Sunday Morning SoundBytes – 4/12/2015

Sunday’s message from The Sermon on the Mount series was called Surpassing Righteousness, taken from Matthew 5:17-20. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets (17)
   A. He fulfilled the demands of the law:
      1) He lived a perfect life of obedience to the law (Heb 4:15)
      2) He took the law’s punishment for our sin (Gal 3:13)
   B. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies:
      – Luke 24:25-27, 44; John 5:39-40
   C. He revealed the true meaning of the law:
      – “I tell you …” (throughout Matthew 5); Romans 13:9-10

II. Jesus affirmed the continuing authority of the law (18-19)
   A. The word of God stands forever (Is 40:8; Matt 24:35; 2 Pet 3:18)
   B. Every part matters (2 Timothy 3:16; John 10:35)
   C. We must practice and teach all of it (Matt 28:20; John 14:15)

Note: What about the civil and ceremonial laws in the Old Testament?
   – separated Israel from the nations around them
   – provided specific applications for the nation of Israel
   – pointed to Christ and fulfilled in his death on the cross

III. Jesus proclaimed the need for a greater righteousness (20)
   A. The righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law:
      1) was self-serving (Matthew 23:5-7)
      2) was partial (Matthew 23:23)
      3) was external only (Matthew 23:25-28)
   B. The greater righteousness:
      1) was testified to by the law and prophets (Romans 3:21)
      2) is credited to us by faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9)
      3) is worked in us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:4)
      4) will get you into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20)

Note: Click on the Sermons tab at the top of the blog for this and other messages.

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