Manly Life Church

Matthew 6:9-13 Sermon – The Lord’s Prayer

In this sermon Tim continues our series on What Jesus Taught by looking at the Lord’s Prayer and how we rediscover its power in our lives by incorporating it into our daily prayer and worship!

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday April 3rd, 2021.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

In this sermon Tim introduces us to our first sermon series in 2023, The Farewell Discourse Series – messages from John 12-17! Tim helps us understand who John is and the book itself leading up to chapter 12, before diving into chapter 12 vs 20-33 and what it means to follow Jesus! We can't wait for this series so make sure you stay tuned each week! SERMON NOTES: https://manlylife.org/2023/02/07/john-1220-33-sermon-following-jesus-series-intro/ Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday February 5, 2023. Find out more here: https://manlylife.org Find us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ManlyLifeChurch

SERMON NOTES:

Ok, well we have come in our series on what did Jesus Teach? Mainly in the Sermon on the Mount, to the Lord’s prayer.

It comes in this section on hidden righteousness… on generosity, on prayer and on fasting.
Where Jesus says “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.”
He warns us not to be like the religious hypocrits, who practice their spiritual disciplines publicly, to gain people’s approval.
Jesus says, they will receive no reward from their heavenly Father because they have received their reward in the adultion from other.
So as we said last week, we are to hide what we are tempted to show…

So Jesus says, Matthew 6:9-13

9 This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Amen.

I wonder if you ever find yourself singing a song on the radio, something familiar, where the words are second nature, but you don’t really mean it…

Or your at a party and as a bloke you start belting out… “It’s raining men…” or “girls just wanna have fun…”
I got in trouble once for posting a video of me dancing to “It’s your birthday, it’s your birthday…” by 50 cent…
Apparently it has some questionable lyrics… which I was totally unaware of… having not been big into the East Coast rap scene of the early 2000’s
All I knew was the bit “it’s your birthday… it’s your birthday.” Haha…
But what ends up happening, is familiarity means we don’t really consider what it is we are singing… we just like the tune…

Well I wonder if we have done the same with the Lord’s prayer?

What should be something that is the anthem for the revolutionary coming of the Kingdom of Heaven
Has been overly familiarized into meaninglessness…
At my High School we had a weekly chapel where we said the Lord’s prayer…
I can assure you, no one was praying it… or meaning it, or considering what it was Jesus was asking us to pray…
It was like we were singing “girls just wanna have fun…” at my all boys high school…
This prayer with explosive petitions… had become dull and boring and routine…

So I’d love us today to reconsider the vitality and audacity of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus taught us to pray…

And to get back in the habit of praying it through regularly…
And in the process become co-conspirators in the coming Kingdom of heaven!
Jesus is teaching his disciples… this is the anthem of the revolution. Keep this simple prayer at the heart of your faith…
And participate in the heavening of earth.
Are you with me?

So with the reminder from last week, that Jesus isn’t interested in public displays of prayer, done for the approval of others…

BTW, Here’s the great line…
Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.
And Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Instead says Jesus, in your private space, and with simple but profound words…
This then is how you should pray…

So firstly, the structure and content of the prayer

So Jesus teaches us to pray “Our Father in heaven.”

This is the God that Jesus knows and trusts.
He is the God who is close at hand and involved in the lives of his children.
The Apostle John who came to know God as Father through the time he spent with Jesus would say this;
1 John 3:1 “behold how great the love the Father has for us, that we should be called the children of God.”

Paul, who met Jesus on the road to Damascus, experienced the love of God and would write in Romans 14:15-16;

“the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Right? This is who we are praying to… due to God’s love, due to our adoption as the children of God.
If this is not the case, praying is a futile activity…
But if true, it is the most important work we will do with our lives…

Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God, the son of Mary

Fully human, human God…
Fully human: knows all about life on this broken planet…
So he knows what it means to pray, he know what it means to need God…
In his humanity he needs this prayer.

And as fully God, he comes from the Father’s heart and knows the Father’s heart

He is giving us his revelation of his Father…
It is like he is saying “I know the Father” so pray this way… talk to him like this…
These are the things you need…
In this prayer he gathers up all of our concerns and lifting them to the Father…
He shows us how to pray… and what to pray…

So there are 6 petitions… ands two halves to the prayer…

Thr first 3 are addressing God. Hallowed be your name… your kingdom come… your will be done…
Your, your, your…
Then 3 petitions that concern our needs… give us our daily bread… forgive us our debts… lead us not into temptation
Us, us, us…

I wonder if you see echoes here of one of Jesus other teachings on the greatest commandment? Matthew 22:37

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
And verse 39 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The first half is about loving God and the second part is about us and our relatyonships… loving others…
So this prayer focusses on our relationship with God before shifting to focus on our needs…

And what do we need in order for the kingdom to come?

Well we need to trust God for our daily needs, our daily bread…
We need to keep forgiving others and being forgiven… in order that our relationship remain right.
We need to avoid temptation and giving into the evil one.
So we pray this… at the forefront of our thoughts and actions… we pray this prayer…

Alright, well what is the center of this prayer?

I want to suggest that it is the phrase “on earth as it is in heaven”

“your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
On earth as it is in heaven captures the mission of Jesus.
Is this not the very thing that Jesus has come to do? Change earth into as it is in heaven?

And imagine all of us as a church, all those around the world who follow Jesus… going about our daily activities praying this, participating in this…

“on earth as it is in heaven.”
In fact I think this is the center of the entire sermon on the mount!

I once heard someone say “In Jesus, God is getting the hell out of earth.”

Would you agree? God is getting the hell out of earth? Think about it?
Jesus mission is to bring heaven to earth and to get hell out of earth…
When Jesus heals the sick… is this not what is happening?
When Jesus delivers someone from evil spirits… is this not what is happening?
When Jesus forgives someones sins… is this not what is happeneing?
So when Jesus invites us to pray, “Father, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Is he not inviting us to participate in this revolution?

So when we pray this prayer and forgive our enemies… is not heaven invading earth?

When we give care to the lonely or hurting… is not heaven invading earth?
When we are generous and hospitable opening our homes and giving to the needy… is not heaven invading earth?
When you choose to act ethically, when you choose to speak truth rather than lies…
When you stop lusting, when you deal with your anger… when you don’t choose revenge… is not it happening on earth as it is in heaven?
Are you with me?

You know, revolution is a loaded term… particularly with the last 100 years of bloody revolutions that have come and gone…

But be under no illusions, Jesus is bringing about a massive revolution…
A peaceful, humanity renewing, cosmic, reordering revolution.
Remember right before he starts the sermon on the mount in chapter 4 we read…
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”
He is going about declaring the radical intervention (that they thought would happen at the end of history) is underway in the middle of history…
On earth as it is in heaven…

You know we need to be clear about what the good news about Jesus and the Kingdom of heaven is all about!

For too many Christians this is our view of heaven and earth
God space is heaven. Our space is earth
Jesus comes from heaven space to our space to rescue us back to God’s space?
Right? In this view, the goal of Christianity is to “get to heaven.”
The problem with this view… well… is the bible…
It’s just not what it says… it would be half truths at best…

So the bibles view of heaven and earth is a lot different.
Right, go to page 3… haha… go to Genesis 3… heaven and earth are overlapped. God’s space and our space is one…
And the question Genesis poses is will humans in the garden of eden work in harmony with God or rebel against God.
So with the fall, hell or the absence of God is what happens when heaven and earth are ripped apart…
But God doesn’t leave our space altogether. But with the giving of free will… earth looks like hell a lot of time because we’ve abandoned God.

So the picture in the OT, but particularly with the coming of Jesus is heaven coming to invade earth… God is not finished with us…
That is what Jesus is claiming he is doing. The overlap is advancing…
The good news of the Kingdom of God arriving in his ministry.
So Jesus goes about getting the hell out of earth through his ministry of healing and deliverance and declaring the forgiveness of sins.
And so much, as we have been saying, of heaven invading earth is God bringing about a righteous people…
A people committed to right relationships and this advancing kingdom…

The final picture in the Book of Revelation is what?
Well the bible story ends in Revelation with the great overlapping…
Once again…
It says God’s dwelling has come to be with man. And the picture is of the grand restoration of earth because heaven has come to fully renew all that is broken
So that is what Jesus is praying for.

This is what Jesus teaches us to pray right now… “your kingdom come… your will be done… on earth as it is in heaven”

So has the kingdom come?
Yes. In Jesus and then spreading through the world… Yes!
But every inch of this world – heavens no. Look at the world that we live in.
Has the Kingdom come in your life – yes. When the Holy Spirit comes into your life you are adopted into the children of God and transformation begins….
But are you fully transformed in all of your life… heavens no! Look at the state of our lives…

So how does Jesus teach us to pray?

Jesus is saying, praying this prayer is the most effective way to join this revolution
For heaven to invade earth. For God to get the hell out of earth.
So what we are praying is more and more of the kingdom to come and take over this earth and my life…
So he says pray like this every day… in every decision… in ever scenario…
Faced with cheating on your spouse? Well that’s not how it would be in heaven…
Faced with making an unethical decision… well that’s not how it would be in heaven…
Faced with hoarding your money or taking on the world’s values..
So we pray “God in my life… let your kingdom come, your will be done”

OK, final thing, how do we pray this?

