Nov. 10th 2013-Life in the Kingdom-Radical Righteousness

Is Jesus serious when he says that his followers will have a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees?  Isn’t that a heavy burden to carry?  Join us as we explore Jesus’ teaching and the incredible promise contained within.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Life in the Kingdom: Radical Righteousness

November 10th, 2013  by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Matt 5:17-20; 7:12

 

Review

The Sermon on the Mount is where Jesus sets forth a vision for a whole new way of life that is possible through following him- a life lived in God’s kingdom. The “kingdom” is when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We “grab hold” of the kingdom through repentance (turning) and faith (action).

So the two most important questions in the life of a disciple are:

“What is ________ _____________ to me? (Repentance)”

“What am _____ going ______ about it? (Faith)”

 

New

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17

Jesus starts the whole ethical teaching by saying he is not ____________ the law, but he is ________________ it.

Jesus asserts himself as the _____________ on God’s law-that he knows its true intent and can thus give the true meaning and application of it.

“in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

To follow the authoritative teaching of Jesus is to fulfill the whole _____________ of the law.

 

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:20  

It sounds like Jesus is saying here that you have to ___________ your way to heaven by having a certain level of righteousness.  But it is simply a statement of what __________ happen when the kingdom of God is _______________ in our lives.

Experiencing life with God will produce a ___________ ____________.

 

The broad structure of Jesus’ teaching carries the same message:

Soaking in our ______________ found in the beatitudes, transforms us towards a ______________, of being salt and light in a radical righteousness, that is walked out in your __________ ___________.

 

All of these teachings that are coming (in the rest of the SOM) are not ______________ to feel guilty about not doing well enough but ________________ to what life can be and should be when we walk more and more in the fullness of God’s will, which happens when we soak in the ______________ of our identity in God’s eyes.

 

As we go deep in our identity (the intimate relationship of being with God and knowing how he relates with us, feels about us, ministers to us) it will ___________ and _______________radically righteous living.

 

Jesus is serious when he says that his followers will have a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees. It’s the _______________ picture of the ________________ living that happens when we soak in our identity of who we are in God’s eyes.

 

Living as a Disciple in the Kingdom…

What is God saying to you?

 

 

What are you going to do about it?

 

*Answers: God, saying, I, to do, removing, fulfilling, authority, meaning, identity, destiny, daily-living, burdens, invitations, reality, cause, empower, realistic, victorious

Kasey Crawford