Ex.20:13 / Matt. 5:17-26

Intro: In Matt. 5:17 –Jesus made this statement

"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.

In Gal. Paul – Law is a Schoolmaster – to teach us of our need of Salvation

A)Schoolmaster to DRIVE US to Christ

B) But once we see our need of a savior & Come to Christ – the law serves a 2nd purpose

  1. The Law doesn’t just – Drive us to Christ – but once we are saved the law then – DIRECTS US IN CHRIST

C) See Jesus fulfilled the law and still desires to as He lives in me & lives in

You

  1. He still desires to fulfill the law as He lives in our lives

D) Another aspect of the living Hope – active working because the Risen Savior is living in Me – by His Spirit !!!!

Which gives us key insight of what it means to walk in the spirit / being led by the Spirit .

A)Too often we think of Jesus being in Heaven WAITING for us to get there !!!

B) We have to struggle thru life here waiting anxiously for him to come

  1. Or we have this picture in our minds of Jesus in heaven Praying for us

Because we are told that He lives ……

C) So we picture Him – Praying for us as we struggle thru

  1. In some ways the pictures are accurate – He is anxiously waiting our arrival – longs to be w/ us / Praying for us Constantly

But the picture we need to see is that He has placed His spirit in our lives so that we don’t struggle thru life – ups & downs

A)But so that we can walk in Victory thru His power –

  1. Word Endure – Hupomone – Conquer

B) Jesus Endured the Cross – Did He just preserve barely make it

  1. No He was in full Control – No one takes my life .. willingly lays it down

C) More than Conquerors through Him who loves us

  1. So Jesus has given us the Spirit to enable us to walk in Victory to direct us in our walks & to lead us in service

D) So the 10 Commandments are given to Direct us in Christ & to give us insight into what the spirit is seeking to do in our lives !!!

  1. It is a lot easier to follow when you know the direction you are going

 

Whenever I follow someone in my car – when I am being led by them I love to know the direction going – Anticipate the move

A)Going to S.D. going to exist – Gennese – go west

B) God’s word is our Thomas Bros. Guide it is our road map – Helps us to understand the direction that the H.S. is taking us

  1. Our DESTRINATION ? – To be more like Jesus

C) So HE Leads us down Agape – Street – shows us what God’s love looks like / Patience Ave / Self Control BLVD /

  1. We are going to go thru Servants Lane / Down Pure Thoughts HWY

D) All part of the course – to get us to the DESTINATION of being more like Jesus

  1. All along the way we are picking up passengers & influencing others to follow down that same Rd.

That is the work the Lord is doing in our lives thru His Spirit in Us Using the Word to Direct us in Christ

A)Tonight we come to commandment #6 – You shall not Murder

B) This commandment is pretty self explanatory although some have been confused by it

  1. Questions get asked does that mean – Shouldn’t go to War / Can’t defend ourselves in Danger ? / Forbids Capital Punishment

C) Answer to those Questions is No-

1)The term used has to do with criminal killing,

D)and from many accounts and teachings in Scripture it is clear that capital punishment, just warfare, accidental homicide, & self-defense are excluded.

  1. The commandment is against the intentional killing of another human being for purely personal reasons, whatever those reasons might be

Proverbs There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood

E) There is a lot of innocent Blood that gets Shed in our Country

Recent years have seen the arrests and convictions of a number of mass murderers, whose names became household words.

A)Over twenty-five thousand known murders are committed in the United States every year-averaging nearly seventy a day.

B) If we were to add suicides (self-murder) & abortions the numbers would

be staggering

  1. Murders have become so commonplace that, unless they are bizarre or

multiple or involve a famous person, they only make the local news.

C) So this is really talking about the shedding of Innocent Blood

In Rom. 13 – Paul mentions one who uses the sword - Justice – Minister of the State / Govt. Power

A)The sword speaks of the Govt. power over life & Death

B) Plus Capital Punishment was commended by the Lord long before –

Moses – back to Noah Gen. 9:6

"Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man"

C)There the penalty for murder and the reason for its seriousness are given.

1)The penalty was death for the killer, and the reason for such severe

punishment was that man is made in God’s image.

