Motivation: Matthew 6:1-8

Motive and intent are crazy and sometimes a fine line. When we consider the reason that we do what we do or why we do what we do, motive and intent are of paramount importance. Pride is a slippery slope and motive can be the banana peel.... but it doesn't have to be. So, when it comes down to your fast, is it for notoriety or for a sincere desire to pursue the face of God? Think about prayer whether in public or private, who is the audience? Who is rewarding your verbiage? Consider the simple things such as service/giving for those in need. Who do you think is waiting in the wings with the trophy for your obedience? When Jesus says don't be like the hypocrites, He is referring to actors. In essence, saying don't be like the actors who only act to be seen and entertain but have no desire for God's glory. So it comes down to motive and intent. Why and for who? Pride and for you or God's glory and for Him?


Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Grace Living: Matthew 5:38-48

The law gave room for (eye for eye) personal retribution equal to the offense but Jesus raises the standard. If someone slaps you on the right cheek give them the other. This was a back handed slap which was considered a deep insult. Which for us would be insults of various kinds and He encourages us to take it and not respond. If someone sues you for your tunic (shirt) give them your cloak (coat) as well, simply being a peacemaker. The Roman law required a Jew that if requested by a Roman soldier, that they had to carry his pack for a mile. Jesus challenges them to go an extra mile displaying a disciple of Christ. So what does that look like?



Loving your enemy, which is a pretty tall order. Let's continue with that for a moment.



Just imagine how your relationship with your enemies would be if you loved them, if you blessed them, if you did good for them, and if you prayed for them. That would be one unique relationship. The funny thing is, your heart would begin to turn toward them. This is a behavior of a citizen of the Kingdom of God.



A lofty expectation at first glance, but consider that Christ first loved us who were his enemies and realize that it is His Spirit that enables you to do as He did.

Truth: Matthew 5:33-37

Live a life that does not leave room for doubt. Let your actions be your defense. Live the testimony of your faith always being humbled by where God has brought you from with an expectation of where He is taking you. God's expectation of truth and integrity can be met by following His example. So follow the leader.

Covenant: Matthew 5:31-32

In Jesus time there were two schools of thought on a law that Moses gave back in Deuteronomy 24. One school of thought was the Shammai took the "some indecency" as a reference to a sexual misconduct with witnesses. The other was the Hillel took "some indecency" as any offense such as burnt toast. Well Jesus comes in takes it and says it means sexual immorality.



God has a different standard because He weighs a covenant differently than we do. He values it! So when we consider the covenant He made with the blood of His Son so that we could be His bride we need to grateful that His value system is different. We need to understand that the covenant of marriage is not just a covenant between the two getting married but also between them and God. So may we value the covenant that we have made with spouses. However, if we haven't then we should cling to covenant that was through the blood of Christ as we always should. Though we should never abuse that covenant.



Romans　6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Heart of the matter: Matthew 5:29-30

Can you imagine wedding vows that included:

• I vow to be faithful to you as long as you let me see other women.



• I vow to take care of you as long as you don't question my spending.



• I vow to love you until something better comes along.

That probably would not work. Then why do we think that we can have a relationship with God that looks that way?

• I surrender all as long as you don't ask anything of me that will cost me.



• I will be obedient as long as you don't lead me to share my faith.



• I will sacrifice all I have for you as long as you don't ask me to quit my addictions.

I know it sounds silly right. Is it really? We do something like this often and think that it is ok. Jesus asks us to sever ourselves from the very thing that causes us to sin. If you look throughout the context we see that the root of our actions of sin are planted not by our body parts but by our heart. Not the physical heart, but the heart of who we are. We naturally desire sin, so it is not our body parts fault, but our worldly desires. Centered at our hearts. So we need spiritual heart transplants. Check this out in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 36:26 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.

Our heart of stone repels anything that God leads us to. The heart of flesh is the softened heart that is open to the call of God.

Seeds: Matthew 5:21-28

In this section of scripture, Jesus takes the things that are commanded in the Law and goes a step further. He doesn't merely focus the sin which can be outwardly known, but He addresses the seed which leads to those actions. Anger and hatred can lead you to murder as lusting can lead you to adultery. In most cases we would be caught with the outward sin in our life by someone, so we spend a lot of energy in masking those transgressions. However, we feel safe with seeds of those sins that we have buried in our hearts. There are two problems with those seeds:

1. God knows our every thought


2. Seeds when planted.... grow, so others will eventually know

James 1:14 -15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

So what can we do about those seeds? Confess and repent.

