Kingdom Manifesto

KINGDOM MANIFESTO

echo spring 2007

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kingdom manifesto

A Spring 2007 study for Echo, the College Ministry of First Evangelical Free Church.

Reprint by permission only. Sermons associated with this study can be found on Echo’s website- www.echoaustin.com in the Resources section.

Echo, the College Ministry of First Evangelical Free Church 4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd Austin, TX 78749 512-891-1600 [email protected] www.echoaustin.com

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contents

13 Week Study Plan of Matthew 5-7

Week 1) Beatitudes Part 1...... 9 Week 2) Beatitudes Part 2...... 14 Week 3) Salt & Light (Law)...... 19 Week 4) Murder / Anger...... 24 Week 5) Adultery / Lust...... 29 Week 6) Divorce / Oaths...... 34 Week 7) Giving / Generosity / Love for enemies...... 40 Week 8) Prayer...... 45 Week 9) Fasting / Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness...... 50 Week 10) Treasures in Heaven...... 55 Week 11) Worry/ Anxiety...... 60 Week 12) Judging Others...... 69 Week 13) Seek God 1st Priority ...... 75

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Over the next 13 weeks we will be studying the Sermon on the Mount. We will be exploring the meanings of Christ’s words, putting these words to practice & committing portions to memory. Our method of study is systematic and intense but very productive. It is called inductive bible study. It is a way of studying the scriptures to get the most out of them. If you are new to this type of study here is a brief description of what to expect:

1. Observation - What do I see? 2. Interpretation - What does it mean? 3. Application - What do I do?

Step One: Observation (What do I see?) The hardest part about the observation stage is not jumping too quickly to interpretation. When making observations you record exactly what you see in the text.

When making observations, look for:

People Places Times Promises Commands

Relationships Contrasts Context Key Words Progressions

Questions Answers Details Warnings Repeating words

Cause/Effect Comparisons Verb Tense Themes Lists

Emphasis Exhortations What’s not said

Always ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?

Step Two: Interpretation (What does it mean?) Correct interpretation begins with a commitment to fact that there can only be one right interpretation. There can be many applications but only one correct interpretation. This requires thorough observation.

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In the interpretation stage you look for the following:

Cross-references: These are the little numbers or letters that appear next to a word in the passage. In the margin or at the bottom of the page you will see that this letter is leading you to look up other passages. Look these up to see what other passages in the Bible say about this word/concept/teaching.

Context: The context is the text that surrounds the passage. What precedes and fol- lows your reading? Scripture should always be interpreted in light of the context of the entire Bible.

Definitions: Look up the meaning of words in a dictionary. If you have a Dictionary of New and Old Testament words you will get an even better understanding.

Outside insight: At this stage you can use outside resources to help you gain great understanding. Here are few sources to consider:

1. Commentaries -- it’s best to look at least two so that you have multiple perspectives. Check out www.soniclight.com for a commentary on every book of the Bible. 2. Bible Dictionaries: The New International Dictionary of the Bible, 3. Word Studies: The Complete Word Study New Testament, Zodhiates and the Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words/Old Testament Words 4. Theological works: New Dictionary of Theology, IVP; Systematic Theol- ogy, Wayne Grudem; The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 5. A Concordance: Strong’s Exhaustive or go to www.biblegateway.com -- a concordance allows you to see every time a particular word appears in the Bible. 6. Internet: You can find most of the tools listed above on the www. Some really helpful sites: biblegateway.com; bible.crosswalk.com; seekgod.org; bible.org; soniclight.com

Step Three: Application (What do I do?) This is the most important step of Inductive Bible Study. What good is studying the Bible if we don’t apply it to our lives?

Helpful applications will always be measurable and doable. An unhelpful application: “I’m going to love more.” A helpful application: “By Friday I will clean the apartment for my roommates.”

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In order to make sure that we all get the most out of God’s word in our time together, here are a few suggestions for your time in group study:

Pray that the Lord would teach you through the Word and the people in your group.

Come to each study prepared to discuss the weeks study.

Understand that the group time is a discussion and not a lecture so be willing to share your thoughts, & listen attentively to others ideas.

Remember that things shared in the group need to be held in confidenti ality.

Stick to the text. Let the conversation flow out of God’s Word.

In order to honor one another’s time, be sure to be on time to each meet- ing.

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Author: The Apostle Matthew, a tax collector before he became a follower of Christ.

Date: Probably between 60 - 65 A.D.

Setting (of the sermon): The exact location is not specified, but tradition has it at this hill called the “Mount of Beatitudes”

Major Theme: Matthew’s message centers on Jesus’ Kingship. Jesus is presented as the King who is revealed, rejected, and who will return.

“The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, & 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.” - John Stott

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Character 5:3-12 The beatitudes emphasize 8 marks of the Christians character. They focus on man’s relationship to God and man’s relationship with others. These verses also reveal the divine blessings that come to a person who embodies these character traits.

Influence 5:13-16 If a Christian maintains the character from the beatitudes he/she will positively influence his/her community by being salt and light.

Righteousness 5:17-48 The Christians moral code is fulfilled in Christ & expanded into 6 specific areas common to all men; anger, lust, divorce, oaths, revenge and love.

Practical Religion 6:1-18 The Christian is not to live by the hypocritical formulas of the Pharisee, but by authentic and sincere desire for the good of others and the pleasure of God.

Ambition 6:19-34 Christians are to be different than the world around them. Many in the world exist to acquire more money and possessions, but the ambition of the Christian is the Kingdom & Glory of God.

Relationships 7:1-20 The Christian is living in a web of relationships. To properly relate to others the Christian must 1st be rightly related to God. Through prayer the Christian is able to entrust judgment to He who is Just.

Commitment 7:21-29 Beliefs drive behavior. If the Christian takes Christ at His Word he/she will build their foundation on truth.

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WEEK 1 Character: The Beatitudes Part 1 Matthew 5:1-6

This section of the sermon is called the Beatitudes which is the Latin word for ‘happiness.’ Jesus refers to eight character traits that He calls all His followers to embody. This week we will be studying four of those character traits of Christ & their corresponding promises. Pray that the Lord will allow you to understand how you might grow in each of these areas. Read Matthew 5:1-12.

Matthew 5:1-12 Making Notes Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountain- side and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he be- gan to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

OBSERVE observe

1. Who is Jesus talking to?

2. What is the setting?

3. Underline the character traits that Christ says are blessed.

4. Circle the reward for that corresponds to each character trait.

WEEK 1 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to…John MacArthur: Commentary on Matthew To be blessed is not a superficial feeling of well being based on circumstance, but a deep supernatural experience of contentedness based on the fact that one’s life is right with God.

The Beatitudes seem paradoxical. The conditions and their corresponding blessings do not seem to match. By normal human standards such things as humility, mourning, desire for righteousness, mercy, and persecution are not the stuff of which happiness is made.

Jesus teaches that difficulty endured for the right purpose and in the right way is the key to happiness. The world says, ‘happy are the rich, the noble, the successful, the macho, the glamorous, the popular, the famous, the aggres- sive.’ But the message from the King does not fit the world’s standards, because His Kingdom is not of this world but of heaven. His way to happiness, which is the only way to true happiness, is by a much different route.

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

Blessed

Kingdom of Heaven

Poor in Spirit

Mourn

Meek

Hunger for Righteousness WEEK 1 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Poor in Spirit - To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty, indeed our spiritual bankruptcy before God. (John Stott)

Mourn - This is sincere sorrow for sin, our sin and the sins of others. (Wiersbe’s Expository Outline)

Meek-a calm temper of mind, not easily provoked (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness - Here our attitude toward God is expressed; we receive His righteousness by faith because we ask for it. A true Christian has an appetite for spiritual things.

QUESTIONS questions

1) Why is being ‘poor in spirit’ listed 1st among the character traits of a follower of Christ?

2) Why would a person who is ‘poor in spirit’ feel a need to mourn?

3) How would a true estimate of ourselves cause us to be meek (have a humble & gentle attitude toward others)?

4) Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (v.6). What can you do to build a healthy, hearty spiritual appetite?

