YOUTH GROUP: Being Peaceable People

The Word Search

Being Peaceable People

Matthew 5:21-26

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• Sermon notes
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Intro:

Welcome everybody to Youth Group, I am thrilled to see you all here tonight. We are going to continue in our series titled the Word Search, where we are scouring the words of Jesus to find the truth we desperately need so we can build our lives on the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ.

Tonight our message is titled Being Peaceable People.

. . .

 

Message:

Matthew 5:21-26 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And 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 or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; 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 together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

 

Something I want to point out to you early on in the sermon on the mount is this sentence Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, . . . But I tell you.” Jesus elevates the Law. Last week we talked about how Jesus was, is, and will be the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. He spoke up against the Pharisees and teachers of the law who were spreading lies about him by saying, “He has come to do away with the Law. The Law is worthless.”

 

Jesus refuted that claim by saying that: Matthew 5:17-18

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. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Jesus did not come to do away with the law. He did not come to abolish the Law, Jesus lived a perfect life to fulfill the law entirely! Since Jesus did that, His teachings are now the standard. Believe it or not, Jesus did not make the teachings of the Law easier for people to follow. Jesus did not make his commands light and simple. Jesus elevated the Law. He took things a step further. When he said “You have heard it said . . . But I tell you . . .”

Let’s look at our first point tonight and see how this is the truth!

 

1. and

Matthew 5:21-22 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

 

Murder

What does the Bible say about Murder?

 

Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.

Leviticus 24:17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 5:17 “‘You shall not murder.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

1 John 3:12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

 

These are just some of many verses about murder in the Bible and how it is wrong. In the Old Testament, murder was dealt with by the death of the murderer. This was never meant to be the case.

God’s original plan for the world was that no one would ever have to die. Had Adam and Eve not sinned, there would be no death, there would be no evil, there would be no sickness or pain. Had Adam and Eve not sinned there would be no need for rules like “” It just wouldn’t happen, but since they sinned and now sin is in the world, people are evil and murder is a serious issue.

 

To murder someone is to kill an image bearer of God, and it is such a grave sin, that in much of the OT was punished by death. A life for a life. I want you to think this way. To murder someone is to put yourself in the place of God, and be the judge on whether or not they get to live. Only God life and therefore only God can justly life. You are not the judge.

 

You see, the Pharisees of the time were okay with every ounce of anger and hatred up until the point of murder. You could want to kill the person in your heart but as long as you didn’t do that you were fine. You could hit a person, strike them, wound them, but as long as they aren’t killed they believe you were fine. They thought that you could replay killing someone over and over again in your head but as long as you didn’t actually kill them you were fine.

 

Jesus says differently though.

 

Anger

Matthew 5:22 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Leviticus 19:17-18 17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

 

Do not hate another believer. Do not hate a friend. Do not hate a classmate. Do not hate a person. We only hate sin. If you let your anger well up against another individual it will lead you to sin against them and to sin against God. Hate sin, so that if you are angry about something God will be moved by your zealous thoughts.

 

Do not claim Raca! Raca was a Jewish term for worthless. It was like a swear. Do not swear at another person because it is not what God has done to you. We all have wronged God so many times, but all He does is rebuke us by His Spirit and welcome us with open arms when we honor that rebuke. That conviction. For you to call another person, made in the image of God worthless, is to the life changing power of God. Every person has .

 

We have all been doing something, when someone who isn’t paying attention bumps into us, cuts us off, interrupts us, ignores us, and instead of getting angry and calling them names, would calmly address the situation, a gentle rebuke much like what the Lord gives to us, and then we move on. We exist to lift people up, in glory to God, so that they may have a chance to see the Glory of God that we cling so desperately to. No one is , because we as Christians carry around something of greater than gold and precious stones. It is our duty to share that and give it into the hands of those who do not have it. Help people find their worth, don’t take it from them.

 

But also do not call someone a fool! A fool is someone who is unwilling to listen to wisdom. The word fool had serious weight back in Jesus’s time. To call someone a fool, was to say they are not worth your time. It was to say that they aren’t worth it. It is to say that they have no chance at redemption. A fool is not somebody who made an honest mistake. A fool is someone that has time and time and time again, thrown wise and godly advice out the window.

 

By doing all of these things, we put ourselves in danger of being judged by God, because we choose to stand in his place. The Law says do not murder but Jesus says do not be with your thoughts, with your decisions, or with your speech.

