Matthew 7:28-8:3

Friends, if you’re able, please stand as we read scripture: Matthew 7:28-8:3

Matthew 7:28–8:3 CSB

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes. When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Let’s pray together. slide and pray

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Go ahead and have a seat.

If your God doesn’t have the power to actually save you or help you, is that a God worth serving? If the Jesus you follow doesn’t have the power or authority to change you, is it even Jesus or have we made our savior in our own image instead of the other way around?

Our world is filled with great teachers who have so much wisdom and marvelous things to teach us - and even are quite helpful if we put them into practice. But they don’t have power in and of themselves to help or change anyone.

Our world is also filled with so many belief systems and religions all trying to fill a God-shaped hole in our hearts. Trying to answer the hardest questions: what happens after death, and what’s the meaning of life?

So many belief systems try to answer this - but fail to actually have power to save, to actually help, or that people actually follow.

The human heart is desperate and hungry not just for truth - but truth and love and the power to change. We are hungry for something that earth can’t satisfy - though we try! We look for life hacks and wisdom and knowledge and teachings, and even scriptures that we hope that if we read them they will change our life.

The Sermon on the Mount is among the most well-known parts of scripture. Psalm 23, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 13, and The Sermon of the mount (with the Lords Prayer) are all infamous and even those outside the Church know them.

The Sermon on the Mount has been called some of the greatest philosophy ever produced. I have a friend who doesn’t follow Christ, doesn’t believe in God, he’d call himself an agnostic leaning toward atheist - but he loves discussing the practical implications of living the sermon on the mount - because it’s “good for society.” He treats Jesus like a great teacher, perhaps the greatest teacher. But he is unwilling to follow Jesus has lord and savior.

Similarly, famously, Mahatma Ghandi loved and cherished the Sermon on the Mount and it informed his ethic of non-violent resistance. And he implored Christians to take the Sermon seriously. He considered Jesus to be the greatest teacher. But funny enough - wasn’t willing to follow him as Lord and savior. In many ways Ghandi was against Christian preaching of the gospel - and just wanted christians to live the gospel.

This phrase gets throne around a lot - perhaps you’ve seen it

“Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”

And while there is a good heart to this - the problem is that the Gospel is at it’s core a message, an announcement of the Savior of the World has come to free us from sin.

Non-Christians, like my friend and Ghandi are comfortable with this though - because frankly, the fruit of the kingdom of God is really a benefit to all - they just don’t want the king of the kingdom.

Lest we just pick on those outside the Church, whom we know are unregenerate and that should come as no surprise, what about us?: For those of us who grew up hearing the words of the sermon of the mount and it is easy to lose our wonder, our astonishment, and so the words that are truly powerful and challenging fall not on deaf ears, but numbed ears.

For we don’t actually want to listen to Jesus, because to live this sermon would be revolutionary! So we invent frameworks around the sermon on the mount, theological, or hermeneutical frameworks, showing that Jesus really wasn’t serious. Because should Jesus be serious about this way of life…. well that would completely change our way of life. It’s almost as if Christ wants us to be born again. A new life. A new regenerate heart.

Well last week we addressed that - it seems so clear - that Jesus expected his followers to faithfully obey his words. Like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.

And yet so many of us want Jesus the Savior, Jesus the sacrifice, but not Jesus the King.

We want Jesus who will get us out from hell - but we aren’t always comfortable with a jesus who will tell us how to live.

CS Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia and many Christian Apologetic works, popularized something called the trilemma - perhaps you’ve heard of it:

Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or he is Lord - but what he can’t be is just a good teacher. Slide:

Liar, Lunatic, Lord

The argument goes like this - Jesus time and time again declared that he is God, and for a monotheistic jew at the time, this would not have just been something a rabbi would say.

So Jesus was either lying - meaning he was trying to manipulate people into following him, or perhaps he was insane - a schizophrenic genius who genuinely believed he was the messiah, but was actually quite ill, or Lewis would say: he actually was exactly who he said he was: the savior of the world, GOd in flesh.

