The Real Jesus: Teaching and Confronting, 2/1/15

Sermon 2-1-15 real jesus – teaching and confronting

Matthew 6:1-6

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

⁵ “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 others. Truly I tell you, 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.

sundays sermon

the series the real jesus

jesus:  teaching and confronting

this passage today is from the sermon on the mount. 

Jesus teaching in front of the people and the Pharisees.

in this passage we find jesus both confronting the practices of the pharisees and teaching the people a better way.

some theologians believe that jesus' entire ministry should be understood in the light of jesus vs the pharisees.  the pharisees were always present and he taught a better way.

Where ever two or three are gathered mt 18

The story of the Pharisee and the publican lk 18

The story of the good Samaritan luke 10

Rich young ruler mark 10

Zacchaeus luke 19

Message today is

Confronting them:

don't put on a spiritual show.  Don’t blow the trumpet

don't attract attention to yourself so to make yourself important

[those who say don’t know, those who know, don’t say]

teaching

a spiritual life comes from the innermost places

spirituality is honest and clean

you don’t need to be noticed.  Doing the right thing is its own reward

it begins with you and god

do what is real and do not pretend

Comfort the afflicted.  Afflict the comfortable

Values on our staff – joy authenticity and excellence

Conforting Jesus vs teaching Jesus. 

are there pharisees in the world today?

am i ever one of them?

are there things that jesus would confront me about?

These are mine……….

1.  being worried over how things are going at work

2.  being worried over kids so much that i am ruining my own life

3.  living out of my head instead of out of my heart

4. Worrying about the future

Then I realize that to some degree the things that jesus would teach me, are the things that he is confronting me about.

what are things that i feel that jesus is trying to teach me?

What would jesus be trying to teach this pastor?  This human? 

1.   Take better care of my old carcass

I won’t be around here for ever

2.   Loving wife and children

Investing in them

Love is not getting what you want from them

a.   What does your fiancé love about you?

b.   What do you love about her?

Love is not giving them what you want them to have

Love is giving them what they want – helping them be fulfilled

Daughter- a gift card to charming charlies

Son – a gift card to ponchos

Love is selfless

3.   keeping my mouth shut - be quiet.  listen more

my dad used to say, son you talk to much…..

there is an acronym that uses the letters in the word THINK to form five questions to be asked before opening our mouths

“THINK before you speak” and ask yourself the following questions:

T – Is it true?  Do you know for sure that what you are about to say is completely true? Or is it gossip or hearsay?

H – Is it helpful?  Are your comments helpful? Do they add to the discussion? Do your words move the discussion along in a helpful direction? Do they add to a possible solution of a problem?

I – Is it inspiring? Are your words inspiring? Do your words encourage and build up or do they tear down? Do your words “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

N – Is it necessary? Are the words you are about to speak really necessary to the discussion? This question alone should certainly increase our listening to speaking ratio.

K – Is it kind? Are your words kind? No doubt at times our words need to be tough and confrontational, but ask what is the ultimate motive of your words. Are you speaking the truth in love? (Eph. 4:15)

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” – Abraham Lincoln

God is talking about talking less so from now on the sermons will b 10 mins

4.   wanting less stuff – wanting less outcomes

we only want the good stuff to happen to us. We are going to miss or hate half of life.  Cause half of it is difficult

when do you have enough

someone came back from Nicaragua and was worried that his spouse would be upset that he made a land commitment.

She said, oh, no, not upset at all.  In fact, somehow, we are going to buy one of the houses

When do we have enough

Our trip to subway $8 each, nice lunch or give the $16

Wanting less

Want is the source of all ill

Do you see the lilies of the field?

Do you see the birds of the air?

They don’t worry about such things

5.   paradigm – mine.  I'm not always right.  Glasses on, glasses off.

What if our ideas of the Christian faith are in left field

Someone asked me about altar calls……

That’s about them.  What about me?

Which of my ideas are nuts?  Just plain wrong?

These are the things that God talks to me about.

conclusion

what about you?

what would jesus confront you about?

what would jesus be teaching you?

go to your prayer closet and have the talk with him

lets pray