Matthew: The Compassionate King

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Matthew: The Compassionate King

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July 24, 2023 • The Gospel of Christ

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In Matthew 8:2 the Scripture says, “Behold a leper came to Him and worshiped Him saying, ‘Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean?’”
We're going to be looking at Matthew chapters 8 through 11 at Jesus, the compassionate king. Remember the gospel of Matthew is all about Jesus as the greatest king ever. We’re going to see His compassion in this section.
Get your Bible and be ready to study these chapters with us today.
What a marvelous request this leper makes of Jesus! He can you can imagine the scene. Lepers were ostracized by the Jewish community. No friends, no family, failing health, everything's bleak and grim, and yet this man approaches Jesus. He comes to Him the Bible says and worships Him. Here's his request, “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.” How did Jesus address this man? Did He say, ‘You're a leper. You know you're not supposed to be around anybody.’? Did He look down on him? Did He condemn the man? What did He do?
Notice Matthew chapter 8 the beautiful words of Jesus. The compassionate king in Matthew 8:3 the Scripture records, “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him saying, ‘I am willing. Be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
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Now this is a very unique setting and a unique scene on so many various levels. Lepers weren't supposed to come close to anybody. According the old law, they're to be banned from the community. And yet this man knows about Jesus. He's heard about His miracles. He knows who He is. He has the audacity to come to Jesus, fall down before Him, worship Him, ‘I know you can make me clean.’ Watch what Jesus does. He touches the man. Who's going to touch a leper? He touches the man. I'm not doing that. Are you?
He touches him. “I'm willing. Be cleansed.” What a wonderful compassionate story this is! This man, who has this physical predicament that nobody can deal, with who's ostracized by everybody, who's exiled and banished to a life about isolation- Jesus makes him completely clean. He's now like everybody else. Can you imagine how that, just even physically, affected the man?
As we think about Jesus, the master healer, Matthew 8:1-4, can't we see even a more spiritual application of this? You know this leprosy this disease that this man has is a lot like the sickness of sin. Sin causes us to be separated from God. Does it not? Isaiah 59:1-2, “The Lord's ear's not heavy that He cannot hear. His arm's not shortened that He cannot save, but your sins and your iniquities have separated you from your God.” Just like this man's physical disease, let's realize that sin is the ultimate and great spiritual disease. It's destructive. “The way of the transgressor is hard,” Proverbs 13:15. Sin, like multiple kinds of leprosy, itself which many times would lead to death, sin is a deadly disease. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” John 8:24 Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I'm He, you'll surely die in your sins.”
Friend just like in the day of Jesus, leprosy was incurable by man. Sin is the sickness spiritually that man cannot cure. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” 1 John 2:1-2 “He is the propitiation for our sins, not for ours alone for the sins of the whole world.” This man, after He'd offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Only God and only Christ can heal the sin problem.
Let's realize sin, like leprosy, as we mentioned causes a great separation. Under the Old Testament the leper wasn't to be around
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anybody in the camp of Israel or any Israelite. Sin separates me from my God and the blessings and the benefits of God. As we said Isaiah 59:1-2, “Sin separates a man from God.” And so here, we picture sin as the great disease. Just like with this leper, right here, what a compassionate Savior! The man comes to Jesus, and listen to His language. You can hear the desire in his life, ‘If you're willing, you can make the clean.’ Is Jesus willing to touch the man? Listen to this now, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” If sin is the great disease, friend we've got to see Jesus as willing and desirous of cleansing every person's sin. That's God's ultimate desire, is it not?
The Bible says “God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:4. The Bible says, “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God wants all men everywhere to be saved, and Jesus went to the cross to make that possible. He, Himself bore our sins in His own body upon the tree that we having died to sin might live by whose stripes we are healed.” In this beautiful, compassionate picture of the leper, can we not see ourselves in sin? Can we not see Jesus as the master healer? Not only of leprosy, but ultimately of the sin that has struck the whole world by our own desire, Romans 3:23.
Now in Matthew chapter 8 we also direct our attention to the humility and the faith that a centurion possessed who Jesus now encounters. Look at Matthew chapter 8. I want you to notice verses 8 through 12. The Bible records these words, “The centurion answered and said ‘Lord I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’” Jesus speaks the word. Same hour his servant is healed. But what Jesus identifies about this man is his great faith. Hey my servant, he's paralytic. He's home sick. I'm not worthy for you come under my roof. If you'll just say the word, that will suffice. Look at his humility and look at its faith his faith. The Bible says ‘Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Who exalts himself will be humbled,” Luke 14:11. “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He'll exalt you in due time,” 1 Peter 5:6 and James 4:10.
We need this type of humility and faith. Whatever God says, whatever He tells me to do, whatever He commands me- I am more than willing to trust and to follow the Lord and Savior.
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Now here's another powerful and practical lesson from the gospel of Matthew. Here we have an account in Matthew chapter 8 of a great healing that Jesus is going to do on Peter's mother-in-law, and watch what she does in Matthew 8:15. The Bible says verse number 14, ‘When Jesus had come to Peter's house, and he saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand and the fever left her,” watch this, “and she arose and served them.”
The practical lesson that we especially want to highlight here is this: Christians are healed to serve. We're saved to serve others. When I obey the gospel and my sins are forgiven and I become up a new creation in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17, when I arise out of the waters of baptism to walk in newness of life, I come out of that a new creature and especially the sense that my life is different now. I've been saved and healed from the sin problem to serve others. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are His.” I want to do my best in this life to serve others. Mark 10:45 “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve to give His life a ransom for many.” I am to be faithful unto death and especially as I strive to serve others in the community and in the world in which I live.
Now another powerful lesson that we learn from Matthew chapters 8 through 11 is that our Lord indeed does have the power to forgive sins. Look at Matthew chapter 9. I want you to especially notice verses 1 through 6 with me. The Bible says, “So Jesus got into a boat crossed over and came to His own city. Then behold they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith,” that's the faith of the friends of the paralytic, “He said to the paralytic, ‘Son be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you.’ And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, ‘this man blasphemes,’ but Jesus knowing their thoughts said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? Which is easier to say your sins are forgiven you or to say arise and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.’ He said to the paralytic, ‘Arise. Take up your bed and go to your house.’”
Friend how encouraging it is from this lesson to realize our Lord has the power and the ability to forgive sins! I need to know that. You need to
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know that. Every person in the world of an accountable age needs to know that. ‘All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is none righteous no not one,’ Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23.
As we think about Christ, as we think about His life as we think about some of the great statements that He makes, let's realize His authority and His power demands He has the ability to forgive my sins and to forgive yours. Matthew 26:28 Jesus, as He instituted the Lord's Supper the Bible says, He took that fruit of the vine and He said this to His disciples, “This is my blood of the new covenant shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” You see without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, Hebrews 9:22. “The blood of bulls and goats can never really take away sin,” Hebrews 10:3-4. When Jesus says those powerful words “This is my blood of the new covenant for the forgiveness of sins,” how wonderfully encouraging it is to know if when I obey the gospel, everything I've done that is contrary to the will of God has been completely removed. Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission removal of sin.” God said, “I'll be merciful to their sins. Their lawless deeds I'll remember no more,” Hebrews 8:12-13.
When I obey the gospel, Jesus has the power, the authority to wipe the slate clean. I get a fresh start. Everything I've done that's contrary to the will of God is now removed, and I can have a do over in this life.
As we think about some of the great lessons from Jesus’ life in Matthew's Matthew chapter 8 through 11, we also learn in Matthew chapter 9 especially verses 27 through 31 that Jesus also has the ability, as He did in this example, to open people's eyes.
Look at Matthew 9:27. The Bible records these words, “When Jesus departed from there two blind men followed Him crying out and saying, ‘Son of David have mercy on us!’ When He had come into the house the blind men came to Him and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I'm able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes saying, ‘According to your faith, let it be to you.’ Their eyes were opened, and Jesus sternly warned them saying, ‘See that no one knows it.’ But when they departed they spread the news about Him in all that country.”
