Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on April 27, 2014

Last week, we took a break from studying the Sermon on the Mount, and we focused our attention on the explicit Gospel. In doing so we looked at 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and I asked two questions, what is the Gospel and why is it “of first importance.” Sunday night as I was beginning to reset for another week, I was debating if I should turn back to the Sermon on the Mount or not, for there is so much in the passage of 1 Corinthians 15 that I glazed over due to time constraints. Therefore I decided that we need to hang out in this text and focus more on the Gospel for two more weeks and then we will return to the Mountain. So with that said, let us read our text, pray and then see what God wants to show us.

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 – “ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
  
  

As I stated, last Sunday we examined what is the Gospel is at its core and why the Gospel is the most important thing in your life. I proclaimed to you that the Gospel is the good news that Jesus saves us from the righteous wrath of God, and that we deserve this wrath because of our sinfulness against an infinitely Holy God. The way Jesus saves us is that He lived a perfectly righteous life and takes our place on the cross as both man and God and absorbs the wrath of His Father. Jesus then offers this gift to us, and the way we receive it is by believing it, and this is what I want to talk more about today, belief. So with that said, let us look again at verse 1 and 2.

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 – “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.”
  
  

This text is very interesting. First, we see a chronological progression of justification and glorification. Paul lays out how they were saved and what that means for them now, and what it means for them in the future.

• Step 1: The Gospel is preached to people
  
  
• Step 2: People receive the Gospel
  
  
• Step 3: Those who receive the Gospel stand in the Gospel. This is justification. Just picture standing before the judge.
  
  
• Step 4: Those who stand in the Gospel (justified) are being saved by the Gospel. This means that you will be resurrected like Jesus was resurrected.
  
  

Those are the steps that Paul lays out. You hear the gospel, you receive the gospel, you stand in the gospel, and then you are saved by the Gospel. Everything is centered around what Jesus did for us in his life, death, and resurrection.

In the midst of that that chain, that progression that I just laid out, is a gap. The gap lies between the gospel being preached and the Gospel being received. The Greek word behind “receive” is paralambanō this means to take, to join to one’s self, to make it yours. One way that this word, paralambano, is used is in the context of marriage. It is the word used by the angels to encourage Joseph to take, or receive, Mary as his wife after he found out she was pregnant.

• Matthew 1:20 – “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take (paralambano) Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
  
  

With this in mind, how is the Gospel received, taken, joined with a person? How do we, upon hearing it, grab hold and make it ours, so that we can stand in it and then be saved by it? How do we grasp this good news of what Jesus did in his life, death and resurrection?

We are told very clearly and directly in our text that the way you receive the Gospel and therefore all of the benefits that flow from the Gospel is by believing. Look at verse 2 and verse 11.

• 1 Corinthians 15:2 – “… unless you believed in vain”
  
  

• 1 Corinthians 15:11 – “Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
  
  

Believe. That is the answer. That is the bridge between hearing the Gospel and receiving the Gospel, between the preaching of the Gospel and being joined with the Gospel is believing. The news of what Jesus has done for us, sinners, must be accepted as truth, we must trust it.

This is one of those times when you are reading scripture that its helpful to understand what the passage does not say. The passage does not say that you are saved if you come to church. It does not say you will be saved if you are baptized. It does not say that you are saved if you take communion. It does not say you are saved if you are a good person. It does not say you are saved if you are a republican.

It says very explicitly you are saved from the wrath of God by believing, believing that Jesus died for you, a sinner, and that he was raised from the dead. That’s it. Believe. Scandalous isn’t it?

Just so we are clear, this is not the only place we see this in the Bible. Here is a small sampling of other passages in the Bible that say the same thing.

• Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
  
  
• John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”
  
  
• John 3:16 – “"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
  
  
• John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
  
  
• John 6:47 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”
  
  
• Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”
  
  
• Ephesians 1:13 – “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
  
  

Like I said, this is just a sampling. Entire chapters and entire books of the Bible are expressly dedicated to reinforcing the truth that believing is the way to receive the Gospel. For example, take the book of Galatians. The primary reason why Paul wrote this book was because people within the Church were trying to add to how you receive the gift of the gospel.

Within the Church of Galatia there were people who called themselves Christians. They sang the songs, they were baptized, they were “good people,” but they said that believing in Jesus wasn’t enough. They said in addition to accepting Jesus you had to, also jump through specific religious hoops. They said that you still had to work, or earn, grace. This is, by the way, an oxymoron. If you earn something it is a wage, not grace. In essence, what these fake Christians were saying is that Jesus didn’t really give you a gift, he just gave you a discount on your salvation. It was like an Easter day sale. You still had to pony up and provide some cash in the form of righteous acts. This blasphemy was the main issue that caused Paul to write one of the most stinging books in the Bible.

