Introduction- Flipped-1: The Kingdom that turns us upside down

Introduction

Today we’re starting a new series called Flipped. For the next thirteen weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through the Sermon on the Mount — the most famous, most challenging, and most upside‑down teaching Jesus ever gave.

Before we jump into the sermon itself, I want to take a few minutes to set the stage. Because when you understand why Matthew wrote what he wrote… and how he wrote it… the Sermon on the Mount hits with even more clarity and power.

Where We’re Going — 13‑Week Overview of Flipped

A journey through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7)

Week 1 — Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5–7 overview Why Matthew wrote, how to read the Sermon, and what Jesus is forming in His disciples.

Week 2 — Flipped Character (Part 1)

Matthew 5:1–6 Humility, dependence, hunger for righteousness.

Week 3 — Flipped Character (Part 2)

Matthew 5:7–12 Mercy, purity, peacemaking, perseverance.

Week 4 — Flipped Influence

Matthew 5:13–16 Salt and light: quiet faithfulness that shines.

Week 5 — Flipped Righteousness (Part 1)

Matthew 5:17–26 Heart transformation over outward performance.

Week 6 — Flipped Righteousness (Part 2)

Matthew 5:27–37 Purity, integrity, covenant faithfulness.

Week 7 — Flipped Love

Matthew 5:38–48 Enemy‑love and breaking retaliation.

Week 8 — Flipped Devotion

Matthew 6:1–18 Secret worship that seeks the Father’s approval.

Week 9 — Flipped Priorities

Matthew 6:19–24 Treasure, vision, loyalty.

Week 10 — Flipped Trust

Matthew 6:25–34 Freedom from anxiety through kingdom‑first living.

Week 11 — Flipped Relationships

Matthew 7:1–12 Humility, discernment, Golden Rule.

Week 12 — Flipped Allegiance

Matthew 7:13–23 The narrow way of genuine discipleship.

Week 13 — Flipped Foundations

Matthew 7:24–29 Hearing and doing Jesus’ words builds a life that stands.

Why Matthew?

When we open the New Testament, we’re met with four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They all tell the story of Jesus, but each one has a different angle, a different emphasis, and a different audience. Matthew, Mark and Luke are synoptic meaning syn - togther opsis -seeing or view literally meaning “seeing together” or “viewed to gether”.

John is the theological Gospel, the revelatory Gospel, the Gospel of belief, the Gospel of the Son of God, and the Gospel that reveals Jesus’ identity from heaven’s perspective.

If the Synoptics show you Jesus from the ground level, John shows you Jesus from above.

The Sermon on the Mount shows up in two of them: Matthew and Luke. Luke gives a shorter version — often called the “Sermon on the Plain.” But Matthew gives us the fullest, most detailed, most structured version. And that’s why we’re studying his account.

Matthew’s audience

Before we go any further, I want us to actually turn to the genealogy together, because I want you to see these names with your own eyes.

So go ahead and turn with me to Matthew chapter 1 — Matthew 1:1–17. And as you look down at the text, you’ll see Abraham right there in Matthew 1:2, and David in Matthew 1:6.

Matthew is a Jewish tax collector who left everything and followed Jesus as an Disciple Luke 5:27-32 Jesus later chosen Matthew as an apostille. Luke 6:12-16 Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience. He was very meticulous as any good tax collector would be, we will see and concerned with getting the facts straight. He wants his audience to see — right from the very first chapter — that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything God promised.

He traces Jesus’ family line through Abraham and David — the two pillars of Jewish identity and promise. He’s saying, “This is Him. This is the One we’ve been waiting for.”

And as Matthew, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote this Gospel, he wrote with that purpose in mind — helping his Jewish readers recognize Jesus as the long‑promised Messiah.

Matthew gives us the fullest version of the Sermon

When you read Matthew 5–7, you’re getting the whole picture:

the full set of Beatitudes

Jesus’ deeper teaching on anger, lust, marriage, and integrity

the Lord’s Prayer

warnings about false righteousness

and the call to build your life on the rock

If you want to understand the shape of kingdom life — Matthew is the place to start.

Context

Before Matthew gives us the Sermon on the Mount, he tells us what Jesus had been doing leading up to it.

In Matthew 4:17, Jesus begins His public ministry, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He calls His first disciples — ordinary fishermen. Matthew 4:18–22 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Notice Matthew doesn’t record his calling but we find it as we previously discussed in Luke.