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Now no doubt these men are so excited. They had been blind, now they can see. The miraculous power of Jesus heals them with just a touch, and their eyes are opened. Friend from a spiritual standpoint, hasn't Jesus opened our eyes spiritually speaking?
Classic example is that of the prodigal son. The father gives him his inheritance. He goes out into that far country. He lives it up. Everybody's his friend, until one day he wakes up broke and in the pigpen. And the Bible records in Luke 15 that that man finally came to his senses. He came to himself, and he said ‘My father's hired servant has it better than me. I'm going to go back to my father. I'm going to say father I'm no longer worthy be a son, make me a servant.’ Here's the father with open arms waiting on him. That man's eyes were finally opened. He finally saw what he needed to see.
And friend like these two blind men, every child of God who has turned from sin and to God- eyes have been opened. They now look at life differently. They now have a different priority. They now are looking up. ‘If then you were raised with Christ seek those things which are above,’ Colossians 3:1. They're now seeking new goals and have a new vision in this life. “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Our eyes are opened. We now see the world differently. We're looking at it no longer through a worldly lens but through the lens of the spiritual things that we have in this life, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now we mention one last thing in Matthew chapter 9 that really stands out from the teaching of Jesus, and it is the dire need that Jesus expresses to speak and to teach the gospel.
Jesus is a here again seen for His compassion. Matthew 9:36-37 says this about the compassionate King, the Bible records, “But when he saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of hosts that He will send out laborers into His harvest.’”
See the compassion of Christ? This multitude, what are they like? They're like sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherd. Jesus looks on
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with compassion. That means He had love for them in His heart. And He said to His disciples and gave them in essence, but the commission though the great work to do ‘harvest is plentiful laborers are few. Pray the Lord of hosts will send out laborers into His vineyard or His harvest.’ Friend the world, the lost people in this world, are that harvest. Like Christ we ought to have compassion on them, and we are the laborers who ought to be taking the gospel to the world. Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which is lost.” Matthew 28:18 Jesus said to His followers, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel unto it.”
We have that great charge and motivated by the same compassion Jesus had. We ought to look at the world with great love in our hearts hoping and praying they will obey the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We now turn our attention to Matthew chapter 10, and we will briefly mention some things from Matthew 10 and 11 that also show us the great compassion and love that Jesus had for His followers.
In Matthew 10 both in verse 22 and in verse 28 Jesus teaches us what's necessary to be saved. Jesus says these words, “He who endures to the end will be saved.” What's it take? What does the Lord tell us you got to do be saved to ultimately make it to that beautiful place called heaven?
Don't ever give up! Endure, stay steadfast, be immovable, hang in there, and never give up. Be persistent is the idea. Jesus said over and over again in the Scripture. We're taught that we do have the command and the power to do that. “Be faithful unto death,” Jesus said, “I'll give you the crown of life.” I have the ability to choose who I'm going to serve, Joshua 24:15. If I remain faithful unto death, the Bible says I will receive one day the crown of life.
Now Jesus also taught us that a big part of being faithful to Him means that we're willing to live up to and really live up to the great confession that each of us have ascribed to in this life.
The Bible says in Matthew 10, Jesus speaking in verse 32 and 33, Jesus says these words to every one of His followers. The Lord said, “Therefore whoever confesses me before men him I will also confess
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before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men him I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
What's it going to take to really follow Christ? I'm going to have to confess Him, and friend I understand initially this applies to obedience to the gospel- hearing the word of God, believing in Jesus, confessing Him as Savior, repenting of sin, and no doubt obeying His command to be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sin. The idea of confessing Christ isn't just tied to a one time confession with the mouth. It is a confession daily. It is a daily desire to follow Jesus.
Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “If any man desires come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” I've got to every day strive to do my best to live faithful unto the Lord and never ever give up on the preaching of the gospel and the teaching of His word. In fact in Matthew 11:1-19 that's exactly what we see. We are introduced to one of those powerful gospel preachers. We are reminded of one the most powerful gospel preachers of all the world, John the baptizer. This man, he, wasn't a reed shaken by the wind. He was and he had a backbone, and he had a spine. Jesus said, ‘Of men born of woman, none is greater than John the Emerser.’
What made John so great? He stood for truth. He was a unique man. He wasn't like everybody else. He went against the grain in following God's will, and he even was ultimately going to give his life for the cause of Christ. He stood up in every way for the preaching of the gospel. How the world needs more men and women who will stand up, say what God needs to say, tell others about the truth of God's word, and be willing to teach that message!
You see the Bible says in 1 Peter 4:11, “If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.” We are to preach the word. ‘Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.’ We're to speak the whole counsel of God, Acts 20:27-28, just as our Lord did. We need to boldly proclaim the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15.
Friend we close our lesson today with one of the most beautiful of all invitations. Maybe you've heard a lot of great invitations to obey the gospel.
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You won't find one any better than this in all of Scripture. Listen to Matthew 11:28. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I'm a gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Think about how powerful that is! Jesus said, “Come unto me,” and here's the audience, “All you who labor and are heavy laden.” Who hasn't at one time felt the burden of sin, the labors and the toils, and the struggles of fighting Satan, fighting sin, and resisting it in their life?
You know the psalmist said in Psalm 38:4, “My sins are gone over my head like a heavy burden. They're too heavy for me to bear.”
Jesus says, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest.” The hope, the joy, the eternal rest, no more fighting of sin, no more struggles, no more pain, no more death, no more crying- there remains a rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4:7-9 that's the rest Jesus promises. ‘My yoke is easy. My burden is light. You will find rest for your soul.”
Friend don't you want to go to heaven more than anything?
Don't you want to live with God forever?
Can't you imagine how wonderful it's going to be in the presence of God, before the throne of God, and the throne of Christ for all eternity?
Don't you want that to be yours?
If so, accept the Lord's invitation. Obey the gospel of Christ, before it's too late. Do you do you really believe with all your heart that Jesus is the Savior of the world? John 8:24 Does that belief motivate you to change your life? Acts 3:19, ‘Repent and turn that your sins may be blotted out.’ Would you confess the name of Jesus before men? Romans 10:10. And as the apostle Paul was told, would you arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord?
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We hope and pray today that the great invitation of the Lord motivates you to obey the gospel, and follow Him every day of your life.
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Study Questions for: “Matthew: Lesson 4”
1. How does Jesus respond to the leper in Matthew 8:3?
2. What separates us from God according to Isaiah 59:1-2?
3. What are the wages of sin according to Romans 6:23?
4. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, what was Christ on our behalf?
5. Who is the propitiation for our sins according to 1 John 2:1-2?
6. According to 1 Timothy 2:4, what does God want?
7. What does 1 Peter 5:6 and James 4:10 say about being humble?
8. What did Jesus come to do according to Mark 10:45?
9. According to Acts 2:38, how are our sins removed?
10. According to Matthew 9:36-37, why did Jesus have compassion for them?

Matthew: The Birth of the King

July 24, 2023 • The Gospel of Christ

The Scripture says “And she will bring forth a son and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,” Matthew 1:21. Welcome to our study of the gospel of Matthew. In our New Testament series, Matthew begins by showing us about the Majesty and the power of Jesus the King of Kings. Get your Bible handy and study as we think about this wonderful start to the New Testament. We begin the gospel of Matthew with the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ. We want to set Matthew in its proper place in the New Testament to help us understand it a little better. (The full transcript is available in the "Download Document" button above.)

Matthew: How to Overcome Temptation

July 24, 2023 • The Gospel of Christ

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you Satan! For it is written ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve,’” Matthew 4:10. Welcome you to our study of the gospel of Matthew. We're going to be thinking about how to overcome temptation from the greatest example ever: the temptation of our Lord. Get your Bible and turn to Matthew 4 as we study this wonderful subject together. As we think about temptation, and as we specifically think about the temptation of our Lord, let's realize from the outset temptation is a reality that all of us face every day. (The full transcript is available in the "Download Document" button above.)

Matthew: The Greatest Sermon Ever

July 24, 2023 • The Gospel of Christ

Today we have the privilege of studying the greatest sermon ever preached. The sermon is not by men, nor is the content from men. We're studying today about the great Sermon on the Mount delivered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Matthew 5 through 7. Get your Bible as we think about this powerful message together. The Sermon on the Mount has been heralded as one of the greatest teachings of how to live for Christ ever delivered naturally given by the master teacher Himself, Jesus Christ. This sermon is all about the qualities, the characteristics, and the lifestyle that a follower of Christ ought to have. It takes a person from the beginning of faith, to a faith that is ready to stand the test of time, and ultimately give its life for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We begin by noting the characteristics of someone who's going to be a part of Christ’s kingdom. I believe these have been aptly described as kingdom characteristics. What's the character of someone who's going to be in the kingdom of Christ like? The Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12 beautifully described that character. You have, first of all, the beginning of faith in Matthew 5:3-5. Listen to these beautiful words Jesus says in Matthew 5:3. “Blessed are the 2 poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.” You have those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are meek. If I'm going to come to Christ, I've got to realize spiritually my own poverty. When we read ‘blessed are the poor in spirit,’ it’s about realizing without Christ our own spiritual of the lack of ability to save ourselves our own our own inability to really do anything spiritually. Being poor in spirit means I realize I am dependent upon Christ for my needs spiritually. “Blessed are those who mourn.” Once I realized my own spiritual poverty, then I've got to be willing to mourn. “Blessed are those who mourn.” Are we talking about that Christians go around with the gloomy look at or sad all the time? No, that's not the idea. But, we're sorrowful for sin. We mourn. We lament, and we weep over sin. It brings us to a point where we're ready to change our lives. Then once we realized our own spiritual poverty, once we're ready to do mourn over and repent and change our lives about sin, ‘blessed are the meek. They shall inherit the earth.’ The idea of inheriting the earth found all way back to the Psalms is to inherit the blessings of God- given to His people is the idea. To do that, I've got to be meek. I've got to be humble. I've got a be submissive, and I've got a be willing to submit my life unto God's hand so that He can truly make me what He wants me to be. Then as that faith begins, we see faith grow. Matthew 5:6 Jesus says these words, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Once I come to my senses to realize I need God. I need to rid my life of sin. I need to be humble and submit to His will. I've got to make it an aim to learn more about God and grow in Him. “Blessed,” listen to these words, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst.” There's that in insatiable desire to grow spiritually and to be what God wants me to be. As a Christian you never stop growing. Peter would say ‘Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ That faith that is growing is ultimately going to be perfected in the Beatitudes as well. Look at Matthew 5:7. The Scripture says “Blessed are the merciful they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” We have now changing our character to mercy, to peacemakers, that to being sons of 3 God, to being the type of people who want to do good unto others, who love God, and love others as the Scripture teaches. People whose lives are filled with mercy, who want to bring the peace of God, to others, and that that faith is now being perfected through the trials and the things that Christians go through every day. Then of course once that faith is started, begins to grow, it is being perfected. You can be sure that faith is also going be tried. Listen to Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Every child of God who's trying to grow, who's trying to submit to God's will, and who's trying to really make his life what God wants it to be is at times going to face persecution. How do we look at that? “Blessed are those who are persecuted.” Hey, they did it to the prophets before you. It's going to happen. Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:12 “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” When with we realize persecution is happening and what's going on- remember God said it was going to happen. Remember that we are working toward and being prepared and perfected to handle that and with God's help. Listen to Philippians 4:13. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” As the child of God, we have everything we need to be what God wants us to be. Matthew 5:13-16 we see the Christians example. We've seen the Christian characteristic, what we're to have the traits I'm to have in the kingdom. Now we’ll also want to emphasize the example that the Christian is going to be to those in the world. Listen to Matthew 5:13-16. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It's then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You're the light of the world. A city that's set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light 4 to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” As we think about the Christian example two really vivid illustrations are used in and you can see these in your life as I can in mine. When's the last time you ate something that was really, really bland? I'm talking about didn't have any seasoning, didn't taste very good, tasted flat and bland, and you thought, you know, ‘where is the salt?’ That'd be probably one of your first thoughts. Well when we cook we want to put salt in it. It really enhances the flavor. It brings it out. It's a preservative. Everything needs a little bit of salt, and thus Christians are the salt of the world. They bring, they enhance it. They bring flavor. They ought it ought to be attractive. It ought to make want people want to see what Christianity is all about. Then second, rather vivid illustrations, “You,” Jesus said, “are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill,” Jesus says, “can be seen by everybody.” You know you imagine this illustration now, you think about the irony of this- nobody lights a lamp and puts a basket on top. What good would it do to turn on a flashlight and put a cup over the top of it? Well that'd be crazy! Nobody'd do that! ‘You're the light of the world.’ Jesus point is, ‘Let your light shine. Don't put it out. Don't put anything over the top of it.’ Be encouraged to be a Christian, and shine your light for Jesus Christ. Thus this is why He will say in that memorable verse, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” We see first of all the Christians traits- his qualities, his characteristics. We then see the Christian example. We direct our attention to Matthew chapter 5, the conclusion of that chapter, verses 17 through 48, where we see the Christians righteousness. The Bible identifies that that righteousness ought to be exemplified in our life. We want we want to show an example of how to live the right life. He'll mention the following things: we've got Christians righteousness and anger. We're no longer going to have the idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth- rather we love our enemies. We do well to those who are in need. We've got righteousness and self-control. 5 You’ve heard of old it was said, ‘thou shall not commit adultery.’ Jesus says, ‘but I say to you whoever looks at a woman in essence is already committed adultery with her.’ We've got the ideas of controlling ourselves, ‘control your anger, control your desires,’ Jesus will say. There are teachings about the Christians righteousness and divorce. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:31-32. Jesus said, “Furthermore it is been said whoever divorces his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality fornication causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.” Christians are to maintain a godly marriage. God intended according to Genesis 2:24, “For this reason man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two shall become one flesh.” God intended for one man and one woman to be married for life. That's God's original plan, and Christian marriages ought to exemplify that. Jesus identifies our righteousness as it relates to our speech and the making oaths that people can't keep. You know the Jews were great about making these promises. They'd swear by the temple. They'd swear by the number of hairs on their head. Jesus said in essence, ‘cut out the swearing and just let your yes be yes and your no be no.’ We're not living under the age of retaliation. I'm not going to go looking to knock somebody's tooth out if they knock mine out, or punch somebody in the eye or eye for an eye. No, that's not the way we live. “Love your enemies,” Jesus will say in Matthew 5:43-48, “Do good to them. Pray for them those who curse you and spitefully use you.” Jesus will say, “Love your enemies. Be perfect complete as your Father in heaven is also complete.” The Christians righteousness is identified and contrasted with many of the commands of the old covenant and even brought to a higher plain a newer and greater level in Christianity. Now in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is now at going to identify the Christian sincerity and to show how we're to be sincere in what we believe and what we teach. We have sincerity in our giving. In Matthew chapter 6 you've got, you know, the idea of these people doing their charitable deeds. They want to do their charitable deeds to be seen by men. Jesus said what we're not to do charitable needs to be seen by others. We give to God, and 6 God knows the good that we've done. You've got sincerity in praying. You know the Jesus contrast the Christian's prayer life with that of the religious leaders of Jesus day. He said, you know, the religious that they want to stand on the street corner. They want to pray the long prayers to be heard by men. Jesus said, “You when you pray go in your inner closet on your inner room there pray to God who sees in secret, and he will ultimately hear and bless us.” It's not about ‘Hey look at me.’ This is the way the Jews were. ‘Look at me look, what I'm giving look, how I'm praying.’ Matthew 6:16-18, look at the great fasting that we've done, how we are denying ourselves. Their religion was a lot about them. Jesus over and over again in the New Testament will identify them “Hypocrites!” He'll say, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying Matthew 23, he will identify them in a very picturesque term.’ Jesus will say of the religious elite, ‘You're whitewashed wall, beautiful ornate on the outside- whitewashed tombs beautiful and ornate on the outside.’ Inside, Jesus will say, ‘you're full of dead men's bones.’ They look pretty. Everybody looked to look up to them and thought ‘Wow, look at these guys giving! Look at their look at their praying, look at their fasting. On the exterior they look like the perfect picture of what people think religion is all about. What about on the inside? Rot, filth and immorality, and ungodliness are what Jesus identified. Their hypocrisy did not at all please God. When we give, pray, make dedication and commitment to God, God's not concerned about me letting everybody else see that. That's not at all what it's about. My sincerity and my commitment are between me and God. It may be the case that sometimes people see you pray. It may be the case that people see us giving. That's not what it's about though. We're not doing our charitable deeds to be seen by men, we're doing those ultimately to please God and to make sure that we're giving and worshiping as God wants us to. Now the rest of the chapter, Matthew 6:19-34 we see the Christians priorities are here emphasized. We've got priorities and making sure where our treasure is. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where rust and moth destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” 7 There's priority number one. Where's your treasure at? What things are we really striving for in this life? What's our goal? What are we trying to achieve? Is heaven the ultimate priority of every Christian? We've got priorities in making sure that our vision is where it needs to be. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23. Jesus mentions these words “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Here's the point. If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? Where's our vision? What is the source of light this brought into our life and into our body? “Christ is the light of the world,” John 8:12. Are we letting Him light our path, Psalm 119:105? Are we letting Him be the light and the vision that we have in this life? Then he mentions another priority, and it's our priority and devotion. What are we really devoted to in this life? Look again at Matthew 6:24. “No one,” Jesus says, “can serve two masters.” Why not? “Either he'll hate the one and love the other or he'll be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon or earthly riches.” What where's our devotion? What are we really devoted to? Is it the job? Is that our recreation? Is it our family? Nothing wrong with any of those things necessarily, but where's our real devotion? Is it mammon, worldly riches and treasures, and things of this world that perish with us? Or are we really devoted to God and to His cause? Then a fourth priority and that is the Christian and not letting worry rule his life. Trusting in God, seeking first the kingdom, Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 will talk about life, and He'll talk about you know food and clothing and shelter. He says in essence, and this is the real impact of what Jesus is trying to say, He says “Is not life more than food? And the body more than clothing”? What's His point all about? My life is not to be geared around food. Sometimes we think from meal to meal to meal, what we're going to wear today, what we're going to put on, what we're going to eat. ‘Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?’ That's Jesus whole point. 8 If we're focused on spiritual things, Matthew 6:33 ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be provided unto you,’ if I put God's kingdom first, if the kingdom and God is my priority-everything else is going to fall in line. Doesn't mean I won't have to work. Doesn't mean there might be times where I have to dig little harder, work a little, you know dig a little deeper. Friend God's going to take care of His children and make sure that they are provided for. Now as we turn our attention in this great sermon to Matthew chapter 7, we now look at the Christian and judgment. Christians do have to make judgments. Every day that I wake up and every day that you wake up, I've got to make decisions. I've got to make moral decisions. I've got to make decisions about life every day. The Christian is authorized to make decisions and to make judgments. Jesus said in John 7:24 “Judge with a righteous judgment.” Now if there is one verse that a host of people, especially those who don't like to be pointed out for moral things are morally against the Scripture, know it's Matthew 7:1. A lot of people quote it. ‘Judge not that you be not judged.’ What kind of judgment is Jesus talking about? Wrong, hypocritical judgment. Listen to Matthew 7:1 or verse number 2. Jesus says, “For with what judgment you judge, you'll be judged. With what measure you see use it'll be measured back to you.’ Now here's the illustration. “Why do you look at the spec or the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck or the splinter from your eye and look a plank is in your own eye?’ Hypocrites! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Jesus is not condemning all judging. You've got to stand behind the word of God, and stand up for what's right. And remember John 7:24? Jesus said “Judge.” How? “With righteous judgment.” That's definitely not what's going on here. When you think about the clarity of the illustration Jesus uses, here are two people. Okay one of 9 them has a splinter in his eye, the other one has a 2 x 4 coming out of his eye. The one with the 2 x 4 says to the man who's got the splinter, ‘Come over here let me get that little splinter out of your eye,’ when he's got this massive 2 x 4 coming out of the side of his head. What's that all about? These people, these hypocrites are living in a contrary to the will of God. Their life is in complete disarray to the will of God. They want to nitpick at the little splinter in this person over here, when their life is in complete contradiction to the will of God. Jesus is discussing hypocritical judging. God's going to make the right judgment according to His will. Christians are to stand behind that. We're commanded to judge with righteous judgment- which is judging according to the will of God. Now friend, as you look in Matthew 7:13-27 the Christian also has certain commitments that he is to stand behind and live up to. We have the commitment to right and wrong. There is a right way; Jesus says the majority of the people in this world are not going down that path. It is the narrow, it is the difficult way that leads to eternal life and few there are going down it. I have a commitment to strive to walk down the narrow path. I have a commitment to follow the true teaching and teachers of the gospel. There are many false sheep or many wolves out there who are trying to bring God's people astray. They’re ‘wolves in sheep's clothing’ Jesus will say. And ‘you will know them by their fruits.’ We have a commitment to both saying and being what God wants us to be and a commitment to hearing and doing the will of God. I've got to stand behind the commitment that we see in Scripture. What do we learn in this masterful wonderful lesson in Matthew 5 through 7? We learn what's required to be a child of God. I've got to be poor in spirit. I've got to realize without God I don't have anything. I am spiritually bankrupt without God. Without Christ in my life, I've got to realize the sorrow and the heartbreak that sin brings. “The soul who sins shall surely die,” Ezekiel 18:4.I've got to have the humility, the meekness and the submissiveness to say, ‘Lord what would you have me to do?’ Acts 9:6. I've got to be willing to grow every day as a child of God. I've got to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and I've got to strive to be what God wants me to me to be merciful, to be kind, to be a peacemaker, to love other people, 10 and to realize along the way persecutions are going to come. God can help me through those and others as well have faced them. Friend we ask you today the greatest question of all, have you become a member of the Lord's kingdom? Have you obeyed the voice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Where is your treasure? ‘Where your heart is there your treasure will be also.’ Are you seeking first God's kingdom? Are you on that narrow path that leads to eternal life? If not, we're urging you today- won't you become a child of God? Believe Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Having believed that, make a commitment to change your life and repent. “Unless you repent,” Peter said, “you'll all likewise perish,” Acts 3:19. Having repented, would you confess the beautiful name of Jesus before men? Acts 8:36-38 ‘I believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.’ Would you, as Jesus said in John 3:5 “Be born of water and the spirit that you may enter the kingdom of God.”? If you've never obeyed the gospel, friend we're begging you to do that today. There is no greater safer place in all the world than the kingdom of Christ. If you're not in it, we beg you today- become a Christian, obey the gospel, and get into the kingdom of Christ. 11 Study Questions for: “Matthew: Lesson 3” 1. According to Matthew 5:6, who shall be filled? 2. According to Matthew 5:7, who shall obtain mercy? 3. According to Matthew 5:7, who shall see God? 4. Who shall be called sons of God according to Matthew 5:7? 5. What does Matthew 5:10-12 say about those persecuted for righteousness? 6. What does 2 Timothy 3:12 say of people who desire to live Godly? 7. According to Philippians 4:13, what can we do? How? 8. What does Matthew 5:31-32 tell us about marriage and divorce? 9. According to Matthew 5:43-48, how should we treat our enemies? 10. What does Matthew 6 say about where our treasure is?