Intro
Open your Bibles to Matthew 5 today as we continue our Summer Series entitled “Love God , Love your Neighbor”
We are examining the 10 Commandments—God’s moral law—while focusing on Jesus is summary of the commandments found in the New Testament. Jesus tells us
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-39 ESV)
Jesus teaches us here that the 10 commandments are easily understood as “Love God” and “Love Your Neighbor." The first four commands and focus them on our love and worship to God. While commandments 5-10 and focus them on our mission to love our neighbor. Since Jesus teaches us that these are about loving others, and not just internal struggles against sin. We want to ask God to teach us how to love others for the sake of the gospel.
Today we come to the 7th amendment which is:
“You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14 ESV)
In a sermon is entitled: Mission: Purity Shows Jesus’ Nature
The big truth is: Jesus fulfills the 7th commandment perfectly. His church is called to repent on their sin and live a life of purity.
If you're able we stand as we open up God's word today? We will read out of Matthew 5 beginning in verse 17 through 28. I pray that you will hear the word of the Lord.
READ FROM THE BIBLE
“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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:17-28 ESV)
PRAY
Jesus fulfills the seventh commandment by deepening its meaning and transforming here in Matthew chapter 5. The 10 Commandments are internal as much as—if not more than—they are external. Last week we spoke how murder begins our heart. Its not enough that we keep the law outwardly and not murder. Jesus says God looks upon the heart and if you have ever been angry with your brother your liable the same judgement as murder. The same is true for the 7th commandment. As Jesus speaks of adultery He moves our attention from the external act of adultery and gets to the root of our problem which is our heart.
The Pharisee and the teachers of Jesus time did their best to keep the law externally. But there hearts would condemn them because no matter how well they kept the law. They still have had these sinful thoughts that truly didn't line up with their lifestyle. This is why Jesus tells us here that ‘unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.’ Because our righteousness must be based in faith in Jesus work and not ours.
We are all guilty of breaking the 7th commandment. Your works and outward conformity of being faithful sexually will never please God, because God knows your heart. This is why we need a Savior and a new heart. God speaks through the profit Ezekiel promising that He will save us and give us new heart. Listen to what He says:
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:24-27 ESV)
God's promises to save us and give us new hearts. With this new heart comes new desires. He promises that His Spirit to be in us and by His power we can live a new, transformed life for His glory and the good of our neighbor. This is all God’s doing. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ alone, that is when our righteousness exceeds the works of the Pharisees and teachers. Turn your bibles to John Chapter 8. I want you to hear how Jesus responded to a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and how he handles her accusers. Let's read it.
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.” (John 8:2-9 ESV)
Have you ever been caught red-handed at something? That pit in your stomach when your caught. You've done something wrong and there's nothing you can do or say. Here stands this girl. Caught in the act of adultery. She is having sex with man who is not her husband. She gets ripped out of bed, arrested and brought to the temple court. I'm kind of curious where the guy is. This coward is nowhere to be found. Girls there's a lesson in there for you. I’m imagining that her she didn't have much time to pull herself together, get cleaned up and dressed.
This woman is drowning in humiliation, guilt and shame. And now these men are looking to Jesus to give them green light to kill her for what she's done. We are not exactly sure what Jesus wrote in the sand. But I believe Jesus it was enough to exposed their own sinful—adulterous hearts. It was enough to silence her accusers. One by one they walk away until there's nobody left. Listen to what Jesus says to the woman guilty of adultery.
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11 ESV)
The only one who could've righteously thrown stones and judged that girl was Jesus. Yet His response was quite different. Jesus is merciful to her. ?He forgives her and calls her to live a life of righteousness by sinning no more.
Jesus transforms the seventh commandment by exposing everyone lustful and adulterous heart. Throwing us all on the mercy of God. It doesn't matter how much you try to clean yourself up on the outside God knows your heart. Each and everyone of us stand before God guilty of breaking not only the seventh commandment but all of them. And Jesus says I am not here to condemn you. I have come to keep the law on your behalf, I have come to pay the penalty owed to God for sin. I have come to free you from the guilt that leads to condemnation. I have come to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. And this is true for everyone who places their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. What then is our response to this good news.
Response
He tells the woman “from now on sin no more”. Jesus clearly calls us to purity but it first begins in our hearts and then is modeled in our lives through obedience. Adultery in its basic form is marital infidelity. It is any sex that breaks the bonds of a marriage covenant. The relationship between husband and wife is the first and most important relationship. You spouse is your closest the most important neighbor you to love. Martial sex is a gift from God. And nothing destroys the marriage quicker than adultery. Like all of God’s gifts we have abused them and used them selfishly. Sex is the sacred gift that God has given to a man and a women in the confines of marriage. This is not a popular view today. But it is God's intent and perfect design. We read in Genesis 1.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”(Genesis 1:27-28a ESV)
Marital sex is how we are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. After God created all things he looked down upon his creation and he proclaimed that it was “very good”. And marital sex is “very good” part of that creation. Because of sin we have redefined what is good. As God forgives us of our sins and cleanse us of our unrighteousness. Part of our sanctification will be discovering what truly is good. In Genesis 2 we read God’s account of creation. You know the story, God created Adam. He placed him in the garden and gave him dominion over all of creation. He was the work the ground and make it flourish and then God looked down and said this:
“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18 ESV)
I hope that his comforting for those that are lonely. God knows it's not good for you to be alone. That he is going to make a helper suitable for you. A helper that will complete you and that will help you walk in obedience to God's purpose for you. Which is to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. For everyone that is unmarried you were called the sexual purity, resting on this promise.
All too often for those who are dating ask the question “how far can we go?” The Bible does not say where the line is. But the real problem is the question itself. You're basically asking what can I get away with it. What God would want you to ask is: How can I protect my sexual purity? and How can I preserve the joy of the person God is making suitable for me?
Believing that God knows that it's not good for me to be alone and that he is making a helper suitable for me. This helper will bring you closer to Jesus not further away. Is suitable helper will be for your purity and not try to take what does not belong to them. You might be wondering who that person is. Begin a prayer journal for your future husband or wife. You don't have to be obsessing about it but as you begin to reflect on the promises of God. Thank Him for caring about you. Trust that He is making someone suitable for you. Get discipled and grow closer to the Lord so that you too can be a suitable helper for your future husband or wife. Writing a journal how God is transforming you and making you suitable for him or her.
How beautiful the gift would be for your future spouse on your wedding day. You can present them with your journal showing them they are an answer to prayer and who God has created suitable for you. Let's look at Adam and Eve's wedding day. Genesis 2 verse 21.
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. (Genesis 2:21 ESV)
I love that God made Eve out of the rib. It says that men and women were created differently. God picked up the dirt and breathed life into Adam yet he fashions Eve from the rib of man. The rib is close to his heart. A bone that is there to protect his heart.Taking the rib from the side also tells us that women are equal. God did not take from Adams foot for man to rule over women nor did god take from Adams head for women to rule over man.
Rather from the side equal and different. Adam rejoices verse 22.
Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:22-24 ESV)
It is this oneness that Jesus wants to restore, preserve and protect in our marriage. Every act of adultery and sexual sin is a violation of this oneness. Our lives are meant to glorify God and love others. Our marriages are to so the same. Sex is God’s wonderful and sacred gift to your marriage. God intends this to be so special that it is not to be shared with another. Sex is also God’s primary means for starting a family. Which is another absolute blessing.
Adultery and sexual sin has done nothing to preserve the family. But it has certainly hurt and broken family.
Christian marriages are to model what it means to live for others and not for self, practicing self-sacrificial love for one another. And most importantly our marriages are meant to reflect and image our relationship with Jesus.
One of love, service and submission in a relationship looks like. The apostle Paul gives us a picture of what it means to model perfect love, service and submission in a marriage. Ephesians chapter 5 Paul writes.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV)
Each week we respond to what we've just heard this is called “worship”.
PRAY