Here we see that the Preciousness of Human life is at the heart of this Commandment

A)Because To take the life of a fellow human being is to assault the

sacredness of the image of God

B) Human life is sacred to the Lord – because man is made in the image of God – God wants us to Respect the Preciousness of Human life

  1. Ever human being – every man woman & Child / every unborn baby is precious in His sight

C) R.Kent Hughes – The Disciplines of Grace – " The 6th Commandment You shall not murder is a profound word of Grace because it is a call to be a great lover of all humanity from conception to the grave"

D) Murder is a despicable manifestation of a fleshly heart.

  1. The seriousness of the offense is seen in one of the last declarations in God’s Word:

"Outside [of heaven] are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying" (Rev. 22:15

 

But in Matt. Gospel Jesus reveals that you can be a murderer w/out Wielding a Knife or using a Gun

A)It is possible for a model, law-abiding citizen to be as guilty of murder as anyone on death row.

B) It is possible for a person who has never been involved in so much as a fist fight to have more of a murderous spirit than a multiple killer.

  1. Lets turn there & See what He has to say v.20

C) Jesus declares that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will by no means enter the Kingdom of heaven

  1. Now this would come as a Tremendous shock to the Disciples – More Righteous than those guys

D) The Scribes & Pharisees had given their whole lives to keeping the most minute details of the Law – Considered Holy guys

  1. But Jesus proceeds to teach something that was Radical – MLJ

The Diff. Between the Letter & the Spirit

E) It is not Just the Outward actions that the Lord is Concerned about it is the Inward attitude

  1. Christianity isn’t about Rituals but it is Relationship

 

The Pharisees would Pride themselves in the fact that they had not committed murder – Not guilty here

A)Jesus said not so fast v. 21-26

B) Word Angry is interesting – two words in the Grk – 1st is Thumos

English Thermometer -/ speaks of that which is Hot

  1. It is what you feel inside – / Flare up at times / get Hot / Traffic

C)But the word Jesus used was Orgizo΅ has to do with a

brooding, simmering anger that is nurtured and not allowed to die.

  1. Smoldering Anger

D) Describes coals that have been left after a fire has burned out – Coals smolder for hrs or for days

  1. It is seen in the holding of a grudge, in the smoldering bitterness that refuses to forgive.

E)It is the anger that cherishes resentment and does not want reconciliation.

  1. The writer of Hebrews speaks of its depth and intensity as a "root of bitterness"where by many become defiled (Heb. 12:15).

 

Jesus is talking about that type of Anger – He says that if you are angry in that way – You are involved in Murder

A)WAIT - What about – the Phrase w/ out Cause – what if I have a reason to be smoldering all these yrs ?

B) She walked out on me ? They lied about me or to me I have reason to feel what I feel deep down / I have been burned time & time again

  1. Matt. 18 – Jesus addresses that attitude

C) Peter comes – Lord how much forgive – 7 times

  1. Peter thought Generous – Rabbis 3 times on the 4th let them have it

D) They came up w/ that Number because in Amos Ch. 1 the Lord declared

"For 3 transgressions of and for four, I will not turn away its punishment,

E) God goes thru a list of nations that He is going to judge because of the 4th sin

  1. Now the Rabbis – took this out of Context to use as their Proof text – to say if a nation or a person sins against you the forth time – Let them have it

F) So Peter thinking – Being very Generous – 7 times / doubling the Rabbis and adding one for good Measure

  1. But what did Jesus say ? 70 X 7 ( W/out measure )

Don’t keep count – forgive until you lose count

Then Jesus told a story about 2 slaves – one owed his master a large sum of money - 10 Million dollars -

A)Master had mercy on Him & forgave His debt –

B) But that Slave went out & ran into another slave – owed –2,000

  1. 2,000 is still a significant # but it doesn’t compare to 10 Million

C) Master – found out & thru that slave in Prison –

  1. Point is The Lord has forgiven us of 10 million – so we should forgive those wronged us – 2,000 / 20,000 even 2 million

D) Now when I take that into Consideration – and apply it to what Jesus is saying here – do I really have a CAUSE TO be angry at anyone ?

