Crucial Truths, Rarely Understood, Part 1

Tragically, millions of church attenders have come to the conclusion that the Bible contains little more than tedious instructions on how to follow the rules.

It's a manual for good behavior, and those who follow the rules will experience their reward in heaven. Chuck titled today's message, Crucial Truths Rarely Understood For you to look at, and for us to consider, is we think about crucial truths rarely understood. You'll learn some things today that you do not now know, and that's one of the exciting things about the teaching of the scriptures.

There is always something new to discover. Today is no exception. For the reading of God's Word. Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. But whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. If you're listening to Insight for Living, to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll, be sure to download his Searching the Scriptures studies by going to insightworld.org slash studies. And now Chuck's message, titled Crucial Truths Rarely Understood. For Matthew, something was missing, but we just didn't know what it was. For the longest time, Cynthia and I felt there was something we weren't getting from the church we were attending. Understand that there was a Bible used every Sunday. We had carried a Bible all our lives. We were raised in families that loved the Lord and believed the Bible, and same for our grandparents on her side and mine, the same for great grandparents.

But in our courtship and then our engagement for those 18 months, we would say to each other from time to time, there's just something that isn't satisfying. Something's missing. All our lives, we'd been involved in the religious life of that particular denomination, and we went to the activities and we knew the preachers, we knew the evangelists, we would hear them, special meetings, we would hear missionaries or familiar names, and we were aware of that world that was altogether familiar, a lot of traditions connected with it. But get this, we were strangers to this book, this Bible.

Seems funny, doesn't it? We carried a Bible, we read from it, we heard one Gospel message after another Gospel message after another Gospel message. We were already saved, we already knew the Lord. We needed truth to live by, not information that would help us know how to be saved, so we remained hungry. We didn't know what to do, we didn't know where to turn, but we knew something was missing. When you're in a context like that, you become familiar with that world, and you hear all kinds of sermons, topical sermons and devotional sermons and textual sermons and longhorn sermons.

Point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between, and you get all that stuff and you finish and you go to lunch or you go home and it's like, so what? And then through a series of circumstances I'll not get into, we were led to a place where the truth, as we had never heard it, was being taught. No denominational tie, no long traditional trappings, nothing wrong with tradition if the traditions are a part of the truth. And when we were exposed to that, we realized this is what we have been missing. Interesting, same Bible, same verses that we had looked at all through our earlier years, same, no, different voices, new voices.

Voices that were from people who had made a deep and a consistent study of the scriptures so that it made sense. And we found our souls satisfied. We made a tough decision. The first in our family to pull away from the long roots that had been a part of our lives, and some warned us, some told us we were moving into trouble. We certainly were in a new group of people that we had not known. It was a remarkable change that came over us. We found ourselves excited about going to classes that the Word of God was taught and hearing different people that would open the scriptures and help us see what is really there.

And as Howie Hendricks would say, we moved from Pablum to Porterhouse. We moved from baby food where we were spoon fed Sunday after Sunday, Sunday after Sunday, Sunday after Sunday, to where we were offered meat, truth to live by. And suddenly we learned of the doctrines of the scriptures. We learned of justification and sanctification. We learned of the prophetic plan of God for the future, that it isn't all sort of up for grabs or that we'll all wind up in the same place at the right time and we'll all kind of sing glory.

And it's not like that at all, that the world is not going to get better but worse, because the scriptures teach in the last days, savage times will come. And that's where we are. So we weren't disillusioned.

We weren't hopeless. God's Word was being fulfilled. What was happening was the authority of the scriptures took hold of us.

And we wanted that regardless of who the speaker may be. We had been in churches where the pastor was sort of the prima donna. You never question the pastor. But we learned in this new setting that there's no church boss. Pastors aren't the boss of the church.

The corporations are run by bosses. The church isn't a corporation. The church is a family. And God is the head. Christ is the Lord of the church. Christ is the one we worship.

And the pastor is under the authority of Christ just as the people are. And we could rest our case. It was magnificent. We moved from the opinion of preachers to the authority of the truth. How great it was.

And all of a sudden the truths had a new flavor, had a great taste. I have a friend who doesn't enjoy fish. Never goes to a fish restaurant. Won't be found in a fish market. Doesn't like even the smell of it. Well, it isn't that great a smell.

But I mean, he didn't like it no matter what. And then he went with us and we were with a group on our Alaska cruise. We went to a lodge called Taku Lodge where they fix salmon out on the grill. And if you can fight the bears away long enough, you can get enough salmon together to come inside and enjoy. Makes my jaws hurt just thinking about salmon at Taku Lodge.

And my friend goes, this is great. Suddenly he's eating salmon. But not your garden variety salmon. He's eating salmon like no other place.

And we caught the truth like never before. And you know what? Nothing else satisfies. Who may we, Lord, but thee so thirst to satisfy? Exhaustless spring, the water's free.

All other streams are dry. Had a young man say to me following the first service today as he named a particular church he came out of. And he said, I'm not here to talk about that. He said, I just want to tell you, I went through a similar situation and he said the difference it has made is like night and day. He just lit up.

