Sermon
Matthew 6:19-21
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Thank you, Alex and the band. If you notice, there might be a theme throughout our songs this morning.
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! And I'll let you do that homework. Please turn with me to Matthew chapter 6.
Matthew 6 chapter mention
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! Matthew chapter 6, we will be looking at verses 19 to 21.
Matthew 6 chapter mention
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19 to 21.
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There your heart will be also.
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On my shelf at home, there is a book titled Jonathan Edwards Encyclopedia.
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It's a one-volume encyclopedia. Don't worry, it's not multi-volume.
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But it has many interesting entries in it.
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And me having this book does not communicate anything about me or my personality.
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But every once in a while, I'll crack it open when I'm studying for something and seeing if there's an entry.
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And as you know, if you know anything about Jonathan Edwards, a big theme in his ministry, his life, was heaven.
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He meditated on heaven a lot.
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You may know him.
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He was just before the American Revolution.
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He died in the 1750s.
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He's a pastor in New England.
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But you may know him from his Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God sermon, maybe.
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But also for Heaven is a World of Love sermon.
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If you want to know more about Jonathan Edwards, I would...
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That's the first two things I would get you to read if you want to know.
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They're worth your time in reading.
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But he meditated a lot on heaven.
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And so if you crack this open, this encyclopedia, as I did, the first line in the entry on heaven is worthy of our consideration.
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The author of the entry begins by saying,
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Jonathan Edwards was so heavenly-minded that he accomplished much earthly good.
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Jonathan Edwards was so heavenly-minded that he accomplished much earthly good.
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Would that not be said of us also at the end of our life?
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What an epitaph that would be.
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He...
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This person can say this about Jonathan Edwards because he lived a life according to our text today.
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He meditated on this text, Jonathan Edwards, and he lived it.
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And that's...
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Let that be our prayer today also.
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Based on his understanding and application of the text like our text today, Matthew 6, 19 to 21.
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So, as we begin, pray with me.
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Father, as we open your word to the words for where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also.
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Help us who know you, who trust in you, to have your son as our treasure.
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That we would have Christ as our treasure.
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Help us, for those this morning who know you, who trust in you, to apply these words specifically to our lives.
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From parenting, to work, to family, to every sphere of influence that you've given us.
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Help us to apply these words.
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As we look at your word and look inward to our hearts,
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help us to look outward for those around us, that we would live out these words for your glory.
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For those who may not know or trust you, or may know you but not trust you yet,
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we pray that you would give them ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand the truth
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as, in the words, Christ can be their treasure.
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That there is only heavenly treasure that matters.
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And help them to see that, to save their souls through your word.
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And we pray for this, for your glory.
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Amen.
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In the Bible, there are lots of contrasts.
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If you think about, this is a major device that the Bible uses.
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And think about Proverbs, like Proverbs 9, where you have wisdom, you have folly, personified in a woman,
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over and over again through the book.
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You have Old Testament prophets.
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That, if you didn't know, sounds like Jesus' parables.
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But Jesus is just doing what the prophets have always done.
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And here is the Sermon on the Mount.
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And he's doing just that.
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He's contrasting.
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He's giving contrast to make a point.
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So, in the Sermon on the Mount, think, there are a couple of words and themes that we can say that are contrasts.
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So, we'll dive in deeper into these in a moment.
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But, think hypocrites.
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And then, disciples, on the other hand.
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Earth, earthly.
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Or heaven, heavenly.
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And one of the major themes in the Sermon on the Mount is righteousness.
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So, we could say, broadly, that there is a lesser righteousness contrasted to what we could call a greater righteousness
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that Jesus is calling us to through the Sermon on the Mount.
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And, going back to our first contrast, there's this hypocrisy on one side.
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And what we will call wholeheartedness on this other side.
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Hypocrisy being half-hearted.
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But we are called to be full-hearted.
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So, when we see themes, you see treasure in our text.
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But, if you look in the first 18 verses of our chapter, you see reward.
