Jesus Forgives Sin

The woman who had entered Simon the Pharisee's home to perfume Jesus' feet was a notorious sinner. Traditionally she has been called a prostitute, but the text is not so specific. She was probably not Mary Magdalene, who was introduced after this story.

In the ancient world it apparently was common to allow people to enter the home where a meal was being held in honor of a major teacher, or speaker. Nobody was shocked that the woman came in. What scandalized everyone is that she got close to Jesus and He let her anoint Him.

What she did came at great personal cost
1) The perfume she used was both precious and expensive. Anointing ran deep in Jewish custom, being practiced at civic feasts and used for the purification of priests or the tabernacle. If this perfume was nard, it would have cost three hundred denarii, or about a year's salary, per pound!

2) Her tears were an expression of overwhelming gratitude, love and joy. She already knew of His forgiveness

3) Undoing her hair was culturally shocking. Symbolically, she lay herself entirely bare before the Lord, kissing His feet with a tender intimacy that offended every person in the room save one...the Lord Himself.

Simon the Pharisee expected such brazen behavior from the woman, but he found Jesus' acceptance of this worship both outrageous and intolerable.

What he thought revealed the depth of self-righteousness in his heart: If this man Jesus really were a prophet, then he would know what kind of woman was touching him, and He wouldn't have allowed it.

Obviously, Simon said to himself, Jesus is no prophet because look at this sickening display being enacted right here in his banquet hall. Jesus not only had not rebuked the woman, He in fact seemed to be enjoying her kisses. Simon concluded that Jesus must be of a very low class Himself.

Pharisees maintained that if spiritual people were to guard purity and testimony, then they certainly could not associate with sinners.

Jesus saw the situation completely differently.
1) Simon doubted Jesus was a prophet because He had allowed a notorious sinner to cover Him with her affection. But Jesus proved He was a seer by discerning Simon's secret thoughts.

2) Simon scorned Jesus' lack of rebuke towards sin, yet Jesus gently rebuked Simon's sin with His parable.

3) Simon thought Jesus to be a very low class of person, yet by forgiving sin Jesus revealed Himself to be of the very highest order, God Himself.

4) Simon had no love nor appreciation for Jesus because he had no sense of personal sin. On the contrary, Simon now viewed himself to be far Jesus' superior. So Jesus showed that appreciation and love flow from the one who has been forgiven a great debt.

Great forgiveness provides the opportunity for great love

As one author put it, "When God forgives a notorious sinner for much sin, the realization of such bountiful forgiveness means the potential for great love."

Simon showed how little he thought of Jesus
- By not having His feet washed.
- Simon did not even greet Jesus with the customary Mediterranean kiss on each cheek shown to friends and welcome guests,
- Let alone put oil on Jesus head, as he would have with an honored dignitary.

But this woman had
- Washed Jesus' feet with her own tears.
- Far more than the ceremonial greeting, she had covered Jesus' feet with her kisses.
- And rather than anoint His head with customary oil, she had poured out rich and costly nard on His feet.

What the woman had done went far beyond the call of custom and good manners (which Simon the Pharisee had failed to meet even the minimum for).

In contrast to Simon's desultory throughtlessness, her actions reflected heartfelt gratitude, tender love, overflowing joy and a deep sense of humility.

Jesus then explained that this woman's sins were forgiven because of her great love for Him. It was not her works which saved her. It was her love, which was expressed in these acts.

This was even more offensive and troubling! Bad enough that Jesus would receive this known sinner in a Pharisee's home. Far, far worse that He should presume the place of God and dare to announce her sins forgiven!

The Pharisees knew the significance behind Jesus' statement. They knew no mere man had the right to forgive sin, so they asked each other, behind trembling hands, "Who is this who even forgives sin?"

If Jesus had the authority to forgive sin, then he was far more than a prophet. They didn't dare to even form in their minds the implications of what Jesus had said.

So Jesus made it all the more clear for them by saying to the woman -- and to no one esle in that room -- "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

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Blended Gospels: A Woman Bringing Perfume

One of the Pharisees asked [Jesus] to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner."

And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."

And he answered, "Say it, Teacher."

"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt."

And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?"

And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

[Blended Gospels, Luke 7:36-50, ESV]

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"Come To Me, You Who Are Weary"

Having said the negative, Jesus now gave the positive, beginning with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to His Father

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do." (Matthew 11:25-26)

Those who come with a childlike heart, open, trusting and humble, are the ones who are going to understand and receive the gospel, rather than those who have a sense of self importance, who delight in their own mental abilities, and mistake their knowledge for wisdom.

Jesus explained God’s plan of revelation:

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27)

Only Jesus can show the way to the Father.

Jesus saw people burdened with trying to please God,
...getting right with God,
......using all the methods that the Pharisees were insisting on.
.........It was a great load of rules, and they were weary with trying,
............sensing, deep down, that none of it was working...

Jesus offered rest, freedom from trying and never succeeding.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Think about the yoke as what rabbis called their way of understanding and living by scripture, which they expected all their disciples to take on themselves.

The Pharisees' yoke was heavy. It made people bone weary with trying to labor under it.

Jesus’ yoke is light, it’s freeing, it’s enabling so that your work becomes joy. Jesus’ yoke fits perfectly because we are designed to wear His yoke, and His yoke is designed for us.

Jesus gives wisdom and rest to those who come to Him

Following Jesus brings relief from sin’s burdens. Those who follow Jesus find that Jesus’ yoke brings equilibrium and Jesus’ power.

* In what ways can you say that you have taken on Jesus' yoke?

* An encounter with Jesus demands a response – what’s yours?

* Do you believe in Him Have you said yes to Him?

* Will you serve Him, and co-labor with Him in the harvest?

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Some Thoughts on Judgment

Jesus' teaching on the fate of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, as compared with Bethsaida, Chorazim and Capernaum, seem to indicate that there are degrees of punishment in the judgment of God.

Though there is not a lot written in the New Testament about this teaching, it does show that even in judgement God is just and fair.

Judgment is meted out according to the light given to the individual.

Indifference to the claims of Christ are a terrible sin. An encounter with Jesus demands a response, and not to respond is to decide against Jesus.

When Jesus speaks of judgement, we know there will be judgement. God’s judgement goes clear back to the story of humankind's fall from original righteousness and communion with God, found in Genesis 3. The first man and woman had the opportunity to grow in the knowledge of good and evil through obedience to the goodness of God and His word. But they were tempted to
1) Doubt God's goodness
2) Question God's word
3) Desire to be "as God" thinking one could have God's position and authority.

After their fall, Adam and Eve showed the effects of sin by hiding from God and by blaming others for their own wrongdoing. God judged the man and the woman in specific and distinct ways, but the chief judgement was the penalty of death which God had said would be the result of they chose to eat from the forbidden tree.

1) Their spirits died. Their deep communion with God was broken, which they proved by running away from God when He came to them in the Garden.
2) Their souls died. They experienced a break down of their originally righteous and good character as they suppressed the truth and laid the blame for their own sin on someone else.
3) Their bodies died. God said, "Dust you are, and to dust you will return," and eventually both Adam and Eve, as well as all their offspring, died.

These three aspects of death are eternal unless they are overcome by the work of the Messiah. In Christ we
1) Receive a new spirit, by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which loves God
2) Receive a new soul, which begins to live for God,
3) Eventually every believer will receive a new body patterned on the resurrection body of Jesus, and has now a deposit on that resurrection power to live by faith.

Those who refuse to respond to Jesus will be judged. Many people today hear God’s word, and remain unmoved. They witness God’s power in someone else’s life and say, that’s okay for you, but it isn’t for me. They remain indifferent.

Rather than get special exemption from judgement, those who know God, and know His law have an even greater responsibility to obey God and honor Him.

When are you guilty of refusing to repent, and count on your standing with God instead to get you by?

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Jesus Denounces Coldness

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

"And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The two key words in this section are “repent” and “judgment.”

Jesus was saying: Because you were given evidence and you refused to repent, you are under the judgment of God for either not deciding for God, or for rejecting His offer of rescue.

Jesus pronounced judgement on Bethsaida, Chorazin and Capernaum. Bethsaida was the home town for five of His disciples. Jesus healed a blind man there, and very near there Jesus fed 5,000 people.

Not much is known about Chorazin.

Jesus had made Capernaum His home town, and many miracles were performed there.

Tyre and Sidon were infamous for their wickedness, and Sodom was considered the epitome of wickedness, yet Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have repented had they been given the same level of evidence as Jesus was now giving these towns

Read the above passage again. God did judge those wicked cities of old, as recorded in scripture, and Tyre, Sidon and Sodom certainly will be judged by God on the last day, since all people can know God
* Through the witness of creation,
* Through the witness of their own consciences,
* and through an instinctive law of righteousness that God has written into every person's heart.

But why will it be more bearable for those pagan cities than for the people of these Jewish towns?

Because the Jews had far more than the Gentiles.
--> They had God's law,
--> They had His wisdom and prophecies recorded in scripture,
--> They had the temple and the sacrifices,
--> They had God's covenants.

And they had the long prophesied Messiah

Jesus was God incarnate, He was authenticating His deity, but the people were blase, unimpressed, they didn’t want to hear His message. Jesus was heartbroken in His anger over their refusal to repent.

Jesus didn't fit the profile His own people had crafted for their ideal Messiah. So they rejected Him. The people most privileged and able to know the Savior were the people most hardened to receiving Him.

Who would those people be today? People who are religious without actually believing what God's word has to say. People who are more enamored with their religious traditions, and their own good deeds and relgious activity, than they are with God.

Where do you stand in comparison with Tyre, Sidon and Sodom?

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Jesus Then Taught The Crowds

What The Lord Jesus said next is difficult to understand,

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12)

- It could mean that the gospel had been forcefully advancing in spite of opposition.

- Or, it could mean that the gospel was being violently opposed.

Either way John was like Elijah in that he called people’s attention to their sins, and called people back to God, to make a decision to follow God rather than the gods of this world.

John was not a reincarnation of Elijah.

The Bible never teaches that reincarnation is any kind of a possibility at all. What Jesus referred to here was John’s function. In Luke 1:16-17 an angel told John’s father that John would go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the disobedient and to make the people ready for the Lord.

If people accepted that, then they also needed to accept that Jesus was Messiah

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15

But, Jesus went on to tell the people, you people don’t listen, you don’t accept, you’re never happy with what you hear.

People did not want to hear God’s message, they wanted to call the tune and have God sing the song they wanted to hear.

They had complained that John was too austere, so they called him a demon.
On the other hand, they complained that Jesus was too familiar, so they called him a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of sinners.

"Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."(Matthew 11:19

Wisdom is proved right by actions. You will be able to assess God’s wisdom by what He does. Jesus’ miracles authenticated who He claimed to be.

Jesus gives answers to doubters who come to Him

* Where do you turn with your questions?

The best place to go for answers is scripture, God’s word. You will find the answers about Who He is, and what He promises to do for you and for me.

God may provide answers through other means
- Maybe in a Bible study group,
- Or your pastor’s sermon,
- Or an event in your life,
- Or a talk with a friend.

But the best place to go for clarification and finding out the truth is in God’s word itself, praying that God will help you understand.

Scripture isn’t necessarily going to give you specific instructions about where to go tomorrow, what job to take, how to work out a particular situation – but scripture will provide insight into God’s character, His ways, and what He has provided for you.

Through that you will have the beginning of your answers.

Jesus is also kind, His answers will be more than you asked or imagined, Jesus will encourage you whether through a friend, or answer to prayer, or something you hear on the radio, or read.....look for the encouragement that God provides

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Jesus' Answer to John

Jesus answered John from the prophetic book of Isaiah,

"Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." (Matthew 11:4-5)

that’s the text John the Baptist most often preached from. Sinners must be restored first before God will come to rule the earth in righteousness. Jesus was about the business of bringing restoration

Jesus was not condescending, not judgmental, not impatient. Instead He spoke gently and clearly to John’s disciples, teaching from the very same scriptures that John knew best, and understood.

Jesus did not condemn John, who, after all, of all people, had the very best reasons not to doubt. And Jesus does not condemn you or me, either, when we doubt, so long as we come to Him with our questions and listen to His answers.

