Passing the Test

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        December 18,2011

Lesson Focus:
Faithfully obey God
through your trials
Lesson Scripture:
Genesis 22:1-2,6-14

Introduction:

God told Abraham,"Take your only son,Issac,whom you love and go to the region of Moriah and sacrifice him there".God tested Abraham,not to watch him fall and sit back laugh.God's test was to help develop Abraham's character,faith and obedience.The next morning Abraham, without hesitation,started off with Issac on a two or three day journey to the place of sacrifice.Surely, Abraham had plenty of time to change his mind, disobey God,and return home.Or he could have spent the trip pleading with God to stop this nonsense.However,Scripture gives no indication of any such conversation with God.Abraham's response boiled down to two words, trust and obey.He believed this tragedy could only result in good.God will provide; On the third day,Abraham told his servants to stay behind,and he and Issac started the climb up Mt. Moriah.When Issac questioned, "My father,where is the sacrificial?" Abraham spoke  faith language: God will provide." Abraham had come to the place in his life where he would say,"God knows, I don't. It's on Him, God is in charge". Abraham placed Issac on the altar and held up the knife to slay him.Abraham apparently believed somehow God would raise Issac back up to carry out His promise about Abraham's seed producing a great nation(Heb.11:19).In a simlar way, people are under "God's knife", His wrath. But God so loved the world,that he desires to put no man to death.So like the Ram in the bush that saved Issac, He sent His precious Son,our sacrificial lamb to die on a cross to save us.

Abraham Is Tested

Genesis22:1-2KJV

 ¹And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

   ²And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Footnotes:

God's command to Abraham to sacrifice Issac has perplexed readers of the bible for many years.We are told many times in the old testiment how much God disdained human sacrifice.This passage begins, however, with the notion that God was testing Abraham, and not simply making an abrupt and inexliable request.In this command,God acknowledged Abraham's love for Issac.More than the promise of God is at stake here.This is a father who deeply loved a son who was given as a miraculous gift to him and his barren wife in their old age.God told Abraham to take Issac to the region of Moriah,Abraham must have wrestled with his thoughts a wondered what would happen there.

God Will Provide

Genesis 22:6-8KJV

 ⁶And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

   ⁷And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
   ⁸And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Footnotes:

In a foreshadowing of Christ carrying His own cross,Abraham had Issac carry the heavy wood up the hill.But the implements of the sacrifice,the fire and the blade,he carried himself.Issac asked his father about the location of the actual sacrifice.Abraham answered his son's question with an expression of faith in God's provisions.Abraham did tell the servants that the two of them would return.Ours is a walk of faith with the roads paved only with the word and promises of God, and we must just trust and believe and walk by faith in the truths of God's word and the strength of His promises.

God Stops Abraham

Genesis 22:9-14KJV

  ⁹And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

   ¹⁰And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
   ¹¹And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
   ¹²And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
   ¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
   ¹⁴And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Footnotes:

The test ended when God called out to Abraham through the angel of the Lord.At this point,God revealed the nature of the test.He could see,or more importantly perhaps,Abraham could see,that the patriarch was willing to obey God unconditionally,regardless of the cost.He would not even withhold his own son. We like wise must be willing to obey the word of God without doubt regardless of the cost knowing God will provide.We also should rejoice in God's provision of atoning sacrifice on our behalf. Unlike Abraham, God gave His only Son that we might live.We were under the knife of God's judgment when Jesu s,our ram in the bush took our place and lai down his life for the sins of the world.

Believing The Impossible

                                                                        Sunday School Lesson
                                                                           December 11,2011
Lesson Focus:
Faith sees beyond
what seems possible
Lesson Scripture
Genesis 15:1-6 &12-18

Introduction:

Abram's maturing faith,Abram is included in Hebrews 12, a listing of men and women who believed God for the impossible and exercised faith.However, Abram grew and matured in his faith as a result of personal struggles,not just easy living.God took Abram out and showed him the sky full of billions of stars and said to him "So shall your offspring be".God planned for Abram and Sarai to have children through their bodies even though both were past childbearing years,a miracle.Abram believed the Lord,"and it was credited to him as righteousness".To further convience Abram of this promise,God made a personal covenant with him and sealed it with a cultural ritual.Abram continued to walk confidently,believing God for the impossible.faith comes by hearing,and with an ear of obedience such as Abram had.