• Galatians 1:9 – “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
  
  

That word accursed in this text is the Greek word anathema. This word means doomed to destruction. It means no hope of redemption. It means damned to hell. Paul was saying that if you add to the Gospel works, then you are damned. Listen to what he says two chapters later.

• Galatians 3:10 – “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." 
  
  

Paul is telling us that if you rely on your ability to earn salvation, you are cursed. If you think coming to Cornerstone saves you, you are cursed. If you think baptism saves you, you are cursed. If you think communion saves you, then you are cursed. The only way one can be saved is to believe that Christ saved you. You have to believe that his sacrifice was fully and completely sufficient to pay the full price for you sins. This is why Paul says “the righteous shall live by faith.” The Christians life is one that rests entirely in the hands of Christ.

Many of you may be saying, we get it, stop beating a dead horse. Do we? Do we get it? Do we understand that nothing we do can make God love us more or less? Do we get that nothing we do can make us more attractive to God. Do we understand that we are saved by faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone? Do we really believe 1 Corinthians 15, John 3:16, Romans 1:16, the book of Galatians? I am not sure that we do.

One of the primary means by which Satan undermines the Glory of Christ is by convincing you that Christ is not enough; that Jesus just wasn’t able to rescue you; that Jesus can only save you so far. Satan attempts to strip the glory of Christ and tries to convince you to take some glory for yourself. Why does he do it? Because he wants you in hell with him.

This is what we call false religion. It is the form of religion, but is lacks power. It lacks the Gospel. It takes the Gospel and makes it pointless.

Understanding that it is faith alone that is the means to accept the gift is so crucial, for you don’t receive it, if you don’t believe it. Do you here that? You don’t receive forgiveness, if you don’t believe that through Christ you are forgiven. You don’t receive eternal life, if you don’t believe Jesus purchased it for you.

Why is it this way? Why does God set up redemption through believing in Christ? It has everything to do with Glory. God created this universe to display his glory. Isaiah 48:11 says that God will not give his glory to another. This includes the glory of saving sinners.

• Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
  
  

The reason why it is faith alone, grace alone Christ alone, is that when we stand before God on the day of judgment boasting will have no place. If you think you are going to stand before God and stick out your chest and pat yourself on the back, then you better have your fire gear ready, because you just bought yourself a ticket to Hell.

But if instead when you are standing before the judgment seat of God and God asks you on what basis you shall avoid Hell you say, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.” Get ready for eternal joy.

Folks, it is time for a reformation. It is time for us to nail the 95 thesis on our hearts and to get back to the Bible and read the words of Paul, John, and Jesus. We must see 1 Corinthians 15 for what it says. The Bible is so clear, that it amazes me when people try to save themselves by religion. Religion does not save. Jesus saves. Amen?

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on April 20, 2014.

Today, we are celebrating the most important event in history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that compares to the depth in our heart and the reach in the world of the eternal impact of this historical fact. Jesus' death and resurrection is the pinnacle of the display of God's glory, and perfectly and completely addresses our greatest need in this life. With that said, some of your hearts are hard to this reality. You are numb to God and you are numb to His Son.

Some of you who sit here today, could care less about what happened to a 33 year old teacher 2000 years ago on a small little hill outside of an old town dusty town 6000 miles away away from Cascade. Perhaps the only reason you are here today is because we have a breakfast, or perhaps Easter is your one and only time that you make an appearance in a Church, or perhaps you family drug you here. And to be honest, I don't care why you came, but I do care that you are here, in this moment, to hear the Gospel.

If what I just said describes you, then know this, I wrote this sermon for you. You are the one that was in my mind when I searched for just the right passage to preach from this Sunday. You are the one that I was praying for without knowing your name. You are the one that played the devil's advocate in my mind as I considered each word. It was you. I have been longing for this moment to preach to you the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and my purpose is to proclaim the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and break your hard heart and cause you to see the beauty of the gift that is Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection!

So with that said, let us read our passage for today, pray that God would move powerfully in this moment and then let the power of the Gospel echo off these walls. 
 

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Today I am going to answer, God willing, two questions. First, what is the Gospel and second, why is it the most important thing.

