Sermon on the Mount Introduction
Notes
Transcript
Last Week:
Last Week:
Jesus calls individuals (you and me) to follow him
We looked at some of the challenges of following Jesus:
Not counting the cost
Prioritizing other obligations
A divided heart
We ended with the simple truths that Following Jesus is:
Slow
Difficult
Worthwhile
As we approach the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Following Jesus isn’t just something “vague and spiritual”
But it translates in very practical ways of living
Scripture Reading:
Scripture Reading:
Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them. Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying:
What is the Sermon on the Mount?
What is the Sermon on the Mount?
Ask: What do you know about this portion of Scripture?
Beatitudes
Salt and Light
Turn the other cheek
The Lord’s Prayer
Store up treasures in Heaven
Seek First the Kingdom of God
Speck/Log in Eye
Narrow Gate
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Two Foundations
The Importance of Understanding this Sermon
The Importance of Understanding this Sermon
If we don’t take context into consideration we can miss the point of the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew wrote his gospel with thought and purpose
Structure is key to meaning
Matthew 5-9 is one distinct unit
It begins and ends with two summary statements:
Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount) includes what Jesus was teaching and preaching
Matthew 8-9 includes what Jesus was doing:
Jesus cleansing lepers
Jesus healing the centurion’s servant
Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law
Jesus calming the sea
Jesus casting out demons (Legion)
Jesus forgiving sins and healing the paralytic man
Jesus raising a little girl from the dead
Jesus healing two blind men
This section ends with Jesus telling his disciples:
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
Then chapter 10 begins:
Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.
Do you see the structure?
Jesus was the embodiment of his teachings
He wasn’t just a good moral teacher
He wasn’t just someone that walked around doing good deeds
Matthew includes the Sermon on the Mount, not just to write down something Jesus said once to a group of people on a mountain
This is a summary of what Jesus taught and preached in the synagogues
This is the message that Jesus brought everywhere He went in his three years of ministry
Now I have to ask you a question:
What message do you think Jesus brought?
A huge part of Jesus’ ministry was him traveling and teaching
The religious leaders had a big problem with it
What did he have to say?
How we answer this question reveals a lot more about ourselves than it does about Jesus
We talked about this a couple of weeks ago but Jesus message was:
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
This new kingdom has come, this new light has dawned
The Sermon on the Mount is the Kingdom Manifesto
How things work in the kingdom
How things are run in the kingdom
The values of the kingdom
You see every culture has its own values and systems
In America we value freedom and individuality
In many Asian cultures they value honor and family
In many tribal cultures they value power and control
The Sermon on the Mount gives us a vision of the way things work and the things that are valued in the Kingdom of God
Following Jesus does not just mean following Him blindly
But following the way that He lived and taught
So now that we’ve talked about the importance of this Sermon
I want to address a couple of ways that it has been misunderstood
The Misunderstandings of this Sermon
The Misunderstandings of this Sermon
In general, I think there are two ways that the Sermon on the Mount is commonly interpreted that is misunderstanding the text.
To point us to the need for grace
Its purpose is not for us to follow it, but to be aware that it is impossible so we must simply ‘trust God’
2. It is something we must roll up our sleeves and put on our boots to live out in order to bring the kingdom
This teaches the morally right things to do so that we have our checklist to make sure we are doing well
Both of these understandings have some truth, but they do not have a complete understanding
Law vs. Grace
Law vs. Grace
Christianity is not just about believing the right things but it is about becoming the right sort of person
Like I said last week, Christianity is not about trying really hard but training really hard
You can study all of the nutrition books in the world and be an expert on what foods and what amounts are ideal and healthy
But if you don’t put that information to use, actually changing what you eat, you will not see any change
In fact, if you don’t know any better its one thing, but to know something and chose to live against it is foolish!
In Jesus’ words:
Luke 12:48 (CSB)
From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.
We say we are saved by grace
But what do we mean by grace?
Hear me out:
Grace is not opposed to effort
Grace is opposed to earning
What this means:
We can not once ever in a million years of good works, EARN God’s love
But that does not mean we should not try and put much effort into showing God how much we love him
Not to prove to him that we are deserving of His love
But in simple response to His love
Parent’s love/Birthday gifts
So going back to the Sermon on the Mount:
These aren’t teachings that are unobtainable for Christians
They aren’t easy BUT with the help of the Holy Spirit they aren’t impossible
Jesus is going around and teaching people this new way to live
How the Sermon is Best Understood
How the Sermon is Best Understood
A new work of God:
Crossing the Jordan -> Wilderness Temptation -> Teaching on a Mountain
Moses/Sinai - Jesus
A new law for a new people on a new mountain by a new Moses
It’s not just focusing on the “letter of the law” but the “spirit of the law”
Not just a list of check boxes
Do this, don’t do that
But the heart behind the ‘doing’
A Vision for Human Flourishing
A Vision for Human Flourishing
I want to wrap up with a main idea for this sermon:
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is providing his disciples with a vision for human flourishing
The answer to the question: What is the good life?
As our creator, Jesus is teaching us how to truly life as humans
Kitchen Utensil - What is the purpose?
We will see many times that what Jesus has to say contradicts with what we naturally think
But we have to trust Jesus over our own understandings
Proverbs 3:5–6 (CSB)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Beatitudes examples
I’ll leave you with this thought:
I have found that we often don’t find Jesus as someone who is wise
Truly wise, He knows what the best decision to make at any time is
Maybe its because He walked this Earth 2000 years ago, but we often think he is wise morally but not practically...