COMPLETE ME
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XIX (TOPIC: Perfect)
Intro: Perfect Defined:
Perfection is, broadly, a state of completeness and flawlessness.
The term "perfection" is actually used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These concepts have historically been addressed in a number of discrete disciplines, notably mathematics, physics, chemistry, ethics, aesthetics, ontology and theology.
The word perfection derives from the Latin word, “Perfecto,” which has its origin in “Perficio,” which means: to finish, or to bring to an end. In it’s Greek form, “Teleos,” it is generally translated “complete” since nothing can be perfect until it is over.
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Question: So based on the ancient definition of perfect, and the command by God to be perfect means to be complete. How do we look at God and say “Complete Me?”
Transition: To be honest, I am not really sure how to “be perfect.” But I do know how to complete something. Technically, I believe Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount, to follow the rules, to obey the commands (notice, he wasn’t relinquishing any of the non-sacrificial commands). But how do we do that? I think I have an idea how to start.
1. REACT IMMEDIATELY
BIBLE VERSE: Genesis 18:1-5, 10
18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
18:3 He said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 18:4 Let a little water be brought so that you may all wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get a bit of food so that you may refresh yourselves since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
18:10 One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him.
A. Abraham Answers Fast: If we want to complete our walk with the Lord (which is what we are supposed to do by the way, than we have to start). And that start is made faithful here with the wisdom of Abraham!
B. How Did Abraham Know They Were Angels? Well, were they angels? It is hard to tell. But, Abraham is used to worshipping the Lord. He worshipped the Lord everywhere else he went through his many altars that he built. And Abraham would know NOT to worship an angel. So what was he doing here? Worshipping the Lord who was present with 2 other angels is usually the best guess (notice, if it is an angel Abraham is worshipping here, the angel would tell Abraham to stop his worship of him).
How Did Abraham Know It Was the Lord? Because people that worship the Lord, know when it’s the Lord. I can spot my wife, I can spot my Savior. Amen.
C. What Would I Do? Imagine with me, I am sitting out on my driveway and see 3 dudes. I totally believe one is Jesus, so I run to him and invite him to dinner. He says okay. Then I run home, where my wife is busy homeschooling my 5 children while pregnant with the 6th.
“Lori, stop everything you are doing, make dinner now…it’s Jesus and 2 angels!”
She is going to think I am crazy!
And that is exactly what your friends think whenever you give up your time, your money, your whatever and come here to worship Jesus! They think you are crazy, cause that is about how much sense this Jesus deal actually works for us.
D. So Why Don’t We React Immediately?
Circus Clown Example: To be honest, I have to tell you a story. You ever go to the circus? Maybe you have not, I dunno. But one time I actually saw a man riding two horses at one time. He was standing up, wearing American red white and blue clothing, and looked like a conquering hero. It was awesome.
But, what would happen if the horses split? Well, down would go the man.
Friends, most of us, if we are honest, ride two horses. We live in the world, and we live with Christ. Friends, those horses should have split ages ago, but we want to be the hero clown of the circus so we somehow ride them both, like a person sitting on a fence not sure which way we should go.
You want to be complete? You want to be perfect? The first step is to see Christ and React Immediately.
This may mean getting off of our other horse. Got it?
*Additional information. For those wondering if the other two visitors are actually angels with Jesus, then have them read Genesis 19:1, for the 2 angels continue on to visit Sodom and Gomorrah, their origination is from walking with the Lord here.
2. FOCUS ON CHRIST
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 14:25-31
14:25 As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 14:26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 14:28 Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 14:29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
A. Why Was Peter Able to Walk on Water? Because he was focused on Christ.
B. Why Did Peter Fall into the Water? Because he took his eyes off of Christ. Isn’t that what we do too though? As soon as “rough waters” hit our life, isn’t it a common thing to dwell on the problem rather than the one that can bring the solution? Of course it is (teachers, you may want to actually act this out for the teens, have a youth focus on Christ, then fall into the water).
C. Did Peter Have Big Faith or Little Faith? Quite honestly, to me, it seems like he had huge faith. To ask the Son of Man for permission to walk on top of the water during a massive storm that was about to have them shipwrecked…unbelievable!
But Jesus doesn’t see it that way, what does he call him in verse 31? That’s right, “you of little faith.” Wow. What does that say about our faith in comparison?
D. So Why Do We Take Our Eyes Off Of Christ? Many, many reasons could be listed here. But let me give you two.
Boiling Frog Example: How does a person boil a frog? Well, if you boil some water and toss a frog in, that sucker will immediately hop out (unless of course you put a lid on and than it would bang into the lid repeatedly, bang, bang, bang). Teachers, may be use some type of funny hand gesture here.
But the better way is to put the frog in a pot of lukewarm water, and put the heat on. As the heat increases, the frog will adjust, never leave, and actually allow himself to be killed.
We are like the frog: we let pressure build and build and build, or work build and build and build, or school build and build and build, until the water of our life is so hot we cannot get out, and cannot even think about following Christ because there is so much to do.
