Sermon on the Mount – Part 8. Pastor Jim Erwin
August 11, 2019
Sermon on the Mount-Matt 7:21–23; Micah 6:6-8
Here we are in the month of August-and the big question around this time of year-is how is the grass doing in your yard? Who has lush, thick green grass? Who has miserable, dead brown grass-or just a bunch of weeds? My other big question is how do the weeds stay green-but the grass doesn’t? It’s the same amount of rain-big mystery! But I’m sure you’re not needing to mow your grass a lot right now unless you’re faithfully watering it or have a sprinkler system. There’s a spot in our yard where you walk on the grass and it sort of crunches and crackles. Now I realize that we get more rain here than lots of other parts the country. When we lived in TX all yards were definitely dead and brown at this point in the summer. But I came across a very interesting article that gave a simple, easy and inexpensive solution for green lawns-and it’s this product-grass paint. Anybody ever bought any of this? I watched some Youtube videos and this is a real thing in CA and AZ-like a thriving business-lawn painting. Check out some of these photos. And that company-Lawnlift-claims to be the leading seller of lawn paint. It says its nontoxic for people or pets, won’t hurt your grass-and when it does actually rain-it won’t wash away. Their website says-It’s like a facelift for your lawn-transform your lawn in minutes! And they have a link to an LA Times story on their website which says it makes lawns look freakishly good and cuts your water bill in half. That’s quite an endorsement. Although article on lawn painting called it useful within the 10ft rule-that from 10ft away it looks good-but up close you can tell it’s just painted grass that’s still dead. So that’s your summer lawn care tip-go paint your grass.
But isn’t that how a lot of people try to live their Christian lives? They want to look good in front of others or even attempt to look good before God-so they act in certain ways or display an air of godliness on the surface, they say all the right things and try to keep themselves from bad things; they go through all the “Christian” exercises-but all the while they’re still dead inside. At a glance people may be fooled by the person’s actions, or by their words or deeds-but up close they can’t hide the truth. Driving by you may just see a beautiful green lawn-but when get close up inside the 10ft radius you realize that it’s just painted grass. So is that what we do? Do we just paint the outside of our lives-while ignoring the inside? Are we just trying to fix the symptoms without getting to the root of the problem? Is there real transformation in our lives as followers of Christ or is it only a façade, a masquerade? This is what we’ve been talking about these past few weeks in Matthew. Jesus wants us to look past the outside and go right to our hearts and examine the transformation that is or isn’t taking place.
So turn in your Bibles to Matt 7 as we continue in the Sermon on the Mount. These verses pick right back up where we left off. Last week we read in v. 17-20. What’s on the outside of your life reveals what’s on the inside. But listen to how Jesus continues-talking about people who wrongly focus on the outside and make that their source of confidence before God. v. 21-22. And it’s this last one-mighty works-that the world seems to try over and over. Lord, we’ve helped the poor, fed the homeless, we’ve loved the unlovable, we’ve done mighty things-made great sacrifices-surely you must be pleased. And here’s Jesus reply-v.23-. Ultimately, Jesus takes all those mighty works and casts them aside. It’s just lawn painting-He says-it’s trying to look good by doing good stuff and that’s not what I’m after. So notice what’s necessary-I never knew you. The admission price into heaven-if I dare call it that-is not what you do, it’s who you know. Don’t they say that about job interviews-it’s who you know? Or about getting a deal on something-it’s who you know? Good works, mighty works, great sacrifice are nothing on their own. The good works God is looking for are those that result from relationship with Him-not the other way around. Too many people think good works will create that relationship with God, but God is first of all saying, “Know Me” and then let your works shine before men. Jesus said the one who enters the kingdom of heaven is the one who “does the will of my Father” and how do you know God’s will but through a relationship with Him-and that begins by faith-not trusting in yourself to be saved-but trusting in God alone who’s able to save you. He desires a relationship, not religion. He desires your heart that’s surrendered to Him, not just your hands trying to serve Him.