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So, I'm going to be using the terms treasure, reward, and value.
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They're all going to be related terms.
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And I think there's a reason that he switches from reward.
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That he, Jesus, from the first 18 verses of this chapter, says reward, reward, reward.
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And, in our text today, he changes to treasure.
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More on that later.
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But, this begs the question, forces the question upon us as we read this text.
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What do you value?
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What do you value?
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So, that's the major question that this text is demanding of us.
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So, before we dive in, why this text?
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Why this text today?
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Well, one, Nathan asked me to preach.
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So, that's part of it.
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But, this text, I think there's a broad reason.
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And then there's a more specific reason.
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So, if we think about the church more broadly, Big C Church here, there's a warning here for the church broadly.
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And it's hypocrisy.
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But, hypocrisy, we could say, has a specific form today in our context.
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And that's called cultural Christianity.
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Hypocrisy, cultural Christianity.
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This is a warning against that, this text.
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It's similarly to the term lukewarmness.
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Being lukewarm.
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So, this should, you should recall the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3.
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The Spirit writes to the church at Laodicea.
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I know your works.
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You are neither cold nor hot.
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Would that you were either cold or hot.
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So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
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Strong words for those who are lukewarm.
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I would say half-hearted.
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Hypocritical.
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You see all these related terms.
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This half-heartedness leads to lukewarmness.
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So, there's a warning there.
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There's a warning not to be hypocritical.
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Half-hearted.
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Lukewarm.
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You cannot be one person at work, another at church, another at home.
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That is half-hearted.
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This text is calling us to a, something greater.
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But, let's not be careful to look to others before ourselves.
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It's easy to say they, isn't it?
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Instead of us or me.
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So, going a little more specific reason here.
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Why this text for the local church, us.
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It's easy for us to point out cultural Christianity.
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But, for us, there's a warning for those who might be younger in years.
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There's a warning for us who are younger.
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But, there's an encouragement here for those who are older.
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First, older.
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Being heavenly minded is something that, when you are a believer, it becomes more and more apparent as you get older.
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And, if you are older here with us, know that we younger members see that and we are encouraged that you are so heavenly minded.
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And, you are naturally bending more and more towards heaven.
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Your soul is bending towards there.
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More and more.
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And, that is so encouraging to us.
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So, just hear that.
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Thank you for your example.
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For the youngers, there is a warning.
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That, there's a warning for us who are in what we would call a busy season.
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Some have the season short.
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Some of us long.
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Sometimes, maybe, depends on how many kids you have.
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But, when focusing on so much earthly good.
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Think what might be good.
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It will be easy for us to skip on the heavenly perspective in life.
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It is tempting to, we don't really do this actively.
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But, I'm going to say passively.
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That's our temptation here in our context.
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It is tempting to passively allow what we believe are treasures in heaven.
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To be replaced over time by treasures on earth.
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Let us actively fight against the inner man.
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Who, I would say, in our context, we have to be.
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It's the passivity or the passively desires to what Romans 1.
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To exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man.
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Let that be a warning to us.
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This text helps us fight for the heavenly perspective in the day-to-day earthly good.
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What we value, especially in busy seasons, like a lot of us have found ourselves in, for good.
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What we value, especially in a busy season, reveals our hearts.
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Reveals not only what we love most, but also reveals the very essence of our person.
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So, the stakes are high on how you answer, what do you value?
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So, especially in a busy season.
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And what a biblical counseling book I read once said, in the heat of life.
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And if you're married, you know exactly what he means by heat.
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When you are in the heat of the moment of struggling with sin or spouse's sin or children.
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What do you value most affects how you will respond to those moments.
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So, here's the main point.
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I'll give you the main point here.
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We'll revisit it later at the end.
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But I'll give you the main point, Jesus' exhortation here.
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And then we'll dig deep, come back up, remind you of the main point.
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And then we'll go and do likewise.
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This is Jesus' exhortation to us.