First, lets start with the word “gospel.” The word gospel has taken on a lot of different meanings over the years: Gospel books, Gospel music, the gospel truth. What are we saying when we use this word? The word Gospel in the original Greek is euangelion. The word euangelion is best translated to good news.

What is important to remember is that the word euangelion was not first used in the context of the Bible. It was a word used in conversations by regular people prior to its use in the Bible. It was a word used in society that was adopted by Jesus, then the disciples and apostles, and then the Church and it is of course all over scripture. So this begs the question how was this word Gospel used in conversations prior to its adoption.

Euangelion was a familiar word in that day in age. It was a word that was commonly used in the context of war. It was used to announce a victory, or to announce the ushering in of a time of peace and security. For example, picture a war that has waged on for years and years. Every family, community, and person has been affected by brokenness, casualties, and death. This war is like a weight that presses down on you day after day. Now picture one morning you are awakened by the cry of a messenger running through the town and at the top of his lungs yelling “Euangelion! Euangelion! The war is over!” In that moment those sweet words would wash over you like a spring rain. Giving you hope, giving you new life, giving you joy. This is the the thrust of the word euangelion, and this was the word chosen by God to announce the coming of His Son. With that said, what is so good about the good news? To answer this question, we need to first understand the bad news, and to do that we must start at the beginning.

“In the beginning God created.” These are the first words written in the Bible. This statement tells us that God is the Creator of all things, but it doesn't tell us why. Why did God create the heavens, and the earth, and humanity. What was in the mind of God prior to him Speaking creation into existence?

If you have read the Bible from cover to cover, the answer is overwhelmingly clear. There is one theme that runs through every verse, chapter, and book of the Bible is that everything exists to glorify God. Everything. This is God’s purpose in creating, to display His glory.

• Psalm 19:1 - “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
  
  
• Isaiah 43:6-7 - “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
  
  

Everything is created for one ultimate purpose, to glorify God; the sun, moon, stars, galaxies, you and me. Very few people realize this, but it makes sense logically. Who gets the praise for a beautiful painting, the painter. Who receives the complements for the beauty of buildings, the architect. Who receives the applause for a perfectly arranged concerto, the composer. When it comes to creation, God is the painter, the designer, the builder, the arranger, the conductor. Therefore he should get all the honor, and in actuality, our applause adds to the enjoyment, but that is another sermon.

So God makes everything for His Glory, for his name, for his honor, but here is the problem. We don’t do it. We don’t give him glory, we don’t honor him, we don’t appreciate him, we don’t thank Him, we don’t love Him. Instead, we reject Him. We ignore him. We manipulate him. We even use his name and his son’s name as a cuss word. Listen to Romans 1:19-23.

• Romans 1:19-23 – “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. “
  
  

Instead of giving the Creator glory, we exchange it and instead give creatures glory. Instead of worshipping God we worship ourselves, our children, our jobs, our money, our stuff, our hobbies, our food, and in the process of worshiping things that are created, we trample on the creator.

I am always surprised when people, especially parents, don’t personally feel the problem of ungratefulness towards God. This is one reason I think God designed families. Families, I believe, are a type, or a shadow, or a pointer to a greater reality. How many moms have spent hours in the kitchen cooking, just to have her children rush to the table and gobble down everything and run off to get back to their games without once saying “thank you.”

This is exactly what we do when we breath, eat, move, hear, see, speak without ever thanking God. There is not a thing on this planet that he is not ultimately responsible for. However, we all take it for granted. In our hearts, God might as well be dead to us. Another word for this rebellion is Sin.

Often we think of sin as a specific act. Such as telling a lie, or cheating on our spouse. But sin is really more than the act. It is a state of being. It is a condition. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. Do you see the difference? Think of a tree. It is not an apple tree because it grows apples. Instead, it grows apple because it an apple tree. Likewise, a thorn tree is not a thorn tree because it has thorns. It has thorns because it is a thorn tree. Do you get it?

This is humanities situation, this is the state of the world, its condition, its sickness. Everyone has been infected with the disease of sin. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is that word glory again. Every person has inherited it, and the source goes all the way back to the first people ever to live, Adam and Eve. Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, and everything changed. From that point every single person that has ever existed on this planet is born with the spiritual DNA of sin. We are natural born sinners.

• Romans 5:19 – “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners”
  
  

Now here is the problem. Here comes the really bad news. God will not let our rebellion, our rejection, our sin continue forever. God is a just God. He will not be mocked. Every single act of rebellion committed on this planet requires punishment. This is what justice demands, and to be honest, this is what our hearts demand, justice. When someone wrongs us, we demand justice.

