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THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Nine Studies for small groups

Matthew 5:13— 7:29 By John James

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Why are false prophets and teachers so dangerous? What surprises you about those who do great things in Jesus’ name but who are ultimately rejected by Jesus? (verses 21-23) 2. How can we discern whether a prophet or teacher was genuinely from God or was false? 3. What is the danger of Christian’s hearing Jesus’ words but not putting Them into practise? (verses 24-27) How can we strengthen the obedience factor in our lives? 4. Karl Barth said, “The Bible is a dangerous book to read” and “The Church is a dangerous society to join.” Do you agree with him? Explain your answers. 5. How would you answer someone who said that they just wanted to follow the simple teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the mount? What do they and you have to do to make this a reality? 6. Which of the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount has spoken to you most deeply? Each share.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for Wisdom to know how to being our lives more into line with The teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Pray for each other to be filled with the whole Holy Spirit.

Pray for the Church to be more radically different from the society in

which we find ourselves.

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This is not, of course to say that the way of salvation is by good works or obedience. The whole New Testament offers salvation only by the Grace of God through faith apart from our works. What Jesus is saying however is that the evidence of God’s saving grace in a believer’s life will produce obedience. 4. The Authority of Jesus Matthew 7:28-29

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” The congregation was astonished at the teaching of Jesus because he spoke with divine authority. The Scribes and Pharisees spoke “from au-thorities,” always quoting the various experts of the law. Jesus needed no human teacher to add authority to his words for he spoke as the Son of God. We must not dismiss this sermon lightly for it is God who gave it to us. We must either bow before him and submit to his authority , or we will be condemned. Christians take Jesus at his word and his claims at face value. We respond to his teachings with complete seriousness. Here is Jesus’ vision of an alternative society . These are the standards, the values and the priori-ties of the Kingdom of God. Too often the Church has turned away from this challenge and sunk into a conformist respectability. That is when and why the church is almost indistinguishable from the world. It has too often lost it saltiness, its light is extinguished and it repels all idealists. For it gives no evidence that it is God’s new society that is tasting already the joys and the powers of the age to come. Only when the Christian commu-nity lives by Christ’s manifesto will the world be attracted and God will be Glorified. So when Jesus calls us to follow him this is what he is calling us to. For he is the Lord of the counterculture.

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CONTENTS

Nine Studies on The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:13-7:29

Page Introduction 4

Study One A Christian's influence Matthew 5:13-16 6

Study Two A Christian's righteousness Matthew 5:17-30 10

Study Three A Christian’s relationships Matthew 5:31-48 16 Study Four A Christian's religion; not hypocritical but real Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18 21 Study Five A Christian's prayer Matthew 6:7-15 26

Study Six A Christian's ambition Matthew 6:19-34 31

Study Seven A Christian's approach to God Matthew 7:1-12 37

Study Eight A Christian's attitude to false prophets Matthew 7:13-20 43 Study Nine A Christian's commitment Matthew 7:21-29 47

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a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ The contrast in the first section was between the true and the false or between saying and doing; the contrast now with the two foundations is between hearing and doing. Jesus is describing those that hear his word and does it and those who hear but are disobedient. This is a familiar story of the difference between building on sand or on the rock, which is Jesus himself. Foundations are rarely seen until a storm comes and puts them to the test. In the same way, professing Christians (both genuine and false) often look alike. Both appear to be building Christian lives. Jesus is not making a contrast between Christians and non-Christians in this parable but be-tween two professing believers. They both hear Jesus’ words, both are members of the visible community, both read the bible, go to church and listen to sermons. The reason you cannot tell the difference between them is that the foundations are hidden from view. The real question is not whether they hear Christ’s teaching but whether they do what they hear. Only the storms of live reveal the truth. If not the storms of life the coming storm which is the day of judgement will reveal all that is hidden. 3. The Test of Obedience Matthew 7:24

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The truth that Jesus is stressing is that neither biblical knowledge nor a verbal profession of faith can ever be a substitute for obedience to him. The question not whether we say nice, polite, correct, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying and memorising scripture but whether we obey him in everything.

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him or profession of him as our Lord and Saviour. As the Apostle Paul says , we are required to confess with our lips and believe in our hearts to be genuinely Born again. (Romans 10:9-10). The profession Jesus talks about in these verses seem on the surface to be wonderful. It is polite; it addresses Jesus as Lord. The profession is doctrinally correct; none of these activities done in Jesus’ name are outside Christian practise. Along with the polite and correct, we could add that the profession is passion-ate; it is not cold or formal but an enthusiastic, “Lord, Lord” as if the speaker wants to draw attention to the strength of their devotion. The profession is not private or hidden but made in public view and full voice. They prophesied and cast out demons and did many miraculous works. What they stress above all is the name in which they have accomplished so many wonderful things. Three times they use it and each time they put it first for emphasis. They claim that they have done these things in the name of Christ. What better Christian profession could be made? Yet despite all this Jesus speaks terrible words, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.” Evidently their profession is just verbal and not heartfelt and genuine. It involves their lips but not their lives. Clearly they called Jesus Lord but had never brought their lives under his Lord-ship or obeyed the will of his heavenly Father. What a challenge this is to us; we may have been baptised, recited the creed, sung Christian hymns but does our lives live up to this profession? We may have exercised many and various ministries in his name but Jesus is not impressed by our pious words. He still looks for evidence of our faith in works of obedience and in hearts fully surrendered to him. 2. Two Foundations Matthew 7:24-27

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like

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The Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best known part of the teachings of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood and certainly it is the least obeyed. It is the nearest thing to a manifesto that he ever uttered, for it is his own description of what he wanted his followers to be and to do. The sermon is found in Matthews's Gospel toward the beginning of Jesus' public Ministry. Immediately after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness. Jesus had begun to announce the good news that the long-promised Kingdom of God was about to be inaugurated. With him the new age had dawned and the rule of God had broken into History. "Repent" Jesus Cried, "For the Kingdom of Heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17). Matthew then adds that Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23). The Sermon on the Mount is to be read and understood in that context. It describes what human life and human community looks like when they come under the gracious rule of God. And what do they look like? Different! Jesus emphasises that his followers are to be different from others. They are not to be like the world around them but to shine like lights in the darkness. Many people believe that these are unattainable goals but that is to disregard the difference the Holy Spirit makes in the lives of those redeemed by the blood of Jesus and born again by his Spirit. Jesus spoke the sermon to those who were already disciples and citizens of God's kingdom and members of God's family. If Christians whole-heartedly accepted his standards and values and lived by them, we would become a radically different society that Jesus always intended us to be - and the world would see and believe. This series is all about developing Spiritual Character and adopting the teachings of Jesus as a life-style. These studies are prepared in the prayerful hope that you will be blessed and grow in grace towards achieving the goal of Christ likeness.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study One - A Christian’s Influence

Reading Matthew 5:13—16

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Read Matthew 5:13-16.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

2. The Salt of the Earth

If the beatitudes describe the essential character of disciples of Jesus, the Salt and Light Metaphors indicate their influence in the world. But the salt and light sayings also raise serious questions.

What possible influence can the people described in the beatitudes exert in this tough hard world?

What lasting good can the poor and meek, the mourners and the merciful do?

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Nine A Christian's commitment

Matthew 7:21-29

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. True and False Disciples Matthew 7:21-23

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not proph-esy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” 2Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” The people Jesus had in mind here are relying for salvation on a verbal affirmation of faith but no heart reality. They are trusting in what they say to Jesus or about Jesus . However our final destiny is settled, says Jesus, not by what we say to him today or at the last judgement , but by whether we do what we say, whether our verbal profession is followed by moral obedience. Jesus is not dismissing the importance of speaking of our commitment to

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QUETIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What is attractive and appealing about the broad way that Jesus describes in verses 13 and 14? 2. What is unappealing about the narrow way? ; what is the fundamental difference between the two ways? 3. To what extent have you found what Jesus says about the two ways to be true in your experience? 4. What are false prophets so dangerous? Do you think the ‘fruit’ test a valid one? How would explain that to a new Christian? 5. How would you discern whether a prophet or teacher was genuinely from God or was false

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray that you might align your life, and that of your church, more closely with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

Pray for more conversions as people turn from the

Broad Way to the Narrow Way.

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Won’t they simply be overwhelmed by the flood of evil and violence? Isn’t this small minority of radical followers of Jesus just too feeble to accomplish anything for good? Jesus didn’t tolerate any such scepticism; he believed the exact opposite. The world will undoubtedly persecute the church but it is the church’s calling to serve this persecuting world. To demonstrate how Christians can influence the world Jesus used two household metaphors. Every home no matter how poor used both salt and light. During his own boy-hood Jesus will have watched his mother use salt in the kitchen and light the lamps when the sun went down. Salt and light are indispensable household commodities. The salt saying is not difficult to understand: “You are the salt of the earth.” The world decays like rotten fish or meat, while the Christian presence in society hinders that decay. God intends the most powerful restraining influence to be his own redeemed, regenerate and righteous people. The effectiveness of that salt is conditional, however; it must retain its saltiness. Strictly speaking, salt never loses its saltiness. Sodium Chloride is a very stable chemical. It only loses its saltiness when it becomes mixed with impurities. It may appear to be a white, granulated substance, but if it is so contaminated it becomes useless. It is just good as road dust. Christian saltiness is Christian character as it is depicted in the beatitudes - following hard after Jesus. If Christians become contaminated by the impurities of the world , they lose their ability to preserve or restrain any-thing. They may look like Christians but their influence for good is gone. If we Christians are indistinguishable from Non-Christians we are useless. We might as well be discarded like saltless salt! 3. The Light of the World

Jesus makes clear that the light is our “good deeds”. This phrase good

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deeds is a general expression that covers everything that Christians say and do because they are Christians; every outward and visible mark of faith , including the testimony of their words. Since light is a common biblical symbol of truth, the shining light of Christians must surely in-clude their spoken testimony. Evangelism must be counted as one of the good works by which our light shines and our Father is glorified. Our light is to shine, not be concealed; we are to be willing for our Christian character to be visible to all. Good works are the acts of love and faith. They express not only our loyalty to God but our care for others as well. The primary meaning of “works” must be practical, visible deeds of compassion. When people see these, Jesus said they will Glorify God for they embody the good news we proclaim. Without them our gospel loses its credibility and our God his honour. So Jesus calls his disciples to exert a double influence on the community, a negative influence by arresting its decay, as salt, and a positive influ-ence by bringing light into the darkness. God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain safe and sound inside churchy little salt shakers. Instead we are to be rubbed into the secular World around us to stop it going bad. When society goes bad we Chris-tians tend to throw up our hands and blame the evilness of our culture. However we shouldn’t blame unsalted meat for going bad; it can’t do anything else. The real question is where is the salt? Human culture needs more than barricades to stop it from becoming bad. People need regeneration, new life through the Gospel. So our second calling is to be the light of the world. The truth of the Gospel is the light, contained in fragile clay lamps, yet shining brightly into the spiritual and moral darkness around us. This is the way we will be blessed and this is the way the world will be served. This is also the way that God will be glorified. Jesus tells those of us who desire to follow him that if we let our light shine so that our good works are clearly seen, our Father in Heaven will be exalted.

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every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good Tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruits you will recognise them.’ Jesus made it clear that false prophets existed and in so doing implied that a standard of truth exists by which all teaching may be compared. In biblical terms a true prophet is one who taught God’s truth by divine inspiration and insight; a false prophet claimed inspiration but actually spoke untruth. Jesus also made it clear that these false prophets are both dangerous and deceptive. Their danger is that in reality they are wolves. Wolves are natural enemies of sheep and sheep have very little defence against them but a good shepherd is responsible to protect his sheep. The deceptive work of false prophets is seen in the fact that Jesus issues his warning about them immediately after his teaching about the two ways and two destinations. False prophets tell us all roads lead to God—a statement Jesus absolutely rejects! So Beware! Jesus gives us the test for a prophet, the test of fruit. You may sometimes mistake a wolf for a sheep but you cant make the same mistake with a tree. No tree can hide its true identity for long . Sooner or later it pro-duces fruit. The prophet’s fruit is seen in the prophet’s character and conduct. The Fruit of the Christian is the fruit of the Spirit as made clear in Galatians 5:22. Another test of a prophet’s fruit is the actual teaching. We need to ask is it in line with Holy Scripture? Is it consistent with the teaching of Jesus? Sound doctrine and holy living are the marks of a genuine teacher and prophet of God. This warning of Jesus, whilst to be taken seriously should not lead us to be suspicious of everyone and take up as our hobby the terrible sport known as heresy hunting. Rather it is a reminder that there are false prophets and we need to be on our guard.

