Sermon on the Mount Pt. 4: The Heart of the Matter

Matthew 5:21-26 ESV - 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

A Righteousness of the Heart

• My external self is right standing with God.

• Unchecked anger is spiritually dangerous.

• Anger that is nurtured leads to broken relationships and spiritual judgement.

Luke 6:43-45 NLT - 43 "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

What is your mouth saying?

Matthew 5:23-24 ESV - 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.

• Our words carry eternal weight.

Reconciliation - restoring harmony to a broken relationship, moving from discord to peace through forgiveness, mutual understanding, and rebuilding trust.

• Today’s unresolved anger becomes tomorrow’s bondage!

James 4:1-2 NLT - 1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.