Sermon Tone Analysis

Big Idea

Tension: Why did Jesus preach the sermon?

Resolution: To show through the law the depth of our sin, the extent of his salvation, and the power for discipleship.

Exegetical Idea: Jesus preached the sermon on the mount to show through the law the depth of our sin, the extent of his salvation, and the power for discipleship.

Theological Idea: Through the law, God shows the depth of our sin, the extent of the gospel, and his provision for discipleship.

Homiletical Idea: Our sin is greater than we know, Christ covers more than we imagine, and his grace empowers us more than we believe.

Our sin is greater than we know, Christ covers more than we imagine, and his grace empowers us more than we believe.

Introduction: Spurgeon Quote:

Charles Spurgeon was one of the most important and most famous preachers in the world.

He was sometimes called the “prince of preachers.”

This is how he described what made a good preacher...

“He that can toy with his ministry and count it to be like a trade, or like any other profession, was never called of God.

But he that has a charge pressing on his heart, and a woe ringing in his ear, and preaches as though he heard the cried of hell behind him, and saw his God looking down on him–oh, how that man entreats the Lord that his hearers may not hear in vain.” - Charles Spurgeon

And if that description applies to anyone, it applies to Christ.

We often associate Christ’s ministry with his actions, or with his stories, or his disciples, or the events.

And those are important.

But most of Christ’s ministry was not his miracles, it was not those key, iconic events, it was his preaching.

Christ was above all a preacher.

He went from town to town, preaching in synagogues.

He preached in villages, on mountains, in the temple, in the streets.

Jesus was a preacher.

And so, it is only fitting, as we are preaching through the life of Christ in the book of Matthew, we will devote a bit of time to Christ’s teaching, this week and next week, and after easter we’re going to do a bit of an extended series on some of his teaching.

But today we’re going to talk about what is probably Jesus’ most iconic sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.

It is no mistake that the Sermon on the Mount is the most iconic of all Christian instructions.

It is as high as a mountain, as deep as an ocean, it tugs at us like a current, it rebuffs us like a sharp wind, it chills us like a freeze, it warms us like a fire.

In the Sermon we see Christ to face, and we are found wanting.

But in the Sermon, we see Christ face to face and we find him all satisfying, all compelling.

It is no mistake that the book of James has 18 differnet points of connection with this sermon, and Peter 5.

You can read Jesus’ sermon in Matthew chapters 5-7.

It takes about twenty minutes give or take a bit to read it from beginning to end.

In that sermon, some of Jesus’ most iconic teaching, such as the beattitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Golden rule are found.

In the Sermon, Jesus’ most important exhortations are given.

Our church was blessed to read through the sermon last fall.

It is one of the most foundational portions of Scripture for Christians, and I am going to try to give you a basic understanding of it today.

So, to do that, I want to ask 3 major questions.

First, what was in this sermon, what is the basic outline of teh sermon.

Then, I want to ask, why did Jesus preach this sermon?

What was its purpose and function in the life of Christ and in the gospel of Matthew?

Third, I want to ask, how does this matter for us today?

How shoudl we apply it?

What should we learn from this sermon.

What did Jesus preach?

So what is in this sermon?

What is the basic outline of the sermon on the Mount?

Well, I think you can more or less understand this sermon under six headings.

How can I have blessing?

The sermon begins with what are perhaps the most iconic words in the sermon.

Jesus begins by telling his audience, how can you have blessing.

Jesus says, “Do you want to have the kingdom of heaven, do you want to be comfoted, do you want to inherit the hearth, do you want to be satisified, do you want to redeive mercy, do you want to see God, be called sons of GOd? Well here is how: you be poor in spirit, you mourn, you hunger and thirst for righteousness, and merciful, you be pure in heart, you be a peacemaker, you let yourself be persecuted.”

The first portion of the sermon tells us how to have blessing.

How can I live righteously?

The second portion of the sermon, from 5:13-5:48 tells us how we can live righteously.

In fact, Jesus says this is necessary, in 5:20, he says, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

And then Jesus goes into detail describing how to be righteous.

And Jesus’ point is that righteousness begins in the heart.

It’s not enough not to kill, you must not be angry.

It’s not enough not to commit adultery, you must not lust.

It’s not enough to divorce lawfully, you should try to stay married.

You should live lives of integrity.

You should not retaliate to persecution.

You should love not just your friends, but even your enemies.

How can I worship aright?

Then Jesus goes into detail about what kind of worship pleases God.

And he contrasts these two types of worship.

One type of worship is outward and oriented towards God.

It is all about pleasing man.

it’s all about impressing man.

But the other kind of worship is about pleasing God.

It’s all about the kind of worship that isn’t htere to impress others, but to be devoted to God.

This is how we live in relationship with God.

What should I treasure?

But then in 6:19-34, Jesus moves on to describe what humans should treasure.

What should we treasure and value and prioritize?

SHould we treasure earthly things or heavenly things?

Should we treasure God, should we treasure his word, his people, his priorities, or should we treasure earthly and needs.

Because jesus knows that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

How do I view God and man?

Then Jesus moves in chapter 7:1-12 to describe how we should view God and man.

What should our relationship with God be.

Do we view him as father?

How do we think about him?

And how do I live in relationhiop wiht others?? Do I treat them how I want to be treated?

Do I love them?

Or do I ignore them?

How can I enter the kingdom?

ANd jesus ends his sermon by asking, will you really enter the kingdom?

He says, in essence, “it’s not enough to be mostly good, you have to be perfect.”

He says, in the end, many will say to me Lord, Lord, did we not propehsy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

No our house must be built on teh rock that is Christ, and not one pillar can rest on the sandy shallows of the earth.

And Jesus’ words are so authoritative and strong that it says the crowds were astonished at his teaching.

Even as we’re summarizing this, we can see why this has been so important and foundational for so many Christians throughout the ages.

I love how Daniel Doriani starts his excellent book on teh Sermon on teh Mount,

“Among Jesus’ teachings, the Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most beloved, the best known, the least understood, and the hardest to obey.

Its attraction is obvious.”

- Daniel Doriani

Why did Jesus preach this sermon?

What did Jesus preach?

So why did Jesus preach this sermon?

Why was it so important that Matthew would record it in so much detail?