The Memphis Miracle: About 10 years ago, the Tennessee Titans were playing the Buffalo Bills, and the final play of the game was one of those gadget plays where the ball gets tossed around a bit, finally ending up in the hands of an open receiver who ran it in for a touchdown (if you know the play better, describe it, if not, no big deal).
But Buffalo protested the play, saying the ball was thrown forwards illegally (and quite honestly it looks on replays like it was). The refs eventually rules with the Titans who won the game.
Here is the point, after the game, the TV asked Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher this question,
“What did it feel like to have the outcome of the entire season in the hands of a referee.”
His answer without any delay,
“The outcome of our season was never in the hands of the referee, it was always in God’s hands.”
When the waters get rough, we have to always realize that the final outcome is in God’s hands, if we could only keep our Focus on Christ.
*Additional information. For those wanting to know, the time this took place, “as the night was ending,” meant it took place during the 4th watch, or sometime between 3:00am and 6:00am.
*If it adds to the talk, notice that verse 32 says Jesus got into the boat with Peter. Sometimes there is the visualization that Jesus grabbed Peter back up and out of the water, no he did not. He got into the water with Peter—which is a great example to us all. And refreshing, because now we know that Jesus is in the rough waters with us.
3. NEVER TURN BACK
BIBLE VERSE: Genesis 19:17, 26
19:17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:26 But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.
A. News Flash: A lot of Christians Stop Walking with the Lord: It has been told to me that 50% of youth that graduate church and youth group fall away from the Lord within 12 months of college. Newsflash, that is unacceptable and is absolutely sin. You want to be perfect…which is a command….you need to complete your walk! That means at age 90, there is still no retirement from serving others at church (use the example of Virginia here, who in her 90s still comes in and folds bulletins every week).
B. Looked Back Longingly: What does look back longingly mean, it means to “gaze.” Let me ask you a question, do you think a ton of Christians who fall away from Christ and into the party scene, do it in a day? Or do they long for it in their hearts? Do they gaze at the party scene? What do you think (I feel most youth will also think it works this way too, not always, just most of the time)?
C. A Pastor Who Never Looked Back:
This is a true story. Many years ago, A pastor of an inner city church in Philadelphia noticed a little girl running away from church. He asked her why, and she said the woman in the class said that there is not a place for her in the church (she was a girl who lived on the streets, clothes dirty, didn’t look right)
The pastor said that that was not true, brought her back to church. And soon enough the girl gave her life to Christ and was baptized. Sadly enough, not a long time later, the pastor received a phone call from the girl’s mom, stating that her daughter had died, and wondered if there was any help available to help plan the funeral.
When the pastor arrived, he looked into the little girl’s purse, and saw an offering envelope. He opened the envelope which held 57 cents and a note stating, “this offering is for a new building, so no little girl like me will ever be turned away again.”
That Sunday, the Pastor made a bold statement. He took the offering and stood before his congregation, and said with this money the church was starting a new building plan. There is no way over his dead body that he would refuse the dying request of a little girl.
Amazing, word got out, the newspapers carried it. Amazingly, the pastor actually got a phone call for a person wanting to sell 1000 acres of land for only 57 cents, and to the pastor’s surprise, the caller was a Christian who was told by God to do it, but hadn’t even heard about the dying girl’s request.
Today, Temple Baptist Church will have over 3000 in worship this morning, and many more in off site location. Good Samaritan Hospital will save 100,000s of lives this year and has a pledge to never turn away any person on account of money. And Temple University remains the Christian standard of the East Coast. All of these started on the faith of a dying little girl and a man who refused to count the cost or LOOK BACK.
REFUSE TO LOOK BACK.
Sources:
Netbible.org. Genesis 18:2, keynote number 11.
Papez, Tom. Notebook 37-18 (March 2001).
Wikipedia.com. Keyword: Perfection (redirected from Perfect, not the disambiguation form).
COMPLETE ME
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XIX (TOPIC: Perfect)
Intro: Perfect: __________________________________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:48
Be _______________________, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1. REACT _______________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Genesis 18:1-5, 10
Abraham Answers _________________________
How did Abraham Know the Men Were _______________________________? Were They? ___________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
What Would You Do? ___________________________________________________________________
Why Don’t We React Immediately?
Circus Clown Example:
2. FOCUS ON ___________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 14:25-31
Why Was Peter Able to Walk on Water? ____________________________________________________
Why Did Peter Fall into the Water? _________________________________________________________
Peter’s Faith: BIG or LITTLE ?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Why Do We Take Our Eyes off of Christ? ____________________________________________________
Example: Bullfrog
Example: Memphis Miracle
3. NEVER ____________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Genesis 19:17, 26
19:17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look _______________ you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:26 But Lot’s wife ___________________ ______________ longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.
News Flash: ___________________________________________________________________________
Looked Back Longingly? _________________________________________________________________
A Pastor Who Never Looked Back: