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Hello and welcome to the Waking Up to Grace podcast , where we celebrate and explore the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ . Tune in to the Waking Up to Grace podcast on every major platform . You can also listen to our episodes and read our full transcripts at wakinguptogracecom . And now here's Lenny .

Sleepwalking Through Faith

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When I was young , I loved to play sports . I was very active and full of energy . One day I convinced my dad to throw the football around with me . I wanted to start by running out for a long pass so I could practice my skills at running and catching the ball . With enthusiasm , I burst out the front door and ran full speed into the yard , while looking back and waiting to receive the long throw from my dad . When he didn't throw the ball , I ran to the left and hollered I'm ready , throw the ball . My father responded come on inside , lenny . What do you mean Dad ? I replied while thinking to myself why is he saying that we're in the middle of a big play ? So I said again I'm ready , dad , throw the ball . Again . He replied come inside and get some rest , lenny , you're going to freeze out there . It was then that I began to realize what was happening . I looked down and I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts , with bare feet standing in a few inches of snow . It was the middle of the night and I could see my breath . The whole thing was a dream , but I was playing it out in reality .

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Welcome

Misreading Scripture in Morning Devotions

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to the Waking Up to Grace podcast , everyone . This analogy perfectly describes my early walk with Christ . Many years ago I was sleepwalking through the Christian life . I couldn't hear what our Lord was telling me because I was so focused on what was on my mind , based on what I had been taught . I was missing the reality taught in Scripture and in turn began to go through the motions of a self-effort based religion . I was practicing religion in the name of Jesus when all along I could have been resting in Christ . In my recent episodes I stressed the importance of understanding when the new covenant began . Today I'll go deeper into that topic to display the exact problem we run into when we sleepwalk through scripture and do not realize what time we are living in and what time we are reading from .

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Picture yourself waking up on a Saturday morning . You get out of bed , stretch out a bit and begin your morning routine . This is a great day to have some quiet time with the Lord . So you get out your Bible and sip on a nice cup of hot coffee . Let's see what God is going to teach me today . You say to yourself you want to hear the words of Christ . So you turn to the Gospel of Matthew . The Lord's prayer heading catches your attention . What better place to start ? The Lord will teach me how to pray . This morning , you begin your reading for the day Matthew , chapter 6 , verses 5 through 14 , and you'll be using the English Standard Version of the Bible we read .

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And when you pray , and you'll be using the English Standard Version of the Bible we read , and when you pray , you must not be like the hypocrites , for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others . Truly , I say to you , they have received their reward . But when you pray , go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father , who is in secret , and your father , who sees in secret , will reward you . I can do that . You think to yourself . Those hypocrites have nothing on me .

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And you read on . And when you pray , do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do , for they think that they will be heard for their many words . Do not be like them , for your father knows what you need before you ask him . Pray then like this Our Father in heaven , hallowed be your name . Your kingdom come . Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven . Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts , as we also have forgiven our debtors , and lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from evil . Wow , this is so instructive . This has to be what Christianity is all about .

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These are the words of Christ himself , and he is teaching me how to pray , and you finish the section with the final passages

Understanding the Sermon's Context

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. For if you forgive others , their trespasses , your heavenly Father will also forgive you , but if you do not forgive others , their trespasses also forgive you , but if you do not forgive others , their trespasses , neither will your Father forgive your trespasses . Okay , now I'm a little freaked out , if I'm being honest . Who is going to be any better than me at this , though ? Jesus must have been saying this to push us to do the best we can . I mean , he died for our sins , didn't he ? He has to forgive us . Maybe I need to read this again . For if you forgive others , their trespasses , your heavenly Father will also forgive you , but if you do not forgive others , their trespasses , neither will your Father forgive your trespasses . Clearly , doesn't mean what it says . I'm going to have to talk to my pastor about this . For now , though , I'm going to have to look to my pastor about this . For now , though , I'm going to have to look at some other passages and see if I can make some connections .

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Matthew 5 , verse 20 . For I tell you , unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will never enter the kingdom of heaven . Let's go to Matthew 5 , verse 46 . For if you love those who love you , what reward do you have ? Do not even the tax collectors do the same . And if you greet only your brothers , what more are you doing than others ? Do not even the Gentiles do the same . You therefore must be perfect , as your heavenly Father is perfect . Okay , let's leave our vision of Saturday morning quiet time .

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I think these passages have awakened us to a topic that needs attention . Let's put ourselves in the scene that was taking place in the scriptures that we are reading from . If we don't discern the context of what our Lord is saying here , we'll end up spiritually sleepwalking through our Christian lives , ignoring the calling of Christ Yeshua , who is saying what my dad said to me Come on in and get some rest , son . We need to put ourselves in the context of these passages . We need to examine questions like where did this event take place ? Who was Jesus speaking to ? What was the time frame ? What was the purpose of the statements being made ? So let's start with the setting of this incredible historical scene .

