Topic: Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV (1) “Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (3) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? (5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Speck = splinter

Plank = large beam or telephone pole

• • Jesus is addressing believers judging other believers.
  • In God’s mind, when we judge someone else, that critical, judgmental attitude is worse that whatever we are judging the other person for.
  • Judging is rendering a verdict as in a court of law.
  • A critical attitude is rooted in pride.
  • This is the same text that Luke 6:38 comes from. When we sow, the spiritual law says that we will receive back MORE than what we have sown.

Luke 6:37-38 NKJV (37) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (38) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

• • Did you know that in the natural, the law of seedtime and harvest works for corn, beans, etc. but also works for marijuana, poppy (heroin), etc. The same law produces harvests from the GOOD or BAD seeds sown.
  • In other words, when we judge others, we can expect MORE judgment and criticism than we have sown.

Matthew 7:4-5 NKJV (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? (5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Hypocrite – one who speaks behind a mask (dramatic term)

Matthew 7:6 NKJV (6) “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV (7) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (9) Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Jesus switches over from teaching His disciples to a simple salvation message and then building blocks for life.

Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV (13) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult (straight) is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

In the KJV, the first gate is referred to as the straight gate. This is not correctly translated because the word is actually “narrow.” In verse 14, the word difficult should be translated “straight.”

Jesus is referring to the way to eternal life. He compares it to gates and roads.

This narrow gate that Jesus is referring to is very narrow. It is only wide enough for two people to fit through and that is you and Jesus.

This is a reference that Jesus is the only way to salvation.

The gate that leads to destruction is very wide and the way that leads to destruction is very broad.

This simply means that all of the religions of the world other than Christianity can stand side by side and walk down the way to destruction.

That is how broad the way is that leads to hell.

The way to heaven through Jesus is not narrow because it is difficult, matter of fact it is very easy to get on to that way. It is more difficult to go to hell than it is to go to heaven.

Contrary to what the world proclaims about Jesus, He is probably one of the most narrow-minded people that have ever lived.

John 14:6 NKJV (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

There is only one way out of the pit and darkness. Since we know that way, we are obligated to tell people that there is one way out and His Name is Jesus.

Matthew 7:15-16 NKJV (15) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Notice Jesus did not say that we would know them by their prophecies and their teachings, He said that we would know them by their fruits.

The world knows how to speak our language and the only way we will know the difference is by their production (fruit).

False prophets know how to prophecy and to teach and take the scriptures and turn them for their purposes and if you listen to them long enough you will get confused.

This is why you can never get into debates with people who come and knock on your door or have gotten over into error because they can twist the Word of God to the point that by the end of the conversation you are confused about what you believe. You are better to stick with the simplicity of Jesus Christ and that He is the only way, pray for them and then let God work on them if they are open to it. Many times, these people are not open to change.

Notice that Jesus said that we would know them by their fruits.

Thistles are actually a cactus. The point of what Jesus is saying in verse 16 is that it is not the nature for thorn bushes to produce grapes just as it is not in the character of cactus to produce figs. In other words, these plants are never going to produce fruits of righteousness.

Righteous fruit will always benefit more than the fruit producer. In other words, when someone that is prophesying and teaching and they are the only ones that are benefitting from that ministry, then righteous fruit is not being produced. When the Lord is behind the fruit production, not only will the minister be changed but the lives of those that are listening will be changed for the better and brought into God’s plan for their lives.

Matthew 7:17-20 NKJV (17) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot (continually) bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree (continually) bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

A key word that needs to be added to this context is the word “continually.” “…Every good tree continually bears good fruit…”

Occasionally a good tree will bring forth fruit that is not good but because of the life that is in the tree it does bring forth good fruit most of the time.

The reality is that all of us bear bad fruit occasionally because we are human. But we do not produce bad fruit on a continuous basis.

The same thing is true with a corrupt tree. They may occasionally say something that lines up with scripture, but it will not be on a continual basis.

v. 19 is referring to the eternal destiny that awaits these false prophets and false teachers.

Matthew 24:23-25 NKJV (23) “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. (24) For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (25) See, I have told you beforehand.

1 Timothy 4:1-7 NKJV (1) Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, (3) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; (5) for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (6) If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. (7) But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

2 Timothy 3:13-17 NKJV (13) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (14) But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (15) and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Remember that the reason that we see these things come to pass is because Satan must introduce the false in order to combat the real and true. In other words, we may be seeing a revival of these evil things but is only because there is a revival of the real things of God that is taking place in the earth.

We are always on the winning side in the Kingdom of God!

Note that in verse 19, God will handle those who we believe are teaching false things and He has not called any of us to expose those things in the earth.

It is not my responsibility as a Pastor to address those things unless it is directly affecting our church. God will handle that. Paul did this in some of his epistles where he mentioned people that were opposing the Gospel, but he did not take up half the book speaking about it.

I do not agree with everything that the Baptists minister but they are Born Again and love God and I will just let Jesus sort out all of the doctrinal things. My responsibility is to preach the revelation that God has given me that lines up with the Word of God.

Our job is to preach and teach the Word of God, win souls, lay hands on the sick and minister to people.

