I. INTRODUCTION
We’ve been going over the life of Jesus to gain better understanding of the Great Commission.
We’re looking at the first recorded Sermon of Jesus which took place approximately 1 – 1 ½ years after His baptism.
We looked at the fact that Jesus has not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.
He fulfilled the law by living a perfect life.
He satisfied the requirements of the law by His blood, which is the requirement for sin.
This is the atoning sacrifice that makes relationship with our Father in heaven possible.
Last week we talked about Jesus and Anger and how Jesus equates Anger with Murder.
This week we are going to look at the next part of Jesus’ Sermon, and it looks at Christian Relationships.
II. SCRIPTURE READING
MATTHEW 5:27 - 30
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
III. DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
Jesus again, is tightening where we loosen.
Remember Jesus talking about the Law just a few short verses ago, spoke about those who “LOOSEN” the law?
Man is continually looking for loop-holes.
My brother and I made a game out of “loosening” our parent’s laws.
We would ask, “Can I have 3 cookies?” they would answer “NO”, and if that was all they said, we would take 4.
After all, they did not say no to 4 cookies.
I wasn’t supposed to ride down Beacher Rd on my bike, so I would ride on the sidewalk, and proceed to the part of town I was not supposed to be in.
We are always looking for loopholes, and as adults, we do the same thing.
We know what is right, but we are selfish and want what we want.
And we are self-righteous.
We want what we want, while at the same time, giving the appearance of obedience to all of those around us.
In the leadership as Elder in another church, we were dealing with someone who had been participating in activities that can not be tolerated in the church, especially by the leadership.
When disciplining this person it was like dealing with a child trying to find the loophole so they could be righteous, and still act inappropriate.
They wanted their cake and eat it too as the saying goes.
Or in this case, they wanted their Kate and Edith too.
When told that the inappropriate relationship had to end, they asked,
“What if we are only together when other people are around?” – No
“What if the church is going somewhere, can we sit by each other?” – No
“Can we talk on the phone?” – No
It went on like this…until I had lost my patience, and said;
“What part of THIS ADULTERY MUST END don’t you understand?”
To that he said, “Can’t we stay friends?”
Man always looks for a way to sin, yet appear right with God.
This, is self-righteousness.
Jesus said of the Pharisees, you are like white washed tombs.
Clean on the outside, but full of dead man’s bones.
This is the modern Christian.
We see those who put on the Christian shell, but is nothing more than a lost soul with a pretty package.
What’s the saying about perfume on a pig?
The Pharisees played the part, but Jesus saw through their self-righteousness, and called them out.
DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY…
You may say, well, it’s only pictures, or a movie, it’s not like its real or anything.
I hear every excuse in the world about pornography.
Where does adultery take place?
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Lust means to have sexual desire…
Those looking for loopholes right now are saying, I’m just appreciating beauty…
Again, God knows your heart.
You may fool the world around you, but you are not fooling God, for He knows your heart, and He judges it.
Everything that matters it spiritual, and inside of us.
God judges our hearts.
We can have a glimpse of someone’s heart because the scriptures tell us that from the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak.
Salvation takes place in our hearts.
Sin takes place in our hearts.
Mark 7:6 Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees
Jesus replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
When we are self-righteous, when we put on an appearance, when we are acting, there has been no change in our hearts.
If you are here today claiming to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and there has been no change in your heart, you may need to rethink your stand with the Lord.
When you receive Christ, you become a new creature.
If there has been no change in you, you may not have Jesus Christ in your heart.
If you do not have a new relationship with sin, you may not have a relationship with Christ.
IV. WHAT CAUSES YOU TO SIN?
Jesus said “It doesn’t matter what is causing you to sin, GET RID OF IT!
Even if it was your eye, gouge it out…
If it was your hand, cut it off…
Does this mean literally? No of course not. Jesus is not telling us to mutilate ourselves, but rather, it doesn’t matter what it is, or how important we think it is to us, it is better to lose it here, than to keep it and end up in Gehenna for eternity with it.
You know, even a blind man can lust.
If we do not stop this lusting in our hearts, our soul will be lost.
The cross is the ONLY means by which evil passions can be subdued.
Romans 6:1 – 13
“1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”
Committing sin and living in sin.
Will we still commit sin in life? Yes…
Unfortunately our flesh is sinful and has not been redeemed.
This is why we receive a new body to live in the new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem, which will never have seen sin.
But while our spirits are redeemed, our flesh is not, and we do struggle.
This is what Paul tells us.
The struggle between the flesh and the spirit.
But when we sin, we recognize that we have sinned, repent of that sin (means to STOP AND GO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION), and we ask for forgiveness from God.
To live in sin means we are sinning, we do not stop, we do not go in the opposite direction, and we do not ask God for forgiveness.
Forgiveness can only come when there has been repentance.
Without repentance, without stopping the sin, you can not be forgiven.
We commit sin, but we do not live in it, nor do we allow it to be our master.
Living in sin allows that sin to be our master.
We do not have to live that way.
V. RECONCILIATION
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we can be freed from sin. No longer a slave to it.
No longer living in sin, but living in righteousness.
Living with Jesus as our master.
But for Jesus to be our Lord, we must accept Him in our heart.
VI. CONCLUSION
Jesus has shown us that our sinful thoughts are just as deadly as sinful acts.
He has shown us that if we are always looking for loopholes, we are self-righteous.
Wanting to
Wanting to give the appearance of being right with God, while still doing the things WE want to do.
He must be our righteousness, and that only comes through a relationship with Him.
When we receive Jesus we become a new creation, and we receive a new relationship with sin as well.
We begin to see sin for what it is, as it tries to master us.
Call on Jesus, your Lord.
Repent of your sins, do not live in them and lose your soul.
Repent and ask God for forgiveness.
ALTAR CALL
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