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The main point is not merely what you value, but it is much more than that.
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This text reveals that it is much more.
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What you value is who you really are as a person.
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What you value is who you really are as a person.
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This is based on the biblical understanding of heart in our text.
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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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The biblical understanding of a heart is not merely emotions.
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But it consists of a combination of heart functions.
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How the heart responds in the heat of life.
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So, what I mean by that, briefly, we'll come back to this.
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But there are three functions.
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The heart responds to life in three functions.
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Think to have the categories, three categories.
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It's a triad.
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Think of a Venn diagram.
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Three circles intersecting.
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Beliefs, desires, and choices.
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The heart responds in beliefs, desires, and choices.
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We'll come back to this later.
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But it's a more dynamic understanding of the heart.
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It's not just merely emotions or whatever comes first to mind when you think of heart.
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Think heart.
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Think beliefs, desires, and choices.
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The choices you choose, the desires you want, the beliefs you interpret the world through.
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So, what kind of person are you is the question that Jesus is asking.
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He does this by pointing to the hypocrites.
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So, what kind of person are you?
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What do you treasure up in your heart?
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By Jesus calling out the hypocrites in this chapter before our text, he's saying that they, the hypocrites, valued outward, or we could say earthly, righteousness.
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And he gives three examples.
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But the followers of Jesus, true disciples, are called to value a higher, wholehearted, whole person devotion to a heavenly or greater righteousness.
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Followers of Jesus are called to value a higher, wholehearted, whole person devotion to a greater heavenly righteousness.
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So, look with me, not in chapter 6, but the last verse of chapter 5.
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This is connected to our verse today, this text today.
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So, chapter 5, verse 48.
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You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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So, this goes back.
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When you see perfect, particularly in the New Testament, especially in Hebrews, for sure, this is a big word.
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When you see the word perfect, in the ESV, at least, read perfect as complete.
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There's a completeness aspect to that.
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Not that this is wrong, but just don't think perfect in our cultural understanding.
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The biblical idea behind perfect, it's the teleos, telos word group, which is so prevalent in the New Testament.
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Think it is finished.
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Comes from this word.
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It is complete.
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That makes a lot more sense.
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Not, it is perfect.
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But you, therefore, must be complete as your heavenly Father is complete.
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And, how do you do this?
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Well, this is our text today.
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So, let's dive in into the structure.
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And then we'll take a few specific words.
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And then we'll dive into the text.
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So, with that in mind, how do you be complete or perfect?
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Well, he says, verse 1, which is the intro to our text, really.
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Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.
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It's a warning.
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For then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
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See this reward?
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Thinking about treasure in our text.
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So, this is another greater righteousness theme.
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So, we are in the body of the Sermon on the Mount here.
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The core.
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And we have found ourselves here almost at the pinnacle of the Sermon on the Mount.
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Think the climax of the great sermon.
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So, in three parts.
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The body is really in three parts.
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And I'll give it to you.
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Greater righteousness.
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As one commentator has helpfully divided this.
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Greater righteousness in relation to God's laws.
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Which comes before.
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Ends in 48.
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Chapter 5, 48.
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And then it's greater righteousness and piety toward God.
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That's our section of the text here.
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From 6.1 to 21.
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And then after.
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It's greater righteousness in relation to the world.
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And so, what's so fascinating is our text.
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19, 20, and 21.
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Acts not only as the conclusion of chapter 6.1 to 21.
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The conclusion is also the introduction to that last third part from 6.19 to 7.12.
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That greater righteousness in relation to the world.
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So, there really could be two sermons that could be preached on this one text.
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One looking what comes before.
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And then using it on the next week, maybe.
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I'm not.
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But using it as an introduction to what comes after.
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So, I've chosen the former instead of the latter.
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And so, here he is making a specific point about hypocrites.
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And contrasting them to the true disciples of Christ.
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And how to do that.
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So, zooming in, we can see some symmetry here.
