This morning, I invite you to turn with me once again back to Matthew chapter 5 as we, after a bit of a break for about a month or so, take up our consideration of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount as it is called. This morning we'll read together verses 17 of chapter 5 through the end of chapter 5, verse 47. When we left off about a month ago, we considered verses 17 through 20. As our Lord now brings into His consideration of His description of kingdom citizens, He brings in the law. The law of God is the standard for kingdom living, as we said a month or so ago. And so this morning, in kind of a different sort of way, I don't really have a certain text from this that we're going to consider, but sort of all of it generally tying it with what we considered a month ago and so far. And in preparation, I pray, for what Jesus has to say in the rest of chapter 5 as he goes on to talk about certain commandments, murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, and the other things that he has to say. So we begin in verse 17 through verse 47. Hear now the Word of God. 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. I tell you the truth, 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. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 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. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, Raka, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, you fool, will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there, remember that your brother has something against you. Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift. 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. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. It has been said, anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness causes her to become an adulteress. And anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is God's throne, or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair black or white. Simply let your yes be yes and your no, no. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one. You have heard that it was said, eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His Son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. May God add His blessing to the reading and consideration of His Word this morning. O beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives in this world and the societies and we can even say the communities in which we live, our lives are shaped by laws. There are rules for everything. Laws for driving. Rules for certain decorum in military service. Boys and girls and young people. Rules at home. Rules in school. Laws for watering your lawn around here. How many days you are allowed to do it for how many minutes you may do it each time. Building code laws. Laws in order to get service. No shirt, no shoes. No service. Our lives are shaped by laws. We live by numerous lists of do's and don'ts and keeping those lists or not keeping them determines then whether our experiences in this life are easy or hard, whether they're happy or sad, whether they're pleasant or difficult. And you know, we get used to rules. We get used to the laws. And the thing is, we can even keep them without any regard to how you might feel about them. For example, you can go the speed limit, yet hate it the whole time. Yet everything is okay because you're keeping that law. Well, the religious leaders of Jesus' day thought the same was true with the law of God. It's just a list. Keep it and all is well. Don't. And you're in trouble. And here comes this man called Jesus. And they would agree he had many good things to say, yet he was not one of us, they would say. He comes from a different perspective. He doesn't understand our law. He doesn't understand our traditions. He doesn't understand the way things work around here. But Jesus, as we saw about a month ago in the previous text, the first portion we read tells a different story. He is very much in line with the Old Testament law. He is very much in line with its interpretation and application by the prophets. In fact, He came to fulfill it. He is the one that the law and the prophets pointed to. He came to demonstrate perfectly and to teach its truth. and then he drops this bombshell in verse 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. Now, of course, we know from our consideration so far that Jesus has been describing kingdom citizens. Those who are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. With the Beatitudes, He laid before us, before His hearers, the character of kingdom citizens. He pointed to the citizens' function and purpose in this world as salt and light. And then again, He outlined the relationship of kingdom citizens to the law as the standard for kingdom living. And then He boldly says that the company of kingdom citizens doesn't include the model law keepers and teachers of that day. Those against whom others might measure themselves. They might be tempted to measure themselves against the Pharisees, for example. Well, do you want to know if you're doing what's right? Well, look at that guy over there, that Pharisee. Just follow what he does and you'll be okay. But Jesus points out that their righteousness was lacking. Their righteousness was defective. Their righteousness was unacceptable. And He spends the rest of this sermon through chapter 7, we might say, giving examples, giving illustrations, pictures, applications of the law, of righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees. In chapter 5, doing so in relation with certain commandments, using them as examples. In chapter 6, with regard to fellowship with God, pointing out what the Pharisees thought their fellowship with God was versus what true fellowship with God is all about. And then in chapter 7, with regard to oneself and others, again, pointing out, making a distinction between the Pharisees' self-perception and perception of others and the true perception that the kingdom citizen will have. Well, as we prepare to consider the six law examples that Jesus gives in the rest of chapter 5 this morning, we notice that all