I want you to flip backwards in your Bible-we’ll return to Matt 7 later on in the message-but I want us to see an important OT passage that addresses this same issue. Turn to Micah 6. It’s right near the end of the OT-shortly after Daniel and Jonah. But we want to observe the responses to two questions that Micah asks about this. The first question is found in chapter 6 and asks Pt1:What does God require? Another way to ask it is-What pleases God? How should I approach God-what does He want from me? Isn’t that a question all of us have asked before? That’s the question everybody’s asked at some point-Okay God, if you’re out there. If you made the world and you made me-then what do you want from me? This is what Micah wants to know-v.6a. He knows that God is big and powerful-He dwells on high-meaning the heavens, in a realm far above us. So he doesn’t want to come before God empty-handed-he knows he needs to bring Him something. The guys in Matthew were trying to bring all their good deeds and mighty works. Micah wants to know what will please God? So he list a few suggestions-v.6b. He’s basically asking-Shall I bring to God what the Law requires? Will that please God?
It might have been a while since you’ve read Leviticus in your devotions, but Leviticus 1 details how people were to bring burnt offerings before the Lord. That was the OT law and it communicated how God is pleased with the offerings-but the book of Micah was written about seven hundred years later. The people of God had a long time to consider what God found acceptable. Between Leviticus and Micah much of God’s Word was written so they had a long time to learn that just the offering all by itself wasn’t enough. It was only surface paint; lawn paint. Burnt offerings were once aspect of God’s Law that served as a foreshadowing for the once-for-all offering of Jesus. And as it relates to us-a burnt offering is ultimately about the condition of our hearts-and whether we’re someone surrendered to the Lord or just trying to prove our worth to Him. So listen to how Micah continues asking-v.7a. Micah’s really uping the ante here-that would be lot of rams and oil for one person-could you imagine a huge pile of sacrificial rams stacked up or vats and vats of oil poured out like a river? Micah is saying-If I take this sacrificial concept to the nth degree, will it earn even greater favor with God? If I do something really spectacular, will God be amazed with me and treat me as one of His favorites? And so he concludes by asking-v.7b. And now Micah’s literally gone for broke-What if I offer up the most precious thing I have-my son. If I sacrifice him, Lord, will you be pleased? And of course the answer is no. God doesn’t desire child sacrifice, for not even Abraham ultimately sacrificed Isaac. But in each of these suggestions, Micah has increased the sacrifice-going from a simple burnt offering to thousands of rams to rivers of oil to his own child-but he’s really trying to get at the heart of the question, What does God require? What is the admission price? What can I do? And that is where Micah shows his cards-because he wants to expose the hypocrisy of his people who act religious on the outside-but on the inside are far from God. Those who are simply painting their lawns, not actually watering them.
Now, you and I don’t offer burnt offerings and sacrifices today-but we can sure live with this same mindset. It’s easy to think God’s pleased with us because we’ve lived fairly well and aren’t as bad as somebody else. I would never do that, Lord. Look who I am and what I’m doing. You know I would never do that stuff people around me are doing. Our natural inclination-our default mode-is to bring our goodness before God-hold it out in our hands-and say-How about this Lord? That’s what Micah is suggesting, that’s what the people were doing in Matt 7-Lord, Lord look at all these mighty things we did for you! But that wasn’t the answer there-Jesus said depart from me, I never knew you-and it isn’t the answer here in Micah. Look at what God says-v. 8a. Same question again-What does God require-and now we get to the right answer-v.8b. Yes-God desires that His people do works-good works filled with justice and compassion and mercy-but the source of those works is not ourselves but through Him, it’s by living in a close, saving relationship with the Lord day by day, moment by moment. Pt1:What does God require? Not an outer display of good works but an inward, humble relationship with Him.