 

2.

Matthew 5:23-24 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

 

Reconciliation trumps religion. Let me break that down really quick. The Jews were all about paying their sacrifices. They were obedient to the Law. However, Jesus is saying here that even if you are in the middle of your sin offering, and you remember that you have something against your brother, or they have something against you, you are to drop everything and go to them so you can reconcile. The Bible talks often about living in peace or harmony with one another.

 

Romans 12:16-18 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Colossians 3:14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

 

Guys one of the main things Jesus did for us was reconcile us to God. To reconcile means to make amends! To be put back into right relationship with one another. The idea of reconciliation is so important to God that He sent his son to for us in order that we might be reconciled!

 

Romans 5:10 ESV For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

 

If reconciliation is so important that God would send His son for us, how much more should we to reconcile with one another! Especially if you know how much you have been saved from! When you pray, if there is something you are holding against someone, go to them and ask them for forgiveness.

 

(example)

 

But Pastor Shawn what if they are upset about something they shouldn’t be? What if I said they had nice shoes, but they were upset I didn’t say they had a nice shirt? Reconciliation was so important to God that He sent His son to die for you. I don’t care what the offense was. I don’t care how big or small it may have been, if someone comes to you for reconciliation, you ought to reconcile. It may be painful, it may be hard, it may be uncomfortable, but God desires reconciliation.

 

Reconciliation trumps religion. The Jews needed to remember to forgive, to not hold grudges, to be restored to one another, and we need to remember the same thing. Do not with reconciliation.

 

3. Settle Accounts

 

Matthew 5:25-26 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

 

There was a big problem with God’s people going to the Roman courts to sue one another over petty things. This did not look good on the church. They were letting things that should have been dealt with quietly and out of the public eye, be dealt with by unbelievers who likely gave far harsher punishments that if they had dealt with it just the two of them.

 

Colossians 3:13 ESV Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Guys, Christians really need to get it together when it comes to dealing with things that offend, hurt, or wrong them. There are too many Christians that will just let things fester and harm them spiritually.

 

Ladies, stop being so petty towards each other. The cattiness we see is obnoxious to the people around you and hurtful to others. Ladies, if you are upset with one another, tell each other respectfully. We do not care if you don’t feel like you need to apologize, this is part of maturing. There is more than enough of that garbage in the world. Don’t add to it. Don’t start throwing insults. Don’t ignore the other person. Don’t gossip about them. Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. Let’s grow up and grow out of that nonsense.

 

Gentlemen, Stop with the passive aggressive comments. Stop cutting each other off. Stop with the dumb power plays. If there is something wrong between you and your friend, you need to tell them about it and get it right. There is no need to start off aggressive, there is no need to resort to insults or fights, there is no need to try and emasculate the other guy in any way. Grow up and grow out of that toxic mindset. There are enough trashy guys out there that think fighting, insults, money, fame, and women will fix their problems. Be a man and address your issues head on. Stop hiding from them. Christians don’t do that nonsense. We live righteously.

 

We all need to know this tonight. What you do not you .

 

In 2 Samuel 12, Had Nathan the prophet not confront King David about his adultery and murder, he would have said it was okay for David to do that.

In Joshua 7, Had Joshua not confronted Achan about stealing from God’s Offering after taking Jericho, he would have been saying it was okay.

In Matthew 23, Had Jesus not confronted the teachings of the Pharisees, He would have been affirming them.

 

I’m using these examples to show you that If you do not confront the problems in your life, you are saying it is okay that they are there. There is a stigma behind the word confront. To confront something is taken as though you are slamming your foot down and saying that you are right and they are wrong and if they don’t like that, then tough mustard. Confrontation does not have to be .

 

Tell someone next to you that confrontation does not mean !

 

Confrontation, if it is possible, can and should be done calmly, but firmly. Nathan the prophet did not angrily confront King David, he did so gently by using an analogy. Joshua did not confront Achan angrily, he did so with questions and a broken heart. Jesus did not always confront the Pharisees harshly, most of the time it was done almost too kindly through teachings and parables.

 

(example here)

 

When we allow the world to handle our reconciliation, the consequences are almost always than they need to be. If we take care of it, between ourselves, we will be better off. When we take care of it, we save ourselves from the harshest punishment.

 

Altar Call

Go and be reconciled.