• Confess those things before God


• Repent, turn your mind from the thoughts that led those things (environment and habits)

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

So be careful what you plant!

Transitions: Matthew 5:17-20

1. God creates > which points to Jesus


2. Man fails - sins > we need righteousness - which point to Jesus


3. God gives the Law, which exposes how we've failed and need Him > we need righteousness -which point to Jesus


4. Israel rides the roller coaster of obedience to God's Law, inability to be faithful > we need righteousness - which points to Jesus


5. Prophets tell of one who would bridge the gap between Law and God > we need righteousness - which points to Jesus


6. Jesus comes and teaches on how to live as a citizen of this Kingdom with lots of expectations > we need righteousness - which points to Jesus


7. Jesus suffers and dies and rises from the dead, the Law is fulfilled in Him > righteousness given - which points to Jesus


8. The church age comes and we realize that Law was God's grace exposing our need of Him, Christ came and met that need showing God's grace


9. Eternity awaits for the righteous not by works but for the righteous through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ

The law sends us to Jesus to be justified, because it shows us our inability to please God in ourselves. But after we come to Jesus, He sends us back to the law to learn the heart of God's desire for our conduct and sanctification. After we are sanctified we are sent to be glorified because of His righteousness.

Expose Matthew 5:14-16

A light doesn't shine for its own whiles but for the one who uses it. However, for the one who uses a light the purposes seem to be obvious. Light has this uncanny ability to expose the things that are darkness. This exposure of things in darkness can serve for many reasons. Consider what a lighthouse accomplishes for ships at sea on a rocky coast; it exposes the dangers and communicates them. Maybe for the one who drives at night their headlights help in keeping them on the path set before them and exposes possible obstacles.


When considering this, we can go on for a while on the importance of light and what it does for the one who needs it. The unusual thing here is that we are lights being used by God for His purposes of exposing the darkness that is found in the world so that others can see the dangers or obstacles that are ahead if they keep the path that they are on. The rewarding thing is that God is gracious enough sometimes in allowing times when people are guided home by the light that we give. The beautiful thing is when they are guided home that is where they run into the arms of the Father. Then we see the purpose of being lights of the world.... it's so that people will see these good works and praise our Father in Heaven.



So don't be a light kept under the basket of fear, or under the bush of faithlessness. But stay shining bright on the promises of God to draw people to Him.

Never too much salt: Matthew 5:13

What an incredible truth for Christians: "You are the salt of the earth". It does not say you are commanded, not you should be, but you are. Also notice that it says that we are the salt of the earth not our food, like we use it for. In our common usage of salt we have it as an ingredient or a seasoning. However, in Jesus' context He was referring to it as a preservative. So with that in view, let's consider how we fulfill that role.


Going back to Jesus' sermon introduction with the Beatitudes, we see the realities of what a Christian looks like, one who is a citizen of God's Kingdom. This list of eight characteristics show us one who is counter cultural and counter religious. So from His introduction, He says naturally of the "Blessed ones" that they are the "salt of the earth". You who are: poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger in thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and the persecuted, you are the preservatives of the earth. Not you in and of yourself, but you who have been changed by the Gospel. You are the change agents in your culture, the ones who change the climate of the situation that you find yourself in. Because you realize the power of the Gospel. The power of the Gospel is that you who were full of guilt brought by your sin, were at enmity against God, so for you to have any hope of surviving a price had to be paid. This price that you could not afford because of your sin, was righteousness, God showed us grace and paid that price for us through Jesus.


So for us to be these preservatives we must remember what the Gospel has done for us and instead of making it a religious outreach leading with condemnation, we need to show through the same grace in which we have received how they can be preserved to.

Trophies of persecution: Matthew 5:10-12

Wow, the very thing we are to hunger and thirst for is the very thing that we are blessed for suffering for. The accolade of suffering seems paradoxical but turns out to be the mosaic shown by His goodness. That we could be counted faithful in suffering for the One who endured the ultimate persecution for us. What a gift that God would be gracious enough to give us. This is only appreciated by one who loves Christ more than himself. The one whose faith has them longing for something better than this place. One whose hope is not in their inevitable failures but hope found in the victory that is already won.

So when persecution comes, don't flee, because when suffering finds it's way to you, cling to the cross and be reminded that great is your reward because of the One who suffered there.

The war is over: Matthew 5:9

The words that embody peace for me are restoration and reconciliation.

• The act of restoring what was disrupting despite the cause of conflict...peace.


• The act of reconciling what was formerly torn apart...peace.

To even know what peace is you must have experienced the opposite of it...war. So lets look at the great war, not any that you might think of in a history book but the war between God and our flesh. This war is made up of two very distinct sides, one side who naturally rebels against its maker, sustainer, and provider and the other which is the Maker, Sustainer, and Provider. God makes them and they rebel. God holds them through trials of existence and they rebel. God provides and meets their need and they rebel.

So now what? God launches an unusual plan of attack. Instead of using a whole lot of rain or operation salt shaker, He sends His Son and offers a treaty to any who would surrender their will to His Father's, signed in His own blood. Christ makes peace as restorer and reconciler of hearts. When we see blessedness of the peacemaker will be called sons of God we see that it is because we act like Jesus the Son of God.

So whether we are the one who is offended or the offender, we make peace. Or by chance we see that two other parties are at war then we stand between them and make peace. Even if that means enduring pain from both sides, we do it realizing that Jesus did the same thing. He suffered the wrath of God so we wouldn't have to. Now we can be restored to how He made us, and be reconciled to the One who has sustained us. Because He has ultimately provided His peace....the Son of God.

From double to single vision: Matthew 5:8

The writer of Hebrews gives this progression on the heels of "Hall of Faith" where he talks about one running a race and laying aside hindrances and the sin that so easily entangles. This leads to fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. The intriguing part for me is the fixing part. It's not fixing like its broke but more of focus, or putting your attention solely on Him. However, to do that you must rid yourself of the distractions that would come into view.


So when Jesus gives the beatitude saying that the pure in heart are blessed because they will see God, it clarifies for me because for something to be pure it is untainted, or not distracted. Purity of mind is difficult enough considering that in the effort to not think about something it seems to lead you to that impure thing. What about being pure in your emotions, like not being led by the roller coaster of feelings that leave us confused and uncertain of who we are. Jesus goes deeper; He goes for purity of heart which attacks our intent, the actions we do, and by all means our thoughts, and emotions. What a daunting task.


It is daunting if you are at it alone. Consider this truth, we have the Holy Spirit living in us so this expectation is met because the Holy Spirit desires for us what God the Father desires. We have the Trinity which is more than just 3-n-1 its three in unity, which means they desire the same thing. So the Holy Spirit brings to mind the things that would hinder us from being pure in heart so that we can see the One who sent His Son to pay for the hindrances that distract our vision.


So here's the amazing thing, the one with a pure heart can see God:

• in the beauty of His creation


• throughout the pages of His Word


• alive in His church


• in His work through their circumstances


• in their desire for the lost and the hurting


• through the prayer for their enemies


• and ultimately when their called home for eternity

Deserve: Matthew 5:7

Mercy - not getting what you deserve. What a liberating thought. It truly is amazing, unless you haven't considered what you deserve. It truly is humbling, unless you haven't surveyed your crime. Consider the ability to breathe, or the ability to feel the pulse of life beneath your wrist. When each and every one of us should receive torture for eternity. But God.... who is just slammed the gavel and said guilty, punishable by death. Though His justice would be carried out on His Son. His hand was stayed by His indescribable grace and we..... well we received mercy.

This is a great reality for those who are citizens of this Kingdom. The only problem is we're expected to respond in the same way. Yes, we are recipients, but we are also called to be distributors of mercy. Sure this is liberating, but the freedom we have been given we seem to get stingy with it. This is a tough one if you look through the lenses of the world that have mirrors on the inside of them. If you look through the lenses of the cross you begin to realize everybody deserves mercy from you.

Consider that the blessed person has already received mercy if they are:

• poor in spirit - realizing their debt to God is insurmountable unless He picks up the tab.
• mourning over the price that was paid for their freedom.
• meek enough to realize that the right to be a citizen was out of their hands.
• hungry and thirsting for the righteousness that they could not obtain on their own.

So for us to be merciful, we must realize that sometimes we have to absorb the debt, pray for those who hurt us, go the extra mile, give them the coat off of our back, and realize we are doing what we saw our Father do....through Christ.

