Discover The Word

Monday, June 27, 2011

“Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19-20).

IDEA: The Law can serve as an absolute standard given to condemn us, or as a goal that we strive to reach in the power of the Holy Spirit.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that the Law can be both a standard and a goal.

When you read the Ten Commandments, or hear them preached, what goes on inside your head?

When you read or listen to how Jesus interprets them, how do you feel?

Do they motivate you to godliness or tempt you to give up and not even try to live a godly life?

The commandments were given both as a standard and a goal.

I.  As a standard, the commandments condemn us.

Do you think everyone feels condemned by the Ten Commandments?

Luke 18:16-25 tells us about one man who didn’t seem to feel condemned by them.

How do you explain this attitude of “perfection”?

When a baseball player like Ted Williams hits 400, what do we mean? If 1000 is perfect, then every ball player is a failure as a hitter. Usually moral people are sure they keep the law as well as anyone can keep it. They can’t help but “look down on everyone else.” If God grades on a curve, they get a high pass.

Do you think that Jesus helped those people feel more comfortable with observing the Law by His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus is showing us that God doesn’t grade on a curve.

How do YOU feel about Jesus’ teaching? Doesn’t the Law and Jesus’ application of it make you want to give up?

When we use the Law as a standard, it shows us how poverty-stricken we are spiritually (Matthew 5:3).

II. As a goal the Commandments can motivate us to a greater reliance on Jesus to move us toward the goal.

Jesus’ teaching works both as a standard that drives me back to Him and as a goal to which He wants me to strive in His power.

A beatitude person doesn’t become that with one decision.