The Conduct Of The Follower Of Christ Regarding The Law – Introduction Series

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

THE CONDUCT OF THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

REGARDING THE LAW – INTRODUCTION

MATTHEW 5:17–20 “DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I HAVE NOT COME TO ABOLISH THEM BUT TO FULFILL THEM. 18I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH DISAPPEAR, NOT THE SMALLEST LETTER, NOT THE LEAST STROKE OF A PEN, WILL BY ANY MEANS DISAPPEAR FROM THE LAW UNTIL EVERYTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED. 19ANYONE WHO BREAKS ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE COMMANDMENTS AND TEACHES OTHERS TO DO THE SAME WILL BE CALLED LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT WHOEVER PRACTICES AND TEACHES THESE COMMANDS WILL BE CALLED GREAT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 20FOR I TELL YOU THAT UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SURPASSES THAT OF THE PHARISEES AND THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW, YOU WILL CERTAINLY NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

INTRODUCTION: IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT WE LIVE IN AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD. SO MANY THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY ONCE WERE. TECHNOLOGY HAS BROUGHT THE DISTANT CLOSE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME TAKEN WHAT IS CLOSE AND MADE IT DISTANT.

IN OTHER AREAS THERE HAS BEEN SIMILAR MOVEMENT. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF DISCIPLINE WAS, FOR THE MOST PART, A UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED PRACTICE.

I GREW UP IN THE ERA WHERE I DID NOT HAVE A SILVER SPOON IN MY MOUTH BUT I DID HAVE A WOODEN SPOON ON MY, WELL YOU CAN FIGURE THIS OUT.

THEN DURING MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT SPOON, ALONG CAME DR. SPOCK. REMEMBER HIM? NOT MISTER SPOCK – POINTY EARS AND LIVE LONG AND PROSPER, BUT DR. SPOCK WHO WROTE EXTENSIVELY ON CHILD REARING.

WRITING FOR REDBOOK MAGAZINE, DR. SPOCK WROTE THIS -- "WE HAVE REARED A GENERATION OF BRATS. PARENTS AREN'T FIRM ENOUGH WITH THEIR CHILDREN FOR FEAR OF LOSING THEIR LOVE OR INCURRING THEIR RESENTMENT. THIS IS A CRUEL DEPRIVATION THAT WE PROFESSIONALS HAVE IMPOSED ON MOTHERS AND FATHERS. OF COURSE, WE DID IT WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS. WE DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE HOW OUR KNOW-IT-ALL ATTITUDE WAS UNDERMINING THE SELF ASSURANCE OF PARENTS."

TOO LATE

WE SEE THAT RESULT OF THIS TEACHING FINDING SEED IN OUR SCHOOLS, MOVING INTO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND THEN EVEN OUT INTO THE WORKPLACE.

THERE IS A GENERAL AND GROWING DISRESPECT FOR AUTHORITY OF ANY KIND AND WITH IT COMES AN ATTITUDE OF ENTITLEMENT

TRANSITION: YET, WHEN WE COME TO OUR PASSAGE TODAY. A PLACE WHERE JESUS LAYS THE FOUNDATION AND GROUNDWORK FOR OUR CONDUCT UNDER GOD’S LAW, WE CAN AND WILL SEE A DIFFERENT PICTURE. GOD’S LAW WAS NOT SO MUCH WHAT WE WERE TO DO AS IT WAS WHAT HE WAS DOING FOR US.

JESUS INTRODUCED A NEW COVENANT, ONE WHICH REMOVED ITS PLACE FROM TABLETS OF STONE AND MOVED INTS PLACE TO TABLETS OF FLESH – THE HUMAN HEART.

WE WOULD QUICKLY SEE OUR WORLD SHIFT IN CONDUCT WERE IT POSSIBLE TO SUPERNATURALLY PLACE THE PERFECT LAW OF GOD IN EACH AND EVERY HEART.

AND JUST TO REMIND YOU – IT IS THE GOSPEL THAT BRINGS THE PROMISE OF GOD INTO THE HEART OF MAN.

SO, IN OUR TIME THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT THE TEACHING OF JESUS HERE ON THE MOUNT CONCERNING THE CONDUCT OF THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

I. JESUS PERSONIFIES THE LAW

JESUS INTRODUCES US TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF INTERPRETATION – ONE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WOULD NOT ACCEPT

a. JESUS AFFIRMS THE REALITY AND AUTHORITY OF THE LAW

i. HE AFFIRMS THE LAW – FIRST FIVE BOOKS WHICH INSTRUCTED THE NATION OF ISRAEL BY GIVING THEM THE LAW OF GOD

ii. HE AFFIRMS THE PROPHETS WHICH WOULD DECLARE TO THE PEOPLE WHAT GOD HAD SPOKEN AND WOULD BE POINTING PEOPLE TO THE MESSIAH

b. JESUS DID NOT, IN HIS OWN WORDS COME TO DESTROY THE LAW

i. THE WORD MEANS OVERTHROWN

ii. THE WORD MEANS TO LOOSEN

iii. TO UTTERLY DESTROY

CONCLUSION: ACCORDING TO JESUS THE LAW GIVEN BY GOD THE FATHER DOES NOT NEED TO BE TOSSED OUT, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE WATERED DOWN, AND IT DOES NOT NEED TO DISAPPEAR

HAVE YOU SEEN THE BUMPER STICKER ON CARS THAT SAYS,” THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT NEED TO BE REWRITTEN, IT NEEDS TO BE REREAD.”

AND IN A RECENT FOX NEWS POLL – JUST SAW THIS ON FRIDAY ONLY 39% OF AMERICANS SAID THEY WERE PROUD OF THEIR COUNTRY

c. JESUS TELLS US THAT HIS PURPOSE WAS TO COME AND FULFILL THE LAW

i. THE PICTURE BEHIND THIS WORD IS THAT JESUS WAS COMING TO FILL IN THE GAPS THAT WERE BEING MISSED

ii. IT IS KIND OF LIKE FINDING THE MISSING PIECES TO A PUZZLE IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN COMPLETED