I see this in my job all the time as a prosecutor. When people are sinned against, they want their pound of flesh. When someone is found not guilty, and everyone knows they got away with it, something in our heart cries “No!”. Where does this universal desire for justice come from? It comes from God. We are created in his image. As his image bearers we have similar attributes. The existence of justice, morality, can only be attributed to a sovereign designer who has planted it in our hearts. This does not come from chaos. It is not something that evolves.

The scary part is that the punishment for our rebellion against God must match the crime. When we sin against an infinitely holy, sovereign, and gracious God, our punishment must also be infinitely harsh. This is justice 101. This is eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth stuff. This is what we demand in the public square. Think of it this way, if you spit in your bosses face, you will get fired. If you spit in a police officer’s face, you will get arrested. If you spit in a judges face, you will spend a month or more in jail. Now think about spitting into the face of the infinite God of the Universe. Should not the punishment match? Well, it does. This is what we call Hell. Hell is the name of the place that God carries out his eternal and just punishment for sinners. Jesus speaks of it more than anyone, and it is a shame that Hell is not spoken of more often, especially at Easter, for it is everyone’s guaranteed destiny, apart from the sovereign grace of God. Which brings us back to our text for today.

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The reason that Jesus came to earth was to die on the cross. This was the entire point of the Son of God, taking on flesh. He came to die, and not to just die, but to die for sin, and not just to die for sin, but to die for your sin. You! Every single person in this room, Jesus died for you. He died for your rebellion, your rejection, your lying, your lusting, your gluttony, your slothfulness, your pride, and your hunger for money and power. His death had a purpose, a beautiful and wonderful purpose. Not only did his death have a purpose, but it was according to God’s plan. We are told that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. What does that mean? Turn with me to Isaiah 53. This passage in Isaiah was written 700 years before Jesus was born. Listen for Jesus in this text.

• Isaiah 53:1-12 – “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

I am sorry, but it is hard for me to fathom that there are people who don’t believe in Jesus after seeing a text written 700 years before the death of Christ so on point with the historical reality of Jesus life and death. No one in academia legitimately debates that Jesus died on the cross. The question is never whether he died onteh cross, the question has always been “Why should we care?” Isaiah 53 is why. Listen to the connections:

• No form of majesty – Jesus was a carpenter’s Son born in Nazareth
  
  
• Despised and rejected – Jesus always had a price on his head, from the moment he was born
  
  
• Man of sorrows – read the Gospels, Jesus was always weighed down by the lack of faith and sin in man’s life, not to mention the five chapters in John where Jesus’ heart is heavy.
  
  
• Opened not his mouth – Jesus before Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate.
  
  
• Afflicted, wounded, chastised, striped – Jesus was first flogged then hung on a cross
  
  
• Lamb led to slaughter – Listen to the words of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world.“
  
  
• Cut off from the land of the living, and poured out his soul on to death – Jesus died
  
  

The evidence is overwhelming, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The entire Old Testament testifies of the coming Messiah, the Christ, the suffering servant.

Not only are we told that Jesus will come and die, but we are told why in Isaiah 53. To bear our griefs, our sorrows, our sins, to pay for our transgressions, to be crushed for our iniquities, he was chastised for our peace. The death of God in the person of Jesus Christ has brought us peace. Do you see it? Peace! Victory! Euangelion! Good news!




Humanity has waged war against God, and the only thing that makes sense is Hell. It is where every single one of us deserve to spend eternity. But thanks be to God that he is not only just, but he is also loving. Jesus absorbs the wrath we deserve.




Can you see why the Gospel is the most important thing in your life and everyone’s life? Can you see what I am so passionate about proclaiming this message? Everything pales in comparison to this. The bottom line is we have an eternity waiting for us. Everyone in this room will be in one of two places, In God’s presence or Hell. Because of what Jesus Christ did, everyone who places their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be saved.

• 1 Corinthians 15:2 - “If you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless believed in vain.”
  
  
  
  

They key to your joy is belief in the Gospel. As I stated at the beginning, my prayer is that the Gospel as proclaimed today would be like an arrow that penetrates your heart. My hope is that someone in this room realizes that they have not placed their faith in Christ, and have been living a life of rebellion. If that is you, then all you have to do is turn your heart from worshiping creation, and to worshiping the Creator. If you do this, everything changes.

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on April 13, 2014.