God has not called us in the earth to fight Satan’s Kingdom. He has called us to preach the Gospel and stop his kingdom in the lives of people.

Jesus expands on this in a parable that He gave later:

Matthew 13:24-30 NKJV (24) Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; (Jesus and believers) (25) but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. (26) But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. (27) So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ (28) He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ (29) But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ‘ “

Matthew 13:37-43 NKJV (37) He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. (38) The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. (39) The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. (40) Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. (41) The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, (42) and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

It is not the purpose of the church to expose false religions of the world. It is up to us to preach to those to win them out of those religions.

We also need to believe that our Gospel is more powerful and that it really is not necessary to study these false religions so that we can better combat them. This will only produce confusion.

When you try and speak Mormonism in order to win a Mormon there is no power present. No, understand that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

Romans 1:16 NKJV (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Paul preached the Gospel wherever he went even when other religions were present.

Matthew 7:20-23 NKJV (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (21) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father (Enters in the narrow gate) in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

This is a great example of this in action (Matthew 12:22-28):

Acts 19:11-16 NKJV (11) Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, (12) so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. (13) Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (14) Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. (15) And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (16) Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Jesus is now speaking to the whole crowd:

The key to walking in successful ministry and to receive eternal life is doing what Jesus has said to us.

Matthew 7:24-29 NKJV (24) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (26) “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (27) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (28) And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished (speechless) at His teaching, (29) for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Overarching theme of the Sermon on the Mount thus far:

Why do we do what we do? What are the motivations of our hearts behind the righteous acts that we do.

Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV (14) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15 MSG (14) “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. (15) If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV (16) “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (17) But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

• Notice Jesus said in this chapter, “when you give, when you pray and when you fast…” He did not use the word “if.”
• The exciting part of this is that when we fast before God with the right heart motivation and not to be seen of men, Jesus has promised that God would reward us openly.

Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV (19) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21 AMPC (19) Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. (20) But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

• Jesus never says that it is wrong to lay up treasures here on the earth.
• In the Greek, the word for “treasures” is thesaurus and could be translated “deposits”.
• Jesus says do not gather and heap up treasures FOR YOURSELF, where moth and rust and destroy…
• The actual Greek is referring to “hording up” for yourselves.
• The Bible is not against savings and preparing for the future. Proverbs teaches us this:

Proverbs 13:22 NKJV (22) A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

• Again, Jesus is addressing the motivations of the heart. WHY are you gathering up wealth? What is the reason for it. You certainly cannot take it with you when you die.
• Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven (IN SECRET), in the spiritual realm.
• Jesus is instructing us to redistribute resource in the earth to build and establish the Kingdom of God. When you do this, you are establishing the Kingdom here in the earth, and God promises when we do this, God will make sure in eternity, we have more, which lasts for eternity.

Matthew 6:22-23 NKJV (22) “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. (23) But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

• Light enters the heart through the eye of your soul.

Matthew 6:22-23 TPT (22) “The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being. If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in! (23) But if your eyes are focused on money, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. How profound will be the darkness within you if the light of truth cannot enter!

• Jesus is telling us to have singleness of purpose and not let the vision for our lives to become “cloudy” by focusing on wealth and earthly possessions.
• Singleness of purpose on the Kingdom of Heaven no matter what level of financial prosperity you are on, with much or with little.
• James tells us that a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. He is trying to think two ways at the same time. (James 1:8)
• He is trying to think about how I can build my wealth for myself and then when giving time comes, he tries to think about the Kingdom of God.

Proverbs 28:22 NKJV (22) A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.

Proverbs 23:4-5 NKJV (4) Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! (5) Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Matthew 6:24 NKJV (24) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

• On one side is God and on the other is the pursuit of wealth.
• Mammon is a reference to a Chaldean god that people worshiped believing it would make them wealthy.

Matthew 6:24 TPT (24) “How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!”

• Jesus wants to be our Master and He wants money to work for us as our slave.
• When money says one thing and God says another, we always listen to God and tell money to get back to work.

Matthew 6:25 NKJV (25) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

• Money becomes your master when you begin to worry where it is going to come from. Then you are tempted to horde and squeeze it for everything.
• You can be broke and poor and still have a love of money. (1 Timothy 6:10)
• Think about the future and plan in wisdom as God does but HE DOES NOT WORRY ABOUT IT.

Matthew 6:26-34 NKJV (26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (27) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (28) “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

• Birds and flowers have never once worried about what was going on in the world economically as they don’t care about those things.
• God takes care of them. Surely, He loves and cares for us more than the birds and flowers.

Matthew 6:25-34 TPT (25) “This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t your body more than clothing? (26) “Look at all the birds—do you think they worry about their existence? They don’t plant or reap or store up food, yet your heavenly Father provides them each with food. Aren’t you much more valuable to your Father than they? (27) So, which one of you by worrying could add anything to your life? (28) “And why would you worry about your clothing? Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field. They don’t work or toil, (29) and yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty more than one of these! (30) So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—even though you live with such little faith? (31) “So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ (32) For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? (33) “So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. (34) Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV (1) “Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (3) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? (5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Speck = splinter

Plank = large beam or telephone pole

• • Jesus is addressing believers judging other believers.
  • In God’s mind, when we judge someone else, that critical, judgmental attitude is worse that whatever we are judging the other person for.
  • Judging is rendering a verdict as in a court of law.
  • A critical attitude is rooted in pride.
  • This is the same text that Luke 6:38 comes from. When we sow, the spiritual law says that we will receive back MORE than what we have sown.

Luke 6:37-38 NKJV (37) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (38) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

• • Did you know that in the natural, the law of seedtime and harvest works for corn, beans, etc. but also works for marijuana, poppy (heroin), etc. The same law produces harvests from the GOOD or BAD seeds sown.
  • In other words, when we judge others, we can expect MORE judgment and criticism than we have sown.

Matthew 7:4-5 NKJV (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? (5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Hypocrite – one who speaks behind a mask (dramatic term)

Ephesians 4:32 NKJV (32) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

1 Peter 3:8 NKJV (8) Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

Galatians 6:1 NKJV (1) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV (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. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? (48) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

• When we do what Jesus said in verses 43 and 44, notice in verse 45 it says that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. These things do not make us children of God but rather show that we are children of God.

Matthew 5:45 AMP (45) To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].

Matthew 5:45 CEV (45) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.

Notice in this section that Jesus makes another reference to a reward. God desires to reward His children. The implication is that when we love the unlovely and are friendly to those who are not our brethren, then God will reward us. Jesus refers to reward 9 times in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:1-3 NKJV (1) “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (2) Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (3) But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

• Your translation may read “alms” and it is more accurately translated “righteous acts.”
• This chapter covers three primary righteous acts that we need to do: give (v2), pray (5), and fast (v16).
• Beware that you do not your righteous acts before men. We need to note that it is OK to do righteous acts in front of men, but it is wrong to do your righteous acts to be seen of men.
  • For example, if you get asked to say the blessing over a meal at a family gathering, you must do that righteous act in front of other people. But it something entirely different if you do that to be seen by everybody there.
• You give offerings in front of other people in a church service, but we don’t do it making a big deal about our giving.
• Note the last two words in this verse, “in heaven” in verse 1.

Matthew 6:4 NKJV (4) that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

• The word “secret” is a reference to Heaven as mentioned in verse 1 and could be accurately translated, “hidden realm.” Notice though the reward will be given “openly” or “manifested in plain sight.”
• God can see from the heavenly realm into this realm but we cannot see into that realm without a manifestation of the Holy Spirit being in operation.
• Why does He reward us openly? It is because we do it with the right heart motivation.
• We need to always remember that we are not out to try and please and impress the world. We are only responsible to please God in all that we do. The world gets its standard from unbelieving religion. The world is not the standard. The Word of God is the standard.
• Lets’ take a moment and talk about carnality. What is being carnal?

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NKJV (1) And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. (2) I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; (3) for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

• • A definition of carnality is when we try to live by the world’s standard or in other words, acting like mere men. Carnality is when the believer imitates the unbeliever. The motive is not to imitate Christ as Ephesians 5:1 says, but to imitate the world.
  • Some try and see how close they can live to the things of the world, like mere men instead of seeing how close they can get to Jesus.
  • Remember, the God Who sees into your heart and into your motivations will reward you openly so that it can be seen of men.

Matthew 6:5-6 NKJV (5) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (6) But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

“synagogues” = during religious gatherings or among church members.

“on the corners of the streets” = out in public among sinners

There is prosperity to be received for your giving when you give it with the right heart motivation.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NKJV (7) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

• • They are not doing these things to please God because they love Him; they are doing these things to impress people.
  • Notice that there are open rewards from the Father when we give and pray with the right heart motivations.
  • The word “closet” does not mean closet it all. It means your bedroom, but it can be anywhere that you can be alone with the Lord. Go into that private place so the world cannot see you and then shut the door so your family cannot see you.

Matthew 6:7 NKJV (7) And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

• Jesus is simply saying to keep your prayers short.
• If you are praying in the Spirit, pray long. If you are in intercessory prayer, pray long.
• But if you are praying the prayer of faith, then keep your prayers concise and in line with the Word of God.
• This is especially applicable with you are getting ready to eat!

Matthew 6:8 NKJV (8) “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

• This is an awesome promise that Jesus gave us. How many times have had our children approach us and we knew what they wanted but we still wanted them to ask.
• It is OK to ask, just ask in faith.

Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV (9) In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (13) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

• This is not actually a prayer but rather a model for prayer.

Luke 11:1 | NKJV (1) Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

Luke 11:1 | TPT (1) One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of his disciples came over to him as he finished and said, “Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just like John did for his disciples?”

This is a general outline for prayer. A good place to start and build from there.

1. 1. 1. Connect with God relationally.

“Our Father in Heaven”

Romans 8:15 | NLT (15) So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.”

1. 1. 2. Worship His Name.

“Hallowed be Your Name” – greatly revered, honored

Proverbs 18:10 | MSG (10) GOD’s name is a place of protection– good people can run there and be safe.

Philippians 2:9-11 | NKJV (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1. 1. 3. Pray His agenda first.

“Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Matthew 26:39 | NKJV (26) He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

1. 1. 4. Depend on Him for everything.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Psalms 121:1-2 | NKJV  (1) I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?  (2)  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 68:26 | NLT (26) Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel’s life.

Acts 17:28 | NLT (28) For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

1. 1. 5. Get your heart right with God and people.

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”

Matthew 6:12 | TPT (12) Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.

1 John 1:9 | NKJV (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Mark 11:25 | NKJV (25) “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

1. 1. 6. Engage in spiritual warfare.

“And do not lead us into temptations but deliver us from the evil one.”

Better translation: “And when we are tempted, deliver us from the evil one…”

James 1:13 | TPT (13) When you are tempted don’t ever say, “God is tempting me,” for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he is never the source of temptation.

Ephesians 6:12 | NKJV (12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

James 4:7 | NKJV (7) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 | MSG (7) So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.

1. 1. 7. Express faith in God’s ability.

“For yours is the Kingdom and Power and Glory forever.”

Jeremiah 32:17 | NIV (17) “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

Mark 10:27 | NKJV (27) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Revelation 5:13 | NIV (13) Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

• • • • • We come to the Lord and realize that He is the Lord and He is holy. We should never forget that He is the holy Creator of the Universe.
        • Jesus was also revealing to the disciples that God desires to be their Father.
        • You are in the Kingdom of God right now! The Kingdom of God is here now, and the Kingdom of Heaven is being made available to all men.
        • It is the will of God to answer prayer and make earth a little piece of Heaven. That has always been God’s plan for the earth to be a duplicate of Heaven.
        • Give us “today” our bread for today. We believe God for today and the provision for today. Remember the manna in the wilderness and the fact that they Children of Israel were not allowed to gather up more than what they needed for that day.
        • Human nature is to move in fear and hoard up for tomorrow because we may not have enough. When God can trust us with more than the provision for today is when we begin to give out of our abundance and not hoard up.
        • One thing to note is that in the Greek, all of these phrases are in the imperative sense, almost a demand, said in a respectful way.

Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV (14) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15 MSG (14) “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. (15) If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV (16) “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (17) But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

• Notice Jesus said in this chapter, “when you give, when you pray and when you fast…” He did not use the word “if.”
• The exciting part of this is that when we fast before God with the right heart motivation and not to be seen of men, Jesus has promised that God would reward us openly.

Matthew 5:23-24 NKJV (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.

• The whole point of what Jesus is saying is, “CHECK YOUR HEART” before you do anything in your life as a disciple.
• 1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Matthew 5:25-26 NKJV (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.

• Jesus is saying that we should conduct our lives so that we are not always fight frivolous lawsuits all the time because we behaved badly.
• God cannot help us when we have not done everything that we could to avoid the lawsuit when He has led us to do certain things and we disobey.

Matthew 5:27-30 NKJV (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.

• Jesus said that the sin of the heart is much more serious than that of the flesh. The law only regarded the sin of the flesh, but Jesus said that the sin begins in the heart before the physical act is even carried out.
• He is teaching us that the sin began with your thoughts and in your heart before the physical act takes place.
• In verse 29, Jesus is not condoning physical mutilation because a one eyed, blind man or a one-handed man can struggle with lust just like someone with both eyes and both hands. But He is saying that you may have to take some drastic steps to keep the sin from happening in your mind and in your heart. (eliminating the source of the lust, etc.)
• The point Jesus is making is that you must deal with the thoughts of the mind and the heart issue behind the sin.

Matthew 5:31-32 NKJV (31) “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ (32) But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

• Some teach that if you are divorced and remarry, you are going to hell when you die because you are caught up in adultery.
• Some teach that if you get divorced because your spouse was unfaithful as Jesus indicated that you can never remarry.
• Some teach that if you are divorced and remarry you can never serve in the church in any way, much less be in full-time ministry.

There have been small wars fought over the subject of Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. We see conflicts between what Jesus said in Matthew 5, Matthew 19 and what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7.

Who is right – Jesus or Paul?

We need to quit just following what other people are saying and study the Word of God for ourselves.

2 Timothy 2:15 AMPC (15) Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

In studying the Bible, always ask yourself:

1. Who’s doing the speaking?
2. What are they speaking about?
3. To whom are they speaking?

Understand that there are three classes of people being addressed in the Bible:

1 Corinthians 10:32 NKJV (32) Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,

(1) The Jews, God’s covenant people; (2) the Church, God’s own family; and (3) the Gentiles, heathen people (everyone who’s not either in the Church or a Jew)

This is what the Mosaic Law (which was given to the Jews) said:

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 NKJV (1) “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, (2) when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, (3) if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, (4) then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

• Under the Old Testament, a woman seldom had any voice in the choice of a husband. Her father sold her to the man who desired her. If she pleased the man, he kept her. If not, he had a legal right under the Law to return her to her father for the purchase price.
• In Matthew 19, Jesus expounded on the Mosaic Law about marriage and divorce to the Jews. He was speaking to the Jews. He was not giving the Gentiles the law that was to govern them. The Gentiles were not under the Mosaic Law. Jesus was not giving the Body of Christ the law to govern them. Jesus was simply answering the Pharisees’ questions about the law.

