ARE YOU A MURDERER PART TWO

Matt 5:21-26

  

Are you a murder at heart?

Kent Hughes wrote in his commentary, “Has Christ radical righteousness truly penetrated our relationships with others? Or are we full of hostility that causes us to verbally or silently murmur “fool” or “worthless” as we go through life? If so, we need to repent, calling upon the Holy Spirit’s renewing power. The righteous, those who have received the radical righteousness of Christ, must guard their hearts and mouths.” 

As I said last week, “Raca & Fool” view others with contempt, and once we’re there, murder could be just around the corner, because in our minds, they have no worth, and don’t deserve to live. This is a great concern for the people that Jesus was speaking to! 

Why? 

Because murder of the heart affects our relationship we have with God and that also will have an effect on our worship. To have a heart of murder is to put our genuine worship under trial by God’s holy standard.

 

“The evil emotions in our hearts

contaminate our worship to God.”

 

Not only does this cause us to be distant and have resentment towards someone else; but it also hinders our relationship with God as well. This is a major problem in light of God’s Law and the gospel that saves. Worship is a daily concern for every child of God. Our deepest desire is to worship God in the same way the gospel penetrated our hearts. See! The word used for anger means a long-standing grudge, a refusal to forgive, a smoldering bitterness. The Hebrew writer warns us of this sort of behavior. “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” Heb 12:14-15

 

Understand how important worship is! 

We have been going through the “New City Catechism” with the kids as family worship on Sundays. And last week’s question was “How Can we glorify God? The answer is! “We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, and by obeying His will, commands and Law.” In Deuteronomy 11:1 we read “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep His charge, His statues, His rules and His commandments always.”

 

The way we glorify God is through

the heart of genuine worship.

 

Worship is something that God has taught and commanded to His children going all the way back to the Garden. What was the first homicide over? Worship. We read in Genesis 4:1-8 this homicide unfolds. “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD." And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.”

Why didn’t God accept Cain’s

act of worship/his offering?

 

First! There was clearly an internal honorable distinction in the intention or disposition of Cain and Abel. Second! Abel displayed a genuine act of worship towards God from the adoration of his heart; where Cain’s offering was out of duty and not from the heart of genuine worship. Thirdly! Abel’s sacrifice involved blood and that would testify to the death of a substitute. And this represented the proper way you were supposed to approach God. Fourthly! Cain’s offering was more than likely beautiful and something that God has blessed them with, but this offer would only be acceptable to offer back to God, if it was first based on the atoning work of Christ.

 

See! Abel’s offering shows that our sin means death, and an innocent victim must die in order for sinners to be pardoned. This sacrifice points to the truth of the first gospel in Genesis 3:15. The sons would have known what was required. “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21. What do I mean?

 

Cain didn’t take the gift of worship seriously though his offering was probably some of the best fruits. The problem was that he didn’t first offer an animal sacrifice thereby confessing to God that he is a sinner and that sin requires death. If he had a done that first out of a genuine heart of worship, then his offering of fruits and vegetables would have been pleasing to God. The proper sacrifice points to our desperate need of God’s forgiveness for our sin and rebellion. What Abel offered demonstrated that believing God and was looking forward to the provision of the Deliverer. What Cain offered was rejected because God requires a sacrifice in order to approach God in worship.

 

If there is no blood, no Christ, then there is no true Christianity,

no matter how beautiful our offering might be.

 

There is always a danger in Christianity. This is the problem with many “good” religious people. The danger that we set up an external standard to keep and then believe that we are right with God because we keep that external standard. God takes our worship and how we approach His throne of grace seriously. That has been seen and proven throughout Scripture and through His Son.

  

What does God want to see from

our heart in worship?

 

God wants us to walk in the Spirit and not by an external standard. God wants us to worship Him from a heart of genuine worship; not like what Cain displayed in his offering of worship. Every child of God carries the responsibility for personal preparation of his/her heart. If God calls us to worship him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), then we must constantly ask questions about the state of our spirit and readiness of our hearts. We have an obligation to do a spiritual check list over our own lives.

A great place to do that is found in the Book of Galatians. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Gal 5:22-26. Where do I need to change in order to exemplify these fruits in my life and in the body of Christ?

 

R  C Sproul said “The worship to which we are called in our renewed state is far too important to be left to personal preferences, whims, or marketing strategies. Pleasing God is at the heart of worship. Therefore, our worship must be informed at every point by the Word of God as we seek God’s own instructions for worship that is pleasing to Him.” 

