1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,440 Lord, thank you for tonight. We are grateful for a chance to 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:03,800 be here. Thank you for your word. 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,160 Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to study it 4 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,960 together. We are a blessed people and so 5 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,720 we just pray that you'd open our hearts and minds tonight to see 6 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,079 the beauty of our Lord in Jesus name, Amen. 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,600 All right, if you get your Bible, Matthew chapter 5, 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:30,400 Matthew chapter 5, and we are looking at what Christ's view of 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:35,920 Scripture and the law really is. So I'm going to begin this way. 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:44,160 Whatever Christ says about the law, whatever His view on the 11 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:50,080 law is, should be the same as our view on the law. 12 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,360 We don't want to have an opposing view of the law that 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,800 opposes Christ's view of the law that He gave. 14 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:05,519 And so Matthew 5 verses 17 to 20 gives us His view on the law. 15 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,360 Now this is very important. Why? 16 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,760 Because Christ, whatever you understand about verses 17 to 17 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,720 20, will set the tone for the rest of the sermon. 18 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,120 So if you miss what happens here and what he says here, you'll 19 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,600 play catch up throughout the rest of the sermon because 20 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,960 everything about what Christ believes concerning the word of 21 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,320 God, He's going to tell us. We've already looked at the 22 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:39,400 brilliance of the law. We spent time in Psalm 19, Psalm 23 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:44,080 119, looking at the excellence and the magnificence of the law. 24 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,960 But tonight we're going to look at the importance of the law, 25 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:53,360 the endurance of the law, and then the relevance of the law. 26 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:58,200 Let me read it to you, Matthew 5, verse 17. 27 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,680 Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. 28 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,560 I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 29 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,400 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not 30 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,680 the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law, until 31 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,480 all is accomplished. Whoever then knows one of the 32 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,680 least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, 33 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,880 shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. 34 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,040 But whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great 35 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,080 in the Kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless 36 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,800 your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and 37 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:44,800 Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven on Sunday. 38 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,640 I quoted to you Proverbs 29 verse #18 which says that 39 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:52,640 without a vision the people perish. 40 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:58,680 The literal translation is that without a revelation, the people 41 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,480 are unrestrained. They're out of control. 42 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,560 In other words, vision comes from the revelation of God. 43 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:13,520 What does God say that gives you an accurate view of life? 44 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,960 But without the revelation of God, the people are 45 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,920 unrestrained, because the revelation of God is filled with 46 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:25,640 nothing but absolutes. It's the truth. 47 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,160 It's the only truth. And without that truth you don't 48 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,840 have parameters. Without that truth, you have no 49 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,520 guidelines. Without that truth, you have no 50 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,720 direction. Without that truth, you really 51 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,720 have nothing. So Solomon makes it very clear 52 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:48,320 that without a revelation the people are out of control. 53 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,080 They don't know what to say, they don't know what to do, they 54 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,680 don't know where to go. And then he says, But happy is 55 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,160 the man who keeps the law. The blessed man is the one who 56 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:02,240 keeps the law, who practices the law, who lives the law. 57 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,600 Now, having said that, turn to Proverbs chapter 13. 58 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:15,320 Proverbs 13 verse #13 Solomon says this. 59 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:22,760 The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, but the 60 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,640 one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. 61 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:35,480 This verse is a summation of Matthew 517 to 20. 62 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,680 This verse is very, very important. 63 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:45,960 Psalmist says he who despises the word, he who looks down upon 64 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:52,360 the word, he who has nothing but disgust or disregard or who 65 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:58,400 wants to disobey the word, will be in debt to it, will be held 66 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:04,120 accountable to it, will be destroyed or disciplined by it. 67 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:09,800 So if you despise the word of God, if you look down upon the 68 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,000 word of God, treat it as if it means nothing, you will be 69 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,760 disciplined by the word of God, because you are in debt to the 70 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,520 authority of the truth of the revelation of God. 71 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:27,720 But then he says, But the one who fears the commandment, that 72 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,520 man will be rewarded. The one who reveres the 73 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,920 commandment, the one who respects the commandment, 74 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,080 receives the reward. But the one who despises the 75 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:43,440 commandment, who disregards the commandment, will be disciplined 76 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:50,720 or destroyed by that word. Having said that, Solomon says 77 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,320 in Proverbs 29 verse #1 these words, A man who hardens his 78 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,880 neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond 79 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,320 remedy. He hards his neck after much 80 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,720 reproof. How does one receive reproof? 81 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:12,160 Well, the Bible says that all Scripture is inspired by God and 82 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:17,920 it's profitable for doctrine and reproof. 83 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:22,920 In other words, Scripture is that which reproves you. 84 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,320 Scripture is that which turns your life around, that calls you 85 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,480 into account. But he who hardens his neck, who 86 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,480 stiffens his neck, who becomes very calloused and cold in heart 87 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,320 after much reproof, will be broken beyond remedy. 88 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,800 Let me illustrate that for you by having you turn to the last 89 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:53,480 book of the Hebrew Bible. That's not Malachi. 90 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,680 The last book of the Hebrew Bible is the book of Second 91 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,160 Chronicles. So turn to second chronicles 92 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:07,000 chapter 36. The Hebrew Bible ends with the 93 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,480 destruction of the temple on the temple mount. 94 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,240 So in the Hebrew Bible second chronicles 36 is the last book, 95 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:24,280 the last chapter in their Bible. OK, this is the illustration of 96 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:31,000 Proverbs 1313 and Proverbs 29 verse #1 The one who would 97 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,880 despise the word of God, the one who would disregard the word of 98 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,200 God, after much reproof will be broken beyond the remedy. 