of them have something in common. And I trust you picked up on it as we read this portion. Six times we hear the same words or nearly the same words. Something to this effect, you have heard it was said, but I tell you. You have heard it said, but I tell you. And we want to understand what Jesus is teaching generally. The underlying principles that he is laying down for all six of these things that he is about to say before we consider them specifically, Lord willing, in the weeks to come. We do so this morning as the King of the Kingdom speaks. He speaks, first of all, claiming authority. He speaks, secondly, correcting error. First of all, he speaks claiming authority. Claiming authority over those who claimed authority. you have heard that it was said to the people long ago but I tell you you see six times we have a sharp contrast they said but I say a contrast with whom well first we need to understand that with regard to these words there are various translations in our English Bibles we have the one here in the NIV you have heard that it was said to the people of long ago and then also another translation says you have heard that it was something to the effect. You have heard that it was said to those in ancient times or you have heard that it was said by men of long ago or by the ancients. The difference really being to or by, it was said to or it was said by and the problem is it's really impossible from the original to understand, to know if it should be to or if it should be by. So the context must help us. Well, some say that Jesus is talking about what Moses said as if Jesus here is giving us a new law or as if He is correcting Moses or as if He is advancing the law of Moses. For example, from the physical and the external to the internal and the spiritual. Yet if Jesus was referring to Moses here, He would have said, it is written. As well, He had just confirmed in the first portion we read the place, the authority, the validity of the written law, of every jot and tittle of the law as the standard for kingdom living. And he does not now contradict himself. And also, some of the things that Jesus says they had heard were said, Moses never said. For example, in verse 43, you have heard that it was said, love your neighbor. That was said. But the next part, and hate your enemy. That was not said by Moses. So in a sense, whether it's to the people or by the people, we know that He's not talking about what Moses said and therefore we are to understand that He's talking about the teaching of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. The men, the people of long ago is a designation of those who had orally interpreted the written Old Testament. They were Jewish teachers. They were ancient rabbis who had the task of teaching God's written revelation to the people and passing down their interpretations orally by word of mouth. And these teachers arose during the Babylonian captivity and they were needed, you recall, because of that intertestamental period that we talk about, the 400 years of silence. They were needed because prophecy had ceased. In a sense, God had stopped addressing His people through prophets. And they were also needed because the Hebrew language, of which the majority of the Old Testament is written in, was gradually replaced in the speaking of the people by Aramaic. And the result is that the Old Testament, naturally, became more and more inaccessible to the common people. They could not understand it. And we remember another portion of a time in church history when the same thing is true leading up to the Protestant Reformation. The Word of God was not in the common language of the people. And they depended on the priest. They depended on the church to interpret it for them. And therefore, whatever the priest, the church said, that must be right. In the same way, from the time of the Babylonian captivity, the people depended on the instruction, the interpretation of the teachers of the law and interpretation which expanded, as we said a month ago, to 613 commands. 248 of them positive, you shall do this. But 365 of them that were negative, you shall not do that. 613 commands by which to live your life. And these commands became fixed tradition. These became authoritative. These became the mold for legal instruction and these then defined the righteousness of the Pharisees. And Jesus says, in essence, those who claim to be experts in the law say, but I say. He claims authority over the religious leaders and He does so as the lawgiver. When Jesus says, but I tell you, but I say, He is saying that what He has to say is the most important. No matter what you have heard before, this is what you are to listen to. This is what is to be followed. As now here He will be interpreting, applying the law of Moses, setting forth what He is saying as true and authoritative because He is speaking as God. All of the Gospel writers, including Matthew, claim Him to be God. Here, Jesus is saying with these simple words that the law of Moses is His law. He gave it to Moses. He's not just another teacher. He's not just another Pharisee. He's not just another prophet, but He is God. He has already claimed unity with the law, and now He gives a correct interpretation, understanding, application of it. Beloved, the truth of the Word of God alone has authority over you and me. The truth of the Word of God alone is the standard by which our lives are to be shaped and lived. Not man, not popular opinion, not majority vote, but the truth of the Word of God. We know that throughout the history of the Christian church, many have heard it said. And they have been taught things that Scripture does not teach. For example, that the sacraments save. Or as long as we do our best, everything will be alright. I've shared with you before a conversation with my cousin many years ago who said to me, well, I haven't done anything so bad for which God would keep me out of heaven. They bought into the lie that as long as we do our best, everything will be okay. Or the false teaching that if we live right, if you just live right, the Lord will bless you with health and wealth. Or that God loves everyone no matter what, no matter what they believe, no matter how they live, and that in the end all will be saved. Or that we can earn our salvation, at least a part of it. We have to do our fair share, you see, through obedience. And these things are still being taught today. These and so many other false teachings that men have, in a sense, sunk their teeth into. Because it makes them feel like they have a little bit of power. A little bit of something to do with it. But man's interpretation, the church's interpretation, is only valid. It is to be followed only if it is founded on thus saith the Lord. As we were reminded from Isaiah 8 last week through William Godfrey, Israel and we with them are called to follow God. To follow His testimony. To follow His law. And not teachings that add to it or take away from it or contradict it. We are called to be like the Bereans in Acts who searched the Scriptures. Who tested what it said. is this thus saith the Lord? You know, we have been blessed in our Reformed tradition with our confessions, with the three forms of unity, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dorothe, the Belgic Confession. Sometimes the boys and girls and young people might wonder, really, why do we need those? We have the Bible. But we have been blessed with these, you see. You see, God in His providence has provided us with the church's studied response to the teachings, the truths of Scripture. That's what these are. The church's studied response to what God teaches us in His Word. And of course, they're laid out in a systematic way what God teaches about Himself, what God teaches about man, you and me, what He teaches us about sin, salvation, Christ, the Holy Spirit. The end times, all of those things. And we were reminded last Sunday evening during the installation of elders and deacons that our office bearers sign the form of subscription. And when they sign their name to that form of subscription, they are signing that they believe that the doctrines that are taught in the Belgic Confession, in the Heidelberg Catechism, and in the points of doctrine set forth in the canons of Dort, they are signing that they believe that these doctrines, these teachings fully agree with the Word of God. I don't know if those of you who are here, if you heard Pastor Donovan say that he read that to us. They fully agree with the Word of God. Now, that's a powerful statement to sign your name to. Now, we're not saying that these things replace Scripture. Not at all. We have our confessions in the back of the Psalter hymnal. Our confessions, indeed, are founded upon the Word of God. This way, we might say. But the Word of God is over them. The teachings and the confessions are the teachings of God Himself. The teachings of Scripture. And so, when we study and when we teach the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgian Confession and the Canons of Dort, we are teaching the truth of the Word of God. And in God's providence, He has given these to us that these might be tools to keep Reformed believers united in the foundational truth of the Word of God. And thus saith the Lord in what He has said. And most foundationally, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, not by any of my own obedience to the law. Jesus says, but I tell you, as if to say, listen to me. Listen to correct teachings of me alone because it is a matter of life or death. As the king speaks in the second place, correcting error. Error kills. Error leads to hopelessness and nothingness. And that was the error of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. their righteousness would not even get them close to the door of the kingdom of heaven. What they taught was vanity, as we sang, turn thou mine eyes from vanity, that outward vanity. They taught that the letter of the law, the outward performance of it, was the only thing that mattered. So just don't murder somebody. Just don't be the one to cause them to take their last breath. Just don't commit the physical act of adultery and you'll be okay. Well, sure, if you don't murder, you'll stay out of prison for murder because you didn't murder. And if you don't commit adultery with your neighbor's wife, I'm sure that that will be appreciated by your neighbor. Jesus taught, or the Pharisees taught that keeping the law with all of their man-made expansions made one right with God. They taught that one entered the kingdom through their own obedience. And therefore, it didn't matter what the heart was like. It didn't matter if it was filled with envy or pride or hate or lust or completely deceived in all ways. It didn't matter. But then there's this Jesus. He comes and He teaches that there's only one way to enter the kingdom of heaven. I am the way, the truth, and the life, He says. No one comes to the Father. except through Me. Now that is probably the most profound absolute in all of Scripture. No one comes to the Father except through Me. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not have a true faith in Jesus Christ. They did not look outside themselves, but to themselves for salvation. And Jesus corrects the deadly error of these religious leaders with the truth of new life. Again, he's been talking about kingdom citizens who are those who understand their sin and unworthiness. They are poor in spirit. They are those who hate sin. They mourn because of it. They are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Why? Because they have been transformed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. They have been made citizens by faith in Jesus Christ alone. And as kingdom citizens, their righteousness demonstrated as kingdom citizens by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit is a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law because it comes from the heart. A heart of faith. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6, the letter kills. The letter of the law is worthless all by itself. But the Spirit gives life. The Holy Spirit transforms the believer's heart. The Holy Spirit gives that believer new motives and new thoughts and new desires. And then the law of God, as it is lived by the grace of God, it gives shape, it gives body to that new heart. You see, beloved, Jesus is going to teach how kingdom citizens obey. What it looks like in practice. He is going to teach how kingdom citizens obey not to get into the kingdom. He says, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will never enter the kingdom. But He is not saying, and therefore you must do more. That's not at all what He is saying. He is showing them now what the righteousness of the kingdom citizen looks like. Those who have been brought in. He's going to teach them about obedience of those who have been brought in by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and that citizenship then is evidenced by righteousness. You see, the Christian life has a certain quality. It has a certain order to it. The true picture of the Christian life is shaped by God's law of love. And Jesus, with these examples to follow, is showing what God's intention for the law always had been from the very time that Moses gave it. That law was meant to give shape to the lives of God's redeemed people. We heard it again this morning. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. And therefore, Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 6, love the Lord your God with all your heart. And he says in Leviticus chapter 19, you can go there and see for yourself, love your neighbor as yourself. You see, the law of God has always dealt with do's and don'ts. But not to get in God's kingdom, not even to stay in God's kingdom, but to help give shape to that love. commandments meant to be applied not only to one's outward actions but to every thought, every motive, every desire to teach how love looks on the outside that's what Jesus is going to do in a sense, go back to the Beatitudes and teach what hungering and thirsting for righteousness looks like teach what being merciful looks like teach what being a peacemaker looks like yet true kingdom obedience that God is pleased with is impossible without a transformed heart but Jesus says I have come to give you life and to give it abundantly beloved those who are given new birth by the Holy Spirit are brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ and therefore they are brought into the kingdom of God and they are given a love for the law of God the love for the law that we sang about that the psalmist talks about in Psalm 119 they're given a love for the law of God as they recognize that it reflects His holiness and that it pleases Him they are given a hunger and thirst for righteousness and the Holy Spirit uses this law of love as a tool for our sanctification to mold us and shape us to conform us more and more to the image of Jesus Christ to desire to ask, how many ways can I apply God's commands in a way that pleases and glorifies Him and helps and edifies my neighbor? We are not to treat the law of God as a checklist. Check it off daily. I didn't kill somebody today. I didn't take an object that belongs to somebody else. It's not a checklist. But yet daily as we examine our relationship with God as we examine our own hearts which we are called to do we ought to ask for example has God been supreme number one in my life today have I lived to his glory and honor have I demonstrated Christ's love in every opportunity that he has given to me today or Or have I acted in a way unlike Christ with my thoughts, in my imaginations, through my impulses, in my motives? Have I served Him from my heart with all of my thoughts and words and actions? And as we ask ourselves those kinds of questions, then the measuring stick of the law with the heart depth that Jesus teaches helps us answer those. Now, sadly, on this side of glory, we always find that we have failed. Sadly. We always find that we have failed, but gladly, we always hear Christ say with authority, but I say to you, I have died for you. I paid for your sins. I love you. You belong to me. And I am your encouragement to strive to live my law of love because I have already done it for you. Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, there is no hope of entering the kingdom of heaven. This life, no matter how many checklists you might have, is a dead end. But for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God, for those who have been humbled by the Holy Spirit and forsake themselves and look only to Him and trust in Him for you, for me. He has brought us in. He has secured our place forever. And He teaches as we will be considering. In me, this is what my people look like. You can recognize them. Why? How? Because they love. They love. Theirs is a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and scribes because it is Christ's righteousness by which He brings them in. And they then, by the grace of God, demonstrate righteousness in Him with a heart of love. The life of the kingdom's citizen, beloved, is a life conscious of His perfect work for me and a life grateful to demonstrate His love in me. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we are humbled once again to be reminded of Your grace of salvation. And Father, we thank You for the new heart that You have given to each of Your people, to us. A heart for whom Jesus Christ is our only hope and desire. And we thank You, Father, for Your patience for us even as those who have been redeemed in Christ Jesus. We humbly thank You for Your work in us by Your Holy Spirit drawing us closer to Yourself. Giving us greater desire from the heart to love You. To love our neighbor. To demonstrate that. Continue to work in us. May we be those workshops in which You are working powerfully and effectively. We pray, Father, that it would be our every desire to praise You alone. that our whole life might be lived to the praise and the honor and the glory of God. And if it should please You that You would use us in some small way, even in a simple way, to be that salt and light in the world that others may see the glory of Jesus Christ, the only Savior, the only way to the Father. Oh Lord, we thank You for Your love for us. and we thank you for the love that you have given to us for you. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.