Today we are continuing through our study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Today's passage is another example of how, if we were not working our way through a portion of the Bible verse by verse, we would never cover this section. Never in my short history of leading Bible studies and preaching have I been asked about taking an oath. It is just not a topic that is on the forefront of society’s mind. Ironically, because we could care less about oaths, is exactly why we need to address this topic. Because our casualness to the spoken truth is exactly the issue that Jesus is addressing in our text today. So with that said, let us read the word of truth, pray to Jesus our truth, and then unpack the truth.

• Matthew 5: 33-36 - "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. “ 

First thing we need to understand is that this passage is not about oaths, it is about our prideful and lying hearts. Just like we have seen over the last three weeks, the topics that Jesus is addressing are topics on sin, and what he is doing is taking the a pious acts of the scribes and pharisees and waving them in front of everyone and the pushing them down to their hearts.

One reason we know that this passage is not primarily about oaths is because oaths are not evil in an of themselves, they are in fact neutral.

• Numbers 30:1-2 - “Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, "This is what the LORD has commanded. 2 If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

So you can see here, oaths are not in themselves evil. God is saying that if you say your are going to do something, then do it. Likewise Paul swears by God in 2 Corinthians 1:23 and Romans 1:9-10. Having said that, the existence of an oath is evidence of our sinfulness. For to use an oath is to imply that humanity has a propensity to sin, that humanity can't be trusted, therefore we need special words to convince others that we are not lying.

As we have said before, with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he is not re-writing, he was resetting the law. The reason that he had to reset the law is that the religious leaders had made a mockery out of oaths and swearing, and therefore they made a mockery out of truth. Just to give you a sense of the problem of the day, turn with me to Matthew 23:16. In this passage Jesus is pronouncing

• Matthew 23:16-22 - “"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”
  
  

The blind guides, the fools, that Jesus is referring to are the scribes and pharisees. As you can plainly see in this passage, they were completely inconsistent when it came to oaths. Drawing very strange lines in the sand, even down to swearing by the gold versus swearing by the temple. It was very messed up, but to be honest, not every different than today. This is what happens when man manipulates God's word, things get messed up, specifically truth.

The second reason we need to understand that this passage is not about oaths is because Jesus, the great Physician consistently operates on the heart, not the mouth. When you make this passage about only about oaths, then you are no better than the scribes and Pharisee. One such group that has done this are the Quakers, or at least they use to do this. The founder of the Quaker denomination is George Fox, a very zealous and devoted Christian man, but off on a couple points. This passage is one of them. Once before the Judges at Lancaster, Fox said this:

“You have given me a book here to kiss and to swear on, and this book which ye have given me to kiss says, “Kiss the Son,” and the Son says in this book, “Swear not at all.” I say as the books says, and yet ye imprison me; how chance ye do not imprison the book for saying so?”

This rhetoric is witty, but off the mark. Having said that, this view of Fox caught on and because of this position, if you were to go into most courtrooms and testify you might be asked to “swear or affirm.” The “affirm” option is largely due to the Quaker movement that was very popular in the early years of America. The problem with this position, is that Fox was doing exactly what the Pharisees were doing but at the opposite end of the spectrum. He was taking the law of God, as spoken by Jesus, and drawing a new line in the sand. He was missing the main point. So what is the main point? Radical truth that flows out of a heart of a disciple of Christ.

There are many ways you could divide humanity. One way you could divide it is good verses evil. Another way is light verse darkness. And a third way to divide humanity is truth and lies . By this I meaning there is a realm of truth and there is a realm of lies. There are two Kingdoms. The Kingdom of truth and the Kingdom of lies.. You can get a sense of these two sides in John 8:43-47.

• John 8:43-47 - “ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."
  
  

Jesus tells us that he sees the world in two groups, those who hear the truth and accept it, and those who hear the truth and reject it. The people who accept the truth are of God. They have been been adopted into God's family, and therefore they are of God. Those who do not accept Jesus are of Satan, Satan is their father.

These two families are drastically different. In fact, they are polar opposites. The foundation of each Kingdom is built on a different grounds, the Kingdom of God is built on rock solid truth. The Kingdom of Satan is built on lies. God loves the truth and Satan hates the truth. We are told Satan wants nothing to do with the truth. We are told he is, in fact, the father of lies. The reason he is called the father of lies is because what took place in the Garden of Eden.