WEEK 1 DAY 3

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“Matthew 5 describes God’s radical recon- struction of the heart. Observe the sequence. First, we recognize we are in need (we’re poor in spirit). Next, we repent of our self-sufficiency (we mourn). We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God (we’re meek). So grateful are we for his presence that we yearn for more of him (we hunger and thirst). As we grow closer to him, we become more like him. We forgive others (we’re merciful). We change our outlook (we’re pure in heart). We love others (we’re peacemakers). We endure injustice (we’re persecuted). It’s no casual shift of attitude. It is a demolition of the old struc- ture and a creation of the new.”

Max Lucado, The Applause of Heaven

CROSS REF cross ref Look up the following verses & write out your thoughts on being:

Poor in Spirit - Isaiah 66:2, Psalm 34:18, Psalm. 51:1-9, Romans 3:9-18

Mournful - James 4:8-10; Philippians 3:18

Meek - Matthew 11:29, Ephesians 4:1–2; Titus 3:1, 2

Hunger and Thirsting for Righteousness - Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 107:9

WEEK 1 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:1-12 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for…

God to humble you and give you a contrite spirit as you consider Him.

God’s Spirit to convict you of the severity of your sin.

A hunger to do what is right according to God.

Further Study further study

1) The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado is a devotional type of book based on the Beati- tudes. 2) The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott is a great commentary on Matthew 5-7.

cut out & carry

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, memorize for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:3-6 WEEK 1 DAY 5

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WEEK 2 Character: The Beatitudes Part 2 Matthew 5:7-12

This week we will study the 2nd half of the Beatitudes. Where verses 3-6 dealt with our attitude to God, verses 7-12 traits deal with how we relate to others. Pray that the Lord will allow you to begin to live these traits in practical ways. Read Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:7-12 Making Notes “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. OBSERVE observe

1. Underline the character traits that Christ says are blessed.

2. Circle the reward for that corresponds to each character trait.

3. Write out 3 or 4 questions that these verses raise in your mind.

WEEK 2 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

Merciful

Poor in Heart

Peacemaker

Persecuted

listening in to…John MacArthur: Commentary on Matthew Mercy is compassion in action. Jesus is not speaking of powerless sentiment that is unwilling or unable to help those for whom there is sympathy. Nor is he speaking of the false pity that gives help only to salve a guilty conscience or to impress others with an appearance of virtue. It is not passive concern unable to give tangible help. Mercy is genuine compassion expressed in genuine help, selfless concern expressed in selfless deeds.

listening in to…D. Martin Lloyd Jones: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount What does our Lord mean by pure in heart? One meaning is that the heart is without hypocrisy. You can describe it as ‘sincerity’, ‘single-mindedness’, or ‘single-eyed devotion.’ The trouble with us is our divided heart. One part of me wants to know God and worship God and please God; but another part wants to do something else. But purity of heart also carries the further meaning of ‘cleansed’, ‘without defilement.’ Being pure in heart means to be like the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, ’who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth’ - perfect, spotless and pure and entire.” WEEK 2 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Fill in the promised blessing that flows from the character quality:

Blessed are the merciful, for they will ______

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will ______

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will ______

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the ______

Meditate on the reality of these blessings in your life.

QUESTIONS questions

1) Jesus says that the merciful will be shown mercy (v. 7). Why do you think our treatment of others will affect God’s treatment of us?

2) Read Psalm 24:3-5. Why is the promise of seeing God reserved for those who are pure in heart?

3) Read 1 Corinthians 13:12. Record your thoughts on this commentary from D. Martin Lloyd Jones, “This is surely the most amazing thing that has ever been said to man...if we but grasped this it would revolutionize our lives. You and I are being prepared to enter into the presence of the King of kings. Do you realize that a day is coming when you are going to see the blessed God face-to-face? Surely the moment we grasp this everything else pales into insignificance.”

4) How can you be a ‘peacemaker’ with your roommates, in the church, on your campus?

5) Why would the world hate the kind of people in these Beatitudes?

WEEK 2 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

1) Describe the significance of the order of the Beatitudes from being poor in spirit all the way to being persecuted.

2) How has the character of the Christian that Christ is describing in these verses challenged you to be different?

The Sermon on the Mount presents, “a reversal of human values basic to biblical religion. For God exalts the humble and abases the proud, calls the first last and the last first, ascribes greatness to the servant, sends the rich away empty handed and declares the meek to be his heirs. The culture of the world and the counter-culture of Christ are at loggerheads with each other. Jesus congratulates those whom the world most pities, and calls the world’s rejects ‘blessed.’”

John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount

WEEK 2 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:1-12 slowly and meditatively. Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for…

God to give you a clear sense of the mercy you’ve received in order to better show mercy.

God’s Spirit to purify your heart and to root out anything that is not of Him.

A desire to spread the peace that comes from knowing Christ

Those who are persecuted, even today, around the world for their faith in Christ. Further Study further study

1) The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado is a devotional type of book based on the Beati- tudes. 2) Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martin Lloyd Jones is an excellent & exhaustive work on the Sermon on the Mount. 3) Hear or read John Pipers sermon series on the Beatitudes at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/BySeries/22/

cut out & carry

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

memorize Matthew 5:8

WEEK 2 DAY 5

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WEEK 3 Influence: Salt & Light Matthew 5:13-16

“In these 4 verses the Lord summarizes the function of believers in the world. Reduced to one word, that function is influence.” That is how John MacArthur introduces these verses. We are to live the life of character described in the Beatitudes and in so doing influence the world around us. True happiness is contagious. Read Matthew 5:13-16 & make notes.

Matthew 5:13-16 Making Notes “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 by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

OBSERVE observe 1. What 2 metaphors does Jesus use to describe Christians?

2. How does Jesus say that salt and light become meaningless?

3. What does the word ‘are’ (verses 13 & 14) imply about Christians ?

WEEK 3 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

Salt of the earth

Light of the world

listening in to…John Stott : The Message of the Sermon on the Mount

Salt can never lose its saltiness. Sodium chloride is a very stable chemical compound, which is resistant to nearly every attack. Nevertheless, it can become contaminated by mixture with impurities, and then become useless. If Christians become assimilated and contaminated by the impurities of the world they lose their influence. The influence of Christians in and on society depends on their being distinct, not identical.

meditate meditate

Google the lyrics or download Bebo Normans “Great Light of the World” from itunes. Read/ listen meditatively. WEEK 3 DAY 2

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QUESTIONS questions

1) Salt was used to preserve meat and keep it from rotting. What does Jesus’ statement, “You are the salt of the earth” tell us about the churches role in society?

2) What might cause Christians to lose their saltiness?

3) Why would a Christian be tempted to hide his/her light?

4) What is the result of people seeing our good deeds (v.16)? Are your deeds causing people to do this?

5) What is one way that you can have a stronger influence as salt and light?

WEEK 3 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

John MacArthur: Commentary on Matthew

“God’s people are to proclaim God’s light in a world engulfed in darkness, just as their Lord came, “to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Lk. 1:79).” Christ is the true light, and we are his reflections. He is the Sun and we are His moons. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of God as we have seen it in the face of Je- sus Christ.”

1light \ līt\ noun 1 a : something that makes vision possible

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Cross Ref cross ref Look up the following verses that deal with the biblical concept of ‘light.’ Record any thoughts. John 1:1-9

John 9:5

Ephesians 5:8, 9

Colossians 1:12-14

WEEK 3 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:13-16 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for…

God to cause you to be a preservative to that which is right.

God to so shine in you that you reflect Him to the world.

That God receives praise through you & through this church.

Further Study further study

1) The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott is a great commentary on Matthew 5-7.

cut out & carry

14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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 memorize the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16 WEEK 3 DAY 5

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WEEK 4 Righteousness: Anger Matthew 5:17-26

Many of the teachers of the Law were worried that Jesus was teaching something contradictory to the Mosaic Law. In verses17-20, Jesus explains his relationship to the Law and the Prophets. Jesus will interpret the Law on some key ideas over the next few sections, starting with anger. Read Matthew 5:17-26. 17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, 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. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but who- ever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For 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.

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. OBSERVE observe

1) Who does Jesus say will be called “least in the kingdom,” and “great in the kingdom”?