He said, I was bored for the first 20, 25 years of my life. And now that I've gotten a hold of digging into the word for myself and seeing that it speaks to me with authority, I can't describe the change it's made. Now, I've used the word several times, so we need to define it. What do I mean by the authority of Holy Scripture? Now, I did just what you can do.

So let me give you a tip. In your corner on truth, you can study just as I study. You have Webster's dictionary just like I do. Get your dictionary, look up authority. This is the definition you'll find.

It's excellent. The right and power to command, to exact obedience, to influence thought, opinion, or behavior. That's a great definition. When the Scriptures speak, they have the right to command, to exact obedience from the reader, to influence my thought, my opinion, my behavior. And the Scriptures have done that for years and years and years in my life. I have no corner on the truth. I have eyes like you have, it's in English just like you read, and you and I can read through this. And as the authority of the Scriptures comes over us, we realize that that is where the power is.

Not in me, not in us. It's in the Word. I love the way John R.W.

Stott put it. Here then is the preacher's authority. It depends on the closeness of his adherence to the text he's handling. On the accuracy with which he has understood it, and on the forcefulness with which it has spoken to his own soul. In the ideal sermon, it is the Word itself which speaks, or rather, God in and through his Word. The less the preacher comes between the Word and its hearers, the better. He goes on, expository preaching is a most exacting discipline.

Perhaps that is why it is so rare. The systematic preaching of the Word is impossible without the systematic study of it. Like you, I read it verse by verse, and sometime word by word. And I say to the Lord, I need insight here, and I don't have it in myself.

Show me what this is saying and let me read what you have written for my life and for those I'll be teaching. Now why is this important? Why am I on the subject as we're dealing with the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' words? Here's the reason. Because without the Holy Scriptures, we have no standard.

It's like building a house with no measuring mark, with no slide, ruler, with no level. The Word of God gives me the measuring marks of my life. Thy Word is truth and otherwise we do what seems right in our eyes. You do what your parents told you to do. I do what my parents told me to do.

And a lot of other things beyond. No disparage comment about any parents, but parents are not omniscient. Everything they taught us is not right.

Much of what they taught us is magnificent. But my parents were wrong in some areas. If I operated my life according to that, I would operate my life in contrast to the Scriptures. So as I grew up, I needed my parents less, just like you, and I needed the truth more.

So that now my authority rests here. And if this book says it, I adjust my life to it. I may have a temper, but when the Scripture says that has no place in the Christian life, then my rage has to be kept under control. Or I'm in sin. I may lust. Or I may covet. Or I may be selfish. And the reason I know that is because the Scriptures teach me that lusting and covetousness and selfishness are sins.

It doesn't matter how I feel about it. That's what the Scripture teaches. And if that's what Scripture teaches, I need to adjust my life by it. Now, what does all this have to say to the Sermon on the Mount?

Stop and think. The people who came and heard Jesus teach that day had been raised in the church. They called it a synagogue. And they had listened to the scribes and the Pharisees.

They had listened to their rabbis. Year after year, year after year, year after monotonous year, and much of the teaching was based on tradition. Tradition.

Like fiddler on the roof. Tradition. Tradition. It's everything.

No. The tradition of men and women is not authoritative, but it is impressive, and it is also, on occasion, absolutely wrong. So these people who have been raised in the synagogue sit down and they listen to someone who speaks not like a scribe or Pharisee.

And it's like, oh. Well, look for yourself. Look at the end of the sermon. Verse 27, verse 28, and verse 29. You'll see it right here.

728. When Jesus had finished these words, that is, he finished his message, we call it the Sermon on the Mount, what happened? The crowds were amazed at his teaching. I remember having that experience when I finally became exposed to the truth.

I sat back and I would say to Cynthia, that's what we've been missing. Is this magnificent or what? Not isn't he great. It was about seeing the truth, and these people heard the truth and they had never heard anything like it. They were amazed, for he was teaching them as one having authority, not as the scribes. He was teaching them as one who was truth, and they had never heard anything like it. Remember at the crucifixion, remember when the centurion reports back, no one ever spoke like this man.

He's like none other. He represents something we've never heard before. So when we get into the sermon and when we work our way through it, we shouldn't be surprised that there have been critics even early on in his ministry who said, he's abolishing the law. He stands against the prophets because he took on the scribes and Pharisees, and he called a spade a spade.

In fact, he called them hypocrites, which they were. But like in my younger years, you never criticize the pastor. He's the boss. You never criticize the Pharisee. He's the authority. No, no, no, no, wait.

You've already forgotten. This is the authority. So we place ourselves under the rule of Scripture. And if I teach something that cannot be backed up in Scripture, I am wrong.

You have no business following that teaching. However, if I do base it on the Scriptures after a careful study, you are wise to follow the teachings of Scripture. Now, that's the group of people Jesus is talking to.

They've heard the criticism. So for the first time, Jesus changes all the yous to I. Verses 1 through 16 of chapter 5, it's you, you, including you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. But when he gets to verse 17, he says, do not think that I. So he changes from second person plural. We would say here, all y'all.