Matthew 19:1-3 NKJV (1) Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. (2) And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. (3) The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

The Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife “for every cause” because they wanted to find out if Jesus agreed with the thinking that a person could divorce for a wide variety of reasons. The key phrase for their question is found in Deuteronomy 24, “some uncleanness.” One group thought it meant a wide variety of things and the other thought it only referred to sexual immorality.

Matthew 19:4-9 NKJV (4) And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,’ (5) and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’ ? (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (7) They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” (8) He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (9) And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

Jesus answered the Pharisees’ question in Matthew 19:9. He made it clear that Moses was specifically referring to fornication or sexual sin.

Paul introduced an “exception” that Jesus did not mention.

1 Corinthians 7:8-16 NKJV (8) But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; (9) but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (10) Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. (11) But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. (12) But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. (13) And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. (15) But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. (16) For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

• In verses 15 and 16 of chapter 7, Paul was answering the question, “What would the law of love do?”
• Jesus went on to remind the Jews about God’s original instructions to Adam:

Matthew 19:5-6 NKJV (5) and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’ ? (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

• Until Jesus came to redeem mankind, no one could fulfill God’s ideal for marriage because man, being dominated by the sin nature, did not have the life of God. But two Born Again believers, full of the love of God, can fulfill what Jesus said in Matthew 19.
• In other words, from the time Adam sinned and fell until Jesus Christ came to redeem mankind, man was never able to have the divine type of marriage that God had planned in the Garden. Why? They were not born-again men through the New Birth with the nature of God in them. Their hearts had not been changed. The Jews were natural men living under the law, redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats. Jesus did not say what He said to Born Again believers.

So, who is right – Jesus or Paul?

The Word of God is inspired by God and men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit to write what they did.

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Both of them are right. Jesus is referring to the commandment given to the Jews and Paul is talking to the Church. Jesus was accurately interpreting the Law of Moses concerning marriage, divorce, and remarriage to the Jews. And Paul was accurately applying the law of love concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage to the Church.

Remember, the Law of Love fulfills all of the Old Testament Law.

John 13:34-35 NKJV (34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 13:10 NKJV (10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul was addressing questions that the church had about certain issues.

1 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV (1) Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

Each one of the issues that he addressed, he answered them in light of the commandment of love; “What would love do in that situation?”

Matthew 5:33-37 NKJV (33) “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ (34) But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; (35) nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. (36) Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. (37) But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

The Mosaic Law contained several prohibitions against swearing falsely by the name of God (Lev_19:12; Num_30:2; Deu_23:21). To swear by God’s Name meant that He was your witness that you were telling the truth. The Jews sought to avoid the impropriety of swearing falsely by God’s Name by substituting heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or their head as that by which they swore. (Swearing falsely is equivalent to committing perjury today.)

Jesus condemns such circumvention of the law as sheer hypocrisy and forbids any form of swearing or oaths in ordinary conversation. Not only was it hypocritical, it was useless to try to avoid swearing by God’s Name by merely substituting another noun for His Name. To swear by heaven is to swear by God’s throne. To swear by the earth is to swear by His footstool. To swear by Jerusalem is to swear by the royal capital. Even to swear by one’s own head involves God because He is the Creator of all.

5:37 For the Christian, an oath is unnecessary. His Yes should mean Yes, and his No should mean No. To use stronger language is to admit that Satan—the evil one—rules our lives. There are no circumstances under which it is proper for a Christian to lie.

This passage also forbids any shading of the truth or deception. It does not, however, forbid taking an oath in a court of law. Jesus Himself testified under oath before the High Priest (Mat_26:63 ff). Paul also used an oath to call God as his witness that what he was writing was true (2Co_1:23; Gal_1:20).

Matthew 5:38-41 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.

5:38 The law said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Exo_21:24; Lev_24:20; Deu_19:21). This is a reference to the Law of Retaliation) This was both a command to punish and a limitation on punishment—the penalty must not exceed the crime. However, according to the OT, authority for punishment was vested in the government, not in the individual.

5:39-41 Jesus went beyond the law to a higher righteousness by abolishing retaliation altogether. He showed His disciples that, whereas revenge was once legally permissible, now non-resistance was graciously possible. Jesus instructed His followers to offer no resistance to an evil person. If they were slapped on one cheek by someone, they were to turn the other to him also. If they were sued for their tunic (an inner garment), they were to surrender their cloak (an outer garment used for covering at night) as well.

If an official compelled them to carry his baggage for one mile, they were to voluntarily carry it two miles. This was a reference to the tradition of the Roman soldiers be able by law to ask a common person walking down the street to carry their gear for them, however, by law, they were only required to carry it one mile. Jesus said we should always go over and above what is required.

An important thing to remember in all of this is that Jesus again is speaking to His disciples. This is training for the ministry that they would all be involved in one day. Jesus is in no way implying that we become a doormat for anyone but in matters of ministry, we should not retaliate against evil done to us for the ministry’s sake.

Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV (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. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? (48) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

• When we do what Jesus said in verses 43 and 44, notice in verse 45 it says that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. These things do not make us children of God but rather show that we are children of God.

