Preacher: Rev. Steve Mattis
Series: The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached
Passage: Matthew 5:23-5:24
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“The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached”

Jesus teaching Matthew 5-7

Discourse on the Hill
or
The Sermon on the Mount

The teaching of Jesus is culturally relevant and presently applicable.
Contrast #1
Murder vrs. Anger, Contempt and destructive talk (the seeds of murder)

James Foley

Forgiveness Matt. 5:23-24

Fantasized Desire.
Matt. 5:27-30

Contrast #2 Adultery vrs. Fantasized Desire.

“You shall not commit adultery”
but I say
“Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Law Concerning Adultery:

Strictly speaking prohibits a married person from having sexual relations with someone other than his or her spouse.

As with murder – adultery is an absolute prohibition under the law. Ex. 20:13-14

Jesus transforms the heart: The mere fact that one does not murder does not mean you are right in relation to your fellow man. Anger and Contempt in the Heart = Murder!

Because one does not commit (physical) adultery does not mean you are right (sexually) in relation to other people .

The context here: Jesus is teaching what it means to live in the present rule of the Kingdom of God. (A heart ruled by the King.)

It is possible Not to do a specific act (murder/adultery) and still have your heart outside the realm of the Kingdom of God.

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (No Kingdom influence)
Matt. 15:8-9, Isa. 29:13

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications…etc.
These are the things that defile a man!”
Matt. 15: 18-20

The Kingdom is chiefly advanced – heart!

You can train your heart in rightness!
The kingdom within transforms the heart.

Fantasized desire is a habit. A choice.
When indulged = Adultery in the heart.

Anger, contempt, destructive words. A choice.
When indulged = Murder in the heart.

The heart interacting with God. A Choice.
When indulged = Kingdom Heart.

Jesus exposes the absurd logic of the religious mind! Vrs. 29-30

Reductio ad Absurdum – Rightness by actions alone = (logical) to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand.

Absurdity: to think one could not lust by gouging out an eye. Lust is a choice, a fantasized desire of the heart. Habit Pattern!

Absurdity: to think one could not murder by cutting off your hand. The seeds of murder are anger and contempt indulged in the heart. Habit Pattern!

The Kingdom of God is at hand (available) Change your mind; change your heart. Jesus will rule in the inner recesses of your heart. Jesus in us really is enough!

When there is anger, contempt, he will be in us the love we need. We change our mind!

When there is Fantasized desire, he will be the intimacy we need. We change our mind!

Jesus will always be in us exactly what we need when we need it. Allow Him to Rule!

“The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached”

Jesus teaching Matthew 5-7

Discourse on the Hill
or
The Sermon on the Mount

The teaching of Jesus is culturally relevant and presently applicable.
Contrast #1
Murder vrs. Anger, Contempt and destructive talk (the seeds of murder)

James Foley

Forgiveness Matt. 5:23-24

Fantasized Desire.
Matt. 5:27-30

Contrast #2 Adultery vrs. Fantasized Desire.

“You shall not commit adultery”
but I say
“Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Law Concerning Adultery:

Strictly speaking prohibits a married person from having sexual relations with someone other than his or her spouse.

As with murder – adultery is an absolute prohibition under the law. Ex. 20:13-14

Jesus transforms the heart: The mere fact that one does not murder does not mean you are right in relation to your fellow man. Anger and Contempt in the Heart = Murder!

Because one does not commit (physical) adultery does not mean you are right (sexually) in relation to other people .

The context here: Jesus is teaching what it means to live in the present rule of the Kingdom of God. (A heart ruled by the King.)

It is possible Not to do a specific act (murder/adultery) and still have your heart outside the realm of the Kingdom of God.

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (No Kingdom influence)
Matt. 15:8-9, Isa. 29:13

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications…etc.
These are the things that defile a man!”
Matt. 15: 18-20

The Kingdom is chiefly advanced – heart!

You can train your heart in rightness!
The kingdom within transforms the heart.

Fantasized desire is a habit. A choice.
When indulged = Adultery in the heart.

Anger, contempt, destructive words. A choice.
When indulged = Murder in the heart.

The heart interacting with God. A Choice.
When indulged = Kingdom Heart.

Jesus exposes the absurd logic of the religious mind! Vrs. 29-30

Reductio ad Absurdum – Rightness by actions alone = (logical) to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand.

Absurdity: to think one could not lust by gouging out an eye. Lust is a choice, a fantasized desire of the heart. Habit Pattern!

Absurdity: to think one could not murder by cutting off your hand. The seeds of murder are anger and contempt indulged in the heart. Habit Pattern!

The Kingdom of God is at hand (available) Change your mind; change your heart. Jesus will rule in the inner recesses of your heart. Jesus in us really is enough!

When there is anger, contempt, he will be in us the love we need. We change our mind!

When there is Fantasized desire, he will be the intimacy we need. We change our mind!

Jesus will always be in us exactly what we need when we need it. Allow Him to Rule!

“The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached”

Jesus teaching Matthew 5-7

Discourse on the Hill
or
The Sermon on the Mount

The teaching of Jesus is culturally relevant and presently applicable.
Contrast #1
Murder vrs. Anger, Contempt and destructive talk (the seeds of murder)

James Foley

Forgiveness Matt. 5:23-24

Fantasized Desire.
Matt. 5:27-30

Contrast #2 Adultery vrs. Fantasized Desire.

“You shall not commit adultery”
but I say
“Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Law Concerning Adultery:

Strictly speaking prohibits a married person from having sexual relations with someone other than his or her spouse.

As with murder – adultery is an absolute prohibition under the law. Ex. 20:13-14

Jesus transforms the heart: The mere fact that one does not murder does not mean you are right in relation to your fellow man. Anger and Contempt in the Heart = Murder!

Because one does not commit (physical) adultery does not mean you are right (sexually) in relation to other people .

The context here: Jesus is teaching what it means to live in the present rule of the Kingdom of God. (A heart ruled by the King.)

It is possible Not to do a specific act (murder/adultery) and still have your heart outside the realm of the Kingdom of God.

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (No Kingdom influence)
Matt. 15:8-9, Isa. 29:13

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications…etc.
These are the things that defile a man!”
Matt. 15: 18-20

The Kingdom is chiefly advanced – heart!

You can train your heart in rightness!
The kingdom within transforms the heart.

Fantasized desire is a habit. A choice.
When indulged = Adultery in the heart.

Anger, contempt, destructive words. A choice.
When indulged = Murder in the heart.

The heart interacting with God. A Choice.
When indulged = Kingdom Heart.

Jesus exposes the absurd logic of the religious mind! Vrs. 29-30

Reductio ad Absurdum – Rightness by actions alone = (logical) to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand.

Absurdity: to think one could not lust by gouging out an eye. Lust is a choice, a fantasized desire of the heart. Habit Pattern!

Absurdity: to think one could not murder by cutting off your hand. The seeds of murder are anger and contempt indulged in the heart. Habit Pattern!

The Kingdom of God is at hand (available) Change your mind; change your heart. Jesus will rule in the inner recesses of your heart. Jesus in us really is enough!

When there is anger, contempt, he will be in us the love we need. We change our mind!

When there is Fantasized desire, he will be the intimacy we need. We change our mind!

Jesus will always be in us exactly what we need when we need it. Allow Him to Rule!