99 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,720 Bible says the verse 11, The Second Chronicles 36. 100 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,440 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned 101 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,440 11 years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the 102 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,720 Lord his God. He did not humble himself before 103 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,440 Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord. 104 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,000 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him 105 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,480 swear allegiance by God, but he stiffened his neck and he 106 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:08,040 hardened his heart. That's Proverbs 29 verse #1 107 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,760 against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 108 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,200 Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people 109 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,760 were very unfaithful, following all the abominations of the 110 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:28,000 nations, and they defiled the House of the Lord, which He had 111 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,600 sanctified in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their 112 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:37,360 Father, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, 113 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,960 because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling 114 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,200 place. But they continually mocked the 115 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:52,600 messengers of God and despised His Word. 116 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:58,720 The one who despises the Word Proverbs 13 will be in debt to 117 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,360 it. And they scoffed at His prophets 118 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:08,560 until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until 119 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:17,800 there was no remedy. Proverbs 29 verse #1 So there 120 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:23,480 was this constant compassion by God to send forth his 121 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:29,240 messengers, to send forth his prophets, to speak the truth, to 122 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:34,080 speak the Word, to give the revelation of God, so that man 123 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:41,160 would turn from his sin. But Zedekiah and others stiffen, 124 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:45,160 their neck harden. Their hearts became very 125 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,800 calloused to the revelation of God, so much so they would 126 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:55,120 despise the Word of God. Thus they became indebted to the 127 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:01,760 Word of God and therefore were broken beyond remedy. 128 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,840 It is so important to realize that God's Word is everything. 129 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:15,240 God's Word is absolute truth and our response to that is crucial. 130 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:18,800 Your response to that is crucial. 131 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,320 My response to that is crucial. When you hear it preached, when 132 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:27,160 you hear it taught, when you hear it given to you, what is 133 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,920 your response? Do you Revere it? 134 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,600 Do you respect it? Because if you do, Solomon says 135 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:39,960 you will be rewarded. But but if you despise it, if 136 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,560 you disregard it, you will be in debt to it, you will be 137 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:46,640 disciplined by it, you will be destroyed by it. 138 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,960 So the question comes, what is your response to the word of 139 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:56,880 God, especially when you recognize and understand what 140 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:00,880 Christ says about his very own words? 141 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,480 What is Christ's view of his law? 142 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,160 That should be our view of the law. 143 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,520 What is Christ's view of his word? 144 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,560 How does he see it? So last week we talked to you 145 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:18,160 about the brilliance of the law that for for two weeks we talked 146 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,320 about that, but we just scratched the surface, the tip 147 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,280 of the iceberg when it comes to the magnificence and the 148 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,600 excellence and the brilliance of the law of God, because it's 149 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,240 everything. It is your life. 150 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,720 Tonight we want to move on to the importance of that law, the 151 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:41,080 endurance of that law, and the relevance of that law. 152 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,960 So let's begin with the importance in Matthew 5 verse 153 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:58,400 #17 which says these words do not think, stop right there, do 154 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,360 not think doesn't mean you're not supposed to think. 155 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,440 But he says, do not think that I came to abolish the law of the 156 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,280 prophets. Why would he say that? 157 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:13,960 Because that's what they were thinking. 158 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,960 That's what they were thinking. Don't you think God knows what 159 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,120 you're thinking? Of course he does. 160 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,160 I love that because I don't need to know what you're thinking. 161 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:28,320 But God already knows what you're thinking at this very 162 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,000 moment. He knows that some of you are 163 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,320 thinking about what's for dinner after Bible study. 164 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,560 Some of you are already thinking about tomorrow when the Bible 165 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:42,120 says take no thought about tomorrow, but you're thinking 166 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,440 about it anyway. But God knows that, right? 167 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,080 God knows everything. And so he knows they're thinking 168 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:55,080 about what he has just said and what he's going to say. 169 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,360 Why would they be thinking that? Because never a man spoke like 170 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:06,800 this man spoke. Here is Jesus, and Jesus never 171 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,720 once quoted A rabbi, never once quoted A scribe. 172 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:15,800 He would speak as if he was the authoritative one, which of 173 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,320 course he is. And they didn't know what he 174 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,840 believed about the law. They didn't know if he was anti 175 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:28,120 law, anti Moses. They didn't know if he was anti 176 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,120 Israel. They didn't know what kind of 177 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,280 prophet he was, because when he spoke, he didn't speak like 178 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:40,440 anybody else spoke. In fact, he was a different kind 179 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,800 of man all together. He didn't even hang out with the 180 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,040 religious establishment. He hung out with the riffraff, 181 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:53,400 hung out with the prostitutes, tax gatherers, sinners. 182 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,040 So he didn't even hang out with the religious elite, the 183 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,760 Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadducees. 184 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:03,080 He was a different kind of man altogether. 185 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,680 So he comes and he begins to preach on the north slopes of 186 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,720 the Sea of Galilee. And as he's preaching, he's 187 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:12,960 saying he's saying things they've never heard before. 188 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,920 He begins with blessing, and they all want to be blessed, but 189 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:22,480 the way he says it and how he couches blessing is completely 190 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,320 different than what they've ever heard before. 