After the calling of Jesus disciples we see Jesus traveling throughout Galilee teaching, proclaiming the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and affliction.

Matthew 4:23–25 “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

Word spread fast. Crowds started gathering from everywhere — Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (Matthew 4:25).

And then Matthew sets the scene for the Sermon on the Mount:

“Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.” — Matthew 5:1

That mountain is most likely a hillside on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum — a natural amphitheater where thousands could hear His voice.

So picture the scene:

Jesus has been healing. Teaching. Calling disciples. Crowds are swelling. People are hungry for hope.

And Jesus walks up the hillside, sits down — the posture of a rabbi — and begins to teach what life in His kingdom looks like.

Matthew 5:2 “And he opened his mouth and taught them,”

Different Ways People Interpret the Sermon on the Mount

Before we dive into the text, it’s helpful to know that Christians have understood this sermon in a few different ways.

1. The “Impossible Standard” View

Jesus gives a standard we can’t meet — to show us our need for grace.

The “impossible standard” view doesn’t work because Jesus clearly expects His disciples to actually live out the Sermon on the Mount, not simply feel crushed by it. The sermon describes real kingdom character, real obedience empowered by the Spirit, and real transformation—not a hypothetical ideal meant only to expose sin. The Beatitudes describe actual disciples, the commands are meant to be practiced, and the early church lived them out. While the sermon does reveal our need for grace, its primary purpose is to shape how followers of Jesus live right now.

2. The “Future Kingdom” View

The sermon is mainly for the future kingdom when Jesus returns.

The future‑kingdom view doesn’t work because Jesus applies the Sermon on the Mount to His present disciples, not a distant age. The commands assume a world still marked by sin, conflict, and persecution—conditions that don’t fit the millennial kingdom. Matthew presents the kingdom as already breaking in, the early church immediately lived out the sermon, and Jesus ends Matthew by commanding the church to obey everything He taught. The sermon is a present‑day kingdom ethic, not a postponed one.

3. The “Social Ethics” View

A blueprint for justice, peace, and community transformation.

The Social Ethics View doesn’t work because it reduces the Sermon on the Mount to a program for improving society rather than a call to kingdom transformation. Jesus’ teaching focuses on heart-level righteousness, Spirit‑empowered obedience, and the identity of His disciples—not social reform, legislation, or moral uplift. The sermon assumes persecution, inner renewal, and a present kingdom reality, all of which the Social Ethics View cannot fully explain.

4. The “Personal Morality” View

A list of moral principles for Christian living.

The Personal Morality View doesn’t work because it reduces the Sermon on the Mount to private ethical behavior instead of kingdom identity, community life, and Spirit‑empowered discipleship. Jesus is forming a people who live under God’s reign—not simply giving individuals a list of moral rules.

5. The “Kingdom Life for Disciples” View (the one we’ll use)

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus describing what life looks like for people who belong to Him — right now.

The Kingdom Life interpretation works because it fits every major feature of the Sermon on the Mount and the entire flow of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus is not giving a future ethic, a social program, or an impossible ideal—He is describing the real, Spirit‑empowered life of those who belong to Him right now.

Jesus begins by blessing people who already show kingdom character—the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers. These are not hypothetical categories or future saints; they are present disciples whose lives reveal God’s reign breaking into the world. The commands that follow—reconciliation, enemy‑love, secret righteousness, trust in the Father, freedom from anxiety—are presented as actual expectations, not symbolic gestures or unreachable standards.

This view also fits Matthew’s central theme: the kingdom of heaven has arrived in Jesus. The sermon is the first major teaching block that shows what life looks like under the King’s authority. It balances grace and obedience beautifully: we cannot live this way in our own strength, but we can live this way through the transforming work of the Spirit. The early church understood it this way—they immediately practiced generosity, forgiveness, non‑retaliation, and community righteousness.

Finally, the Kingdom Life view aligns perfectly with the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to teach the nations to obey everything He taught. The Sermon on the Mount is not optional or postponed—it is the core curriculum of discipleship.

Why Translations Differ (KJV • NKJV • NIV • ESV)

Before we dive into the Sermon on the Mount, I want to take a moment to talk about something that can confuse or even worry people — the differences between Bible translations.

Some of you use the KJV. Some use the NKJV. Some use the NIV. Some use the ESV. And sometimes the wording doesn’t match.