Well clearly from this section in Matthew 6 it is not to be done for show or for the approval of others…

But regularly in your life… in your private spaces and with simple words…
This then (says Jesus) is how you should pray.

Now one final surprise for us today with this prayer… and it relates to the verbs in the prayer and the tense in which Jesus asks us to pray to our Father in heaven…

Be hallowed, come your kingdom, be done your will.
These are bold verbs…
And the way the Greek sentences are structured has the verbs (the doing words) at the start of the sentence.
It is; “Be hallowed, come your kingdom, be done your will.
In the imperative mood of the verb. This is a command…
Jesus encourages us to pray “Be this. Come that. Be done.”

Now in the ancient world, the imperative is never used to address a superiror. You wouldn’t go to the Roman Governor of the region and use the imperative….

So surprise, surprise, surprise…
We are addressing a superior… the ultimate one… our father in heaven…
And we are told to use the imperative… not just asking, we are commanding…
Be, come, be… do it, do it, do it…
How does that make you feel?
But remember who teaches us this prayer… Jesus, son of Mary, son of God… so this is ok…
The Father wants his children to pray boldly…
So the prayer is… Father you do it! You bring your kingdom… You make your will be done on earth.

This should be liberating…

Yes we are to participate… yes we are to allow the prayer to shape what we believe and who we are…
But ultimately it is God who will bring his kingdom. It is God who will bring heaven to earth.
And so boldly we pray…
Into the broken relationships… into the desire for war or revenge… into our daily needs for provision and forgiveness and deliverance…
Father get the hell out of earth. And may it be done on earth as it is in heaven…
Sound good? Are you ready to pray this way?

As I close, I want to make an invitation… Have you responded to this? You may want to do this right now.

You are being called by Jesus into citizenship in heaven on earth… to be born again into the family of God.
Have you responded to this calling?
Do it right now. Sign up… join the revolution of the kingdom of heaven by asking Jesus to become a citizen of heaven?
He has made the way possible on the cross by forgiving your sins… you can be in… but you have to respond.

Matthew 6:1-4 Sermon – Generosity and Hidden Righteousness

In this sermon Tim continues our series on What Jesus Taught by looking at a confronting part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus challenges his followers to give in secret so we can earn a reward in heaven, rather than seeking the approval and glory of those around us. How will you practice hidden righteousness and generosity this week?

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday March 27, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES:

Talk on generosity… reminds me of the story of the $5 note and the $100 note…

They hadn’t seen each other in ages and then by chance they bumped into each other in a wallet.
Time of my life… fancy resorts, amazing restaurants, the casino. I even went to Coco Republic new store in Balgowlah…
Same old place… church, church, church…
Oldie but a goodie…

Alright… well we are doing a series on what did Jesus teach?

I’ve been loving preparing these sermons… though to be honest it’s pretty confronting and challenging stuff.
And yet it is amazing too. Jesus is preaching to save us from our sins…
Obvioulsy he does that on the cross…
But he is also interested in saving us from our sins and the consequences of our sin in this life.
Which is why today, he continues to go after the inner motives and desires of our lives, in order to set us free!

Matthew 6:1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Well this passage really offends my sensibilities…

If I give… I want full credit… haha! Maybe a brick with my name on it… or a wing named in my honour…
If I do a good deed, I really think it is in the public interest that I post about it on Facebook. Help an old lady… stop! Do you mind if I take a selfie with you!
When I am generous, I like my left hand, right hand, feet, knees, torso and head to all know about it!
So come on Jesus, what is this all about?
Stop putting the knife in to Tim Giovanelli and his self righteous displays…

Well, Jesus is takin us deeper and deeper into the inner condition of our lives…

Deeper into the kingdom of heaven he is bringing into the earth.
Jesus is explaining what it looks like to live in the subversive, counter cultural kingdom of God.

Talk about 3 things today.

This is about our relationship with our Father
Generosity as a child of God is assumed
Jesus warns us against about our motives for giving and desires to be recognized.

So firstly, this is about our relationship with our Father in Heaven.

Have you noticed in the sermon on the mount how often Jesus refers to God as Father?

Matt 5:16 We shine our light to glorify our Father in heaven
Matt 5:45 we love our enemies that we may be children of our Father in heaven
And then so much of chapter 6 which is on generosity, prayer and fasting is about our Father seeing what is done in secret and rewarding us.
And when we pray (Matt 6:9) it is to our Father who is in Heaven.

Put simply, as we come to know Jesus and what Jesus taught, there is no way to understand him except by his relationship to his Father.

Sometimes Jesus uses the Greek word for Father which is Pater
And other times he uses his native Aramaic tongue and the more intimate word for Father ‘Abba.”
In Luke 2 Jesus wanders off to the temple and says to his mother “did you not know I had to be in my Father’s house.”
We also regularly hear that Jesus slips away in the morning to pray and be with his Father.
In John’s gospel he says “I only do what I see the Father doing.”
On the cross he will utter the words “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus lives for, and with and in his Father. He knows God to be Father.

And for some who have had difficult experiences of their own Fathers or being a Dad, this can be tricky.
But Jesus wants to (if we will allow) to reshape our ideas around God as Father and even in time may reshape what it means for us to be parents.
And if you need to understand how Jesus understood God as Father, of course we must go to the story of the prodigal son…
The amazing story where Jesus describing God’s attitude to the lost, explains God as a Father who runs to his wayward son and celebrates his homecoming.
This child of mine who was dead is alive, who was lost, is found. He kisses and embraces his Son.

Now why is this all important?

Well firstly Jesus wants us to experience God as a loving Father
And he wants our lives to be centered around pleasing our heavenly Father who knows and sees everything, and will reward our righteousness.
So much of the Christian faith and journey is about coming to be a child of God…
And the way that this transforms our desires and minds and hearts
As we begin to take on the family likeness… and enjoy the same kind of intimacy with our heavenly Father as Jesus did.

Secondly, generosity as a child of God is assumed.

Jesus does not say when you fast, or when you pray, or when you give…

But instead “when you give to the needy”
To be a Christian and not to give to the work of the church and the needy would be like a cricketer who doesn’t own a bat
Or an accountant who doesn’t have a calculator
Or a social media influencer who doesn’t have an Instagram account…

Right? It is assumed… that if you are a child of God, a defining mark of your life will be generosity.

Why is it assumed by Jesus? Well remember that Jesus comes into a story of a family that are blessed by God in order that all nations on earth will be blessed.

When he spent time in the temple being with his Father, I assume part of that was reading the wisdom of the Proverbs.
This was after all the child raising manual of the people of God. He would have assumed generosity because he would have been steeped in their story and wisdom.

Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”

Proverbs 28:27 “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.”

Proverbs 11:24 “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.”

(let me read those three passages again… and there are many many more…)

Jesus assumes generosity, because Jesus knows what is required of the children of God!

One of the things that we must be so aware of living in a place like the Northern Beaches of Sydney is that we always compare ourselves to people who are better off…

Or we find ourselves with little spare money because we have stretched ourselves with debt to breaking point
The result is that we become stingy and never get around to being generous!
What a shame because God calls us to honour him and the poor with our wealth!
And let me assure you – if you live anywhere near here, renting or owning… you are amongst the wealthiest in the world!

So we need to cultivate generosity… and this for many takes a move of God in our hearts and an obedience to the Word of God.

But it commands a blessing! A reward from our heavenly Father.
And I am mindful in light of todays passage not to talk about our generosity publicly…
But I know it took me too many years to really start giving generously to the local church and the poor.
But for several years now, Victoria and I have been very intentional about giving and it is now something we love to do!

So if you play cricket, it assumed that you own a bat… if you are a child of God, it is assumed that your heart has been turned outwards in generosity!

Stingy Christian is an oxymoron.
And one of the great signs that you are truly converted to Christ is you give, give and give…
So much of the Christian life is aligning with Matthew 10:8 where Jesus says freely you have received, now freely give…
Out of gratitude, out of the blessings of life and provision and our salvation… we just start to be a blessing!
God you have forgiven me, so now I will learn to forgive others
God you have saved me, so I will tell others of your salvation
God you have provided for me, and so out of gratitude and thankfulness I will provide and give to others!

Have you met people like this? People converted to generosity?

There is a U2 song called Magnificent where Bono sings “only love can leave such a mark.”
Well our generosity is an expression of our love for God and love for each other. And generosity leaves a mark.
When I was at bible college we would go to the pub for drinks and dinner once a week…
One time, a Christian overheard that we were bible college students and paid the bill anonymously for the whole table…
That left a mark on me…
I want to be that kind of Jesus follower! What about you? Will you start? Not next year, or next month, but right now?
Honour the Lord and his work… and give generously to the poor…

Finally, Jesus warns us against our motives for giving and deisres to be recognized.

(Lets hear it again) Matthew 6:1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Well, it should come as no great surprise that Jesus warns us against practicing our righteousness in front of others to be seen by them

After all, he is deeply concerned with the inner condition of our lives.
We’ve already seen this the last few weeks.
It is not just about external conformity to the law when it comes to murder or marriage or our enemies…
Jesus wants to heal the broken conditions of our inner lives… our anger, ourt lusts, our desire for revenge.

And so beware he says in the next section… of practicing your righteousness in front of others…

The hypocrits do this, and they have received their reward in full.
And so deeper and deeper into our hearts Jesus goes.
Deeper into our motives and desires to be seen and known as good.
So what is Jesus doing here?

Well it appears that Jesus is saying that the coming Kingdom of heaven

That he is bringing to earth can be blocked in our lives by our desire to be approved of by others for being devout.
Hypocrits, he says, announce their giving to the needy with trumpets to be honoured by others.
Be on guard.

On our righteousness, AB Bruce, the Scottish 19^th centure theologian said;

“show when you are tempted to hide, and hide when you are tempted to show.”
Isnt that good?
So show when you are tempted to hide?

Jesus has of course in this same sermon called us to be the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Clearly there are visible acts of righteousness that Jesus desires for us to exhibit before the world.
Matthew 5:16 says “let your light shone before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
But this seems to relate more to our character, our acts of mercy and kindness, our treatment of enemies and our desire to be peacemakers.

But then we are told to hide what we are tempted to show…

Parading our generosity with trumpets…
Praying publicly with lots of flowery words and self impoiratnce
Fasting where everyone will notice just how serious and self denying we have been.
“show when you are tempted to hide, hide when we are tempted to show…”
Hide when the motive is to display how good we are.
This seems to be, not so much the privitatsation of piety, but the purification of motive.
For whose eyes do we give, and pray and fast?

How liberating is this? Dying to the need for approval from others… we become so secure in our relationship with our Heavenly Father

That we begin to live generously for an audience of one!
Amen?
We all have a desire to be noticed and affirmed and to receive positive attention.
Let your reward be from your heavenly Father… and your giving done in secret.

This phrase Jesus uses “received their reward in full” is a business term from ancient days.

It means receiving full payment.
If I give to get applause and recognition from others, Jesus says, you’ve received full payment already.
What room is their for God to reward you? You’ve got what you wanted…
Now move along…

But oh to get the reward from your heavenly Father. And what is this reward?

Well surely it is the relationship that Jesus enjoyed with God.
“This is my son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The reward is to be drawn alongside your Father in heaven and to enjoy his presence, his delight, his blessing!

Well let’s finish and let me ask you 3 questions.

How much do you give away?
What is the edge of your life that is involved with the poor?
How can you safeguard against hypocrisy and the need for approval from others?

How much do you give away?

The average household income on the Northern Beaches is $120,000
Some of you will earn a lot less than that. Some of you will earn a lot, lot more.
Do you give 10% away? That would be $12,000 a year?
Do you give 20% away? That would be $24,000 a year?
Do you give 2% away? That sadly is the average of what people give. That would be just $2,400.
I’d just encourage you to think through what you actually give away and are you being generous?

Secondly, What is the edge of your life that is involved with the poor and giving to the needy?

That is afterall what Jesus is talking about here in this passage.
And I’d simply say, every Christian should have an edge in their lives involved in serving and giving to the needy.

Finally, How can you safeguard against hypocrisy and the need for approval from others?

I’d simply suggest, get to know your heavenly Father… the one who runs to the prodigal and embraces him.
Be so secure in your relationship with your Heavenly Father that you too can die to needing the approval of others.
And start to give, give, give, for the audience of one!
Amen?

Matthew 5:38-44 Sermon – Gospelised Ethics

In this sermon Tim continues our series on What Jesus Taught, looking at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-44 and how it ushers in a new Kingdom Ethic where we love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us and take back the inactive from people who have wronged us; blessing them and going the extra mile! How will you put these words into practice this week?

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday March 20, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES:

Read Matthew 5:38-44

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Well occasionally a story makes the news that cuts through the usual depressing mix of wars, gang violence, natural disasters and political scandals…

News that reminds you that there is a God in heaven who is bringing a remarkably different, subversive and counter-cultural kingdom to earth
News where citizens of this kingdom behave in such a way that it makes you sit up in awe of what can happen when the gospel gets hold of someone’s life.

You might remember the tragic but inspiring story of the Abdallah family…

Here in Sydney a few years ago, 3 of their children were killed when a drunk driver mounted the curb and hit Danny and Leila’s children.
As a parent I can’t think of anything that would more destroy the fabric of your soul.
And yet at a press conference a few days later, the remarkable Christian parents Danny and Leila spoke of finding forgiveness in their hearts for the drunk driver.
I don’t know what you saw… but I saw… Jesus. I saw the ethics of the sermon on the mount worked out in the most tragic of circumstances.

What do we do with the Sermon on Mount? Beautiful, impossible, challenging, subversive…

Blessed are the peacemakers, the persecuted, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful…
We are doing this series on What did Jesus teach, and thinking through what it means to be a disciple.
After all, if we are to call Jesus Lord and try and live by his teachings, we need to let them impact us deeply.
So today, would it be fair to say this (Love your enemies) is Jesus most admired teaching but also the most difficult to live out? …
Bit like forgiveness… admirable until you have to do it…

Give you my conclusion at the start… and then you can see how I am going to get there…

3 levels of humanity… Darrell Johnson
Uncivilised humanity: Like the war being fought in the Ukraine at the moment. Where people bring evil into the world.
Civilised humanity: Restrained justice. Eye for eye. We treat people with a polite respect.
Gospelised humanity: where the gospel has so gotten a hold of your life, that Christ forms within you, leading to acts of remarkable grace and mercy!

Some people really get on my nerves…

But believe it or not, apparently I really annoy some people
Fall outs happen – inside and outside the church…
Fight or flight… rarely do we engage constructively…
At best – Karma and an eye for an eye rules…
The reality for most of our lives is that a huge amount of our mental energy is spent on our relationships, that with our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues
Lie in bed at night having conversations in our minds…

Todays passage is fundamentally about how we treat one another.

And in this area, we all need help… many of us well into our adult lives…
Because fundamentally how we treat others defines our lives, our relationships, our chance for peace and happiness
Some have called this the high water mark of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
So what is this about, this turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, this loving our enemy and praying for those who persecute us?
I want to suggest that Jesus is describing what it means to be a child of God

Victoria and I are starting to wonder what our kid will end up being like as they grow a bit older? Basically hoping they get Victoria’s genes… we all have a family resemblance…

You may never look more like God… as his children, than when you act like this…
You see this is the difference between civilized humanity and gospelised humanity…
Civilized humanity often does the bear minimum required of it to keep the peace and stay within the law…
Gospelised humanity are those who have been enamoured by the King and become citizens of an entirely different kingdom.
Who have renounced their old lives and begun to trust and follow Jesus.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

Jesus is working with one of the oldest laws of civilization… lex tali-onius

This is the law of just retribution
Lex tali-onus is found in earliest know codes of law
Found all through the OT – Deuteronomy, Leviticus… but particularly…

Exodus 21:22-25

“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

So just retribution – 3 facts you need to know about lex tali-onus

It took taking justice out of an individuals hands and put it into the courts… this was meant for the judges of Israel to decide.
It limits revenge… so marks an important advance for humanity – punishments are to fit crimes
An accommodation to our fallen nature… saying if you must have compensation at least make it fair – it’s a foot for a foot not… you hurt my foot so I am going to take your life!

But important – it is Gods will from the beginning that no human being seeks revenge…

Leviticus 2:1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.

So Lex tali-onuis was given as permission for those who could not find in their hearts forgiveness…

Can you now see what Jesus is doing… taking people back to Gods original will… to not seek revenge, to let love rule…
Civilized humanity will limit revenge… this is what Australia is built on… eye for an eye, I wont wipe out your entire village for an eye… we have the rule of law… good thing!
Gospelised humanity will go further…

You have heard it said… but I say to you, do not resist an evil person…

So what do we do with all of the emotional energy generated by evil…
What are we to do in the face of wrong?

Jesus gives 4 examples interpreting what it means not to resist

Vs 39 If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

Jesus is talking about the slap with the back of a hand – deliberate insult…

40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

Talking about a miscarriage of justice…
2 garments… shirt close to the body, cloak wrapped around… only two items people owned…
To take someone’s shirt is a terrible miscarriage of justice, mean thing to do…

41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

Talking about the Roman right to force a Jew to carry his bags 1 mile…
Colonial act of cruelness…

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Request that takes advantage of another person… no intention to return what is lent…

So you have been hit in the face, sued for your shirt, forced to carry an enemies bag and been taken advantage of…

What does the one who came to establish the Kingdom of God say about how we are to respond?
Clearly we are not to get even… but do we passively let the evil person have there way
This is the big point…
Passively stand by… no – nothing passive about any of Jesus examples…
Crucial – nothing passive in 4 illustrations
Jesus is saying don’t try to get even…
But he is saying go on the offensive! Change the dynamics of the encounter!!!!!!!

Look at 4 illustrations – listen to his words…

Vs 42 – doesn’t say give what you will get back, says give to whom ever asks…

This is not writing up a contract to ensure that you will get your goods back…
- This is freely giving with no expectation of return…

Vs 41 – does Jesus say if someone forces you to go one mile, let him exploit you to go two…

No – not passive… before the oppressor can exploit you, change the dynamic…
You have done the mile you have to… but if you volunteer to carry his pack, you are not a slave…
You are in control…
Gets to the end of one mile, he takes his pack back… you grab it and keep walking for another mile… See what is happening?

Vs 40 – does it say if you’ve been sued for your shirt, let him sue you for your coat…. No that is passive – the coat has not been requested, but you give it to him

You have beat him to the punch
Rested the offensive from the evil person
This is brilliant – you become a game changer a world shaper…

Vs 39 – does it say if you are hit, let him slap you again?

No – doest say let him slap you… he says turn to him the other cheek…
Not passive…
Turn to him the other cheek… before he can hit you again, prepare your face for it… take charge of the situation.
Yes more hurt and humiliation – but you have taken the initiative

Don’t surrender the initiative, but take the initiative and take on evil with good.

Did you expect anything less? From Jesus…

E Stanley Jones – Indian missionary… he taught the sermon on the mount to Ghandi….

In his book Christ of the Mount written in 1931… he says,
In cases of deep wrong the temptation is to use the weapons of the wrongdoers…
To fight on their level. Do you ever do that?
Don’t do it, says Jesus: Hate begets hate, violence begets violence… where does it stop…

As his disciple Ghandi famously said, an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.

Jesus is urging us to use higher weapons… love and grace
And surely this is the only way to turn an enemy into a friend….
Not going to happen by retaliating… it happens by bringing something new into the equation
Giving the cloak, turning the cheek, giving away… this is active resistance…
Jesus says “I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
And why? Vs 44 that you may be called children of your Father in heaven.

Finish with 3 quick things – what this is about?

First: This is about developing the family likeness

Jesus is calling us to do what the Son of God will go on to do… Citizens of the King are to live lives that resemble the King they follow… this is his life (pause)

They seized him, they tormented him, they whipped and tortured him
They thrust a crown of thorns on his head and nailed him to a cross where he hung and died
The one who quietened the storm, fed the thousands, healed the sick….
But Jesus refused to respond in kind (don’t you know he says to his friend Peter that at my word thousands of angels could bring the fury of God)
As he hangs on the cross he says “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”
This is our King

And it changed the world

It brought something new into the equation – circuit breaker for the endless cycle of violence.
Grace… as Bono says in his song, the name of a girl, also a thought that changed the world.

And so we, his children carry on the family likeness when we to learn his ways

When we are bullied or mocked and we bless instead of fighting back
When we are cheated and robbed we are generous in return
When we are pushed away we offer a hand back.
We are God’s children when we learn his ways…

Secondly: As we participate in the Kingdom of God, it changes the world. Really there are 3 levels of life

Lowest level – does evil for good (dictators do this… bullies do this). It’s an evil way to live.
2^nd level: Does evil for evil and good for good – legal level – civilised level of life – the Aussie way… bare minimum to keep the peace…
3^rd level: Does good for evil – grace level…

When the other persons conduct determines yours… you are an echo… we live in a world of echoes…

Applied to nations, it leads to war…
Applied to us it leads to bitterness and revenge… regrettable behaviours…

But return good for evil, and you join the divine conspiracy… the subversive kingdom!

Put down for put down… insult for insult and you are an echo…
But when the kingdom grabs hold of an individual, a community, a nation we become more than just an echo…
We go to a higher level… It is the only chance we have to redeem evil
We have got to go higher. It’s what the children of God, citizens of the King are to do…

Finish with a challenge: Put into action

Think of someone who has hurt you or taken advantage of you…
Maybe don’t start with the biggest enemy or inflictor of pain you know. You can work up to that…
But who is someone you have been hurt by. Who is someone you have been taken advantage of by?
What would seizing the initiative by doing good to them practically look like.
An olive branch of peace? A gift or meal sent over?

Matthew 23:13-30 Sermon – The Inner and Outer Life

In this sermon guest Steve Bartlett, the NSW Baptist Director of Ministries, continues our series on What Jesus Taught, moving forward to Matthew 23 where he examines the many woes Jesus speaks against the Pharisees and what it means for us in our inner and outer life! Steve suggests growing in Christ means that our inner and outer life come together to be as matching as possible! So how is your inner life? Do you practice what you preach? Ask Jesus for His help this week!

Sermon preached by Steve Bartlett on Sunday March 13, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

Matthew 5:27-30 Sermon – Lust & Adultery

In this sermon Tim tackles a challenging part of the Sermon on the Mount: tackling lust, adultery and pornography and how we can be set free! Tim reminds us of the grace and mercy we find in God when we bring these things into the light, repent and find accountability as Jesus transforms this area of our lives!

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday March 6, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES

I want to start today’s sermon in our series on what did Jesus teach, on lust, by reminding you how for you Jesus is. He is so, so for you!

Today’s passage is probably one that cuts pretty close to home for a lot of people. Either as something you struggle with or you are affected by.
So a reminder that Jesus is so for you.
He desires your life and heart in order to set you free and renew your humanity
He is so for your relationships and their sanctity.
He wants to save you from your sin in order that you may flourish and be salt and light in this decaying and dark world.

So apparently all of you have copies of Playboy in your pockets right now! (hold up phone)

Victoria went to a seminar on children, technology and porn. Someone asked at what age should you allow a kid to have a phone.
The speaker answered was, “when you are ready for them to have access to pornography”
We bizarrely live in a time when we all have unfettered access to the 1 billion plus pornography website pages that we can access with a simple swipe and search.
We live in a sex saturated world.
And like gambling, alcohol and drugs, it can become an addiction that changes our brains….
Came across this image of what porn can do to our minds…

This is a real struggle for many. And the stats are scary…

79% of men, ages 18-30, actively seek out pornography weekly or more often.
Women now make up a third of visitors to porn sites. And first access to porn is now estimated to be at 12 years of age.
Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter combined each month.
A 2015 study found that the consumption of porn was significantly associated with increases in verbal and physical aggression, among males and females alike.
So this is scary stuff. And a lot of men particularly have said to me, that their addiction to sexual images leaves them feeling shameful, hurts their relationship with their partner and damages their spiritual lives.
I read 56% of divorces involved one party having “an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.” This is serious, serious stuff.

So we want to get real today at church and tackle this complex and damaging area of modern life that affects all of us directly or indirectly!

If the statistics are right, many people even in the church are walking around with this hidden shame.
And the consequences of not dealing with lust can be very damaging.

A friend many years ago disclosed to me that a couple in his church suddenly separated.

Neither came and spoke to him nor would they return his messages.
Through the grapevine came the usual finger pointing and accusations.
And then eventually what came out was an addiction to porn that had been discovered.
And what a mess… feelings of betrayal, shame followed by separation, fights over custody and finances…
It has been said, porn titillates and then it assassinates….

So what does Jesus have to say about this sex saturated world? Matthew 5:27-30

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, 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.

Before we launch into this… Some things from the past 3 weeks… it is a series after all…

Firstly, a reminder that we must not separate the preacher on the mount from the sermon on the mount…

If we do, we can end up with a merciful Jesus who demands nothing of his followers
Or we can end up with a sermon that become oppressive legalism or frustrating idealism.
But held together and we get the one in John’s gospel who we are told came in grace and truth.
Who loves the sinner but calls us to leave our sin behind
Who hangs out with the prostitutes and tax collectors, but also calls us to be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect. Grace and truth!

Next, a reminder that this sermon is about the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

I don’t have time to give you a theology of the kingdom again…
But needless to say Jesus calls disciples to follow him as he establishes the reign and rule of heaven on earth….
A kingdom that involves healing and casting out of evil…
But also crucially, this ethic of the kingdom in the sermon on the mount. This is what a renewed humanity looks like with Jesus as King.

Next, we talked last week about what righteousness means…

This righteousness that Jesus says must “surpass the religious teachers” in order for us to enter the kingdom of heaven.
This righteousness being a relational word meaning our right relatedness…
So this section is about restored relationship and what can get in the way.
Hence last week on anger, this week on lust and next week on retaliation.

And I really like what Greg Beech was saying to me this week, about this “not entering the kingdom of heaven.”

He said to me, this is not about salvation but about enjoying the benefits of the life in the Kingdom. Right?
The reason Jesus wants righteousness is because that right relatedness brings the life of the kingdom.
That is why Jesus last week went after anger. If your life is riddled with anger and unreconciled relationships…
Then you are not entering into your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
Is that good? Thank you Greg!

So we said, how might our righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees?

Well you might keep the law by never murdering anyone throughout your life…
Or today, by never committing adultery…
But Jesus is saying, what good is keeping the law if actually on the inside you are riddled with anger and lust and sin?
God desires righteousness… not just external conformity to the law… he desires right relatedness in your relationships and inner being.

Ok, and then finally as we set up today from what we have been learning so far…

A reminder that this sermon is Jesus saving you from your sins. This is an act of love.
Yes Jesus saves you from your sins on the cross. Yes.
But Jesus wants to save you from your sins this side of heaven too.
That is why when Jesus says some pretty hard things today…
We remember that he is saving us from the diminished life. From the counterfeit life. From the broken sinful life.
Jesus is going to go after lust and adultery today because he doesn’t want to leave you in your broken state, breaking other people…

So… Matthew 5:27-28 (next slide)

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

My lecturer Darrell Johnson who has been a big help to me in this series so far….

Reminds us that Jesus does not say this to shame us, or to guilt us. Nor does he go after lust and adultery to rob from us the joy of living.
Jesus says this to heal us and free us and to make us whole.
Jesus says this to protect our relationships and marriages.

At another point in his teaching Jesus reminds us that marriage is a blessed and sacred union.

It is to be between a man and woman, to the absolute exclusion of all others, for life, and within which we are to enjoy sexual intimacy.
In the OT book Song of Songs we see God’s delight in our sexuality and the gift of pleasure that comes with intimacy with our spouses.
So sex, although at times, a very primal urge and temptation, is to be protected and cherished and honored before God.

Oh wouldn’t it be amazing, if we all had a clean sheet in this regard…

It’s tough isn’t it… and I know that before I got married… although I never had sex with anyone before Victoria, I certainly got loads and loads wrong in this regard.
My guess is most of us identify somewhat with the woman caught in adultery, brought before Jesus, ready to be condemned.
But instead of stones, thank God Jesus says to her accusers; “you without sin may cast the first stone”
And as they drop their stones and leave… Jesus says “neither do I condemn you, now go, leave your life of sin.”

So as we said last week, this section is called the fulfillers.

Jesus says, “You have heard it 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.”
Jesus is working here with the full implication or meaning of the 7^th of the 10 commandments. “you shall not commit adultery.”
The teachers of the law thought they were fulfilling that by not sleeping with a woman not their wife…
Jesus says there is more to it than that… I’ve come to fulfil this… Once again I am going after your heart!
Whoever looks lustfully, violates the inherent meaning of this command…

There is a lot at stake here right?

Maybe you have committed adultery and know the shame and brokenness and hurt this brings to those around you.
Maybe you have been cheated on and know the devastating consequences of betrayal.
But Jesus is saying, if we are going to get to the cause of adultery, we need to tackle lust.
Afterall, adultery starts with lust. We sow thoughts that become acts, and we reap the destiny.

So what is Jesus saying here?

Well this is not a casual glance at a beautiful woman or man walking past.
The Greek word for “lust after” is Epi-the-meoh…
It means the desire to possess… this is beyond appreciation to wanting to possess… to take hold of and have as you desire. To have your way…
Maybe the expanded wording of this verse would be “Whoever keeps on looking at a woman in order to lust after her… has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The Protestant reformer Martin Luther taught that lustful thoughts come but you don’t need to invite those thoughts to stay…

He famously said, “I cant stop a bird from flying over my head… but I can stop a bird from nesting in my hair.”

So Jesus challenges not just external conformity to the law not to commit adultery but to the inner condition of lust…

What a protector of our lives he is!
He is going after what truly diminishes us, our lives and our relationships.
Lust shifts our attentions and desires off our spouses and onto another who we do not belong to. We epi-thee-meoh, we desire to possess another.
This could be watching porn or sex scenes in a movie… it could be imagining getting it on with a work colleague or neighbour.
That is why lust is so dehumanizing… in your appetite to titillate over the image or thought of a naked person, or people having sex, you are reducing them to an object for your pleasure.

So Jesus says, take some drastic action… so important is winning this battle, that if your right eye causes you to stumble, if your hand causes you to stumble… gouge it out, cut it off.

Tough words… because what is at stake is the wholeness of our soul and the bonds of your relationships…
Now is this literal? I don’t think so. I can fantasize with my eyes closed….
But he is talking about the seriousness needed of our actions…
So deadly is unchecked lust, that it would be like treating an amputated leg with a band aid.

So if this is a struggle for you, how do we break the cycle and get whole? 3 things…

First drastic action: We guard our eyes!

Matt 6:22-23 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.

So Jesus says the eye is the lamp of your body… the eye is the gatekeeper into your life.

So what we focus on and look at impacts the health of your life.
It is through our eyes that our body will either be filled with light or darkness..
So, just as we can cultivate healthy eyes by focussing on pure wholesome things, we are warned against unhealthy eyes that lead to bodies full of darkness.
So what are we to avoid? What comes to mind for you?
What are the things that can captivate your attention that lead to darkness rather than light?
If you were to do a stocktake of your last month… where have your eyes been that don’t fill your life with light and life?

You know, the enemies intention is to blind us to truth and corrupt our minds, and he uses our eyes to gain entrance to our hearts.

So in this life, he parades before us all manner of evil, from the deluge of pornography on the internet to the temptations at the beach from scantily clad bodies…
He deludes us into believing that these things will make us happy, fulfilled people, when all the while they are robbing us of the very joy we long for.
He wants us to allow more and more darkness into our minds through the books we read, the movies we watch, and the images we allow our eyes to linger upon.

I think I have shared this before…. I am incredibly prudish with what I let my eyes see…

I got to the place about 10 years ago, where I decided for my own spiritual health and the sake of my marriage that I’d cut out seeing any nudity in any form that wasn’t my wife!
And I am not just talking about the horrendous scourge that pornography is. I don’t even watch movies or television shows with sex scenes… because my eyes are the window to my soul.
So that may seem really over the top… but I’d say from my perspective… I am missing out on absolutely nothing… and gaining everything!
Sow a thought, reap an action, form a habit… right?
See I’d rather miss a few films and keep my mind clean… than possibly go down the slippery slope of unhealthy images and even addiction.

So if this is something that you struggle with, let me encourage you to look into internet filters, and I want to recommend a site called netsanity.com that will help.

I heard a Pastor this week say: “Why resist a temptation in the future when you have the power to eliminate it today.” (REPEAT)
You can get filters and settings put on your phones and computers that will block adult material.
Jesus said “When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light.”
Jesus says “if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.”
So don’t let your eyes be unhealthy… take drastic action.

You’ve got to build some muscle around this area of your life. But it comes through training our minds, living according to the Spirit and getting strong in this area.

It’s been over 20 years since I looked at porn. And I don’t say that triumphantly but to show that it is possible.
It’s been 10 years since I watched a sex scene in a movie. And to be honest, it’s not a temptation for me anymore.
In fact if something does come on, it is just second nature to leave the room or turn it off..
But I have a great sex life with my wife and praise be to God, a mind cleaned of these images.

Second drastic action: Bring your sin into the light

Proverbs 28:13 says; “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

That’s the promise of God… concealing any type of sin ultimately comes to bite us in the butt! We do not prosper. I told you the tragic story of that unravelled marriage…
But if we bring the hard bits of our lives into the light by confessing and renouncing… we find mercy!
Can I simply encourage you to find accountability for this or any other type of sin in your life.
Confess to God, confess to someone safe and encouraging in your life… and begin healing. What is brought into the light loses its power.

Third drastic action: Flee

Now if you graduated out of Sunday school and into a youth group you will have been told the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife.

It’s the story of Joseph being seduced and tempted by one of Pharoah’s official’s wife to sleep with him.
And what does Joseph do? Does he sit down and say; “well maybe we could just be friends…” Haha. No.
He flees. He runs away… and takes the consequences of then being falsely accused.
That’s why in 2 Timothy it says; “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.”
So flee. Run in the opposite direction to temptation. Do not linger and let the birds nest in your hair!

Well as I come into close… if you want to take drastic action… guarding your eyes, living in the light and fleeing temptation… what will happen?

There is a good article on the net titled “what porn does to your brain and how to quit.”
It talks about a 90 day period… that’s how long it takes to retrain your brain.
First few weeks and months expect an incredible battle. Anxiety, heightened temptation to give in. Probably set backs.
Your brain craves the dopamine hit that porn and masturbating gives you!
And it says it takes 3 months before you will find emotional stability and peace and wholeness in this area of your life.
But then it gets a whole lot easier. And that is my story.

Now obviously, no life this side of heaven will be completely full of light and life… that’s why we need Jesus. And we need each other to be gracious and loving!

We are complex, complicated souls… we are all works in progress.
We are Christians because God first loved us! Not because we have it all worked out!
And only Jesus is the true light of the world…
And yet we are being brought into a kingdom of light!
And we are to cooperate with this process by keeping our attention on healthy things in order to live light filled lives!

So are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness?

As I said last week, there is too much at stake to just acknowledge this teaching on adultery and lust and just move on
You may get to end of your life and have never committed adultery!
But too many of us have settled, that lust and addictions are too powerful and given in to what diminishes our lives.
Jesus is calling you higher…
Jesus has come to move you into the fulfilment of the prophets and the law.

Matthew 5:17-24 Sermon – Righteousness Fulfilled

In this sermon Tim talks about righteousness, and Jesus’ call to us to have righteousness greater than the Pharisees, a righteousness that flows from the inside out, from our heart rather than external religion. He then goes onto to talk about what Jesus says about anger, and how we can be peacemakers and righteous in that area!

