THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID – ADULTERY
MATTHEW 5:27–30 “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.’ 28BUT I TELL YOU THAT ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT A WOMAN LUSTFULLY HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH HER IN HIS HEART. 29IF YOUR RIGHT EYE CAUSES YOU TO SIN, GOUGE IT OUT AND THROW IT AWAY. IT IS BETTER FOR YOU TO LOSE ONE PART OF YOUR BODY THAN FOR YOUR WHOLE BODY TO BE THROWN INTO HELL. 30AND IF YOUR RIGHT HAND CAUSES YOU TO SIN, CUT IT OFF AND THROW IT AWAY. IT IS BETTER FOR YOU TO LOSE ONE PART OF YOUR BODY THAN FOR YOUR WHOLE BODY TO GO INTO HELL.
INTRODUCTION: THIS MORNING WE ARE CONTINUING IN OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND, I GUESS THE SECTION, I WOULD CALL THE “YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID” SECTION. IT IS IN THIS SECTION THAT THE LORD SEEKS TO TEACH THOSE LISTENING THE TRUE NATURE OF THE LAW IN THE SENSE THAT THE LAW OF GOD IS NOT EXTERNAL, RATHER IT IS INTERNAL AND WHAT WE DO INTERNALLY – SPIRITUALLY WITH HE LAW WILL BE REFLECTED ON WHAT HAPPENS OUTWARDLY.
EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER – VERSE 20, JESUS ENCOURAGED OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EXCEED THAT OF THE PHARISEES IF WE HOPED TO GET INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND THESE 6 STATEMENTS (OF WHICH WE ARE ON NUMBER TWO) SOUGHT TO SHOW THAT EXTERNAL ACTION DOES NOT PRODUCE GODLY RIGHTEOUSNESS.
TRANSITION: SO, HERE WE ARE, WITH THE SECOND PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GOD’S FOUNDATIONAL LAW. LAST TIME WE SPOKE, JESUS DEALT WITH THE TOPIC OF MURDER, AND IN DOING SO GAVE DIVINE SUPPORT TO THE SANCTITY OF LIFE. HERE TODAY, JESUS DEALS WITH ADULTERY, AND IN DOING SO GIVES DIVINE SUPPORT TO THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE.
I. JESUS REDEFINES ADULTERY AS NOT JUST THE ACT BUT THE LOOK
a. NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM ADULTERY – ANYONE
b. ADULTERY INVOLVES THE “LOOK
i. THE WORD HERE MEANS TO CONTINUE TO LOOK
ii. WE CANNOT AVOID THE FIRST LOOK
1. UNEXPECTED
2. UNANTICIPATED
iii. AFTER THE FIRST LOOK, WE CAN AVOID AND/OR PROTECT AGAINST THE CONTINUED LOOK
c. LUSTFUL LOOK
i. ADULTERY BEGINS WITH OUR HEART
1. ACTIONS OF THE HEART ACCORDING TO JESUS ARE AS WRONG AS ACT ITSELF
2. THE ACT IS WRONG AND THE DESIRE TO DO THE ACT IS WRONG AS WELL
IT IS AN INDICATION THAT WE ARE NOT IN A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
AGAIN, THE ISSUE IS NOT THE TEMPTATION – FIRST LOOK, THE ISSUE THAT AFFECTS THE HEART IS DO WE CONTINUE?
WHEN WE CONTINUE, WE MOVE FROM TEMPTATION TO RATIONALIZATION WHICH LEADS TO THE SIN OF THE ACT ITSELF.
II. THE ROOT OF LUST IS SELF-CENTERED GRATIFICATION.
a. IF THOUGHTS ARE SIN, WHY NOT DO THE ACTION AS WELL?
i. IT CAUSES US TO EXCUSE SIN RATHER THAN TO STOP SINNING
ii. IT DESTROYS MARRIAGES
iii. IT ALWAYS HURTS SOMEONE ELSE IN ADDITION TO THE ONE SINNING
MAKE NO MISTAKE, SINFUL ACTION IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN SINFUL DESIRE. NEVERTHELESS, SINFUL DESIRE IS JUST AS DAMAGING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
LEFT UNCHECKED, WRONG DESIRES WILL RESULT IN WRONG ACTIONS, WILL HURT OTHERS, AND WILL TURN PEOPLE AWAY FROM GOD.
