1. In these verses Jesus warned His disciples against "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." 2. At first, the disciples misunderstood the Lord's warning -- they thought He was talking about bread. 3. They finally realized that Jesus was warning them against the doctrine [teaching] of these people. 4. Rather than listen to the doctrines of men, we must listen to the Lord's teaching in His Word. 5. In our lesson we are illustrating this point by considering 5 contrasts that Jesus made in Matthew 5:21-48. 6. The Lord contrasted what the people had heard [what they had been taught] with His will.
Discussion:
I. CONTRAST #1 (Matthew 5:21-26)
A. What the people had heard about "killing" (vs.21) B. The Lord's will (vs.22-26)
II. CONTRAST #2 (Matthew 5:27-32)
A. What the people had heard about "adultery" (vs.27) B. The Lord's will (vs.28-32)
III. CONTRAST #3 (Matthew 5:33-37)
A. What the people had heard about "swearing" (vs.33) B. The Lord's will (vs.34-37)
IV. CONTRAST #4 (Matthew 5:38-42)
A. What the people had heard about "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" (vs.38) B. The Lord's will (vs.39-42)
V. CONTRAST #5 (Matthew 5:43-48)
A. What the people had heard about "loving their neighbors and hating their enemies" (vs.43) B. The Lord's will (vs.44-48)
Conclusion:
1. Men can lead us in the wrong direction, even though they may appear to teach God's Word. 2. Let us beware of dangerous leaven, and let us follow the example of the people in Berea (Acts 17:11).
