Matthew 5-7

• The true blessings of Heaven referred by Jesus are not those that us humans perceive blessings to be. We would ask how could a poor be blessed when the most obvious way may be to lift them out of financial difficulties (5:1-11)
• Salt used for flavouring and preserving purposes. If it did not serve its purpose, what are the consequences? (v13-16)
• People argue the old testament no longer applies in a Christian day and age. Jesus tells us that he has come to fulfill the Law and prophecies. (v17-20) I think he has come to clarify how the Law actually operates. Jesus defines that to get into Heaven, you must be more perfect than the Pharisees. Jesus explains below.
  
• In the Law, murderers only get judgment. Is Jesus setting the bar higher by saying anybody who is angry, insults and accuse people by calling them fools will face judgment? (v21-22) Is he just letting us understand that we all have done wrong things, whether big or small, and because we are imperfect, we are not whole in God's eyes, and we will all be judged.
  
• Rather than just doing things to appear good (by making gifts to the altar), you must also reconcile, fix the heart (v23-24). Do everything from the heart. No good for us to look like a good Christian but remain relationships or anything we do in tatters. No good to kneel and pray and have a nice Christian image on Sundays but do a bad job during the week!
  
• Fix up the wrongs before it is too late, otherwise the consequences are heavy! (v25-26).
• Again, Jesus focuses on the heart, not just the tangible or visible superficial aspects. (v28)
• Try to distance yourself from activities that will cause you to sin (v29-30)
• Divorce only on sexual immorality (v32). Let not man separate what God has put together. Divorce was not something that was designed to be readily available at man's convenience.
  
• Do not swear/take oath to promise that certain things will be performed. How can someone imperfect make promises in something they have no control of? (v33-37)
• An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. I remember I once heard that this was set down so that revenge would just stop, so any revenge would not go out of hand and just get worse and worse (ie a finger gets chopped off, and to revenge, the hand gets taken, and because that revenge was not just, the arm gets chopped off and so on). Jesus already dealt with anger above and says we should just forget it. (v39-41)
• "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (5:44) - if that could be done, v45 suggest that you have transformed into a whole being to be sons of Father in heaven.
  
• How would it make you different if all you did was to just love the people who loves you? That is not hard to do at all. (v46-47)

• It is the heart that God is concerned, not to make helping the needy a big fuss to gain attention (6:1-4)
• Do not pray rubbish and flowery words with God, God knows what we need and what we want before we pray (v7)
• Your will be done (v10)
• He provides (v11)
• Repent and ask for forgiveness (v12)
• Keep us from temptation (v13)

No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money

-- Matthew 6:24

• Why worry about your life? What can worry do? What control does worrying give you? (v25-33)

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

-- Matthew 6:34

• Spec vs. Log (7:3-4)
• Ask and it will be given, Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you (v7). Notice it is use of "will", not "shall".
  
• God, who created us, will not hide the truth from us and point us down a bad path. (v9-11)

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them"

-- Matthew 7:12

• Tree and Fruit: in v15-20, we are told good trees will bear good fruits, bad trees will bear bad fruits. Through the actions of people, we should be able to detect whether they are Christians / Non-Christians.
  
• Again, stress the heart of people who take Jesus as Lord: those who submit themselves to Jesus to be their true Lord and does the will of God will be recognised by Jesus. (v21)
• Does "Part-time Christians" get excluded into heaven (v22-23)?
• Indicates that God's word are the foundations in life. (v24-27)