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

How can we stop the hate and the violence we see happening across America across the world.

We see it in homes. We see it on the streets and see it in the meat once Jesus answered this hate and violence stay with that today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your finger tips are Bible teacher for this daily discipleship program motivating Christians to live like Christians were the little chip series leaves no before we begin, let me encourage you to try using chips message notes while you listen to containers outline your references and much more.

Chips notes will really help you remember what you to download these message notes just go to the broadcasts tab@livingontheedge.org was first Filling notes that here strip with his message humble bridge builders from 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, and they're gone. For others, a car went left, the center was a drunk driver on a suspended license.

Everyone was in that Carver minivan and they're 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. If 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 what ever you feel as horrendous as 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 going to 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 it, 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 get 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, the factor 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 saying there's doing but 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 that 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 and what is going to do is say okay, you've heard it said but I say to you in topic number one is the sixth commandment in the sixth commandment is that how shall not kill literally. Now you need to understand or seven different words in Hebrew for kill. This word 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 jot 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 win. They would ever do that anyway and what what's in a person's heart, 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 because 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 beyond 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 the Sanhedrin, the Jewish, Supreme Court, and if you would say moron. If you would use words and abuse and contempt would 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 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 you're a dummy 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 about 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 I'm 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, in 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 change everything. Whether so many people that have dysfunctional families mean death is not always death is separation death's destruction, death is ruining life.

Now many families 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, how 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 in my pocket when what I did with the 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'll be so deeply grateful that you walk out of this room forgiven plans and anything you've ever said anything you've ever thought any assassination with your lips will join insurance to this application.

You've been listening to the first part of his message humble bridge builder from a series what the world needs now turmoil division, political corruption, prejudice, these are just a few of the serious issues were dealing with in our society today. But did you know the early church in Jesus's disciples faced similar problems in this three-part series chip shares the guidance Jesus gave to his followers, some 2000 years ago and how that wisdom relates to us today. Don't list the ways to build other relationships handle injustice and live your life like never before.

For more information about what the world needs now for our many resources. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse to have special offers before we continue.

Here's chip to talk about something that's really close to his heart.

Thanks Dave, you know, we live in very unsettling times.

In fact, I would call them disruptive times and we all know that change is normal but we never experience the kind of chaos and division like we see now how do we navigate the turmoil of the world that were living in, and whether that's in our personal life, our families, our churches are workplaces, and what I want to suggest is that James chapter 1 the very first book in the New Testament written gives us a blueprint about how to survive and even thrive in the midst of life's greatest trials and what I'm can invite you to is to dive into James chapter 1 in a brand-new daily discipleship with chip is called the art of survival. And here's how it works. Each day I'm going to meet with you one-on-one for 10 days.

We can discover what James chapter 1 teaches about the art of survival and life's trials will start her time together where I will literally get a couple coffee open my Bible and I'll talk directly with you one-on-one and will walk through how to study the Bible, you'll learn to study the Scriptures for yourself in a way where you hear God's voice and have God speak in such a way that gives you the strength to make it through life's hardest and most difficult times.

So here's the challenge spend 10 days 10 minutes a day with me 10 minutes on your own and then let me encourage you invite 10 people to join you, let's be difference makers. Let's learn the art of survival in the age of chaos. You know those early disciples turned the world upside down and that's God's plan for you and me. Won't you join me, but strip what were so excited to share with you our new daily discipleship with chip. The art of survival used in James chapter 1 through this free video series will discover how to handle circumstances out of our control guard our attitude against discouragement and trust God and his provision. If you're ready to learn the art of surviving in these challenging times. Then preregister today to take the daily discipleship with chip challenge and when you sign up will send you a new leather bound prayer journal is our gift to you to take this free 10 day daily discipleship challenge go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse tapped discipleship now with some final application for this message. Here's chip as we wrap up today's program. I know was very very convicting all of us have said things in things of come out of our mouth are so harsh there so painful.

They're so hurtful and and it's hard to get over. Can you imagine from the Lord Jesus perspective when he sees his children murdering one another with our words when there's anger and bitterness and unforgiveness over political issues are over racial issues are over things that are dividing us right now. When those things are allowed to have a bigger priority in our life than a relationship with Jesus is just time for us to put our hands over our mouth and repent, you were living in such a divisive time and I just I just sense that we are so breaking God's heart is cc his children, his children, who he's given mercy. His children who he's forgiven. Could I encourage you today to ask God to forgive you for anything that's come out of your mouth that's been murderous. That's put someone down that's been sarcastic that's that's labeled them something you've posted it out of anger.

Ask God to forgive you and then second, if and where at all possible.

Would you be willing to apologize. Would you willing to own your stuff and say and I'm sorry I should've never said that that that is not how God's children act and then finally, I want to give you a verse just one verse I memorize this and all my kids had to memorize it. It's Ephesians 429 let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification that gives grace for the need of the moment. You know sometimes just grabbing onto one verse to begin to put a muzzle over our words can keep us from doing things that bring such pain. Let's be God's church that speak, but let's speak in love as we wrap up this program. Just a quick but important thought Living on the Edge depends on listeners just like you help us continue to encourage Christians to live like Christians. So, would you consider partnering with us on a monthly basis so others can benefit from the ministry of Living on the Edge to set up a recurring donation, call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse tapped donate. Thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do one selects time. This is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge