Outline

• Today– Review: a) Spirit, Soul & Body b) Life & Death

c) Matthew’s Gospel d) “Perfection” defined

– Effect of Sin– Read: Sermon on the Mount

• Coming Weeks– Beatitudes, Practical Applications – Future topics: a) Spirit, Soul & Body, b) Nature of

God

Grace??? A new filter…..

• “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation…” (1 Corinthians 3:11–12, NASB95)

• Eph 2:8-10 – His creation vs. our cultivation (Parable of the Sower – 30, 60, 100 return based on the soil/soul)

Salvation

• Past Tense: Spirit (my spirit has been saved)• Present Tense: Soul (my soul is being saved)• Future Tense: Body (my body will be saved)

• Justification• Sanctification• Glorification

Jesus’ Mission

• ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, NASB95)

• If you see God’s primary concern as right or wrong, I believe you have a MISTAKEN idea of His nature

Life or Death

Sermon on the Mount – Part #3

Pursuing Kingdom Life

The Creator of Death?

• Religion teaches us that when you do something wrong, God kills you!!!

• Bible teaches Sin is wrong because IT kills you!!!• “for sin, taking an opportunity through the

commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:11, NASB95)

• “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NASB95)

• Who created death? (Adam & Eve = suicide)

The Nature of Sin’s Separation

• “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NIV84)

• You get the impression that when you sin, God won’t listen to you or even look at you! He’s Gone somewhere (separated)!!!!!

Does God hide or leave?

If that is the case, how do we ever reconcile with God?

The Nature of Sin’s Separation

• “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NIV84)

• “But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you—from hearing.” (Isaiah 59:2, YLT)

• Sin affects our ability to see and hear, not God’s proximity

• Question: Is there a penalty flag thrown in heaven every time we sin? And Jesus needs to do something?

• “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18, NASB95)

• “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all...” (Romans 6:10, NASB95)

• “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy,

innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” (Hebrews 7:26–27, NASB95)

Who’s hiding from who?“Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” …I was afraid Because I was naked; so I hid myself.””

(Genesis 3:9–10, NASB95)

Sin’s Effect – The $100 Loan

God’s love is bigger than your sin!!!

Question:• If sin leads to death….•What is the key to life?

The Key to LIFE is Righteousness!!!

• “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3, NASB95)

• Living righteously opens the floodgates of our soul [ senses, mind, emotions, will, conscience, heart, etc.] to receive HIS life (by grace through faith)

Garden Hose Illustration

Water = SpiritHose = ‘Flesh’

Garden Hose Illustration!!!

• Garden hose - water is our spirit with Holy Spirit and the flow (power, refreshing, cleansing, energy, healing) is constantly there

• The hose represents our ‘flesh’ as the container, which can ‘kink’ or quench the flow of God’s spirit

• “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NASB95) (See 1 Thess 5:18-19)

The proper alignment of spirit, soul & body is very important! It’s a matter of life and death!!!

• “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:6–11, NASB95)

“He who believes in me….from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water!!!!”

Life in the Spirit• “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect (complete,

mature), have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” (Philippians 3:15–16, NASB95)

• “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are (the fully mature) sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NASB95)

• “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the (mature) sons of God.” (Romans 8:19, NASB95)

Perfection?

• ““Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48, NASB95)

• Perfect:‘perfect’ (17), ‘man’ (1), ‘of full age’ (1)• 1) brought to its end, finished. 2) wanting nothing

necessary to completeness. 3) perfect. 4) that which is perfect. 4a consummate human integrity and virtue. 4b of men. 4b1 full grown, adult, of full age, mature. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon

Sermon on the Mount: Importance

• Jesus’ most comprehensive statement on a believer’s role in cooperating with the grace of God (these are not lists of do’s & don’ts, but keys)

• The ‘Constitution’ of God’s kingdom• It contains the Core Values/Beatitudes of the

Kingdom (thus revealing the nature of God)• It is THE STANDARD for spiritual development and

ministry impact• It is the impartation of the kind and quality of

Kingdom life

Matthew’s Theme

• Theme: the kingdom, the difference between the Jewish expectancy and the Christian experience (soul vs. spirit, past, present, future)

• Secret of the kingdom: Messiah is coming not once, but twice…thus the age to come has been inaugurated (but not consummated) by Jesus already

• Matthew’s theme: “How do you live in the kingdom now?”

Interpretation is Important!!!!

I know what it says, but what does it mean!?!

Everyone who takes everything in this passage literal should be missing some body parts!!!!!

“For the Law was given

through Moses; grace and truth were realized

through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17,

NASB95)

Equation for LIFE: -6 + 5 = 8

• Weeding our garden: 6 Temptations• Water our garden: 5 Activities• Fruit or Produce: 8 Beatitudes

Read Matthew 4:23-5:10

Summary

• 1. The 6 temptations: anger, immorality, disregarding the marriage covenant, making false commitments, demanding personal rights, and living with a spirit of retaliation (5:21-48).

• 2. The 5 kingdom activities: prayer, fasting, giving, serving, and blessing enemies (6:1-18) are spiritual disciplines that position our heart before God to freely receive more grace.

• 3. The 8 beatitudes are being poor in spirit, spiritual mourning, walking in meekness, hungering for righteousness, showing mercy, embracing purity, being a peacemaker, and enduring persecution.

• Jesus calls us to live out the 8 beatitudes (5:3-12) as we pursue 100-fold obedience (5:48), as we resist 6 temptations (5:21-48), and pursue 5 kingdom activities (6:1-18) that position our hearts to freely receive more grace. We do all this with confidence in His rewards (eternal/temporal 6:19-24) and His provision (6:24-33). We do this without criticism of others who pursue God with less intensity or who oppose us (7:1-6) while we seek Jesus to intervene in our relationships (7:7-12), yet without drawing back from our wholehearted pursuit of God (7:13-14) as we discern false grace messages (7:15-20). We do all of this knowing that our obedience will be tested (7:21-27). By walking in these truths, Jesus said that we will impact society (5:13-16) and will be great in His eyes (5:19), receive treasures in heaven (6:19–20) and will live in this age with our hearts exhilarated in His grace (6:22-23). – Mike Bickle

N.T. begins with blessings!!!• Christ begins his sermon with blessings, for he came into the

world to bless us (Acts 3:26), as the great High Priest of our profession; as the blessed Melchizedec; as He in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 12:3.

• He came not only to purchase blessings for us, but to pour out and pronounce blessings on us; and here he does it as one having authority, as one that can command the blessing, even life for evermore, and that is the blessing here again and again promised to the good; his pronouncing them happy makes them so; for those whom he blesses, are blessed indeed.

• The Old Testament ended with a curse (Mal. 4:6), the gospel begins with a blessing; for hereunto are we called, that we should inherit the blessing. - Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume

The End