This phrase walk humbly with your God is so real and relational. You can’t fake it. Either you do or don’t walk humbly with God. Think about that phrase for a moment-walk humbly with your God. When you call up a friend to go for a walk at the park or on a nature trail it’s because you have a relationship with them, because you know them and spend the time on the walk-talking and interacting with them and catching up. Walking with someone isn’t usually done in silence-that would be awkward if no one said a word but just hiked and then said walk’s done-bye! Likewise it’s awkward to walk with a stranger. If you’re at the park for a walk and someone you don’t know sidles up and starts walking with you-you’d wonder what that’s all about-this is creepy. You walk with someone you know-and that’s exactly what this verse is communicating. You walk humbly with your God because you have a relationship with your God. It doesn’t mean wandering off on your own-to do the things you think will please God. It doesn’t mean you and God have an understanding and you already know what He wants so there’s no need to check in and talk with Him. It means daily speaking to Lord and surrendering your heart to Him. It means continuously saying-May Your will be done in my life. May I know you and walk with you. It means humbly asking God to change you so that His character is uniquely and beautifully displayed in you. Following Christ isn’t about displaying the façade of some moral or religious standard; following Christ is about being changed from the inside out to display Christ and reflect Him to the world around you. You’re not trying to prove something to God or earn His favor or do a bunch of religious deeds you think God wants to see. You’re humbly walking with Him, humbly surrendered to Him so He can transform you because let’s be honest for all of us-what’s on the outside isn’t good. God needs to transform us from the inside out.
Here’s a picture of what’s considered the nation’s ugliest Starbucks-and thankfully it’s not in NY but in LA. Apparently a journalist for the ABC affiliate tweeted the phrase-the most depressing Starbucks in America. He went on to say it’s built like a concrete prison hut with mis-matched windows, only 4 parking spaces of which the handicapped spot is furthest from the door, and a dark outdoor patio that feels really claustrophobic. But another reviewer upon going inside said it’s still Starbucks. The outside may be a sad little place-but inside it’s like all the other Starbucks and that’s what matters-same coffee, same frappuccinos. And God is saying to us that what’s on the inside matters. Don’t get all caught up in maintaining some outside facade-let Him work on your heart. Consider the reverse-what about a restaurant that serves really bad food and consistently gets negative reviews. Does giving the outside of the building a facelift change the food quality? Not at all-they need to work inside on what’s happening in the kitchen. It’s the same thing as a painted lawn. Forget the paint-work on watering and fertilizing the grass. But that’s what people forget or neglect in their spiritual lives. They try so hard to appear good on the outside, but never let the inside get fixed. People can talk all about the Bible and how much they know or the verses they’ve memorized, but if it’s not lived out it doesn’t matter. Good works, mighty works, great sacrifices on their own are useless. That’s not what God requires as Micah has pointed out. Those things are just window dressing. Pt1. Too many people think good works will make them acceptable to God, but God is first of all saying, Know Me, walk with Me and then let your works be displayed. Tchividjian, 118 The desires of our heart are only changed by bowing before God and allowing Him to change you. It comes from a heart of humble repentance. Okay, Lord, I’ve made lots of mistakes, I’m a mess-only you can fix me.
And when you pray like that God begins the slow and often painful process of shaping you. He chisels and cuts and sands away at your life-much like Michelangelo shaped and molded his famous sculptures. He knew the masterpieces he was creating and God does too because His goal is to shape your heart and center it on Him. Listen to the desire of David-Ps 139:23-24. That’s a heart that is humble and willing to submit to God. And that isn’t the prayer request of the spiritually elite. That’s what God’s wants each of His followers saying. If you’ve trusted in Him-that ought to be the cry of your heart. Quite honesty, God loves you too much not to shape you and transform you. Your heart is where everything flows from. It’s the fountainhead-so if your heart is bad, everything else is bad-much like a bad tree produces bad fruit-but if God changes your heart then everything else slowly but surely begins to change.