What he couldn’t be is just a good teacher.

What’s interesting is I’ve heard many Christians use this in apologetics - and it’s a fine argument, really fine, but there is a problem with this argument. For many believers - it’s not a lived reality.

For a lot of people - it would look like this

Liar, Lunatic, Lord*

*upon occasion; when His ways line up with what I already want to do.

We don’t want to do all of what Jesus says - we would rather be God. What this ends up looking like is a God-Badge, a badge we put on Jesus when it suits us to have him be our trump card. It turns our faith into a bit of a polly pocket faith. IT’s cute, but it just fits in our pocket and we don’t actually have to change the way we live.

This is for a lot of reasons - but all of it comes down to poor sight of who Jesus is. We need to be astonished again. We need to worship again. We need to be filled with awe and submit to him - especially because He has the power and authority over all things.

We need to actually have a grounded belief that JEsus is the Lord. Or we are no different then those outside the Church who proclaim Christ a good teacher. He is so much more than that. He is a person. He is our king. We need him.

Look with me at Matthew 7:28-29

Matthew 7:28–29 CSB

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Remember how the Sermon narrative started - end of matthew 4 - Jesus was traveling all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing people, delivering them from demons. And large crowds therefore were following him - and then, seeing this - goes up on the hill. Overlooking the crowds, he teaches his disciples everything we’ve gone over in the last three chapters.

Yes, he was speaking to the disciples, but it was for the crowds and against the hypocrites. And as he finishes his sermon, with the crescendo of telling people to put these things into practice, the crowds response was astonishment.

This were utterly amazed. Why? Because it was a really great teaching? A great philosophy? I mean - these people had the torah - they already had part of God’s revealed word, why were they astonished -

because he was teaching as one who had authority.

Authority - what is authority. At it’s core, it means power. It’s dominion. rule. Jurisdiction. Jesus was teaching as one who actually had the rights to tell others the truth. Like he actually had the power to see it through.

You see, Jesus came not just preaching the word of God - He IS the word of God. The Radiance of the Father breaking through into creation.

This was different - he wasn’t like one of their scribes. He wasn’t just a good teacher - though he as a good teacher. He was the author of life and light and love and truth and justice in flesh.

And he astonished the crowds. Everything he taught in the sermon - he was living in front of them. And he was saying: so do it. Build your life on the foundation of my words. Put them into practice. Follow me and find life and life to the full.

So what does Jesus Christ, God in Flesh do after preaching the greatest sermon ever preached?

Matthew 8:1 CSB

When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.

He comes down the mountain, and the crowds are going with him - they’re still following him, even after this hard sermon. But Christ get’s intercepted:

Matthew 8:2 CSB

Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Leprosy, a skin affliction that caused great pain, was shameful and caused disfigurement, and people had to leave the community, exiled away. This man, desperate, hears the words of the great Jesus, recognizing that he has authority, he has power, he has jurisdiction, and says

Lord, master, if you are willing, you can make me clean.

So much in that statement. First, the title of Lord - their is a beautiful submission here. Jesus is Lord, he is God, he is the creator, the sustainor, the alpha and omega, he puts the stars in their place, he knows the hair on my head, and he knows and allows every breath in my lungs.

He is in charge. He has the power, and the the authority.

Authority, even over disease.

And he says, if you are willing. All Christ has to do is will it to be so, and it will be so - that is how great is his power. And also - this man, is humble -

but knows

Jesus you can make me clean.

Notice, the man doesn’t ask to be healed here. He asks for cleansing.

This same word can mean purified, and there was great ceremonial implication in this word. For this man, due to his disease would not be permitted into the temple, and would be kept outside the community of faith.