The first moment Satan spoke in the garden we saw evidence of this. His desire was to deceive Adam and Eve. If you think about his lie, it was subtle. There was even some truth mixed in. In our modern day in age, we call what Satan did in the Garden of Eden “spinning.” He was taking truth and putting his slant on it so as to achieve his purpose. It was, in a way, a little white lie. However there was nothing little about it. The ramifications, the ripple effect of his lie were, and are, enormous. Because of his lie, we are all sinners. Because of his lie, humanity is separated from God. Because of his lie, the wrath of God hangs over humanity waiting to come crashing down at any moment. Because of his lie, Jesus had to die. His lie may appear to be subtle, but this is once again another deception of Satan. There is no thing as a little white lie. It is either a lie or it is not. There is no gray.

So why does Satan lie? Simple, he is a liar. The reason he lies is that is who he is. We are told in verse forty-four that Satan speaks out of his character. His lies are a product of who he is. His lying does not make him a liar. No it is because He is a liar that he lies. This distinction is important because it shows the consistency of rebelling. The act of sin does not make you a sinner. You are a sinner, therefore you sin. Satan is no different. He is not Satan because of his lies. He lies because he is Satan.

And Jesus is telling the Jews in John 8 that their father is Satan. These are very strong words. Once again, this is a Jesus you cannot ignore. Anyone who says that Jesus is soft and cuddly has not read the Gospels. Jesus was a proclaimer of truth, no matter how sharp it was. He did not sugarcoat his message. He did not spin it. So how does Jesus know that their father was Satan? Because you know a tree by its fruit. Jesus just had to look at what came out of their mouth. All the evidence pointed to the reality that they were not in the family of God, but they were instead in the family of Satan. Jesus tells them in verse forty-one “You are doing the works your father did.” and in verse forty-four he says, “ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires.” They are chips off the old block.

This week, as everyone knows, we had a baby. What is the first thing that everyone does when they look at a baby? The try to see which parent they resemble. People will say she looks just like Jessica or I or a mix of both. Why? Because it is true. My child looks like me. Looking like me does not make her my daughter. She is my daughter because she is my daughter, her resemblance to me is just a consequence of the relationship.

Jesus is doing the same thing spiritually. He is telling them that they are acting just like their dad. They are doing what Satan does. They have the same character. They are deceivers, they are liars. They are displaying the spiritual DNA that they have inherited from Satan, their father.

And this is what Jesus is addressing in Matthew 23 and in our text today in Matthew 5. He is addressing the prevalent deception of the day. The Scribes and Pharisees had established a system of lies. There oaths were not something that could be counted on. They were merely hollow words. Truth had no place. White lies, and spinning, and broken promises were common. The religious institution and the culture was not built on a foundation of integrity, and honesty, and reality. It was built on shifting sand. People would say whatever it took, whether true or not, to achieve their purpose and pursue their pleasures. People would pridefully “swear to God” at the drop of a hat, and then lift no finger to follow through. They would make promises that were completely out of their control.

Imagine the frustration of that day. Someone sells you a piece of land and confirms it by an oath, only later to realize that the oath they gave was sworn by the temple and not by the gold, therefore it was null and void. People regularly invoking the name of God to win an argument. As is if God's Holy name exists so that we can leverage it to be cast into the midst of some petty argument. It seems ludicrous doesn't it. Unfortunately, it is not. It is common in this day in age.

If there ever was an indicator of our nation not being a Christian nation, it is our propensity to lie. Generally speaking, we are a nation of liars. We lie about our weight, we lie about our age, we lie on our time-cards at work, we lie on our taxes, we break promises. We swear to God whenever it is convenient. Last week we talked about divorce, there is no better example then the broken vows of marriage. To death due us part, baloney.

Our media lies, our politicians lie, even our religious institutions lie. What is probably more disappointing then the lying is the tolerance of it. Lying has become so commonplace in our society that no one cares. You regularly hear, whats the big deal? It is just a little white lie. I will tell you what the big deal is,

• Proverbs 12:22 - “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,”

Why does God hate lying lips? Because they wreak of Satan's breath. Listen to what it says in Revelation 21:8.

• Revelation 21:8 - “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
  
  

God is so serious about lying, that if you are a liar, the your destiny is Hell. So it begs the question, how do we change from being liars, to proclaimers of truth? And this is once again, where Jesus wants to bring everyone when they read the Sermon on the Mount, right to this question, how?  The answer is right before us? Jesus. Listen to these verses:

• John 1:14-17 - “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

No lie ever touched the lips of Jesus, however, not only was Jesus truthful, he was incarnate truth. He was the way to truth. He is the answer to our lying and prideful heart. For it is only when we place our complete trust in the one named Faithful and True, that truth comes and reigns in our heart. By faith in Christ, the Word of Truth is planted in our hearts and it bears fruits consistent with our new nature in Christ. No longer will we bear the resemblance of the Father of Lies, but instead we will be beacons of truth, a people of integrity, a people who can be trusted, a people of God.  