God Is Abram's Reward
Genesis15:1-3KJV
  ¹After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
   ²And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
   ³And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Footnotes:

God promised Abram a biological heir,the only problem was that Abram and Sarai had been married for decades,and had no children.Abram wonders out loud how his decendants will become a nation if he is childless.And so Abram offers a solution,he will simply make hisservant his heir.So many times we make suggestions outside of God's will because we can't physically see any other way of accomplishing that which God has called us to to or to be.But we must realize that His ways are not our ways,with man it might be impossible ,but with God all things are possible.

Abram's Biological Heir
Genesis 15:4-6KJV
  ⁴And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
   ⁵And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
   ⁶And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Footnote:

God graciously responded to Abram's doubts and proposed solutions,making it crystal clear that the patriarch's heir would be his biological child,not a servant.Perhaps Abram's fear came from the apparent impossibility of this ever happening because of his age.Abram's responce to God was simple beief.At that moment, he believed that somehow he would have a son,and that son would produce offspring that would produce a great nation.For simply believing what God said was true, righteousness was attributed to Abram.In the same way righteousness was credited to Abram,so Christ's righteousness is credited to us the moment we first believed.

Abram's Dark Vision
Genesis 15:12-18KJV
 ¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
   ¹³And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
   ¹⁴And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
   ¹⁵And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
   ¹⁶But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
   ¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
   ¹⁸In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Footnotes:

Despite the darkness of the vision,Abram was still assured he would live out his long years in peace. God was waiting to give the land to Abram's descendants until the sins of the inhabitants of Canaan has "reached its full measure."The implication here is that a nation that ignores God and His guidelines for living may eventually be expelled from what ever land they are currently inhabiting and taking for granted.

    Seeing others' faith in action is a powerful help and inspiration to encourage us in our own experience.But we still must choose for ourselves,when we cannot see,when we cannot understand, when the situation seems hopeless or impossible,to trust in God and act in faith.

Choosing to Follow

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        December 4,2011

Lesson Focus:
God will lead and bless those
who follow Him.

Lesson Scripture:

Genesis: 12:1-9

Introduction:

Abram's call,how closely are we following God's lead?When life gets tough,do we abandon the Christian journey and go back to old ways, or do we keep pushing forward,confident God will reward our faithfulness? Here's what Abram(Abraham) did.God instructed Abram to leave his father's idol worshiping city ,Ur and follow Him.God promised to make Abram a great nation,give him blessings,make his name great,enable him to be a blessing to others,protect him from enemies, and the final and most important promise,Abram's family would be the ancestors of the Messiah.God invited Abram on a faith journey,paved only with His words and promises.Abram accepted the invitation.Abram packed up his family with all their possessions and headed for God's appointed land,Canaan.When Abram arrived in Canaan,he observed on obstacle he would have to overcome, the canaanites who inhabited the land.Abram is an excellent example of a man who heard God, followed His lead,and drew closer to God each step of the way.He is a good example to follow on your faith journey.

God Calls Abram
Genesis 12:1-3KJV
¹Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
   ²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
   ³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Footnotes:
Here we have the call of Abram,and the promise of God to make a great nation of his descendants. The promise of God to Abram is powerful and far-reaching,and was perhaps even overwhelming. God made it clear that his descendants would help change the course of history.In order for this to happen Abram would have to leave everything that was dear to him and follow God.This journey God has called us on is one of that can change the course of history.But like Abram we to must be willing to leave all that we might find dear to us to follow the path which God has laid out for us.

