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We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. Now look in chapter five. Chapter five, it makes a statement in verse one, and seeing the multitude, he went up into a mountain. When he was set his disciples came to him, he opened his mouth and taught them in saying, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs of the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Goes all the way down through here, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed. Did you know that he has to do all of this that he’s telling them they should do. Whatever it is, he commands them as a man he has to do too. He has to do everything perfectly. He cannot mess up in any way, shape, or form. So as you go through, he’s talking about, there is gonna be the kingdom of heaven upon this earth.

He came to rule. Now, he hasn’t been rejected yet. He hasn’t been crucified yet. His offer of the kingdom was legitimate. Him as the king, he met the criteria. He was to speak in parables which he did. He had to keep the law which he did. There was no reason for them not to accept him as the king, but they didn’t accept him. And so he makes the statement as he goes through chapter five, all these things that deals with your heart, your love, the way you treat others, how they treat you and what you do in response.

Because you see, like he says up here in verse eight, Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers in verse nine. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All this has to do with the kingdom of heaven, that rule upon the earth. And you see, to enter into the kingdom of heaven, without dying, well then you had to earn the right to get in. Because you see, you had to be perfect.

Nobody’s perfect. So he uses the law to show that nobody, nobody is as righteous as he is. No one could point their finger at him at any time and say, you’re not qualified. He was the only one that was. And so he would show scripture over and over again that they should know and understand. Now look there in chapter five and verse 17. Verse seven he says, think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to what?

To fulfill the law. That means every jot and every tittle, every little spy, everything that the law says, he has to do it all. And he’s talking about also that the word of God is such that it cannot be broken. The Word of God is not to be contaminated, corrupted in any way. The Word of God is perfect. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. In verse 18, for barely I sinned to you till heaven and earth passed, one jot or one tittle, shall it no wise pass from the law to all be fulfilled.

So when Jesus Christ came, he not only has to keep the law, he has to fulfill all the law says in the prophets, prophets and in the Psalms concerning Him. When He came, He has to fulfill, and that’s why over and over again you see all these references to the Old Testament as it is written, as it is written. It was fulfilled. It means it was prophesied, and so when Christ come, He has to perfectly fulfill every prophecy. I mean, fulfill means fill it full, and then nothing left that has to be done.

Now there are some prophecies that deal with the future, But this is talking about concerning the Messiah, where He was born, how He would live. What they would do to him, I would think his righteous branched in which there would be no flaws whatsoever. He would be the perfect lamb for the sins of the world. No flaw could be found in him. So as you go through here and you see all of this, some good teaching. That’s why in verse 20 he says, but I send to you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees.

You shall know wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. How is the normal person going to be and live better than the Pharisees who knew the law, but didn’t keep the law? Because they had added so many more laws and he makes a statement in the book of Matthew later on. He says there are a bunch of hypocrites. He says they won’t lift their little pinky to help anybody to do anything for anybody. They do whatever they do to be seen of men.

He said, they make broad, they file factories and so forth. And he says, they do all this in the dress and their long prayers to be seen of men. He says, I hypocrite. It’s not because they love God or because they love them. They love the praise of man. They do it to be seen of man. So they didn’t like Jesus because he revealed their hypocrisy and he called it, says, this is what they’re really like. like a white esperika.

It’s beautiful on the outside, but inside is dead men’s bones. Talking about the religious leaders of his day. Do we have anybody like that today? Yes. Beautiful on the outside. Say all these wonderful things, but inside is dead men’s bones. Stinks to high heaven, because they do it to be seen of man. They want everybody to like them. So, look what he says. Here in verse 21, ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill.

Where’s that thou shalt not kill? I know it’s in the Old Testament somewhere. In fact, I like clue. That’s one of the law, thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you, you see, not only must Jesus not kill, he cannot get angry in an unjustifiable without cause, manner. That’s why what he’s talking about is the purpose behind thou shalt not kill. Why would you kill? Because you’re mad and you’re angry and you’re filled with vengeance and that deals with your attitude.

It means that there’s somebody you don’t love cause now you’re filled with hate. So you see, it’s more than just thou shalt not kill. When Jesus was here, He had to show the other part of Him, the temperance, the attitude, the motive. They couldn’t find fault in anything Jesus said and did. But do you remember when He got angry? Remember He says, be angry and sin not? He did get angry and He took some cords and He beat those money changes out of the temple.