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And this is actually the thing that brought my attention to this text.
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19, 20, and 21.
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There's a symmetry here.
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That is really beautiful.
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And we have seen it in John with the chiastic structures.
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But Matthew does this to, and John and the biblical writers do this, to make specific points.
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To make you draw your attention towards the point.
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So, instead of giving you the pattern from 6.1 to 6.21, let's go backwards.
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Let's take our text today.
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Our main text.
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19, 20, and 21.
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There's a pattern here I want to show you.
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And this pattern actually is throughout the entire chapter.
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So, when you have, you have verse 19.
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Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.
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Where moth and rust to destroy.
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And where thieves break in and steal.
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We could say that this is a negative instruction.
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It's an instruction that is in the negative.
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So, verse 20.
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But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
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Where neither moth nor rust destroys.
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And where thieves do not break in and steal.
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This we could categorize as a positive instruction.
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It's an instruction that is in the positive.
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His statement.
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Verse 21.
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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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So, this is a statement of reward.
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See what I'm doing there?
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Equating treasure with reward.
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But you have negative instruction.
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Then a positive instruction.
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And then a statement of reward.
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Now, go to the beginning of chapter 6.
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And this pattern is found in all three examples.
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So, he says, as an intro.
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He says, Jesus says,
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Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people.
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In order to be seen by them.
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For then you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven.
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It's a warning here.
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But, verse 2.
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This is, he does three.
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Gives three examples of.
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Do not be like the hypocrites.
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But be those who practice.
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Verse 20.
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Be those who lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
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The three examples are giving.
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Then prayer.
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Then fasting.
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And then, the conclusion.
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The concluding exhortation.
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Is our text.
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19, 20, and 21.
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So, verse 2.
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Is the negative.
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Instruction.
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Verse 3.
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Is the positive instruction.
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I'm not going to read them through.
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But just look down in your text.
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And you can follow along.
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And then, verse 4.
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Is the statement of reward.
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That's giving.
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That's the giving statement.
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Or example.
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And then, when it comes to prayer.
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You have verse 5.
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Is the negative.
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Verse 6a.
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The positive.
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6b.
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Is the statement of reward.
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See this pattern?
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Now.
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Now.
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You might be thinking.
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There's a real big elephant in the room.
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It's the Lord's Prayer.
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And it is.
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But.
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It is almost an excursus.
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Or an aside.
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On prayer.
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And forgiveness.
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But.
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This isn't about the Lord's Prayer.
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But.
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I want you to.
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Think about.
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Think about this context.
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Where Matthew.
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Has placed the Lord's.
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The Lord's Prayer in.
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This model prayer.
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It has something to do with.
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What we're talking about.
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With the theme.
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Of value.
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So.
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I'll just keep that there.
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And you can think about it later.
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Now.
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And then.
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Fasting.
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Is the third.
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And final.
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Example.
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Verse 16.
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Is the negative.
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17.
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Is the positive.
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Instruction.
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And verse 18.
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Is the.
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Statement of reward.
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You see.
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The pattern.
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That's found in our text.
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Is the pattern.
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That's leading up.
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To that statement.
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And.
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The statement.
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For where your treasure is.
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There your heart.
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Will be also.
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So.
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There's some specific words.
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That I would like to draw your attention to.
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As we.
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Dig a little deeper.
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Together.
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And there's some words.
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That come before our text.
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And there's some words.
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In our text.
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That's one.
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Draw your attention to.
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So.
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One.
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In verse 48.
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Of chapter 5.
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We've already seen.
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The perfect.
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And the complete.
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So when you read.
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Perfect.
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Think.
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Completeness.
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And then reward.
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You can count.
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How many times.
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Reward.
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Is repeated.
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In the first 18 verses.
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Of this chapter.
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And it's connected.
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To treasure.
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As we've.
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Said before.
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And then.
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Hypocrites.
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Hypocrite.
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As.
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We know what a hypocrite.
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Hypocrite is.