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narrow. Its boundaries are clearly marked. Its narrowness is defined by what God has revealed in Scripture to be good and true.

Secondly, there are two gates. The gate leading to the easy way is wide. There is no limit to the luggage we can take with us . We don’t need to leave anything behind, not even our sin or pride. The gate leading to the hard way, however is narrow. We have to look for it to find it. It is easy to miss and in order to enter it we have to leave everything behind - sin, selfish ambition, even family and friends sometimes. The narrow gate is entered one person at a time. The gate is Jesus himself for he said, ‘I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.’ (John 10.9)

Thirdly, There are two destinations. Jesus taught that the easy way entered by the wide gate leads to destruc-tion. He did not define what he meant by that, but the prospect is too awful to contemplate without tears. Bu contrast, the hard way, entered by the narrow gate , leads to life - eternal life, which Jesus explained in terms of present and eternal fellowship with God. It begins here but is perfected in the hereafter, when we see him and share his Glory, and find perfect fulfilment as human beings in the selfless service of him and our fellows.

Fourthly, there are two crowds. Entering by the wide gate there are many but only a few find the narrow gate that leads to life. Jesus seemed to anticipate that his followers would be a minority movement. None of us like to be forced to make a choice but Jesus will not allow us to escape it. 2. The Warning of False Teachers Matthew 7.15-20

‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. When have you seen a Christian individual or group act as salt in a community or culture? 2. What things make Christians less salty? Each share 3. What things prevent our light as Christians from being seen? 4. Think of some ways in which you could shine more brightly in the workplace or community . 5. Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 and verse 7 in particular

What do you thing is meant by “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” and

What must happen to the jars of clay if the light is to be seen? What does this mean in practical application?

6. Think of a social evil that you can learn more about and take a stand against—stopping human trafficking , feeding the hungry, homelessness. Add to the list but discuss how we can act as salt in our area of influence.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray against the social evils that you have been discussing and pray for Insight and wisdom to know how to act and motivate others to join you.

Pray for each other to be salt and light in your areas of influence.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Two A Christian's righteousness

Reading Matthew 5:17-30

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Christ and the Law Matthew 5:17-18

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, 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. “ Jesus makes it clear that he had not come to abolish the Old Testament Law or any part of it, but rather to fulfil it. The use of the phrase, “ truly I tell you” was unlike any other Rabbi for he was speaking in his name and with his own authority. The Old Testament contains several kinds of teaching and Jesus relates differently to each kind, but the word “fulfilled” covers them all. The Old Testament has doctrinal teaching about God, humanity and salvation but its only a partial revelation. Jesus fulfilled it all in the sense of bringing it to completion by his person, his teaching and his work.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Eight A Christian's attitude to false prophets

Reading Matthew 7:13-20

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. The Two Ways Matthew 7:13-14

‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ Jesus challenges us with the necessity of choosing one of two ways. The contrast between two kinds of righteousness, the two treasures, the two masters and two ambitions has been clearly presented; now the time for a decision has come. Ultimately there is only one choice to make because there are only two possibilities to choose from.

First there are the two ways. One way is easy and wide. There is plenty of room on this road for diversity of opinion and a whole range of personal practises. It is the road of compromise and permissive-ness. It has no curbs, no boundaries of thought and conduct. Travellers on this road follow their own desires. The hard way, on the other hand, is

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What does Jesus warn will be the consequences of being a critical, Judgemental person? 2. How would you tell the parable of the speck and the plank to someone else in your own words? What does Jesus say is the solution to such a problem? 3. Who do you think Jesus is referring to when he talks about dogs and pigs? What should your response be to someone who despises and insults the message of the gospel? 4. How would you answer a person who says that they prayed and asked God for something just like Jesus instructs, but their prayer was never answered? Why are our prayers sometimes, apparently, never answered? 5. How does Jesus’ teaching on prayer help you grow in your prayer life? 6. Is living by the Golden Rule enough to get a person into heaven? Why or Why not?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray together for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the areas where we need more grace to change our attitudes.

Reflect on Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ Pray for such unity, love and peace to be the

defining characteristic of our church.

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We also find predictive prophecy in the Old Testament, truth that look forward to the coming of the Messiah. In fact there were three hundred prophecies concerning his life, death, burial and resurrection and they were all fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, Then there are ethical precepts or the moral law in the Old Testament . Jesus fulfilled all of them by being the only perfect man ever to have lived. He went beyond personal obedience and explained what this would mean in the lives of his followers. Jesus’ purpose was not to change the law nut to reveal the depth of meaning God intended the law to have. Now realise what Jesus meant when he said, “For truly I tell you, 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. “ Jesus uses the phrase “The Law” as a comprehensive term for the total revelation of the Old Testament. The law is as enduring as the universe. 2. The Christian and the Law Matthew 5:19-20

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For 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.” To disregard the “least” commandment of the law in either obedience or instruction is to be demoted to the status of the “least” in the Kingdom of God; greatness in the kingdom belongs to those who are faithful in doing and teaching the whole moral law. Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by a righteousness that conforms to the law, but entry into the Kingdom is impossible without God’s grace enabling obedience that is better than that of the Pharisees and religious teachers.

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What an impossible demand! The Pharisees and religious leaders were notorious for their meticulous obedience to the law. They had counted up 248 commands and 365 prohibitions of the law with the aim of keep-ing them all. How can a Christian’s righteousness surpass that of a Phari-see? Doesn’t that imply a righteousness by good works? This teaching of Jesus astonished his hearers then and now, but there is an answer to this dilemma. Christian righteousness is to surpass the right-eousness of the Pharisee in kind rather than in degree. Christian right-eousness is greater than a religious righteousness because it is deeper; it’s a righteousness of the heart. Pharisees were content with the out-ward, formal obedience; Jesus will teach us that God’s demands are far more radical than that. The righteousness that pleases God is an inward righteousness of mind and motive. The Lord examines the heart. This deep obedience is possible only by grace, in those who have been born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is why entrance into the Kingdom of God is impossible without a righteousness that is greater and deeper than the Pharisee. No one enters the kingdom of God other than by re-birth and a righteousness that is by grace through faith. 3. Deeper Righteousness Matthew 5:21-22

‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago... But I tell you...” The rest of Matthew 5 contains example of this deeper righteousness — six parallel paragraphs that illustrate the point Jesus has just made. Some people believe that Jesus was setting himself against Moses and providing a new morality. I believe they are mistaken. Jesus is not contra-dicting the law but certain misinterpretations of the law by the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is affirming the law but with the true interpretation that God intended from the beginning. In the strongest possible terms Jesus asserted that the law was God’s Word written, and he called his disciples to accept God’s true intention behind the law. In this study we look at two of those illustrations; Murder and Adultery:

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enough he illustrates it with a parable; a child coming to their parent with a request. If the child asks for bread, will the child be given something that may look like bread but is something disastrously different— a stone instead of bread or a snake instead of a fish? Of course not! Even the worst of parents feed their children. Jesus’ argument is this; if fallen and self centered human parents know how to give good things to their chil-dren, how much more will our heavenly father (who is not evil or selfish) give good things to those who ask him. What a beautiful picture of prayer; children coming to a perfect Father and asking for what they need. 4. The Golden Rule Matthew 7:12

‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets' This great truth is a principle that should govern our attitude towards others and it must be practised in every area of life. The person who practises this principle refuses to say or do anything that would harm themselves or others. If our judging of others is not governed by this prin-ciple, we may become proud and critical and our own spiritual character will suffer. Practising this Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us. But remember living according to this principle is costly; if we want God’s best for ourselves and others may invite criticism and opposition from others. We are salt, and salt stings an open wound. We are light and light exposes dirt. Therefore, if we put ourselves sensitively in the place of the other person, and wish for that person what we would wish for ourselves, we would never be mean but always generous; never harsh but always understand-ing; never cruel but always kind. All this is only possible by keeping our-selves in the place where God’s grace can flow into and though our lives.

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As soon as Jesus tells us not to judge others he also tells us that certain human beings can act like animals and may accurately be called dogs and pigs! This seem surprising at least. But the context provides a healthy balance. Although we are not to judge or condemn others we must not Ignore their faults either. Both extremes are to be avoided. It is how we deal with other’s perceived faults that matter. We must use common sense and the Bible as the standard by which we are all to live. As God’s people we are privileged to handle the ‘sacred’ things of the Lord. He has entrusted us with the precious truths of the Word of God (2 Cor.4:7) and we must regard them carefully. No dedicated priest would throw the meat from the altar to a filthy dog and only a fool would give pearls to a pig. Whilst we must take the good news to ever creature it is also true that we must not cheapen the Gospel by a ministry that lacks discernment. Even Jesus refused to talk to Herod (Luke 23:9) and Paul refused to argue with people who resisted the Word (Acts 13:44-49). It is a wise Christian who first assesses the condition of a person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls of the Gospel. 3. Approaching God in Prayer Matthew 7:7-11 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Only God can judge perfectly. Therefore we must pray and seek his wisdom and direction. Here the emphasis is on persevering in prayer and he gives us some great and precious promises. “Ask...seek...knock ...” Then comes the promises “Everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks the door will be opened” If that is not

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Murder Matthew 5:21-26 ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is an-swerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. ‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. ‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.’ Jesus did not say anger leads to murder; He said anger is murder! There is a holy anger against sin (Eph. 4:26) but Jesus is talking about unholy anger against people. The word he uses means “a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly”. Observe the various stages taught by Jesus Firstly there was causeless anger. This anger then exploded into words Raca (an empty headed person). These words added fuel to the fire so the person said , “You fool” (a rebel!) Anger is such a foolish thing; it makes us destroyers instead of builders. It robs us of freedom and makes us prisoners. To hate someone is to com-mit murder in the heart (1 John 3:15). This does not mean that we should murder someone we hate since we have already sinned inwardly. Sinful feelings are not excuses for sinful deeds. Sinful anger robs us of fellow-ship with God and well as with others but it does not put us into prison as murderers. However many have become murderers because they lost their temper. That is why we must go and be reconciled to brothers and sisters and get the matter settled as soon as possible. Jesus provides us with the reconciliation dynamic in Matthew 18:15-20.

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Adultery Matthew 5:27:30 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, 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.’ See also Exodus 20:14 Jesus affirmed God’s law of purity and then explained that this was to reveal the sanctity of sex and the sinfulness of the human heart. God created sex and God protects sex within the confines of marriage. He does this, not to limit our pleasure, but rather to bless us within marriage. Sexual impurity begins in the mind of the desires of the heart. Jesus is not saying that lustful desires are identical to lustful deeds and therefore a person might just as well go ahead and commit adultery. The desire and the deed are not identical but spiritually speaking they are equivalent. The look that Jesus refers to is not a casual glance but a constant stare of lust. Victory can be ours by mastering what we think about (appetite leads to action) and disciplining the actions of the body. It should go without saying that Jesus is not talking about literal surgery, for this would not solve the problem of the mind or desire. The eye and the hand are usually the two “culprits” when it comes to sexual sin , so they must be disciplined.