191 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,240 So they're thinking, who is this guy? 192 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:32,000 Where is he from? Does he really believe in the in 193 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,640 the law of the Old Testament? Because all they had was the Old 194 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:35,800 Testament. They didn't have a New 195 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,880 Testament, wasn't written yet. So all they had was the 39 books 196 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,720 of the Old Testament. So they're thinking what, what 197 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,440 does he think about the law? What's he think about Moses? 198 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:48,160 What's he think about the Pentateuch? 199 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,400 Because when he speaks, he speaks completely different than 200 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,400 anybody they've ever heard before. 201 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:58,160 So he's already gone through the Beatitudes. 202 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,440 He's talked to them about salt and light. 203 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:06,640 And before he gets into really him hammering them about what 204 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,760 they think they believe as opposed to what God says they 205 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:15,360 should believe, He wants to let them know that I didn't come to 206 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:20,320 abolish the law of the Prophets. No, no, I've come to fulfill 207 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,440 everything. Now in His fulfilling 208 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:31,200 everything, He is the embodiment of the Old Testament. 209 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,880 Sometimes we forget this. Did he fulfill it by what He 210 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:37,000 said? Yes. 211 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,000 Did he fulfill it prophetically? Yes. 212 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,000 Did he fulfill the promises? Yes. 213 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,520 But He is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. 214 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,960 So the the importance of the law is seen. 215 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,440 Number one is that it was established by God himself. 216 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:01,600 Remember back in in the Exodus chapter 20, when he gave the 10 217 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:07,360 commandments, it says then God spoke all these words. 218 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,400 The law of God is established by God. 219 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,720 These are his words. This is what he wants to 220 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,840 communicate. So when he talks about 221 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,280 fulfilling the law, he he is not talking about the rabbinical 222 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:30,560 tradition, he's not talking about the the oral scribal 223 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:36,480 tradition. He is speaking about his very 224 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:42,120 words in fact, over in in Matthew chapter 15 he says this 225 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:46,080 verse 3. Why do you yourselves transgress 226 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:50,720 the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition. 227 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,000 You see the the Pharisees and the scribes realize that they 228 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,240 were unable to keep the law of God. 229 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:03,080 So they they came up with man made traditions and man made 230 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,280 rituals and man made commandments that would allow 231 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,599 them to keep certain portions of the law. 232 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,200 That made them feel good about themselves because they could 233 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:17,680 dilute the law and make it applicable to their own lives so 234 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,520 that they would feel good about themselves. 235 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:22,880 And Christ always condemned them for that. 236 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:27,800 Christ would speak against them because they had devalued His 237 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,440 word. In fact, as Proverbs 1313 says, 238 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,600 they despise the word. They disregarded the word. 239 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,960 Now they are in debt to that word. 240 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,480 They will be disciplined and destroyed by that word because 241 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:44,280 they have degraded the authority of the law of God. 242 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,560 But the man who fears the commandment, Oh no, he'll be 243 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,080 rewarded. He'll be rewarded greatly. 244 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:58,360 And so he addresses that and says, I'm not talking about the 245 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:03,440 traditions of men. I'm talking about the law that I 246 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,760 have authored. Now he says the law of the 247 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:10,160 prophets, That phrase is used 12 times in the New Testament, and 248 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,080 every time it's used, it refers to the Scriptures. 249 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,160 It's a synonym for the Scriptures, a synonym for the 250 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,920 word of God, a synonym for the law of God. 251 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,280 In other words, he's speaking about the whole Testament, not 252 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:26,120 just portions of the Old Testament, but the whole Old 253 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,680 Testament. In fact, in the book of 254 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,960 Deuteronomy, Let's do what Moses says. 255 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,720 Moses says in chapter 30 verse #15 of Deuteronomy. 256 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,920 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity and death 257 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,840 and adversity, and that I command you today to love the 258 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,760 Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His 259 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,720 commandments and the statutes and His judgments, that you may 260 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:54,200 live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in 261 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,560 the land where you are entering to possess it. 262 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:00,920 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn 263 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,080 away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you 264 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,200 today that you shall surely perish. 265 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,080 You will not prolong your days in the land where you are 266 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,560 crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. 267 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,280 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I 268 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,200 have set before you life and death, the blessing and the 269 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,320 curse. So choose life in order that you 270 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,160 may live, you and your descendants. 271 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,080 How? By loving the Lord your God, by 272 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,880 obeying his voice and by holding fast to him. 273 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:34,280 For this is your life and the length of your days that you may 274 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,240 live in the land which the Lord swore to your father's to 275 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:39,800 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them. 276 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,400 So Moses is saying, look, these words that I have written, these 277 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,040 words that I've spoken, these words that God's given to us, 278 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,160 the, the first five books of the law, the Pentateuch, because 279 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,320 that's what he had, he had written, says you, you keep 280 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:58,880 these, you will live. If you disobey them, then you'll 281 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,240 be destroyed, you'll perish again. 282 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:07,480 Proverbs 1313, The one who despises the word will be in 283 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:12,120 debt to it, but the one who who fears the commandment, who 284 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,360 respects it and reveres it, they will be rewarded. 285 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,440 So Solomon sums up in one word what Moses says in Deuteronomy 286 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,160 30, what Christ says in Matthew chapter 5. 287 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,360 Because everything is about the law of the living God. 288 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,560 Remember the rich man in Lazarus, rich man was in Hades 289 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:35,120 and he wanted someone to dip their finger in cold water just 290 00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:38,760 to touch his tongue because he was he was burning up, right? 