2) In verse 21, where did the original command that Jesus quotes come from?

3) Observe what the scribes and Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on murder was vs. Jesus’ Pharisees: Murder=

Jesus: Murder= WEEK 4 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to…John Stott: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount Christian righteousness far surpasses pharisaic righteousness in kind rather than in degree…. Christian righteousness is greater than pharisaic righteousness because it is deeper, being a righteousness of the heart…. Pharisees were content with an external and formal obedience, a rigid conformity to the letter of the law; Jesus teaches us that God’s demands are far more radical than this. The righteousness which is pleasing to him is an inward righteousness of mind and motive. For ‘The Lord looks on the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

The law was never meant to save man, because it could not.

The law was given, in a sense, in order to show men that they could never jus- tify themselves before God, and in order that we might be brought to Christ.

Write out the order of events shown in verses 23 through 24 starting with the point where you remember your brother has something against you.

Look up the following verses and record what you learn:

Galatians 3:21-26 for understanding verse 17

Luke 16:14-17 for understanding verse 18, who the Pharisees were, and more teaching by Jesus on the Law and Prophets

WEEK 4 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

James 2:10 for understanding verse 19

Romans 10:1-4 and Philippians 3:9 for understanding verse 20

1 John 3:15 for understanding verse 22 QUESTIONS questions

1) What is Jesus’ relationship to the Law and Prophets? (More information on the specifics of this can be found in Stott’s commentary p. 71-72 or Lloyd-Jones p. 169-173)

2) Knowing that the Pharisees tried to live by every command of the Law and even came up with more commands in order to try and obey the Law, what do you think the average person hearing Jesus say verse 20 would think?

3) How is it possible for one’s righteousness to exceed the scribes and Pharisees? (Hint: read the quote from Stott on Day 1 and look at John 3:3-5)

4) Jesus is making a contrast in verses 21 through 26. Whose view is he contrasting his own view with?

5) Jesus says that not simply murder, but even seemingly less serious things like anger and in- sults are violations of the commandment. Why are they “tantamount to murder in God’s sight?” (Stott, 228) WEEK 4 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

1) How do you feel personally about what Jesus says in verse 20?

2) Is Jesus forbidding killing of any sort? What do you think, and why?

3) When you think about how we’ve sinned, do you consider the times you are angry with someone or insult someone? What does this show you about how seriously God looks at sin versus how we look at our sin?

4) What practical instructions does Jesus give in verses 23 through 26? How do these instructions compare to how you’ve dealt with a recent conflict?

5) Notice the instruction in this passage to be reconciled quickly. This is true not only with our brothers and sisters, but also with God Himself. Let us not wait to confess our sins to Him and live in the forgiveness and righteousness He promises us. Below write a prayer to God confess- ing your sins to Him. WEEK 4 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:17-26 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Write a list of the people that you struggle with the most to not get angry with. Pray for those people individually. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)

Further Study further study

1) D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount 2) John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Part of The Bible Speaks Today commentary series)

cut out & carry

20 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. memorize

Matthew 5:20

WEEK 4 DAY 5

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WEEK 5 Righteousness: Lust Matthew 5:27-30

This week we will see Jesus confront the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on the subject of adultery. Jesus shows in this passage how sin is more than the act itself and gives radical instruction for how to fight it. Read Matthew 5:27-30 Matthew 5: 27-30 Making Notes 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. OBSERVE observe

1) Observe what the scribes and Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on murder was vs. Jesus’

Pharisees: Adultery=

Jesus: Adultery=

2) What instructions does Jesus give his disciples to maintain sexual purity?

3) What does Jesus say is better than that your “whole body be thrown into hell?”

WEEK 5 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to…John Stott: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount On cutting off your hands and feet: “What he was advocating was not a lit- eral physical self-maiming, but a ruthless moral self-denial.”

“Again, if your hand or foot causes you to sin, because temptation comes to you through your hands (things you do) or your feet (places you visit), then cut them off. That is: don’t do it! Don’t go! Behave as if you had actually cut off your hands and feet, and had flung them away, and were now crippled and so could not do the things or visit the places which previously caused you to sin. That is the meaning of ‘mortification’.”

On looking out for sin: “The posting of sentries is a commonplace of mili- tary tactics; moral sentry-duty is equally indispensable. Are we so foolish as to allow the enemy to overwhelm us, simply because we have posted no sentries to warn us of his approach?”

Look up these passages and write down what you learn.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 WEEK 5 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

More from John Stott: “That is, we shall deliberately decline to read certain literature, see certain films, visit certain exhibitions. If we do this, we shall be regarded by some of our contem- poraries as narrow-minded, untaught Philistines. ‘What?’ they will say to us incredulously, ‘you’ve not read such and such a book? You’ve not seen such and such a film? Why, you’re not educated, man!’ They may be right. We may have had to become culturally ‘maimed’ in order to preserve our purity of mind. The only question is whether, for the sake of this gain, we are willing to bear that loss and endure that ridicule…. That is to say, it is better to forgo some ex- periences this life offers in order to enter the life which is life indeed; it is better to accept some cultural amputation in this world than risk final destruction in the next.” (91) QUESTIONS questions

1) How does the sexual relationship within marriage fit into what Jesus teaches here?

2) How did the scribes and Pharisees try to distort the commandment against adultery? What was their error?

3) Define adultery of the heart in your own words.

4) Are the radical actions to avoid sin that Jesus suggests only meant to fight sexual sin or do they apply more to all sin? WEEK 5 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

1) As we think about how to apply this difficult passage (and these are good words for all application of God’s Word), Lloyd-Jones said this about this passage, “Knowledge and information and all these are not enough.” (206) What steps will you take in your battle with sin as a result of this passage?

2) Are there areas of sin in your life that other people are not aware of? What are the dangers with sin that remains in the dark?

3) If you are in a dating relationship now, have been in one in the past, or hope to be in a dating relationship in the future, what steps have you taken/are you taking to protect sexual purity? Have these measures worked? How can you increase your “moral sentry-duty” (from Stott quote on Day 3) and not give sin even a foothold in your relationship?

4) Do you feel the “weightiness” or importance that Jesus expresses in this passage in your daily fight with sin? Do you ever get caught up thinking, “It’s no big deal… It’s only a small sin… etc.” How do you combat that attitude and think rightly about sin and living a holy life?

A great resource for men and women to think about this topic are the articles and sermons at: John Piper Articles on Sexuality, http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/12/

For more ways to apply this week’s topic I recommend that the men check out this mp3: Mark Dever “Sex and Single Man,” http://www.desiringgod.org/media/audio/conferences/ national2004/08_20040925_dever_elective.mp3 WEEK 5 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:27-30 slowly and meditatively. Prayer Focus prayer focus

Confess before God the areas of sin that you’ve seen revealed through this week’s study, especially look at sexual purity and your thought life. Pray that He will change your heart from desiring those things to longing for what is pure, true, good, and pleasing to Him.

Try and pray with a friend (maybe someone in your discipleship group) this week that God would bring sin in your life to light, that you would be confident in His forgiveness, that He would renew your heart to love and seek Him, and that He would enable you to take whatever drastic measures are necessary to avoid sin.

Further Study further study

Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Ch. 22 “The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin” and Ch. 23 “The Mortification of Sin” Joshua Harris, Sex Isn’t the Problem (Lust Is) Jerry Bridges The Pursuit of Holiness

cut out & carry

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. memorize Matthew 5:30

WEEK 5 DAY 5

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WEEK 6 Righteousness: Divorce & Keeping Oaths Matthew 5:31-37

This week we will see Jesus confront the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on the subjects of divorce and keeping oaths. He continues to show how being a follower of God radically changes how we see every aspect of life.

Matthew 5:31-37 Making Notes 31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithful- ness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Sim- ply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

OBSERVEobserve

1) Observe what the scribes and Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on divorce was vs. Jesus’ Pharisees: Divorce=

Jesus: Divorce=

WEEK 6 DAY 1

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OBSERVEobserve 2) Observe what the scribes and Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law on oaths was vs. Jesus’ Pharisees: Oaths=

Jesus: Oaths=

3) What does Jesus tell his disciples not to do (negative commands)?

4) What does Jesus tell his disciple to do (positive commands)?