This cleansing, is both physical and spiritual. Jesus is able to cleanse him for both. Jesus, dominion over the phyrsical world, and it’s pains, and the spiritual, over the shame and guilt. But is he willing? Or is he just a good teacher that can’t be bothered to get down and hang out with us sinners?

Matthew 8:3 CSB

Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Jesus, friend of sinners, is willing. He reaches out his hand, and the purifying nature of God in and through Jesus cleanses, healing the man.

Jesus will then command the him to go to the priest, offering a gift just like the old testament prescribed, as a testimony.

There is something so profound to me - not just about the text of the Sermon on the mount, which is indeed truly incredible stuff, but that is preceded and followed with Jesus demonstrating the power of God through healings, deliverance, and loving presence with the least of the these.

Jesus is demonstrating the life of the kingdom, as the king of the kingdom on the scene.

And this is evidence of the Gospel and that he is the messiah.

Just a few pages later in Matthew 11, we read that John the Baptist is in prison, and he’s understandably a bit shaken. John, like a lot of people, had a distorted view of the gospel and what the messiah would be like - he was expecting a king with a sword to free israel from the romans, and now, even though John baptized the lamb of God, saw the heavens open and the spirit descend upon Christ, now John is sitting in a prison cell wondering if he got it wrong. If the messiah is the deliverer, where his rescue?

John sends his disciples to inquire if Jesus is the messiah. Matthew 11:2-3

Matthew 11:2–3 CSB

Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

And what does JEsus say? Matthew 11:4-6

Matthew 11:4–6 CSB

Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”

Jesus quotes from Isaiah, and saying: the evidences of the kingdom of God are happening right here: demonstration of salvation the gospel is being proclaimed - and there is blessing, there is joy and happiness in the one who isn’t offended by me.

Jesus, encouraging John that he indeed is the messiah - have no doubt. Now John isn’t rescued from prison - we read that he is actually executed in prison. But make no mistake, he was delivered, even if he couldn’t understand all the ways that God was working, and how Christ was saving, even if his expectations were wrong - Jesus was the messiah. And Jesus praises John as the greatest! And in faith John is now in the presence of the Father waiting until the resurrection on the last day and the moment when heaven will come to earth.

Sermon on the Mount

You see, the Sermon on the mount is divisive. So many Christians don’t know what to do with it, find it impossible - feel beat over the head with it, and largely ignore it. “surely jesus wasn’t serious, surely that’s not possible.”

So many Believers have a demonic faith - that Believe that Jesus is real, they’d even say that he is the savior - but functionally don’t believe that Jesus can or wants to save them or help them live a holy life.

Friends - what Did Jesus say before his ascension? The Great commission?

Matthew 28:18–20 CSB

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

all authority - theres that word again - all the power in all of heaven and earth is Christ’s - this is a command from the creator God of the universe: and he says to make disciples wherever we go - baptizing them in the name of the holy trinity, and teaching them to observe, or obey everything he commands! Knowing that Jesus is with us.

We are actually supposed to obey, teaching others to obey, and all this happens in the union and new life we have in Jesus Christ.

What the world need right now more than ever is for Christians to life the kingdom of God and teach others how to enter in the narrow gate. This is what we need!

We need the Kingdom of God here on here as it is in heaven, and in order for the kingdom to be realized, we need the King dwelling and working in his people.

That’s us friends. The Church. The People of God. With his holy Spirit in us.

So What?

Today is the last Sunday in our five month study of the Sermon on the Mount. Funny enough, I believe my original plan was for it to be a three month series - here we are.

When we began five months ago, I started with a quote from Welsh Pastor, Martin Lloyd Jones, let me share it again with us:

“The most obvious feature of the life of the Christian Church today is, alas, its superficiality.” - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

This quote is profound to me. And I feel it. How many churches have we had in the area that have come with some amount of fervor, but somehow lost their lampstand - to use the language of revelation, and either closed, or perhaps need to close. Why?

Because a lot of them become Churches in name only, and more of synagogues of satan.