Doubt is a mind game, and the antidote for doubt is truth.

Jesus was telling John “I’m working My plan, just trust Me,” then He gave a gentle warning,

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." (Matthew 11:6)

An encounter with Jesus always demands a response. John’s response must have been a continuing response of faith. We know he stood firm for the truth to the end.

Jesus gave John more than he asked or imagined in commending his ministry and his faith: John was truly a prophet in every sense of the word – he was strong, powerful, fearless, unswerving, uncompromising. He even looked like a prophet.

Jesus said,

"This is he of whom it is written,

'Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.'

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:10-11)

Not only was John filling the characterization of a prophet, he gave the message of a prophet, he was the very one Malachi had prophesied would come right before the Messiah.

--> He was the greatest among prophets in that he had the greatest role, he had the privilege of announcing Jesus the Messiah.

But as great as John the Baptist was, he would not live to see, and understand, the rest of the gospel unfold.

Those who have been born again, after the cross, are greater than John the Baptist because you and I, and all those who follow Christ, have the full gospel, the whole story, and we have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We may not have greater character than John, but we do have the understanding and ability to bring the full good news to others.

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Why Did John the Baptist Question Jesus?

After sending the disciples off to preach and teach in pairs, Jesus began to teach in the disciples' hometowns. This is where John the Baptist’s disciples found Him and asked Him the question their rabbi, John the Baptist, had given them:

"Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)

John was genuinely doubting whether the message he’d preached was all true, and the person he’d introduced was really the Messiah. Doubt is not sin unless you ignore the evidence and stay where you are in your doubt.

John had been tirelessly promoting the good news of repentance and salvation through Messiah, and many people were repenting and being baptized. The pinnacle of his ministry was to baptize Messiah, and work side by side with Christ, flanking Jerusalem, preaching and baptizing.

Then John was arrested and imprisoned. He had his disciples left, but everything else was suddenly, shockingly, taken away – his ministry, the wide open desert where he lived, his place as prophet and co-laborer with Messiah.

And Jesus seemed to be doing nothing about it.

Could this really be Messiah, Who was supposed to come and right all wrongs, to rule in righteousness, to “open prison’s doors and set the captives free”? John was a captive, he was Jesus' strongest advocate, and yet he was not being set free.

Why do we doubt?
1) Difficult circumstances John was in the worst possible place with no rescue in sight

2) Incomplete knowledge John knew only just a little bit more than all the Old Testament prophets, since he knew that Jesus was Messiah, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.

John was not going to see the crucifixion or the resurrection. He didn’t understand the entire scope of what God was doing

3) Unfulfilled expectations When John was prophesying about Jesus he the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit, and He would judge. John expected this to happen during his life time, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit didn’t come until Pentecost, and the day of judgement is still future to us right now.

* What, in your life, is disappointing to you right now? Does it feel the opposite of what you expected God's promises would look like?

* Where do you go with your disappointments and doubts? Do you ask God for insight?

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Blended Gospels: John The Baptist's Question

Now when John's disciples reported all these things to him in prison, about the deeds of the Christ, John called two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

And when the men had come to [Jesus], they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.

And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.

"What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

"'Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.'

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come."

(When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children."

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

"And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

"But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

[Blended Gospels, Matthew 11:2-30 and Luke 7:18-35, ESV]

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Blended Gospels: A Widow's Son Is Restored to Life

Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."

Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."

And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"

And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

[Blended Gospels Luke 7:11-17, ESV]

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Blended Gospels: A Centurian's Servant Is Healed

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, appealing to him, "Lord, [the centurian's] servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly," they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue."

And [Jesus] said to him, "I will come and heal him."

And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you.

"But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

"I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed."

And the servant was healed at that very moment.

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

[Blended Gospels: Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10, ESV]

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Jesus' Authority

Everyone who heard Jesus recognized that what He was teaching came straight from God

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29)

The scribes and Pharisees spoke from “the authorities” of past rabbis and experts of the law. But Jesus spoke with the voice of God Himself.

God’s wisdom comes with obeying His word

Hearing what’s right is not enough.

Knowing what’s right is not enough.

You need to have it inside you, be a part of you because you are obeying what’s right, you’re living it.

** The more you obey that which is right, the more you will be able to recognize that which is wrong. **

The two roads help you and me to examine the cost of our profession of faith. Is the way hard, is there a cost?

The two trees help us to see whether our lives are really changed – is there spiritual fruit?

The two houses give assurance that true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will last – there will be strength, wisdom and courage for the crises of life, and there will be the assurance of God welcoming us into heaven on the last day.

Review what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to you in these commands and warnings. Take one thing and apply it before this day is done; God will help you, by His spirit.

* Jesus may be saying you have to stop judging someone,

* Or you may need to persevere in prayer about something, specially in asking for wisdom.

* God may be calling you to love someone else the way you want them to love you.

* Could be God is pointing out where you have chosen the wide gate instead of the narrow gate.

* Could be you‘ve been learning a lot in studying the Bible but you haven’t been obeying it.

How ready are you to go to the next level with God and do what Jesus is teaching you as He enables you?

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Foundation

4) The Lord Jesus Christ's fourth warning was to watch out that you don’t build on the wrong foundation for life, which is anything else besides God’s Son
The real key to this verse is not hearing, or even understanding Jesus’ teaching.

-->The real key, the crux of the matter, is whether you put Jesus’ teaching into practice in your life<--

Wisdom is not the extent of what you know. Ph.D’s in theology will not make you wise. Putting into practice Jesus’ words, Who speaks with authority, will make you wise.

Only storms will reveal the quality of the foundation upon which your house has been built

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

"And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27)

The foundation is the application of Jesus’ teaching.

* The foolish person maybe applies what the Lord Jesus says to everybody else.

* The foolish person will have an intellectual understanding of Jesus’ teaching.

* In fact, by Jesus’ definition, a person can even be teaching Jesus’ words to others, but if they are not applying Jesus’ words to their own lives, they are foolish, and when crises hit, they will discover that they have no wisdom to deal with it.

What are the storms in your life revealing about the foundation you’ve built on?