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But if you.
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Have any children.
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Or young children around.
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You just use words.
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And they're like.
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What's that mean?
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And you're like.
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You should know what that means.
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But.
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We just know it.
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Because of cultural connotations.
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But.
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It's a Greek word.
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It's a translation.
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Which means.
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Somehow.
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Now.
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The translators.
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Throughout.
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History.
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Have just.
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Transferred.
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Hypocrites.
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Into English.
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But it's really a Greek word.
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That they just transferred over.
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So.
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In classical Greek times.
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It's related.
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To.
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Acting.
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Or actors.
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On a stage.
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Which.
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Kind of makes sense.
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If you think about it.
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In New Testament usage.
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It's really.
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About those.
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Who are.
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As we're saying.
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Are half-hearted.
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Are.
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Say one thing.
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Don't do it.
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Say it.
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And do something else.
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As a major theme.
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Especially in the Sermon on the Mount.
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And it's.
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Jesus is using the hypocrites.
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In that specific word.
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To be contrary.
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To those.
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Who practice.
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Two verses.
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And it's.
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Beginning.
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And the end.
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Here.
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Like.
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Bookends.
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Here.
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So.
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It's first.
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Those who practice.
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As in contrary.
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To the hypocrites.
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Those who practice.
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You must be perfect.
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As your heavenly father.
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Is perfect.
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And then at the end.
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Those who practice.
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Laying up for yourselves.
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Treasures.
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In heaven.
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Those two things.
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And he's saying.
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Do these things.
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Don't be like the hypocrites.
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So in our text.
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If you look at.
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19, 20, and 21.
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There's specific words.
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They're.
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Very important.
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Like.
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Earth.
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And heaven.
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Think realms.
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And spheres.
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Heaven.
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Being the dwelling place.
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Of God.
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And then.
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Treasure.
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As we've said.
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Is the.
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Related term.
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Reward.
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Here.
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Throughout chapter six.
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And with heart.
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I want to go back to.
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The perfect.
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And the complete idea.
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Heart.
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Goes back to.
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You therefore.
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Must be perfect.
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As your heavenly.
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Father.
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Is perfect.
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And the.
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Perfectness.
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The completeness.
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The completeness.
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Goes alongside.
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Heart.
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Because heart.
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Like we said.
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Is a whole.
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Being.
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Whole person.
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Idea.
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Which.
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Really goes back to.
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The warning.
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Beware.
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Practicing your righteousness.
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Before other people.
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In order to be seen by them.
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For then.
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You will have no reward.
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From.
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Your father.
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Who is in heaven.
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That's the warning.
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And.
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The remedy.
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Are those two verses.
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So.
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Look at.
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With me.
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19 and 20.
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With me.
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19 and 20.
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Are.
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Extremely.
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Similar.
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Except.
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One's negative.
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Like we've.
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Pointed out.
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And one's positive.
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One's.
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Upon.
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Or.
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On.
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Earth.
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And then.
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Verse 20.
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In.
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Heaven.
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You have the negative instruction.
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Then positive.
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The beautiful symmetry here.
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And there's.
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Some words of note.
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The warning for rust.
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You may have a different translation.
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When you see rust.
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Think.
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The main idea is consuming.
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I don't want to get into the details of that.
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But it's an interesting word choice there.
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But.
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Think.
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Consuming.
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And what's rust do?
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It consumes.
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Something.
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The idea of eating.
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Corrosion.
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It's consuming.
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The process of.
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Causing.
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Deterioration.
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By consuming.
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And one thing.
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Destroy.
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Where.
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Where moth.
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And rust.
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Destroy.
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And where.
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Bees.
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Break in.
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And steal.
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This.
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Destroy.
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Word.
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Also comes back.
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From.
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Verse 16.
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And when you fast.
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Do not look gloomy.
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Like the hypocrites.
-
For they disfigure.
-
Their faces.
-
It's the same word.
-
Disfigure their faces.
