What the World Needs Now - Humble Bridge-Builders, Part 1

How can we stop the hate and the violence we see happening across America and across the world. We see it in homes. We see it on the streets. We see it in the media. What's Jesus answer to this hate and violence stay with me yesterday.

Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your finger tips are Bible teacher. This international discipleship program and friendships new series called what the world needs now as we continue, let me ask you for the most influential speakers these days, politicians, movie stars, sports heroes coming who speaks people really listen you know when you get in the Scripture passage after passage that goes something like large crowds followed Jesus. The crowds were amazed fact is the time Jesus was a rock star masses of people followed him everywhere.

Not only did he do miracles, but they hung on his every word. What is that have to do with today were about to hear what Jesus had to say. Time of greater tension and political strife airstrip with part one of this message with the world needs now is humble bridge builders. Matthew chapter 5 can ask you to do something a little bit different. The mind is a very very powerful tool and you actually have the ability to begin thinking thoughts that will bring pictures of people that you love to your mind but I want you to visualize the people that matter the most to you could be a best friend a mate. Your kids, your parents want you to listen every single one of them has this heart beating more than just pumping blood and nutriment since the sign of life. When the children were little. They were nestled up close to to moms and dads and that's what they heard when you embrace deeply or often in the middle the night when you wake up if you're married, you can actually hear the heartbeat of the one next to you what you think of some of the best and warmest times you've ever had, how important these people are heartbeat stopped. There's an explosion in a mall and everyone that was in your mind was in that mall there gone for others. A car went left, the center was a drunk driver on a suspended license. Everyone was in that car or minivan and there gone for summits to military personnel walking up knocking on the front door and telling you that your son or daughter husband or wife or uncle was killed in Afghanistan. I want you to pause. I'm not trying to mess with your mind and want you to think right now how would you feel is honest in his role as you can. How would you feel where would your emotions be what's happening deep inside of you. In fact, that was true. You can now open your eyes because every 22 minutes in America someone is stabbed or shot or strangled, or bludgeoned to death by the time kids are in sixth grade. Dave witnessed 8000 murders 100,000 acts of violence and we just came out of the century the 20th century it was the bloodiest and most violent in all of human history hundred and 25 million people slaughtered.

Whether it's the Holocaust or 60 million with Stalin or Idi Amin or the killing fields or Bosnia or Sudan or the unborn babies.

Here's what I want you to get. I want you to remember that feeling is you can't remember the feeling of what it actually would be like some of you have been there. Some of you have lost people.

I want you to know that whatever you feel is Karen this is that is God. 1 trillion million zillion times and finally feels that more with every single life that's lost because he created them and he died for them and 11 the most precious commodity in all the earth is not money, it's not fame it's not wealth it's not property. God says the most precious commodity is life is when a heart starts to beat and when a life is cut short when destruction of life happens.

It brings a level of sadness and actually angered God and Jesus is going to talk about that to us. And unless you can remember the feeling that you just had you will not understand at all what he's gonna say with that. Open your notes with me were in Matthew chapter 5 in Matthew chapter 5 Jesus is been teaching about a new way of living and we remember there was the Beatitudes characteristics of a true follower in this new kingdom of walking with him.

He says do not think that I came to abolish the Law.

Verse 17 not come to abolish them but to fulfill it. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota or adopt the pass of the law until it's accomplished. Application. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, here's our key verse unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven in the scribes and the Pharisees in terms of external righteousness were off the chart and I put the little chart here for you. He's going to now take six specific topics are at the core of religious life in Israel murder, adultery, divorced oath's retribution and what is going to do is going to say that you've heard it said but I say to you and is always in a first look at this is how it's been interpreted this as the current understanding in the scribes and the Pharisees external activities religiosity but I say to you that is absolutely true, but I'm to probe underneath of it and I want you to understand the spirit behind the law of God's intent and so on the left side you've heard it said it's about external righteousness.

Jesus will say it's internal.

It's about doing Jesus is theirs doing that must flow from being it's all about duty which leads to guilty go notes about devotion and relationship is not about performance is not about it's about grace. It's not about the letter of the lots about the spirit of the law and then he's going to matter-of-factly say it's not about all the stuff you have in your head there's a lot of people that have it in their head. It's what's in your heart. Now if you turn the page in our time. Today I want to talk about topic number one in topic number one he's going to take those parallel things.

What is going to do. It's okay. You've heard it said but I say to you in topic number one is the sixth commandment in the sixth commandment is thou shall not kill literally. Now you need to understand or seven different words in Hebrew for kill.

This court does not mean an accidental death. This isn't the killing of an animal. This is in the execution of a prisoner.

This isn't someone dying a just war, literally. It's two words list the six commanders, only two words literally. It's this no murder, no murder, it's the intentional infliction of the taking of a human life prohibited by God.

And so the current interpretation you've heard it said to the people long ago do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. The Old Testament law was very clear in that season in that. You take a life. You lose your life if it was accidental.