The two houses can also represent the end of this life, when God will call all people to judgment.

There are false teachers at the gate that leads to the broad way of self-indulgence, making it easy for people to enter.

But when judgement comes, all those houses built on sand will be swept away and nothing will be left. The final test is not what we think of ourselves, or what other people think of us. The final test is what will God say?

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Focus

3) The Lord Jesus Christ's third warning was to watch out for the wrong assumptions about good deeds, which ignore relationship with God’s Son

The test for a claim to Christianity is whether or not we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

"On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

"And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23)

There are two vital points here.
1) The first is that only the person who does the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. Flip with me to the Gospel of John,

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

The will of the Father is to believe in His Son.

2) The second point is the critical, vital, importance of being known by the Lord Jesus, to be intimately connected with Him, made one with Him.

God’s wisdom comes to those who have His Spirit

Spiritual discernment comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you know whether you have a personal relationship with Christ?

Tell God, “I want to make sure about my relationship with you. I want Your Spirit to tell me in my inner being that I am Yours. I confess that I am sinful person, and I know I deserve Your judgement. I know I stand condemned, and that I deserve the punishment that sin earns. I understand that I am I am helpless to change that.”

Ask Jesus to save you from the punishment you deserve, and believe with confidence that He will do that, He will save you because you know that He is God the Son and He came to earth specifically to save you from the judgement of your sin, because He loves you so much more than you could ever even imagine.

Ask Jesus to give you new life by coming into your life, by putting His Holy Spirit into your heart.

Tell Jesus you are ready to submit to His authority in your life, as He gives you the power to do it. You know you can’t do it by yourself, but when He puts His spirit in you, you will obey what His spirit says; as He enables, you will work it out.

Jesus says that whoever comes to him He will take to himself, so believe it, it is true, count on His peace and affirmation.

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Teachers

2) The Lord Jesus Christ's second warning was to watch out for the wrong teachers, who undermine God’s Son's teaching

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15)

Not all teachers are true, truth can be violated.

False teachers usually conceal their hostility to the gospel, and will try to blend in with true believers. They’ll use the right language, all the same words, and will talk a good line. So we need discernment to recognize the true sheep from wolves dressed up like sheep.

One clue would be whether they teach
--> The narrow gate and closeness with Christ, living under His authority, or
--> The broad road, which caters to our own sense of importance, indulges our desires and is permissive.

Ultimately false teachers are not interested in helping people, they’re interested in helping themselves to fame, or popularity, or power and influence, or wealth, or some other gain by exploiting people. That road leads to destruction.

Two trees,

"You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit." (Matthew 7:16-18

You may not see it right away, but once the fruit begins to mature, you will begin to see the difference between fruit that is healthy for you and fruit that is poisonous

1) Look at the way they live – are they following the narrow way in their lifestyle?
2) Listen to their words: do they glorify God, or themselves?
3) Look at the people who have been applying their teaching, what is the fruit in their lives?

Do you recognize the fruit of the Spirit?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Is serving the Lord Jesus Christ the focus of their lives?

Or are they all about the blessings, earthly prosperity, or power, or some other bonus that they say comes from being a Christian?
4) Listen to what they teach – is it scriptural?
- Do they teach the denial of self, or promotion of self?
- Do they teach the cross, or do they teach that life on earth is supposed to be like heaven?

What kind of tree are you?
* What are you teaching your children?
* What do your children see in your own lifestyle?
* Can you recognize the fruit of your teaching, your character, and your lifestyle in your children?

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Is The "Narrow Gate" Legalism?

How often do you deny yourself in the course of an ordinary day?

How often do let go of your own rights, as you view them, for the sake of what’s better for someone else?

People, as a rule, don’t like discipline and self-sacrifice, so this narrow way is often accused of being legalism.

What have you accused as being legalistic, recently?

Legalism exalts law above grace.
* Legalism elevates human rules and traditions to the level of divine law.
* Legalism binds God’s people where God has left them free and this was the Pharisees’ way – they counted on their scrupulous observance of God’s law and their own added regulations to earn their way into the kingdom of heaven, and condemned everyone who did not do as they did.

The Pharisees’ way certainly looked like the narrow gate.

How discerning are you about the difference between the narrow gate and the wide gate?

Legalism majors on the minors and minors on the majors, it is really adhering to the letter of the law to the exclusion of the spirit of the law, which makes it doable for the few very disciplined people, and just about too hard for everyone else.

The narrow gate Jesus is talking about is totally the opposite. He is the gate, and through Him God puts His Spirit in us to obey His word completely, in spirit and in truth.

Compared to Jesus’ gate, legalism becomes the broad gate, because it is doable without the Holy Spirit living in you.

Humbling yourself to Jesus’ strict authority, and willingly obeying even the spirit of His commands will be hard.
* Denying yourself,
* Disciplining yourself,
* Self-sacrifice for the sake of others,
* Giving up your rights for someone else is hard.

But Jesus’ road leads to life.

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Wrong Gate

Jesus’ warnings begin with two gates,

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." (Matthew 7:13)

God the Father will become the of each person who believes in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Narrow Gate.

Watch out for the wrong gate, it won't lead you into the kingdom of heaven, it will lead you to destruction.

Jesus is saying, "Make the right decisions because it will affect the whole rest of your life."

We all have a bias for sin, inherited from Adam, we all have the tendency to act out that sin, every day. Those who come to Christ for forgiveness in this life will never have to face judgment, they entered the narrow gate of Jesus. Those who reject Jesus Christ as savior from sin and Lord of life will be judged for all their sin, including the sin of unbelief.

There are only two gates, there’s no neutral zone. Not deciding is really deciding to enter through the broad gate.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:14)

The word “narrow” in the first quote does mean “narrow.” But in the second quote “narrow” means “tribulation.”

“The way of discipleship is narrow, restricting, because it is the way of persecution and opposition”

Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is through this narrow gate, under the strict authority of Jesus, through persecution and tribulation.

Jesus says there is no way to the Father but through Him. When you want to begin a new phase of your life with the Lord, as a Christian, you want to go deeper, a new level of a life of faith, then it will mean denying yourself and taking up your cross to follow Jesus.

* Living out the Gospel is the narrow way.

* Being permissive is the broad way.

It's hard to obey Jesus' teachings; it's easy to be permissive and tell people what they like to hear, and indulge their wants.

As parents, you know what that kind of parenting leads to. The Bible says "The Lord corrects the people He loves and disciplines those He calls His own."

The Bible continues this teaching by saying "Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats His children. Don't all parents correct their children? God corrects all of His children, and if He doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to Him."

Jesus pointed out that any one of us earthly parents, as flawed as we are, feed our children with good food and; we don't give them what is bad for them, or dangerous for them.

Scripture teaches that "Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because He wants us to be holy, as He is. It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace."

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Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Warnings

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits, for each tree is known by its own fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

"A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

"On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

"And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

"Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a wise man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, it did not fall because it had been well built and because it had been founded on the rock.

"And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand -- ground without a foundation. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and when the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and great was the fall of it, and the ruin of that house was great.

"And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

[Blended Gospels: Matthew 7:13-29, Luke 6:44-49, ESV]

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Fourth Command, The Golden Rule

4) The Lord Jesus’ fourth command was to reverence God the Father, Creator of us all by doing to others what we would have them do to us,

"In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

Just as you and I ask God for good gifts, and He gives them, so we must share those good things with others:
* Love,
* Forgiveness,
* Grace and
* Mercy

Who in your life are you having a relationship problem with?

After reviewing Jesus' four commands in Matthew 7:1-12, what on your own side is the Lord showing you, you might change?

1) Are you judgmental of them right now?

2) Are you talking about things that frustrate them, and draws the worst out in them?

3) Do you need discernment in what they need, and wisdom in how to help them?

4) Are you loving them the way you would like them to love you?

God’s wisdom comes with prayer

What have you given up praying about?

Would you be willing to start praying about it again, and this time not only ask God for what you need, but keenly search for His response, and keep knocking until He opens the door and gives you the good thing you need?

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Third Command, Ask-Seek-Knock

How do you and I gain discernment to tell who to talk with and what to talk about?
3) The Lord Jesus’ third command was to pray,
Since He is the Sustainer of all things by the power of His word, it is wise to pray to your Father in heaven, Who will give you the good you need

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Ask – The word “pray” means to ask, ask for the specific things you need.

* You know that you can’t get whatever it is for yourself.

* If God doesn’t give it, you know you will have to live without it.

* So you ask in expectation, in faith, continually, waiting for God to give wisdom, discernment (James 1:5-7)

Seek – Is to look for.
* You are alert to where God’s hands will be at work, providing for you what you are asking of Him.

* You are determined not to miss it, no matter how unexpected a place it might come.

* Look for God’s will about the things you are asking Him for. As you search you will discover what the good is that God is answering your prayer with

Knock – Is the active, diligent pursuit of God’s way.

* As you seek out and find God’s will on a matter, go and knock on that door.

* You don’t throw the door open and take what’s inside, but you knock until God opens that door for you and gives you what He has for you. Knock patiently and expectantly, trusting in God’s timing.

This is what Jesus does with you, knocking on the door of your heart, patiently and lovingly, until you open the door of your heart and invite Him in to fellowship with you.

The actual verb tense in the Greek holds the meaning that we are to be continually praying:
- Keep on asking,
- Keep on seeking,
- Keep on knocking
............reverently.

Jesus promises that God, Who is good, wise, loving and powerful, He will certainly give you what you need to live for Him.

"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:8-11)

Jesus was referring to the little round limestone stones on the shore of Lake Galilee which were exactly the shape and color of little loaves; and to eels, which were often drawn up along with other fish, in the nets, but which were considered unclean to eat, since they had no scales.

The Father will give you what you need, and what your heart desires for, deep down. He won’t give you counterfeit bread, and counterfeit meat, He will give you the real thing.

God never changes. He is completely good, without any shadow of meanness or darkness in Him, and God is consistently good.

God’s goodness is not arbitrary or capricious, God’s goodness flows from the perfection of His character. The Bible explains that every good and perfect gift comes from God.

He is not only the standard for goodness, He is the source of all goodness.

What are you asking God for right now?

God will always answer your prayers, but He will answer in His way. God’s way is perfect wisdom and perfect love.

God will sometimes allow suffering, trouble, grief, all kinds of things you didn’t realize you were praying for, but don’t be discouraged. The Father is answering your deep need:
1) For the sense of His presence,
2) For His comfort and courage,
3) For His strength and spiritual power,
4) For maturity in your character,
5) For depth in your personality,
6) For a capacity to love and forgive that begins to match His own.

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside: Second Command, Keep What Is Sacred

2) The Lord Jesus’ second command was to Reverence the Father by not giving what is sacred to those who despise God,

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6)

Pearls are formed slowly over time, layer by beautiful layer, covering a grain of sand that started out as an irritant in the oyster. The pearls in our lives start out as something that hurts, and as we hear God’s word and obey it He begins to layer that hurt with His comfort and wisdom.

Pearls can refer to personal insight into God’s word, God’s enabling and equipping, what you receive from God in prayer; your life in Christ. What is sacred can refer to what belongs to God, such as being involved in God’s work.

Dogs and pigs in ancient times referred to people who had given clear evidence that they rejected God with scorn and had a hardened contempt towards the things of God. In this verse that includes the rejection of God’s Son

The dogs and swine Jesus was referring to were wild creatures, not pets or farm animals. They were usually ravenously hungry, and often dangerous. If you got close enough to a dog or a pig to give them something it better have been something they could eat. Pearls would just frustrate them and make them turn on you.

– Be wise in choosing your audience for quoting a particular scripture, sharing a deep personal insight from God’s word, or a burden God has placed on your heart.

– Be wise in offering something sacred, like the Lord’s table, or a leadership position to someone who is not a Christian, or who is not dealing with some sin in their life, even if in every other way they seem like nice, capable people.

God’s wisdom is expressed in humility and love

We need to use wisdom in love and tenderness when we help other people.
* Don’t judge, but do use sober thinking, guided by God’s word and His Spirit, discerning what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad.

* Humbly receive God’s conviction and correction in your own life and gently help to restore fellow believers from sin.

