Jesus' Shocking Words on Lust
Matthew 5:27-30
Summary
Continuing the "Jesus Said What?" series on the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Kent Keller preaches Matthew 5:27-30, where Jesus traces adultery back to the lust of the heart. He shows that sex is God's good gift twisted by sin, that external rules can't cure an inner problem, and that the only true cure for lust and every obsession is the grace and blood of Christ.
Sermon Outline
- 1
A PG-13 text and how to read it ▶ 2:51
Ken sets up the hard topic with humor and offers a teaching rubric: every passage has one original meaning, many legitimate summaries, and countless applications.
- 2
The source of sin ▶ 6:02
God made us sexual before we were sinful; lust is a legitimate desire illegitimately twisted, and our hearts are idol factories.
- 3
Jesus' authority over the law ▶ 9:50
Jesus doesn't abolish the commandment against adultery but fulfills it, exposing its true intent to safeguard the sanctity of marriage.
- 4
External rules can't cure an inner sin ▶ 12:11
Legalism is a dead heresy; following Jesus is a matter of the heart, where He replaces sinful desires with higher ones from the inside out.
- 5
Stop looking in that direction ▶ 13:51
Jesus calls us to avoid the thoughts and places that lead to sin, applied broadly to lust and every other addiction.
- 6
The seriousness of sin ▶ 20:50
Jesus' hyperbole about plucking out an eye shows that sin is deadly serious, like a cancer that only Christ's blood can cure.
- 7
Other lusts and your deepest desire ▶ 23:34
Ken turns to the lust for stuff at Christmas, urging that our deepest desire be Christ Himself rather than possessions.
Key Points
- Sex is God's good gift, made before we were sinful; lust is that good desire illegitimately twisted and pursued.
- Jesus traces adultery back to the lustful heart, raising the standard far beyond the external rule.
- External rules and legalism cannot cure a living, breathing sin; only heart transformation by grace can.
- If you don't want to end up in the wrong place, stop looking in that direction.
- Sin is a cancer, and the only cure for lust and every obsession is the blood of Christ.
- Beyond sexual lust, the lust for stuff competes for our hearts; our deepest desire should be Christ Himself.
Quotable Moments
“Lust is a legitimate desire illegitimately twisted, illegitimately pursued, illegitimately expressed.” ▶ 7:09
“The law diagnoses the problem, grace treats and heals the problem. But you can't get the law to do both.” ▶ 13:01
“The grace of God is greater than your sin.” ▶ 18:50
“Sin is the cancer. The blood of Christ is the cure.” ▶ 27:20
Discussion Questions
- 1
Ken says sex was God's good idea before it was ever sinful. How does seeing it as God's gift change the way we understand lust?
- 2
In Matthew 5:27-30, why does Jesus move from the act of adultery to the lust of the heart, and what does that reveal about His standard?
- 3
Ken compares the law and grace to two doctors—one diagnoses, the other heals. Why can't external rules alone cure a sin like lust?
- 4
Jesus says, "If you don't want to end up in the wrong place, stop looking in that direction." What are the doors or directions in your own life you may need to stop opening?
- 5
Ken closes by asking, "What is your deepest desire this Christmas?" How would your week look different if that desire were to be more like Jesus?
Take It With You
- Be honest with yourself about an area of struggle and bring it to God in prayer instead of hiding it.
- Find a trusted accountability partner you can call when temptation is strong, and walk away from the place or device that feeds it.
- Trim your Christmas wish list and consider investing what you would have spent into kingdom work.
The study guide above (summary, outline, key points, quotes, questions) was generated from the sermon transcript with AI and reviewed by our team. Spot something off? Let us know.
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