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Matthew , chapter 4 , verse 25 , starts by saying and great crowds followed him from Galilee and Decapolis and from Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan . Seeing the crowds , he went up on the mountain and when he sat down , his disciples came to him . So we see that this event was taking place in a region within the nation of Israel , and people from all over these areas were listening . And next we need to look at who Christ was speaking to and what was the time frame . In Matthew 5 , verse 17 , we read 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 or the prophets kingdom of heaven . But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven . For I tell you , unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will never enter the kingdom of heaven . By that statement we see the answer to both of these questions that we were looking at . Christ Yeshua was speaking to Jewish people while under the first covenant of the law .

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It is critical that we understand that the ministry of Christ was during the times of the first covenant . As we saw in my last several episodes , the new covenant did not begin until Christ handed himself over to the Romans to be crucified . The letter to the Hebrews taught us that the new covenant began at the cross when Christ shed his blood for us . Since that time , we believe and receive the benefits of the gospel , reconciling

Christ's Purpose in Teaching Law

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us with God once and for all and making us alive to Yahweh . Many say the new covenant began when Yeshua was born , but the scriptures don't agree with that view . Paul clarifies this fact for us in Galatians 4 . With that view , paul clarifies this fact for us in Galatians 4 . We read but when the fullness of time had come , god sent forth his Son , born of woman , born under the law , to redeem those who were under the law , so that we might receive adoption as sons . Christ Yeshua was born under law to redeem those under law .

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Therefore , it must follow that this teaching from our Lord was spoken to an audience who was under under law . Therefore , it must follow that this teaching from our Lord was spoken to an audience who was under the law of Moses and all of its 613 commandments and not redeemed Christ , had not shed his blood for them yet and the disciples still had absolutely no clue that he would be doing such a thing . So this Jewish audience , who has not reconciled to Yahweh , hearing these words of our Lord , was shocked by his teaching . Matthew , chapter 7 , verse 28 , tells us and when Jesus finished these sayings , the crowds were astonished at his teaching , for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes . That leaves us with one last question what was the intended purpose of this teaching ?

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I think we need to look a little more at the content to help get a better handle on this . Now that we know who our Lord was speaking to and what time it was , we'll have a much easier time understanding this passage . In reality , unless you are a Jewish person somewhere in Israel before Christ finishes work on the cross , these passages will not be speaking directly to you . That doesn't at all mean that this scripture was not God-breathed for our benefit . No , not at all . This is our Lord speaking . We can gain so much from this , but we have to read it the way Yahweh intended it to be read . So let's get started . Shall we Going back to the statement made by Christ Yeshua .

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In Matthew , chapter 5 , we read 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 . We see here that Christ came to fulfill the law . This lines up perfectly with the statements made by Paul in Galatians 4 . We read but when the fullness of time had come , god sent forth his Son , born of woman , born under the law , to redeem those who were under the law , so that we might receive adoption as sons . The fulfillment of the law had not taken place yet during the earthly ministry of Christ . As Paul writes after the cross and resurrection , in Romans 8, . There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus , for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free , in Christ Jesus , from the law of sin and death , for God has done what the law , weakened by the flesh , could not do . It becomes crystal clear that the law was fulfilled after the cross and resurrection .

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Again , at the time of the teaching we are reading from Christ Yeshua , the law was not fulfilled . The people were not reconciled or right with God . Yet what is actually happening in this teaching is Christ teaching the law in a way it had never been heard before . It was like the law on steroids . Yeshua did not hold back . He opens up regularly saying you have heard that it was said he would have been referring to the teachers of the law making their announcements in the synagogues . It was common in those days that the people could not read , but they would go into the synagogues to hear what the teachers of law were saying .

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Now , keep in mind these are the Pharisees and scribes who Christ called hypocrites . Also recall what Paul said in Galatians , chapter 3 . Why then the law ? It was added because of transgressions until the offspring should come , to whom the promise had been made . And then , in verse 21 , he says is the law then contrary to the promises of God ? Certainly not , for if a law had been given that could give life , then righteousness would indeed be by the law . But the scriptures imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise , by faith in Jesus Christ , might be given to those who believe . So think about what's happening here .

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In our teaching from Yeshua , he was displaying exactly what Paul later taught about the law . The purpose was not to make us do the best . We can

The True Meaning of Lord's Prayer

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Not even close . The purpose was to see the need for the Savior . The law is a constant reminder of sin , and Yeshua made it impossible for anyone to seek salvation in anyone or anything except him . The last thing that Yahweh is looking for is you to prove yourself worthy of him by your own self-effort . That would be playing the hypocrite . In fact , this whole message was based on revealing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees and showing people the truth about God's holy law and how well they were doing , apart from faith , as he states over and over . You have heard it said and continues , but I say to you he's giving them a correct view of the holiness of the law of Moses . He's teaching the law . In truth .