* Be wise about what you share with people who clearly reject Jesus and are turned off by the things of God. They may not be ready to receive the gospel in words, but you can love them with God’s love.

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, How Not To Judge

The Lord Jesus Christ's command not to judge has often been misinterpreted to mean accepting people in every condition without any thought of what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong.

We’re afraid of being called "intolerant" or "phobic."

"Not judging" has become, in our society, a completely permissive attitude, afraid to use sober discernment in the matter of right and wrong.

That is not what Jesus is saying here. The apostle Paul gave some further insight,

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1)

Those of you who are spiritual should gently lead the person who is trapped in sin back to the right path. You and I obey the law of Christ when we offer each other a helping hand in this way. How do we do this?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye" (Matthew 7:3-5)

We not only need God’s wisdom in recognizing sin, we also need God’s compassion in order to truly help someone.

--> You and I can’t help someone else when we’re blind to our own problems and issues, and when we’re busy feeling superior, or dislike the other person.<-- The desire to correct needs to be transformed into the desire to help, encourage and restore.

Let the Holy Spirit bring to your mind some of the people you might be judging in your heart.
1) Put yourself in the place of the other person you are tending to judge

2) Give that person the benefit of the doubt

3) Try and see yourself from that person’s point of view

4) Ask God to remove any bit of dislike and superior attitude by flooding you with His agape love for that person

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Judging Others

If I were to ask you what you thought the biggest need in the Christian community were today, what would you say? What do Christians today need more than anything else?

What would you say to wisdom?
* Wouldn’t you like to know how to respond to the people in your life in a way that would actually help them?

* Wouldn’t you like to know when you should speak, and when you should keep quiet?

* Who to listen to and who not to?

* What things you should do and what you shouldn’t in a given situation?

In this last section of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus gives four commands and four warnings.

The commands come in the first half, the warnings in second half, and all have to do with right conduct in relationship with others, and with God the Father, the first Person of the trinity.

1) Jesus first command was to: Reverence God the Father, Judge of all people, by not judging others,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1

“Few activities in life rival the thrill of passing judgment on another human being.” That’s one author’s comment. Think about it.
- “Oh, the nerve of that person!”

- “Well, I wasn’t raised like that!”

- “Who died and made him king?!”

In our minds we condemn people who thwart us, get in our way, annoy us, irritate us. The chief reason judging people is so satisfying is that I’m affirmed as being the better person – I know better than they do, I do better than they do. No matter what I’ve done, or how bad I am, I can always find someone else who is worse.

If they seem better than me, then with just a little bit of hunting, I’ll be able to find some flaw in them that I don’t see in myself, which automatically makes me better than they are in my mind.

- “She thinks she’s so perfect, but I wouldn’t go out in public with my bra strap showing, like she does!”

- “Everyone thinks he’s so nice, but I saw him be rude just yesterday morning!”

- “I wouldn’t let my children do what they let their children do.”

That’s why we love to read about famous, beautiful, perfect people toppling, or hear about some spiritual giant falling into sin. They seemed better than me, but now that they’ve fallen, it turns out I’m better than even that person! Without having improved in any way at all, I am all of a sudden better than them, and boy does that feel good.

But there’s a consequence to all this forbidden pleasure,

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2

+ Give love and you’ll receive it,
+ Give mercy and you’ll receive it, you and I reap what we sow.

BUT

If we indulge in judging, we better get ready to be judged and if we want to escape judgement then we better not judge at all.

Instead, you and I need to remind each other all the time of God’s grace.

Wisdom finds its source, the Bible says, in a reverent awe of God. He alone can read hearts and knows the true motives, and He alone has the right to judge, since He really is pure, perfect, all-wise, all-knowing and the Creator of us all.

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Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Judgmentalism

"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

"For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

[Blended Gospels, Matthew 7:1-12, Luke 6:31-42, ESV]

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Worry, Continued

What are you worried about right now?

Every time you catch yourself thinking anxious thoughts, ask yourself,
• Am I remembering the truth about God?

• Do these thoughts honor God?

• Is this what God thinks about this subject?

• Do my thoughts cast doubt on God’s goodness, do they elevate my own importance or desires?

• Would my thoughts bring God pleasure?

• Are they grounded in faith, do they exalt God’s reputation?

• Are these thoughts causing me to feel more fearful and negative, or

• Are these thoughts filling my heart with courage and a strong commitment to righteousness?

• Would God our Father tell me that these are worthy thoughts for His child?

The Bible says to take your anxiety to God, thank Him for everything that you do have, and ask Him for His comfort, forgiveness and courage to stop worrying.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)

* Live in the moment right now.

* Seek to be faithful to God and to love Him and the people in your life who are there right now.

* Don’t be carried away by what might happen tomorrow.

After all, God has given you only the grace for what you need to live out today. When tomorrow comes, God will give you the grace you need for then.

God is reliable and trustworthy, He takes care of His own

--> How great is your relationship with God?

--> Is it just for show, or is it vibrant and rich, personal, intimate and filled with spiritual power?

In God's community, we all are supposed to be giving to each other, to the glory of God, in the praise of His grace. If somebody is not sharing, another person may go hungry. When you read about the early church in Acts, that’s how they lived out Jesus’ teaching. They never worried, but gave everything they had to each other, so that no one was left wanting.

If you link Matthew 6:33-34 with Matthew 6:3-4 you discover that this chapter of Jesus’ teaching actually makes an organic whole:

"When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

As one Bible translation puts it,

"...Relax, don't be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works worry about these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

"Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met...When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it — quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out."

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25

Worry and anxiety aren’t just trivial problems. Worry is really a form of unbelief. Worry is sin.

Maybe that feels unfair, but please don’t be discouraged.

Recognizing that the emotional pain of worrying and being anxious is sin is actually good news. Jesus didn’t die to free you and me from uncomfortable emotions. He died to free us from the power of sin. As one author has put it, “Jesus paid the price of every ounce of worry and fear in each of our lives, and He broke the power that worry, and all our sin, has in our lives.”

If you’ve identified with the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, then this is the truth:
* You are free from the bondage of sin,
* Free from the bondage of worry, habitual fears and anxieties.

