The Kingdom Unveiled: A Call to Kingdom Culture
The Kingdom of GOD • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 44:02
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· 38 viewsIn this series, we are looking at what it means to be citizens in the Kingdom of GOD. We take a look at how we should live and how we partner with the FATHER in HIS reign. This week we will be looking at an overview of the Sermon on the Mount as an introduction to where we're headed next in this series.
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Announce text: Matthew 5-7
Greeting
Jeff - Creation Day assistance
Next Sunday will be IM Sunday
Review
We’re continuing in our series on the KINGdom of GOD with a not-so-mini-series in the middle, which we are going to begin looking at today with a little help again from our friends at the BibleProject.
We began our series with a look at how the KINGdom of GOD is a theme that runs throughout the Bible, basically from cover-to-cover. Really, it is the story of GOD - HIS Love for humanity: HIS desire to rule and reign with mankind. It started in the Garden where GOD created man in HIS Image.
Being created in HIS Image, we discovered that we were given a royal task of ruling with HIM as gardeners. We were given the task of working with GOD’s creation to make something new. This might sound odd at first, but an example we looked at was forestry.
Forestry
GOD intended to share HIS rule and reign with us.
It was by design.
It was built-in.
Man rebelled
[Riff on this]
Announce text again: Matthew 5-7
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the hillside, and sat down. His disciples came to him.
2 He took a deep breath, and began his teaching:
3 “Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours.
4 “Blessings on the mourners! You’re going to be comforted.
5 “Blessings on the meek! You’re going to inherit the earth.
6 “Blessings on people who hunger and thirst for God’s justice! You’re going to be satisfied.
7 “Blessings on the merciful! You’ll receive mercy yourselves.
8 “Blessings on the pure in heart! You will see God.
9 “Blessings on the peacemakers! You’ll be called God’s children.
10 “Blessings on people who are persecuted because of God’s saving plan! The kingdom of heaven belongs to you.
11 “Blessings on you, when people slander you and persecute you, and say all kinds of wicked things about you falsely because of me!
12 Celebrate and rejoice: there’s a great reward for you in heaven. That’s how they persecuted the prophets who went before you.”
13 “You’re the salt of the earth! But if the salt becomes tasteless, how is it going to get salty again? It’s no good for anything. You might as well throw it out and walk all over it.
14 “You’re the light of the world! A city can’t be hidden if it’s on top of a hill.
15 People don’t light a lamp and put it under a bucket; they put it on a lampstand. Then it gives light to everybody in the house.
16 That’s how you must shine your light in front of people! Then they will see what wonderful things you do, and they’ll give glory to your father in heaven.
Prayer for added blessing to the reading of the Word
Message
Message
Introduction
There are certain sayings and/or phrases from the Bible that people recognize whether they attend church or not. One of the most over-used phrases perhaps might be references to “the prodigal son.” This one I hear sports broadcasters use often. For example, when LeBron James returned to Cleveland after he left Cleveland to form a super team full of all-stars and leaving Cleveland fans jaded, newspaper headlines and broadcasters alike used the phrase, “the prodigal son has returned.”
No doubt the same can be said for many variations of the sayings of JESUS, such as the Golden Rule: “do unto others what you would have them do to you.” “Love your neighbor.” “Judge not.” And so it could go. These are sayings that come from what we in Christendom have labeled JESUS’ teachings found in Matthew 5-7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.”
Some of these teachings are challenging like, “love your enemies,” while other sayings are perplexing like, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” While there is a wide variance of sayings, meanings, and teachings that are both simple and complex in their understanding, perhaps even more complex is the literary structure of the message. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself ...
For all that, JESUS’ teachings in the SOTM have left a mark on our world and have stood the test of time. Consider with me a few examples on this point.
HIS teachings have impacted the secular music industry.
Bono, the famed front man for the Irish rock band U2, is known for using biblical imagery in the lyrics of some his songs.
In fact, perhaps their most famous album, The Joshua Tree, is filled with use of biblical imagery.
The lyrics to the song, Wave of Sorrow, were heavily influenced by the Beatitudes from the SOTM.
“blessed are the meek who scratch in the dirt, for they shall inherit what’s left of the earth ...”
9 lines for the 9 beatitudes
Rabbit trail: Documentary on FaithLife TV about the most unlikely of relationships: Bono and Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message Bible translation and countless books.
Bob Marley - yes, that Bob Marley.
In the first single he ever recorded titled, Judge Not, penned the words, “Judge not. Before you judge yourself.”
As you can probably tell, this is a song about not passing judgement on one another.
He was directly quoting JESUS from SOTM
The teachings of JESUS from the SOTM also had a big impact on many social injustices.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s peaceful movement allegedly had its roots defined and born out of his view of the SOTM.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian & pastor, came to the United States and after intently studying the SOTM, was changed forever.
He was quoted as telling a friend,
“I would only achieve true inner clarity and honesty by really starting to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously. “Here alone,” he said, “lies the force that can blow all of this hocus pocus of Nazism sky high like fireworks, leaving only a few burnt out shells behind.”
So convicted was Dietrich, that it caused him to return to Germany to live out the SOTM in opposition to Nazism (conflicting kingdoms) & was martyred for his faith.
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker and also a Christian writer.
Corrie and her family joined the Dutch resistance against the Nazis, and hid Jewish refugees in a secret room built in Corrie’s bedroom.
Betrayed, the family was arrested, but the refugees escaped as the Gestapo miraculously never found the room.
Corrie and her sister were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, where her sister died.
Her father also perished, but Corrie survived and wrote a memoir, The Hiding Place.
While preaching forgiveness in Germany, she recognized a former Ravensbrück guard in the audience, vividly recalling the shame of walking past him with her sister both naked.
After preaching, went to her and said, “I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things that I did, but I'd like to hear it from your lips as well.”
Sticking out his hand, he asked, “Fräulein, will you forgive me?”
She had just finished preaching about forgiveness.
She wrote, “It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out to me. But to me, it seemed like hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I ever had to do, for I had to do it. I knew that. ‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’ And still, I stood there with a coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion. I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. This current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, spraying into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. ‘I forgive you, brother,’ I cried with all my heart. For a long moment, we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.”
The impact of JESUS’ words in the SOTM didn’t just transform the lives of Christians, but it influenced non-believers, as well.
Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who led nonviolent resistance in the fight for India’s freedom.
Though Gandhi was a Hindu, he read the SOTM twice a day for last 40 yrs of his life.
In fact, it was JESUS’ teachings from the SOTM that influenced his liberation movement.
Ghandi’s nonviolent movement, in turn, inspired MLK.
In his autobiography, Ghandi had this to say about reading the SOTM for the first time:
“[it] went straight to my heart. I saw that the Sermon on the Mount was the whole of Christianity. And it is that sermon which has endeared Jesus to me.”
So, we see that the SOTM has had major influence in our world, but what is it about the SOTM that makes it uniquely Christian?
Delivered following JESUS’ baptism and temptation, the SOTM is a pivotal teaching of JESUS that outlines the principles of life in GOD's kingdom. It marks a significant moment in HIS ministry where HE articulates the radical ethos of GOD's Kingdom presenting a vision of a world transformed by GOD's reign, where justice, peace, and compassion prevail. The sermon includes several challenging teachings, such as equating anger with hate and lust with adultery. It begins with the Beatitudes, a series of blessings that describe the characteristics of those who are truly happy in GOD's kingdom. The sermon is not merely meant to be heard, but to be lived out, as JESUS illustrates with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. While some scholars view SOTM as a summary of practical moral wisdom, JESUS' teachings are considered revolutionary and distinctly Christian.
I want to play a video from our friends at the BibleProject again. This time, they dig deeper into the structure of the SOTM, and want you to pay attention to all of the “tie-togethers” they call out - nested “tie-togethers”. I found this incredibly fascinating. I think Linda’s going to be a euphoric state after we watch this. Let’s watch this now.
show video
Wasn’t that awesome?!?
Why does it even matter?
Why does it even matter?
So, from the first sermon in this series, we asked the question about why any of this matters.
The SOTM is a foundational discourse that emphasizes not just external compliance with the law but an internal transformation of the heart. It redefines righteousness and illustrating the depth of the relationship GOD desires with His people. It challenges us as believers to redefine righteousness through an intentional, heart-centered relationship with JESUS, and it embodies Kingdom living that transcends cultural norms and societal expectations. So, understanding its literary structure deepens our appreciation of JESUS’ intent and authority, inviting us to reflect that same character - HIS character - in a world in need of hope and truth.