  1. Do I really have a cause to be smoldering & bitter at anyone ?

E) I have been forgiven of a host of sins – Think all the thoughts / all the unkind words / Motives

  1. We have spiritual Alzheizers – Forget all the stuff we have done

But the reality is the Lord has forgiven us – 10 Million dollars

God has been so merciful to us – therefore we should be givers of mercy

A)God’s mercy to us is New every morning – doesn’t run out – therefore we should be dispensers of Mercy

B) Wait – Isn’t there are place for Righteous indignation ? / Didn’t Paul say – be angry & do not sin ? Eph. 4:26

  1. Yes but – in those cases – Anger is directed at Sin / but not the sinner

That is the Difference

C) There is no place in God’s economy for – Smoldering Bitterness / anger

  1. We are to forgive – Paul says if you don’t you are giving place to the devil (Foot in the door ) if you let the sun go down on Your wrath

"All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight," , "but the Lord weighs the motives" (Prov. 16:21

The Lord knows what is going on in our Hearts & minds & even though we have not harmed anyone physically –

A)We can be Murderous in hearts if we allow – Hatred to Smolder & to brew there

B) But Then Jesus says we can also Kill w/ our Words - Raca

  1. Idiot – Driving - ( Idiots come out when Dad Drives )

C) Jesus says the person that says that shall be in danger of Council

  1. The Council was the Sanhedrin, the council of the seventy who tried the most serious offenses and pronounced the severest penalties

D)I like Jon Courson's insight on this – The Lord would say to you & me who call others idiots – You need counseling because that is not the way I see that person

E) Person is made in my image & I love them – I think that is a pretty accurate picture of the Lord’s Heart here

  1. Preciousness of Human life / the Human soul – He loves them – yes they might be acting foolish – but He longs for them to be saved

F) I wonder how often do we say – Idiot when some one is doing stupid things / the Lord is thinking – I wish you would just pray for them ?

 

Continues – says fool – much more Serious than we use it today – speaks of a person who is morally & Spiritually bankrupt - Hopeless

A)In calling someone a Fool – it was equivalent to saying – You deserve to go to Hell

B) Now Prop. 22 Passed – we won – but what if it hadn’t – what if – there were a Brigade of Homosexual marriages

  1. Wonder how many of us – would have thought – Dam them Lord

Reactions – Parades on T.V.

C) Do we get that feeling when we see the Gangbangers / Drug dealers / Drug addicts / - Hopeless – They are going to hell & they deserve it

  1. What if Dave’s co worker would have taken that approach / instead of Praying for Him

D) Back in the 60’s that was the approach many took – w/ the Hippies

  1. Dirty Filthy – Deserve what they are going to get – Country was in turmoil

E) But Chuck & Kay Prayed / others – God did an amazing work –

  1. Nation was spared

What about us – now as we look at the Next gen. – w/ their Piercings & Tattoos – think – Hopeless – Shield my kids –

A)Instead of Pray

B) That is what Jesus is getting at here – When you look at the person or that group that has offended you & say – Fools – despicable / Hopeless

  1. You are in danger of Hell fire

C) Not the Fires of Hell – but A hellish fire in your heart that is not going to allow you to be the person that the Lord would really desire you to be

  1. Your spiritual growth is going to be radically stunted – Your Joy is going to be – removed – and you are going to be miserable

So Jesus says that we can kill so to speak w/ our tongues –

James 3:1-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen In eyes of CCV – Vista Community I am not who I think I am / Not who you think that I am I am who You say that I am

A)same is true for you – Every notice when someone tells you something

Bad about someone – Drop a notch in your eyes

B) Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

1) Power to Kill or to give Life

Close – v.23 - 24

A)Brother has something against you – implies – that you have wronged him in some way – leave your offering go to Him

B) Picture this worshipper - ( Remembers & runs away ) –

  1. Be Reconciled – not attempt – Be reconciled –

C) Not give it your best shot – say well I tried – BE RECONCILED

How v.25-26

C) Agree w/ Him – I was wrong and I am sorry – please forgive me

  1. But what If He was more wrong than I was?

D) What if I – wasn’t wrong –

  1. Listen we have all been guilty of enough that we could be indicted incredibly – so just admit it

E) You are a worse sinner than He even knows – so just agree w/ Him

  1. Humble Yourself – You were right – I was wrong – Sorry
  2. PLEASE FORGIVE ME