Abram Leaves Haran
Genesis 12:4-5KJV
⁴So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
   ⁵And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Footnotes:

Continuing to be obedient to the call of God,Abram set out for Canaan from Haran.Abram left all he knew, having only the word of the Lord to hold to.He had nothing to hold to but that which God had promised him.We too have been called to walk out on faith ,to live a life of faith having only the word of God as our guide and His promises as our protection.We are on a journey to a land that we know exist solely on the promise of God,and that same promise tell us it is ours to posess,but we have to leave and forsake all and follow Him to get there .And like Abram we have one obstical to overcome,self. Self is all that stands between us and the promises of God.

Abram Builds an Altar
Genesis 12:6-9KJV
 ⁶And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
   ⁷And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
   ⁸And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
   ⁹And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

Footnotes:

Abram's journey to the land of Canaan would have taken him through the fertile cresent and around the Arabian Desert,which is simply unhabitable and uncrossable,a least for all the family members and livestock Abram brought with him.This trip probably took Abram about a month to make, and would have seemed a difficult journey.But he had God's word to lead him and guide him and in faith he perservered.Abram built an alter at Shechem because the Lord appeared to him there.Because of his faith,Abram remains one of the most powerful examples of what it means to trust God,even when the final outcome of our faithful obedience remains a mystery.

Putting Worry in Its Place

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        November 27,2011
Lesson Focus:
Put worry in its place
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 6:25-34

Introduction:
Faith vs. worry,Jesus gave several reasons why and what to do about worry,the sickness of mind. Jesus warns against being so preoccupied with material needs that the will of God is ignored.His response to worry is,"Don't do it!" It's directly opposite of believing in faith that God will always come through.Worry indicates a lack of trust in God or very little trust in His power.Jesus says to the worrier,"Take a look around.The birds and flowers are all taken care of by God."Instead of working and worring about material things,Jesus encourages His children to busy themselves with the activities to build up God's kingdom on earth.We must have a hunger for righteousness and close living with God.If that is the focus and desire of our daily actions,we never have to worry obsessively about such things as what we will eat and what we will wear.The heavenly Father will meet those needs.

Evidence of God's Care in Creation
Matthew 6:25-30KJV
²⁵Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
   ²⁶Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
   ²⁷Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
   ²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
   ²⁹And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
   ³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Footnotes:

The Lord had just admonished His listeners to keep their priorites straight when it came to true riches.What the world calls wealth is passing.Just as true riches are far more than worldly treasures,life is much more than simply food and clothing.Do not worry,He said;give no thought about your life.Jesus said don't worry about two things which seems to be top priority in our life. When Jesus said look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields,He let the people know that neither did absolutly anything to provide for themselves, and yet the Father in heaven took great care of them.Jesus tells us what good is it to worry ,it won't change anything,but we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, soul and might.

God's Care for His Children
Matthew 6:31-34KJV
³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
   ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
   ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
   ³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Footnotes:

Here is the culmination of the Lord's teaching on faith and provision for daily needs:Do not worry about what to eat,drink or wear.Now he is not saying  that we are not to work to provide for food and clothing, He is saying don't put the needs of this world before the will of God,for your Father in heaven knows we have need of these things.He said don't worry about the things in the future for those things will take care of themselves and only distract us from God's priorities in our lives.We are to cast all our cares upon Him,and trust that if we do as He commands, He will supply our every need. 

Praying As God's People

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                        November 20,2011

Lesson Focus:
Sincere Prayer reveals your heart
Lesson scripture:
Matthew 6:5-15

Introduction:
A fresh look at prayer, Jesus emphasized prayer as a communion between th eperson praying and the Father.In Jewish life, prayers were usually done at a designated time in a public place.This public prayer became more about appearance than the actual prayer.Jesus also spoke against robotic,mechanical,repetitious prayers.Prayers can be repeated, but His admonishment was to be sure the heart was fully engaged in the prayer,not merely the lips.Prayer is not about changing God's mind and action,prayer changes the person praying,making him or her ready to yield to God's will.As with many aspects of worship during Jesus' earthly ministry, prayer had degraded in many cases to either pompous public piety or pagan incantations.Sadly this describes many of the religious leaders,whom Jesus called hypocrites.