-
So.
-
There's a connection there.
-
He's making.
-
He wants you to.
-
Recall back.
-
Even.
-
More clearly.
-
The hypocrites.
-
So.
-
In over translation.
-
I'm all about over translating.
-
I get some points across.
-
Do not.
-
Treasure.
-
Up.
-
Treasures.
-
On earth.
-
There's this double treasure.
-
Language here.
-
Do not treasure up.
-
Treasures.
-
On earth.
-
But treasure up.
-
Treasures.
-
In heaven.
-
The treasuring.
-
Aspect.
-
The main idea here.
-
Look with me at.
-
Verse 21.
-
For where your treasure is.
-
There your heart.
-
Will be also.
-
Notice the where.
-
Leads into the there.
-
Treasure.
-
There.
-
Your heart.
-
Will be also.
-
It's a because.
-
Clause.
-
For.
-
Forever.
-
And what that means is.
-
Jesus followers.
-
Followers.
-
Must store up.
-
Treasures.
-
In heaven.
-
And not on earth.
-
Because people's treasures.
-
Capture their allegiance.
-
That's what's at stake.
-
Capturing their allegiance.
-
So.
-
Let's look about.
-
Look.
-
Look closer.
-
At the word.
-
Heart.
-
Let's come back to that.
-
That dynamic.
-
Understanding.
-
Of the heart.
-
So.
-
He chooses hard.
-
And.
-
It's not merely.
-
Emotions.
-
Feelings.
-
Etc.
-
Whatever you think of.
-
First.
-
It's not just one thing.
-
It's not one dimensional.
-
It's three dimensional.
-
It's much more dynamic.
-
I like that word.
-
There's three functions.
-
Of the heart.
-
In scripture.
-
And I would.
-
Encourage you to go to.
-
As you read scripture.
-
Particularly the psalms.
-
Throughout the new testament.
-
Even the prophets.
-
Think when there's heart.
-
Language here.
-
Think.
-
Beliefs.
-
Desires.
-
And choices.
-
There are fancy terms to this.
-
I'll give you.
-
For all the nerds out there.
-
That don't like fancy terms.
-
There's cognitive.
-
Which is the beliefs.
-
Aspect.
-
The affective.
-
Which is the desiring.
-
Aspect.
-
And the volitional.
-
Which.
-
Is more on the choices.
-
Spectrum.
-
Choosing.
-
But.
-
I'm going to just say.
-
Beliefs.
-
Desires.
-
Choices.
-
That.
-
Is the human heart.
-
And.
-
That is a whole.
-
Person.
-
Mentality.
-
So.
-
All these.
-
Are.
-
Interwoven.
-
And overlapping.
-
Particularly.
-
In.
-
Relationships.
-
And that's why.
-
Human.
-
Relationships.
-
In marriage.
-
With friendships.
-
With children.
-
Are.
-
So.
-
Complicated.
-
Your wife.
-
Is more.
-
It may.
-
She may be.
-
Feeling.
-
Something.
-
But that's not all.
-
She's feeling.
-
There's.
-
There's.
-
Beliefs.
-
Behind it.
-
There's a desire.
-
There.
-
To.
-
And that's the key.
-
To asking.
-
Good questions.
-
And think about your children.
-
If your children.
-
Does something dumb.
-
They're choosing.
-
Something dumb.
-
And instead of saying.
-
Don't do that.
-
Or why'd you do that.
-
Which is a temptation.
-
Just know.
-
That there are.
-
There are.
-
A whole person.
-
There are.
-
There were desires.
-
There.
-
In this situation.
-
There were.
-
Beliefs.
-
Maybe.
-
They.
-
The belief.
-
That they could.
-
Make that jump.
-
And.
-
They really believed it.
-
And.
-
They.
-
Wanted to.
-
Show off to their friends.
-
So they chose.
-
To jump.
-
Which.
-
Ended up in.
-
The hospital.
-
And so now you're.
-
Mad.