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on April 6, 2014 

Today we continue our walk through the greatest sermon ever preached, The Sermon on the Mount. The sermon was of course preached by none other than Jesus himself, and it is jam packed with no-nonsense truth. To use a phrase from John MacArthur, the Sermon on the Mount presents a picture of Jesus that you cannot ignore.

Today we are going to talk about divorce. Before we get started I want to say that I am completely aware that this sermon may make some of you uncomfortable, and I want you to know that my intention is not to make people feel awkward. My intention is to teach the Bible. My prayer this week and today is that I speak with gentleness and grace, but that I do not strip God's Word of its truth. Lastly, as I stated last week while teaching on adultery, we must start with the understanding that we are all sinners; you, me, and everyone that walks through this door. There is no place for self-righteousness here. So as we unpack this text and discuss the topic of divorce no one should feel that I, or anyone else, have a moral high ground over you or anyone else. We are all wretched and desperately need the Grace of God found in Jesus Christ.

Today, like always, we have a lot to cover, so lets get to work. Turn with me to Matthew 5:31-32. Let us read it, pray for God's Grace, and soak in God's Word.

• Matthew 5:31-32 - “"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Marriage. If there ever was a lighting rod of an institution it is marriage. I would like to say that this day in age is unique, but it isn't. Controversy is always surrounding it. Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden, marriage has always been under attack. In my opinion, the existence of the constant war on marriage is evidence of Satan’s hate of what it displays.

You can easily get a sense of this pervasive tension when you look at our text today. 2000 years ago Jesus was addressing the institution of marriage. Why was He addressing it? Because the Scribes and the Pharisees had mad a mess of marriage. Just like we saw over the last two Sundays when looking at murder and adultery, Jesus as setting things straight.

In order for us to understand our text, we need to first understand marriage. In order to do that, we need to look at a couple other passages. First turn with me to Matthew 19:1-12

• Matthew 19:1–12 - “1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." 10 The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."

In Matthew 19 we can better observe the controversy of marriage at the time of Jesus. The Pharisees are testing Jesus and are looking for a line in the sand. They want to know what reasons are valid in getting a divorce; when is it acceptable to leave your spouse? At that time there were several schools of thought regarding when divorce was acceptable, and to be honest the different positions are not important. What is important is that in these verse we get a window into how God sees marriage.

First, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that marriage is created by God himself. It is not something that humanity, or culture, or the government invented. It is a relationship intentionally designed, created and implemented by God.

• Matthew 19:4-6 - “He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Jesus reaches all the way back to the creation event of the making of a man and a women and states, without hesitation, that it is God who created this union between husband and wife. How do we know this? Because the Bible tells us so, and now Jesus tells us so. And if that is not enough proof regarding the origin of marriage, just look back on all human history across the entire globe. The God designed union between husband and wife is everywhere. Wherever there is a person created in God’s image, there is an marital union displaying God’s design. If God did not design, create, and implement marriage than how do you explain its 100% prevalence throughout time, throughout cultures, and throughout the world. As I have said before, we are surrounded by the evidence of God.

The second thing we see it that this union of marriage is significantly strong. In fact, there is no other relationship on the planet between two humans that is stronger than the husband and wife. Not even the bond between parent and child is as strong as husband and wife. For a child leaves his parents and is unified with his or her spouse.

• Matthew 19:5-6 – “'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

The parent child relationship is designed to come to an end at the moment of marriage. The greater of the unions trumps the lesser, and in this union there is a oneness. There is a deep abiding. There is nothing like it on the planet between to people.

With these two points in front of us, the question is now, why did God design a relationship between a male and female that is so prevalent in the world and so strong between the couple? What is the primary purpose of God in marriage?

This question is rarely asked and rarely answered, and because it is not asked many Christians are succumbing to divorce. I think the reason this question is rarely asked is because we are too busy asking the wrong question. We are asking the sames questions that the Pharisees were asking, when can I get a divorce? We are wanting to know what box can we check on the certificate of divorce application form. The reason we do this, is because our hearts are hard, just like the Pharisees. We make marriage all about our pleasure, and not about God's glory. This is the central issue that Jesus was addressing in Matthew 5 and Matthew 19.

• Matthew 19:8 – “He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. “

Every marital problem that has ever existed between every single husband and wife can be attributed to your hard heart. If you are having trouble in your marriage today, the reason is not because of your spouse, it is because of you. You are the problem. I am the problem.