INTERPRET interpret listening in to…John Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Lloyd Jones on what the command from Moses was for: “It is to make these people see that marriage is not something you can walk in and out of at will.”

Lloyd-Jones summarizing the whole passage on divorce: “ ‘If that is so’, asks someone, ‘how do you explain the law of Moses? If that is God’s own view of marriage why did He allow divorce to take place on the conditions which we have just considered?’ Our Lord again answered that question by saying that, because of their hardness of hearts, God made a concession, as it were. He did not abrogate His original law with regard to marriage. No, He introduced a temporary legislation because of the conditions then prevail- ing. God controlled it. It was exactly the same as we have seen with regard to ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’. It was a tremendous innovation at that time; but in reality it was God leading the people back in the direction of His original pronouncement. ‘Because of the hardness of your hearts’, says our Lord, ‘Moses gave you this concession.’ It was not God advocating divorce, or commanding anybody to divorce his wife; it was God just reducing the chaos to a certain amount of order, regularizing what had become utterly irregular. We must keep in the forefront of our minds in these matters God’s original object and intention with regard to this whole estate of marriage: the one flesh, the indissolubility, and the coming together in that way.”

John Chrysotom linking this passage on divorce with the Beatitudes: “For he that is meek, and a peacemaker, and poor in spirit, and merciful, how shall he cast out his wife? He that is used to reconcile others, how shall he be at variance with her that is his own?”

Stott on the modern thoughts on divorce vs. Jesus’: “The modern tendency of Western countries to frame legislation for divorce on the basis rather of the ‘irretrievable breakdown’ or ‘death’ of a marriage than of a ‘matrimonial offense’ may make for better and juster law; it cannot be said to be compatible with the teaching of Jesus.” WEEK 6 DAY 1/DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret Read Matthew 19:3-9 for more of Jesus’ teaching on divorce.

1) What were the Pharisees trying to find out from Jesus?

2) What was the main idea of Jesus’ response to them?

3) What reason does Jesus give for the provision for divorce in verses 8-9?

4) What distinguishes Jesus’ teaching about divorce from that of the scribes and Pharisees? Look at Matthew 19 again. What is their concern? What is Jesus’ concern?

Read Ephesians 5: 22-33 for more on God’s design for marriage.

listening in to…John Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Lloyd-Jones on what keeping oaths is really about: “These people had to remember that everything they did was important. They were God’s people and were reminded that even in their talk and conversation, and especially in the taking of oaths, everything must be done in such a way as to realize that God was looking upon them. They must therefore recognize the great seriousness of all these matters because of their relationship to Him.”

“They had so construed the meaning and so turned and phrased it in a legal form that they al- lowed themselves ample scope to do many things that were utterly contradictory to the spirit of the law, yet they felt they were free because they had not actually broken the letter.”

Stott said why we resort to oaths: “Why do we find it necessary to introduce our promises by some treacherous formula, ‘I swear by the archangel Gabriel and all the host of heaven’ or ‘I swear by the Holy Bible’? The only reason is that we know our simple word is not likely to be trusted. So we try to induce people to believe us by adding a solemn oath.” WEEK 6 DAY 2

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QUESTIONS questions

Record what you learn from the quotes above about the section on keeping oaths. What had the Pharisees limited keeping an oath to and what was Jesus showing it was really about?

Read James 5:12 for more on taking oaths. James 5:12 Record what you find below. 12Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

Define the following terms using a dictionary:

Oath

Perjury WEEK 6 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

1) In college only a few students are already married, but before I left college I had already seen several friends get engaged. Several more have gotten married since I left college. So, while marriage and divorce might not seem immediately relevant it is important to think about them biblically at this stage of your life. What can we learn about marriage from a passage mostly about divorce and keeping oaths? What do Jesus’ words show about how he views marriage?

2) Read these quotes from Lloyd-Jones on how we think about telling lies and what constitutes a lie:

“When Hitler lied, we all held up our hands aghast; but we seem to think it is somehow different when we tell what we call a ‘white lie’ in order to get out of a difficulty. It is terrible, we think, to lie on the international level, but not, apparently, when it comes to a matter between husband and wife, or parents and children. Is not that the position?” (237)

“But surely to tell a lie is as bad as perjury, for, as Christians, we should always speak as in the presence of God…. God have mercy on upon us in that we are so like these Pharisees and scribes, trying to distinguish between big sins and little sins, lies and things which are not exactly lies.” (238)

What is your response to these quotes? How does this study change how you think about what you say and your word?

3) Statistics show that those who profess to be Christians have as high a divorce rate as the general public in America (I read recently one Southern Baptist pastor lamenting the fact that Southern Baptists actually have a higher divorce rate than the general public). As a result, al- most all of us have been affected in some way by divorce. How has divorce personally affected you? Spend time praying for those you know who’ve been through a divorce and for their fami- lies that are effected by it. Remember as you pray: God’s steadfast love for us, His comforting Spirit to those in pain, and His ability to bring good out of what looks hopeless, to heal what is broken.

WEEK 6 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5:31-37 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

John Stott sums up verses 33-37 very simply, “Christians should say what they mean and mean what they say.” (102) Pray both to be a person who honors God with true speech and a person who is true to his or her word.

Further Study further study

The Book of Proverbs (try reading a proverb every day for a month—there are 31 of them) The Book of James (it has good practical advice for taming one’s tongue) D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Part of The Bible Speaks Today commentary series)

cut out & carry

37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

memorize Matthew 5:37

WEEK 6 DAY 5

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WEEK 7 Righteousness: Giving Generously & Loving Enemies Matthew 5:38-6:4

This week we will study Matthew 5:38-6:4. Before reading, pray and ask the Lord to reveal His heart of generosity and love. Then, read through the entire passage 3-4 times in one sitting. Use the space provided to take notes. Matthew 5:38-6:4, (English Standard Version) Making Notes 38"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

43"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. WEEK 7 DAY 1

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OBSERVE observe

Jesus is challenging His audience. He begins several of his sentences with, “You have heard that it was said…” but continues with, “But I say to you…” Use this chart to help you compare and contrast the two. “You have heard that it was said…” “But I say to you…”

Respond.

Now take some time to reflect on what Jesus said. How would He have you take His commands seriously today? Write out a short prayer to Him here.

WEEK 7 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Today we will focus on one section of this passage, Matthew 5:43-48.

Define it madlibs style. Remember madlibs? The difference is—we’ll use real definitions and not just made-up words. Go to www.studylight.org/lex/grk and look up the following words. Simply type in the Strong’s number (in parentheses) in the box under “Search this resource” and you’ll find the definition of the Greek word used in Matthew. After you fill in the spaces, read the passage out loud with the definitions.

43"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love (25) ______your

neighbor (4139) ______and hate (3404) ______your en-

emy (2190) ______.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray (4336)

______for those who persecute (1377) ______you, 45so

that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil

( 4190) ______and on the good (18) ______, and sends rain

on the just (1342) ______and on the unjust (94) ______.

46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collec-

tors (5057) ______do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what

more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You therefore must

be perfect (5046) ______, as your heavenly Father is perfect. QUESTIONS questions One of the most important aspects of Bible study is asking questions of the text. What questions do you have after reading this passage? Write them down here.

WEEK 7 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

How can you be generous to someone this week?

Who is an “enemy” God is calling you to love? Write this person’s name down here, and a practical way that you can take action to love them. Pray for this person every day for the next week.

Is there something you can give away this week? Consider giving your time or treasure (resources like money, possessions, etc.).