He says, you have taken my Father’s house of prayer and changed it into a den of thieves. Well, I love this man Jesus. He was a man’s man. He was no sissy. But as you go down through here and it says, the law says, or as it was written, but I say unto you. See what he says here in verse 27, ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. See, he’s referring to the law.

He not only has to know the law, he has to quote the law, tell them what it says and what it means. And the way to keep from committing adultery is not to lust after other women. He says, if you’re lust after a woman in your heart, you’ve already committed adultery in your mind. Say it doesn’t say that. Oh, well, I haven’t finished reading. You see there in verse 28, but I say unto you, whose sort of a looketh on a woman to lust after her have committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So he’s requiring perfection. You see, if you’re going to keep the law, you can’t even lust after him. That’s a sin. So he goes down through here, he keeps referring to one thing over the other thing. Look, under the law and in the book of Romans in chapter 7, he says, I speak to them that know the law. Not everybody knows the law. But to the Jewish people that lived at this time they were supposed to know the law.

He even had to rebuke Nicodemus because it says, you’ve been a teacher in Israel and know if not these things? Look what he says. Look down there in verse 31, it hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committed adultery. You say, well, what does that mean?

Well, under the law, the reason it was still adultery was for the simple reason God didn’t recognize the divorce. If he doesn’t recognize the divorce in God’s eyes, they’re still married and you’re not supposed to marry another married woman. So how simple it is. But that’s under the law and showing you, buddy, God is very stringent concerning the law of right and wrong. We all sin, we all come short of doing things to grade God says. So he says, but I say unto you, that means that he couldn’t do any of these things that he’s telling them they can’t do.

He’s showing them really what the law really requires and how far you have missed the mark. And as you go there in verse 38 he makes this statement, you have heard it has been said, I for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Somebody says, well, if it’s an eye for an eye, after a while the world will be blind. In other words, you knock out my eye, I have the right to knock out your eye. That’s brotherly love.

Now that was the law. But he said, I say unto you. Ooh. He said in verse 13, but I say unto you that you resist not evil. In other words, you let them do you wrong. Ooh. But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. What did they do to Jesus? Did they smite him? What did he do? Help yourself. He had to keep the law. He couldn’t break the law. I am so glad I’m not living under the law.

See what? You hit me, I’m just liable to wanna hit you back. This is a different time referring to the kingdom of heaven, because when he sets up his kingdom, he will literally be here, and he’ll take care of everything, you just trust him. He will rule with a rod of iron, the Bible says. That ought to be pretty strange. You know, the world today is ready for somebody to come on the scene and really do a number on this world.

We are in a mess because you see, we don’t have people today that respect the law, respect God’s law. So it’s every man for himself, do whatever you wanna do. And whenever you don’t have self-discipline, you’re going to have imposed discipline, and government is going to impose more and more laws, rules and regulations until you can’t move. That’s another sermon for another time. But look at in verse 43, you have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, love your enemies. See, he has to go further than that. Because the love your neighbor isn’t just love your good neighbor, but you have to love your neighbor regardless of what your neighbor is like. And during the kingdom, that’s to what God going to require. But see, we’ll have glorified bodies. We won’t have a problem.

They might go out of that. But the time is coming. Christ had to keep the law perfectly. He has to know the law, the motive of the law. Everything the law requires. That’s why what he is saying is so enlightening to what these people have ever heard Because you see the Pharisees wouldn’t teach this And you’ll get that in chapter 21 22 and 23 But look what else he says here He says in verse 45 that you may be the children of your father in other words to be the children of the Father This is what you have to do under the law it’s do and you shall get under grace it’s done.

Under law do this, do, do, do. And no man could qualify with his own righteousness. That’s why he told him in chapter 5 verse 20, he says, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes of the Pharisee, he shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. God really requires but notice something else he says here. In verse 45 where he says, because it deals a little bit with the subject of loving your neighbor. That you may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven, for he makeeth his son to rise on the evil and the good, and send it rain on the just and the unjust.

Our look up here. The sun shines, but it only shines upon the saved. Does the sunshine also on the unsafe? When it rains, it just rains upon our garden. It doesn’t rain upon the lost man’s gardens. Now God is showing you how good he is. And if God can show goodness and kindness to evil people, he can let the sunshine upon his children and those that are not. the just and the unjust. He can let it rain upon the good and the bad.

