In this 8-part series, Dr. Michael Youssef helps us discover the complexities and implications of Jesus’ profound Sermon on the Mount message—where Jesus shares the keys to happiness by giving us the Beatitudes and teaching us how to embody or appropriate them in our everyday lives.

Preaching verse by verse, Dr. Youssef demonstrates how Jesus came to fulfill all that God taught His people in the Old Testament—showing us how to be salt and light, how to control our anger, and much more. He truly has given us all that we need to live a blessed life in Him!

Hello my friends blessed memorial day. You know this coming month, the month of june generous ministry partners have committed to a june gift challenge that means that the impact of your contribution will be doubled. I want to encourage you to give generously a one time gift for this gift challenge because this is the end of our fiscal year and we want to finish it strong and plan for the next year. God bless through your partnership leading the way is expanding to meet the growing spiritual needs of our nation and world. This month, generous ministry partners have committed a special June gift challenge where they have pledged to match up to $1.2 million dollar for dollar. Will you join us on the forefront of this crucial ministry by participating in the special june gift challenge. Contact us to give a generous gift today. Mhm The verses that I’m about to deal with in this part of the series, out of uttermost importance and I’ll tell you why because our culture is absolutely sexually charged culture. Look with me, please at what Jesus said regarding the 7th commandment, thou shall not commit adultery. It’s found in Matthew five verses 27-30 here he tells us that all acts of adultery start with obsessing with someone else who’s not your husband or your wife. Therefore we should start there. We just start there. That’s the beginning. We have seen in the series of messages that God is concerned with the source of sin, that God is concerned with the origin of sin, that God is concerned with what leads up to sin. And you’ve got to stop it at the source in the last message we saw also the absolute necessity of dealing with anger biblically, because if you don’t deal with it biblically, you’re going to get into trouble. In fact, he tells us the absolute necessity of dealing with the thought that leads to adultery. It all begins with the eye. The eye is very powerful. The Eye is the gatekeeper to the thought. The eye is the key to the thought. And that is why our Lord starts there. When you begin to allow the thought to possess you is gonna lead to adultery. Listen, we’ve got to stop here and I’m going to tell you, listen carefully as bible, believing christians. We believe that sexuality is a gift of God. We believe that God created sex as a gift between husband and wife in a heterosexual marriage. And yet man perverted. That gift is perverted. All the other gifts. Don’t ever forget. It’s God who created pleasure and it is between man and woman in monogamous relationship. And it’s delightful. God is the one who created us as sexual being. But that sexuality is only legitimized in heterosexual marriage. But listen to me just as anger has to be controlled by God’s power and God’s power alone. Working in us. So must also sexual attraction must be controlled by the power of God working in us. So what is jesus saying here he is interpreting the seventh commandment. He said, let me explain to you what my father meant by this. Here’s his original intent, This is what he wants you to know. And he is saying that all of God’s gifts come with operating manual, all of God’s gets come with operating manual. You have to follow the operating manual, otherwise you be self destructing Margaret. Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of England, is one of my favorite people. She was quoted in the independent newspaper, October 12, 1996, and I quote, our sexuality is like a fire. A fire in a fireplace is wonderfully delightful thing, but put it out of the fireplace and it burns the house down to smithereens. Good english word. But there is something else that I need to make very clear, right at the outset here, jesus is not speaking about normal attractions. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s not even talking about the temptations that we all face. He’s not even speaking about the thought that is fleeting now. He’s talking about being obsessed with someone who is not your husband or your wife. The greek word means to persist in leading into attachment. It is obsession that comes day and night thinking that I must have that person. I must have that person. But I must hasten to say that all of this begins with emotional intimacy, because sometimes we don’t Keep an eye on that one. and then it trips us. You see any emotional intimacy other than with your spouse. It’s the first step to adultery, husbands and wives listen to me. I’m going to say more about this in the next message when when jesus talks about marriage and divorce, but we must learn how to affair proof our marriages in this ministry, we have certain guidelines and certain rules about sitting With the door shut with anybody of the opposite sex or even get in the car with one. We did this 33 years ago in order to protect ourselves and protect others. And you gotta start there. You don’t wait until you’re in the truck in the ditch and he said, whoops, no, no. We start with that emotional emotional intimacy and the best way to affair proof your marriage is not to get emotionally hooked with somebody who’s not your spouse because of that relationship between the eye and the heart. The eye and the heart. That’s the situation. This is the relationship that jesus talking about here, which gives us the next two verses, Which if you don’t listen very carefully, you might misunderstand those two verses 29 and 30. They’re very important. Very important. If your right eye, you see back then they thought anything left is sinister. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. And that is why this really needs a huge explanation. I hope you’re listening. It needs a huge explanations because I can tell you if this is meant to be taken literally just about everybody, everywhere is Eilis handless and legless and that’s why we send people to summary, we spend money on them and they take years of studying in summary so they can study greek and Hebrew, study the languages in which the bible was originally written. Why? Because not understanding the original meaning of the text. In fact, throughout history, it led to the rise of many false teaching when they don’t understand the biblical language. In the hebrew language, there is a figure of speech known as the hebraic hyperbole. What is that? Hebraic? Hyperbole? It’s a form of speech that uses dramatic form of speech to highlight a point. Like a dear friend of mine, a pastor says I am not exaggerating, I’m just blowing it up So you can see it. This type of speech is the very opposite of what our generation is now thinking and striving what do I mean by that? Instead of pampering and indulging ourselves, we need to exercise self discipline, self denial. And we need to understand that jesus is not recommending mutilation, but mortification, jesus is not recommending mutilation, but the resolute determination to reject sinful practices, it is not mutilation that he’s recommending but dying to self indulgence, an instant gratification, here’s the point if there’s an area where temptation comes through the eye, don’t look pretend you’re blind, that’s really what it means. If your hands that caused you to sin in the past attempt, you pretend that you’re paralyzed, put your hands in your pockets. If your feet took you to places that causes you to sin in the past, pretend that you can’t walk. Here’s what jesus saying to every believer, listen to me heaven and your heavenly reward is far far more important than any temptation heaven and your heavenly reward is far far far more important than temporary gratification, eternity and eternal reward infinitely longer than any more military pleasure. In fact, Jesus is saying more than that, he is saying that it is better to accept alienation by the world than risk losing your heavenly reward. It is better to accept cultural amputation in this world than risk the loss of your eternal reward. It is better to be prudish in this world and experience that, than experience the test of fire at the end time. Question, what is that test of fire that jesus is talking about? Well, most of you know this, but in case you don’t know, all the believers have escaped the judgment of health. Therefore there is no condemnation upon those who are what in christ, jesus, but every believer in jesus, he’s going to have is going to stand before a judgment seat. That is different from the judgment of the world will be judged in a different way and it’s to do with our eternal reward. The Apostle Paul gives us an explanation of that in Chapter three of 1st Corinthians particularly verse 15, he gives us really an imagery that will help us understand what this judgment seat of christ is all about is if christ has gone to light a torch of fire to everyone of our works and how we lived our lives, he’s gonna light a fire and every believers work will be tested what we’ve done in the flesh, how we lived our lives. Have we been faithful or unfaithful? All the believers deeds will be tested by fire. Imagine the lightning of that torch for the life works that you and you and me have been building through the year on the foundation of christ. If you work has been for the glory of God serving God, denying yourself for the sake of christ. That fire is going to make you shine as the fire does to gold and silver. But for those who have indulged themselves and please themselves and not christ Our work will light up that fire as if it’s a dry hay or straw. It will burn Some people are gonna be walking around heaven smelling like fire. Here’s what he said, We will be saved as by escaping through the flames. The Lord is talking about this judgment seat of christ in front of which every believer is going to stand, Every believer is going to stand. Second Corinthians 5 10, he says each one of us will appear before the judgment seat of christ. Each one of us will receive what is due to him or her for the things done in the body with a good or bad. And so here In Matthew 5 29 and 30 it’s very difficult. Two verses, Jesus is not speaking about being saved or lost. He is speaking of the Kingdom of God. And the assumption here because he’s speaking to his followers who already saved in other words, he’s saying to the believers. Him, Iraq please him. Right. It is of utter most importance to demonstrate the righteousness of jesus christ that he imputed on you the righteousness of jesus christ that he gave you the righteous robe of jesus christ that surpasses that of the Pharisees. He is saying this is a serious business. Don’t take it lightly. And that is why back to first Corinthians chapter three verse 10 Paul goes on to say be careful how you build. Are you building your life? How are you building your life? How are you using your time? How are you using your energy? How are you using using your talents and the gifts, how you’re using your treasure? He said, Be careful how you build you. And I builders were building every day. Self indulgence or self denial. Self pleasing or christ pleasing self gratification or self discipline? It’s a superstructure that each of us are building in our lives. Is it gold and silver of faithfulness or a straw and hay of unfaithfulness? Is it the golden silver of righteousness of christ or the straw of seeking our own happiness? Ah God wants me to be happy. I don’t find that in the bible, nothing against happiness. I’m a happy guy. I’m very happy actually. Let me illustrate to you and expound on the words of jesus here by telling your story. That will illustrate the opposite the exact opposite of what jesus is saying. But you will make the point. You’ll make it, you’ll understand it a true story. An Oxford University student was brought to the university hospital complaining about pain in his right leg just below the knee. The batteries of tests were conducted and the doctor came and broke the bad news to this young man. He had cancer centered below his knee and the cancer was so advanced that was life threatening. And so the doctors strongly urged him, begged him, pleaded with him to let them amputate his leg below the knee so that they can save his life. But he absolutely refused. He was adamant and so they attempted to treat the cancer with chemotherapy