I think if fitting that as we prepare to take a deeper look at JESUS’ message, that we review those three points we covered in the beginning of this series about why this matters.
Why does it even matter?
We need to know what we’re apart of - what we belong to.
Last week, the LORD led us to a verse that helped bridge the series we were in to this new series, and we discovered the verse came from JESUS famous message, “The Sermon on the Mount.” In the very center of HIS message is the famous, LORD’s Prayer. In this prayer, JESUS prays, “May YOUR KINGdom come, may YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The word for kingdom there is basileia. The verse could be translated:
“May your basileia come, may your will be done on the land as it is in the skies.”
Basileia means “kingdom,” which includes a people, a land, and a king or queen who rules.
In Scripture we see that GOD is the cosmic king, and all creation is HIS kingdom. When Jesus says in Mark 1:15, “the basileia of God is near,” he's declaring that the KINGdom of GOD is here to challenge all imposter kingdoms, offering hope for everyone's suffering under the brutality and greed of human empires.
Jesus proclaims that God's basileia is breaking in as a kingdom of justice, empowered by love. Rather than experiencing corruption and death, its citizens find true peace and the good life. The basileia of the world has become the basileia of GOD and of HIS Messiah, and in this KINGdom HE will reign forever and ever.”
This relates to our purpose in life and helps to provide an answer for why we exist.
Understanding the KINGdom of GOD is important because JESUS instructs us in Matthew 6:33 to seek it:
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
JESUS emphasizes that our priority in life is to seek GOD’s KINGdom and HIS Righteousness above all else.
This understanding of what we’re apart of helps to define who we are, which is our next point.
Why does it even matter?
We need to know what we’re apart of - what we belong to.
We need to know who we are.
So, we see JESUS invites us into HIS KINGdom. When JESUS called us by name into relationship with HIM, we became sons and daughters of the MOST HIGH GOD.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
We are HIS children, and we are HIS! This makes us co-heirs with CHRIST.
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
In relation to this KINGdom, we are also citizens. Paul ties this relationship between family and kingdom together in ...
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
Here Paul points out the fundamental shift in our identity from being under the dominion of darkness into sonship. If we are sons and daughters of GOD, co-heirs with JESUS, then we are also, a royal priesthood.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
This verse affirms that through JESUS, we are no longer outsiders but integral members of GOD’s household - HIS KINGdom. GOD wants to participate with us in HIS reign. As citizens of the KINGdom of GOD, there are many benefits and many responsibilities. This leads us to the third and final point:
Why does it even matter?
We need to know what we’re apart of - what we belong to.
We need to know who we are.
We need to know what we’re called to.
The Gospel message of the KINGdom of GOD is central to JESUS ministry.
14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
As partners in the reign of CHRIST on earth, we are called to carry and present the Gospel message.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
So, pj … What’s the point?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Embracing the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount leads to radical transformation and authentic Christian living, reflecting the character of CHRIST in our lives as we impact the world around us.
The Sermon on the Mount portrays CHRIST as the ultimate fulfillment of the Law and prophets, outlining the heart and spirit behind GOD's commands, and revealing the transformative power of HIS grace that enables us as believers to live according to these principles - the “power for life and service,” we as Nazarenes so often speak of.
The Sermon on the Mount captures JESUS' teachings on the values and characteristics of GOD’s Kingdom, emphasizing love, humility, and righteousness as key components for living as HIS followers. It teaches us about the radical standards of GOD’s Kingdom, contrasting worldly values with those that reflect CHRIST's character, urging believers to not only hear but also apply these teachings in daily life.
Application:
So, this morning, I want to close by giving us a homework assignment. Ghandi read the SOTM 2Xs a day for the last 40 yrs of his life. Why don’t we start wtih reading it through at least twice this week. If you’re not big on reading, listen to it in audio form, if you have a Bible app. Before you read, pray and ask HOLY SPIRIT to speak to you. Pay attention to those things that jump out at you. Let’s reflect on our daily behavior and attitudes, as we read. How is HOLY SPIRIT challenging us to embody the principles of the Kingdom in our interactions and choices? Listen for how HE wants to foster transformation in both our personal and community life.
Closing prayer & benediction
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
Scripture records the following words in v.27:
27 “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”
So, receive and go with the blessings of YAHWEH!