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themselves look good see Luke 18:9-14. But Christians should judge themselves to help others look good . There is a difference! Not only are we unfit to sit in judgement and condemn other Christians because we are fallible human beings, but because we are also fallen human beings. So we are in no position to stand in judgement of others. Jesus points this out in a strikingly humorous way. Picture someone strug-gling with the delicate removal of a speck of sawdust from a friend’s eye, while a long plank of wood in his own eye blocks his vision. We have a tendency to exaggerate the faults and failures of others while we mini-mise the seriousness of our own faults and failures. We seem to find it impossible to be strictly objective and impartial when comparing ourselves with others. On the contrary we have a rosy view of ourselves and a sceptical view of others. Indeed we often see our own faults in others and judge them vicariously. That way we experience the pleasure of self-righteousness without the pain of penitence. This kind of hypocrisy is more unpleasant because an apparent act of kindness (taking a speck of dirt from somebody’s eye) is made the means of inflating our own ego! Our Christian duty, then, is not to point out the speck in our brother’s eye, nor is it to remove the speck with a plank sticking out of our own eye. Jesus says first remove the plank from our own eye - first deal with the sin in our own lives—and then we will have the clear vision needed to be able to help our brother and sister. We need to be as critical of our-selves as we are of others, and as generous to others as we always are to ourselves. 2. Dealing with Dogs Matthew 7:6 ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces'

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Jesus has talked about a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, religious practise and ambition now he focuses on our attitudes towards others especially other Christians. The first principle of judgement is that we begin with ourselves. We are not forbidden to carful discernment for Christian love is not blind. How-ever before we judge others we must search our own hearts. There are several reasons for this.

We will be judged verses 1-2 ‘‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

The tense of the verb ‘judged’ signifies a once-for-all judgement. If we first judge ourselves then we are preparing for that final judgement when we face Almighty God. The Pharisees ‘played God’ as they often condemned others but they never considered that they themselves would be judged.

We are being judged verse 2 ‘For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ Not only will God judge us at the end , but people are judging us now; and we receive from people exactly what we give. The kind of judgement and the measure of judgement , come right back to us. We reap what we have sown.

We must see clearly to help others. Verse 3-5 ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye?” When at the same time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s Eye’ The purpose of self-judgement is to prepare ourselves to serve others. Christians are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves we not only hurt ourselves, but we also hurt those to

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. How do we distinguish between the parts of Old Testament we should still obey and the parts no longer binding on us? For example the difference between the Ten Commandments and laws regarding Animal sacrifice? 2. Is Jesus forbidding all killing in verse 21? For example what about self defence or a just war? 3. Is murdering someone worse than thinking about it? Why then in Jesus’ view do hatred and insults bring the same judgement as actual Murder? 4. What broken relationships came to mind when you read verses 23- 26? How seriously do you take the reconciliation dynamic of Matthew 18:15-20? How can we help each other put it into practise? 5. What do you think about Jesus’ teaching on adultery and lust? How would you explain the “gouge out the eye” command to another Christian?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Share with each other what you find most difficult to put into practise from this study and pray for each other.

Pray for unity in relationships in the home, circle of friends, the church

and the nation.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Three A Christian’s relationships

Reading Matthew 5:31-48

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Faithfulness in Marriage Matthew 5:31-32

‘It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. You will need great sensitivity in your groups with dealing with this matter for it is such a controversial and complex matter. It is also a subject that touches human emotions at their deepest level. There is almost no unhappiness so heartbreaking as the unhappiness of an unhappy marriage, and almost no tragedy as great as the deterioration of the relationship that God intended for love and fulfilment into a non-relationship of bitterness and despair. Although I believe that God’s way in most cases is not the route of divorce, I hope you can sense my sensitivity and compassion for all those that have gone that way. However I am convinced that the teaching of Jesus on this and every

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Seven A Christian's approach to God

Reading Matthew 7:1-12

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: In this study we will come to some wonderful promises about our approaching God in prayer (verses 7-12) but before that our Lord wants to warn us about our wrong attitudes towards others. Our attitudes towards others can affect our approach to God in prayer. 1. Our attitudes towards others Matthew 7:1-5

‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge Others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be meas-ured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye?” When at the same time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’.

The connecting thread that runs through Matthew 7 is relationships.

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What are your goals and ambitions in life? Which one is your top priority. Each share 2. What do you think Jesus means by ‘treasures in heaven’? What is the Difference between treasures in heaven and treasures on earth? 3. How would explain verse 21 (‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’) to a friend or colleague? 4. Jesus counsels us to be ‘full of light’ in v22; what things distort your vision of life and your value before God? 5. List the reasons Jesus gives for NOT being preoccupied with food and clothing in verses 25-34 6. What do these verses suggest we do to lower your worry level about material things? 7. How can we intentionally seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Spend some time thinking and praying about your goals in life and ask the Lord to give you grace to change your ambitions, desires and priorities.

Share with each other the things that cause you anxiety and pray for each

other.

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subject is good—good for every person and good for every society. One fact to bear in mind as we discuss this passage is that these two verses do not represent everything Jesus and the New Testament writers taught about divorce. This is a summary of what Jesus said on this occasion and is not the whole story. (Compare Matthew 19:1-12) The popular opinion and religious teaching of Jesus’ time was that they treated divorce lightly. Jesus in contrast took it very seriously, because he took marriage seriously. Jesus’ whole emphasis in debating with the religious leaders was on God’s original institution of marriage as an exclusive and permanent relationship. Whereas the religious leaders were preoccupied with the grounds for divorce while Jesus focussed on establishing the lasting nature of marriage. Jesus was calling his followers then and now to love, to forgive and to be peacemakers in every situation of strife. As a Christian Pastor I would never speak to anyone about divorce until I had spoken to them about marriage and reconciliation. It is only when a person understands and accepts God’s view of marriage and his call to reconciliation that a possible context has been created within which we may regretfully go on to talk about divorce. 2. Honest Speaking Matthew 5:33-37 (see also Lev.19:12 and Deut. 23:23)

‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.’ Jesus is referring here to the sin of using oaths to affirm what was said is

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true. The Pharisees used all kinds of tricks to sidestep the truth, and oaths were among them. They would avoid using the holy name of God but they would come close to it by using the name of the city of Jerusalem, heaven, earth, or some part of the body. Jesus taught that our conversations should be honest and our character so true that we would not need “crutches” to get people to believe us. Words depend on character and oaths cannot compensate for a poor character. The real implication of the law is that we keep our promises. Christians should say what they mean and mean what they say. 3. Retaliation Matthew 5:38-39 (see also Lev.24:19-22)

‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. The original law was perfectly fair; it kept people from forcing the offender to pay a greater price than the offence deserved. It also prevented people from taking personal revenge. Jesus replaced a law with an attitude: be willing to suffer loss yourself rather than cause another to suffer. Of course he applied this to personal insults, not to groups or nations. The person who retaliates only makes him or her self and the offender feel worse and the result is a settled war and not peace. In order to “turn the other cheek” we must stay where we are and not run away. This demands both faith and love. It also means that we will hurt on the outside than to be harmed on the inside. However it also means that we should try to help the offender. We are vulnerable, because we open ourselves up to more attacks but we are also victorious because Jesus is on our side, helping us and building up our characters. Psychologists tell us that violence is born of weakness, not strength. It is the person who is strong who can love and suffer hurt; it is the weak who thinks only of themselves and hurts others to protect themselves. They hurt others then run away to protect themselves. That is the way of the coward.

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To worry about material things is to live like ‘the pagans’! If we put God’s will and God’s righteousness first in our lives , He will take care of every-thing else. What a testimony it is to the world when Christians dare to practise Matthew 6:33! What a tragedy when so many of us fail to practise it. 4. Loss of Joy today. Matthew 6:34

‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ‘ Worrying about tomorrow does not help either tomorrow or today. If anything it robs us of our effectiveness today. Which mean we will be even less effective tomorrow. Someone has said that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow. It is right to plan for the future and even to save for the future for look at 2 Corinthians 12:14 and 1 Timothy 5:8

‘Now I am ready to visit you for the third time and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all children should not have to save up for their par-

ents , but the parents for the children’ ‘Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially

for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ‘

However it is a sin to worry about the future and permit tomorrow to rob today of its blessing. Three words in this passage point the way to victory over worry:

Faith v30 trusting God to meet our needs Father v 32 knowing he cares for his children First v33 putting God first in our lives so that he may be

Glorified. If we have faith in our Father and put him first, he will meet our needs.

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Like one of these . If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?’ Covetousness will not only cheapen our riches it will also cheapen us. For we will start to become anxious and worried. The person whose ambi-tion is to get rich believing that it will be the answer to all of life’s prob-lems soon discovers that riches can bring more problems. Material wealth can give a false sense of security and that feeling can end in tragedy. The birds and the lilies do not fret and worry; yet they have God’s wealth in ways that we cannot duplicate. All of nature depends on God and he never fails. Only we mortals depends on money and that always fails. Jesus said that worry is sinful. We may try to dress it up in other names; Concern, a burden, a cross to carry but the results are still the same. Instead of helping us live longer anxiety makes life shorter. The Greek word translated, ‘do not worry ‘ literally means to be pulled in different directions. Worry pulls us apart because we try to live our own lives with dependence on material wealth. God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies and he will feed and clothe us if we trust him. It is our ‘little faith’ that stops him working as he would. He has great blessings for us if only we will yield to Him and lives for the riches that last forever. 3. Loss of Testimony Matthew 6:31-33

‘So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’

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4. Love Your Enemies Matthew 5:43-48 (see also Lev.19-17-18)

‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Nowhere did the Law teach hatred for one’s enemies. Look at Exodus 23:4-5 “‘If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.” The Law taught the very opposite. Jesus defines our enemies as those that persecute or curse us. Since Christian love is an act of the will and not simply an emotion, he has the right to command us to love our enemies. After all he loved us when we were still his enemies (Romans 5:10). We may show his love by blessing those that curse us , doing good to them and praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the poison of our attitudes. Jesus gave several reasons for this teaching:

This love is a mark of maturity proving that we are Sons of the Father and not just children.

It is God-like. The Father shares his good things with those who oppose him. Verse 45 suggests that our love creates a climate of blessings that make it easier to win our enemies and make friends of them.

It is a good witness to others. God expects us to be different to the world.

The word “perfect” in verse 48 suggests maturity as children of God.

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

1. What questions about marriage, divorce and remarriage does Jesus’ teaching on divorce raise in your mind? How does Jesus’ teaching provide a foundation or starting point from which to answer those questions? Share sensitively but honestly with each other. 2. What does Jesus’ teaching about making oaths say to you? Should this prevent Christians taking an oath in a courtroom? 3. The Old Testament did teach the principle of “an eye for an eye”.

How did Pharisees and teachers of Jesus’ day distort this command?

4. The world seems to applaud those who hate their enemies and who are most adept at paying back those who injure them in some way. How can Christians channel that desire for revenge into a way to act in love towards those that hurt you? 5. How on earth can Christians surpass Non-Christians in love and virtue? 6. How are we to understand “be perfect” as God the Father is perfect?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for any particular “enemies” toward whom you need to begin to act in love.

Pray for those who persecute Christians and want to destroy our

Christian heritage.

Pray for those Christians who feel like giving up on Christianity because the standard set by Jesus seems too high for them to achieve.

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God’s Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. If the eye is properly focused on the light, the body can function properly in its movements. But if the eye is out of focus and seeing double it results in unsteady movements. It is difficult to make progress while trying to look in two directions at the same time. If our ambition in life is to get wealthy it will mean darkness within. But if our ambition is to serve and glorify God there will be light within. If what should be light is really dark-ness then we are being controlled by darkness; and remember outlook determines outcome!

Materialism will enslave the Will ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be

devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’ We cannot serve two masters at the same time. Either Jesus Christ is Lord or money is our master. It is a matter of the will. Consider 1 Timothy 6:9

‘Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires

that plunge people into ruin and destruction.’ When the Lord blesses us with wealth and we use it for his Glory he is pleased but if our ambition, or ‘Will’ is to get rich and live with that out-look we will pay a great price for those riches. 2. Devaluation Matthew 6:25-30

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was not dressed

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our ambitions are misplaced. 1. Enslavement Matthew 6:19-24

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’

Materialism will enslave the heart ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

We can become chained by the material things of this world but we ought to be set free by the Spirit of the living God. If our ambition is on material things then the result can be tragic loss. The treasures of earth may be used for the Lord but if gather them for ourselves we will lose them. What does it mean to ‘store up for yourselves treasures in heaven’? It means to use all that we have to the Glory of God. It means holding lightly to the things of the things of this world and measuring life by the true riches of Kingdom of God.