291 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:46,960 And he says, he says, send someone back to tell my 292 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:54,480 brothers, because if someone comes back from the dead, my 293 00:20:54,480 --> 00:21:02,720 brothers will believe. And Abraham said they have Moses 294 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:09,400 and the prophets. If they don't believe them, they 295 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:12,840 will not believe the one be raised from the dead. 296 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,840 No miracle ever saved anybody. It's only the message of the 297 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:22,800 truth, the message of the revelation of God. 298 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,040 It speaks to the power of the Word of God. 299 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,680 If they don't believe what Moses said, if they don't believe what 300 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,320 the law says, if they don't believe what the prophets have 301 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,120 already said, if they don't believe that, then someone being 302 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:40,280 raised from the dead makes no difference whatsoever, because 303 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:44,480 the proof is in the authority and revelation of the law of 304 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,880 God. Very, very important. 305 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,200 And so this law was established by God himself. 306 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:58,880 Now understand this, that there are three categories of the law 307 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,400 in the Old Testament. There is the judicial law, the 308 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,120 moral law, and the ceremonial law. 309 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,680 So let me explain to you very simply how you distinguish 310 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,960 between them all, OK. The judicial law deals with the 311 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,720 identity of God's people. The moral law, the 10 312 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:23,080 commandments deal with the purity of God's people, and the 313 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,600 ceremonial law deals with the priority of God's people because 314 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,160 that was how they were to worship. 315 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:35,720 Make sense? The judicial law was given to 316 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,200 define the identity of God's people. 317 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,080 He gave them laws about what to wear. 318 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,760 He gave them laws about what to eat. 319 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:50,040 He gave them laws and how to cook what they eat. 320 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,280 What? Because Israel was to be 321 00:22:53,680 --> 00:23:00,360 uniquely and distinctly separate from the world, and therefore He 322 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:05,520 gave them they the judicial law or the civil laws. 323 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,440 Then He gave them ceremonial laws to govern how they 324 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,720 worshipped right? This was their priority. 325 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,240 Their priority was always to worship their God. 326 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,600 They should have no other gods before them. 327 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,040 They were always one that when you go into the land, you don't 328 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,840 worship their gods, you don't serve their gods, you serve your 329 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,600 God. This is your priority. 330 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,920 Then he gave them the moral law, the 10 Commandments, because 331 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,400 that was the focus of their purity, their holiness. 332 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,880 Why? Because the 10 Commandments are 333 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,680 the reflection of the personality and the purity and 334 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:47,600 the holiness of God. They are, and so He wants them 335 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,800 to be as holy as He Himself is holy. 336 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:55,680 So the moral law identifies the purity of the people of God. 337 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:03,200 Now listen, the moral law was the backing behind the judicial 338 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:08,560 law and the ceremonial law. Because the moral law defined 339 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:13,320 for us the character of God, and the judicial law was given and 340 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:18,120 the ceremonial law was given to keep and to help Israel stay 341 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:23,160 focused on the moral law. Because he is so pure and so 342 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,880 holy, I want to worship only him, honor only Him. 343 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:32,000 Because he is so pure and so holy, I want to only identify 344 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,400 with him and no one else. That makes sense. 345 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,880 So Christ says don't think, because I know you're thinking 346 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,320 this, don't think that I came to abolish the law of the prophets. 347 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:51,480 Oh no, On the contrary, I came to fulfill all of that. 348 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,560 I came to fulfill the judicial law, the ceremonial law. 349 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:02,480 I came to fulfill the moral law. And he did, because everything 350 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:12,520 about the Old Testament is all about Christ the Redeemer, the 351 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:18,960 Deliverer. And so not only was was the law 352 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:23,760 established by God, but it was enforced by the prophets. 353 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,000 They were always calling the people back to God. 354 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,320 They were always telling them, listen, you got to live a holy 355 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,000 life. Listen, you got to worship the 356 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,720 the one true God. You have to identify with the 357 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,360 one true God. And so the prophets were always 358 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:41,080 given, like we read in Second Chronicles 36, God's compassion 359 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,280 sent messenger, sent prophet after prophet, messenger after 360 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:49,880 messenger to say, listen, you need to turn back to God because 361 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,800 that's what the prophets did. They called people to repentance 362 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,480 and they would tell them if you obey, you will live. 363 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:02,120 If you disobey, you will die. In fact, listen to what Isaiah 364 00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:05,160 says. Isaiah chapter one verse #18 365 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,200 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. 366 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,400 Though your sins are a scarlet, they will be as white as snow. 367 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,560 Though they are red like Crimson, they will be like wool. 368 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,280 If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land. 369 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:22,160 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. 370 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:29,480 Proverbs 1313 If you despise the word, you'll be destroyed by it. 371 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,200 But if you fear the commandment and respect it, you'll be 372 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,000 rewarded. And then he says, Truly the 373 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,440 mouth of the Lord has spoken. That's why the prophets would 374 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,080 say, Thus sayeth the Lord, The mouth of the Lord has spoken. 375 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,720 The word of the Lord came to me and said, Why? 376 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,480 Because they were the mouthpiece of God to the people. 377 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,800 And so that which was established by God was enforced 378 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:02,760 by the prophets, and that which was enforced by the prophets was 379 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:10,640 endorsed by Christ. I came to fulfill the law five 380 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:17,320 times in the New Testament. It speaks of Christ's fulfilment 381 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:20,800 of the Law, because the Law was all about Him. 382 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:27,480 Remember we read this last week over in Luke's Gospel, the 24th 383 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,320 chapter. Christ says, O foolish men, and 384 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,240 slow of heart, to believe in all, not some all that the 385 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,040 prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary for the 386 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,920 Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory? 387 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:45,000 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he 388 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:51,400 explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the 389 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,760 Scripture. Not some of the Scripture, but 390 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,240 all the Scripture He reiterates in verse 44. 