2006-04-23_On The Mountain_SOTM Overview_outline
On The Mountain
Matthew 5-7 | Shaun LePage | April 23, 2006
I. Introduction
A. Let me start by asking a couple questions: What is right? and What is important?
1. What is right? How do we determine what is right?
a) Steve Gallagher—Pure Life Ministries
b) What changed for Steve? His perspective!
2. What is important? Most will say, “God, family, the Bible…” But…
a) H.B. London: a young boy who wanted to build a tree house
b) What changed for that dad? His perspective!
3. Wouldn’t it be great if…
4. Of course, we can. Some people refuse… But the Bible is foresight.
B. The Sermon on the Mount is a perfect example.
1. Matthew 5:1—Jesus “went up on the mountain”—metaphor
2. Mountains and hills in the Old Testament. God’s servants on mountains.
a) Abraham
b) Mt. Sinai—Mt. Horeb
c) Matthew: Written by a Jew for Jews about the King of the Jews.
C. “Who is this Jesus?”
1. Chapters 1-4
2. Chapters 5-7, Jesus taught with great authority—who gave the Law.
3. A higher perspective on righteousness.
D. CPS: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to seek Kingdom righteousness and store up Kingdom rewards.
II. Body—Matthew 5-7. Big picture of the Sermon on the Mount.
A. Key Verse: Matthew 6:33.
B. Key Commands:
1. Seek Kingdom Righteousness—what is truly right!
a) What is the Kingdom?
(i) The Kingdom of Heaven is future.
(ii) But, the Kingdom of heaven is also right now.
(a) Why “persecution” “Pharisees” and “Your kingdom come”?
(b) Colossians 1:13—Past tense!
(c) “Kingdom of God’s beloved Son” is present—we are to live it.
1. Not guilty but grateful.
2. Kingdom is coming—live like the subjects of the Kingdom.
(iii) What is the Kingdom? God’s perspective! Minds and deeds.
(iv) Colossians 3:1-4. Hearts and minds on things above!
b) What is righteousness? Grace and Holy Spirit—two kinds:
(i) Imputed Righteousness.
(ii) Renewed Righteousness—Christ-likeness.
(a) Matthew 6:33, “His kingdom and His righteousness…”
(b) Matthew 5:20. Hypocrites.
(c) Look at 6:2; 6:8; 6:16
c) Kingdom Righteousness is “What is right!” What is truly righteous!
2. Seek Kingdom Reward—what is truly important! We mess this up!
a) Again, in 6:33, “…all these things will be added to you.”
b) Explored Bible truth about eternal rewards? Be here!
(i) Beatitudes (5:3-12) contains a promise of reward! Look at 5:11,12.
(ii) Look at 6:1; 6:4; 6:6; 6:18; 6:19. Earthly or heavenly? Just as real!
c) Reward is a good! The problem is not with storing up treasure...
d) How do we store up Kingdom rewards? We understand Kingdom righteousness and we practice Kingdom righteousness.
III.Conclusion
A. During the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day in 1994, one documentary featured a very unique sequence of interviews. The commentators spoke with two men who were a part of the Normandy invasion in 1944. One was a soldier who fought on the ground. Reflecting back on that time he said, “I was convinced there was no way we could possibly win.” The other interview involved a pilot who saw things much differently from his vantage point in the air. He said, “I was convinced there was no way we could possibly lose.”
B. Limited view from the ground—lose sight of what is right and important.
C. God’s perspective—we’ll know what is right and important.