SERMON ON THE MOUNT
 
Matthew chapters 5-6-7
The purpose of this thread is to show the awesome nature of what we call 'the sermon on the mount'. I dare say, none of us can read it, study it, decide to obey it, without drastic changes in our lives. We treat it like some unobtainable goal, but never try to learn how to live from it.
We could all argue on which sermon was the greatest that Jesus preached. This would be a fruitless argument, for His sermons surpass any the rest of us could ever preach, and to measure one as more valuable, more exhilarating, more instructional, than another would be a waste of our finite, simplistic minds.
The sermon on the bread of life was deep, magnificent, and measureless in impact on the world. Yet, the critics there that day all left but the twelve disciples. Thousands had listened the day before to the sermon, and they all ate the bread and fishes at the end of that sermon. They valued that sermon and its accompanying miracle so much that they followed Jesus to hear the next days sermon. We do not know what the sermon they valued even was, but the next day, Jesus preached on the bread of life, and all those adherents and sermon valuers of the day before forsook Jesus, and never followed Him again.
So, the human evaluation of sermons seems to be faulty, at best. We do not know how to rate sermons. We need to simply realize that every sermon ever preached by Jesus had divine wisdom, divine importance, and we, in our finite minds, need to spend eternity consuming the messages therein.
The sermon on the mount is a great sermon. It is so complex in information, that scholars are still only tapping the surface of its meaning.
Most will avoid preaching upon many of its passages, for fear of not being able to fully explain all its depth of meaning.
I will attempt to explain what I have found in this sermon, and yet, I know that at best this will still be only a meager attempt, and not near a perfect explanation.
I feel like a person given a chest of gold coins, and unable to carry them all to a bank. I will though fill my pockets with the first trip, and carry as many as I can for now. In that way, the understanding of this sermon will have to progress throughout eternity, but for now, I have some great truths that are now apparent, and I will gather more and more as the millennia pass.
This is a sermon on how we are to live as Christians. It surpasses all the teachings of other persons. We find many religions and organizations come up with standards, rules, and guidelines for their followers, but Jesus greatly surpasses their beggarly attempts, with this one sermon.
Some rebel against denominational rules, club rules, church rules... etc... Wait till you see the rules of Jesus in the sermon on the mount.... !
Jesus certainly taught a higher standard than those who held the highest standard of that day, i.e. the scribes and the Pharisees.
Matthew 5:20
"For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God."
The scribes and the Pharisees:
...condemned murder
,
but Jesus said that anger and hatred were as wrong as murder.
but Jesus said that anger and hatred were as wrong as murder.
...separated themselves from their wives
,
but Jesus' teaching said give her two or three times her dowry.
but Jesus' teaching said give her two or three times her dowry.
...taught one must keep a binding oath
,
but Jesus said that one must keep his word, even if it was a simple "yes" or "no", and did not have a "binding oath.
but Jesus said that one must keep his word, even if it was a simple "yes" or "no", and did not have a "binding oath.
The comparison could go on and on, but the sermon on the mount taught that the normal understanding of righteousness as seen by the most noble of the day, fell far short in the expectation of God for the people.
Jesus called for people to abandon what the world called wisdom and righteousness, and take on a new set of standards that the world calls "impossible."
No, these things do not save anyone... so do not let this become a debate on 'legalism' for salvation... We are not saved by good works, we are saved by grace. Yet, after being truly saved, the Lord expects to see the change of salvation manifest through us fruits, that prove our salvation was real.
The idea of righteousness today is at an all time low, for what the Bible calls good, many call evil. What the world calls evil is often what the Bible calls good.
Abortion, euthanasia, adultery, genetic engineering, etc are often called good in the media, in the college ethics courses, and on the political soap boxes.
Yet, the Bible describes those as evil. Therefore, the understanding of what Jesus presents in the sermon on the mount is seen as outdated, impossible, and stupid to many who ever dare to even read it.
Many have refused these teachings. Even much of Christianity have taken opposite standards, and still call themselves "Christians."
Many preachers today are telling people to be "self confident", "powerful", "satisfied", "self-righteous", "aggressive"... etc. What Jesus called supreme in righteousness is often relegated to stupid from the mouths of many preachers.
Many are telling saints that they are not spiritual if they "mourn" and not laugh. Weeping for the lost souls of mankind, has been replaced in senseless laughing. The altar calls are given for people to come up and have prophetic words tell them that they will be blessed a hundred fold for their offering, and no call to repentance was even mentioned as necessary.
 
Matthew 5:3-10
reveals these new standards.
reveals these new standards.
Jesus says:
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO:
ARE POOR IN SPIRIT
ARE MEEK,
WHO MOURN,
WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS,
ARE MERCIFUL,
ARE PURE IN HEART,
ARE PEACEMAKERS,
ARE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
The world says:
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO:
ARE SELF-CONFIDENT, COMPETENT, AND SELF-RELIANT
SEEK PLEASURE
ARE PROUD, POWERFUL, SATISFIED
ARE SELF-RIGHTEOUS
ARE "ADULT", SOPHISTICATED, AND BROAD MINDED
ARE COMPETITIVE, AGGRESSIVE
ARE ADAPTABLE, POPULAR, AND DON'T ROCK THE BOAT...
Who do we believe.
The sermon on the mount has some startling answers,
and they are not presented as an optional choice...
they are shown as the only way.
SEEK PLEASURE
ARE PROUD, POWERFUL, SATISFIED
ARE SELF-RIGHTEOUS
ARE "ADULT", SOPHISTICATED, AND BROAD MINDED
ARE COMPETITIVE, AGGRESSIVE
ARE ADAPTABLE, POPULAR, AND DON'T ROCK THE BOAT...
Who do we believe.
The sermon on the mount has some startling answers,
and they are not presented as an optional choice...
they are shown as the only way.