391 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:01,320 He says, These are my words which I spoke to you while I was 392 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:06,040 still with you, that all things which are written about me in 393 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,640 the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be 394 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,400 fulfilled. All that was written about me. 395 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:15,400 Why? Because everything in the Old 396 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,080 Testament was all about the Christ. 397 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,880 That's why in John 5 verse #39 and we'll get there in a couple 398 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,000 of months. But in John chapter 5 verse #39 399 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,240 he says what you search the Scriptures for, and then you 400 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,880 think you have eternal life. But these are they which speak 401 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,800 of me. In other words, here you are 402 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,880 students of the Bible, and you're looking to find eternal 403 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,880 life, and yet you miss me. How do you miss me? 404 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,480 The author of life? But they did, you see, they 405 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,880 missed the Messiah. They missed the Christ because 406 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:56,960 He is everything. There was an anonymous poem 407 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:02,040 which was written years ago about how Jesus Christ is the 408 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,400 theme of the Bible. This is what it says. 409 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:12,320 I find my Lord in the Bible wherever I chance to look. 410 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:18,320 He is the name of the Bible, the center and heart of the Book. 411 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,320 He is the Rose of Sharon. He is the Lily Fair. 412 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,960 Wherever I open my Bible, the Lord of the Book is there. 413 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,920 He, at the books beginning, gave to the earth its form. 414 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,920 He is the ark of shelter, bearing the brunt of the storm, 415 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,520 the burning Bush of the desert, the budding of Aaron's rod. 416 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:46,760 Wherever I look in the Bible, I see the Son of God, the ram upon 417 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,680 Mount Moriah, the ladder from earth to sky, the scarlet cord 418 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:56,120 in the window and the serpent lifted high, the smitten rocked 419 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,120 in the desert, the shepherd with staff and crook. 420 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,720 The face of my Lord, I discover wherever I open the book. 421 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,760 He is a seat of the woman, the Savior, Virgin born. 422 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:13,600 He is a son of David, who men rejected with scorn his garments 423 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,920 of grace and a beauty, the stately Aaron Deck. 424 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:22,360 Yet he is a priest forever, for he is Melchizedek, Lord of 425 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:26,320 eternal glory, whom John the Apostle saw light of the golden 426 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,880 city. Lamb without spot or flaw. 427 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,560 Bridegroom coming to midnight, for whom the virgins look. 428 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:41,720 Wherever I open my Bible, I find my Lord in the book. 429 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:48,080 I wonder what you find when you open your Bible? 430 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,040 You see, because it's all about the Christ. 431 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,160 It's all about the Lord. He wants you to know Him. 432 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:03,720 In fact, He wants you to know Him so, so strongly that He put 433 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:09,720 into print His very words that describe Him completely. 434 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,920 And yet. And yet, we find ourselves so 435 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:21,280 busy doing other things, so occupied with frivolous things, 436 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:26,440 so preoccupied with things that really don't even matter, 437 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:33,280 instead of spending time studying the truth of the Word 438 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,600 of God. And then we wonder why our lives 439 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,640 are so meaningless. We wonder why our lives are so 440 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,080 fruitless. We wonder why our lives are just 441 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,800 as depressed and discouraged as possible, why our lives do not 442 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,200 flourish. It's because we don't know our 443 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:56,080 God. Because Daniel said in Daniel 444 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:04,720 1132 that those who know their God display strength and take 445 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:11,680 and do great exploits. Those who know their God display 446 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:18,400 strength and do great exploits, meaning that those who don't 447 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:22,920 know their God are unable to display any kind of strength, 448 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,000 nor are they able to do great exploits for God. 449 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,680 Very, very important to understand that. 450 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:35,200 So Christ says this is the importance of the law. 451 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,680 Don't think that I can do abolish it, throw it away, 452 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,400 nullify it, treat it as if it doesn't matter. 453 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:48,800 Oh, no, Oh no, I wrote it. I established the law of God. 454 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:54,040 The prophets endorsed the law of God or enforced it. 455 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:59,080 I'm here to endorse it. I'm here to fulfill it in every 456 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,840 single detail. And he did. 457 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,080 And when the and when the ceremonial law was fulfilled, 458 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,200 the the veil in the temple was torn in two, because access to 459 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:10,680 the holy of Holies was now, was now given to all men. 460 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,680 And all the all the rituals and all the ceremonies and all the 461 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,200 the symbols and all the pictures were all fulfilled in who 462 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:23,120 Christ, right? And now we have actual access 463 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:28,320 into his presence that had been barred from common man for 464 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:33,520 centuries. He abolished, he abolished 465 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:39,120 death. He abolished Satan's power over 466 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,200 you. But he didn't abolish the law. 467 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:48,280 He came to fulfill the law. He came to show that I am the 468 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,160 fulfillment of all that was said. 469 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:54,680 Every prophecy, every promise is rooted and Sinner than me. 470 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,640 I've come to fulfill all that. That's why he can speak with 471 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:06,000 such great authority, because he embodied the law. 472 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:08,280 Now think about this for a second. 473 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:16,800 Even though Christ fulfilled ceremonial law, which was a 474 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:22,600 priority of God's people, note that the priority of God's 475 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:28,840 people today is still to worship God and why we don't OfferUp the 476 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,679 blood of bulls and goats for sacrifice. 477 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:38,840 We present our bodies a living sacrifice, which is your 478 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:45,360 reasonable worship, your logical form of worship. 