Sermon on the Mount--Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount-Matthew 5:1-2

Introduction

Intro: It is a new year and a time to start over or start fresh or maybe just start again.At the end of MAtthew’s gospel is essentially a new beginning as well Matthew records Jesus’ final command in chapter 28 of his Gospel. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We are commanded to teach the new disciples the words of Jesus. But how well could we teach what the Gospel means for our everyday lives? What does Jesus really tell us and what do we need to tell others about him

An Elders’ job is to ensure that he is teaching and preaching God’s word so everybody can go out and help teach it to others. This is because I cannot meet and talk to everyone that you talk to and in some sense there is no special class of teachers or preachers.

We are to teach everything that Jesus commanded and there is no other consolidated instruction or teaching than the Sermon on the Mount.

Here the Gospel writer puts Jesus Teaching on display and then like a good teacher, makes away or expectation to recall the information at a later time. Matthew wants the teachings to stick.

Today this is the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. This gives us a little background to what is probably the most well known teaching of Jesus, but also the least understood and as John Stott says, probably the least obeyed of all of his teachings. I would add that some parts are used today but non religious groups to try and throw some of the teachings back in our faces when it comes to judging or telling people they are sinning.

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Main Idea: In order to make Disciples, we must be Disciples

I. What is the Sermon on the Mount?

As we just read, This discourse is when Jesus went up to a mountain or a hill side and began to teach his disciples. It is not known exactly which mountain he gave his sermon, but the traditional site is on the northeast shore of Galilee, known as the mount of the Beatitudes.

Jesu sat down and using the geography to naturally amplify his voice so the crowd can hear him. He begins to lay out what it takes to be a Christ follower.

The Sermon happens early on in his public Ministry. In Chapter 4:17 Jesus began to preach, or to announce, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” What is the Kingdom and What does it look like?

The Greek word repent means “a complete change of Mind.”

It is a reset of the Jewish culture or something that is sometimes called counter-culture. The jewish Culture had either isolated itself or been infiltrated by the Hellenistic or Greek culture and also allowed Roman influenced to come in to their daily life as well.

The sermon on the Mount is to be seen in this context and it explains the righteousness that belongs to the Kingdom and it describes what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.

By going up to a mountain and giving a Sermon Jesus is calling the Jews back to the time of Moses, and the Exodus and more importantly Deuteronomy. Before they entered the Promised Land, Moses gave a series of sermons recounting and teaching the highlights of everything that happened over the 40 year time period.

That is really the key to being a disciple of Jesus. Our behavior and worldview is set or focused on the Triune God.

God wanted Moses to Remind His people that they are Holy, they have been set apart from the world. Our behavior and our outlook should and can be different from the rest of the world of unbelievers.

TS: That is really the key to being a disciple of Jesus. Our behavior and worldview is set or focused on the Triune God.

II. Who is it For?

This is who the Sermon on the Mount is written for. The people what are the elect of God. Anyone who wants to be considered a Christ follower. Remember When the Hebrews left Egypt they took others with them. And others became God followers as well. They essentially became Jewish. Moses’ Father in law was not a Hebrew but his family is worked into the Jewish family tree because they became followers of God.

In Exodus and Deuteronomy God has the people listen to the Law and then swear, they will follow God.

“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God

“That he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

But the covenant extends to the gentiles as well. Jesus came and instituted the New Covenant. Paul says in “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.”

And Peter understands the same thing; Jesus came to bring more people. Into the Kingdom. Peter reminds the new churches that heh is in contact with that the reason they are enduring all the suffering and changes to their life once they became chirstians. Even though they were different people, from different locations,they are now one people. They people of God.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

When people hear the expectations, they may think it is just a bunch of rules on their life and they have enough of those already. And sometimes the way we carry them out in our church life becomes legalistic.

When people hear the expectations, they may think it is just a bunch of rules on their life and they have enough of those already. And sometimes the way we carry them out in our church life or

TS: So what does this new life mean? What are the expectations,as it were, of the Christian life?

III. What is it About?

The sermon extends over what we have listed as chapters 5, 6, and 7 and covers a variety of Topics.

Jesus starts with the Blessings of the Kingdom. That is what it is meant when Jesus uses the formula “blessed are those who are... God redeemed his people from Egypt and reminded them of his blessings before giving them his law.

Jesus Moves on to Reminding the Disciples that they are salt and Light of the world and then explains righteousness in terms of God’s view and The Kingdom

In Chapter six Jesus explains Next is true Holiness versus hypocritical holiness.

And then Jesus tells the crowd what true wealth and stability come from.

Since tehKingdom is a community, knowing how to treat people is important to Disciples and so Jesus gives the expectations in that area.

Jesus closes His sermon with the call for action. He warns the people there are two ways; the narrow and the broad gates.

Any good preacher does not just preach to pass on knowledge, but he wants the people to make a decision. This si because the Holy Spirit,in His time, works on people to bring them to the decisions that needs to be made. Do you want. Blessings or curses?

As we celebrate the Lord’s supper this is the decision that must be made. Are you in a covenant with God or are you not?

The Lord’s supper

The Lord's Supper is a celebration of God's grace, not human achievement. The power of the sacrament is not found in our ability to meditate deeply, but rather on the way in which God's Spirit uses this celebration to nourish our hearts.

it is a meal hosted by Jesus.

The Lord's Supper is not an end in itself, but points beyond itself to celebrate God's grace and covenant faithfulness.

The Lord's Supper is a sign of a relationship that is covenantal, not contractual. It is based on God's gracious promises to us.

The Lord's Supper is deeply personal, but never private. It is a communal action of the gathered congregation which represents the church in all time and places.

From the Didache, which is an early church teaching manual, we are instructed to Pray over the Bread and juice in his way.

We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge that you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant; to you be the glory forever.

that you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant; to you be the glory forever.

And We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant, which you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant; to you be the glory forever.

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We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge that you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant; to you be the glory forever.

26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Closing Prayer