Sermon on the Mount, Integrity and Difficult People

Matthew 5:27-37

Integrity
Brainstorm synonyms for integrity
honesty, honor, morality, wholeness, soundness, completeness, goodness
Definition: Integrity is being true to God, others and yourself.

Matthew 5:27-37

What is God's attitude toward marriage? What is yours? (vs. 31-32)
How dedicated are you/we to Christ and the standards He sets? (vs. 29)
How many careless words do you say a day?
How many promises do you make and forget to keep?
(I'll pray for you or I'll call you soon.)
Who can trust your word? (vs. 33-37)

Jesus was pointing out the lack of integrity in the Pharisee's oaths.
Honesty in speech is necessary for ongoing relationships. How are relationships affected by a lack of honesty in speech? (Truth is lost)
(Write on board)
How do we use, abuse, or confuse other people?

Summing up the Lesson
1. Adultery undermines the one flesh union of husband and wife. It is a deadly and serious sin that is condemned in the Old Testament and by Jesus.

2. Staring at another person for the purpose of lust is adultery in the heart. Jesus extended the application of the 7th Commandment to include lustful looks. Such lust in the heart is so dangerous that people should take whatever drastic steps are necessary to avoid it.

3. The integrity of marriage as a permanent one-flesh union must be maintained. The Pharisees wanted to debate grounds for divorce, but Jesus stressed God's original intention for marriage.

4. Jesus warned against trying to use divorce to cloak one's selfishness or immorality. Lax standards of divorce were sometimes used as supposed justification for such sinful purposes.

5. The integrity of speech and character are maintained when a person's word is completely trustworthy. Jesus' disciples should be people of their word.

6. Oath's are sometimes used to try to hide dishonesty behind impressive words. Oaths should not be necessary for disciples.

Difficult People
Matthew 5:38-48

Think of a recent personal experience of dealing with a difficult person. What are some ways to deal with someone who is difficult?

We as Christians are to reflect God's character in our lives even in difficult situations.

Matthew 5:38-42
In these verses Jesus wanted us to show Christian Love not revenge.
What are some possible situations in which we encounter a demanding person at work? Home? Ect.
What are some possible situations in which people might have difficulty giving or loaning to others?

Isaiah 1:17 Jesus was not condoning exploitation. Jesus was using very strong examples to teach the disciples to resist wanting to get even, and ignoring the needs of others.
How does the biblical concept of stewardship relate to vs. 42?
We live in a world of unlimited needs, but we have limited resources. We learn to make decisions about the best use of our limited resources to meet the greatest needs.

Matthew 5:43-48
“Love your neighbor” is from Leviticus 19:18. “Hate your enemy” is not found in the Old Testament. People who hated their enemies were trying to justify their own evil practices.
1. How can we overcome evil with good? (by loving and praying for our enemies)
2. What is the meaning of the word perfect? (wholeness, maturity)
3. Why does Jesus expect His disciples to be perfect? (Jesus' standards reflect the character of God)
4. What happens when Christians fail to be perfect? (God deals with us as a merciful and loving father)
5. What should Christians do when they have failed t be perfect? (Confess our failure, accept God's forgiveness, and press on.)