Materialism will enslave the mind ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ‘

be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Four A Christian's religion; not hypocritical but real

Reading Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Parading our Piety Matthew 6:1

‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.’ Jesus continues his teaching on righteousness (or living in the right way) but the emphasis has shifted. Previously Jesus has applied right living to attitudes like kindness, purity and honesty; now it concerns outward activities like giving, praying and fasting. In this study we will concentrate on giving and fasting as praying needs a study all of it own. The emphasis now is on “religious’ rightness. The fundamental warning is against practising piety before others ‘to be seen by them.’ This does not contradict Jesus previous teaching about ‘letting our light shine before others that they might see our good works’ (Matthew 5:16) because Jesus is now speaking about different sins. Our human fear and cowardice makes Jesus say “Let your light shine before others’ and our human pride makes him tell us to beware of practising

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our piety before others. Our good works must be public so that our light shines; our religious devotion must be secret so that we don’t boast. The result in both cases is the same: the Glory of God. Evidently Jesus expected all his followers to engage in these three practises: giving, praying and fasting for he said, “when you do these things...” Jesus took it for granted we all would! The three examples Jesus gives follow an identical pattern. In colourful imagery Jesus paints a picture of the hypocrites way of being religious. It is the way of pride and show. Every aspect is meant to produce the applause and attention of other people, Then Jesus contrasts that with the way of the followers of Jesus, which should be secret and leads to the only reward a Christian should really want—the blessing of their heavenly Father who sees in secret. 2. Giving to Those in Need Matthew 6:2-4

‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by oth-ers. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ Jesus expects his followers to be generous givers but generosity was and is not enough. Jesus is always concerned about motivation, with the hidden thoughts of the heart. So the question for Jesus is not so much what the hand is giving . There are three possibilities.

We may be seeking the praise of others We may be quietly congratulating ourselves or We are seeking the approval of God our father alone.

A ravenous praise of others was the downfall of the Pharisees and the Pharisee-like Christian today. Jesus even ridicules the way such people turn giving into a public spectacle. He pictures a pompous Pharisee on the way

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Six A Christian's Ambition

Reading Matthew 6:19-34

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: We often make a distinction in life between the “spiritual” and the “material” but Jesus made no such distinction. In many of his parables Jesus made it clear that a right attitude towards wealth is a mark of true spirituality. (You may like to compare Luke 12:13ff and 16:1-31). The Pharisees were covetous and used religion to make money. If we have the true righteousness of Christ in our lives then we will have a wise attitude towards material wealth. Nowhere did Jesus magnify poverty or criticise the legitimate obtaining of wealth. God made all things, including food, clothing and precious metals. He has declared all things good (Genesis 1:31). He also knows that we need certain things in order to live see verse 32 “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”) In fact as we read in 1 Timothy 6:17 “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” It is not wrong to possess things but it is wrong for things to possess us! The sin of idolatry is as dangerous as the sin of hypocrisy. Jesus warned against the sin of living for the things of this life. Jesus pointed out the sad consequences of covetousness and idolatry. Here are some of the dangers we face when

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What a mighty and a glorious God we have, who is worthy of praise at the beginning, throughout and at the end of our prayers. George Muller, that mighty man of prayer said:

"When you leave the place of prayer, if you don't leave happy, start all over again, because you miss the whole point of it;

you should leave that place praising the Lord." This then is how we should pray. Let us ensure that we give adequate time to putting it into practice.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What does the “Fatherhood” of God mean to you? When you pray “Our Father” what image comes to mind? How can we help people that have had a bad experience of Fatherhood? 2. God’s name is so holy the Jews never uttered it. How can we approach Such holiness? (Hebrews 10:19-25 may help answer the question) 3. How much do God’s priorities, God’s Kingdom and God’s will Infiltrate your prayers? What can you to correct this? 4. If God knows what we need before we ask him, why do we need to Pray at all? What do you understand by “bread” in Matthew 6:11? And why does Jesus emphasise asking God for “daily bread”? 5. Is there anyone that you are refusing to forgive? Should that be the case what are the consequences? 6. Does the Lord ever lead us into temptation? How can we be delivered from evil?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Using The Lord’s Prayer as a Pattern Prayer, together, pray through the whole prayer in seven sections. (You may want to have a section each)

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to church to give his offering or to take a gift to someone who is poor. In front of him march the trumpeters, blowing a fanfare as they walk and quickly drawing a crowd. Hypocrisy is the word Jesus uses to character-ise this performance. The word came to be applied to anyone who treats the world as a stage on which to play a part. In a film or on the stage we know that actors just play a part and we know that. The religious hypo-crite however deliberately sets out to deceive people. Hypocrites turn a religious practise in to what it was never meant to be—a theatrical display in front of an audience. It is done for applause. Christians today may not employ trumpeters but it has been known for us to “blow our own trumpets”. Some still draw attention to their giving in order to be praised by others. Jesus make the case for another way of giving , the way of secrecy. We are not to do it for the praise of others or even to make ourselves feel better. Inwardly gloating over our generos-ity is just as bad as bragging about it. Christian giving is to be marked by self-sacrifice, self-forgetfulness and not by self-congratulations. Probably the only reward genuine love wants when making a gift to the poor is to see the need relieved. When the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed, the oppressed freed and the lost saved, the love that prompted the gift is satisfied. Such love, (which is God love ex-pressed through us by his grace) brings with it its own private joys and wants no other reward, To sum up our Christian giving is to be neither before others nor even before ourselves, but before God who sees our hearts and rewards us with the discovery that, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ Acts 20:35. 3. Christian Prayer Matthew 6:5-8

‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by oth-ers. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is

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unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.’ Jesus now contrasts two individuals at prayer . The hypocrite loves the opportunity of public praying to once again parade themselves before people. The accusation of hypocrisy is often levelled at us church goers and not without some good reason. How then should a Christian pray? Jesus said, ‘...when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ We are to find a place to be alone with the Lord; to close the door against disturbance or distraction, but also to shut out the prying eyes of others and to shut ourselves in with the Lord. Hypocrisy is not the only sin to avoid in prayer; “babbling” or meaninglessness, mechanical repetition is another. The first is the problem of the Pharisee, the second is the problem of the Pagan. Endless repetition degrades prayer from a real and personal approach to God to the mere repletion of empty words. What Jesus forbids is any kind of prayer with the mouth when the mind is not engaged. ‘Do not be like them’ Jesus says for we come to a Loving Heavenly Father who is not ignorant, so we do not need to inform him, nor is he slow to help us, so we do not need to persuade him. He is our Father - a Father who loves his children and knows all about their needs. In the next study we will learn how to pray as Jesus taught his disciples. 4. Our Fasting Matthew 6:16-18

‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are

29

Read verse 14 very carefully, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matt 6:14-15). To the Lord Jesus this was obviously a vital element for us to pray. If we don't forgive, He won't forgive. Peter, the disciple, thought he was really being magnanimous in suggest-ing to the Lord that he should forgive his brother seven times. Whilst after all is said and done, the Rabbis of the day thought that three times in a day was enough to forgive your brother. Imagine the shock when Jesus whispers to Peter that seventy times seven was more appropriate. The parable of the unmerciful servant, who was thrown to the tormen-tors, is a graphic way of emphasising that if we don't walk in forgiveness then we are inviting torment. 6. The power part Matthew 6:13

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" Here is an appropriate place every day in our personal devotions to put on the full armour of God and to ensure that every piece is in place - see Ephesians 6:10-18. Putting on the whole armour of God is synonymous with clothing yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). When we do that, the enemy when he sees us coming, doesn't know whether it is us or Jesus Himself coming at him! 7. The praise part Matthew 6:13

"For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever - Amen" Praise is the language of faith. Here are three questions to consider together:

Yours is the Kingdom - are you in it? Yours is the Power - have you got it?

Yours is the Glory - do you give it?

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They can best be illustrated by the phrase 'to put your foot down'. Do you know that phrase? It speaks of a determined act of will. For when we pray this priority part of the prayer, we are inviting God the Father to come and put His foot down in our lives. We are saying that we want God's will in our life, our family, our church, our community, our nation. Dare to believe that if we put this prayer in its priority place every day, we will see a change in every area of our life. This is a Kingdom prayer and makes a Christian into a Kingdom person. 4. The provision part - Matthew 6:11

"Give us today our daily bread” It is God's purpose, plan and provision to meet every need. I believe that we need to meet the condition and just ask our loving Heavenly Father. See Malachi 3:10. Observe the shift in emphasis at this point. Until now we have prayed, "Your name, Your Kingdom, and Your will" - however, now we are praying for ourselves, "Give us, our...." We need to be sure that we believe it is God's will to meet our spiritual, our physical and our financial needs. The Lord Jesus met the needs of people that He met on earth and He is com-mitted to meeting our needs as well. The Psalmist said it confidently, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). The Apostle Paul shows us, "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). 5. . The pardon part Matthew 6:12

"Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors" Unforgiven sin is a real hindrance to prayer. It should be noticed that the only part of the prayer that was emphasised and repeated was this part.

25

fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” The Purpose of the Pharisees’ fast was to win the praise of men and as a result there was no blessing for them. Christians ought to fast but in the right way and for the right motives. Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:3) and so did the first Christians (Acts 13:2). Fasting helps to discipline the appetites of the body and keep our spiritual priorities right. As with giving and praying fasting should be done in secret; it is between the believer and the Lord.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. How would you respond to the accusation that Christians and the Church are “a bunch of hypocrites”? Each share and discuss 2. According to Jesus what is the spiritual danger in activities like giving to those in need? How will the teachings of Jesus help avoid that danger? 3. Does the teaching of Jesus in this passage mean that we are never to pray in public out of concern that we have the have the wrong motive? . Can you think of examples in which Christians might babble in prayer or think they might be heard through speaking many words? 4. In what situations do you think fasting might be a proper spiritual activity in your life?

PRAYING TOGETHER Pray for Christian witness to be authentic and out of right motives.

Pray for those in need and ask for wisdom as to how you should respond.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill each other and make your prayer time

dynamic and effective.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Five A Christian's Prayer

Reading Matthew 6:1-7-15 and Luke 11:1-13

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: Between the two Scripture passages above, are two years in the ministry of our Lord. The disciples had observed how His prayer life produced power in His ministry. The disciples didn't learn the lesson the first time and two years later they were still asking, "Teach us to pray". Most of us struggle with prayer. The question that must be asked is, "Are we willing to be taught?" I believe that revival begins in the hearts of men and women when we say, "I want to learn to pray more than anything else." This so called "Lord's Prayer", is a pattern prayer for daily use; seven parts of the prayer, each part designed to meet a need in our spirits. However, we ought not to move from one part of the prayer to another, until we are confident that that need has been met in our spirits. That being emphasised, let us observe the seven parts. 1. The Paternal Part Matthew 6:9a

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‘This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven” Unless the Father-child relationship is established between God and us we will never learn to pray - see John 1:12-13. How we need to spend time seeing God as our Father. Dwell on the intimacy of the word "Abba". In a Children's Club', a little boy whispered into the ear of one of the children's leaders, with a real note of sadness, "I don't have a daddy in my house!". Such people without an experience of an earthly daddy, or with bad experiences, need to dwell on this part of the prayer more than most. Right now, tell your heavenly Father that you want Him to be your Father; surrender to Him as a child. Everyone of us needs to be secure and this is where security begins. 2. The presence part - Matthew 6:9

"Hallowed be Your name" Access to the holy presence of God is open only through the name and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "hallowed" suggests the most holy place. We should try to memorise Hebrews 10:19, "Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near to God." How we should praise our Father for the gift of a Saviour. The name of the Lord Jesus gives us access to His presence. Often we begin by telling God how we feel, but this pattern prayer encourages us to enter God's presence with praise. Concentrate on the Fatherhood of God and praise Him for the person of Jesus that opens up the way into His presence. 3. The priority part - Matthew 6:10