So in comparison, if you want to be like the Father, do the same. You’d be nice to those who are believers and you’d be nice to those who are not believers. You’d be nice to your friends and you’d be nice to your enemies. How you doing? Don’t answer. How long has it been since you wanted to take that husband you’re just slap his jaws. You say this morning. Now, and how many times would kids love to just who’s against standard parents?

Oh, I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. And God says, love thy mother and father. How you doing? Children obey your parents and the Lord for this is right. You say, yeah, right. How are we doing? Are we keeping the law? And yet, you know, the Bible says in the book of 1 Timothy 1, there are those who want to teach the law. They neither understand the law nor affirm what they’re saying and they don’t know what they’re doing.

They want to teach the law as a means of salvation. Would you like to meet the qualifications of keeping the law? You want to try all of this? And so Christ uses the law to show the impossibility of a man saving himself, but also at the same time establishing the fact that he did because he has to love the way he’s supposed to love. And so when the enemy wants to destroy him, he let him. When they wanted to slap him, he let him.

They spit in his face. He let him. When they put a crown of thorns on his head, he let him. You see, you’re not, we wouldn’t stood there for that. If that had been me, I’d have come down off the cross. I’d have zapped every one of them, went back up. Now look what he says in verse 46. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you, this is talking about how do you love your neighbor.

If you only love those that love you, he says, what have you done? You ain’t got anything. Why should you get rewarded for loving those that love you? love you. Rewards for those when you love them and you know they don’t love you. When they’re mean to you and hateful to you and you love them in spite of that. That’s what you get rewarded for. So then he makes a statement there in verse 48, be therefore perfect. Now, I know it’s easy for us to say and sometimes maybe it will mean, it just means be mature.

be therefore mature, even as your Father which is in heaven is mature. Or maybe it means be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. And later on you’ll find out there is nobody perfect except the Lord. Now very quickly I just want to, because I got to quit sometime today, you know, you say, well, we’re going to finish Matthew today, not exactly. there in chapter 19. Chapter 19, look in verse 16. In verse 16, be whole.

One came and said to Him, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? Oh, now he came to the right person, asked the right question, and what did he get an answer? And verse 17, Jesus said to him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, and that is God, but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments. He said, what must I do? Well, this is all you have to do.

It’s just keep the commandments. What does that mean? Be perfect. Keep it perfectly. Because he makes the statement in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 that you have to keep the law in all points, every point, and continue thou in all things. What’s the work of the law says? Whatever it demands, you have to They keep all of it continually. How you doing? So he says in verse 18, then Seth unto him, which? So when he says, why call a style me good?

There’s none good but God. He wanted him to recognize that either Jesus is good because he’s God and because he’s God, that’s why he’s good. But anyway, he says, thou shall do no murder, thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, on thy father, thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Hey, all you gotta do is just keep the law. And he knew something was still missing. In verse 20, the young men said unto him, all these things have I kept from my youth.

What lack I yet? Is anything keeping me? In verse 21, Jesus said unto him, if thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hath. Give to the poor, thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. That’s simple. You see, that was a sin of covetousness. You see, in the other ones up there, he didn’t mention covetous. Thou shalt not covet? Jesus knew how this was gonna go. He waited until he got through and then he slapped him upside the head with the thou shalt not covet.

He covet his treasures. And then he says in verse 20, but when the young man heard that sin, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Jesus said unto him unto his disciples, barely asked any of you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of God. Didn’t say it was impossible, But most rich people trust their riches instead of trusting the Lord. Most people, that’s why they’re talking about one of the signs of John the Baptist is that the poor had the gospel preached to them.

You see, poor people don’t stand much of a chance in this whole world. And so they’re usually open to the good news of how to have the free gift of eternal life. Rich folks think I don’t need God. I’m self-sufficient, but he goes further than that. He makes a statement down in verse 25. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved? Because it sounded like Jesus is requiring, you gotta be perfect. Exactly what he was saying.

And Jesus said this, in verse 26, Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men, this is what? It is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. So it is impossible for a man to save himself by the law, by trying to be good, trying to earn your way to heaven. So the book of Matthew must show Jesus Christ keeping the law in every area. He must quote the law. He has to demonstrate the law, illustrate the law to such a way that people know he knew it, he kept it, not only just the main course things, but also all the little things underneath it.

