What Jesus Taught About Anger, Hatred, and Lust

Notes: What Jesus Taught About Anger, Hatred, and Lust 
Harvest OC
September 14, 2014
Pastor Greg's Sunday morning
Matthew 5

Pastor Greg is talking about ISIS and Muslim terrorism. Says how we mainly learned about jihad on 9/11. Obama recently said we will destroy ISIS. What does Jesus say about all of this. Read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount to learn

Matthew 5:1-2 NKJV
[1] And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. [2] Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Pastor Greg says it is harder to live by the Sermon on the Mount then the Ten Commandments. It deals with matters of the heart. You have to see that your heart is morally bankrupt before God.

Matthew 5:21-30 NKJV
[21] "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' [22] But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. [23] Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. [25] Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. [26] Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. [27] "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' [28] But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [29] If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Pastor Greg's says he told us it is hard.

Sin deceives me that the actual sin you did was alright.

Jesus deals now with three areas of sin that are very widespread in our culture: anger, hatred, and lust.

Anger is murder in the heart. Lust is adultery in the heart.

Matthew 5:22 NKJV
[22] But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

There is a time to be angry, and you can be. You are just not suppose to throw gasoline on the fire of anger.

Ephesians 4:26 NKJV
[26] "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

1 John 3:15 NKJV
[15] Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 2:9 NKJV
[9] He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

The word hate, means to habitually despise.

Many times anger is rooted in envy. Hatred towards other peoples good fortune. They have done and got you what you wanted.

"Envy shoots at another and wounds itself." –Thomas Fuller

The only person hurt by your envy is you.

Matthew 5:22 NKJV
[22] But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

Rocka - has no midterm day equivalent.

Matthew 5:28 NKJV
[28] But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

"Looking" at others with lust is the continual act of staring in this verse. What David did staring at Bathsheba is a good example of "looking" with lust.

Bathsheba played a part in this by bathing in public like she did. So women or girls should not dress in a fashion to want me to lust after them.

David looked and then he took dramatic action.

You are to guide your mind!

Do not put yourself in that position, look away.

Job 31:1 NKJV
[1] "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?

2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
[5] casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

How do we fix it:
Matthew 5:29 NKJV
[29] If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Jesus is not being literal, His point is to make sure you give up what ever is necessary to keep from falling further into that sin.

If it is porn on the internet, then don't have a computer in your house. If it is alcohol, then don't go to sports bars.

Take action to guard yourself.

Hebrews 12:1 NKJV
[1] Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Matthew 5:38-45 NKJV
[38] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' [39] But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. [40] If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. [41] And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. [42] Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. [43] "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, [45] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Those are all very hard commandments, these are very high standards.

Leo Tolstoy wrote that he didn't believe Christians should be in the military. Tolstoy was wrong.

The Sermon on the Mount was not given to govern a society.

Matthew 5:38 NKJV
[38] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

Deuteronomy 19:20 NKJV
[20] And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

Criminals don't love good and hate evil, no body loves good and hates evil, that is a matter of the heart.

Romans 13:1-3 NKJV
[1] Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

Obey the law, you don't have to agree with it. If the law try's to stop Gods word, then there is a problem.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV
[3] You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [4] No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

God has established human government to administer justice.

God would never choose a dishonorable profession as an illustration for His people.

Luke 22:36-38 NKJV
[36] Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. [37] For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end." [38] So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

A Christian can defend himself.

The Sermon on the Mount are rules for evangelizing. You need to go the extra mile, and tell others about Jesus.

A slap in the face was an insult back in those days. Like someone flipping you off when your are driving. So turning the other cheek would be to not retaliate with an insult.

We have all been cheated or wronged, we should not be a doormat.

Matthew 5:44 NKJV
[44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." –Abraham Lincoln

When you believe in and follow Jesus, you will have enemies!

Hatred will bring your prayer life to a halt. Hatred is unconfessed sin.

Greg talked about Corrie ten Boom
Author - Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who, along with her father and other family members, helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II and was imprisoned for it. She wrote the book "The Hiding Place."

Corrie, could not forgive the Nazi, but when she did pray for that, she did forgive them.

When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free. You set yourself free!

Jesus himself forgave. Jesus called Judas friend even as he came to get Him arrested.

We need forgiveness and need to extend that forgiveness to others.