-
And why'd you choose that?
-
Well.
-
You know.
-
That's a.
-
Clear example of.
-
There's a lot more than just choosing.
-
And.
-
Choosing the wrong thing.
-
Your children.
-
Your wife.
-
Your spouse.
-
Your friends.
-
Your family.
-
They're whole.
-
Dynamic persons.
-
There's more than that.
-
Don't.
-
I encourage you not to.
-
Relate to.
-
These people.
-
As one dimensional.
-
But they are whole.
-
Dynamic persons.
-
This.
-
Has a lot.
-
Of applications.
-
I'll let you.
-
Work those applications out.
-
On your own.
-
But this dynamic heart.
-
Gives the idea.
-
In our text here.
-
Where.
-
Jesus says.
-
For where your treasure is.
-
Connecting the treasure.
-
Here.
-
There.
-
Your heart.
-
Will be also.
-
This dynamic idea.
-
Gives us the whole hearted.
-
Or whole person perspective.
-
On connecting the where.
-
For treasure.
-
And the there.
-
For heart.
-
I hope you.
-
Get that.
-
There's a lot packed into.
-
Heart.
-
What you value.
-
Is who you really.
-
Are.
-
As a person.
-
Not just a part of you.
-
That's separated from another sphere.
-
Of your life.
-
This strikes.
-
At the root.
-
Of cultural Christianity.
-
Doesn't it?
-
You cannot become.
-
A cultural Christian.
-
You would be.
-
The hypocrites.
-
You would be.
-
In.
-
The hypocritical.
-
Title.
-
That Jesus is using here.
-
But he is calling us.
-
Who know.
-
And trust the Lord.
-
To be wholehearted.
-
To be wholehearted.
-
And.
-
Knowing that our treasure.
-
Is a heavenly.
-
Treasure.
-
And.
-
We cannot be half-hearted.
-
That is impossible.
-
So.
-
Let me.
-
Remind you.
-
Of the main point here.
-
Jesus is.
-
Exhortation.
-
To us.
-
And in this sermon here.
-
Concluding.
-
In.
-
Verse 21.
-
Is this.
-
The main point.
-
Is not merely.
-
What you value.
-
Is what you love.
-
But is much.
-
More.
-
What you value.
-
Is who you really are.
-
As a person.
-
This is based on the biblical.
-
Understanding of heart.
-
Like we said.
-
Not merely emotions.
-
But.
-
Consisting.
-
Consisting.
-
Of beliefs.
-
Desires.
-
And choices.
-
And a combination of those.
-
What kind of person.
-
Are you.
-
Is the question.
-
And what do you.
-
Treasure up.
-
In your heart.
-
Remember.
-
Jesus pointing out.
-
The hypocrites.
-
They.
-
Valued.
-
Outward.
-
Or earthly.
-
Righteousness.
-
Followers.
-
Of Jesus.
-
Are called.
-
To a higher.
-
Wholeheartedness.
-
Whole person.
-
Devotion.
-
To it.
-
Verse 20.
-
Be our prayer.
-
To lay up.
-
For yourselves.
-
Treasures.
-
In heaven.
-
I'm going to end.
-
By.
-
Something.
-
Might be risky.
-
But.
-
In.
-
Your bulletin.
-
You will find.
-
On the next page.
-
Is.
-
Under the.
-
Silent.
-
Reflective.
-
Moment.
-
Is a.
-
Printing.
-
Of a.
-
Poem.
-
By.
-
George.
-
Herbert.
-
Who died.
-
In 1633.
-
He was living.
-
In the times.
-
Of Shakespeare.
-
John Donne.
-
Of the like.
-
And he.
-
Died.
-
A.
-
Small church.
-
Country pastor.
-
But he.
-
Was a poet.
-
But people.
-
Didn't know it.
-
And.
-
He.
-
Gave.
-
A copy.
-
Of his poems.
-
To a friend.
-
And he said.
-
To his friend.