"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Five A Christian's Prayer

Reading Matthew 6:1-7-15 and Luke 11:1-13

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: Between the two Scripture passages above, are two years in the ministry of our Lord. The disciples had observed how His prayer life produced power in His ministry. The disciples didn't learn the lesson the first time and two years later they were still asking, "Teach us to pray". Most of us struggle with prayer. The question that must be asked is, "Are we willing to be taught?" I believe that revival begins in the hearts of men and women when we say, "I want to learn to pray more than anything else." This so called "Lord's Prayer", is a pattern prayer for daily use; seven parts of the prayer, each part designed to meet a need in our spirits. However, we ought not to move from one part of the prayer to another, until we are confident that that need has been met in our spirits. That being emphasised, let us observe the seven parts. 1. The Paternal Part Matthew 6:9a

27

‘This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven” Unless the Father-child relationship is established between God and us we will never learn to pray - see John 1:12-13. How we need to spend time seeing God as our Father. Dwell on the intimacy of the word "Abba". In a Children's Club', a little boy whispered into the ear of one of the children's leaders, with a real note of sadness, "I don't have a daddy in my house!". Such people without an experience of an earthly daddy, or with bad experiences, need to dwell on this part of the prayer more than most. Right now, tell your heavenly Father that you want Him to be your Father; surrender to Him as a child. Everyone of us needs to be secure and this is where security begins. 2. The presence part - Matthew 6:9

"Hallowed be Your name" Access to the holy presence of God is open only through the name and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "hallowed" suggests the most holy place. We should try to memorise Hebrews 10:19, "Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near to God." How we should praise our Father for the gift of a Saviour. The name of the Lord Jesus gives us access to His presence. Often we begin by telling God how we feel, but this pattern prayer encourages us to enter God's presence with praise. Concentrate on the Fatherhood of God and praise Him for the person of Jesus that opens up the way into His presence. 3. The priority part - Matthew 6:10

"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

28

They can best be illustrated by the phrase 'to put your foot down'. Do you know that phrase? It speaks of a determined act of will. For when we pray this priority part of the prayer, we are inviting God the Father to come and put His foot down in our lives. We are saying that we want God's will in our life, our family, our church, our community, our nation. Dare to believe that if we put this prayer in its priority place every day, we will see a change in every area of our life. This is a Kingdom prayer and makes a Christian into a Kingdom person. 4. The provision part - Matthew 6:11

"Give us today our daily bread” It is God's purpose, plan and provision to meet every need. I believe that we need to meet the condition and just ask our loving Heavenly Father. See Malachi 3:10. Observe the shift in emphasis at this point. Until now we have prayed, "Your name, Your Kingdom, and Your will" - however, now we are praying for ourselves, "Give us, our...." We need to be sure that we believe it is God's will to meet our spiritual, our physical and our financial needs. The Lord Jesus met the needs of people that He met on earth and He is com-mitted to meeting our needs as well. The Psalmist said it confidently, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). The Apostle Paul shows us, "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). 5. . The pardon part Matthew 6:12

"Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors" Unforgiven sin is a real hindrance to prayer. It should be noticed that the only part of the prayer that was emphasised and repeated was this part.

25

fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” The Purpose of the Pharisees’ fast was to win the praise of men and as a result there was no blessing for them. Christians ought to fast but in the right way and for the right motives. Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:3) and so did the first Christians (Acts 13:2). Fasting helps to discipline the appetites of the body and keep our spiritual priorities right. As with giving and praying fasting should be done in secret; it is between the believer and the Lord.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. How would you respond to the accusation that Christians and the Church are “a bunch of hypocrites”? Each share and discuss 2. According to Jesus what is the spiritual danger in activities like giving to those in need? How will the teachings of Jesus help avoid that danger? 3. Does the teaching of Jesus in this passage mean that we are never to pray in public out of concern that we have the have the wrong motive? . Can you think of examples in which Christians might babble in prayer or think they might be heard through speaking many words? 4. In what situations do you think fasting might be a proper spiritual activity in your life?

PRAYING TOGETHER Pray for Christian witness to be authentic and out of right motives.

Pray for those in need and ask for wisdom as to how you should respond.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill each other and make your prayer time

dynamic and effective.

24

unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.’ Jesus now contrasts two individuals at prayer . The hypocrite loves the opportunity of public praying to once again parade themselves before people. The accusation of hypocrisy is often levelled at us church goers and not without some good reason. How then should a Christian pray? Jesus said, ‘...when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ We are to find a place to be alone with the Lord; to close the door against disturbance or distraction, but also to shut out the prying eyes of others and to shut ourselves in with the Lord. Hypocrisy is not the only sin to avoid in prayer; “babbling” or meaninglessness, mechanical repetition is another. The first is the problem of the Pharisee, the second is the problem of the Pagan. Endless repetition degrades prayer from a real and personal approach to God to the mere repletion of empty words. What Jesus forbids is any kind of prayer with the mouth when the mind is not engaged. ‘Do not be like them’ Jesus says for we come to a Loving Heavenly Father who is not ignorant, so we do not need to inform him, nor is he slow to help us, so we do not need to persuade him. He is our Father - a Father who loves his children and knows all about their needs. In the next study we will learn how to pray as Jesus taught his disciples. 4. Our Fasting Matthew 6:16-18

‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are

29

Read verse 14 very carefully, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matt 6:14-15). To the Lord Jesus this was obviously a vital element for us to pray. If we don't forgive, He won't forgive. Peter, the disciple, thought he was really being magnanimous in suggest-ing to the Lord that he should forgive his brother seven times. Whilst after all is said and done, the Rabbis of the day thought that three times in a day was enough to forgive your brother. Imagine the shock when Jesus whispers to Peter that seventy times seven was more appropriate. The parable of the unmerciful servant, who was thrown to the tormen-tors, is a graphic way of emphasising that if we don't walk in forgiveness then we are inviting torment. 6. The power part Matthew 6:13

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" Here is an appropriate place every day in our personal devotions to put on the full armour of God and to ensure that every piece is in place - see Ephesians 6:10-18. Putting on the whole armour of God is synonymous with clothing yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). When we do that, the enemy when he sees us coming, doesn't know whether it is us or Jesus Himself coming at him! 7. The praise part Matthew 6:13

"For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever - Amen" Praise is the language of faith. Here are three questions to consider together:

Yours is the Kingdom - are you in it? Yours is the Power - have you got it?

Yours is the Glory - do you give it?

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What a mighty and a glorious God we have, who is worthy of praise at the beginning, throughout and at the end of our prayers. George Muller, that mighty man of prayer said:

"When you leave the place of prayer, if you don't leave happy, start all over again, because you miss the whole point of it;

you should leave that place praising the Lord." This then is how we should pray. Let us ensure that we give adequate time to putting it into practice.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What does the “Fatherhood” of God mean to you? When you pray “Our Father” what image comes to mind? How can we help people that have had a bad experience of Fatherhood? 2. God’s name is so holy the Jews never uttered it. How can we approach Such holiness? (Hebrews 10:19-25 may help answer the question) 3. How much do God’s priorities, God’s Kingdom and God’s will Infiltrate your prayers? What can you to correct this? 4. If God knows what we need before we ask him, why do we need to Pray at all? What do you understand by “bread” in Matthew 6:11? And why does Jesus emphasise asking God for “daily bread”? 5. Is there anyone that you are refusing to forgive? Should that be the case what are the consequences? 6. Does the Lord ever lead us into temptation? How can we be delivered from evil?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Using The Lord’s Prayer as a Pattern Prayer, together, pray through the whole prayer in seven sections. (You may want to have a section each)

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to church to give his offering or to take a gift to someone who is poor. In front of him march the trumpeters, blowing a fanfare as they walk and quickly drawing a crowd. Hypocrisy is the word Jesus uses to character-ise this performance. The word came to be applied to anyone who treats the world as a stage on which to play a part. In a film or on the stage we know that actors just play a part and we know that. The religious hypo-crite however deliberately sets out to deceive people. Hypocrites turn a religious practise in to what it was never meant to be—a theatrical display in front of an audience. It is done for applause. Christians today may not employ trumpeters but it has been known for us to “blow our own trumpets”. Some still draw attention to their giving in order to be praised by others. Jesus make the case for another way of giving , the way of secrecy. We are not to do it for the praise of others or even to make ourselves feel better. Inwardly gloating over our generos-ity is just as bad as bragging about it. Christian giving is to be marked by self-sacrifice, self-forgetfulness and not by self-congratulations. Probably the only reward genuine love wants when making a gift to the poor is to see the need relieved. When the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed, the oppressed freed and the lost saved, the love that prompted the gift is satisfied. Such love, (which is God love ex-pressed through us by his grace) brings with it its own private joys and wants no other reward, To sum up our Christian giving is to be neither before others nor even before ourselves, but before God who sees our hearts and rewards us with the discovery that, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ Acts 20:35. 3. Christian Prayer Matthew 6:5-8

‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by oth-ers. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is

22

our piety before others. Our good works must be public so that our light shines; our religious devotion must be secret so that we don’t boast. The result in both cases is the same: the Glory of God. Evidently Jesus expected all his followers to engage in these three practises: giving, praying and fasting for he said, “when you do these things...” Jesus took it for granted we all would! The three examples Jesus gives follow an identical pattern. In colourful imagery Jesus paints a picture of the hypocrites way of being religious. It is the way of pride and show. Every aspect is meant to produce the applause and attention of other people, Then Jesus contrasts that with the way of the followers of Jesus, which should be secret and leads to the only reward a Christian should really want—the blessing of their heavenly Father who sees in secret. 2. Giving to Those in Need Matthew 6:2-4

‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by oth-ers. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ Jesus expects his followers to be generous givers but generosity was and is not enough. Jesus is always concerned about motivation, with the hidden thoughts of the heart. So the question for Jesus is not so much what the hand is giving . There are three possibilities.

We may be seeking the praise of others We may be quietly congratulating ourselves or We are seeking the approval of God our father alone.

A ravenous praise of others was the downfall of the Pharisees and the Pharisee-like Christian today. Jesus even ridicules the way such people turn giving into a public spectacle. He pictures a pompous Pharisee on the way

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Six A Christian's Ambition

Reading Matthew 6:19-34

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: We often make a distinction in life between the “spiritual” and the “material” but Jesus made no such distinction. In many of his parables Jesus made it clear that a right attitude towards wealth is a mark of true spirituality. (You may like to compare Luke 12:13ff and 16:1-31). The Pharisees were covetous and used religion to make money. If we have the true righteousness of Christ in our lives then we will have a wise attitude towards material wealth. Nowhere did Jesus magnify poverty or criticise the legitimate obtaining of wealth. God made all things, including food, clothing and precious metals. He has declared all things good (Genesis 1:31). He also knows that we need certain things in order to live see verse 32 “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”) In fact as we read in 1 Timothy 6:17 “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” It is not wrong to possess things but it is wrong for things to possess us! The sin of idolatry is as dangerous as the sin of hypocrisy. Jesus warned against the sin of living for the things of this life. Jesus pointed out the sad consequences of covetousness and idolatry. Here are some of the dangers we face when

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our ambitions are misplaced. 1. Enslavement Matthew 6:19-24

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’

Materialism will enslave the heart ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

We can become chained by the material things of this world but we ought to be set free by the Spirit of the living God. If our ambition is on material things then the result can be tragic loss. The treasures of earth may be used for the Lord but if gather them for ourselves we will lose them. What does it mean to ‘store up for yourselves treasures in heaven’? It means to use all that we have to the Glory of God. It means holding lightly to the things of the things of this world and measuring life by the true riches of Kingdom of God.

Materialism will enslave the mind ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ‘

be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Four A Christian's religion; not hypocritical but real

Reading Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Parading our Piety Matthew 6:1

‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.’ Jesus continues his teaching on righteousness (or living in the right way) but the emphasis has shifted. Previously Jesus has applied right living to attitudes like kindness, purity and honesty; now it concerns outward activities like giving, praying and fasting. In this study we will concentrate on giving and fasting as praying needs a study all of it own. The emphasis now is on “religious’ rightness. The fundamental warning is against practising piety before others ‘to be seen by them.’ This does not contradict Jesus previous teaching about ‘letting our light shine before others that they might see our good works’ (Matthew 5:16) because Jesus is now speaking about different sins. Our human fear and cowardice makes Jesus say “Let your light shine before others’ and our human pride makes him tell us to beware of practising

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QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

1. What questions about marriage, divorce and remarriage does Jesus’ teaching on divorce raise in your mind? How does Jesus’ teaching provide a foundation or starting point from which to answer those questions? Share sensitively but honestly with each other. 2. What does Jesus’ teaching about making oaths say to you? Should this prevent Christians taking an oath in a courtroom? 3. The Old Testament did teach the principle of “an eye for an eye”.

How did Pharisees and teachers of Jesus’ day distort this command?

4. The world seems to applaud those who hate their enemies and who are most adept at paying back those who injure them in some way. How can Christians channel that desire for revenge into a way to act in love towards those that hurt you? 5. How on earth can Christians surpass Non-Christians in love and virtue? 6. How are we to understand “be perfect” as God the Father is perfect?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for any particular “enemies” toward whom you need to begin to act in love.

Pray for those who persecute Christians and want to destroy our

Christian heritage.

Pray for those Christians who feel like giving up on Christianity because the standard set by Jesus seems too high for them to achieve.

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God’s Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. If the eye is properly focused on the light, the body can function properly in its movements. But if the eye is out of focus and seeing double it results in unsteady movements. It is difficult to make progress while trying to look in two directions at the same time. If our ambition in life is to get wealthy it will mean darkness within. But if our ambition is to serve and glorify God there will be light within. If what should be light is really dark-ness then we are being controlled by darkness; and remember outlook determines outcome!

Materialism will enslave the Will ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be

devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’ We cannot serve two masters at the same time. Either Jesus Christ is Lord or money is our master. It is a matter of the will. Consider 1 Timothy 6:9

‘Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires

that plunge people into ruin and destruction.’ When the Lord blesses us with wealth and we use it for his Glory he is pleased but if our ambition, or ‘Will’ is to get rich and live with that out-look we will pay a great price for those riches. 2. Devaluation Matthew 6:25-30

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was not dressed

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Like one of these . If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?’ Covetousness will not only cheapen our riches it will also cheapen us. For we will start to become anxious and worried. The person whose ambi-tion is to get rich believing that it will be the answer to all of life’s prob-lems soon discovers that riches can bring more problems. Material wealth can give a false sense of security and that feeling can end in tragedy. The birds and the lilies do not fret and worry; yet they have God’s wealth in ways that we cannot duplicate. All of nature depends on God and he never fails. Only we mortals depends on money and that always fails. Jesus said that worry is sinful. We may try to dress it up in other names; Concern, a burden, a cross to carry but the results are still the same. Instead of helping us live longer anxiety makes life shorter. The Greek word translated, ‘do not worry ‘ literally means to be pulled in different directions. Worry pulls us apart because we try to live our own lives with dependence on material wealth. God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies and he will feed and clothe us if we trust him. It is our ‘little faith’ that stops him working as he would. He has great blessings for us if only we will yield to Him and lives for the riches that last forever. 3. Loss of Testimony Matthew 6:31-33

‘So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’

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4. Love Your Enemies Matthew 5:43-48 (see also Lev.19-17-18)

‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Nowhere did the Law teach hatred for one’s enemies. Look at Exodus 23:4-5 “‘If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.” The Law taught the very opposite. Jesus defines our enemies as those that persecute or curse us. Since Christian love is an act of the will and not simply an emotion, he has the right to command us to love our enemies. After all he loved us when we were still his enemies (Romans 5:10). We may show his love by blessing those that curse us , doing good to them and praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the poison of our attitudes. Jesus gave several reasons for this teaching:

This love is a mark of maturity proving that we are Sons of the Father and not just children.

It is God-like. The Father shares his good things with those who oppose him. Verse 45 suggests that our love creates a climate of blessings that make it easier to win our enemies and make friends of them.

It is a good witness to others. God expects us to be different to the world.

The word “perfect” in verse 48 suggests maturity as children of God.

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true. The Pharisees used all kinds of tricks to sidestep the truth, and oaths were among them. They would avoid using the holy name of God but they would come close to it by using the name of the city of Jerusalem, heaven, earth, or some part of the body. Jesus taught that our conversations should be honest and our character so true that we would not need “crutches” to get people to believe us. Words depend on character and oaths cannot compensate for a poor character. The real implication of the law is that we keep our promises. Christians should say what they mean and mean what they say. 3. Retaliation Matthew 5:38-39 (see also Lev.24:19-22)

‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. The original law was perfectly fair; it kept people from forcing the offender to pay a greater price than the offence deserved. It also prevented people from taking personal revenge. Jesus replaced a law with an attitude: be willing to suffer loss yourself rather than cause another to suffer. Of course he applied this to personal insults, not to groups or nations. The person who retaliates only makes him or her self and the offender feel worse and the result is a settled war and not peace. In order to “turn the other cheek” we must stay where we are and not run away. This demands both faith and love. It also means that we will hurt on the outside than to be harmed on the inside. However it also means that we should try to help the offender. We are vulnerable, because we open ourselves up to more attacks but we are also victorious because Jesus is on our side, helping us and building up our characters. Psychologists tell us that violence is born of weakness, not strength. It is the person who is strong who can love and suffer hurt; it is the weak who thinks only of themselves and hurts others to protect themselves. They hurt others then run away to protect themselves. That is the way of the coward.

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To worry about material things is to live like ‘the pagans’! If we put God’s will and God’s righteousness first in our lives , He will take care of every-thing else. What a testimony it is to the world when Christians dare to practise Matthew 6:33! What a tragedy when so many of us fail to practise it. 4. Loss of Joy today. Matthew 6:34

‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ‘ Worrying about tomorrow does not help either tomorrow or today. If anything it robs us of our effectiveness today. Which mean we will be even less effective tomorrow. Someone has said that the average person is crucifying himself between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow. It is right to plan for the future and even to save for the future for look at 2 Corinthians 12:14 and 1 Timothy 5:8

‘Now I am ready to visit you for the third time and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all children should not have to save up for their par-

ents , but the parents for the children’ ‘Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially

for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ‘

However it is a sin to worry about the future and permit tomorrow to rob today of its blessing. Three words in this passage point the way to victory over worry:

Faith v30 trusting God to meet our needs Father v 32 knowing he cares for his children First v33 putting God first in our lives so that he may be

Glorified. If we have faith in our Father and put him first, he will meet our needs.

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What are your goals and ambitions in life? Which one is your top priority. Each share 2. What do you think Jesus means by ‘treasures in heaven’? What is the Difference between treasures in heaven and treasures on earth? 3. How would explain verse 21 (‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’) to a friend or colleague? 4. Jesus counsels us to be ‘full of light’ in v22; what things distort your vision of life and your value before God? 5. List the reasons Jesus gives for NOT being preoccupied with food and clothing in verses 25-34 6. What do these verses suggest we do to lower your worry level about material things? 7. How can we intentionally seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Spend some time thinking and praying about your goals in life and ask the Lord to give you grace to change your ambitions, desires and priorities.

Share with each other the things that cause you anxiety and pray for each

other.

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subject is good—good for every person and good for every society. One fact to bear in mind as we discuss this passage is that these two verses do not represent everything Jesus and the New Testament writers taught about divorce. This is a summary of what Jesus said on this occasion and is not the whole story. (Compare Matthew 19:1-12) The popular opinion and religious teaching of Jesus’ time was that they treated divorce lightly. Jesus in contrast took it very seriously, because he took marriage seriously. Jesus’ whole emphasis in debating with the religious leaders was on God’s original institution of marriage as an exclusive and permanent relationship. Whereas the religious leaders were preoccupied with the grounds for divorce while Jesus focussed on establishing the lasting nature of marriage. Jesus was calling his followers then and now to love, to forgive and to be peacemakers in every situation of strife. As a Christian Pastor I would never speak to anyone about divorce until I had spoken to them about marriage and reconciliation. It is only when a person understands and accepts God’s view of marriage and his call to reconciliation that a possible context has been created within which we may regretfully go on to talk about divorce. 2. Honest Speaking Matthew 5:33-37 (see also Lev.19:12 and Deut. 23:23)

‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.’ Jesus is referring here to the sin of using oaths to affirm what was said is

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Three A Christian’s relationships

Reading Matthew 5:31-48

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Faithfulness in Marriage Matthew 5:31-32

‘It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. You will need great sensitivity in your groups with dealing with this matter for it is such a controversial and complex matter. It is also a subject that touches human emotions at their deepest level. There is almost no unhappiness so heartbreaking as the unhappiness of an unhappy marriage, and almost no tragedy as great as the deterioration of the relationship that God intended for love and fulfilment into a non-relationship of bitterness and despair. Although I believe that God’s way in most cases is not the route of divorce, I hope you can sense my sensitivity and compassion for all those that have gone that way. However I am convinced that the teaching of Jesus on this and every

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Seven A Christian's approach to God

Reading Matthew 7:1-12

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: In this study we will come to some wonderful promises about our approaching God in prayer (verses 7-12) but before that our Lord wants to warn us about our wrong attitudes towards others. Our attitudes towards others can affect our approach to God in prayer. 1. Our attitudes towards others Matthew 7:1-5

‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge Others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be meas-ured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye?” When at the same time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’.

The connecting thread that runs through Matthew 7 is relationships.

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Jesus has talked about a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, religious practise and ambition now he focuses on our attitudes towards others especially other Christians. The first principle of judgement is that we begin with ourselves. We are not forbidden to carful discernment for Christian love is not blind. How-ever before we judge others we must search our own hearts. There are several reasons for this.

We will be judged verses 1-2 ‘‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

The tense of the verb ‘judged’ signifies a once-for-all judgement. If we first judge ourselves then we are preparing for that final judgement when we face Almighty God. The Pharisees ‘played God’ as they often condemned others but they never considered that they themselves would be judged.

We are being judged verse 2 ‘For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ Not only will God judge us at the end , but people are judging us now; and we receive from people exactly what we give. The kind of judgement and the measure of judgement , come right back to us. We reap what we have sown.

We must see clearly to help others. Verse 3-5 ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “let me take the speck out of your eye?” When at the same time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s Eye’ The purpose of self-judgement is to prepare ourselves to serve others. Christians are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves we not only hurt ourselves, but we also hurt those to

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. How do we distinguish between the parts of Old Testament we should still obey and the parts no longer binding on us? For example the difference between the Ten Commandments and laws regarding Animal sacrifice? 2. Is Jesus forbidding all killing in verse 21? For example what about self defence or a just war? 3. Is murdering someone worse than thinking about it? Why then in Jesus’ view do hatred and insults bring the same judgement as actual Murder? 4. What broken relationships came to mind when you read verses 23- 26? How seriously do you take the reconciliation dynamic of Matthew 18:15-20? How can we help each other put it into practise? 5. What do you think about Jesus’ teaching on adultery and lust? How would you explain the “gouge out the eye” command to another Christian?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Share with each other what you find most difficult to put into practise from this study and pray for each other.

Pray for unity in relationships in the home, circle of friends, the church

and the nation.

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Adultery Matthew 5:27:30 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, 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.’ See also Exodus 20:14 Jesus affirmed God’s law of purity and then explained that this was to reveal the sanctity of sex and the sinfulness of the human heart. God created sex and God protects sex within the confines of marriage. He does this, not to limit our pleasure, but rather to bless us within marriage. Sexual impurity begins in the mind of the desires of the heart. Jesus is not saying that lustful desires are identical to lustful deeds and therefore a person might just as well go ahead and commit adultery. The desire and the deed are not identical but spiritually speaking they are equivalent. The look that Jesus refers to is not a casual glance but a constant stare of lust. Victory can be ours by mastering what we think about (appetite leads to action) and disciplining the actions of the body. It should go without saying that Jesus is not talking about literal surgery, for this would not solve the problem of the mind or desire. The eye and the hand are usually the two “culprits” when it comes to sexual sin , so they must be disciplined.

