Sermon Series Week 3 Handout
Desire Turns Destructive
Readings:
- James 1:19-20
- Matthew 5:21-30
The Seven Deadly Sins: "What are the sicknesses in our souls that pull us away from God, and away from each other?"
Week 1 was Self-Righteousness - The ladder we build in our minds when we decide we're better than someone else.
Week 2 was Greed and Gluttony - Always wanting more. The lie that tells us we're never enough, and we never have enough.
Today, we look at two more roots: Lust and Wrath. What happens inside us the moment we stop seeing another person as someone God loves. The moment another person becomes something to use, or something to get rid of, we've stopped seeing them the way Jesus does. "What's happening in your heart?" Jesus isn't making the rules stricter just to be harsh. He's showing us something true: sin doesn't start with the action. It starts with how we see people — long before we ever do anything.
Lust "What can I get from you?"
Wrath "How can I get rid of you?"
One turns a person into an object to use. The other turns a person into an obstacle to remove. Both of them forget the same simple truth: the person standing in front of us is made in God's image; desire that stops loving and starts grabbing, controlling, possessing. The labels change depending on the day and the argument. But every label is hiding a face. Every face has a name. And every name belongs to someone that God loves. And the moment a person becomes a category instead of a neighbor — sin has already started.
Everyone else in the story saw a label.
- Jesus saw a person.
- Everyone else saw a problem.
- Jesus saw a beloved child of God.
Because here's the truth: the Kingdom of God doesn't have a ladder to climb. The Kingdom of God has enough for everyone. And the Kingdom of God doesn't have any strangers — only neighbors.
So this week, I want to give you one simple question to carry with you. Ask it every time you meet someone — at work, at school, online, in your neighborhood, in your own family. Ask it especially when you're tempted to dismiss someone, or argue with someone, or write someone off completely.
Ask yourself: "Am I seeing this person the way Jesus sees them?" Because — The moment another person becomes something to use, or something to get rid of, we've stopped seeing them the way Jesus does.
Questions:
What are the two deeper roots of sin discussed in this sermon?
1.
2.
How does the sermon redefine the concepts of lust and wrath?
How can we apply the question 'Am I seeing this person the way Jesus sees them?' in our daily interactions?
How does the sermon connect personal sin with the way society views marginalized groups?
