The World’s Greatest Sermon

Introduction

Last week I shared with you all that we will be on a journey through the gospel of Matthew from now until Palm Sunday. We will be digging in and staying with Matthew in our attempt to understand what the meaning of the so called GREATEST SERMON EVER TOLD …the Sermon on the Mount...which we begin today…and it goes through the end of chapter 7. Toward the end of Matthew’s gospel…just before Jesus is arrested and crucified and resurrected…Jesus gives perhaps the second GREATEST SERMON EVER TOLD…known as the Olivet Discourse.

The Topic of that discourse?

The end times…the last days…and what the world would be like at that time…just before His second coming…

In that sermon, Jesus says:

Matthew 24:9–14 NLT

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

So at the end of Matthew…Jesus warns of coming persecution…for believing in Him…and following his teachings.

And Right at the beginning of his ministry in Matthew…what we heard read today…we are told

Matthew 5:11–12 (ESV)

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So at the beginning and the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry…he warns his disciples… ‘you will be persecuted for my name’s sake’...

Why will such persecution come?

Because when you and I…follow the ways of Jesus…and live lives of repentance…and dedication to all that Jesus commanded...

we will be at enmity with the world...

We will be at odds with the way the world works…and the ways humanity schemes to sin…and it put itself in the place of God…(our favorite human past-time)

The ways of humanity destroy...

we destroy each other

we destroy creation

we turn good things evil…and claim evil things as good.

We rationalize and condone sin…and…as scripture tell us “the wages of sin leads to death..."

The ways of God…of the Kingdom of Heaven...

bring life…new life.

In the kingdom of Heaven...the pure in heart…the peacemakers…the persecuted…are blessed and shall see the kingdom.

In the Kingdom of Heaven...When you are reviled and persecuted…and people utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of Jesus. ...Then you are to Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Any study of any part of holy scriptures…we should have out eyes out…for the gospel…what’s the good news in the text we are reading.

Today we begin a journey of digging into Matthew’s answer to “what is the good news?”

The sermon on the mount…is…a description of the good news of the kingdom of heaven…and how it is so drastically…and entirely different…it is compared to the ways of humanity…

The Sermon on the Mount

Last week we discussed Jesus calling his disciples…and how even God…has chosen to not go it alone…when it comes to His plan of salvation...

Jesus brought in disciples…and the church was born.

Immediately after Jesus called his disciples…as we read last Sunday in Matthew 4:17…we read:

Matthew 4:17 ESV

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

In Mark 1:15 Jesus’ first spoken words in that gospel…Jesu says:

Mark 1:15 (ESV)

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Kingdom of God…and Kingdom of Heaven are a way of saying the same thing...

God’s kingdom…the heavenly realm…completely and absolutely under God’s authority alone…is at hand…with the arrival of Jesus...

…Meaning…it is here in our midst....because God is in our midst…through the incarnation…in the person of Jesus Christ...

So we know there is proximity…when it comes to the kingdom of heaven...

But in both Matthew and Mark…Jesus…chooses to use the word “repent” …Meta-noeo…in Greek...

Which literally means “to perceive afterwards”...

…Meta…means “after” (implying change)

…and Na-e-o…means “to perceive”

In other words it means to change one’s perception…to change one’s mind.

______________________________________

Some have said that the sermon on the mount…is a sermon about living a repentant life… to change one’s perspective…one’s mind…

to see one’s own life…the life of others…and all of creation…differently…than one did before. That’s what a relationship with God in Jesus Christ…is all about…its about God-centered transformation.

______________________________________

Beatitudes

Very briefly…our reading this morning…shares what are called “the Beatitudes”…from the Latin “Beatus” meaning blessed...

Each of these start with “Blessed are those...”

It’s similar to the formula used in by the Psalmists when they say “happy are those…who seek God…who meditate on God’s law…who observe Justice and do righteousness…for they shall be satisfied

Jesus…sometimes seen as the new “Moses”…especially in the Jewishness of the gospel of Matthew…

…gives these “beatitudes” or blessings of the kingdom of heaven…to those gathered round...

Look at these contrasts between the way people are seen in this world…vs....the kingdom of heaven.

But before we do…I need to make clear that these are not a list of requirements to earn God’s favor or blessings…like those fliers in our mailbox…these are“pre-approved” characteristics of people who belong to God’s kingdom…and we would do well to follow and cultivate them in our lives...

As Biblical scholar David Turner puts it:

“Those who repent…receive these character traits in principle…but must cultivate them in the process of discipleship...

OK…Let’s look briefly at them.

Conclusion

Take home from the beatitudes...

1) These are not a pre-scription of how to live the christian life…they are a DE-SCRIPTION of the kingdom of Heaven...

When belong to God we seek to live into our kingdom identity

2) The reality of God’s kingdom is here and now...

the present tense 3rd person possessive “their’s” is used…”their’s is the kingdom of heaven” ...meaning this is a present reality…even though it is not fully realized…it is now…and not yet.

3) The Beatitudes are an invitation to “change our perspective” to change our minds…about how we see everything…in light of God coming to us in Jesus the Christ...

...in light of God’s inaugurated kingdom...

Let the words... of the worlds GREATEST SERMON ...permeate your heart throughout our study on the sermon of the mount...

Live in the kingdom of God now…and do so courageously…for yours is the kingdom of Heaven

Thanks be to God…AMEN