It may seem like these worries will never let you go, but that’s not the truth. Jesus has empowered you to stop being anxious about your life.

You have been set free.

When you are willing to worship God and put Him first, you will discover that whatever God provides is enough for you to live for Him.

(1) God created you and He is a responsible Father. He will take care of what He has made

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26)

(2) God sees to it that the earth continues to thrive – He sustains the entire universe by His word

(3) Worry is pointless, and ends up making your situation worse, not better, because you are now emotionally depleted and can even make yourself physically sick with worry

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:27)

(4) God even cares about beauty, He has clothed the universe in luxurious colors, scents and sounds

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." (Matthew 6:28-29)

(5) To be preoccupied by the things of earthly life is to live like an unbeliever.

"...Will [God] not much more clothe you — you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things," Matthew 6:30-32

It’s understandable for someone who doesn’t believe in God to worry about the seemingly arbitrary and capricious and meaningless way life goes along. But it’s sin for someone who claims to believe that God is loving, powerful, good and sovereign to also indulge in an anxious thought life.

(6) God is your Father, and as His child you enjoy privileges that are not available to those who are not members of His family,

"Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:32b-33)

Your heavenly Father knows what you need.

You are of far greater value than all the rest of the life on earth, and when you forget that truth, you will live like an unbeliever, always filled with worries and fears.

Instead focus on obeying and pleasing God, and everything you need will be given to you.

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Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Wealth as God's Rival

If you and I worship wealth, then we will find ourselves emotionally, spiritually and materially impoverished.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19)

* We will view the wealth God has given us as really our own wealth and not His, and worry about whether our wealth is secure.

* We’ll worry if there is enough of it to provide for our wants.

* We will become reluctant to share the wealth.

* Instead of being grateful to God, our anxieties and worries will create distance between us and God.

Instead, the Lord Jesus says,

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."(Matthew 6:20)

The Jews were very familiar with this concept of treasure in heaven. One saying was that deeds of kindness done on earth became the treasure a person had in heaven.

Treasure in heaven was also connected with a person’s character. It was said that the only thing a person could take out of this world with them when they died was themselves. So the finer a self that person brought, the greater that person’s treasure would be in heaven.

When you lay up treasure in heaven, you end up using all that you have here on earth for the glory of God. Jesus often talked about how the right attitude toward wealth is a mark of spiritual maturity.

When God made everything we have on this earth, He declared it good. God has often invited His people to enjoy what He has given us. It is not wrong for you to possess wealth, but it is definitely wrong for wealth to posses you.

What is your security?

Think about it this way – go through each aspect of your life and ask yourself “Could I survive the loss of this, or would it spin me into a pit so deep I wonder if I would ever come back up out of it?”

* Maybe you feel you might not survive the loss of your child, or of your husband, or your family.

* Maybe your treasure is your pet, and the loss of that little companion would sink you beyond help.

* Maybe what you are treasuring is for you to be loved, and you fear losing, or being abandoned by, the person or the creature who loves you.

* Maybe your treasure is your sense of security – your house and investments, or your retirement account.

* Maybe it’s your health and strength, and you are undone by the thought of being bedridden.

* Maybe pleasure is your treasure, and the loss of even a little pleasure makes you irritable and grabby.

* Maybe you treasure being popular,
...or having a sense of purpose by being employed,
......or having something to do.

You tell God what your treasure is, and He’ll tell you where your heart is.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)

A prayer-filled life is characterized by godly wisdom:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)

Eyes are opened to the light of God's word, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, rather than being blinded by the glare of wealth, which actually brings darkness and clouded thinking.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (or "Mammom") (Matthew 6:24)

“Mammon” was a commonly used word in Jesus’ day that referred to wealth, but in the negative sense, being enslaved to wealth.

You can’t love and devote yourself to your earthly treasure and think that you can love and devote yourself to God at the same time. Mammon is God’s rival. The love of one will crowd out the love of the other.

* In what capacity might you be trying to "serve two masters"?

* In what ways might wealth, or the desire for wealth, be clouding your thinking?

* What do you find yourself devoting more of your time and energy towards? God, or His rival...Mammon?

God hasn’t promised to always protect your earthly treasure. If you spend your life trying to protect your treasure, which God hasn’t promised to do, you will find yourself in a constant state of anxiety, since you know, deep down, that you can’t control the future.

The only answer is to replace the earthly treasure with a heavenly one, treasuring God even more, treasuring His love and approval even more than your other loves.

A prayerful life has a single focus on God, and not double vision which tries to serve God and some other source of security,
-> Like material wealth,
...or a career,
......or your children,
.........or having a companion and so on.

When your heart is wrapped around earthly treasure, you leave yourself vulnerable to fear, anxiety and worry. A person with single focus is free from anxiety and worry about the things of life, but trusts contentedly in God's provision, even when God’s will allows anguish, suffering, and death.

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Blended Gospels: Jesus' Sermon On The Mountainside, Wealth

“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith?

"So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

[Blended Gospels: Matthew 6:19-34, Luke 6:24-25, ESV]

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Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Fasting

Jesus' third example of religious hypocrisy concerned
(C) Fasting:

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:16)

The only fast that God required of His people was on the day of atonement, but the Pharisees fasted twice a week, Monday and Thursday, making sure everybody knew it so they could be congratulated on their holiness. All they were interested in was other people’s admiration, so they lost out on any blessing their fasting would have brought from God.

Fasting is good and right. Jesus fasted, and He said that sometimes something can’t be accomplished without both prayer and fasting.

Fasting helps to discipline our appetites and keep our spiritual priorities straight.

Judicious fasting has long been known to be good for your health. When you fast you are disciplining rather than indulging your appetite, which strengthens your ability for self-discipline and self-control in other areas of your life, too.

Pleasure and habit don’t become our masters.

Fasting gives you the courage to do without something, and strengthens your faith that you can persevere. Fasting helps you to appreciate all that God gives you. You know how to say thank you when you’ve done without.

This is private and intimate, between you and God.
(1) When you fast in order to be in a deeper communion with the Lord
(2) Then do it quietly, unobtrusively, so that it truly is a holy fast. (3) Fast in a way that does not drag everyone down with you,
(4) But that is uplifting and joyful, a pleasurable gift to God,
(5) And a deeper humbling of yourself.