Consider this statement by John Piper and write down your thoughts here:

“Loving our enemies is a proof that the power of the kingdom has entered your life, not a payment for the power of the kingdom to enter your life.” John Piper

WEEK 7 DAY 4

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Prayer Focus prayer focus

Read Luke 23:26-43. Examine the way Jesus responded to those who mocked Him. Take time to pray that He would make you more like Him in the way He loves and forgives.

cut out & carry memorize Memorize Matthew 5:44-45:

44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust

Tips on memorizing Scripture: 1. Write the verse(s) on a 3x5 card and carry it with you. Pull it out while you’re waiting for the bus, at a red light, while you’re eating breakfast, or whenever…

2. Say a short phrase of the verse(s), then add another phrase, and so on.

3. Write the verse(s) down on paper again and again until you have it.

Further Study further study

For further study, read or listen to two of John Piper’s sermons on Matthew 5:43-48. Go to www.desiringgod.org. Go to RESOURCE LIBRARY, then to SERMONS, then sort by SCRIPTURE. Go to MATTHEW, and you’ll find Piper’s sermons on Matthew 5. WEEK 7 DAY 5

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WEEK 8 Practical Religion: Prayer Matthew 6:5-15 & 7:7-12

Chapter 6:5-15 “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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But 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. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Chapter 7:7-12 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 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! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

OBSERVEobserve

WEEK 8 DAY 1 Underline any phrases that ‘pop out’ at you.

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QUESTIONS questions

1) How do the hypocrites pray? How do the pagans pray?

2) What is the significance of the first phrase of the Lord’s Prayer?

3) What does it mean to ‘hallow’ God’s name?

“It is always wise, before we pray, to spend time deliberately recalling who God is. Only then shall we come to our loving Father in heaven with appropriate humility, devotion, and confidence. Further, when we have taken time and trouble to orientate ourselves towards God and recollect what manner of God he is, our personal, loving, powerful Father, then the content of our prayers will be radically affected in two ways. First, God’s concerns will be given priority (‘your name’, ‘your kingdom’, ‘your will.’) Secondly, our own needs, though demoted will yet be comprehensively committed to him (‘give us’, ‘forgive us’, ‘deliver us.’)

John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount CROSS REF cross ref

Look up the following verses that help clarify the prayer life of Jesus. Record any thoughts: Matthew 14:22-25

Mark 1:35-37

Luke 6:12-13

John 17 WEEK 8 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret Jesus used this teachable moment to help his disciples understand how to pray. Study one of their prayers in Acts 4:23-31. How does this prayer resemble the Lord’s Prayer?

Jesus mentions 5 ’prayer requests.’ What are they? Why is each significant?

listening in to…John Piper: Desiring God “Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy, and exalts God as wealthy.” “In prayer we admit our poverty and God’s prosperity, our bankruptcy and His bounty, our mis- ery and his mercy. Therefore, prayer highly exalts and glorifies God precisely by pursuing everything we long for in him and not in ourselves.” WEEK 8 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

Write out the Lord’s Prayer using your own words:

Open your Outlook calendar, palm pilot, day planner or whatever you use to schedule your time and schedule a weekly appointment for one hour a week for a time to meet with the Lord just to pray.

Start your time by praising God. (Read Psalm 103 and praise Him for His attributes)

Ask for forgiveness and cleansing from any sins. (Psalm 51)

Pray for the 5 ‘requests’ that Jesus mentions in the Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-14)

Ask the Lord for any specific needs that you or others might have.

Close by thanking God for His work in your life. (Read Psalm 105:1-5)

WEEK 8 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 6:1-15 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray the ideas conveyed in the Lord’s Prayer using your own words.

Further Study further study

1) Desiring God Podcast “Ask Your Father in Heaven” 2) “Pray” by Tony Jones is a good little guide to praying the scriptures.

cut out & carry

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. memorize 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 WEEK 8 DAY 5

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WEEK 9 Practical Religion: Hunger & Fasting Matthew 6:16-18 (5:6)

This week we will study the often overlooked and misunderstood discipline of fasting. Take the time this week to consider the history and purpose of fasting. This is the third warning against hypocritical religion in this section. Consider how the discipline of fasting might become an important part of your walk with the Lord.

Matthew 6:1-18 & 5:6 Making Notes 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

OBSERVE observe

1. What do the hypocrites do when they fast?

2. What are the righteous to do when they fast?

3. According to verse 18 who is the proper audience for fasting? WEEK 9 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to…John MacArthur: Commentary on Matthew “Fasting is likely to be a part of sincere dedication that is determined to know the Lord’s will and have His power before decisions are made, plans are laid or actions are taken. People who are consumed with concern before God do not take a lunch break.”

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

Fast

Hypocrite

Oil

Righteousness

listening in to…John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion “Holy and lawful fasting has three objectives: We use it either to weaken and subdue the flesh, that it may not act wantonly, or that we may be better prepared for prayers and holy meditations, or that it might be a testimony of our self abasement before God when we want to confess our guilt before Him.” WEEK 9 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Look up the following verses on fasting and record the reason for that particular fast:

2 Samuel 12:15-23

Nehemiah 9:1-3

Ezra 10:1-6

Matthew 4:1-4

Acts 13:1-3

QUESTIONS questions

1) In verse 16 Jesus seems to assume that we would be fasting. However, many of us have never even considered fasting. According to Jesus how should you fast?

2) You just read Jesus words in Matthew 4 where he says, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” How do we “live on” God’s Word?

3) Jesus says that the hypocrites want to give, pray & fast in order to be seen by people. Why do you think Jesus condemns this?

WEEK 9 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

“If you don’t feel strong desires for the mani- festation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast, “This much, O God, I want you.”

John Piper, Hunger for God

READ read

Read Psalm 73:23-28. Do you believe that God is your “portion?”

PRACTICE practice

Studying about giving, praying & fasting is only valuable if it motivates an action. This week choose to commit to some fashion of a fast. Skip a meal or a few and turn to the Lord in prayer. Fast and pray for cleansing of habitual sins from your life, for a discernment of His will, for the poor and hungry, or for some other cause.

WEEK 9 DAY 4

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Read read

Reread Matthew 6:1-18 slowly and meditatively.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for…

A hunger for God and His Righteousness

A Godly perspective on food and things

The hungry and the poor who will go without food today.

Further Study further study

1) A Hunger for God by John Piper 2) The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster Quote from this book, “More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us...we cover up what is inside us with food and other things.”

cut out & carry

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

memorize Psalm 42:1-2

WEEK 9 DAY 5

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WEEK 10 Ambition: Treasures in Heaven Matthew 6:19-24

This week we will study Matthew 6:19-24. Let Psalm 19:14 be your prayer as you spend time with the Lord in His Word: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be ac- ceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Then read through the passage a few times and make observations.

Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV) Making Notes 19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. OBSERVE OBSERVE

1. What words and/or phrases are repeated in this passage?

WEEK 10 2. What DAY 1 is a treasure? Look it up in a dictionary or on www.studylight.org/lex/grk (Strong’s # 2344). What do these verses say about treasure?

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OBSERVE observe again.

Read through the passage again today. Let the questions below guide you as you observe the passage. See the section on observations at the beginning of this packet for help on observing the Scripture.

1. What are the negative commands in this passage (Do not…) and what are the positive?

2. Look up the word “heart” (Strong’s #2588) and record the definition.

3. What is the relationship between your treasure and your heart in this passage?

4. What comparisons and/or contrasts do you see?

Respond. What are the things you treasure today? Take some time to confess things that you have treas- ured more than Christ. Pray that God would have you treasure the things He treasures. WEEK 10 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Read Matthew 6:19-24. Then, look up the following cross-references and record your findings.

Luke 6:20

Luke 14:33

Luke 18:25

Luke 12:15

Matthew 6:33

Luke 19:8-9

Matthew 13:44

Luke 21:1

Luke 12:20-21

Respond. “Can a Christian drive a Lexus?” This is the question that started a great conversation between two friends. What do you think? Why? How does Scripture inform your response?

WEEK 10 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

How will you apply this passage this week?

Draw a picture here of a material possession that you love sometimes more than the Lord and His Kingdom. WEEK 10 DAY 4

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Prayer Focus Prayer Focus

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73: 25-26. Spend some time praying through these verses right now.

cut out & carry memorize Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV):

19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Further Study further study

"I’m convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home" (p. 44; see Colossians 3:1-3). It’s not; Christ is our home. And therefore to live is Christ and to die is gain. And it will be all the more gain as we learn to lay up treasures in heaven by giving.” This quote is by Randy Alcorn in his book, The Treasure Principle. The book is tiny—so consider reading through it. Get it at www.amazon.com. WEEK 10 DAY 5

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WEEK 11 Ambition: Worry Matthew 6:25-34

This week we will study what Jesus says about worry. Read Matthew 6:25-34 and take some notes. And don’t worry. Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV) Making Notes 25"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for to-

WEEK 11 morrow DAY 1 will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

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OBSERVE observe

Read Matthew 6:25-34 again. Then make some observations. Use the questions to guide you, but feel free to go further. However, be sure to list only what you see in the passage. Be careful not to get into interpretation just yet.

