How Shall We Then Live - Jesus
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Last Week we spoke from Ephesians and it was all about what Paul Said
This week is our final sermon in the is series is about what Jesus has to say.
Obviously we can spent the entire lifetime of the church talking about what Jesus said and did.
It is called the gospel
Today I am just going to touch on what Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew Ch 6 - Jesus says don’t stress
Worry wont help you !
I am going to summarize some of it and tie it all together . If we can get the words to sink into our heart we will be OK.
Some call them the do’s and dont’s
The marks of a Christian or the blessings of the Christian
This first section is called the Beatitudes - defined as the blessedness of the children of God
You are Blessed !
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Beatitudes, The
These beatitudes are pronounced upon the person who is righteous, having faith and hope in God
Turn to your neighbor and say You are blessed.
Matthew 5:3–11 (NASB95)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Though the world might think less of these people - God sees them as highly favored and recognizes their situation, understands what they are going through and has not cast them aside or rejected them.
The psalmist says God is mindful of you
A Pastor Said it is an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that did not depend on outward circumstances for happiness.
You are blessed by the blessor- there is only one blessor that is God.
You are blessed now and you will be blessed in the future. AMEN
God’s blessings are endless - they come straight from the throne room of God.
Imagine the Trinity in heaven having a meeting about you right now. What would they be saying? It might go like this. How do you think we can bless _______ . I know lets give him a blessing that will last forever.
2. You make a Difference !
Turn to your neighbor and say you make a difference.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Your very existence makes a difference.
You are made in his image of God, “Imago Dei”
What does salt do - It preserves and brings out flavor and it cleanses. The Hebrews would rub a newborn with salt. The book of numbers chapter 18:19 says it is an everlasting covenant.
Salt only works when it is in contact with something. When your in a cold climate salt melts the ice. I think we are in desperate need of some salt now a days.
Salt sitting on a shelf with all the other unused spices is nothing more than a spice rack. (Like the one I made in shop class)
Salt also Represents also the goodness of God.
How many of you know God is good to you?
Light - Illuminates and drives out darkness
Between you being Salt and Light - You literally change everything. You bring clarity and flavor to everything.
Some of you might of had lasic or an eye surgery. When you were finished with the prodedure and the healing process - I heard people could not believe the difference. Yellows were yellow, blues were blue, the flowers actually looked like flowers crisp and beautiful. That is what you bring to the table in this very dark world.
3. You are Valuable !
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Yes this has some pretty clear messages on divorce and adultery
But the underlying principle is God doesn’t want ruined lives. Lives are valuable to Him - In Jesus day and age people had little value. Marriage had little value. You could divorce your wife if she burned the toast.
It is a call to reevaulate - It is a call to uphold marriage and the marriage bed.
In a culture where it holds little value great pain follows. We live in a me culture - Jesus is telling us “Love.”
You are Valuable ! - Turn to your neighbor and say you are valuable !
4. God’s got your Back !
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Scripture says - God is going to bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
You don’t have to take the Law into your own hands. Let God avenge you.
Scripture says vengeance is mine says the Lord
Christ completely reverses the interpretation of the Pharisees. Instead of the spirit of self-centeredness which insists on rights, and demands retaliation, you should have the opposite—selflessness, the ability to abide wrongs and to give of self
5. Stay Humble! Serve the Lord !
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
God is more interested in a way of life rather than a list of things. Everything you produce here will rust, fall apart, age or simply be given to another. Even the Egyptians who built massive tombs only had them broken into and removed. Even there bodies are put on display for curious onlookers.
Be careful -the world wants to turn your heart away from Jesus.
Satan will use fortune, fame or the lack of there of to get you going down a dead end road.
Someone told me once take a look at what you spend all your money on and you will find your master.
That is not completely true but it definitely makes you think about things.
Make heavenly transactions more than earthly ones - AMEN
6. Be on the Alert !
Beware what you listen to
Beware of who you listen to
Deception comes as we get further and further away from Jesus and the Word of God.
Just because it sounds good doesn’t make it true.
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
CONCLUSION
How Shall we then live
By every word that comes from the mouth of God
By living what we believe.
When we fail we get back up.
Our goal is to be known by God for all the right reasons.
Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Rules of Kingdom Life (6:27–38)
The fundamental and essential mark of a disciple of Jesus is love. Christ instructs his followers to display love in a way that is completely counterintuitive to what the world expects. Believers are to love enemies and to repay evil with good. These principles demonstrate that disciples of Jesus are to live by the principles of the kingdom of God, rather than by the principles of the world.
Hearing without building is dreaming. God wants you to build.