Belmont Kids (AWANA), Youth Classes,
Wednesday Night In The Auditorium With Pastor
At 6:30
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
When the Lord speaks of having a surpassing righteousness for entering into the kingdom, He is applying a finer measurement with a much higher demand than the law.
The standard of the law could be compared to measuring in “inches,” but the Lord’s word in Matthew 5-7 could be compared to measuring in “picas,” which are a fraction of an inch.
This means the measurement is much finer and more detailed.
The Lord measures our emotions, our attitudes, our reactions, our exaggerations, our comments about others–He measures it all!
He measures our heart, He measures what we think, He measures the fantasies in our mind, He measures how we look at others, He measures lust, He measures anxiety.
He measures how we react in situations that touch our selfishness and personal convenience–going two miles instead of one, or giving our outward coat as well as our inner garment.
Nothing escapes being measured.
If we were discouraged by the law of Moses, we are even more discouraged by Matthew 5-7.
Indeed, in Matthew 5:48 the Lord reaches the point of saying, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Perfection in this verse is the demand to love exactly as the Father loves.
It is not merely putting up with our enemies, but praying for them and blessing them.
Such a measuring of our love finds us all short, but at the same time it escorts us to Christ as our life and life-supply.
When we are escorted to Christ, we become partakers of His love.
This is why the Lord begins Matthew 5-7 with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).
When we are poor in spirit, we realize that in ourselves we do not have the divine love toward our enemies.
We realize that we are nothing and can do nothing.
The Lord’s high standard is intended to cause disappointment over ourselves so that we would be drawn away from our own nothingness to the energy and strength of Another life.
It is this sense of nothingness that escorts us to Christ.
Until Tomorrow
With a Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Dr. Davis
Gloria Young
Jean Partee
Jill Haines
John McClain
Katie Torbich
Kim McCain’s Mother
Randy Bond’s Son in Law
Terrell Loyd
The Graham Family – Brandon’s Friends
Amy Garner’s Mother/Dad
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Barbara Shed’s Family
Bill Moody
Carol Lawhead’s Brother
Charlie Sessom – Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom
Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother
Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Kenny & Nora Allison
Pastor Driskell
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Rod Gustafson – Cancer
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sheila Simmons Cousin
Tom Witcher