[note: some translations of the Bible use the word “anxious”(ESV) and others use “worry” (NIV, NAS).

1. How many times does the word “anxious” appear in this passage? What about the phrase, “Do not be anxious”?

2. Look up the word “anxious” (Strong’s #3309). What does it mean?

3. What are the things Jesus says not to be anxious about?

4. What are the reasons Jesus gives not to be anxious about these things?

Respond. What are you anxious about today? How does this passage challenge you? How does it com- fort you?

WEEK 11 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Pray. Pray and ask the Lord to open your eyes that you may see wonderful things in His Word. (Psalm 119: 18)

Look up. Look up these cross-references and record your findings.

Job 35:11

Job 38:41

Psalm 104:27, 28

Matthew 10:29

Philippians 4:6

1 Peter 5:7

1 Timothy 4:8

WEEK 11 DAY 3

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INTERPRET interpret

Read this sermon on Matthew 6:24-34 by John Piper. If you would like to listen to it instead, you may go to www.desiringgod.org. Go to RESOURCE LIBRARY, then to SERMONS, then search by SCRIPTURE. Then go to the sermon titled, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR LIFE. OR—you can try this link: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ Sermons/ByScripture/14/449_Do_Not_Be_Anxious_About_Your_Life/

There are some kings who find it very effective to keep their subjects in constant anxiety. If the people are anxious about their life, and worry about where their next meal is coming from, then perhaps they will be more willing to do the king's bidding in order to get the food they need from the king's storehouse. Anxiety keeps them in their place. Fear makes the monarchy firm.

God Kingship and the Anxiety of His People

But one of the greatest things about Jesus is that He does not want his people to be anxious. The main point of today's text is that God does not secure his kingship by cultivating anxiety. On the contrary, the aim of God's kingship is to free us from anxiety. God doesn't need to keep us anxious in order to establish his power and superiority. Instead he exalts his power and superiority by working to take away our anxiety.

If you are born again; if you have turned away from sin and are following Jesus as Lord in the obedience of faith, His will for you this morning is that you not be anxious about anything, but that you enjoy deep serenity and peace and security. Jesus spoke these words in Matthew 6:24– 34 precisely for you—to help you overcome whatever is making you anxious this morning.

Each Person's Struggle

I suppose I chose this text today for myself as much as for anybody. I feel anxious every time I come back from vacation. It feels like it used to when I went back to school after a long sum- mer. I wasn't sure I would still be able to write. Or maybe this new teacher would require a lot of oral book reviews in front of the class.

My Struggle

But my struggle with anxiety is not just at the end of vacations. I wake up anxious virtually every morning. It's probably some weird quirk in my personality, or maybe some remnant of imbalanced parental upbringing, or more likely because there is sin in my mind and heart every day. Whatever the reason, it is a very real experience that I hate and have to deal with every day. So this sermon is for me. I will probably check this tape out of the library in a few weeks and listen to it early some morning when I am bouncing on my jogger before breakfast.

WEEK 11 DAY 4

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INTERPRET interpret

Young People's Struggles

But I know it's not just my problem. I got a letter from a young woman in another state last week, who had just broken off a relationship with a man because he simply did not take any spiritual leadership in their relationship. She closed her letter like this, "I want so to live a life that honors God, and it was easy to go off for awhile in a dream, thinking of being a wife and mother. But without a man who truly relies on God it is nothing, only heartache. Sometimes I lose hope that there are men who really do live like that—but I know there are. So I will con- tinue to trust in God's best for me." There are a lot of young people who are anxious about whether they will ever get married.

Missionaries' Struggles

I got another letter last week from David Jaeger, one of our missionaries who serves in Liberia. David was very honest about some of the struggles of living in the village with the Gola people. He said, "As I look to the future of our work here in Liberia I feel very anxious. I wonder if the Muslims will listen to our explanations with an open heart. Will they believe? I worry about the handful of believers here. Will they change some of their ways and walk in obedience? Lan- guage study is a continual source of anxiety, as is preparation for Bible studies and sermons . . . etc." Missionaries get anxious, young people get anxious, pastors get anxious, everybody gets anxious.

We need a word from the Lord Jesus this morning to remind us that his kingship is not built on the anxiety of his people. He has made himself king over us for the very opposite purpose, namely, to take away our anxiety. In my own life the sheer statement from the Lord that he does not want me to be anxious has a great tendency to give me peace. But when you add to it the reasons he gives why we don't need to be anxious, his word becomes tremendously powerful. So let's spend the rest of our time looking at some of these reasons in Matthew 6:24–34.

The Main Point—Negatively and Positively

Everybody can see plainly that the main point of this text is that disciples of Jesus should not be anxious. Verse 25: "Do not be anxious about your life." Verse 31: "Do not be anxious, saying , 'What shall we eat?'" Verse 34: "Do not be anxious about tomorrow." So one thing should ring in your ears when you leave this morning, namely, "Jesus does not want me to be anxious."

But that is just the negative way of stating the main point of this passage. There is a positive way found in verse 33; namely, instead of being anxious, "Seek first God's kingdom." In other words when you think about your life or your food or your clothes or your spouse or your job or your mission, don't fret about them. Instead make God the king in that affair and in that moment, and hand over the situation to his kingly power and do his righteous will with the confidence that he will work for you and meet all your needs. To seek the kingship of God first in WEEK 11 DAY 4

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INTERPRET interpret

every affair and every moment of life is a thrilling way to live. It's full of freedom and peace and joy and adventure—and hardship; and it's worth it all. If you believe in the kingship of your heavenly Father, you do not need to be anxious about anything. Let's look at some of the reasons why.

Eight Reasons Not to Be Anxious

I see at least eight reasons Jesus gives why his disciples should not be anxious. Time is short, but I will try to mention them all. Who knows which one might be perfectly crafted to meet your special need?

1. Life Is More Than Food and Clothing

The first is given in verse 25. "Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on." Why? "Because life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing." What does this mean?

Why do we tend to get anxious about food and clothing? Because there are three things that we would lose if we did not have food and clothing. First, we would lose some pleasures. Food tastes good. It is pleasurable to eat. Second, we would lose some human praise and admiring glances if we didn't have nice clothes. Third, we would lose long life if we had no food at all or weren't protected from the cold with warm clothes. So we get anxious about food and clothing because we don't want to lose physical pleasures or human praise or length of life.

And to this Jesus responds: If you are gripped by anxiety over these things, you have lost sight of the greatness of life. Life was not given primarily for physical pleasures, but for something greater—the enjoyment of God. Life was not given primarily for the approval of man, but for something greater—the approval of God. Life was not even given primarily for extension on this earth, but for something greater—eternity with God in the age to come.

We ought not to be anxious about food and clothing because food and clothing can not provide the great things of life—the enjoyment of God, the pursuit of his gracious favor, the hope of eternity in his presence. We get anxious about food and clothing to the same degree that we lose sight of the great purposes of a God-centered life.

2. The Birds of the Air Work, and Count on God

The second reason Jesus gives for not being anxious is in verse 26: "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" What we see when we look at the birds is not a lesson in lazi- ness. They dig their worms and snatch their bugs and pad their nests with strings and leaves. But Jesus says it is God that feeds them. What we see when we look at the birds is a creature WEEK 11 DAY 4

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INTERPRET interpret

who does not act as though God is only a merciful provider for today but won't be tomorrow. Birds don't anxiously horde things for the day of God's demise. They go about their work as though when the sun comes up tomorrow, God will still be God.

How much more, then, should we reckon with the reality and mercy of God tomorrow, since we are not brute birds, but children of our heavenly Father. The biggest difference between a disciple of Jesus and a bird is that we have the capacity of honoring God by our faith. And God values the exercise of our faith more than he values birds. So we ought not to be anxious, because the birds have taught us that God can be counted on to work for us tomorrow just as much as today.