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday February 22, 2021.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES

Well today I want to read to you the entire Sermon on the Mount again

Haha, just kidding. We have to stop making that joke.
We are doing a series on what did Jesus teach… about discipleship… his life being formed within us.
Brilliant message from Greg… they are all going up on the church website and on spotify… so stay on track with us…
And Greg exhorted us that in order to be salt and light in the world, we need to have Christ formed within us…. And that comes through engaging with Jesus
And allowing the values of the beatitudes amongst other things to displace our cultural allegiances.
I wonder how you have gone with that this last week?
Do you sense mercy and meekness and peacemaking forming within you?

Let’s listen to the next section – Matthew 5:17-24

17 “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.18 For truly I tell you, 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.19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 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.

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Well we come to the next section of what Jesus taught, in the sermon on the mount.

And I think it is probably the most difficult section to wrestle with.
It talks about our righteousness exceeding that of the religious leaders of Jesus day
And we get these very challenging teachings on murder and anger, marriage and lust, broken down relationships…
And the bar for righteousness seems to be set at an almost unreachable level.
Not murder… ok I can do that… but not be angry?

And I think what Jesus is doing in this section is getting to the reality of the human condition and what really diminishes a persons life, or allows it to thrive.

If the kingdom that he is bringing from heaven to earth is about wholeness and peace and life…
Then what reduces our humanity? As image bearers of God, what stuffs up our lives?
What are the big issues of life that will either mean you are a flourishing human being, or you are or become a counterfeit of your true humanity?
What do I mean by that?

Victoria and her sister who is here from New York at the moment, were watching a show called Inventing Anna on Netflix the other night.

And somehow I got through a whole episode…
But anyhow, there was this scene between a journalist and a fashion designer. And basically straight away he identifies that her clothes are cheap knock offs of expensive brands.
Now to an untrained eye, it probably would have looked like the real thing, but to him who knew what the real deal was…
He immediately noticed that the patterns didn’t line up at the seams, and the material was lower quality.
So her clothes looked like the real thing, but actually were a counterfeit version…

And much of modern life or even dare I say it, our lives… is counterfeit to the real thing God created us to be…

We become a cheap knock off of the real thing God created us to be.
And what Jesus is going to do, is go beyond the legal requirements or laws we may try to follow in order to be seen to be doing the right thing
To the heart of the matter of that which really diminishes our lives.
Are you with me?

Jesus is so for you in this section. You got to believe that. It might seem tough teaching, but he is so, so for you!

Because what I see, is he wants you to flourish and to avoid the pitfalls of the broken inner life.
He is forming a new humanity…
And he wants us to avoid just having the appearance of righteousness… but to actually develop true inner righteousness.

So Jesus addresses the big things in this next section which we will set up today and go into more detail in the next few weeks.

Right, not just don’t murder but watch out for a life riddled with anger.
Right, not just don’t divorce and commit adultery, but watch out for a life saturated in lust
Right not just swearing oaths, but let your speech be truthful.
Right, don’t just limit your retaliation, but actually bless and go the extra mile for those who seek to harm you.
OK?

When we think of Jesus message, or what did he teach, we often think of love, or forgiveness, or mercy… but I wonder if we think of him as a preacher of righteousness?

And yet, Jesus heart is for righteousness amongst his followers… would you agree?
So what is this?
Maybe we think of righteousness as seriousness… I don’t know?
Maybe a rule keeping life… a holier than thou type existence?
Maybe even a party pooper life! Or being a do-gooder… is that righteousness?
But Jesus exalts and demands righteousness for those who would follow him…

We’ve seen this already in the sermon on the mount in the beatitudes…

Already he has said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Right? Blessed are those whose appetites are transformed towards righteousness…
And blessed are those persecuted for righteousness. Right?
Blessed are those who because of this righteousness begin to cop it from the rest of the world for how they live…
And now today… “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

So what on earth is righteousness and why is this so important in understanding how we might flourish as opposed to living a diminished, broken life?

Well, righteousness is a relational word….

It’s meaning is right relationship – being in sync with someone… no outstanding issues or resentments or debts owed… if you have a righteous relationship with someone…
You are all good man!
This is having right relatedness…
So if I hurt Victoria’s feelings, we are no longer righteous! But if she forgives me… we become righteous again… we restore our right relatedness…

So yes righteousness is about morally right behaviour. A way of ethical living…

But notice that when Jesus expands on what righteousness looks like, it all relates to our relationships…
Our anger, our lusts, our falling out with people.
So righteousness is not an ethical philospophy… it is grounded in the nitty gritty, earth reality of how we relate to one another…

So Jesus says, If you’re righteousness doesn’t exceed the pharisees, you wont inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Now of course the deeper theme in the New Testament is that we have imputed righteousness given to us through Jesus death on the cross.

The thing that makes our relationship right with God is the gift of forgiveness that we have not earned.
That is why Paul will say in Romans “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”
He goes on to say “in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed.”
Are you still with me?
So Paul is saying in the gospel the way that God brings righteousness… right relationship to us has been revealed.
You and God can be “all good” because of this good news about Jesus. He has dealt with the stuff that separated us.
Our sin. On the cross.

So obviously Jesus in his ethical teaching is going to expound on what it looks like to have right relationships. As those given righteousness, what does God require in our relationships?

Now in this section, Jesus for the first time, makes himself the center of the message…

“I have come… 4 times “I have come”, or “but I tell you…”
So with no appeal to any higher authority… he begins to redefine the meaning of the law.
I have come… not to abolish the OT, but to fulfil. Not to destroy but to complete…

Now this is cool, because clearly in what Jesus is about to teach, he is upsetting the old order of things…

But he say, you must not ever think I have come to abolish… but I have come to fulfil God’s original intent for the law!
Now that is clearer for us with what he says about fulfilling the prophets.
As we saw in Isaiah, the prophets announce God’s character and his great plans to move in history, through the coming one… especially on the side of the righteous and poor.
The longings of the prophets are going to be fulfilled.
In Matthew, 13 times, the gospel writer sees something in Jesus and says this was to fulfil the prophets… text after text after text…

But he has come not just to fulfil the prophets, but also the law?

Now you most likely know bits of the law from the Old Testament like the 10 commandments.
Thou shall not murder, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not covet your neighbours possessions
And the point of all of those is to govern how a society do life together…
Right?
If we do these things and keep many of the other laws… it’s a good thing right…

But Jesus wants to go further… to the underlying conditions of the human heart…

You see you could keep the law and look like you are living an ethical life… but what about the inner condition of your life that really governs your reality.
That’s what the Pharisees were criticized by Jesus for. Outwardly they kept the commandments, but their hearts were not following the intent of the law.
Jesus is going to go after the true meaning of the law.
It wasn’t meant just for restraining chaos or evil… but for bringing right relatedness to human relationships and towards God. (repeat)

So let’s take one for example today and do the other fulfillers in the next few weeks…

So how might our righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees?

Well you might keep the law by never murdering anyone throughout your life…
But Jesus is saying, what good is keeping the law if actually on the inside you are riddled with anger and resentment and bitterness?
Right? That would be a counterfeit life… it may look good to the outsider, but the reality is that it is a cheap knock off of what God really wants to do with you.
God desires righteousness… he desires right relatedness in your relationships and inner being.

So you have heard it said… but I say to you! Come on Jesus. Go after my heart! Get it. Fix it. Transform it!

Go beyond mere words and codes and laws and go after what you have created me for!
A clean heart and righteous relationships…
So that is why Jesus says this relates to inheriting the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus kingdom is not just about external conformity to the law… but to right relationships and the condition of our hearts!

Remember Christmas… Matthew 1 and the angel appears to Joseph and says Mary will give birth to a son named Jesus, which means “he will save his people from their sins.”

On the cross – yes…
But in his teaching in the sermon on the mount he is saving us from our sins!
Do you agree?
On the cross we get imputed righteousness… a gift… right relationship with God through faith.
But in the sermon on the mount Jesus is saving us from our sins too!
He is saving us from the stuff that diminishes our lives like anger, lust and revenge…
Amen?

In the Greek, there are two different words that are translated as anger.

The first is thumous… it has been described as like the flame that comes from dried straw… quickly combustible… but goes out…
The second word we translate as anger from the Greek is Org-ay: anger that has settled in our hearts and minds… anger that we nurse to keep warm…. (PAUSE)
Yeah…
It is the second word Org-ay that Jesus uses in his sermon.

In the gospels we see Jesus get thumous… turning over tables of money makers in the temple.

So there are probably good reasons to be angry… to feel anger at injustice or wrong doing…
But the issue is what we do with the anger… do we let it stew…. Do we lie in bed at night having endless conversations… putting people in their places…
Do we allow it to bubble out so that we hurt the other… through gossip and put downs and even violence…

Now Jesus does the application for us… he teaches us how to deal with it…

This is the natural implication of Jesus dealing with our inner condition… stop your worship and go and be reconciled…

This is righteousness… fixing your relationships matters to God.
Because our relationship with God is profoundly intertwined with our relationship with each other…
Again what is righteousness? It is our right relatedness to each other.
That is why Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in the Cost of Discipleship that when I erect a barrier between me and you, I am erecting a barrier between me and God.
So leave holy pretenses behind until you are first willing to reconcile with a brother or sister!