Real righteousness is anchored in a vibrant relationship with God

It's all about the love -- this is for You, Lord, because I love you. It's intimate. You don’t even want other people to be looking in, because this is personal.

Worship of God contains three essential elements:
--> Generosity,
--> Communion with God
--> Self control

Real lovers of God commune with God, sustained by prayer that brings joy and spiritual energy, because it is focused on the love affair with God Himself, wanting always to do what pleases Him and is within His will.

* In what ways can your prayer life become more personal and intimate with God?

Real lovers of God control their own impulses to over-consume what God gives them, or to hoard God's wealth.

* In what area of your life might God be calling you to fast from as a matter of worship and devotion to Him?

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. It is His pleasure to give to us. Real lovers of God worship Him by joyfully sharing His spiritual and material wealth with others in a way that upholds the receiver’s dignity and deflects attention from the giver.

* What do you have that you now see God is calling you to share with someone else, as a matter of generous love towards God Himself?

If you and I do not worship the wealth, but worship God alone, this sharing ends up making all of us rich. God rewards the one who gives out of love for Him. Those who receive what is given are also richer.

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Jesus' Sermon: The Lord's Prayer

The Lord Jesus gave a pattern for prayer to His disciples

“This, then, is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9)

(1) Beginning with worship and reverent love,

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9)

Believe that you are in the throne room of God, kneeling at His feet, with His hand lovingly placed on you. He is your Father, and you are His favored child, part of His family, and what you will ask our Father for is to benefit the whole family

(2) Consecrate yourself by aligning your heart, mind, will and spirit with God’s will.

"your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)

Let it be your deepest most heartfelt desire to be an active part of God setting things right on earth, just as they are right and good in heaven. Humble yourself completely under God’s hand.

(3) God already knows your needs, but now you are ready to bring you personal need to God, your material bread, and your spiritual bread, because you will now trust God’s provision, and will know how to use it in the right way.

"Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11)

“Father, please grant me the sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in Your wise and Fatherly disposal in every condition. Help me to be satisfied with Your loving provision in any and every situation”

(4) Recognize your need for God’s forgiveness, and for His power to forgive the people in your life.

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)

Once you receive God’s forgiveness, then out of that wealth of His cleansing, comfort and deep acceptance, you will have the ability to forgive all the sins that people do to you.

Listen to Him carefully, because the Lord will help you to realize the people you need to go to, to forgive, to ask forgiveness from and who you need to ask to be reconciled with. This is what living the gospel is all about.

(5) Immediately you are going to be tempted to live for yourself instead, to please yourself and not God, so pray for protection,

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13)

(6) Praise God, full of faith that He is good, He is loving, He is powerful, He is sovereign! He can and will do all of this and more.

We must have a forgiving spirit towards others for our prayer to be real:

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

God has made it clear that when you and I cherish sin in our hearts, our prayers are going to be without effect. To have fellowship with God, you have to live out the gospel experiencing God’s forgiveness both from Him to yourself, and through you to others.

The important thing about prayer is not so much about getting an answer from God, but being the kind of person that God will trust with an answer. Without receiving something from God, through prayer, you and I will not have anything of worth to offer anyone else.

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Jesus' Sermon: Intention of the Law on Prayer

The second of Jesus' examples of hypocritical religion concerned prayer
(B) Prayer:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:5)

All prayer is meant to be for God. Prayer is talking with God. You and I speak to God in prayer; He speaks to us through the Bible and His Spirit.

Often it is a good start to begin by listening to the Lord first in Scripture, understanding what He wants for you and what He wants to do through you, then respond to Him in prayer.

What do you say, how do you talk, when you are face to face with God? You may not use the most eloquent, beautiful language, you may not finish your sentences perfectly, you may not have a sensible outline for your prayer.

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6)

“Closet” means “a private room.” Go into a room by yourself and shut the door. Be alone with the Lord, so that you can freely pour out your heart to Him, and not be distracted as God pours out His heart and mind to you. You can pray out loud, on your knees before God, humbled before Him, without even a hint of self consciousness.

(1) We need to pray in secret before we pray in public: It isn’t wrong to pray in public, it’s good and right. Praying together is one of the most intimate things believers can experience together. But pray privately with God first, get right with Him first. It is wrong to pray in public if you are not in the habit of praying in private.

(2) We must pray sincerely: When you pray together, it can quench the Holy Spirit’s movement among you when
--> One person dominates the prayer time with long speeches that end up being a lecture for the people present, and not real prayer to God Himself.

You can quench the Spirit’s intercession through you by
--> Trying to think up holy sounding words instead of praying what the Spirit puts in your heart to say.

You can quench the Spirit’s leading when you
--> Run out of things to say, but still keep talking.

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-8)

Repeating a petition to God is not “vain repetition.” Jesus prayed about the same thing three times in a row in the Garden of Gethsemane.

A ”vain repetition” is when you just say the same words, but in your heart you aren’t really seeking God or His will.

* You might be wanting God to do your will;
* Or you might not be invested in what you’re praying about;
* You might be checking it off the list, so you can say you prayed about it;
* Or you might not even be thinking about what you’re saying.

Reciting a beautiful poem to somebody you love can be incredibly moving when you put your heart and soul into it. Praying memorized prayers can be the same. But when you are not thinking about what you’re saying, you’re just getting the job done, that’s “vain repetitiom."

(3) We must pray within God’s will: The purpose of prayer is to glorify God’s name, and ask for help to accomplish His will on earth.

(4) Prayer begins with God’s interests: God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will. You and I can’t get anywhere by praying for something that would dishonor God’s name, delay His kingdom or go against His will.

Prayer involves each person of the Trinity.
* You and I pray to God the Father.
* We pray through the Lord Jesus Christ, that's why we often say "for Jesus' sake," because it's on behalf of Jesus' atonement that God allows us to come right up to Him in His holy of holies, the throne room of heaven.
* Being born again, God has put His Holy Spirit in us, so that you and I come to God in the Holy Spirit when we commune with Him.

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