Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The sermon on the mount has been called the greatest sermon ever preached.

The sermon on the mount has been called the greatest sermon ever preached.

The sermon on the mount has been called the greatest sermon ever preached.

What makes so special?

Is it because it is one of Jesus’ longest recorded discourses?

Is it because it was given by Jesus?

Is it because of the content?

What Jesus taught?

By most 21st century, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount would not be considered great

It is not focused enough - too broad/general/random

It cannot be neatly summarized with 3-4 memorable points

The written form we have is sufficiently short… can be read aloud in less than 15 minutes - likely this is only a fraction of Jesus’s teaching that day… it likely was a multi-hour sermon when given verbally (Matthew recorded this summary with the help of the Holy Spirit years later)

It is radical

It is offensive to many people

A Texas A&M professor assigned a composition class to write a short essay on the Sermon on the Mount.

The responses were harsh

“In my opinion religion is one big hoax.”

“The stuff the churches preach is extremely strict and allows for almost no fun without thinking it is a sin or not.”

“I did not like the essay ‘Sermon on the Mount.’

It was hard to read and made me feel like I had to be perfect and no one is.”

“The things asked in this sermon are absurd.

To look at a woman is adultery.

That is the most extreme, stupid, unhuman statement that I have ever heard.”

The Bible remains offensive to honest, ignorant ears, just like it was in the first century

This morning we want to take a look at the Sermon on the Mount

The Big Picture

We want to consider the Sermon on the Mount as a whole before digging too deeply in to the specific details

I suspect each one of us has a verse or a phrase from Jesus’ sermon that is easy for us to become fixated on … and, as result, we end up missing other important aspects

I don’t know that we can accurately understand any one part of this sermon except in light of the whole

The most careful examination of one (or two or three) pieces of a puzzle are inadequate to reveal the overall picture

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones contends that the Sermon on the Mount is like a great musical composition… where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Unless we understand and grasp the wholeness of this sermon, we can’t properly understand individual components

The beatitudes come at the beginning…

all the specific instructions come after the beatitudes…

these instructions result from the beatitudes being lived

In epistles, like Romans and Ephesians, the doctrines are established and taught first, then out of those doctrines, more practical aspects for Christians are developed.

In epistles, like Romans and Ephesians, the doctrines are established and taught first, then out of those doctrines, more practical aspects for Christians are developed.

We see a similar pattern with this great sermon

General Structure of the Sermon on the Mount

General Structure of the Sermon on the Mount

5:3-16 - General = broad statements regarding the Christian

3-10 = the character of the Christian (beatitudes)

11-12 = the character of the Christian when the world reacts

13-16 = the relationship of the Christian to the world

5:17-ch7 = Particular = more specific examples of how a Christian lives in the world

5:17-48 = the Christian and the law of God… the Christian is primarily concerned about the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law

6 = the Christian living life in the presence of God… in active submission… and in entire dependence upon God

7 = the Christian and God’s inevitable judgement

It is important to remember that the Sermon on the Mount is a description of character and not a code of ethics or morals… it is not to be regarded as a comprehensive new law — a kind of new ten commandments… but rather as a description of what we Christians are meant to be … illustrated with certain examples

Would it not be appropriate to assume that the underlying attitudes identified with murder and adultery would also apply to stealing, bearing false witness, coveting, other gods, taking God’s name in vain??

Within the Sermon on the Mount we see the heart and character of Jesus (and God)

It is inappropriate to ask or expect anyone to live or practice the Sermon on the Mount if they are not a born-again Christian

READ (Sermon on the Mount)

The Kingdom of Heaven

The overall theme in these three chapters is the kingdom of heaven.

This phrase is found about ten times in these three chapters alone

Matthew uses “kingdom of heaven” usually while other New Testament writers use “kingdom of God”

They refer to and mean the same thing … many Jews of his day would avoid using the word “God” … it was too holy, to exalted… so, they used euphemisms like “heaven”

The kingdom of God and Kingdom of heaven have identical meaning

They refer to an,d mean the same thing audience… many Jews of his day would avoid using the word “God” … it was too holy, to exalted… so, they used euphemisms like “heaven”

Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God and the Sermon on the Mount, in many ways, is a treatise of that kingdom

The kingdom of God is a present reality

The church is the representation of the kingdom of God on earth until Jesus returns to claim His bride

The kingdom of God exists throughout eternity.. so there are aspects of the kingdom not yet realized

The kingdom of God consists only of born-again believers

God’s kingdom reveals God’s authority

It requires whole-hearted allegiance / submission / obedience

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most compelling description of this kingdom Jesus is establishing

Overview of the Beatitudes

Every Christian is meant to live out the beatitudes

It is not helpful to think in terms of exceptional and ordinary Christians - we are all “saints”

All Christians are meant to manifest (live out) ALL of these characteristics

Unlike spiritual gifts, where some Christians are gifted in one area while others are gifted in other ways, all Christians are to exemplify all the beatitudes

in many ways, the beatitudes are a complete whole and they cannot be divided… there may be varying degrees, but all are meant to be present at the same time

None of the beatitudes are natural tendencies

Each one is produced by the power of the Holy Spirit (not us)

Nobody by birth or by nature is like this… not natural qualities

The beatitudes (and Sermon on the Mount) reveal and pinpoint the absolute and complete difference between the Christian and the non-Christian

Seeker-friendly churches attempt to make the church attractive to outsiders by being somewhat like the world

The Sermon on the Mount and the beatitudes make it clear that Christians - and the church - are absolutely and starkly different from the world system.

This contrast is an attraction to unbelievers

A believer’s ambitions should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better…

The more we are like Christ, the more UNLIKE everyone who is not a Christian we become

The Christian and the non-Christian belong to two distinctly different kingdoms

The first and the last beatitude promise the same reward… for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Jesus is describing an entirely different kingdom… one that is starkly different than the kingdom of this world

Christians are living in two absolutely different worlds

We are in the world’s fallen system, but not of it

We are among other people, but we are citizens of another kingdom

The UNBEATITUDES

Wretched are the spiritually self-sufficient, for theirs is the kingdom of hell

Wretched are those who deny the tragedy of their sinfulness, for they will be tro.ubled.

Wretched are the self-centered, for they will be empty.

Wretched are those who ceaselessly justify themselves, for their efforts will be in vain.

Wretched are the merciless, for no mercy will be shown to them.

Wretched are those with impure hearts, for they will not see God.

Wretched are those who reject peace, for they will earn the title “sons of Satan.”

Wretched are the uncommitted for convenience’s sake, for their destination is hell.

Conclusion