Sermon on the Mount Introduction

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:

Matthew 4:23–5:2 CSB

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?

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

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:

Matthew 4:23 CSB

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.

Matthew 9:35 CSB

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:

Matthew 9:37–38 CSB

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:

Matthew 10:1 CSB

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:

Matthew 4:17 CSB

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

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

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

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

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...