and radiation and while it showed the cancer slowed some, it didn’t get rid of it. The doctors again began to plead with him and urged him to amputate to save his life. But he again adamantly refused. He was gambling on that slender chance that the cancer might go into remission, but they did not. Within three months they found the second growth in the liver and the kidney. six months later, he died afterward. two of the team of surgeons went over to visit his heartbroken mother and they asked them why did he refuse to let us amputate when the operation most certainly would have saved his life? It’s absolutely broken hearted mother stumbled as she explained. He has been very proud of his looks and his athletic ability, and he said, I’d rather die, then lose my leg. And he did, beloved. That’s the opposite of what jesus saying. The little sacrifices you make in order to save for all of eternity and eternal reward. Someone was so Michael, Jesus is sitting 4th An Impossible Standards No one Can Follow. And if that is your question, let me tell you, You are absolutely 100% correct, beloved. Listen to me, Sin in any form. Any form. Any form is so subtle and so deceiving. And none of us can deliver ourselves from its clutches. Let me tell you that this impossibility that jesus is set forth. It’s twofold. Listen carefully twofold. First, Jesus wants all men, women, boys, and girls to despair of their own righteousness and seek his righteousness. And secondly, our Lord’s remedy. So a sinful heart is a new heart is in your heart. People who say, oh, I’m good, I haven’t done anything bad, not not really. Something very very bad. I kept the golden rules. And you know God will have to let me into my head and listen to me. Please, please please let me plead with you. Think again, most people who say these kinds of things, I’m okay, I’m good. They can’t even live up to their own standards, little on the standards of christ. So what some of them try to do in order to keep people happy, They lowered the bar all the way to the ground. So they tell people what to step on it and over it and you’ll be fine. Oh they’re gonna pay. Just wait the day of judgment is coming. This is tragic because all they’re doing is allowing people to dig deeper and deeper holes. And that is why sometimes you see them angry and called the bible believing christians names. They’re expressing their anger because we would not allow the lowering of the bar and we confess our sinfulness without christ and inability to save ourselves without christ that only his righteousness is going to take us all the way home. I want to speak to you to the person who is unfaithful to his or her marriage vows. I want to speak to you for a minute. You cannot sin deeper or further than God’s grace. Did you get that? Our God is a bondage breaker, come to him confessing and repenting? And the bible said his blood would cleanse us from all. How many? All unrighteous nous. And so let me finally tell you about a man whom we know as saint Augustine. Hm He was far from being a saint. He was a playboy, adulterer and he lived the wildlife. He comes from what modern day Algeria and Tunisia, that area in North Africa. He was living this wildlife. Meanwhile in North Africa, his mother Monica, I was crying tears over him and pleading with God to save him and God heard her prayer and he was thoroughly converted to christ, thoroughly converted to christ. And immediately his life began to change began to change. He rejected his former lifestyle and began to live for christ. one day after that happened he was going back to Rome for business. He was disciple by a godly bishop in in Milan actually. But he was in Rome and as he was walking in the streets of Rome a voice of a woman in the back who recognized him and she said, Augustine Augustine, is that you? He turned around and said yes that’s me. And then when he saw her he recognized this is the woman that he was shacking up with for a long time in the in his past and he began to run and run and he comes back and says it’s not i it’s not I but christ lives in me. Only jesus can set us free. Only jesus can set us free this month, generous ministry partners have committed to june gift challenge, which means the impact of your contribution will be doubled. I want to encourage you to give generously a one time gift so that we finished our fiscal year. Strong, thank you and God bless through your partnership leading the way is expanding to meet the growing spiritual needs of our nation and world and God is reaching more people through our ministry together than ever before. Over this past year, leading the way experienced a surge of new television viewers, website traffic and livestream viewers, not to mention brand new Prayer partners and the creation of online discipleship groups in hard to reach areas. God is blessing and dr Yousef is pressing on to reach more people with the gospel than ever before. We are expanding to new stations, increasing navigator distribution and growing embedded field teams across the U. S. And around the globe. Large evangelistic events are on the horizon and you can be apart This month, generous ministry partners have committed a special June gift challenge where they have pledged to match up to $1.2 million dollars given to leading the way, dollar for dollar. You can double the impact of your giving and help leading the way, expand further into new areas for jesus amid this complex and broken world, you can help bring the good news of christ’s love to people in desperate need of the truth. Will you join us on the forefront of this crucial ministry by participating in the special june gift challenge, contact us to give a generous gift today. Mhm. Visit L T W dot org today to grow your relationship with christ, strengthen your faith as you watch, listen to and read sound biblical teaching from Dr Michael Yousef receive encouragement as you hear miraculous stories of God moving here at home and around the world through vision 2025 take a quick break and receive spiritual refreshment. As you read one of Dr Yousef’s daily devotionals, visit l T W dot org today and join our global gospel movement. Mhm passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth, leading the way with Dr Michael Yousef thanks you for your faithful support through your continued prayers and gifts.