Heaven and Earth Will Pass Away | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Steve Andres

<p>Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s word will remain! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our series, TIL KINGDOM COME, with a message about how God changes our hearts.</p><p><br></p><p>Matthew 5:17-18</p><p>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. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.</p><p><br></p><p>As he taught, Jesus was describing the new way of life in the Kingdom of God. What can we learn about this new way?</p><p><br></p><p>1)  It’s not about moderation, it’s about transformation.</p><p><br></p><p>Jesus raised the bar that the Law had set from having right behavior to having a right heart. </p><p><br></p><p>We can’t be trained to live like this. We have to be transformed to live like this. </p><p><br></p><p>When we receive God’s grace, it comes with the capacity to live a whole new life. [Baptism] is a powerful symbol of that death-to-life transformation!</p><p><br></p><p>2) It’s not about the symptoms, it’s about the sickness.</p><p><br></p><p>The Gospel takes the pride and self-righteousness out of our anger, and it moves us to love and treat everyone as someone made in the image of God, even - perhaps especially - those who are wrong.</p><p><br></p><p>3)  It’s not about proving a wrong, it’s about making things right.</p><p><br></p><p>Jesus is saying that his followers will have a strange capacity to humbly speak the truth in love. </p><p><br></p><p>Whether you’ve wronged someone, or they’ve wronged you, it’s always your move!</p><p><br></p><p>Jesus did not come to erase the law, but to change hearts so that the law could be fulfilled in us - all because of His grace!</p>