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

Sermon on the Mount Luke 6:27-36 7-16-95

Sermon on the Mount 7-16-95 Luke 6:27-36

Important Teachings.....I tell you who will hear me....not everyone hears
What is really important in this life???

Jews fixated on OT concept....eye for eye
Jesus reminds them.....love their enemies

Turn the other cheek.....come and slap me
Do not take offense at the wrongs they do to you
who are you anyway, someone who can never be wrong?
difficulty will come to you , but we do not embrace it by being difficult ourselves

If you love only those who love you, what good is that?
people of character win even their enemies

If someone asks for your cloak, give him also your tunic
jacket....tie...shirt
Does it mean exactly what it says????
give me your house.....your car....your pants
maybe its an illustration about things.....
things are not the most important part of life.....people are.

Human existence is a miracle.....
body is a miracle
body of clay combined with a spirit
day will come when the body fails....only the spirit is left

these around you are not merely people, they are spirit beings
deserving of your love & compassion

love your enemies... do good to those who hurt you
live not in the plane of the flesh, but strive to live in the world of the spirit

then your reward will be great, and you will be called sons of he most high God
Amen

Turn the Other Cheek Matthew 5:38-48 04-27/08

Scripture Matthew5:38-48 - 38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth/ 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, 40And if someone wants to sue you and take you tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44But I tell you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are you even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Sermon series, 5 pt.......from the sermon on the mount.......good stuff

Who is Jesus speaking to?
These rules were for their neighbors
Jew upon Jew
He is talking about the kind of community he wants to create

We struggle with these sayings
Do you always turn the other cheek?

In the old, old west, a devout Quaker cowboy had been needled and harrassed until he could stand no longer. Speaking up to his tormentors, he announced: "Sir, I do not believe in violence and I would not harm thee for anything in the world. But my compassion for all men compels me to warn thee that thee are standing in the place where I am about to shoot."

What is Jesus saying
He was responding to some bad thinking
What was he speaking to?
Not life long universal application - not a forever and even amen

8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1Timothy5:8

Borrower is slave to the lender - Proverbs22:7

If you fave to everyone who asked, no one would be able to build a house on the rock or sand

Jesus is talking about the kind of community that he wants to devlelop
When they love one another, they treat each other kindly

churches are famous for fighting
over the color of the carpet
steely glances shared from across the room - one family to another
Famous for guilting people

Someone didn't get their way.....
It is if, in the place where the best should display, the worst is sometimes seen
The law of love or the law of hurting....one good hurt deserves another
The Christians have the only army that shoots it's wounded
It can not be so here

Ever now and then we have to remember what kind of people we are called to be
We are going to be kind. We are going to emulate Christ
We are going to dispense grace.

Hebrew12:15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many

Instead let us practice...Fruit of the Spirit Galatians5
love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.
This is who and what we are called to be

There is a difficult saying in the passage
Be ye perfect even as your father in heaven is perfect
God is seeking that we have a perfect heart......Holiness is nothing to be afraid of.
Holiness shows its face when you are kind to people. Holiness is not religious or arrogant, It is, even in the face of hurt, kind gracious and forgiving. When we show such kindness, we are perfect, even as our father in Heaven are perfect.

the kind of church that I want us to have
includes basic principles and values of character

I saw a person this past week at a church function. I do not know them very well.
I observed them
They hid someone else's cookie
They got down on their hands and knees to pick up crumbs of food
They worked like a dog
Character that I want us to emulate
Humor, humility, hard work

We have to decide.............
How we treat people that are different than us
How we treat people that we disagree with
How we treat people that are mean to us or others
How we treat people that leave our church

Wesley left 3 general rules for living
Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in love with God

Ephesians4:29-32
29Do not let an unwholesome talk come our of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were seated for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

What kind of community do we want to have

We have the opportunity and the responsibility to shape our culture. To creat and sustain an environment where love is not simply spoken of, but is lived out.

If begins here....Starts here and moves to our homes. To our work places

34"A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John13:34-35



A Turkish officer raided and looted an Armenian home. He killed the aged parents and gave the daughters to the soldiers, keeping the eldest daughter for himself. Some time later she escaped and trained as a nurse. As time passed, she found herself nursing in a ward of Turkish officers. One night, by the light of a lantern, she saw the face of this officer. He was so gravely ill that without exceptional nursing he would die. The days passed, and he recovered. One day, the doctor stood by the bed with her and said to him, "But for her devotion to you, you would be dead." He looked at her and said, "We have met before, haven't we?" "Yes" she said, "We have bet before." "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked. She replied "I am a follower of him who said "Love your enemies."

Henry Ward Beecher was one of the great preachers of the nineteenth century. Beecker was one of those disciples of Christ who could respond in love and compassion to those who attacked and disturbed him. So much so, in fact, that throughout his Brooklyn parish it was said that, "If you want a favor from Beecher, kick him."