Expiration Date: Matthew 5:6

The lovely chore of cleaning out the fridge is so enticing isn't it? Consider that for a second while you get your nose ready for potential punishment. Sniffing out the month old casserole that made it to the back of the bottom shelf. Or the future Science project that you have created out of left overs from a restaurant that doesn't exist anymore. Then there is the expiration date priority sniff test. My personal favorite is the "does this still taste good" test? Another funny one is the grape juice that you can't drive after drinking, because it expired after your wedding a decade earlier.

All joking aside, we all have cravings for things that will always leave us desiring more. Food sure, but what about acclaim...you get it, then what? Power......then a downsize. Authority.....someone proves you wrong. Comfort.....then disease. Happiness......the inevitable bad day. Consider all the things that you hunger and thirst for, the things that we passionately pursue but will disappoint. They only leave you craving more. The newer model, the upgrade, the younger woman, the more handsome man. Then what? Empty with no apology. All will expire!

Except that is righteousness. The lifetime supply, with no expiration date, no moldy experiment and no disappointment. Why? Because the supplier of this righteousness is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is eternal. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He meets the need with no room left for more. Consider how limitless the list of your sin is and just know that the fountain of God's righteousness makes your limitless sin look like but a sip.

So crave Him and be satisfied.

Psalm 42:1-2

Tamed: Matthew 5:5

Meekness is linked to self-control. It is knowing that you have the ability to defeat your enemies, I mean to completely crush them ......but you don't.

Because you are under control,
no you're not weak,
your strength is limitless,
you truly can cause damage in others lives,
but you don't because you realize stronger than your ability,
and maybe even your desire to reek havoc on someone who may deserve it,
is your submission to the will of God.

Truly the Spirit of God is working in and through you. Picture the restraint of God the Father witnessing the brutal display of terror at the expense of His Son's life, yet with restraint He stays His hand that could crush the memory of the existence of those who are causing such harm to the spotless lamb. Knowing that He is in control, and that we will benefit from His meekness that is displayed. May we see that this way of Kingdom living is not merely an expectation placed on us by a tyrannical deity but by a suffering Savior who Himself modeled each one of these attributes in order to show us a better way to live.

The Mourning Exchange: Matthew 5:4

Mourning over the damage that you've created in your life of sin. Not merely feeling bad but understanding fully that you have rebelled against the Holiness of God. This is a sorrow that affects you so much that when you glance back at what you've done, it will cause you to wince at the thought of it.
Coming to Him in brokenness, humbled by your guilt and hoping for an ounce of kindness. Knowing that you don't deserve it but you are just hoping..... then softly...... ever so softly, His Spirit reminds you of His promises.
He is near the broken-hearted, gives beauty for ashes, an oil of gladness for mourning. He comforts those who mourn, He brings in full view that this type of mourning produces repentance that leads you to the destination of Salvation with NO regrets with no need for wincing as you reflect where you once were, because..............

Blessed are you who mourn for you will be comforted!

Devoid

Without you:

I am a sack of flesh posturing as one with purpose.

I am not merely flailing, dying, and aimless in existense.

I am DEAD.

my love is:

not patient

not kind

does envy

does boast

is arrogant

is rude

is selfish

is irritable

is resentful

gets excited about wrong doing

doesn't care for the truth

bears what is convenient for me

believes what I want

hopes for my own happy ending

endures when I got time for it

and by all means it can end at any moment

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal

This is devoid of You!

We love because He first loved us. 1 John　4:19

Citizens of a different Kingdom: Matthew 5:1-3

Consider this, as citizens of the United States of America we have normal expectations placed on us: abide by the law, pay taxes, and eat apple pie. Knowing that each country has its own rules and expectations as citizens, how is it for us as citizens of God's Kingdom? I know that it is a tough thought to wrap your head around, but each of us who are children of God purchased by the blood of Christ share a dual citizenship. Thankfully, we live in a country that legally permits us to do so for now anyways. This message from Christ gives us the expectations of those who are citizens of God’s Kingdom.

The "poor in spirit" are those who realize that they are spiritually indebted to God. They do not just merely confess spiritual poverty but actually behave that way. With no sense of entitlement, or God owes me because I give or serve Him, or that I am so good. Ultimately, you realize you are citizens merely by the merits of Christ and not of your own.

May we realize our blessedness is given not earned.