“The best public worship is that which produces the best private Christianity. The best Church Services for the congregation are those which make its individual members most holy at home and alone. If we want to know whether our own public worship is doing us good, let us try it by these tests. Does it quicken our conscience? Does it send us to Christ? Does it add to our knowledge? Does it sanctify our life? If it does, we may depend on it, it is worship of which we have no cause to be ashamed.” J.C. Ryle 

Jesus says “So” or “Therefore” as an importance for His listeners to reflect on what was previously said about the issue of murder in the heart. (v23)

 

This section of Jesus’ sermon should shock to the heart to examine our own hearts as we approach the blessings of worship. Remember the Scribes and the Pharisee’s worshipped eternally. “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. Matt 23:1-7

Jesus continues in Matthew’s gospel. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Matt 23:14-15

 

Continued "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matt 23:29-36

 

Outward worship is unacceptable worship. Unauthentic worship is like covering up personal sin with perfume; and that sin breaches, or separates, us from true worship. Worship is a serious manner, the same seriousness the priests took to present themselves and the people pre-Christ, before God. But the Christian should also take this seriously as well. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:1-2

 

That you give, dedicate, and offer up, as spiritual priests.

 

That you present yourselves, your entire person, to the service of God.

God demands our worship

in this way!

 

Jesus says leave gifts and offerings and go be reconciled to one another. (v24) If you are divided from your brother/ fellow believer, due to unjustifiable anger, slander or whatever has brought a separation between the two. Leave your offering and go make it right, go be reconciled with your brother.

 

This is important because we need to establish loving relationships with one another. Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." Mark 9:50. We need to get things settled before it becomes too late as Jesus says in (v25) Understand! Every one of us at some degree to the next does not love our neighbor as we ought to.

 

We have all failed from one degree to the

next to love our neighbor

 

We are all guilty of having unjustifiable anger, and slanderous towards our brother. and sister. To stand guilty in God’s courtroom is to stand condemned, unclean and rightfully judged to the eternal flame. If it were not for Jesus going to the cross and dying for murderers like us we would never be released because it’s a debt that none of us can payback.

 

It’s a debt that will take all of eternity to pay.

But our Lord was murdered for us

because we are murderers

 

Paul said “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8. And Jesus in His sermon says “leave your gift and be reconciled” because that is more important than your outward worship. (v23-v24) If you don’t it will catch up to you (just like a criminal on the run) the legal process we find you, and try you, before a court of Law. And in the end it will be too late and you will face the maximum penalty. You will pay the amount owing until it’s paid and that will take “all of eternity. Which means judgement is looming if we do not seek reconciliation.

 

“This doesn’t just affect a person’s act of worship, but it also

affects one’s heart to respond to the gospel.”

 

The gospel that reconciled our murderous hearts to a holy God who created us for His glory. God hates vain, empty, fake worship. "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.” Malachi 1:6-10

 

Jeremiah 7:9-10 reveals something for the people to ponder “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'—only to go on doing all these abominations?”

 

God demands that we make it right, even if we have no anger of ill will and they do; we are to do everything in power to be reconciled. Why? Because it affects the heart of our worship as God’s children. John MacArthur said “When there is animosity or sin of any sort in our heart there cannot be integrity in our worship.”

 

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord

would not have listened". Psalm 66:18

 

We are to make peace quickly! And never give a foot hold for bitterness, anger, hatred or any other sin to keep us separated from other people and especially our ability to worship our Lord properly. Worship is not some religious duty or some external act we perform on Sunday’s or when were around other Christians. Worship like the new birth begins and continues in the heart now and thought-out eternity. Worship is our way of expressing how much we love and owe to Jesus for saving my murderous heart from His judgment and sentence.

 

Joseph reconciliation with his brother’s betrayal. “he kissed his brothers and wept over them...” Gen 45:1-3 . Peter being reconciled back to Jesus. “Lord you know all things; you know I love you” John 21:15-17. Stephen the first martyr as he faces the Sanhedrin and with a loud voice “Lord do not charge them with this sin” Acts 7:1-60. The prodigal son in the parable that Jesus told. “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ‘And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:18-20

 

“Reconciliation is a right response”

As one pastor said “When anger or slander or critical and offensive thoughts about your brother or sister come into your mind. When you consider yourself superior over the foolishness and stupidity and immaturity of others, consider these thoughts as murderous, and banish them. Instead kneel before that brother or sister in humble service by praying for them and helping them along their spiritual journey. Be an example of reconciliation and humility. By responding in this way you will better understand the Grace of God, the Cross of Christ, and the essence of Christianity.”

Being reconciled to God through Christ makes it all the more important to be reconciled to one another. Our reconciliation came at the highest cost to the highest degree. Our reconciliation came so that we could have genuine worship and adoration towards a holy God who loved the unlovable. As the Hebrew writer wrote. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Heb 10:19-26

 

“God sent His son to cover our debt

that we could never pay back”

And knowing that truth, the true child of God, worships from a genuine heart through the new birth. We need to listen to Jesus’ warning. To be forgiven is the road that leads to reconciliation, which leads authentic worship of God’s people. Exactly what the gospel came to do so that God would be glorified for such a great salvation.

Our motivation to reconcile with someone should

be because of our love for Christ.

Why? Because of the reconciliation He gave us with God by His death on the cross. Listen to Paul as I close “..... do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph 4:30-32

 

The question “How Can we glorify God? 

The answer is! “We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, and by obeying His will, commands and Law.”

 

Do you believe that this morning?

The harder question is……. Can you do that, this morning?