How Not to Pray
Matthew 6:5-8KJV
 ⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
   ⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
   ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
   ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Footnotes:

Here in Jesus teaching on prayer,Jesus addressed two specific problems with people's praying, praying like hypocrites,and praying like the pagans.Praying like the hypocrites reveals a flawed view of the reason for prayer;praying like the pagans reveals a flawed view of the recipient of prayer,God.See the hypocrites didn't pray to communicate with God, but rather to elevate themselves in the eyes of others.This practice glorified the wrong person.Praying in Jesus name is much more than just tacking that phrase at the end of the prayer.It should indicate that what and how we pray is in accord with that Holy name.So when the hypocrite prays he will receive his due reward, the praises of men.The second problem Jesus addressed is praying like the pagan,which exposes a wrong view of God.Pagans pray incessantly and repetitvely because they are not heard, there is no one to hear them.Jesus points out that our Father knows what we have need of before we ask Him,and the pagan drone on in hope of one day being heard.Now know there is a difference in vain babbling and repetitions and that of a biblical concept of persistant prayer.Jesus dosn't encourage persistant prayer because God needs to be reminded,but so that the one praying won't lose heart while awaiting God's answer.(read Luke 18:1-7)

Principles of Godly Prayer

Matthew6:9-15KJV

 ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

   ¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
   ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
   ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
   ¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
   ¹⁵But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Footnotes:

Comentators have called this passage the Lords Prayer, the Disciples' prayer, and the model prayer.However, as part of God's eternal Word, this prayer has been a model to believers down through the centuries.Therefore, we will approach this passage as a model for bringing our praises, supplications,and intecessions to our heavenly Father.The Prayer begins by reminding us to whom we are to pray to,and it closes with the related topics of forgiveness and temptations.When believers truly understand just how much they have been forgiven in Christ,they will find it a small thing in comparison to forgive others.On the other hand, failure to acknowledge God's forgiveness by harboring grudges opens the door to all manner of temptations.However, those who acknowledge and confess they need God's forgiveness will receive cleansing and forgive the wrongs of others. Jesus ended the model prayer with praise,knowing that God will indeed answer our prayers.For the answers to prayers are not based on the seriousness of the words coming from a person's lips,but the petition is before the almight God who knows all things and will bring all His desires to pass.

Loving as God's People

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                       November 13, 2011

Lesson Focus:
Love when love is not expected
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 5:43-48 kjv

Introduction:

Love your enemies,the Jews of Jesus' day understood loving their neighbors, but they did not understand loving their enemies.It was fine to hate your enemies.Jesus taught just the opposite.If someone is being mistreated,how can the hurting party show love? First of all,the love spoken of here is not ordinary fleshly love,but agape love,the kind of unconditional love that defines who God is.Once a person receives and understands that kind of love, it overflows into a love for others.Jesus gave us practical ways to love an enemy, bless them, pray for them, and do them good.This kind of attitude and these actions can win over a person in opposition.Jesus summarized His teaching on love with an exhortation to be perfect,by showing God's complete love to our enemy.God's love goes out to all people,therefore all who represents him here on earth,should also love all people and nations inspite of how they treat us.

Divine Love Identifies the Child of God

Matthew 5:43-45,KJV

⁴³Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

   ⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
   ⁴⁵That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Footnotes:

Here Jesus addresses the proper attitude His followers should have towards others,whether neighbors or enemies.Jesus contrasted the misguided interpretation of the Law by the Jewish religious leaders with the true intent and fulfillment of the Law of God.The Pharisees taught that Israelites should "love their neighbor, meaning other Israelites and those who were their friends, but they should hate their enemy.However Jesus completely reversed this teaching,telling His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute you.Just as God blesses the evil and the good with the sun and the rain, we are to love our enemies and our friends.We also don't know who is our friend and who is our enemy,so by loving all people we can't go wrong, after all Jesus loved us while we was his enemy.