There were other laws, but this is very very clear. In fact, the prohibition is no murder by job. These two words violent hands. It was a world of tremendous violence, and God is going to prohibit killing people. No murder by violent hands and I say that because when Jesus says yes of course that's true, he's going to probe behind so what ever brings a person to when they would ever do that anyway and what what's in a person's heart what's what's the root cause that a person would ever get to the point that they would actually kill another human being. So let's look at Jesus authoritative interpretation, but I tell you, anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother Rocco literally his answer to the Sanhedrin, but anyone who says you fool, we get our word moron. It's more us will be in danger of the fire of hell not get your pen out. You need to jot a few things you need to see the.

The parallel circle the word anger and then put a line under subject to judgment. Circle the word who says and put a line under to the Sanhedrin and encircle the word you fool, and put a line under danger of the fire of hell. Jesus is going to say that if you are angry with your brother, you would be liable in the civil court. He's going to say if you would go be on anger and you would say things that would kill or poison or demean or dismiss literally assassinate their soul or their spirit. You would be comparable to that Sanhedrin, the Jewish, Supreme Court, and if you would say moron. If you would use words and abuse and contempt destroy their soul malicious gossip tear them down.

He said here in danger of the fire of hell. It's one of the strongest passages in the entire New Testament, Luke 645 gives a little insight.

It's the parallel passage of the sermon on the Mount, and in it Jesus is the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good.

The evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth what is evil, for the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart and so it Jesus is saying is when you when you have anger and by the way, there's a couple different words in the New Testament for anger. This isn't the just righteous anger that you see where Jesus is flipping over the tables. This is a very interesting word its first smoldering anger and bitterness, resentment, revenge you've been wronged you've been hurt.

It's a anger that you nurse, it's in anger. Down deep in your soul of resentment or bitterness toward somebody else says when you have that emotion down and there you are guilty of murder. He said if it goes beyond that and you go beyond that you begin to say things you label a child you're stupid here at dunamis. You're a lousy worker.

What's wrong with you. That's the dumbest idea ever. You are assassinating their personhood. When you get to the point where you attack their character. When we say you're a fool. That's the biblical idea here is your empty headed, you're a moron. In fact, your name, your family, your personhood isn't worth anything. It's contempt. Jesus says, in essence, yes, prohibition of murder by violent hands. But Jesus would say, prohibition by angry hearts and prohibition by lethal lips. These are really, really strong words. I don't know about you but I would say that if someone asked me casually chip. Have you ever broken the six command you know thou shall not murder, I mean David was a murderer.

Paul was a murder. Moses was a murderer. I mean there's hope after committing murder. But most of us in this room him to go on a limb and say we haven't killed anybody, and so I read that and my natural reaction is under you good I'm good at Jesus and say no you're not fact. I jotted down my paraphrase of what he was really saying and what he really means three prohibitions if I intentionally and physically kill someone. I am a murderer and liable of the judicial system and the consequences Jesus would say if I have internal attitudes of anger and bitterness and resentment and hate and feelings in the tea in my heart toward someone. I am as guilty before God as the actual act, and God will bring divine judgment for that unresolved hatred in my heart if I have feelings of anger and bitterness that come to the point where I express them in words that dismiss people belittle people criticize another person and murder their spirit and their soul all be held accountable to even a higher standard and God will bring divine judgment upon my life.

And finally, if my anger and resentment leads to expressions of contempt but demoralize and abuse and damage and literally warp people's lives for their future. I'm as guilty as being liable to go to hell. Now what I would say I'm gonna guess there's not a non-murder in the room. There's not a person probably walking on the earth that is not violated the six commandment the way Jesus expresses you know I think there's sometimes Jesus is so clear and so cutting and we all fail so miserably that we just say will I do that and you do that. Let's just give everybody a pass and did you ever think that you think why there's so many people with addictions to take everything whether so many people that have dysfunctional families dammit mean death is not always death is separation death's destruction, death is ruining life. Now many families are are just, I mean totally messed up because of unresolved anger in people's hearts.

Resentment County couples have drifted apart just living in the same family. How many divorces are at the heart of unresolved anger and bitterness and resentment coming grudges have divided family so you don't visit each other and Thanksgiving. You don't talk to those people many people that went. When the thought of your ex mate or an ex-boss or a supervisor comes your mind you can't figure out why your stomach turns into knots, times you found yourself over coffee or on the chat room or on the phone talking about someone else in derogatory negative ways. Passing on untested information murder murder and destroys. You are guilty you will be judged in a rock here somewhere my pocket when what I did with this rock represents people I've murder and what you recognizes that you are as much of a murderer, and I'm as much of a murderer as David or Paul or Moses and most of have done it with our lips and we done with our heart, and there is only one hope and is the hope that we can come and that the body of Christ, his death on the cross paid for our sin and his blood was shed for us and he hasn't given us mercy, and he has forgiven us and we got what we don't deserve. If Jesus of every one of the commands has this level of probing underneath of it in the spirit of God went all the way through this room all the way around and we were to seeing what's going on inside. I will tell you the cross become very precious and you be so deeply grateful that you walk out of this room forgiven and cleansed and anything you've ever said anything you've ever thought any assassination with your lips clean it's good to be back in a minute with just a quick reminder this message humble bridge builders is from chip series. The world needs now he's in Matthew chapter 5 reminding us of Jesus. Specific instructions during a time of deep hurt, turmoil and political strife, a time all-too-familiar for us today, but what better comfort and encouragement.

