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Sunday 3 March 2002 - `Be perfect'

(Summary of sermon by Rev Erlo Stegen)

Mt 5:48

This verse confuse many people. They ask how such a thing is possible - to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Firstly, this word is applicable to all - old or young, man or woman. And this is the life that God expects of each one of us, otherwise there will be a great woe for us on judgment day.

The founder of the Rolls Royce company was Henri Rolls. One day as he passed through his factory, he observed one of his workers finishing a certain part of the engine. Then he put it aside and said, 'that will do'. Mr Rolls then sharply rebuked his worker, saying to him, 'In this company we only strive for the best and for perfection. That might do at other automobile companies, but not in this one. Only the perfection will do here.' No wonder the Rolls Royce car and company has the majestic and lofted position that it has today. Those that pay for it, don't mind to pay a great sum of money, because they know that they are getting the finest quality.

Another story is also told of a man who bought himself a Rolls Royce. After some time, the shaft turning the wheel broke. He couldn't believe it and contacted the Rolls Royce company about it. Quickly they fetched his car, fixed it and returned it to him. After three months he hadn't yet received an invoice, so he went to them and queried about it. They went through their books, but could not find anything about it. Eventually they said to him, 'You must be mistaken, because a Rolls Royce's shaft simply does not break', and that's how the matter ended. He never paid a cent for his repairs.

These stories just illustrate the fame of Rolls Royce. But if this is the case with an earthly company, how much more should we not be perfect in our whole life and faith, which is of eternal value. Do you esteem that which really matters lightly, living a life of 'that will do'?

X-rays are able to reveal flaws and broken bones inside a person. There's even scans that can reveal flaws in motorcar parts inside the engine of a car. But each of us should search and see if there is any flaw in our life, because we are commanded to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Many Christians have shipwrecked their faith, because they did not see to it that they remained perfect even as their heavenly Father is perfect. They allowed flaws in their lives and lived a 'that will do' life.

Here we see also what God's standard for our lives is like. We must not measure ourselves by other people, but by God. We must be perfect as He is perfect. We must not even measure ourselves by great men like Paul or Peter, but by God only. This is the standard of Jesus Christ.

Many people ask how it is possible to be perfect as God in power and strength etc. But here we see at the beginning of this verse a 'therefore'. We must take note of this and not pull the text out of context. If there's a 'therefore' it means that this verse follows because of something that has been said before.

Before this, Jesus spoke about 5 or 6 subjects, where he showed how we need to be perfect and how God's standard contrasts with man's standard. It has been said:

1. Do not kill
2. Do not commit adultery
3. Do not swear and not keep it
4. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, or repay evil with evil
5. To love your neighbour, but hate your enemy

But God's standard is:

1. If you are only angry with your brother and calls him names, you are in danger of judgment and hell
2. If you look at a woman lustfully, you have already committed adultery and tore your marriage certificate.
3. Do not swear at all, but let your words be always true and faithful.
4. If you are hit on the left cheek, turn the other also.
5. You must love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. Those that are love only those that love them, are no better than the tax-collectors and hypocrites.

This standard of God's perfection we must live wherever we are. Some only live so before people and because of the fear of people, but in secret they sin. God still sees it, and he will repay you your reward.

It is not good enough just to be good. You need to be better and better still. Your aim must be God's standard of perfection. But if this is not your goal, you are walking in the wrong direction. How can you say that you have accepted Jesus and are serving Him, when you are living contrary? Does your Jesus teach you to live contrary to the Bible? Jesus will never teach you to do anything contrary to the Word of God.

Examine and test yourself today if everything is in order in your life. Jesus said that He did not come to condemn the world, but that the words that He spoke, they will condemn the world. Your every thought and act is written in the books of heaven.

In 1 Pet 4:11 we read that those that do not have this aim to live perfect before God, find it strange when you do not live in the same way as they do. Do you read your Bible. Are you hungry for God's Word. You eat three times a day and even have snacks in-between, but you do not have time for God's Word. How is this possible? What is your aim? And then you're amazed that you go off the track and lose your strength in temptation. Maybe it is not so astonishing. You do not live according to God's standard, neither do you have it as your aim. Cry to God for this perfection.

Jesus is perfect, He lived perfectly on this earth, was tempted like we, but yet conquered. How sad would we not have been if he just slipped once. But he conquered completely.

Is your goal clear to all, or only lip-service? Do your mother, father, brothers and sisters know what your goal is, or is this foreign language to you? If you do not even know what I'm talking about and find it strange, then you still need to be converted. Do not trust in your parents salvation. That cannot save you. You must live this perfect life and that right inside your heart, and not just on the outside, where everyone sees you.