479 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:50,880 So even though he came to fulfill all ceremonial law, 480 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:57,080 don't think that we are not to worship by presenting our bodies 481 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:02,360 of living sacrifices to our God, because we want to worship Him 482 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:06,720 for who he is. And even though he came to 483 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:11,680 fulfill all judicial law, which were the guidelines and 484 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,200 governances by which Israel would would dress and diet and 485 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,760 and act and live to identify them as the people of God. 486 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:25,280 It doesn't mean it doesn't mean that we don't have certain 487 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,000 aspects about our lives as Christians that identify us as 488 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,720 the people of God. For even though he's not giving 489 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:35,960 us any rules on our dress or diet, he says this in 1st 490 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,440 Corinthians 1031. Whatever you do, whether you eat 491 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,040 or whether you drink, you do all to the glory of God. 492 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:48,320 Now he gave us no law on how to eat or what to drink, but he 493 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,200 says that when you do eat and you do drink, picking the most 494 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:56,360 mundane thing that we can ever do, eating and drinking, do all 495 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:57,520 to the glory of God. Why? 496 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,160 Because you need to identify yourself as the people of God. 497 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:06,680 Israel was God's chosen nation. We now as a church are God's 498 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,360 chosen people. We are a holy nation. 499 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:14,520 We are a royal priesthood, and therefore our identity is 500 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,040 wrapped up in our relationship with the living God. 501 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,040 Our priority is wrapped up in our relationship with the living 502 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:24,520 God because our purity and holiness is wrapped up in our 503 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:26,520 relationship with the living God. 504 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,280 He embodied the moral law of God. 505 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,280 He lived a perfect, sinless life. 506 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:40,040 So Christ says, don't even begin to think that I've come to 507 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:44,000 abolish the law. On the contrary, I've come to 508 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,200 raise the standard of the law. Because you see, you have 509 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,280 despised the law so much, you have downgraded the law so much. 510 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:55,440 You have, you have treated it as if it means nothing by 511 00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:58,800 developing your own laws, thinking that you can keep them 512 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,400 and earn your way to heaven. Can't do that. 513 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:05,640 So I've come to lift the standard of the law. 514 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:07,600 That's why he would go into the next phrase. 515 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:11,880 You have heard that it was said by the ages of old you shall not 516 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,080 murder. And everybody in the crowd would 517 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,600 say Amen to that. We don't murder anybody. 518 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:22,640 Then Christ says, But I say unto you, if you hate your brother, 519 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,200 you are a murderer in your heart. 520 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,800 And they would be taken back. And then he would say, Oh, you 521 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,000 have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. 522 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:36,920 And they would all say Amen to that. 523 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,880 We know we shouldn't be sleeping with somebody else's wife. 524 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:48,040 But then he says, But I say unto you, I say unto you, that if you 525 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:54,040 lust after a woman in your heart, you have already 526 00:37:54,600 --> 00:38:00,840 committed adultery there, and they'd be taken back. 527 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:10,960 See, because the law of God is internal, not external, they had 528 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,400 relegated the law of God to everything on the external. 529 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,960 That's something they could do right, that everybody could see 530 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:21,800 and they could gain acceptance in everybody's eyes because they 531 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,400 could see them doing things. But the law of God is in the 532 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:28,960 heart of man that motivates him from the inside out to live for 533 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:32,840 the glory and honor of God. So Christ attacks the heart of a 534 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:37,240 man because he says, unless your righteousness succeeds, that of 535 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:41,000 the scribes of Pharisees, you're never going to enter the Kingdom 536 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,120 of heaven. Very, very important. 537 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:50,080 So Christ talks about the importance of the law. 538 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:54,800 They talk about the endurance of the law, the endurance of the 539 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:58,400 law. He says this in verse #18 For 540 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,560 truly I say to you, this is the statement, Until heaven and 541 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,240 earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall 542 00:39:04,240 --> 00:39:06,680 pass in the law until all is accomplished. 543 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,800 Truly, truly I say unto you, Amen. 544 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,040 Amen. Absolutely, I say unto you. 545 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:17,120 Now that phrase is used 76 times at the beginning of a sentence 546 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,680 and 48 times at the end of a sentence. 547 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,760 All 76 times it's used at the beginning of the sentence. 548 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:31,160 It's Christ who is speaking. The other 48 times it's used at 549 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,040 the end of a sentence, it's not Christ who is speaking. 550 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,160 It's managed responding to what Christ has already said. 551 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,280 Very important to realize that. Why? 552 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:43,560 Because Christ says truly, truly, I say unto you, 553 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:46,360 absolutely, truly, I give to you. 554 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,800 I want you to know that at the very outset this is absolute 555 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:55,520 truth. He says very clearly these words 556 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:03,520 until heaven and earth. Pass away. 557 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:10,360 Not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law. 558 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:14,680 The span of time is until heaven on earth pass away. 559 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:16,360 Meaning they are going to pass away. 560 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:19,600 They do. They'll all be destroyed, every 561 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:24,720 one of them, all of them, all the heavens, the earth will all 562 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:28,400 pass away in a brief moment. Read about the second Peter 563 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:33,160 chapter 3, Revelation chapter 6, Revelation chapter 21 and 22. 564 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:35,200 There'll be a new heaven and a new earth, right? 565 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:41,320 But until that day, not one jot, not one title shall pass away, 566 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:43,640 not the smallest stroke of the pin. 567 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:50,280 He is going down to the finest detail of of the Hebrew letters. 568 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,400 OK, not one jot, not the smallest letter like an 569 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,440 apostrophe, not one tiddle. What's a tiddle? 570 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,920 A tiddle is is that 1 little aspect that that distinguishes 571 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:07,440 an H from an N or an E from an FF has 2 lines. 572 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:13,240 E has three lines, an H has a longer extended line, and an N 573 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:17,280 has a a smaller line. Not, not one of those will pass 574 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:19,240 away. Every jot, every title, the 575 00:41:19,240 --> 00:41:24,560 smallest letter, the smallest little squiggly mark, all of it 576 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,720 is offered by me and it's all perfect. 577 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:38,120 And it will not pass away until heaven and earth passes away. 578 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:42,560 When that happens, you won't need the Word of God anymore, 579 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:46,120 because you will have a perfect life in a perfect place called 580 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:49,760 heaven, worshipping the perfect God of the universe. 