Sermon on "Hard Sayings - Heart of murder" 2 mar 2014

“Heart of Murder” by Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming

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THE STORY OF THE THREE FROGS

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Question: What are the names of the three frogs ?

1. Matt 5:33-37 Swearing oaths

2. Matt 5:21-26 Heart of Murder

3. Matt 5:43-48 Love your enemies

4. Matt 7:21-23 True or false disciples

Heart of Murder Matt 5:21-26

1. INTENT of the LAW Matt 5:21

v21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

• 6th Commandment – ‘Thou shalt not murder’

• Ref : Exo 20:13 & Deut 5:17

1. INTENT of the LAW “You have heard it said...” Background – i. Language

• OT written in Hebrew • Babylonian exile – usage of Hebrew fell • Common people could not speak or read

Hebrew • People generally used Aramaic or Greek

ii. Cost • Written scrolls were very costly

Q: How then did the people learn ‘the Law’ ?

1. INTENT of the LAW “You have heard it said...” A: From SCRIBES & PHARISEES ... Scribes • Learned & Trained ‘theologians’ / ‘copyist’ • ‘Lawyers’ & ‘Teachers’ Pharisees • Learned ‘practitioners’ • Extremely strict & meticulous eg Matt 23:23

Eg : 5th Commandment : Keep the Sabbath Day holy, and that on it no work is to be done.

Q: What is work? A: To carry a burden. Q: What’s a ‘burden’ ? A: A ‘burden’ is –

food equal in weight to a dried fig, enough wine for mixing in a goblet, milk enough for one swallow, honey enough to put upon a wound, ink enough to write two letters of the

alphabet Q: Can a tailor carry a needle in his robe ? Q: Can a woman wear a brooch ? Q: Can a man lift his child ?

1. INTENT of the LAW “You have heard it said...” • From SCRIBES & PHARISEES Scribes • Learned & Trained ‘theologians’ / ‘copyist’ • Lawyers & Teachers Pharisees • Learned ‘practitioners’ • Extremely strict & meticulous Matt 5:20 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.

1. INTENT of the LAW

Matt 5:21 “... 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

• Defn: ‘Intentional taking of a life’ God’s Law : to protect the sanctity of life • Ref Gen 9:4-6 “... And from each man, too, I

will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”

‘Human Life’ is sacred

1. INTENT of the LAW

Matt 5:21 “... 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

BUT to the Scribes & Pharisees – Murder was just an external visible act... ? 1 Sam 16:7 “... The Lord does not look at the things

man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

? Matt 23:25-26 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, ... You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence... First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”

2. EXTENT of the LAW

Matt 5:22 NKJV : “But I say to you that whoever is angry with

his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. ...”

* Not found in early manuscripts

NIV “BUT 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.”

2. EXTENT of the LAW “BUT I TELL YOU that anyone who is

angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. ...”

• Anger - an emotion

• Emotion - of the HEART ...

• Angry with ‘his brother’ ... With or Without Cause... “Righteous Anger” - right response to SIN...

- condition of the HEART...

2. EXTENT of the LAW V22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with

his brother will be subject to judgment. ...” Anger by itself is not ‘Sinful’

• It’s what you do with that ‘anger’ ... • It’s what you do because of that ‘anger’ ... • It’s how your HEART feels & reacts ...

Matt 15:19 ‘For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander...’

1 John 3:15 ‘Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, ...’

Cain & Abel Gen 4:3-8

Gen 4:6-7 6 Then the Lord said to

Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

2. EXTENT of the LAW V22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his

brother will be subject to JUDGMENT. ...” • Being ‘ANGRY’ = JUDGMENT • Ref V21 ‘MURDER’ = JUDGMENT

Who / What is this ‘JUDGMENT’ Ref Deut 16:18 “Appoint judges and officials for

each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. “ • Size varies : 3, 7 or 23... • Judges the affairs of the town ...

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. “Why should police investigate the Muslim NGOs who offered a cash reward for anyone who could slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok? It wasn’t a threat. (Q: Do you think ‘they’ were ANGRY ?) If they issued a death threat, then it would be a threat. Slapping is not,”

2. EXTENT of the LAW V22 : “...Again, anyone WHO SAYS to his brother,

'RACA,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin...” • Not only ‘feel’ in the HEART But say with his mouth – ‘RACA’ or ‘RAKA’

• ‘RACA’ – Aramaic • Empty headed • Worthless • Good-for-Nothing

Treat with CONTEMPT Judgment ... Sanhedrin – Jewish Council of 72 Head : High Priest

2. EXTENT of the LAW V22 : “...But anyone who says, 'You fool!’ (moros)

will be in danger of the fire of hell (Gehenna) .”

• Slightly different meaning

• Eg ‘Foolish man’ building on sand...

‘Foolish maiden’ with no extra oil...

Matt 23:17 – Scribes & Pharisees

to CONDEMN , to judge...

• Heart & Character...

Judgment - ‘Hell’

Eg Video – Words Kill

2 Chron 28:3; 33:6;

Prov 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26 V23

"THEREFORE, if you are

offering your gift at the altar

and there remember that your brother has something against you,

3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26 v23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU,... • It’s a problem – you know & your brother knows * Excludes problems you do not know about • It’s remains unsettled ... •?? Right or Wrong ... • ‘Unsettled’ - division / barrier ... Settle it for : your brother’s sake : your own sake : the Lord’s sake Ref Ps 24:3-4 “Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart ...”

3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26

Isa 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26

v24 LEAVE your gift there in front of the altar. First go

and BE RECONCILED to

your brother; THEN COME and offer your gift. Worship is important

But RECONCILIATION

is more important

PRIORITY

3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26 RECONCILATION is PRIORITY v25 "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.

v26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Right or Wrong !!

URGENCY to RECONCILIATION

Even the World acknowledges that

RECONCILIATION

is KEY to ...

Conclusion: In Eph 4:26 - "IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN" V22 You were taught, with regard to your former

way of life, to PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

v23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; v24 and to PUT ON THE NEW SELF, created to be like

God in true righteousness and holiness. v25 Therefore each of you must PUT OFF

FALSEHOOD and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Conclusion : Eph 4:22-32

v26 "IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN": FOUR ‘DO NOT’S’ DO NOT let the sun go down while you are still

angry, v27 and DO NOT give the devil a foothold.... v29 DO NOT let any unwholesome talk come out

of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

v30 And DO NOT grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption...

1.I want first to be taken to the place where my husband's body was burned so that I can gather up the dust and give his remains a decent burial."

2.I want Mr. Van der Broek to become my son, for him to come twice a month to my house and spend a day with me.

3.I would like Mr. Van der Broek to know that I offer him my forgiveness because Jesus Christ died to forgive. This was also the wish of my husband.

Conclusion : Theme Verse 2014

2 Cor 5:14-15

v14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

v15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Conclusion : 2 Cor 5:17-21

v17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

v18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

v19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

v20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

v21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him (CHRIST) we might become the righteousness of God.