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themselves look good see Luke 18:9-14. But Christians should judge themselves to help others look good . There is a difference! Not only are we unfit to sit in judgement and condemn other Christians because we are fallible human beings, but because we are also fallen human beings. So we are in no position to stand in judgement of others. Jesus points this out in a strikingly humorous way. Picture someone strug-gling with the delicate removal of a speck of sawdust from a friend’s eye, while a long plank of wood in his own eye blocks his vision. We have a tendency to exaggerate the faults and failures of others while we mini-mise the seriousness of our own faults and failures. We seem to find it impossible to be strictly objective and impartial when comparing ourselves with others. On the contrary we have a rosy view of ourselves and a sceptical view of others. Indeed we often see our own faults in others and judge them vicariously. That way we experience the pleasure of self-righteousness without the pain of penitence. This kind of hypocrisy is more unpleasant because an apparent act of kindness (taking a speck of dirt from somebody’s eye) is made the means of inflating our own ego! Our Christian duty, then, is not to point out the speck in our brother’s eye, nor is it to remove the speck with a plank sticking out of our own eye. Jesus says first remove the plank from our own eye - first deal with the sin in our own lives—and then we will have the clear vision needed to be able to help our brother and sister. We need to be as critical of our-selves as we are of others, and as generous to others as we always are to ourselves. 2. Dealing with Dogs Matthew 7:6 ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces'

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As soon as Jesus tells us not to judge others he also tells us that certain human beings can act like animals and may accurately be called dogs and pigs! This seem surprising at least. But the context provides a healthy balance. Although we are not to judge or condemn others we must not Ignore their faults either. Both extremes are to be avoided. It is how we deal with other’s perceived faults that matter. We must use common sense and the Bible as the standard by which we are all to live. As God’s people we are privileged to handle the ‘sacred’ things of the Lord. He has entrusted us with the precious truths of the Word of God (2 Cor.4:7) and we must regard them carefully. No dedicated priest would throw the meat from the altar to a filthy dog and only a fool would give pearls to a pig. Whilst we must take the good news to ever creature it is also true that we must not cheapen the Gospel by a ministry that lacks discernment. Even Jesus refused to talk to Herod (Luke 23:9) and Paul refused to argue with people who resisted the Word (Acts 13:44-49). It is a wise Christian who first assesses the condition of a person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls of the Gospel. 3. Approaching God in Prayer Matthew 7:7-11 ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Only God can judge perfectly. Therefore we must pray and seek his wisdom and direction. Here the emphasis is on persevering in prayer and he gives us some great and precious promises. “Ask...seek...knock ...” Then comes the promises “Everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks the door will be opened” If that is not

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Murder Matthew 5:21-26 ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is an-swerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. ‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. ‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.’ Jesus did not say anger leads to murder; He said anger is murder! There is a holy anger against sin (Eph. 4:26) but Jesus is talking about unholy anger against people. The word he uses means “a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly”. Observe the various stages taught by Jesus Firstly there was causeless anger. This anger then exploded into words Raca (an empty headed person). These words added fuel to the fire so the person said , “You fool” (a rebel!) Anger is such a foolish thing; it makes us destroyers instead of builders. It robs us of freedom and makes us prisoners. To hate someone is to com-mit murder in the heart (1 John 3:15). This does not mean that we should murder someone we hate since we have already sinned inwardly. Sinful feelings are not excuses for sinful deeds. Sinful anger robs us of fellow-ship with God and well as with others but it does not put us into prison as murderers. However many have become murderers because they lost their temper. That is why we must go and be reconciled to brothers and sisters and get the matter settled as soon as possible. Jesus provides us with the reconciliation dynamic in Matthew 18:15-20.

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What an impossible demand! The Pharisees and religious leaders were notorious for their meticulous obedience to the law. They had counted up 248 commands and 365 prohibitions of the law with the aim of keep-ing them all. How can a Christian’s righteousness surpass that of a Phari-see? Doesn’t that imply a righteousness by good works? This teaching of Jesus astonished his hearers then and now, but there is an answer to this dilemma. Christian righteousness is to surpass the right-eousness of the Pharisee in kind rather than in degree. Christian right-eousness is greater than a religious righteousness because it is deeper; it’s a righteousness of the heart. Pharisees were content with the out-ward, formal obedience; Jesus will teach us that God’s demands are far more radical than that. The righteousness that pleases God is an inward righteousness of mind and motive. The Lord examines the heart. This deep obedience is possible only by grace, in those who have been born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is why entrance into the Kingdom of God is impossible without a righteousness that is greater and deeper than the Pharisee. No one enters the kingdom of God other than by re-birth and a righteousness that is by grace through faith. 3. Deeper Righteousness Matthew 5:21-22 ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago... But I tell you...” The rest of Matthew 5 contains example of this deeper righteousness — six parallel paragraphs that illustrate the point Jesus has just made. Some people believe that Jesus was setting himself against Moses and providing a new morality. I believe they are mistaken. Jesus is not contra-dicting the law but certain misinterpretations of the law by the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is affirming the law but with the true interpretation that God intended from the beginning. In the strongest possible terms Jesus asserted that the law was God’s Word written, and he called his disciples to accept God’s true intention behind the law. In this study we look at two of those illustrations; Murder and Adultery:

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enough he illustrates it with a parable; a child coming to their parent with a request. If the child asks for bread, will the child be given something that may look like bread but is something disastrously different— a stone instead of bread or a snake instead of a fish? Of course not! Even the worst of parents feed their children. Jesus’ argument is this; if fallen and self centered human parents know how to give good things to their chil-dren, how much more will our heavenly father (who is not evil or selfish) give good things to those who ask him. What a beautiful picture of prayer; children coming to a perfect Father and asking for what they need. 4. The Golden Rule Matthew 7:12

‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets' This great truth is a principle that should govern our attitude towards others and it must be practised in every area of life. The person who practises this principle refuses to say or do anything that would harm themselves or others. If our judging of others is not governed by this prin-ciple, we may become proud and critical and our own spiritual character will suffer. Practising this Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us. But remember living according to this principle is costly; if we want God’s best for ourselves and others may invite criticism and opposition from others. We are salt, and salt stings an open wound. We are light and light exposes dirt. Therefore, if we put ourselves sensitively in the place of the other person, and wish for that person what we would wish for ourselves, we would never be mean but always generous; never harsh but always understand-ing; never cruel but always kind. All this is only possible by keeping our-selves in the place where God’s grace can flow into and though our lives.

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What does Jesus warn will be the consequences of being a critical, Judgemental person? 2. How would you tell the parable of the speck and the plank to someone else in your own words? What does Jesus say is the solution to such a problem? 3. Who do you think Jesus is referring to when he talks about dogs and pigs? What should your response be to someone who despises and insults the message of the gospel? 4. How would you answer a person who says that they prayed and asked God for something just like Jesus instructs, but their prayer was never answered? Why are our prayers sometimes, apparently, never answered? 5. How does Jesus’ teaching on prayer help you grow in your prayer life? 6. Is living by the Golden Rule enough to get a person into heaven? Why or Why not?

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray together for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the areas where we need more grace to change our attitudes.

Reflect on Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ Pray for such unity, love and peace to be the

defining characteristic of our church.

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We also find predictive prophecy in the Old Testament, truth that look forward to the coming of the Messiah. In fact there were three hundred prophecies concerning his life, death, burial and resurrection and they were all fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, Then there are ethical precepts or the moral law in the Old Testament . Jesus fulfilled all of them by being the only perfect man ever to have lived. He went beyond personal obedience and explained what this would mean in the lives of his followers. Jesus’ purpose was not to change the law nut to reveal the depth of meaning God intended the law to have. Now realise what Jesus meant when he said, “For truly I tell you, 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. “ Jesus uses the phrase “The Law” as a comprehensive term for the total revelation of the Old Testament. The law is as enduring as the universe. 2. The Christian and the Law Matthew 5:19-20

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For 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.” To disregard the “least” commandment of the law in either obedience or instruction is to be demoted to the status of the “least” in the Kingdom of God; greatness in the kingdom belongs to those who are faithful in doing and teaching the whole moral law. Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by a righteousness that conforms to the law, but entry into the Kingdom is impossible without God’s grace enabling obedience that is better than that of the Pharisees and religious teachers.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Two A Christian's righteousness

Reading Matthew 5:17-30

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Christ and the Law Matthew 5:17-18

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, 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. “ Jesus makes it clear that he had not come to abolish the Old Testament Law or any part of it, but rather to fulfil it. The use of the phrase, “ truly I tell you” was unlike any other Rabbi for he was speaking in his name and with his own authority. The Old Testament contains several kinds of teaching and Jesus relates differently to each kind, but the word “fulfilled” covers them all. The Old Testament has doctrinal teaching about God, humanity and salvation but its only a partial revelation. Jesus fulfilled it all in the sense of bringing it to completion by his person, his teaching and his work.

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Eight A Christian's attitude to false prophets

Reading Matthew 7:13-20

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. The Two Ways Matthew 7:13-14

‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ Jesus challenges us with the necessity of choosing one of two ways. The contrast between two kinds of righteousness, the two treasures, the two masters and two ambitions has been clearly presented; now the time for a decision has come. Ultimately there is only one choice to make because there are only two possibilities to choose from.

First there are the two ways. One way is easy and wide. There is plenty of room on this road for diversity of opinion and a whole range of personal practises. It is the road of compromise and permissive-ness. It has no curbs, no boundaries of thought and conduct. Travellers on this road follow their own desires. The hard way, on the other hand, is

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narrow. Its boundaries are clearly marked. Its narrowness is defined by what God has revealed in Scripture to be good and true.

Secondly, there are two gates. The gate leading to the easy way is wide. There is no limit to the luggage we can take with us . We don’t need to leave anything behind, not even our sin or pride. The gate leading to the hard way, however is narrow. We have to look for it to find it. It is easy to miss and in order to enter it we have to leave everything behind - sin, selfish ambition, even family and friends sometimes. The narrow gate is entered one person at a time. The gate is Jesus himself for he said, ‘I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.’ (John 10.9)

Thirdly, There are two destinations. Jesus taught that the easy way entered by the wide gate leads to destruc-tion. He did not define what he meant by that, but the prospect is too awful to contemplate without tears. Bu contrast, the hard way, entered by the narrow gate , leads to life - eternal life, which Jesus explained in terms of present and eternal fellowship with God. It begins here but is perfected in the hereafter, when we see him and share his Glory, and find perfect fulfilment as human beings in the selfless service of him and our fellows.

Fourthly, there are two crowds. Entering by the wide gate there are many but only a few find the narrow gate that leads to life. Jesus seemed to anticipate that his followers would be a minority movement. None of us like to be forced to make a choice but Jesus will not allow us to escape it. 2. The Warning of False Teachers Matthew 7.15-20

‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. When have you seen a Christian individual or group act as salt in a community or culture? 2. What things make Christians less salty? Each share 3. What things prevent our light as Christians from being seen? 4. Think of some ways in which you could shine more brightly in the workplace or community . 5. Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 and verse 7 in particular

What do you thing is meant by “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” and

What must happen to the jars of clay if the light is to be seen? What does this mean in practical application?

6. Think of a social evil that you can learn more about and take a stand against—stopping human trafficking , feeding the hungry, homelessness. Add to the list but discuss how we can act as salt in our area of influence.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray against the social evils that you have been discussing and pray for Insight and wisdom to know how to act and motivate others to join you.

Pray for each other to be salt and light in your areas of influence.

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deeds is a general expression that covers everything that Christians say and do because they are Christians; every outward and visible mark of faith , including the testimony of their words. Since light is a common biblical symbol of truth, the shining light of Christians must surely in-clude their spoken testimony. Evangelism must be counted as one of the good works by which our light shines and our Father is glorified. Our light is to shine, not be concealed; we are to be willing for our Christian character to be visible to all. Good works are the acts of love and faith. They express not only our loyalty to God but our care for others as well. The primary meaning of “works” must be practical, visible deeds of compassion. When people see these, Jesus said they will Glorify God for they embody the good news we proclaim. Without them our gospel loses its credibility and our God his honour. So Jesus calls his disciples to exert a double influence on the community, a negative influence by arresting its decay, as salt, and a positive influ-ence by bringing light into the darkness. God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain safe and sound inside churchy little salt shakers. Instead we are to be rubbed into the secular World around us to stop it going bad. When society goes bad we Chris-tians tend to throw up our hands and blame the evilness of our culture. However we shouldn’t blame unsalted meat for going bad; it can’t do anything else. The real question is where is the salt? Human culture needs more than barricades to stop it from becoming bad. People need regeneration, new life through the Gospel. So our second calling is to be the light of the world. The truth of the Gospel is the light, contained in fragile clay lamps, yet shining brightly into the spiritual and moral darkness around us. This is the way we will be blessed and this is the way the world will be served. This is also the way that God will be glorified. Jesus tells those of us who desire to follow him that if we let our light shine so that our good works are clearly seen, our Father in Heaven will be exalted.