For some people, that raises questions: “Why does my Bible say this and yours says that?” “Did someone change something?” “Can we trust the Bible if translations differ?”

Those are honest questions — and they deserve honest answers.

The truth is this: Translation differences don’t weaken our confidence in Scripture — they strengthen it. They show us how much evidence we actually have, how carefully translators work, and how faithfully God has preserved His Word.

The New Testament wasn’t written in English. It was written in Greek, and we have thousands of ancient manuscripts — far more than any other ancient document. Different translations use different groups of those manuscripts and different translation philosophies.

Understanding this doesn’t make the Bible more complicated. It makes it more trustworthy.

And here’s what I want you to hear clearly: The best Bible translation is the one you will actually read, believe, and obey as someone who has been born again.

Here’s a quick overview:

KJV (1611)

Word‑for‑word

Later manuscripts

Beautiful, historic

NKJV (1982)

Word‑for‑word

Same manuscript base as KJV

Clearer English

NIV (1978, 1984, 2011)

Earliest manuscripts

Thought‑for‑thought

Very readable

ESV (2001)

Earliest manuscripts

Word‑for‑word

Modern English

A Bible on your shelf can’t change you — but a Bible opened with a surrendered, regenerated heart absolutely will.

I’ll be teaching from the ESV — simply because it’s the one I’m most comfortable with.

Representative Differences in Matthew

(with ESV + KJV text)

Here are a few examples of how these translations differ — and why it’s nothing to fear.

1. Matthew 5:22 — “Without a cause”

KJV

“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…”

ESV

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Difference:

KJV includes “without a cause.”

ESV does not.

The phrase appears in later manuscripts, not the earliest ones.

2. Matthew 5:44 — Longer vs. shorter reading

KJV

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…”

ESV

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”

Difference:

KJV includes the longer list (“bless them… do good to them…”).

ESV uses the shorter reading found in the earliest manuscripts.

3. Matthew 6:13 — Ending of the Lord’s Prayer

KJV

“…but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

ESV

“…but deliver us from evil.” (Doxology appears in a footnote.)

Difference:

KJV includes the doxology.

ESV does not include it in the main text because it appears in later manuscripts.

4. Matthew 7:14 — “Narrow,” “difficult,” or “hard”

KJV

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it.”

ESV

“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those that find it are few”

Difference:

Same Greek phrase, different English nuance.

KJV emphasizes narrowness.

ESV emphasizes difficulty or hardness.

Why These Differences Strengthen Our Confidence

We have more manuscript evidence than any ancient book

The differences are small and never change doctrine

The transparency builds trust

Earlier manuscripts confirm what the church has always believed

God preserved His Word through abundance

Good translations always lead to the same message

Different wording. Same truth. Same Jesus.

How All This Sets Up Flipped

Matthew shows us the King. The Sermon on the Mount shows us the culture of His kingdom.

And when you put all of this together — Matthew’s purpose, Jesus’ ministry context, the different ways people have understood this sermon, and the confidence we have in the Scriptures — it prepares us for what Jesus is about to do in Matthew 5–7.

Because the Sermon on the Mount is not just a collection of wise sayings. It’s not a list of moral upgrades. It’s not a spiritual checklist.

It is Jesus describing what life looks like when He is King — when His rule, His values, His priorities, and His heart shape the way we live.

And here’s the truth: The kingdom Jesus describes is going to feel upside‑down to us.

The blessed ones aren’t the powerful, but the poor in spirit.

Greatness isn’t found in achievement, but in meekness.

Righteousness isn’t external behavior, but internal transformation.

Love isn’t limited to those who love us back — it extends even to enemies.

Security isn’t found in wealth, but in trusting the Father.

Influence isn’t about platform, but about being salt and light.

Obedience isn’t about checking boxes, but about becoming whole.

Jesus is going to flip our assumptions. He’s going to flip our instincts. He’s going to flip our definitions of success, happiness, righteousness, and faithfulness.

And if we let Him, He will flip our lives — not upside‑down, but right‑side‑up.

That’s what this series is about. Not information. Transformation.

Over the next twelve weeks, we’re going to sit at Jesus’ feet — just like those first disciples on that hillside — and let Him show us what it means to live as citizens of His kingdom.

This is the invitation of Flipped: To let Jesus turn us into the kind of people who reflect His heart in a world that desperately needs it.