Matthew 5:45 AMP (45) To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].

Matthew 5:45 CEV (45) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.

Notice in this section that Jesus makes another reference to a reward. God desires to reward His children. The implication is that when we love the unlovely and are friendly to those who are not our brethren, then God will reward us. Jesus refers to reward 9 times in the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount takes place after Jesus chooses His disciples and He begins their training.

Matthew 5:13-16 NKJV (13) “You are the salt of the earth (ge); but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (14) “You are the light of the world (kosmos). A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

“Ge” you can see because it is physical land and territory.

“Kosmos” you cannot see. It is invisible.

Matthew 5:14 NKJV (14) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Notice Jesus said we are the light of the entire world.

The word “world” is not the same as the word “earth” in verse 5. The Greek word here is “kosmos” and means the world’s system.

The world’s system is in darkness because it is controlled by satanic powers. The word “light” is not talking about physical light, it is referring to the light of the Gospel or God’s Word in a dark and non-revelation filled world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV (3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The light of the Gospel is spread in two ways:

1. 1. By the words that you speak.
   2. By your lifestyle.

There is coming a day when the “kosmos” will be gone but the “ge” will still be here.

The “ge” is what God owns but He is not the God of the “kosmos.” Satan is the god of the “kosmos.” His lease is almost up and when it is, God will kick him out once and for all.

Psalms 24:1 NKJV (1) The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

Satan is a bad tenant in the earth which belongs to God and Adam sold his sub-lease to Satan.

Matthew 5:15-16 NKJV (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:15-16 MSG (15) If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. (16) Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand–shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

The Jesus goes on to say that in our house we are to be light as well. In other words, we are the same light to the world that we are at home.

In verse 16 Jesus said “let your light shine…” not “make your light shine…”

When the Word of God is in you and is bearing fruit, the works will follow. In other words, you do not have to strain and struggle for those things to come forth. The strain comes when we try and be something that is not yet bearing fruit in us.

A fruit tree naturally produces fruit and does not struggle to do so.

Matthew 5:17-21 NKJV (17) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (19) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (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.’

Remember that the Sermon on the Mount was not a message to the multitudes but was teaching for His disciples.

The whole purpose of what we are supposed to be doing is to duplicate ourselves many times over as disciples.

v. 17 – “fulfill” means “to bring it to pass.”

The law did not speak of Moses, Joshua, Elijah, or others, it only spoke of and painted the picture of Jesus. Only the One that the Law spoke of could fulfill it and that is Jesus.

Once the law was fulfilled it could not be done away with.

v. 18 – Jots and Tittles were the smallest letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

(Much like dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s.)

Jesus is saying to us that the smallest things that may seem insignificant to us are very important to God and will be fulfilled.

This is where the mentality comes from that categorizes sins as big, important things that need to be dealt with. Then there are the small, insignificant things that may be wrong, but they are not huge in our eyes and don’t get dealt with.

As we get into the sermon, we will see that the small things have to do with the sins of thought and sins of the tongue.

v. 19 – Religious people exalt the big sins and then ignore the small things and then teach people to do the same thing.

Someone who teaches that God is more interested in the small things and wants us to focus in the small things, will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. These small things are the things of the heart.

Proverbs 6:16-22 NKJV (16) These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (17) A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, (19) A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. (20) My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. (21) Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. (22) When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.

All sins start from arrogance. A lying tongue is a manifestation of an arrogant heart.

Hands that shed innocent blood is the only outward sin.

The reason that God hates discord being sown among the brethren is because Jesus died to bring unity among believers.

Notice that the next verses say that the commandments (The Word of God) in your heart and leading you by your neck will keep you from the seven sins that God hates.

Matthew 5:19 NKJV (19) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

We must understand that the small things that Jesus was referring to were the commandments that dealt with sins of the heart.

The reason that these commandments that deal with sins of the heart are so important is because ultimately all sin originates in the heart.

Doing and teaching go hand in hand.

Matthew 5:20 NKJV (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus said their righteousness needs to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 23:1-7 NKJV (1) Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, (2) saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. (3) Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. (4) For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. (5) But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. (6) They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, (7) greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’

Matthew 23:13-14 NKJV (13) “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (14) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Matthew 23:25-28 NKJV (25) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. (26) Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (27) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. (28) Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

If you are Born Again, your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees but it cannot stop there.

There must be a daily temporal righteousness that starts by cleaning the inward (thoughts and intents of the heart).

Matthew 5:21 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.’

The judgment is a reference not only judgment before God but is also referring to the civil judgment.

The KJV translates this incorrectly by saying, “Thou shall not kill…” The correct translation is, “You shall not commit murder.” There is a time to kill, and it is not murder. There is a time when killing is right, but murder is never right.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 NKJV (1) To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: (2) A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; (3) A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;

Proverbs defines murder as “hands that shed innocent blood.”

What about Capital Punishment? It is written throughout the Old Testament (most would not argue that point) but it is also in the New Testament.

Genesis 9:6 NLT (6) If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in His own image.

Romans 13:1-4 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. (4) For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

There can be a righteous cause for war.