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every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good Tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruits you will recognise them.’ Jesus made it clear that false prophets existed and in so doing implied that a standard of truth exists by which all teaching may be compared. In biblical terms a true prophet is one who taught God’s truth by divine inspiration and insight; a false prophet claimed inspiration but actually spoke untruth. Jesus also made it clear that these false prophets are both dangerous and deceptive. Their danger is that in reality they are wolves. Wolves are natural enemies of sheep and sheep have very little defence against them but a good shepherd is responsible to protect his sheep. The deceptive work of false prophets is seen in the fact that Jesus issues his warning about them immediately after his teaching about the two ways and two destinations. False prophets tell us all roads lead to God—a statement Jesus absolutely rejects! So Beware! Jesus gives us the test for a prophet, the test of fruit. You may sometimes mistake a wolf for a sheep but you cant make the same mistake with a tree. No tree can hide its true identity for long . Sooner or later it pro-duces fruit. The prophet’s fruit is seen in the prophet’s character and conduct. The Fruit of the Christian is the fruit of the Spirit as made clear in Galatians 5:22. Another test of a prophet’s fruit is the actual teaching. We need to ask is it in line with Holy Scripture? Is it consistent with the teaching of Jesus? Sound doctrine and holy living are the marks of a genuine teacher and prophet of God. This warning of Jesus, whilst to be taken seriously should not lead us to be suspicious of everyone and take up as our hobby the terrible sport known as heresy hunting. Rather it is a reminder that there are false prophets and we need to be on our guard.

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QUETIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What is attractive and appealing about the broad way that Jesus describes in verses 13 and 14? 2. What is unappealing about the narrow way? ; what is the fundamental difference between the two ways? 3. To what extent have you found what Jesus says about the two ways to be true in your experience? 4. What are false prophets so dangerous? Do you think the ‘fruit’ test a valid one? How would explain that to a new Christian? 5. How would you discern whether a prophet or teacher was genuinely from God or was false

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray that you might align your life, and that of your church, more closely with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

Pray for more conversions as people turn from the

Broad Way to the Narrow Way.

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Won’t they simply be overwhelmed by the flood of evil and violence? Isn’t this small minority of radical followers of Jesus just too feeble to accomplish anything for good? Jesus didn’t tolerate any such scepticism; he believed the exact opposite. The world will undoubtedly persecute the church but it is the church’s calling to serve this persecuting world. To demonstrate how Christians can influence the world Jesus used two household metaphors. Every home no matter how poor used both salt and light. During his own boy-hood Jesus will have watched his mother use salt in the kitchen and light the lamps when the sun went down. Salt and light are indispensable household commodities. The salt saying is not difficult to understand: “You are the salt of the earth.” The world decays like rotten fish or meat, while the Christian presence in society hinders that decay. God intends the most powerful restraining influence to be his own redeemed, regenerate and righteous people. The effectiveness of that salt is conditional, however; it must retain its saltiness. Strictly speaking, salt never loses its saltiness. Sodium Chloride is a very stable chemical. It only loses its saltiness when it becomes mixed with impurities. It may appear to be a white, granulated substance, but if it is so contaminated it becomes useless. It is just good as road dust. Christian saltiness is Christian character as it is depicted in the beatitudes - following hard after Jesus. If Christians become contaminated by the impurities of the world , they lose their ability to preserve or restrain any-thing. They may look like Christians but their influence for good is gone. If we Christians are indistinguishable from Non-Christians we are useless. We might as well be discarded like saltless salt! 3. The Light of the World

Jesus makes clear that the light is our “good deeds”. This phrase good

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The Sermon on the Mount Study One - A Christian’s Influence

Reading Matthew 5:13—16

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. Read Matthew 5:13-16.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

2. The Salt of the Earth

If the beatitudes describe the essential character of disciples of Jesus, the Salt and Light Metaphors indicate their influence in the world. But the salt and light sayings also raise serious questions.

What possible influence can the people described in the beatitudes exert in this tough hard world?

What lasting good can the poor and meek, the mourners and the merciful do?

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The Sermon on the Mount Study Nine A Christian's commitment

Matthew 7:21-29

Notes about Understanding the Sermon on the Mount The Primary audience is the disciples of Jesus. The Crowds are listening but Jesus is directing his teaching to his committed followers. The Purpose: Where the text says "He began to teach them" (5:2) it literally means that this was an intentional and formal time of teaching. Jesus was holding a seminar on what it means to be his follower. He is keen for his disciples to become a radically different society, within the world’s society. BIBLE STUDY: 1. True and False Disciples Matthew 7:21-23

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not proph-esy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” 2Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” The people Jesus had in mind here are relying for salvation on a verbal affirmation of faith but no heart reality. They are trusting in what they say to Jesus or about Jesus . However our final destiny is settled, says Jesus, not by what we say to him today or at the last judgement , but by whether we do what we say, whether our verbal profession is followed by moral obedience. Jesus is not dismissing the importance of speaking of our commitment to

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him or profession of him as our Lord and Saviour. As the Apostle Paul says , we are required to confess with our lips and believe in our hearts to be genuinely Born again. (Romans 10:9-10). The profession Jesus talks about in these verses seem on the surface to be wonderful. It is polite; it addresses Jesus as Lord. The profession is doctrinally correct; none of these activities done in Jesus’ name are outside Christian practise. Along with the polite and correct, we could add that the profession is passion-ate; it is not cold or formal but an enthusiastic, “Lord, Lord” as if the speaker wants to draw attention to the strength of their devotion. The profession is not private or hidden but made in public view and full voice. They prophesied and cast out demons and did many miraculous works. What they stress above all is the name in which they have accomplished so many wonderful things. Three times they use it and each time they put it first for emphasis. They claim that they have done these things in the name of Christ. What better Christian profession could be made? Yet despite all this Jesus speaks terrible words, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.” Evidently their profession is just verbal and not heartfelt and genuine. It involves their lips but not their lives. Clearly they called Jesus Lord but had never brought their lives under his Lord-ship or obeyed the will of his heavenly Father. What a challenge this is to us; we may have been baptised, recited the creed, sung Christian hymns but does our lives live up to this profession? We may have exercised many and various ministries in his name but Jesus is not impressed by our pious words. He still looks for evidence of our faith in works of obedience and in hearts fully surrendered to him. 2. Two Foundations Matthew 7:24-27

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like

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The Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best known part of the teachings of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood and certainly it is the least obeyed. It is the nearest thing to a manifesto that he ever uttered, for it is his own description of what he wanted his followers to be and to do. The sermon is found in Matthews's Gospel toward the beginning of Jesus' public Ministry. Immediately after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness. Jesus had begun to announce the good news that the long-promised Kingdom of God was about to be inaugurated. With him the new age had dawned and the rule of God had broken into History. "Repent" Jesus Cried, "For the Kingdom of Heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17). Matthew then adds that Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23). The Sermon on the Mount is to be read and understood in that context. It describes what human life and human community looks like when they come under the gracious rule of God. And what do they look like? Different! Jesus emphasises that his followers are to be different from others. They are not to be like the world around them but to shine like lights in the darkness. Many people believe that these are unattainable goals but that is to disregard the difference the Holy Spirit makes in the lives of those redeemed by the blood of Jesus and born again by his Spirit. Jesus spoke the sermon to those who were already disciples and citizens of God's kingdom and members of God's family. If Christians whole-heartedly accepted his standards and values and lived by them, we would become a radically different society that Jesus always intended us to be - and the world would see and believe. This series is all about developing Spiritual Character and adopting the teachings of Jesus as a life-style. These studies are prepared in the prayerful hope that you will be blessed and grow in grace towards achieving the goal of Christ likeness.

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a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ The contrast in the first section was between the true and the false or between saying and doing; the contrast now with the two foundations is between hearing and doing. Jesus is describing those that hear his word and does it and those who hear but are disobedient. This is a familiar story of the difference between building on sand or on the rock, which is Jesus himself. Foundations are rarely seen until a storm comes and puts them to the test. In the same way, professing Christians (both genuine and false) often look alike. Both appear to be building Christian lives. Jesus is not making a contrast between Christians and non-Christians in this parable but be-tween two professing believers. They both hear Jesus’ words, both are members of the visible community, both read the bible, go to church and listen to sermons. The reason you cannot tell the difference between them is that the foundations are hidden from view. The real question is not whether they hear Christ’s teaching but whether they do what they hear. Only the storms of live reveal the truth. If not the storms of life the coming storm which is the day of judgement will reveal all that is hidden. 3. The Test of Obedience Matthew 7:24

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The truth that Jesus is stressing is that neither biblical knowledge nor a verbal profession of faith can ever be a substitute for obedience to him. The question not whether we say nice, polite, correct, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying and memorising scripture but whether we obey him in everything.

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This is not, of course to say that the way of salvation is by good works or obedience. The whole New Testament offers salvation only by the Grace of God through faith apart from our works. What Jesus is saying however is that the evidence of God’s saving grace in a believer’s life will produce obedience. 4. The Authority of Jesus Matthew 7:28-29

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” The congregation was astonished at the teaching of Jesus because he spoke with divine authority. The Scribes and Pharisees spoke “from au-thorities,” always quoting the various experts of the law. Jesus needed no human teacher to add authority to his words for he spoke as the Son of God. We must not dismiss this sermon lightly for it is God who gave it to us. We must either bow before him and submit to his authority , or we will be condemned. Christians take Jesus at his word and his claims at face value. We respond to his teachings with complete seriousness. Here is Jesus’ vision of an alternative society . These are the standards, the values and the priori-ties of the Kingdom of God. Too often the Church has turned away from this challenge and sunk into a conformist respectability. That is when and why the church is almost indistinguishable from the world. It has too often lost it saltiness, its light is extinguished and it repels all idealists. For it gives no evidence that it is God’s new society that is tasting already the joys and the powers of the age to come. Only when the Christian commu-nity lives by Christ’s manifesto will the world be attracted and God will be Glorified. So when Jesus calls us to follow him this is what he is calling us to. For he is the Lord of the counterculture.

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CONTENTS

Nine Studies on The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:13-7:29

Page Introduction 4

Study One A Christian's influence Matthew 5:13-16 6

Study Two A Christian's righteousness Matthew 5:17-30 10

Study Three A Christian’s relationships Matthew 5:31-48 16 Study Four A Christian's religion; not hypocritical but real Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18 21 Study Five A Christian's prayer Matthew 6:7-15 26

Study Six A Christian's ambition Matthew 6:19-34 31

Study Seven A Christian's approach to God Matthew 7:1-12 37

Study Eight A Christian's attitude to false prophets Matthew 7:13-20 43 Study Nine A Christian's commitment Matthew 7:21-29 47

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Why are false prophets and teachers so dangerous? What surprises you about those who do great things in Jesus’ name but who are ultimately rejected by Jesus? (verses 21-23) 2. How can we discern whether a prophet or teacher was genuinely from God or was false? 3. What is the danger of Christian’s hearing Jesus’ words but not putting Them into practise? (verses 24-27) How can we strengthen the obedience factor in our lives? 4. Karl Barth said, “The Bible is a dangerous book to read” and “The Church is a dangerous society to join.” Do you agree with him? Explain your answers. 5. How would you answer someone who said that they just wanted to follow the simple teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the mount? What do they and you have to do to make this a reality? 6. Which of the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount has spoken to you most deeply? Each share.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for Wisdom to know how to being our lives more into line with The teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Pray for each other to be filled with the whole Holy Spirit.

Pray for the Church to be more radically different from the society in

which we find ourselves.

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THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Nine Studies for small groups

Matthew 5:13— 7:29 By John James