Look back at 6:8b–to act justly-there’s the fruit being displayed-and to love mercy-there’s the heart. Do you have a heart that loves mercy? Now I’m willing to say that I have a heart that tolerates mercy. Fine, I’ll forgive them-but if truth be told I’m not very happy about it! I’m only forgiving because God says I’m supposed to-I’d rather make them pay! Have you found yourself thinking or saying that? Or you say-Fine, I’ll show mercy-but just this once-because they really should be getting what they deserve. Have you thought that too? Which is the opposite of mercy-because by definition mercy is people not getting what they deserve. I’ll be honest, when it comes to the people in our lives I’m not so sure that we love mercy-we want people to pay. Yet ironically, what’s the first thing we want when we make a mistake? Mercy! Sorry, I messed up-just forgive me this once-won’t happen again. Or we come to God begging His mercy for the countless times we sin, yet turn around and show no mercy to the person who sins against us.
It reminds me of the parable that Jesus told about the man who was forgiven an insurmountable debt by the judge. It was an amount he could never hope of repaying because it was so huge-it was unbelievable mercy. Yet on his way home, he refused to show mercy and forgive a guy who owed him a few bucks. And Jesus is saying that this guy has completely missed the truth of what it means to be a Christian. He was all talk, bowing before the judge, thanking him for his mercy-but when it came time to reveal a changed heart and show mercy-there was nothing there. God’s mercy and forgiveness, made sense in his head, but it had not penetrated his heart. What about you? Has His mercy penetrated your heart? Or are you just all talk-and actually unwilling to show mercy? Micah 6:8b Are you doing that? Does this verse describe you? Are you starting to love mercy? And maybe you ask, Why does it matter so much? Why is loving mercy so important? Because it beautifully reflects the character of God. Showing mercy to someone who doesn’t deserve it is what God does to you and me. And that’s what He calls us to do for others.
I want you to see the second question that Micah asks, this time in chapter 7:18a. Pause there a moment-Pt2:Who is a God like You? Of course, this question has been asked many times in Scripture-God, who are You? What are you like? And the answers are many-the God of the Heavens, the God of Creation, the infinite and sovereign God, the God who is holy and just. All correct-but Micah has a certain answer in mind-look at how he continues-v.18a-b. When you read that word pardons maybe you think of presidential pardons-criminals being forgiven their crimes and you weigh in your mind whether the person should be pardoned or not. Whether they should be set free from prison and released into society. You desire justice to be displayed and wonder if it is when pardons are given. But here is the God of perfect justice, the God who defines justice, granting pardons, passing over and looking beyond your mistakes failures. And that’s what Micah is praising-v.18. Ponder the depth of those words. Have you ever stayed angry at someone? Have you ever held a grudge or remained bitter at someone who lets you down? Have you said-Enough’s enough, I’m done-and your anger maintains a wall that stops-and basically severs-the relationship? No doubt there are times when separation from someone is necessary, when reconciliation isn’t possible and enough is enough. But that should be the exception-not the norm-because you can’t miss what Micah is saying. God’s anger does not create a permanent wall between He and you. No matter what you’ve done, God does not forever cast you aside-because He delights in mercy. The ESV says, steadfast love and, oh, how you can thank Him for that word “steadfast.” God’s love isn’t conditional-if you sin once too many times you’re done for, if you keep making the same mistake God says game over, you’re out. Not at all! God’s love continues through thick and thin, through your ups and downs, despite all your failures-it’s steadfast. God delights to show mercy. I said we often begrudgingly show mercy, we frustratingly show mercy and do so out of obligation-if I have to-God delights in showing mercy!