Y'all ought to do this, y'all ought to do that. But when he gets to verse 17, he says, I. I came, I did not come to abolish the law. I did not come to abolish it, but to fulfill it. See, I twice in verse 17.

Look at 18. For truly I say to you, verse 20, for I say to you. Now, he says, let me tell you a little bit about me personally. I'm not here to abolish the truth. I'm here to uphold the truth, to fulfill it in every way.

Personally, ethically, in every possible way, I'm here to fulfill it. That's why the father sent me. But the fact was, they were surrounded by people whose tradition trumped the scriptures.

So that what they taught about keeping the Sabbath went further than the law taught. Not only were you to be clean, but they had a way of washing hands that was meticulous and time consuming. And you wash this hand in a certain way with the fist on the palm, and then you wash that hand a certain way. And then you let the water drip off the elbows, and then you let the water drip off the fingers. None of that is in scripture. It's the tradition of men. But if you did not do that, you're criticized.

Just like when we were in that church I mentioned, we were given a list. You don't dance. You don't play cards. There's no mixed bathing. I think they meant mixed swimming.

But there's no mixed swimming. And if you do that, and Sunday, you don't water the lawn on Sunday. Where does the scripture say that? That's the Sabbath. Sabbath is Saturday. All these people walking around with rules for Sunday in the Sabbath, Shavath means seventh, the seventh day of the week.

All of that took place on the Shavath, and they added two things. Let me show you in chapter 15. Look over there right quick.

Hold your place. I'm going to get to chapter 5. Don't worry. I'll get there. But you've got to see it in light of all of this, and then you can understand and appreciate it.

Look at 15. I love this passage. Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? I'm trying to sound officious. Why do they do that? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

Really. There's nothing in the commandments about washing it, but there is something in their commandments. See, they added hundreds of things to the law and became a part of their books that they taught. And so why do they do that? And he answered and said, Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

Now you understand. Why do you give the people this long list of things that they do and do not do when God's Word does not teach that? For God said, Honor your father and mother, and he who speaks evil of father and mother is to be put to death, but you say, Whoever says to his father or mother, whatever I have that would help you has been given to God. It was a way to keep things for themselves and not help their parents as they age. He is not to honor his father or his mother.

That's what they taught. But by this you invalidated the Word of God for the sake of your tradition. Got it? You see it? Now, go to the next verse down at verse 12. I love this verse. Then the disciples came to him and said, Do you know the Pharisees were offended? Really?

Really? You mean when I called them hypocrites? They were hypocrites, but nobody had the guts, I'll use the word guts, nobody had the guts to call them hypocrites. But Jesus could because he understood righteousness, which had nothing to do with external living, all with internal. It's not what goes into the man that corrupts him, it's what comes out from the inside.

Now, back to chapter 5. So much more I want to say about that, but I don't want to get through this passage. So, Jesus and the law, verses 17 and 18. In case you think he's soft on the law, look at verse 18, one of my favorite verses in the Sermon on the Mount.

You'll see why. Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Was Jesus soft on the scriptures? Not if I believe verse 18. No, not in your life.

I won't change one thing, I won't remove one part of one letter, of one verse. You're surrounded by those who teach otherwise, I will not do that. I will lead you into the truth.

The word is true. Please make a mental note of this stopping point today. Tomorrow on Insight for Living, we'll resume Chuck Swindoll's teaching at this very spot in Matthew chapter 5. Chuck is midway through a two-day message titled Crucial Truths Rarely Understood.

To learn more about this ministry, visit us online at insightworld.org. Just before our half hour is gone for today, this is my first occasion to bring to your attention that Chuck has written an in-depth book about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. And if you're prepared to dig deeper into this topic on your own, we highly recommend that you secure a copy of Simple Faith. Through this study in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, we're learning that Jesus' famous sermon was only 15 minutes or so in length, but his radical words stand as the most influential in history.

From his opening beatitudes, through his story about building our house on solid rock, the Sermon on the Mount is one for the ages. Chuck's insightful book is called Simple Faith, Discovering What Really Matters. And to purchase a copy right now, call us.

If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888, or go directly to insight.org slash store. In addition, you might like to add the CD and MP3 message called Shake and Shine. This is a complete unabridged recording of the message Chuck finished on yesterday's program. In this study, Chuck helps us understand the mandate from Jesus to become salt and light in our world. It's especially relevant right now when our world seems to be spinning out of control.

Jesus said don't run away from the world nor embrace it. Instead, he taught us where to shake and shine our way through it. So two resources at your disposal today. First, Chuck's book on Jesus' Sermon of All Sermons called Simple Faith. And second, Chuck's message on CD and MP3 called Shake and Shine. To purchase either resource or both, call us. If you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888, or go online to insight.org slash store. Tomorrow, Chuck Swindoll continues to describe crucial truths rarely understood.

From Wednesday to Insight for Living. The preceding message, Crucial Truths Rarely Understood, was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.