-
On his dying.
-
Death.
-
Bed.
-
Burn it.
-
Keep it.
-
I don't care.
-
Well.
-
That book.
-
Has become.
-
One of the.
-
Best.
-
English.
-
Devotional.
-
Poems.
-
Ever.
-
Written.
-
So.
-
I love.
-
George Herbert.
-
He.
-
Has.
-
Shepherded.
-
My soul.
-
Through college.
-
And I have.
-
Revisited him.
-
Now.
-
On this side.
-
Of marriage.
-
And he is.
-
So much.
-
Sweeter.
-
But.
-
Like.
-
Jonathan.
-
Edwards.
-
Who lived.
-
After him.
-
George Herbert.
-
Understood.
-
The heaven.
-
And earth.
-
Dynamic.
-
Leading.
-
To true.
-
Treasure.
-
And we can see this.
-
In the poem.
-
I provided for you.
-
On.
-
In the bulletin.
-
He's.
-
Specifically.
-
Meditating.
-
On Colossians.
-
Three.
-
Three.
-
He's.
-
Thinking about.
-
Paul's words.
-
That read.
-
Our life.
-
Is hid.
-
With Christ.
-
And God.
-
God.
-
But.
-
You can see.
-
That.
-
He also has.
-
Our text.
-
In mind.
-
As well.
-
There.
-
I know.
-
It's not bolded.
-
Or italicized.
-
But in the word.
-
In the.
-
If you see.
-
There is a hidden message.
-
That reads.
-
Diagonally.
-
And I wonder.
-
If you could.
-
Maybe you can circle.
-
The words.
-
On each line.
-
There's one word.
-
Each line.
-
That reads.
-
A message.
-
And I'll give you.
-
The message.
-
And I'll read the.
-
Poem.
-
And.
-
Two things.
-
Of words.
-
Words.
-
To help you.
-
Deneural.
-
Means.
-
Daytime.
-
Deneural.
-
Daytime.
-
And obliquely.
-
Means.
-
Having a slanted.
-
Or sloping direction.
-
Like the hidden message.
-
In the poem.
-
So.
-
I'll give you the hidden message.
-
So you can.
-
See it.
-
As we read it.
-
It's.
-
My.
-
That's the first line.
-
Second line.
-
Is life.
-
And it goes on.
-
My.
-
Life.
-
Is.
-
Is.
-
Hid.
-
In him.
-
That is.
-
My treasure.
-
My.
-
Life.
-
Is.
-
Hid.
-
In him.
-
That is.
-
My pleasure.
-
Treasure.
-
I'll read the poem.
-
In closing.
-
My words.
-
And thoughts.
-
Do.
-
Both.
-
Express.
-
This notion.
-
That life.
-
Hath.
-
With the sun.
-
A double.
-
Motion.
-
The first.
-
Is.
-
Straight.
-
And our.
-
De neural.
-
Friend.
-
The other.
-
Hid.
-
And doth.
-
Obliquely.
-
Bend.
-
One.
-
Life.
-
Is.
-
Wrapped.
-
In flesh.
-
And tends.
-
To earth.
-
The other.
-
Winds.
-
Towards him.
-
Whose happy.
-
Birth.
-
Taught me.
-
To live here.
-
So.
-
That still.
-
One.
-
I.
-
Should.
-
Aim.
-
And shoot.
-
At that.
-
Which is.
-
On high.
-
Quitting.
-
With daily.
-
Labor.
-
All my.
-
Pleasure.
-
To.
-
Gain.
-
At harvest.
-
An.
-
Eternal.
-
Treasure.
-
The treasure.
-
We.
-
Treasure.
-
Up in heaven.
-
Is only.
-
In Christ.
-
Which leads.
-
To true.
-
Pleasure.
-
Here.
-
On earth.
-
My life.
-
Is.
-
Hidden.
-
In him.
-
That is.
-
My.
-
Treasure.
-
Pray.
-
With me.