Micah continues this thought-v.19a. Again and again and again-not 3 strikes you’re out-but continual compassion. And Micah uses some great word pictures to help us visualize God’s forgiveness and pardon of our sins-v.19b. To tread our sin under his foot-this is like when you go and squish a bug or a spider with your foot to make sure it’s dead. When we lived in Texas the cockroaches could get pretty big-you had to really tread them under your foot to make sure they wouldn’t scurry away. There was this one in our apartment that I hit with my shoe and it kept going. This was a solid hit-and this guy was still going! I had to hit it again to squash it! And in the same way, God treads your sin with His foot until it’s squashed. He doesn’t want guilt or condemnation to sneak back on you. Look at Rom 8:1. Poetically God hurls your sin into the depths of the sea-to the deepest and most remote place you can conceive of. In actuality it means that your sins are forgiven by God because they’re literally nailed to the cross with Jesus. How much more could they be destroyed than that? So Pt2:Who is a God like you? Not a God who holds your mistakes over you, but mercifully and completely forgives you. Let me ask a question. What would happen if a friend came over to your house and then accidentally smashes a lamp. They knock it over-boom, destroyed. There’s two options-either you can make your friend pay for it-Okay, it was $50-pay up. Or you can say-I forgive you, don’t worry about it. And to be nice maybe you’d do that-you don’t want a lamp ruining your friendship-but what happens to the broken lamp? Obviously you don’t want to sit in a dark house-so by forgiving your friend that means you have to replace it yourself by paying $50 for a new lamp. Either your friend pays the cost for what happened or you absorb the cost by forgiving him. But either way-somebody pays-and when it comes to forgiveness the cost always falls on the one doing the forgiveness. And that’s exactly what happened to Jesus. In order to forgive us He had to pay the price, He Himself had to suffer and absorb the cost. When we read here in Micah how God hurls our sin into the depths sea-that’s only possible because of the cross. Look at these other OT verses describing our forgiveness-Ps 103:12; Isa 1:18; Jer 31:34. All possible because of Jesus. You see Jesus delighted in mercy. He delighted in mercy so much, that He was willing to suffer and die-because only through His mercy will you or I ever be forgiven and saved. Back to Pt2.
So here’s the big question-do you delight in mercy? Would the attitude of God’s heart be reflected in your heart? Do you delight to show mercy or do you dread showing mercy? Ask yourself that question. But when you delight to show mercy, when you readily and willingly show mercy you are displaying the very heart of what Jesus has done on your behalf. Eph 4:32. Who is it that you need to forgive? Who needs to see mercy from you? Is there someone you’ve been unwilling to forgive for a long time? Is there an old wound, an old wrong that you just can let go? Yes, forgiveness is hard, it’s painful, there’s a cost to bear. Because forgiveness doesn’t mean you just forget what someone did to you. Not at all. God’s omniscient and knowing all things. He knows exactly what your sins have done, but as He stares down at your sins, He chooses to forgive them because Christ paid for them. Bridges, 61. When you forgive someone you know exactly what they did, but as you stare that wrong in the face, you choose to forgive and remember it no more. You no longer hold it against them, you’re no longer shackled by the anger and bitterness of that wrong. You absorb the cost when you don’t make the other person pay. And that isn’t easy-but it’s so worthwhile. Forgiveness is the road to freedom, it’s the road to reconciliation. We were reconciled to God precisely because He forgave us. May you be reconciled to others as you forgive them. May joy and peace, not resentment, flood your soul. Forgiveness and mercy are what God requires because when you display those qualities your life begins to display Christ. And that’s the very reason for which God saved you-Eph 5:1-2.
Here this morning-you can agree with that in theory, but will you live it out in reality? What difference does your relationship with Christ actually make in your life? Would the people around you see that difference? Is the core of your heart being changed and transformed to resemble Christ? Or is it just a façade? Back to our illustration-Do you have a painted lawn or a purified heart? Micah 6:8 And that is what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7. Flip back there as we finish because the Lord doesn’t want religion, He wants a relationship. He’s not after good deeds, but humble devotion. He wants our hearts surrendered to Him as we walk with Him. It’s not what we’ve done for Jesus that saves us-it’s what He’s done for us that we trust in. Matt 7:21-23. Are you relying upon the works that you’ve done to save you-or are you relying upon the relationships you have with Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you walk humbly with your God?
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