Good to hear from our Lord the priorities and counsel uppermost on his mind for the people hearing them firsthand. Then and now for us. It's our sincere hope that you'll share this message with a friend of family member on social media anywhere you can communicate with others who need wisdom in the Lord's guidance during these distressing days of access free MP3s and series discounts go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse just capture will chip in the series you taught just prior to this one you taught on spiritual warfare. There are several things about one that really seem to apply to this series. I remember those first couple of principles you shared about spiritual warfare, could you give us a little review absolutely day. The principle number one is is that there is an invisible world that is just as real as the visible world, and the second principle is that were involved in a spiritual battle between good and evil, between God and Satan that plays out in our real life and relationships. Today it's eyes we see these things happening around the world. We need understand there's two things happening. There's real issues between people. But there is an invisible battle angelic forces that are waging war seeking to influence the minds in the hearts of people toward division toward hate toward murder and what we need to understand as followers of Christ is when and how do we recognize spiritual warfare. What do we do when it comes, and make sure were fighting the right battles.

So in order to do that we've created what we call spiritual warfare cards and let me take just a minute to describe what they're like in these cards will will have about six categories will talk about the general principles of spiritual warfare. I will talk about what to do when you're actually attacked others very specific promises in God's word about how to respond in spiritual warfare. Understanding how the enemy works. The most common lies that he comes at you with and then here's the thing. These are the kind of card you want to review and have clear in your mind. I taught all my kids these basic verses so when it happened in our home when they were facing things at different times. It would be on the tip of their tongue. This is the kind of thing you want to provide for your friends, your family, your kids may be a coworker. Someone at church and eight easy format where you can understand this is spiritual warfare and this is how I respond and it's at your fingertips. We need to not just remember, but know how to live out greater is he that is in us than he does in the world chip. I think your reminder about reviewing these cards so the truth comes quickly to mind is really helpful. Knowing the truth about the spiritual battle going on around us gives us the power we need to see it to stay calm and to battle like Jesus did with truth and grace whether there for you or to give as a gift to help and encourage someone else. I hope you'll pick up a set or two while discovered supplies last. For all the details on our newly revised spiritual warfare.

Scripture cards tap special offers on the app give us a call at AAA 333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org I hope you'll do it today as we wrap up today's program. I honestly hope you're blown away just a little bit but I hope you're not discouraged if we had the courage to be really honest. I mean really truthful about what we think and how we act and how we talk.

Here's what I want to know the hate and the violence it doesn't start with our lips. It doesn't start with our hands. It always begins in our heart and so somehow when we think well you and I didn't hit anybody or I didn't murder anybody or you note, I'm just angry. I'm just frustrated they're wrong, I get it okay. We've all been there and were seeing it played out. But what Jesus said is when you hate someone in your mind when it comes out of your heart. Words that are degrading attacking labeling, blaming, quote them, whoever they are, and it can be in your house. It can be with your family can be with your roommate. It can be with when your kids are when your parents is when these kind of attitudes in our hearts that are so filled with hate and hurt and anger. He says that's the cause that's where we need to address it. So let me ask you this isn't one of those programs were it's like all that's interesting. Who are you mad at who do you hate right now who do you have feelings and and thoughts about that Jesus would say stop it that you need to come today and say Lord you've made everyone you love everyone there made in your image. I can disagree with what they say I can disagree with what they're doing. I can absolutely think it's harmful to people and to the country but I can't hate them are battles not against flesh and blood. There's not all these evil people that we had this big broad brush of the stroke to individual people like you and me and God is asking us first and foremost to root out of our heart. The hate and the hurt and the violence and then to not let it come out of our lips or in our words are on our Facebook or Instagram are slack and to be the kind of person that doesn't tear down relationships but to be the kind of person that the world needs now and that is a humble bridge builder.

Are you willing to do that, would you be willing to build some bridges instead of tear things down doesn't mean you sacrifice your convictions.

It doesn't mean you agree that it means you refused to become part of that hurtful, angry, despicable aspect that's poison in our culture in another country you say first and foremost, Jesus, I'm going to love people the way you do and I'm going to champion what's right and what's just just before we close. I want to say thank you to those who make this program possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs, purchase your time and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.

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