3. Anxiety Doesn't Get You Anywhere

The third reason not to be anxious is in verse 27: "And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?" The argument is very pragmatic: anxiety doesn't get you anywhere. It doesn't do you any good. Whatever problem is causing you to feel anxious, you can be sure your anxiety will not lessen the problem. It will only make you miserable while you try to deal with it. So don't be anxious. It's useless.

4. God Delights to Adorn Things

The fourth reason Jesus gives for not being anxious is in verses 28-30—this time from the lilies. "And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

When you look at a lily, which has no will of its own to labor and spin, yet adorned with beauti- ful form and color, if you believe in God, you must draw at least this one conclusion: God delights to adorn things. But if His delight finds expression in adorning grass, that's here today and gone tomorrow, then surely His delight in adornment will express itself in how He clothes his children!

But someone may protest: God has not adorned me! He has not adorned the poor Christians of our land or overseas. Are you sure? Very few of us are dressed like Solomon. True. But we couldn't do our work if we were. I would only ask this question: Where have you ever seen a disciple of Jesus who did not have the adornment He needed to do what God had called him to do? Be careful. Do not measure the perfection of God's provision by some standard below His calling. And do not forget that when we have finished carrying our crosses on torn shoulders in this life like Jesus, there will be kingly robes for us all.

WEEK 11 DAY 4

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INTERPRET interpret

5. Unbelievers Are Anxious About Food and Clothing

The fifth and sixth reasons why a follower of Jesus shouldn't be anxious are given in verse 32: We shouldn't be anxious about what we eat or drink or wear because "the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." Anxiety about the things of this world puts us on the same level with the world of unbelievers. It shows that we are really very much like the world in what makes us happy. And that ought not to be.

6. Your Heavenly Father Knows Your Needs

It also shows that we don't think our Father in heaven knows our needs. Or perhaps we don't think he has the heart of a loving Father. Anxiety shows that we are too close to the world and too far from God. So don't be anxious—the world has nothing eternal to offer, and your loving heavenly Father knows your needs now and forever.

7. God Will Carry Your Burdens If You Seek First His Honor

The seventh reason not to be anxious, in verse 33, is that when you seek the kingdom of God first, he works for you and provides all your needs. The best reason to stop being anxious is that when you do, God starts being anxious for you. It's such a foolish thing to insist on carrying anxious burdens which God has promised to carry for us when we put his kingly honor first in everything we do.

8. Tomorrow Will Be Anxious for Itself

The last argument in verse 34 says, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." In other words, God has appointed to each day its portion of pleasure and trouble. And as your days so shall your strength be. So don't misappropriate God's allotted troubles for tomorrow. Don't bring them for- ward into today in the form of anxiety. Believe that God will be God tomorrow.

Jesus Does Not Want His Followers to Be Anxious

The main point of all this is clear and unmistakable: Jesus does not want His followers to be anxious. He does not secure His kingdom by keeping his subjects in a state of worry. On the contrary, according to verse 33, the more primary, the more central His kingship becomes in our lives, the less anxiety we will have. Jesus came, lived, died, rose from the dead, in order that He might reign as King over an anxiety-free people.

So come to Jesus. Forsake all other allegiances. Take your vow of loyalty to the King of kings. And seek first in all you do to make known His Kingship over your life. This and this alone is the way to freedom from anxiety. WEEK 11 DAY 4

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APPLICATION application cut out & carry memorize Memorize Matthew 6:33-44 (ESV):

33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Many times we think we need more than we do. Take some time to pray through the needs mentioned in Matthew 6:24-34. Ask the Lord to give you a humble heart, trusting Him to provide all that you truly need according to His good and perfect Will.

WEEK 11 DAY 5

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WEEK 12 Relationships: Treating Others Correctly Matthew 7:1-6, & 12

Relationship are vital to our lives. The way to relate best with others is to have a clear understanding of God, a sober view of yourself, and an encouraging attitude towards others. Read

Matthew 7:1-12 Making Notes Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “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? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 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. 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 then turn and tear you to pieces.

V. 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. OBSERVE observe

1. What warning does Christ give to those who judge in verse 1 & 2?

2. How does Jesus use hyperbole in verse 3?

3. In verse 12 what is the ‘Law?’ and who are the ‘Prophets?’

WEEK 12 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to… Warren Wiersbe: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament Christ is not telling us to avoid evaluating people or not to use our God-given wisdom (1 John 4:1–6)…What Christ is condemning is harsh judgment and unjust criticism of others’ motives. Note that He uses the symbol of the eye. In 6:22–23, Christ defined “the eye” as the spiritual outlook of a person, that which motivates one’s life. Every believer has the obligation to test others by their fruits (vv. 15–20), but no Christian should ever judge motives (Rom. 14 & 1 Cor. 4:5). This command of Christ does not prohibit church discipline. He tells us to face disobedient Christians honestly and humbly, examine the evidence, and deal with sin decisively (18:15–18; 1 Cor. 5). The Christian who says that church discipline is not biblical should read 2 Thes. 3:11–15 and Gal. 6:1–5. Christ gives us the right to help others after we have straightened out our own lives. He did not say that it was wrong for you to help your brothers or sisters get rid of their sins; but He did say that first you should take care of your own sin. In other words, we should be as severe with ourselves as we are with others. Christ points out two dangers in the lives of Christians who judge others: (1) that judgment will come back on them, and (2) they will become blind to their own needs and eventually need help themselves.

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

Judge

Eye

Write out verse 12 using your own words: WEEK 12 DAY 2

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CROSS REF cross ref

Look up the following verses on judging others and record any thoughts: Luke 6:37

Romans 2:1-2

1 Corinthians 4:3-5

James 4:10-12

QUESTIONS questions

1) According to Jesus why are we unfit judges (v.3-4)?

2) What steps must be taken in order to help a brother or sister (v. 5)?

3) How would a true estimate of ourselves cause us to be slower to judge?

4) The “Golden Rule” is one of the most quoted verses from the Bible. How does this idea sum up so much of the Old Testament?

WEEK 12 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

Read this Sermon Exerpt from Steve May 1. If you're not on the jury, don't try to reach a verdict. What do I mean by that? It's very simple: if it's not your judgment to make, don't make the judgment. …In Matthew 7 Jesus is talking about a different kind of judging. He's talking about making a judgment against someone when you're not even on the jury. In other words, making a judgment against someone when it's none of your business. From time to time I'll hear someone say, "I don't think so-and-so is really saved." That may be their opinion, but it's not their call to make. They're not on that jury. When I hear someone say that, my response is, "Be sure to let God know so that he won't accidentally let them into heaven." When Jesus said, (v. 1) "Do not judge, or you too will be judged," ...he was talking about making judgments that are none of our business. The problem is that when we make these judgments, we often make them without knowing all the facts. Before you pass judgment on anyone, remind yourself that you don't have all the facts. There just might be a part of the story that you don't know. And, most likely, it's not your business to know. If you don't sit on that jury, don't try to reach a verdict. Let God be the judge. When it comes to dealing with other people's faults, there's a second thing we do in order to avoid self-righteous hypocrisy... 2. Look at your own faults before you look at anyone else's. Jesus said, (v. 3-4) 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 all the time there is a plank in your own eye? The problem is, too often we have a tendency to consider someone's speck a plank, and consider our plank to be merely a speck. This is exactly the kind of attitude Jesus warned against. Before you judge others, or condemn others, or criticize others, look at yourself. Fix your own life before you try to fix everyone else. Look at yourself closely and ask, "Am I in a position to offer criticism?" When you ask yourself that question with a sincere heart, 9 times out of 10 you'll discover that you have a plank in your own eye to deal with first. The third thing Jesus tells us to do in order to avoid self-righteous hypocrisy is... 3. Limit your advice to "Do as I do." Jesus said, (v. 5) 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. It's not that Jesus wants us to abandon the idea of helping someone become a better person, it's that he wants us to do it with integrity. The person whose attitude is "Do as I say and not as I do" has no credibility with the person he's trying to help. When you advise or correct someone, if the underlying theme is not "Do as I do," then you have no right to say what you're saying.