Now I am aware of the many challenges that Jesus raises… and we’ve not even got to the section in the coming weeks on marriage and divorce and revenge and…

But my guess is when it even comes to anger you have hundreds of “but what if’s”
But what if I should be angry…
What if the other person wont respond…
What if I’ve been the victim of an unspeakable crime…
What is the other person has already died…

And I’ll confess that I have broken and strained relationships…

Some I have tried to restore….
But if I am honest some I have not… I’m quite good at nursing a bit of anger and resentment…
But I need to believe that in this teaching Jesus is so, so for me… he wants this new life of the kingdom to form within me…
And if we let all the “but what if” questions constantly get in the way… we will never get to the life of the kingdom.

So as I come into land… are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness?

There is too much at stake to just acknowledge this teaching on murder and anger and reconciliation… and just move on.
Is it beginning to take shape in your mind what this might look like?
We need to allow the Spirit of God to come in and begin renewing our humanity.
You may get to end of your life and have never majorly broken the law!
Then again you may… but too many of us allow anger and resentment and bitterness to consume our humanity and diminish our lives…
Jesus is calling you higher…
Jesus has come to move you into the fulfilment of the prophets and the law.

Amen.

Matthew 5:13-16 Sermon – Salt and Light

In this sermon Greg talks about the salt and light passage in the Sermon on the Mount, unpacking why we worship Jesus and how we can be salt and light in the world around us!

Sermon preached by Greg Beech on Sunday February 20, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon – The Beatitudes

In this sermon Tim unpacks the beginning of the sermon of the Mount, the Beatitudes giving us five things to remember when reading Jesus’ blessings: that It’s a description of Kingdom living, that blessing is about being in sync with God, that the Beatitudes relate to one another, that Jesus lives this out and that the Beatitudes form in us through proximity, proximity and proximity to Jesus.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES:

Well today as we get into the Beatitudes… which is just the Latin word for Blessings…

We are going to continue to center ourselves in the reality of Jesus Kingdom
These words coming as light into the darkness…
A guide, as to what life looks like as we come under the reign of the Kingdom of Heaven.
A description of the fruit produced from our proximity to Jesus and coming to live as a renewed humanity under his reign!

And a reminder, that we must never separate the Preacher on the Mount from the Sermon on the Mount.

The one who sets such a high bar for our righteousness, is also the one who stoops down in the dust and says to the woman caught in adultery… “neither do I condemn you”
So as we start today in Jesus startling claims of who is blessed…
Let’s read from the middle of chapter 4 to give context, and to ground these words in the ministry of King Jesus.

Matthew 4:17-5:10

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

A couple of years ago I was part of a small team that went to Nairobi in Kenya on a short term mission trip from this church. We had an amazing time.

And after a week and a bit of visiting schools and projects and churches… we were able to go on a safari in the Masai Mara game reserve.
And we had a wonderful local tour guide who just seemed to know where to look for the animals we had come to see.

One of the most impressive moments was his spotting one of the great finds up a tree in the distance…

Now none of us could see anything but leaves from a distance. But as we approached, low and behold, lying up in the tree was the most beautiful leopard just hanging out.
Our guide knew where to look and what the distinguishing marks were… where as all we saw from a distance was the tree.

There is a nice moment in the clip from The Chosen, where Jesus says to Matthew that he has decided on his opening for the Sermon on the Mount

And he describes the Beatitudes as; “A map, directions where people should look to find me”
What we have in the Beatitudes is the distinguishing marks of those who belong to God.
For those looking to find Jesus, there is a sense in the Beatitudes, that they will spot Jesus through his followers.
They will find Jesus through our way of living, marking us out from the rest of the world.
So wouldn’t it be wonderful to be recognized by the marks of the Beatitudes as belonging to God!
There is Suzy, there is Peter, there is Liz… merciful, pure of heart, a peacemaker. Amen?

Suggest 5 things to us today from these remarkable blessings…

It’s a description of Kingdom living.
Blessing is about being in sync with God
The Beatitudes relate to one another
This is the life of Jesus
They form in us through proximity, proximity, proximity…

OK, Firstly, the Beatitudes describe Kingdom living.

What’s the Kingdom?
Well we read from mid chapter 4 because before we get to the Beatitudes, we are told that Jesus preached that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near
And he called disciples to follow him. I guess you could call them the first citizens of Jesus kingdom.
Probably didn’t seem like much at the time? A few fisherman following a carpenter’s son.
But because the Kingdom of Heaven had come near in Jesus, it’s no surprise that he begins to heal the sick and cast out evil.
According to Matthew’s gospel, this is all good news!

So what is the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well the prophets in the OT and the expectation at the time of Jesus was that God would establish his kingdom at the end of time…
God’s people’s enemies would be wiped out, and a time of renewal and healing would be established.
But Jesus comes announcing it has come near… before the end of time…
The Kingdom of Heaven has broken peacefully into time as we know it.
The future has begun to spread into the present… heaven invades earth…

So in the Kingdom, God has come in his Son to establish the rule and reign of heaven on earth

And the beatitudes describe the life that God blesses when heaven get holds of a person’s life. Right? The Gospel grabs us… consumes us… it turns us upside down…
The Beatitudes are not so much a description of the law that citizens of the Kingdom of heaven are expected to follow
It’s more a description of the life that emerges within them as they become followers of the new King.
Change varies… heard some people complaining about one Christian… jerk… yes but before he became a Christian he was a complete jerk… on a journey!

Secondly, the blessing Jesus proclaims is the fortunate state of those in sync with God.

Immediately before Jesus starts his sermon we are told that large crowds had begun to follow Jesus.
This was the result of his preaching that the Kingdom of heaven had come near
It was the result of him healing the sick and paralyzed…
It was the result of those with severe pain and demon possession being healed.
So you can imagine the type of crowd who were following him. Not exactly the Melbourne Cup crowd or those in line at Hugo’s on a Friday night…

Blessed are the poor in Spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted…

Blessed… for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Jesus is bestowing this blessed state on the crowd, peasants, fisherman, the sick and downtrodden…
Blessed are you. In sync with the nature and heart of God.
Blessed are you!

Some translations have the Greek word Makarios translated as “happy” but I don’t think this really captures what Jesus is saying…

Afterall “happy are those who mourn…” No…
And happiness is a feeling… often related to a temporary emotion or circumstance
The life Jesus is describing is a deeper reality.
It describes the state of your life and behaviors when you are in sync with the Kingdom that Jesus is establishing on earth.

So this is very different to the fake world of Instagram #blessed!

Right? Now you may have been very hard working and very fortunate and given great opportunities… and the result of that might be big homes and fast cars…
But Jesus is not bestowing “blessed” on those trappings of a consumeristic Western lifestyle.
And that should be uncomfortable for… well for all of us here!
This is upside down… blessed… in sync are the meek… the pure in heart… the peacemakers…

OK, thirdly, the Beatitudes relate to one another…

So this map for finding Jesus followers, these distinguishing marks of citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, seem to flow through a persons life.
So following Jesus leads to a realization that we are poor in Spirit.
Put simply, it’s humbling when you take stock of your own life and all of it’s flaws… and it leads to a humility of Spirit…

We then begin to mourn over the condition of the world and our own lives.

That creates a desire to be meek… we no longer need to be in control all the time… and we begin to submit our strengths and gifts and resources to God’s will.
Kingdom people then become very, very hungry and thirsty… not for sensual desires or fake projections of happiness…
But for righteousness and justice. Our appetites get re-ordered.

Well it’s no surprise then that citizens of heaven become merciful. When you are poor in Spirit and mourning, meek and hungering for righteousness…

We get shaped by the merciful King to show mercy towards other people.
That leads to a purity of heart. Merciful, humble people desire to love others and keep their motives and minds and hearts pure.
And of course that leads them to seek peace. Peace in their own lives and peace in the world around them.

And finally, sometimes they find themselves in trouble… persecuted even for following this way of life. How could it be otherwise?

In a world that is hungry for prestige and power and is drenched in unhealthy lusts and lies and divisions…
These merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers get in trouble…

Remember Wilberforce? They marginalized and mocked him for trying to end slavery.

Remember Bonhoeffer? They executed him for trying to live Christ like in Nazi Germany and standing up against Hitler.
Remember Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. They assassinated him for trying to end segregation through non-violence and the civil rights movement.
Remember Bishop Oscar Romero who pursued holiness and stood tirelessly on the side of the poor and mistreated in El Salavdor… he was murdered…

Does anyone here want to follow Jesus Christ? (pause)

But remarkable things begin to happen in us when our lives are taken over by King Jesus.

Not a thing of our own strength… but a pattern of life through which people begin to see Jesus!
Blessed… for yours is the kingdom of heaven, you will be comforted, you will inherit the earth, you will be filled, you will receive mercy, you will see God…
You will be called the children of Heaven!
Amen?

Now just quickly, in terms of those blessings… those rewards or the fruit of this kind of life that Jesus bestows as the blessing?