He had to demonstrate how he loved the father as the motive of why he did what he did and also that his love for the neighbor. And that’s why all this is in here. That’s why if you look at the book of Matthew and you go to it, man, if you’ve got to do all this, man, I’ll never make it. Well, this shows you’ve got to work for your salvation. And in lo and behold, you have the book of John.

He that believe it. But he lets you know that man cannot save himself. It is impossible. That’s why Christ came, kept the law perfectly. And because he had no sin, he was the perfect Lamb of God, without spot, without blemish. And he died on the cross and paid for the sins of the whole world. Do you know when it makes a statement, Thou art my beloved son and whom I well please? Later on, Thou art my beloved son and whom I well please?

But when he took the sins of the world upon himself, God the Father turned his back. Why has Thou forsaken me? Because He had the sins of the world. You see, the thing is, when you die without trusting Christ as your Savior, say, you are forsaken for all eternity. But Christ was forsaken for you if you believe He did it for you. He died, He’s already paid for your sins. You don’t have to pay for sin. It’s already been done.

It is an eternal payment that was made once and for all, past, present, future, one payment by Christ for the sins of the whole world. And all that we have to do is believe He did it for us, and He would give us as a free gift of our lasting life. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. Waller represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, hates our sin. But we don’t see sometimes how bad sin is until he reveals the law and says, this is the righteousness I require.

And sometimes we think we’re doing pretty good. You see, I didn’t think I was that bad when I was 18 years old, because I didn’t drink and I didn’t smoke. I didn’t curse. And I tried to live a pretty good life. I thought I’m good to go. And then my father-in-law sat down with me one night and explained the gospel to me. And when he got to explaining how I had to be perfect, I stood up and I began to cry.

So I knew then. I am going to hell. And that night I trusted Christ as my Savior. I thought I was all right until I got through with His explanation. God requires perfection. And we have all sinned and come short of God’s perfection. And God says to go to heaven, we have to be perfect, because righteous God, none of us are perfect. And by our works will never be good enough. you will never in your life be able to live according to the standards written in this book.

And just what you read in the book of Matthew alone, you can’t do it. That’s why it’s impossible for you to save yourself. That’s why we all needed a Savior. So just in represent Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God, enough, I came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin, because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. So he was a perfect Lamb of God, a substitute, a sacrifice for ours.

He died in our place, came back from the dead and said that if we would believe that he did it for us, he would put this payment to your account, you get to go to heaven. I get to go to heaven. Anybody can go to heaven if you’ll simply believe he did it for you. Isn’t that simple? You see, you don’t have to try to work your way to heaven. You don’t have to go to church to go to heaven.

You don’t have to give money to go to heaven All you got to do is believe that when he died he did it for you And if you’ll trust him as your savior, he will give you as a free gift everlasting life Never cast you out and never lose you the best news in all the world. Let’s pray shall it? With every head down there be I close and no one looking around If you’ve never trusted Christ as your savior friend, would you do it right now?

I’m not going to have you stand up and come forward. Or if you’re watching by internet, understand the right where you are. The only thing that you have to do is will you believe he did it for you? Would you believe he did it for you? Do you see the hopelessness, the helplessness of trying to save yourself? Thinking that your good works are going to get you to heaven. It won’t help. Would you right now? And the quietness of this moment says, I don’t understand at all, but I know I’m a sinner.

I believe Christ died, paid for my sin, and I will trust him right now as my Savior. right now as my Savior. If you’re making that decision, I’d like to know it, and I’d like to have prayer for you. So I’m going to ask you with head by night, close. If you’ll trust Christ as your Savior, if you’re just sleeping in it very quickly, but it right back down, is there anyone at all before we close? So that made sense to me, and I will trust Christ as my only hope of going to heaven.

If you’ve never done it before, would you do it right now? Anyone at all? Anyone at all? Our Father, we thank You so much for this time together. For the opportunity you’ve given us to come together and to study your Word. I know this is maybe a difficult message for people to wrap their minds around. But it’s your Word and I pray that you’ll give them understanding. We thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us. Ask your blessings upon each family.

Christ’s name, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free. One, 800-576-3771. That’s one, 800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again, or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, Just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.