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This was not setting the bar for the Christian life , as many suppose , and should never be taught as such . The Christian life begins when we receive life from Christ and we are made right with God . The Christian life is about Christ living in and through us . The Christian life was an unknown mystery prior to the cross and resurrection . Did the teachings of Christ in Matthew , chapter 5 through 7 , contain an excellent moral standard ? Absolutely . Romans 7.13 says Did that which is good then bring death to me ? By no means it was sin producing death in me through what is good me . By no means it was sin producing death in me through what is good , in order that sin might be shown to be sin and , through the commandment , might become sinful beyond measure .

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Here again we see Paul expressing the purpose of the message of Christ Yeshua , delivered in the Sermon on the Mount . These laws and commandments were holy and good , but they did nothing to make the people alive to God . Our Lord didn't stop at putting away our sin by shedding his blood on the cross . He took it a huge step further and gave us life . He made us right with God , granted us eternal life , and his life-giving spirit now lives within us . We are a brand new creation in Christ that is holy and pleasing to Yahweh , thanks to an unbreakable fellowship brought to us by the finished work of Christ Yeshua . We can now read the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew and be extremely grateful for the sacrifice that our Lord made to save us from the bondage of sin . It is finished . We can now approach these passages knowing in full confidence that his yoke is easy and his burden is light .

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When we read the Lord's Prayer now , we can see that it was under the context of the law . It was pointing out the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees and it was a sign of what was to come . When we read the Lord's Prayer , it reads and when you pray , you must not be like the hypocrites , for they love to stand and pray of what was to come . When we read the Lord's Prayer , it reads and when you pray , you must not be like the hypocrites , for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they might be seen by others . Truly , I say to you , they have received their reward . But when you pray , go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father , who is in secret , and your Father , who sees in secret , will reward you . Did the apostles , after the cross and resurrection , only pray in secret , with the door closed ? No , they understood the purpose of what their Lord was saying . This was a dig at the teachers of law who displayed their prayer publicly to be marveled at by others .

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He continues and when you pray , do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do , for they think that they will be heard for their many words . Do not be like them , for your Father knows what you need before you ask him . So now he would be pointing out the way those who are not Jewish prayed , as if their many words would somehow contain some kind of magic formula . I think we probably experience prayer like that in our circles at times today , don't we ? Our Father in heaven does not need us to be fancy with him . He knows what is in our hearts . Yeshua continues . Pray then like this our Father in heaven , hallowed be your name . Your kingdom come . Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven . Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts , as we also have forgiven our debtors , and lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from evil . This section of the prayer is teaching them to pray for what was to come . All those things would soon be taking place . This was not teaching us how to pray today . The apostles didn't pray like this . They didn't practice asking Yahweh for what they already had . They fully understood the finished work of our Lord .

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And if you're not convinced that what I'm saying is true , this last passage in the Lord's Prayer should help . We read For if you forgive others their trespasses , your heavenly Father will also forgive you , but if you do not forgive others their trespasses . Neither will your Father forgive your trespasses . Is that how your Lord forgives you ? Is that the gospel message ? Is that our call to action ? You can say no .

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This ending of the prayer gives us a perfect contrast of the old covenant under the law with the new covenant under grace . The old covenant under law says if you do not forgive others their trespasses , then your father won't forgive yours . The new covenant under grace that we read in Ephesians 4 , verse 32 , says Be kind to one another , tenderhearted , forgiving one another as God and Christ forgave you . So we have forgive or you won't be forgiven , versus forgive one another as you were forgiven .

Finding Rest in Grace

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Can you see the difference ? I hope you can confidently read these passages now and benefit from the true meaning intended by our Lord .

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If the Sermon on the Mount stirs you to want to clean up your life because of the mercy Yahweh had on you , that's terrific . But don't make the mistake of thinking that those statements are the written steps to getting right with God . If you get caught in the trap of pleasing the Lord by self-effort and in order to be right with him , you'll begin sleepwalking through the Christian life , just like I was sleepwalking through a game of football in the middle of the night , out in the snow , you'll be acting out a scenario that is not really taking place . As the Apostle Paul said , be reconciled If you believe that your sin has broken your fellowship with our Heavenly Father . It is not too late to wake up , get out of the cold and enter the warmth of our Lord's loving grace . As my dad tried to tell me when I was walking in my sleep . Our Heavenly Father is calling you and I to do the same . Come on inside and get some rest . My child , thank you for listening to the Waking Up .

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Come on inside and get some rest . My child , thank you for listening to the Waking Up to Grace podcast brought to you by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ . If you enjoyed today's episode , we would love to hear from you . You can send encouragement our way right from our episodes and transcripts page , or reach Lenny privately from the contact form at wakinguptogracecom .