He is concluding here which began in chapter 5.

Conclusion:

Who does the foolish man in this story represent? He represents those who care more about the outward appearance of a fine structure, than the deeper issues of strength and stability that can only be acquired by a proper foundation; the part that is not seen by the common observer.

He represents all of those who know enough gospel truth to recognize it, to discuss it, and to intellectually agree with it, but do not follow through with obedience nor adjust their priorities to live by it.

This fool represents all of those who know that life is full of unpredictable storms, but they haven’t attended to the most basic and fundamental preparation in order to survive the coming disasters.

Dear friends, here we stand on the doorstep or threshold of a new year. I am here to tell you that there will be storms this year. I am quite certain that we are going to see some storms on the national level that are worse than many of us have ever known. I am certain that some of us will individually face storms that are worse than we have ever known or experienced.

Are you prepared? How is your foundation? Are you really hearing the Word of the Lord? Are you obeying and heeding what He says? Are you bringing your life into alignment with what you understand Jesus to be saying as the Holy Spirit applies the truth to your life?

If you are not, then you are like the foolish man in this text. You will not survive the pressures, the storms and the adversities.

If you are, then you are compared to the wise man in this passage that has taken care to be prepared.

I think it would be appropriate for us to end this service today, on this first day of the new year, with a special prayer around the altar. You don’t have to come forward if you don’t want to, but if you desire to be more obedient to the Lord this year, then I ask you to join me here. If you desire God’s grace and help to enable you to adequately prepare your spiritual foundation so you can survive the storms of this year, then I ask you to join me here.

 

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