Maybe you’re asking when exactly Jesus do I get to experience the promised blessing?
Well the answer is now (pause) and then.
You will see God, receive mercy, be filled somewhat now.
You will see God, receive mercy, be filled fully then!
Right that clear? Moving on… haha no..

You see with the arrival of Jesus and the inherent blessing of these behaviors, the blessings are already and not.

They are already because the kingdom has come near, but not yet as the Kingdom is still fully to come.
They are now because Jesus has come… but they are not yet because he is not yet fully reigning.
The merciful don’t always receive mercy back… the mourner aren’t always comforted… the peacemakers are not always heralded as children of God…
But they will be!

One of the hardest things that I am privileged to do is to take funerals and sit with people in the hardest moments of their lives.

Are they comforted by God? Do they experience peace?
Well often they do in the midst of full on storms of life…
But they also carry the loss for the rest of their lives…
But one day they will be swept up in glory… and see those loved ones again.
The blessings are now… but they are also not yet!

OK, fourthly and just very briefly on this point, the Beatitudes are a portrait of Jesus. This is his life.

And I make this point simply because Jesus manifests these blessings so beautifully in his own life.
In his humanity we see his mercy and purity of heart. We see the peacemaker and poor in Spirit.
We can tangibly experience his meekness and righteousness
So when we desire to have these distinguishing marks… like spotting that leopard…
We can gaze upon Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. We can look to him for our model.

And then finally today… how does all of this take shape in our lives? And I want to suggest proximity, proximity, proximity!

In my 20’s I spent 6 years living overseas… first was in South Africa and Kenya and I started speaking with some South African phrases… now, now… cool bananas…

The I moved to London and like most pretentious young Aussies I adopted a bit of a West London accent. Yes darling… fabulous!
And I learnt that water was pronounced with a t… not warder…
Then it was off to Canada… and I had to slow right down in order to be understood… and my abouts became aboots…
Good fun… but really it was speaking like what I was surrounded with… our proximity to others shapes who we are!

Well there is not shortcut to exhibiting the distinguishing marks of the Beatitudes other than proximity to Jesus. Proximity, proximity, proximity…

That’s why Jesus calls those fisherman to follow him and they leave their nets and become disciples…
This is about discipleship. The slow, formative work of becoming like our master!
They get lots wrong… as do we… but their lives began to be shaped by their time with Jesus.
And for us there is no easy way to become blessed, but by becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and spending time with King Jesus.

Sometimes you come across real saints of the Christian faith….

And I always notice that they spend a lot of time gazing upon Jesus and in prayer
You always notice that they have gotten real low and spent time and resources on being amongst the poor and forgotten….
They have a way of slowly dying to the old selfish self… and arising in new life to the service of others…
Proximity, proximity, proximity… get close to the King and let his life shape yours!
Amen?

Ministry Time… (SLOWLY)

Matthew 5-7 Sermon – The Sermon and the Preacher on the Mount

In this sermon Tim launches our new series “What did Jesus Teach?”! This week Tim walks us through the Sermon on the Mount, how we need to hold the Sermon and the Preacher in unity as we understand how to apply these words to our life. He also reads the whole sermon, so take a moment to let God’s Word wash over you and challenge you as you listen this week!

Sermon preached by Tim Giovanelli on Sunday February 6, 2022.

05/02/23 – John 12:20-33 Following Jesus & Intro – by Tim Giovanelli – The Farewell Discourse Series – Manly Life Church Podcast

SERMON NOTES

We are starting our new series today at church titled “what did Jesus teach”

And basically the idea behind this series is to familiarize, and be challenged and to put into action the teachings of Jesus.
That is what a lot of discipleship is about – learning the way of Jesus, and the truth of Jesus in order to have the life of Jesus!
So what did he teach?

Well I am so glad you are hear today because you are about to hear the greatest sermon preached by the greatest preacher ever!

Haha… not me…
But this is the most influential sermon ever preached… by the most influential preacher who ever lived.
It is the Sermon on the Mount, preached by Jesus of Nazareth.
It is recorded by Matthew the tax collector in his account of Jesus life in chapters 5-7.
And I really believe that through the Spirit of Jesus that is poured out on us at Pentecost, Jesus is going to preach this sermon into our hearts….

Something always happens when we read the Sermon on the Mount… it has been happening in me as I prepared…

It left me feeling quite exposed and challenged and convicted…
And it drives me back to the opening line… “blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”
An incredibly high bar is set for us by the preacher… it is after all the highest conceptualization of truth and ethics
And it leads us to that realization that we are poor in Spirit… and at that very moment we hear the preacher again, say blessed are you… for yours is the kingdom of heaven!

The first who heard it, we are told, were amazed… At the end of chapter 7 it says;

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority.”
GK Chesterton – “on the first reading of the Sermon on the Mount, nothing makes sense… but on the second reading nothing else makes sense…”
This sermon has a way or re-ordering what we know to be true!

Hear the sermon in a moment… but I want to make a big observation that we will keep coming back to…

We must never separate the sermon on the mount from the preacher on the mount…
If we separate the sermon from the preacher… the sermon can end up being frustrating idealism… or worse, oppressive legalism and we can get tired and give up…
But bring them together and it makes sense… it gains its authority…
It is finding out who the “I” is who will say six times in the sermon “but truly I say to you”

So, who is this authoritative “I” who speaks in a way no one else has ever spoken?

What does Matthew say? Who does he think the preacher is?
Well he answers that in chapters 1-4 of Matthew… in which we get the first portrait of the preacher on the mount

Here are 5 quick things we find out!

This preacher is the fulfilment of some ancient promises!

Matthew starts his account of Jesus life by telling us he is the son of David, the son of Abraham

So this preacher is the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham that he will bless a family that will bless all the nations…
So when he is preaching, he is describing the blessed life in order that we might become these things and bless the nations

He is also the son of David… and do you remember the promise from our Isaiah series

That a child is born, a son given who would reign on the throne of David, whose government and peace would know no end.
So in preaching he is blessing us and showing the citizens of his kingdom what life is like under his reign

And further, in Matthew 1 we are told the preacher of the Sermon on the Mount is named Immanuel which means “God with us” in fulfilment of Isaiah prophecy.

Now that is a reason for his sermon to carry authority… this is God with us, speaking.

Matthew tells us through John the Baptist that the preacher of the sermon on the Mount is Lord and will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So the preachers sermon should have authority, should cleanse us and should refine us with fire!

And when Jesus gets baptized a voice from heaven is heard saying “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”
If this is true and it is God’s son, we should listen to his sermon.

The preacher on the mount is also the one who knows and overcomes temptation…

Matthew tells us in chapter 4 that he goes into the desert for 40 days where he is tested.

And the preacher of the sermon on the mount Jesus of Nazareth stands against the evil one and resists…
So when he preaches… he knows temptation and wants us to stand too…
Where we are weak, here is one who is strong who can help us.

This preacher is light in the darkness…

Matthew tells us later in chapter 4 that he is Isaiah’s fulfilment of the promise “the people living in darkness have seen a great light.”

So this preachers words should act like light piercing the darkness of our souls.
His entire life should act as a light that guides and saves us
His words will have the authority to rescue us from darkness into his kingdom of light.

This preacher is the one who brings the kingdom of heaven into our broken world.

Matthew tells us in chapter 4:17 that from that time on Jesus began to preach “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

That is Jesus message! The sermon on the Mount is calling us into life in the Kingdom of heaven!
So the preacher is God with us, establishing his righteous kingdom in the middle of human history…
That is why the preacher of the sermon also heals the sick and delivers people from evil…
He is driving out the broken kingdoms we belong to and establishing heaven on earth.
So his message is repent because God’s kingdom has come near…
Startling news… turn around and embrace this preacher and his message… and his kingdom will emerge in you and the world… whoa!

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

17 “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.18 For truly I tell you, 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.19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.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.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 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 swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

(pause)

What struck you today as you heard the greatest sermon from the greatest preacher who ever lived?

When I first wrestled with the sermon on the mount it was always 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Holy Moly… what do you do with that.
But I want to suggest that it is not a command, it’s a promise… The original Greek here is in the future imperative…
Seldom used and hard to render into English
Inclination is to make it a commandment… be ye perfect…
Properly translated – you will be perfect… it’s a promise… you will be these kind of people because you are following me…

The way to fulfilling this promise is also found in the sermon on the mount.

5:3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God (so recognize)
6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. (so humility and hunger)

As I finish and I am finished… 3 options in regard to Alpha and faith in general…

Not for me… thanks for coming this morning…
I’m not quite there… but I’d like to hear more… and I want to encourage you to join us at Alpha this Wednesday night at 7pm, here at the church. You’d be so welcome.
But there may also be some who want to respond right now…. Your heart has been beating as you’ve heard the good news… and while I’d still love you to come to Alpha…

I’d love to give you an opportunity to respond right now!

Matthew 14:22-33 Sermon – Active Faith

In this sermon Kirrily encourages us to step into an active faith in 2022, she walks us through Peter walking on water with Jesus and the lessons we can learn about trusting God, responding to His call and stepping out of our comfort zone for God!

Sermon preached by Kirrily Smeallie on Sunday January 30, 2022.