Divine Love Reflects the Character of God

Matthew 5:46-48,KJV

⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

   ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
   ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect

Footnotes:

Here Jesus told the people that loving only those who love you is practiced by the tax collectors,and this is the not action worthy of a reward.We must love those who despise us,who say all matter of evil about us, who persecute us, this is the love of God.Jesus concludes His teaching by calling on His followers to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.We are to emulate the righteous standard set by God, who extends love toward everyone.It is a call to a conduct in this life that truly reflects the character of our Father which art in heaven.

Why was Jesus so willing to lay down His life even for those who hated Him?His motive had nothing to do with the character or conduct of those he died for.A mob rejected him,His followers betrayed him,and denied knowing him,he was spit on, sworn at, slapped,and beaten, and all of this was before they nailed Him to the cross.But while we were without power Christ died for the ungodly.He gave His life for His friends and His enemies, and offered to all who will accept it, salvation.If we are going to be Christ like ,we too must be willing to lay down our life for friends and enemies alike and become a living sacrifice, that the lost might be saved.

Forgiving as God's People

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         November 6,2011

Lesson Focus:
Practice and teach the laws of the kingdom
Lesson Scripture:
Matthew 5:17-26

Introduction:

Jesus completes God's law; At this point in Jesus' ministry some of the jewish leaders accused Him of being a destructive force against the Old Testament laws.Jesus set the record straight,His ministry and teaching was a continuation of God's revelation(Romans 10:4).God had provided the law so the Jewish nation would run to Jesus,realizing they could not keep all the law and needed God's grace.Instead they criticized Jesus and missed God's point entirely.Jesus is God's free gift of Salvation and the way into the Kingdom.

      

 The Jewish people were used to quoting the law and then rigidly following it.But Jesus brought out the compassion and the heart of the law.We should not brag or feel smug and say,"I never murdered anyone".If you are angry with people or hold grudges against others,it's just as bad as murder. Murdering an innocent bystander or slandering your neighbor are both sins.Jesus wants people to see that their negative relationships with each other hinder their relationship with God.Being at peace with all people is essential to being at peace with God.Jesus emphasizes that reconcilliation in a small or large matter needs to be done quickly.If a person drags his or her feet in taking care of conflicts it could end up in a big mess.

Jesus Fulfills the Law of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:17-20KJV

¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

   ¹⁸For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
   ¹⁹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
   ²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

footnotes:

In this section of the sermon on the mount, Jesus explains His relationship to the law of Moses.He first asserts that He did not come to destroy or replace the law or the prophets,but to fulfill them. During His earthly ministry,Jesus often encountered and condemned hypocrisy.There were some  whose public displays of piety was done  to gain the praises of men rather than a sincere desire to do the will of God.They played the part of godliness,but were in reality blind to devine truth, including the true nature of the righteous God requires to be a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told them that their righteousness,their conduct of life required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus Explains the Laws of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:21-26KJV

   ²¹Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
   ²²But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
   ²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
   ²⁴Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
   ²⁵Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
   ²⁶Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

footnotes:

Here Jesus begin to explain how genuine Kingdom righteousness and true fulfillment of the Law contrasted with the false righteousness and self serving legalistics practices of the scribes and pharisees.He showed His disciples how the righteousness of the Jewish leaders fell short of the righteousness God requires.The first example was "do not murder",here Jesus teaches that just being angry with a brother is equal to committing murder in the Kingdom.The kind of sinful attitudes Jesus described clearly required repentance on the part of the offending person. Jesus addresses the need for reconcilliation,as before we can present a offering at God's altar that will be acceptable to Him,we should first seek reconcilliation with our brother before hand.Forgiveness is a huge act of Kingdom living.Unforgiveness can hover over your life like a dark cloud.So can unresolved anger toward another person.We are called to practice the KIngdom life and show that our righteousness is not self centered and self serving.