581 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:55,400 But to that time, my Word stands as the absolute authority, 582 00:41:55,640 --> 00:42:00,040 without error, without any kind of discrepancy, because I 583 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:04,000 authored it and the prophets enforced it. 584 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:08,520 When I came, I fulfilled it. I endorsed it all. 585 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:14,440 This is God's view of Scripture. And then he moves from that just 586 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:16,880 the importance of law and the endurance of law, but to the 587 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,320 relevance of the law. Listen to what he says. 588 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,360 This is so good. Verse 19. 589 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:25,120 Whoever then knows one of the least of these commandments and 590 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:28,280 teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the 591 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:31,040 Kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches 592 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:35,040 them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. 593 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:43,600 Wow, He gives us the guiding principle of Christian conduct. 594 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:51,080 It's the word of God, the truth. Now he who a knows, or he who 595 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:55,040 nullifies. Or take Proverbs 1313, he who 596 00:42:55,240 --> 00:43:03,000 despises the word of the Lord, right and teaches others to 597 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:06,360 despise the word of the Lord or to a know the word of the Lord 598 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:09,760 shall be leased in the Kingdom of heaven. 599 00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:13,800 Doesn't mean you're going to be ousted out of the Kingdom of 600 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,920 heaven. Not at all because you're in the 601 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:22,040 Kingdom of heaven verses verse 20, which talks about getting 602 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,200 into the Kingdom, but we'll get to that in a second. 603 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:31,320 But he says, look, you can't look at the word of God and say 604 00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:33,320 this. This doesn't apply to me. 605 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:38,640 This is not for me, treating it as if it's not important for you 606 00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,440 to live by. And certainly you can't teach 607 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,440 other people that. That's why James 31 is so 608 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:46,520 important, right? Don't many of you seek to be 609 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:50,280 teachers? For with it comes a stricter 610 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:54,240 condemnation, right? If you could do anything in the 611 00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:59,320 church, rather than teach, do that because it doesn't come 612 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:02,080 with a strict condemnation. You got to realize that when you 613 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,880 begin to open the Word of God and teach people the truth of 614 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:08,360 the Word of God, there comes a high accountability. 615 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:12,760 It doesn't mean though, that you should not teach the Word of God 616 00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:17,080 as a father to your children or as a mother to your children, 617 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:21,240 because you should. But it also comes with high 618 00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:24,960 accountability. You should teach them the truth 619 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:27,000 of the Word of God. Why? 620 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,600 Because if you're not doing that, you are the least in the 621 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:36,360 Kingdom, you're the least blessed in the Kingdom, You are 622 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:41,560 used the less in the Kingdom. But if you teach and keep the 623 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:45,560 word of God and teach others to do the same, you're the greatest 624 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:48,680 in the Kingdom, you're the highest in the Kingdom, you are 625 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:51,760 the most blessed in the Kingdom. Because you have feared the 626 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:54,040 commandment, you have revered the commandment, you have 627 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:56,760 respected the commandment, and you will be rewarded. 628 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:02,600 Proverbs 1313 And God will reward you tremendously because 629 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:09,480 you've highly valued his law, his revelation, so much so that 630 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:11,080 you want to impart it to other people. 631 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:14,720 Whether you're proclaiming the gospel, whether you're growing 632 00:45:14,720 --> 00:45:18,200 someone in their walk with the Lord, you're helping to follow 633 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:21,680 Christ. You've taken His word, held at 634 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,320 high value. Thy Word, O Lord, is magnified 635 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,800 even as Thy very name. Psalm 138 verse #2 You are 636 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,320 lifting His name on high by lifting His Word on high. 637 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:34,720 And when you do that, it says that God Himself is honored. 638 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,000 And he who wants me, I will honor. 639 00:45:37,160 --> 00:45:39,920 There was a great reward for those who are the greatest in 640 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:44,040 God's Kingdom because they teach and keep the Word of God. 641 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:48,240 So the relevance of the Word of God is simply, it is the guiding 642 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:53,480 principle for Christian conduct, but also it's the glorious 643 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:58,720 prelude to Christian conversion. Look what he says in verse 20, 644 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:03,320 For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses 645 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:07,000 that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter 646 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:10,880 the Kingdom of heaven. In verse 19, he's talking about 647 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:14,240 people in the Kingdom. Now he's talking about people 648 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:19,080 that are outside the Kingdom. And this is a marvelous 649 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:21,640 statement. It is the theme verse of the 650 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:25,160 Sermon on the Mount. Everything centers around this 651 00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:31,000 verse unless your righteousness exceeds that. 652 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,520 It describes the Pharisees and the people on the on the North 653 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:35,560 Shore of the Sea of Galilee are sitting there thinking, wait a 654 00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:37,160 minute, how how's that ever going to happen? 655 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:42,400 They are the most holiest people we've ever met and they've told 656 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:47,640 us so and we believe them. How can we have a righteousness 657 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:49,560 that exceeds their righteousness? 658 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:51,560 They are the ones who are close to God. 659 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:53,720 They are the ones who interpret the word of God. 660 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:56,440 Those are the ones who have to show us God. 661 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:02,360 But their righteousness was one of self righteousness. 662 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:08,680 It wasn't God, Christ righteousness, the righteousness 663 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:14,040 was was a self-serving works based system. 664 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:20,120 In fact, remember over in Luke chapter 18 when it says this the 665 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:22,800 first number nine. He also told this parable to 666 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:25,960 some people who trusted in themselves that they were 667 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:30,320 righteous. That's the Pharisees and viewed 668 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:34,720 others with contempt. And he contrasts a a Pharisee 669 00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:39,960 with with a tax collector. And it says that in verse 11, 670 00:47:40,120 --> 00:47:46,800 the Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, wasn't 671 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:50,520 praying to God. He was praying thus to himself 672 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:54,760 because he was self-righteous. Whereas the tax gatherer 673 00:47:55,040 --> 00:48:03,840 wouldn't Even so much as look up because he was so convicted of 674 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:10,080 his sinfulness. You see, we forget that the law 675 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:17,440 of God as stated by Paul in the book of Galatians, the law was 676 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:22,360 our schoolmaster to bring us into Christ that we might be 677 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:29,880 justified by faith. The law was never meant to show 678 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:35,440 you that you are righteous. The law was meant to show you 679 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:40,280 that you have no righteousness. You have no right to heaven. 