WEEK 12 DAY 4 124 WEEK DAY

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APPLICATION application

I realized long ago that if I keep my office cluttered and messy, then I lose credibility with my kids and/or my employees when I tell them to keep their rooms or their work area clean. I realized that if I don't control my tongue, I'm not in a position to demand that they control their tongue. I realized that if I'm not on time, I can't scold them when they're not on time. This makes parenting, and any other leadership position, hard work—because it calls us to greater accountability. If you want to give anyone any kind of corrective advice, in order to avoid self-righteous hypocrisy, make sure the underlying theme to your message is "Do as I do." Jesus concludes this passage with a statement that hits us like a thunderbolt. He says, (v. 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 then turn and tear you to pieces." What does that statement mean and how does it relate to the subject of judging others? Jesus is saying, 4. Don't waste your words on those who will not listen. It's a sad truth that some people simply don't want the speck taken out of their eye. They don't want your advice, or anyone else's, on how to improve their life. There's no point in trying to persuade them otherwise, because they're not about to listen to anyone. Jesus is saying you have to use discernment and discretion when you deal with this kind of person. Some people just don't want to hear. Of course, many people hear constructive advice and gladly receive it, because they recognize it to be a "pearl". When someone can show me how to improve my marriage—that's a pearl. When someone can show me how to be a better father—that's a pearl. When someone can show me how to be more like Jesus—that's a pearl. These pearls create value in our lives; we should receive them gladly. But some people don't want pearls. They don't want to hear the truth. They don't want their lives to be better. As the Gospel of John says... [They] loved darkness instead of light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19) This is why we need to proceed with caution before trying to fix anyone's life. Some people just don't want to be fixed. CONCLUSION Jesus is telling us: Before you point out someone faults, make sure you're ready, and make sure they're ready. Otherwise, you're not intervening; you're interfering. How do you make sure you're ready? Ask yourself: "Am I on this jury? Is this any of my business?" Ask yourself: "Have I examined my life? Am I in a position to offer advice and correction?" Ask yourself: "Am I telling this person to do as I do, not just do as I say?" If you're ready, then you may have the opportunity to help someone improve their life...if they're ready to hear what you have to say. How do you know if they're ready? You'll just know...before you finish your first sentence. This is what it comes down to: When it comes to dealing with sin, we need to look at ourselves three times longer than we look at others. This is the way we avoid self-righteous hypocrisy. It's the way we help others without being a busy-body. It's the difference between intervening and

WEEK 12 DAY 4 124 WEEK DAY interfering. Your first concern is you. When you look beyond yourself, proceed with caution.

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QUESTIONS questions

1) Why is being “poor in spirit” listed 1st among the character traits of a follower of Christ?

2) Why would a person who is “poor in spirit” feel a need to mourn?

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for: A proper view of God.

A proper view of yourself.

A proper view of others.

Read read Reread Matthew 7:1-12 slowly and meditatively.

cut out & carry

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12 memorize 2 DAY 5 5 2 DAY WEEK 1

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WEEK 13 Commitment: Salvation & Sanctification Matthew 7:13-29

This week we will study issues of salvation and sanctification. Jesus uses word pictures to teach on difficult and intense issues of faith. Pray that the Lord enlightens your mind and sof- tens our heart to hear from Him this week. Matthew 7:13-29 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn- bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 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. 25 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. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. WEEK 13 DAY 1

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OBSERVE observe

My Observations on Matthew 7:13-29

1. Which word pictures does Jesus refer to?

2. How does Jesus use contrast in this section?

3. What commands are given in this section?

WEEK 13 DAY 1

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INTERPRET interpret

listening in to…John MacArthur: Commentary on Matthew This closing section of the Sermon on the Mount is a Gospel application. Here are two gates, two ways, two destinations, and two groups of people (vv. 13, 14); two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit (vv. 17–20); two groups at the judgment (vv. 21–23); and two kinds of builders, building on two kinds of foundations (vv. 24–28). Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way which leads to life.

QUESTIONS questions 1) Describe the two gates. In what sense is the gate of Christ small and the road narrow?

2) Jesus says that false prophets come in “sheep’s clothing.” What might that look like today?

3) What does Jesus mean when he says, “by their fruit you will recognize them?”

Define the following terms: (use this link for an online Bible dictionary: http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php)

False Prophets

Fruit

WEEK 13 DAY 2

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INTERPRET interpret

Christ outlines three tests that will prove our righteousness is truly from God. False Christian- ity, a counterfeit, will fail these tests. A. The test of self-denial (vv. 13–14) The two ways refer to two types of life-style: the easy, comfortable, popular life, or the difficult way of self-denial. These ways are entered by two gates: a narrow gate of surrender or a broad gate of self-sufficiency. True righteousness leads to self-denial. Note in Matt. 8:18–22 that two men turned from Christ because they failed this test. Demas also failed this test (2 Tim. 4:10). B. The test of spiritual fruit (vv. 15–23) “False prophets” does not only mean false preachers who proclaim a false gospel, but primarily false professors of faith in Christ. Their inward nature has not changed (see 2 Peter 1:4); they merely wear the outward guise of a sheep. They call Christ “Lord” and even do religious deeds, but they have not been saved! How do we detect these false believers? “You will know them by their fruits” (v. 16, NKJV). What fruits does Christ seek? He seeks: (1) the fruit of the Spirit, or Christian character as described in the Beatitudes and Gal. 5:22–23; (2) the fruit of the lips, testimony and praise to God (Heb. 13:15); (3) holy living (Rom. 6:22); (4) good works (Col. 1:10); (5) lost souls won to Christ (Rom. 1:13). Professing Christians may be involved in religious activities and pretend to be saved, but if they are honestly born again, they will reveal these fruits in daily life. Note that these “counterfeits” are surprised at the judgment! It is possible to fool ourselves! Satan blinds the mind (2 Cor. 4:3–4) and deceives people into thinking they are saved. When Christ returns, millions of professing Christians will be surprised to find out they were never saved at all! C. The test of permanence or obedience (vv. 24–29) The two builders represent two men in this life. They both use the same material and the same plans, and the world cannot tell the difference in their two houses. But when the storm comes— the time of testing—the house not founded on the rock crumbles and falls. The true Christian is founded on the Rock, Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11). Righteousness is not based on a church, a creed, or a “good life” but on Jesus Christ who died for the believer. A child of God is proven by lasting through the storms that test him or her. A true Christian is proven by obeying Christ. One is not merely a hearer of the Word, but is also a doer (James 1:22–25). Go through your Bible and note how false believers always fall away in the time of testing. The mixed multitude in Israel wanted to go back to Egypt when things became difficult in their journey. Many of the so-called Christians in Rome deserted Paul at his time of need (2 Tim. 4:9–18). Yet, note how the true believers stand regardless of the test. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and many others proved the reality of their faith by standing through the storm. They were built on the Rock!

Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament WEEK 13 DAY 3

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QUESTIONS questions

1. In verses 21 and 22 list the positive qualities that Jesus mentions. Why are those things not enough to be in relationship with Jesus?

2. In verses 24-27 how are the 2 houses similar?

3. How did the storms reveal what was unseen? How does that happen in our lives? WEEK 13 DAY 3

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APPLICATION application

“The Lord Jesus winds up the Sermon on the Mount by a passage of heart piercing application. He turns from false prophets to false professors, from unsound teachers to unsound hearers. So Jesus confronts us with Himself, sets before us the radical choice between obedience and disobedi- ence, and calls us to an unconditional commitment of mind, will and life to his teaching.”

John Stott The Message of the Sermon on the Mount

CROSS REF cross ref

Look up the following verses that correspond to Jesus words in Matthew 7 and record thoughts:

Luke 6:43-49

Luke 13:24-27 3 DAY 4 4 3 DAY

WEEK 1

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Read read

Reread Matthew 5 through 7.

Prayer Focus prayer focus

Pray for:

God to make this sermon a reality in your life.

God’s Spirit to transform you to have more Christ-like character.

Further Study further study

1) The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott is a great commentary on Matthew 5-7. 2) Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Oswald Chambers 3) The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

cut out & carry

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. 25 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. memorize Matthew 7:24-25

WEEK 13 DAY 5 135 WEEK DAY

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