Revelation 19:11 NKJV (11) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

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.

Angry (Greek) – “lightly angry”

There is a time to get angry and the cause is righteous before God.

John 2:14-15 KJV (14) And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: (15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

Ephesians 4:26 KJV (26) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

It is all right to be angry with the devil, sin, and unrighteousness.

But it is not right to be angry with your brother.

“Raca” – “worthless one”, “You are good for nothing” (Chaldean) could end up before a civil judge sued for slander.

“But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” The word translated “hell fire” is not that at all. It is the Greek word “Gehenna” or fiery judgment of God.

“You fool” (Greek – “moros”) dull, stupid, heedless, morally blockhead, absurd; it had more to do with spiritual condition of someone; judging someone’s heart.

The reason that this is so bad in God’s eyes is because you are assuming a position of superiority over another by calling them a bad name and this reveals the sinfulness of one’s heart.

Remember, this is about watching the thoughts of your heart and then this in turn affects what comes out of your mouth.

Matthew 5:23-24 NKJV (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.

The whole point of what Jesus is saying is, “CHECK YOUR HEART” before you do anything in your life as a disciple.

Matthew 5:25-26 NKJV (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.

Jesus is saying that we should conduct our lives so that we are not always fight frivolous lawsuits all the time because we behaved badly.

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV (23) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23 AMP (23) Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Matthew 4:17 NKJV (17) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is referring to the Church Age, salvation by faith. This is the time that the law will be put away and the time that Jesus will be ushering humanity into God’s Kingdom.

Jesus is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 4:23 NKJV (23) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Jesus went about preaching, teaching, and healing the people.

Matthew 4:24-25 NKJV (24) Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. (25) Great multitudes followed Him–from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 5:1 NKJV (1) And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

Notice that when the multitudes began to gather and Jesus’ fame began to spread all around, even into the heathen nations, Jesus did not take advantage of this to catapult His ministry.

He withdrew from that place and took His disciples and went up to a mountain. He drew back from the crowd.

Jesus realized that even though He was God incarnate, He had set aside His deity and was 100% man. As a man, He knew His limitations and that He could not effectively minister to this great crowd of people over an extended period.

Matthew 4:18-22 NKJV (18) And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (19) Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (20) They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (21) Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, (22) and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

In His wisdom, Jesus knew that He was going to have to have some help in ministry and so He recruited His disciples and now He was going to begin their training.

Matthew 5:2-10 NKJV (2) Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: (3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. (5) Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. (6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. (7) Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. (8) Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (9) Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (10) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Notice in these verses, they begin and end talking about the Kingdom of Heaven.
• The verses are a progression just like spiritual growth is a progression.
• Verse 3 Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He is speaking about the New Birth. To be eligible for the New Birth, you are poor or destitute in spirit. “Poor” in this verse means to be totally bankrupt.
• Verse 10 speaks about the mature Christian that has endured persecution for righteousness’ sake.
• In verse 4, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted” Once you are Born Again, you can come to the realization that you lived a pretty bad life before Jesus and you can mourn that old life. Jesus said that you would be comforted.
• In verse 5, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.” The word “meek” means to become teachable. What someone needs once they get Born Again is to be taught or discipled concerning the things of God. (“Meek” does not mean “weak.”)

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV (28) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:29 KJV (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

John 8:30-32 NKJV (30) As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. (31) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Jesus said that those who are teachable would inherit the earth (land). This is a reference to prosperity that belongs to the believer and if we will learn of the Lord then we will prosper so that we can spread the Gospel.

• In verse 6, Jesus said, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Once you become teachable (verse 5) you will develop a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God that only God can quench.

Whenever the scripture refers to partaking of the Word of God and God’s presence it makes reference to “hunger” and “thirst” because these things are only satisfied temporarily.

It says that God will continually satisfy those that hunger and thirst.

Eat until you are stuffed until you are ready to “pop.”

• In verses 3 – 6 we have the intake of the Word of God and then beginning in verse 7 we have the giving out or living out of the Word of God.

You cannot put out until you first take in.

• In verse 7, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” You are not going to be able to give out mercy until you have first received mercy.

Jesus goes on to say that when you give out mercy, you obtain mercy. We see here the first teaching that Jesus gives on the law of giving or sowing and reaping.

Luke 6:35-38 NKJV (35) But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. (36) Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (37) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (38) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

• In verse 8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This person that keeps themselves pure in heart and free from contaminates will be able to perceive God. Some contaminates could be un-confessed sin, bitterness, un-forgiveness, etc. This is because God is a holy God.

Be quick to judge your own heart and the thoughts of your heart. You will have a clear perception of God.

• In verse 9, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

The “peace” that Jesus is referring to here is the ministry of reconciliation. Bringing people to God so they can be reconciled to Him.

Ephesians 6:14-15 NKJV (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NKJV (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (18) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Luke 2:13-14 NKJV (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: (14) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Someone who is a witness for Jesus is a peacemaker because it is our job to tell people that the war is over. God has made peace with mankind and you can receive that peace. The enemy was defeated.

“Peacemaking” does not MAKE you a child of God but it does let it be known that you ARE a child of God and people will call you that.