JESUS IS LOOKING FOR INWARD CHANGE TO PRODUCE OUTWARD ACTION WHICH ALIGNS WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
b. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY – LUST
2 SAMUEL 13:1–15 IN THE COURSE OF TIME, AMNON SON OF DAVID FELL IN LOVE WITH TAMAR, THE BEAUTIFUL SISTER OF ABSALOM SON OF DAVID. 2AMNON BECAME FRUSTRATED TO THE POINT OF ILLNESS ON ACCOUNT OF HIS SISTER TAMAR, FOR SHE WAS A VIRGIN, AND IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO DO ANYTHING TO HER. 3NOW AMNON HAD A FRIEND NAMED JONADAB SON OF SHIMEAH, DAVID’S BROTHER. JONADAB WAS A VERY SHREWD MAN. 4HE ASKED AMNON, “WHY DO YOU, THE KING’S SON, LOOK SO HAGGARD MORNING AFTER MORNING? WON’T YOU TELL ME?” AMNON SAID TO HIM, “I’M IN LOVE WITH TAMAR, MY BROTHER ABSALOM’S SISTER.” 5“GO TO BED AND PRETEND TO BE ILL,” JONADAB SAID. “WHEN YOUR FATHER COMES TO SEE YOU, SAY TO HIM, ‘I WOULD LIKE MY SISTER TAMAR TO COME AND GIVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT. LET HER PREPARE THE FOOD IN MY SIGHT SO I MAY WATCH HER AND THEN EAT IT FROM HER HAND.’ ” 6SO AMNON LAY DOWN AND PRETENDED TO BE ILL. WHEN THE KING CAME TO SEE HIM, AMNON SAID TO HIM, “I WOULD LIKE MY SISTER TAMAR TO COME AND MAKE SOME SPECIAL BREAD IN MY SIGHT, SO I MAY EAT FROM HER HAND.” 7DAVID SENT WORD TO TAMAR AT THE PALACE: “GO TO THE HOUSE OF YOUR BROTHER AMNON AND PREPARE SOME FOOD FOR HIM.” 8SO TAMAR WENT TO THE HOUSE OF HER BROTHER AMNON, WHO WAS LYING DOWN. SHE TOOK SOME DOUGH, KNEADED IT, MADE THE BREAD IN HIS SIGHT AND BAKED IT. 9THEN SHE TOOK THE PAN AND SERVED HIM THE BREAD, BUT HE REFUSED TO EAT. “SEND EVERYONE OUT OF HERE,” AMNON SAID. SO EVERYONE LEFT HIM. 10THEN AMNON SAID TO TAMAR, “BRING THE FOOD HERE INTO MY BEDROOM SO I MAY EAT FROM YOUR HAND.” AND TAMAR TOOK THE BREAD SHE HAD PREPARED AND BROUGHT IT TO HER BROTHER AMNON IN HIS BEDROOM. 11BUT WHEN SHE TOOK IT TO HIM TO EAT, HE GRABBED HER AND SAID, “COME TO BED WITH ME, MY SISTER.” 12“DON’T, MY BROTHER!” SHE SAID TO HIM. “DON’T FORCE ME. SUCH A THING SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN ISRAEL! DON’T DO THIS WICKED THING. 13WHAT ABOUT ME? WHERE COULD I GET RID OF MY DISGRACE? AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU WOULD BE LIKE ONE OF THE WICKED FOOLS IN ISRAEL. PLEASE SPEAK TO THE KING; HE WILL NOT KEEP ME FROM BEING MARRIED TO YOU.” 14BUT HE REFUSED TO LISTEN TO HER, AND SINCE HE WAS STRONGER THAN SHE, HE RAPED HER. 15THEN AMNON HATED HER WITH INTENSE HATRED. IN FACT, HE HATED HER MORE THAN HE HAD LOVED HER. AMNON SAID TO HER, “GET UP AND GET OUT!”
i. LUST IS NOT LOVE
1. LOVE IS LONG SUFFERING
2. LOVE IS KIND AND GENTLE
3. LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY
4. LOVE DOES NOT THINK EVIL
ii. LUST IS SELF-GRATIFICATION
iii. HATE MORE THAN LOVE
1. GRATIFIED
2. NO LONGER ANY NEED
3. NOTICE WHEN HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED IT DID NOT SATISFY
4. REMEMBER SIN TAKES US FARTHER THAN WE WANT TO GO, KEEPS US LONGER THAN WE WANT TO STAY AND COSTS US MORE THAN WE WANT TO PAY.
5. SIN DOES NOT SATISFY BUT PILES ON GUILT AND SHAME AND RESULTS IN MORE SIN.
III. VICTORY OVER LUST
a. BE AWARE OF THE TRAP
i. “CAUSES YOU TO SIN”
ii. GREEK WORD “SKANDALIZO”
iii. THE STICK THE SPRINGS THE TRAP
iv. THE BAIT
b. WE ARE THE BAIT
i. OUR EYE
ii. OUR HAND
c. JESUS IS NOT IN FAVOR OF MUTILATION
i. THE BLIND CAN STILL SUFFER FROM LUST
ii. PEOPLE WITH ONE HAND CAN STILL SUFFER FROM LUST
d. JESUS IS FOR RADICAL CHANGE!
i. 1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 (NO, I BEAT MY BODY AND MAKE IT MY SLAVE SO THAT AFTER I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF WILL NOT BE DISQUALIFIED FOR THE PRIZE.
ii. IN JEWISH CULTURE THE RIGHT EYE REPRESENTED ONE’S BEST VISION
iii. IN JEWISH CULTURE THE RIGHT HAND REPRESENTED ONE’S BEST SKILLS
e. JESUS WAS SAYING THAT WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO GIVE UP WHATEVER IS NECESSARY IF DOING THAT PROTECTS US FROM EVIL
f. NOTHING IS SO VALUABLE THAT WE SHOULD SEEK TO PRESERVE IT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
g. THIS IS WHY WE ARE TOLD TO WORK OUT OUR SALVATION
i. PHILIPPIANS 2:12 THEREFORE, MY DEAR FRIENDS, AS YOU HAVE ALWAYS OBEYED—NOT ONLY IN MY PRESENCE, BUT NOW MUCH MORE IN MY ABSENCE—CONTINUE TO WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING,
ii. WORK OUT MEANS TO “BRING TO COMPLETION
1. IT WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE WORK ON A MATH PROBLEM AND GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER.
2. IT WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE WORKING OF A MINE AND GETTING ALL THE ORE.
3. IT WAS ALSO USED TO DESCRIBE THE WORK IN A FIELD AND REAPING A BIG HARVEST.
iii. WORK OUT IS IN THE MIDDLE TENSE WHICH MEANS TO CONTINUE TO WORK OUT
1. WEDNESDAY, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WHEN YOU FISH AND LET THE CURRENT TAKE YOU DOWN THE RIVER, IT CAN TAKE US TO PLACES WE MAY NOT WANT TO GO.
2. CAN I ALSO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT EVEN WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING THE MOTOR OF YOUR BOAT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE CORRECTIONS IN YOUR PATH BECAUSE EVEN THEN THE CURRENT IS TRYING TO CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION
iv. PUT INTO ACTION GOD’S SAVING WORK IN YOUR LIVES
v. THE RESULTS OF MY SALVATION COME OUT FROM ME, NOT IN TO ME
1. FROM THE HEART TO WHAT I DO, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
2. THE PHARISEES WERE SAYING, “IF YOU JUST DO THIS”, YOU WILL BE RIGHTEOUS
3. JESUS SAYS YOU MUST FIRST CHANGE THE HEART TO BE RIGHTEOUS
ONCE AGAIN JESUS IS CHALLENGING US TO LIVE OUT OUR WALK WITH HIM NOT IN WHAT WE DO, BUT IN WHAT WE HAVE ROOTED IN OUR HEARTS.
WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE THE PRIZE GOD HAS FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO OBEY THE “LETTER” OF GOD’S DESIRE FOR US, RATHER THAN THE INTENT OF GOD’S DESIRE FOR US!