Our hearts are too much like the Pharisees and not enough like Jesus’. Instead of showering my wife with self-sacrificing love, and grace and forgiveness, I rain down on her self-justifying anger. Every fight that I find myself in with my wife is about my pride. It is about my agenda. It is about my pleasures. It is about me. My sin is the problem, but this is not what God had originally designed. Before the fall, divorce was not a word in Adam and Eve’s vocabulary. What God had joined, let no man separate.

So the question is still before us? What is God’s purpose in designing, creating, and implementing marriage? Turn with me to Ephesians 5:28. There is no one in the Bible that talks about marriage more than Paul, who by the way was not married. Interestingly enough, just like Jesus. So for all you single people, marriage is important to understand, and it is important because of what it displays.

• Ephesians 5:28-33 – “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

We are told in Ephesians 5 that the purpose of marriage is the living display, or image, of the union between Jesus and the Church. Let me say that again, so you don’t miss it. The reason God designed, created, and implemented marriage between a man and a women was to be a living display, or image, of the union between Jesus and the Church. That is why it exists. Man and women are created in the image of God and marriage is created in the image of redemption.

Marriage is not a societal thing. It is not a cultural thing. It is a gospel thing. This is what marriage symbolizes, and this is why Satan hates it. This is why marriage is always under attack. A husband and a wife joined together forever, bound by God Himself is to be an image of Jesus’ unending love of his people, and this image of redemption is to cover the Earth. And Ephesians 5 is not the only place that points to this reality.

John the Baptist who was to set the stage for Jesus refers to Jesus as the bridegroom:

• John 3:29 – “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. “

Jesus calls himself the bridegroom:

• Mark 2:19 – “And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.”
• Matthew 22:1-2-“And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son”

Listen to what takes place in Heaven after all the elect have been saved. This is the party we all long to be a part of.

• Revelation 19:6-9 – “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"--for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

The bride is the Church and the bridegroom is Christ. Lastly, listen to what Jesus says about marriage in eternity. I think this is very helpful in wrapping our minds around this.

• Matthew 22:29-30 – “But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 

Many people don't know this, but Jesus tells us bluntly that your marriage is not forever. Marriage is only a temporary thing. Why? Why did God design marriage to only exist until Christ's return? Because the greater union absorbs the lesser. union No longer does their need to be a living display, or image, pointing to the greater reality, for we will be enjoying the greater reality. The wedding of Christ and his bride, the Church, will have taken place and we will be living the full consummation of our union with Jesus. The symbol dissolves when the real thing arrives.

I think God is making it abundantly clear what he is doing. He is telling us expressly and implicitly that marriage is a picture of the Gospel, and we should not be surprised that God has designed it this way.

For when God created he had a purpose in His mind. His purpose was not to create a random world with little to no meaning, but instead he created a world that pointed to the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ.

• Colossians 1:16 – “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.“ 
  

All things means, all things. That means marriage is created for Jesus, and as I have hopefully shown through God’s Word, it is not only for Him, but it is a very specific living display of the love that exists between Jesus and the Church. It is a living display of the union between Jesus and His Church.

Let us know talk about this union. The union between Jesus and his people is unbreakable. It is eternal. It never fails. It never gives up. It endures. God himself has joined the bridegroom with his bride. Salvation by Grace through faith is a union sealed by God. Listen to these verses.

• John 6:37 – “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. “
• John 10:28 – “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. “
• Matthew 28:20 – “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• Ephesians 4:30 – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.“
• Romans 8:35 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If you ask me, these verses sound like wedding vows. These verses are promises. When Christ says I will never cast out, he means it. Divorce is not a word when it comes to marriage to Christ. The union is not held together by paper, it is sealed by the power of God; the same power that binds the trinity. If you have been ransomed by Jesus Christ, you are his forever. Jesus will not divorce you, and therefore we should not divorce our spouse.

And this brings us full circle. This is why God hates divorce; because it blows up the picture of the Gospel. Every marriage that ends in divorce displays the opposite message that God intended. Divorce does not display that grace of God, it displays the sinfulness of man. This is why Satan is always attempting to destroy it.

Matthew 5 is not about adultery. It is not about the line in the sand, or the check box on the certificate of divorce. It is about your heart. Do you want to display the Gospel? Or do you want to display your sinful pleasures? Let us not repeat their mistake. Let us live the Gospel so that Glory of God shines forth in this lost and broken world!