The Life of Christ – Lesson 7 July 11, 2018 Matthew Chapters 5-7 Luke 6:20-49 The Life of Christ – Lesson 7 The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5:21-48 Jesus’ standard of righteousness

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus’ standard of righteousness begins long before one commits the sin of adultery. Again, Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come … adulteries …” Thus the need to “watch over your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23; Job 31:1; Romans 13:13-14) Joseph – “How can I do this great sin against God” As the old saying advises: One cannot keep the birds from flying over his head, but he can keep them from building a nest in his hair.

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 Matthew 15:18-19 Out of the abundance or that which fills (“a surplus or superabundance” – Strong) of the heart. Matthew 12:34-35 – “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil.” Matthew 6:19-21, what accumulates from repeated deposits. The word for “treasure” means “a deposit” and what accumulates from repeated deposits – your wealth. Things laid up in a treasury (Thayer). A single deposit does not a treasure make! – Chris Simmons Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” “Store up”- means to amass or reserve. To accumulate. The one coin theory – it goes both ways – for both good treasures and evil ones.

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 No sacrifice is too much to prevent the lust that would lead to adultery: Tear out your eye. Cut off your right hand. What else? “What does it profit a man …” Mark 8:36 “Better” (NASU; ESV); “Profitable” (KJV; ASV) 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23 What would tearing out your eye or cutting off your hand not address? 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Is there a social contact, activity, pleasure that causes temptation? Cast it from your life immediately! No earthly thing is as valuable as your soul. No sacrifice is too great to save your soul. It is better to sacrifice the dearest thing in life than to lose your soul in hell through lust.

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 The consequences of not doing whatever it takes? “Go into hell” – suffer (to go away or depart to) “everlasting punishment” (Strong). “Lose” – to destroy fully, more than a part of our body, we’re to “lose” ourselves. Matthew 10:39 Who or what should we truly fear? Luke 12:4-5

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 The cure? Even before we apply Proverbs 4:23; Job 31:1 and Romans 13:13-14, where is our focus and what is our mindset? (Romans 8:5-13; 2 Corinthians 10:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3) Control the mind. 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 6:25-27 Don’t go where temptation reigns! (now apply Romans 13:13-14; Job 31:1 and Proverbs 6:25-27) This sin is a demonstration of coveting that which does not belong to a person. It demonstrates viewing another soul made in the image of God as nothing more than the flesh and blood of their physical make up. Judges 14:3

Lust – Matthew 5:27-30 The cure? Consider “source” of our lusts? James 4:1; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11 Learn to deny self. Titus 2:11-12; Galatians 5:16-17; Luke 9:23; (Hebrews 11:25) Need to “flee” and “pursue.” 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (?) Other things to pursue: Love – 1 Corinthians 14:1 Peace – 1 Peter 3:11 Sanctification – Hebrews 12:14 Proverbs 6:25-27, “Do not desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her capture you with her eyelids…27 Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?”