680 00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:45,080 It shows you your sin, how sinful you are. 681 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:49,520 That's why Christ goes on in verses 21 of following. 682 00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:51,960 You have heard that it was said, but I say unto you, You've heard 683 00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:55,200 that it was said, but I say unto you, I know that this is what 684 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:57,720 you've been taught, but you've been taught wrong. 685 00:48:57,720 --> 00:49:02,240 I'm going to teach you that which is right and deals with 686 00:49:02,240 --> 00:49:07,720 the heart of every individual there listening to the Sermon on 687 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:12,600 the Sermon on the Mount. How can one's righteousness 688 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:15,960 exceed that of the scribes and and Pharisees? 689 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,800 Paul said in Galatians chapter 2 verse #16 Knowing that a man is 690 00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:24,880 not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in 691 00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:27,640 Christ Jesus. Even we have believed in Christ 692 00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:30,720 Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and 693 00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:34,600 not by works of the law, since by the works of the law no flesh 694 00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:39,360 will be justified. Other words, they were doing all 695 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:41,240 these things as Pharisees, were they? 696 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:45,520 They had minimized the commands of God and maximized the 697 00:49:45,520 --> 00:49:49,040 tradition of man so they could do something that would please 698 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:52,720 themselves, make them feel good about themselves, that somehow 699 00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:57,040 this will get me into heaven. It's the workspace system. 700 00:49:57,240 --> 00:50:00,600 It's what every religious system is based on, human achievement 701 00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:05,040 that somehow I can earn my way to heaven, that somehow God will 702 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:08,280 be pleased with the way I I behave and the way I speak and 703 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:15,040 the things I do. But Christ's righteousness is 704 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:19,280 accomplished by Christ. He does all the work. 705 00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:24,880 You're justified by faith. You you believe in what he says. 706 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,960 Christ is that unless your righteousness exceeds that of 707 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:35,080 the self-righteous Pharisee, the works based Pharisee, you will 708 00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,360 never enter the Kingdom of heaven. 709 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:42,000 It must be a righteousness not of your own doing. 710 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:46,880 It must be my righteousness. That's why he knew no sin became 711 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:51,160 sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in 712 00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:55,280 him. It's Christ who did it, and so 713 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:58,040 he's presenting the gospel by helping them understand that you 714 00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:00,960 can't get to heaven. You can't earn your way there. 715 00:51:01,040 --> 00:51:04,640 You can't make it on your own. You can't devalue the word of 716 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:08,080 God and think that it's going to get you in heaven because you 717 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:10,920 can do enough good things, because you can't. 718 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:17,200 The standard is Matthew 548 be ye perfect for your Father in 719 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:19,480 heaven is perfect. That's the standard. 720 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:25,800 Nobody reaches that standard. You can't for all of sin and 721 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:29,240 fall short of the standard of God, the glory of God, the 722 00:51:29,240 --> 00:51:33,320 perfection of God, the righteousness of God, all of 723 00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:38,960 sinned and fallen short of that. But they refused to believe 724 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:42,560 that. And even when it was all said 725 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:48,000 and done, and Christ would show them their unrighteousness as 726 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:52,760 opposed to His righteousness, when Jesus had finished these 727 00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:57,840 words, Matthew 728, the crowds were amazed at His teaching. 728 00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:03,080 Amazed at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one having 729 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:05,800 authority and not as their scribes. 730 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:12,440 They were amazed, but nobody was converted, nobody came to saving 731 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:17,440 faith. Nobody believed the greatest 732 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:19,840 sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher. 733 00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:28,680 Whoever lived saw zero converts. Wow. 734 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:35,320 Oh, they were amazed, but they were not convicted of their sin. 735 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:42,560 That astonishes me because when I read this, I am extremely 736 00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:50,120 convicted about my sin. But I also realize that God's 737 00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:55,640 law is everything. It's that which makes the man 738 00:52:57,080 --> 00:53:01,080 who he needs to be. It's the inspired word of God. 739 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:06,600 My challenge to you and to me is that the book we hold in our 740 00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:12,640 hand, we call the Bible, These 66 books, this law will never 741 00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:16,120 pass away until heaven on earth pass away. 742 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:20,600 That's down the road a little bit, but to that time, 743 00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:26,040 everything in this book speaks to us about the Christ, 744 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:33,000 identifies him to us, explains him to us, shows us that he is 745 00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:37,360 the fulfilment of everything spoken in the Old Testament now 746 00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:39,760 made manifest in the New Testament. 747 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:44,400 He is the God of truth, the God of the Book. 748 00:53:44,680 --> 00:53:48,080 He can be counted on. He is faithful, He is true. 749 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:53,640 And I challenge those of you tonight who do not know the Lord 750 00:53:55,240 --> 00:53:57,240 that there's no way you're going to make it to heaven on your 751 00:53:57,240 --> 00:53:59,040 own. Can't do it. 752 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:02,160 It's not by works of righteousness, which we have 753 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:04,320 done. It's by the washing of 754 00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:06,400 regeneration, by the renewing of the Spirit of God. 755 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:09,360 It's for a grace you save through faith that not of 756 00:54:09,360 --> 00:54:12,440 yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of 757 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:15,280 works, lest any man should boast. 758 00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:21,320 And so if you've never given your life to Christ, don't 759 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:26,200 despise His Word any longer. Don't disregard His Word any 760 00:54:26,200 --> 00:54:31,080 longer. Don't disrespect His Word any 761 00:54:31,080 --> 00:54:33,560 longer. Don't become disgusted with His 762 00:54:33,560 --> 00:54:38,960 Word any longer because you will be in debt to that Word because 763 00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:44,840 God has given Him the Word to judge every single man and woman 764 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:49,600 who lives. Instead, Revere the commandment, 765 00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:54,600 respect the commandment, and you will be rewarded. 766 00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:57,320 Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for 767 00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:00,280 tonight. Thank you for this opportunity. 768 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:05,000 Lord, I pray that your word would speak to all of us and 769 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:07,600 that Lord, you would really challenge every one of us to 770 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:10,760 live for the glory of your name. Thank you for Your word. 771 00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:15,160 Thank you for your view on the Word of God. 772 00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:19,960 May we have that same view that we might truly follow and serve 773 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:23,800 the true and living God. We thank you Lord, in Jesus 774 00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:24,880 name, Amen.