I know that’s harsh - I’m not trying to condmen, but It is a horrific trend. Christians throughout the world, but especially in our country, and acutely in our region are known as superficial and hypocritical.

We have beautiful buildings with history and stain glass and hymns and songs - but the fruit…

So many believers see the words of the sermon on the mount and beacuse they know the sin in their hearts, give up, and live this like half way faith. We proclaim a Christ who’s alive and saving - but functionally it looks like people just living like everyone else - but we get to go to heaven when we die.

Is that the whole faith?

If Jesus doesn’t have the power save us from sin, to change us, to empower us to holy living - are we following the real Jesus?

Or have we lost our sight and astonishment towards Jesus Christ the savior of the world?

Some of us are living in the crown, or living as religous leaders. We see and hear this Jesus - but we haven’t gone up to him asking for his cleansing. Or we have grown weary and given up. We have grown so weary that we have lost faith that Jesus can actually help us, save us, heal us.

But is the Gospel - that is the fufillment of the kingdom of God - is not the Gospel of JEsus enough for JEsus to be our savior, from sin and death and hell, our Sanctifuer - like real holiness, our healer, cleansing us from disease and shame - and our coming king?

I proclaim to you that he is!

And JEsus is still seeking and saving the lost.

But we can’t fall into the lie that Jesus is just a good teacher, OR that he’s our polly-pocket Savior that we just sprinkle some salvation on top of our hearts to get us into heaven.

Jesus wants to give you a whole new life. And he wants to fill us with hope. and joy. and power.

Ultimatley when he comes again - but here and now, through the power of the Holy Spirit - we can live holy lives like the sermon on the mount teaches.

But it doesn’t come with us just mentally memorizing it or looking at it enough - we Need the authority of Christ, the power of Christ to make us know.

This was the Apostle Paul’s strategy when he came to preach and teach and plant churches: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 CSB

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

He didn’t fake it - he was weak, fearful even. He didn’t try to make something happen by his words. There was no apostle paul podcast.

But a demonstration of the spirit’s power.

Friends - this is what we need.

We need the Holy Spirit to fill us with new life through the washing and regeneration he gives us. This is what Titus 3:4-8 says about the Gospel.

Titus 3:4–8 CSB

But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.

So What?

Friends - if we want to see the spiritual temperature of south eastern south dakota increased - if we want to see the kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven - yes we need to be fully focused on GOd and his word, fully formed by the spirit in community, fully engaged with Christ on mission,

but if we are not filled with the presence and the power and life of the Holy Spirit it is all for not. IT’s fruitless.

I confess - every time I read the sermon on the mount, the Spirit highlights places where I need to repent. I am still a stumbling saint.

But the answer to this ache and tension isn’t to say it’s not possible - and therefore call jesus a liar and the holy spirit powerless to save us -

the answer to the ache is to beg and call out for JEsus to save us and for the holy spirit to change us!

When we fail to see and walk with the person of Jesus we default into empty religion - and that will never save you. Religion doesn’t save. The Law doesnt save you. Jesus saves you!

There is power in the blood of JEsus to save you - not just from hell. but from sin. from sickenss. from depression. from evil. from demons.

Jesus is our savior, our sanctifyer, our healer, and our coming king.

We need Jesus!

I do! Don’t you?

When we talk about how we are doing in faith - typically what we default to hows your devotions, are you being kind and not angry,

But the faith at it’s core and at it’s source is the person of JESus Christ, at it’s inception, and every day.

We need the King to live in the kingdom.

And the King’s name is Jesus.

He loves you - he cares for you - he will sustain you till the end. Remain in him AND you will bear much fruit.

Call out to Jesus - the god-man. Our savior. He is our king.

Do you know him? Are you desperate for him? Do you need him to come there?

Our so what, our response for this sermon series is now to give us time to call out to Christ.

and ask that the power of Christ would save us.

That we would walk with him.

move to time of prayer