Witnessing lets people know that you are Born Again.

Acts 1:8 NKJV (8) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

• In verse 10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Blessings come to believers that endure persecution. Persecution can come to all believers, but it definitely will come to those that begin to witness for the Lord.

We are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, however, there are some that are persecuted for stupidity and bad decisions.

Matthew 5:11-12 NKJV (11) “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. (12) Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You get rewards for enduring persecution.

Your persecution is for a moment and temporary, but Heaven is eternal and the rewards are eternal.

Matthew 5:5 NKJV (5) Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

The Greek word for “meek” is “praus” and means to have a teachable attitude.

The work meek does not mean weak just because they rhyme.

Jesus was the meekest individual that ever walked the earth but yet he was strong enough to drive the money changers out of the temple.

Psalms 37:11 NKJV (11) But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalms 25:9 KJV (9) The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

A meek person will receive guidance and the Word easily.

The word “praus” was taken from a term referring to a horse that can easily be turned or directed and all of that strength can be easily directed.

James 1:21 NKJV (21) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

One cannot have their soul saved or their minds renewed without receiving the Word with a humble, teachable heart. You can receive the Word with the wrong attitude such as, “I am sure glad so and so is hearing this message because they sure do need it…”

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus said that the meek would inherit the earth. The Greek word for “earth” is “ge” which means the literal ground or terra firma. It is the root word for geology or geography.

Matthew 5:13-16 NKJV (13) “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (14) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

A mature Christian is not supposed to just wreak havoc in Satan’s kingdom but he is also supposed to be a stabilizer in the earth.

Salt does three things:

1. 1. It hinders the spread of corruption or preserves
   2. It brings out flavor
   3. It creates thirst

“You are the salt of the earth” suggests at least three things: purity, preservation, and flavor. Salt in the Roman world symbolized purity—no doubt from the process of using sea water and the sun to acquire the salt. Roman soldiers were often paid in salt, the basis for the word “salary.”

But salt was also a preservative in a day without refrigeration. This meaning is expressed in Jesus’ warning about salt that has lost its savor (Luk_14:34-35). Meat spoiled unless it was salted. Similarly, the kingdom member is a preserving element in society.

1. We are the ones that are preserving the earth so that Satan cannot destroy it.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 NKJV (1) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (5) Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? (6) And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. (8) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

2. Salt brings out flavor

Salt loses itself in service to the object that is being salted or preserved, which is the third aspect of the meaning of this symbol—flavor. When salt is applied to food properly, it is not so that one can taste the salt, but so that the food itself tastes more authentically as it should. As salt makes the food more “foodier,” the disciple as the salt of the earth makes the earth more authentically as it should be. Our role in society is not to be over against it so much as it is to enrich or purify the social order, making it more truly a realm of blessing for humanity. Such enriching persons are the salt of the earth.

3. Salt also creates thirst.

When we are living our lives according to the Word of God, we should be making those that we come into contact with thirsty for the things of God.

John 4:13-14 NKJV (13) Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

What is interesting about this is that lost people are hungry and thirsty; they just don’t know what they are hungry and thirsty for.

We should make them thirsty for the Lord by our lives being lived according to the Word of God.

Once they drink of the Lord, are Born Again, there is in them a well that springs up to everlasting life and that is their relationship with Jesus and He is the One that can satisfy that thirst.

One thing that we need to understand is that the salt we have today was a chemical compound is much more pure than the salt of Jesus’ day. If the saltiness were lost, or it were to lose its savor, there would be nothing remaining.

In eastern countries, however, the salt used was impure, mingled with vegetable and earthly substances; so that it might lose the whole of its saltiness, and a considerable quantity [of salt without flavor] remain. This was good for nothing except that it was used, as it is said, to place in paths, or walks, as we use gravel.

This is why it is so important that we do not let impurities get mingled in with our saltiness because it will diminish our effectiveness in the earth.

Matthew 5:14 NKJV (14) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Notice Jesus said we are the light of the entire world.

The word “world” is not the same as the word “earth” in verse 5. The Greek word here is “kosmos” and means the world’s system.

The world’s system is in darkness because it is controlled by satanic powers. The word “light” is not talking about physical light, it is referring to the light of the Gospel or God’s Word in a dark and non-revelation filled world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV (3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The light of the Gospel is spread in two ways:

1. 1. By the words that you speak.
   2. By your lifestyle.

There is coming a day when the “kosmos” will be gone but the “ge” will still be here.

The “ge” is what God owns but He is not the God of the “kosmos.” Satan is the god of the “kosmos.” His lease is almost up and when it is, God will kick him out once and for all.

Matthew 5:15-16 NKJV (15) Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:15-16 MSG (15) If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. (16) Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand–shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

The Jesus goes on to say that in our house we are to be light as well. In other words, we are the same light to the world that we are at home.

In verse 16 Jesus said “let your light shine…” not “make your light shine…”

When the Word of God is in you and is bearing fruit, the works will follow. In other words you do not have to strain and struggle for those things to come forth. The strain comes when we try and be something that is not yet bearing fruit in us.

John 15:7-8 NKJV (7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.