Sermon on the mount, the foundation of rock

Gregory Thompson

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Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 5-7 - New International Version

In the sermon on the mount, principles by which to live a Christian life are explained. These points that Jesus is speaking of is illustrating the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men.

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as a new covenant or new commandments. However, these principles are on a higher level than the Jewish laws. When a point of the law is re-iterated, Jesus takes it one step farther giving it a spiritual foundation to build the house of the church and one's life on.

Jesus ends the sermon stating that those who do not follow what He said in this sermon, is like building their house on a foundation of sand, and great ruin is what happens when it isn't what people actually do.

Do not be deceived, the old testament laws are not enough, but what Jesus taught about the foundation is what we need.
 
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SkyWriting

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I have heard it said that there is no such thing as a new covenant or new commandments.
When I use a sharpie instead of a highlighter, that's what happens to me too.

61w7HNgeqEL._AC_SY355_.jpg


Hebrews 9:15
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 8:13
In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
 
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Gregory Thompson

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When I use a sharpie instead of a highlighter, that's what happens to me too.

61w7HNgeqEL._AC_SY355_.jpg


Hebrews 9:15
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 8:13
In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Yes, that must be it.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 5-7 - New International Version

In the sermon on the mount, principles by which to live a Christian life are explained. These points that Jesus is speaking of is illustrating the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men.

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as a new covenant or new commandments. However, these principles are on a higher level than the Jewish laws. When a point of the law is re-iterated, Jesus takes it one step farther giving it a spiritual foundation to build the house of the church and one's life on.

Jesus ends the sermon stating that those who do not follow what He said in this sermon, is like building their house on a foundation of sand, and great ruin is what happens when it isn't what people actually do.

Do not be deceived, the old testament laws are not enough, but what Jesus taught about the foundation is what we need.
Interesting but Jesus clearly tells us He did not come to abolish the law in the sermon. He also made it clear repeatedly He did not come to do His own will but the will of His Father and Jesus said He obeyed all of Gods commandments and asked us to as well. John 15:10


Mathew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I just don’t think God contradicted Himself Malachi 3:6 when He said He changes not and we are told His laws are enteral Psalms 19:9 God’s laws are pure, eternal, just. 10 They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.

God bless
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Interesting but Jesus clearly tells us He did not come to abolish the law in the sermon. He also made it clear repeatedly He did not come to do His own will but the will of His Father and Jesus said He obeyed all of Gods commandments and asked us to as well.


Mathew 7:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I just don’t think God contradicted Himself Malachi 3:6 and we are told His laws are enteral Psalms 19:9 God’s laws are pure, eternal, just. 10 They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.

God bless
I knew someone would quote that.

The point of this thread is that the sermon on the mount is higher in priority to the law.

It must be higher in priority, since the examples we have from denominational teaching illustrate when the law is made the emphasis - the sermon in the mount is not applied in conversation or interpersonal relationships.

When Jesus said elsewhere that it is possible to strain at a gnat but swallow the whole camel, the gnat being strained at today is the law reference in the sermon on the mount, to the ignoring of all else.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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I knew someone would quote that.

The point of this thread is that the sermon on the mount is higher in priority to the law.

It must be higher in priority, since the examples we have from denominational teaching illustrate when the law is made the emphasis - the sermon in the mount is not applied in conversation or interpersonal relationships.

When Jesus said elsewhere that it is possible to strain at a gnat but swallow the whole camel, the gnat being strained at today is the law reference in the sermon on the mount, to the ignoring of all else.
Why wouldn’t you quote it, context is everything. Jesus said clearly the law is not abolished. I believe Him otherwise the Bible is one big contradiction, and that is not the case.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Why wouldn’t you quote it, context is everything. Jesus said clearly the law is not abolished. I believe Him otherwise the Bible is one big contradiction, and that is not the case.
This has more to do with results.

People can only handle so much information at once, and then the extra info becomes irrelevant and ignored.

Since the sermon on the mount has a particular quality in that if we do not follow it, it causes great ruin - this might speak to today.

Thus the sermon on the mount needs to be the primary focus, if people become "least" in the kingdom Heaven, it is better than having a righteousness like the pharisees and not entering at all.

Not everyone has the capacity to remember let alone apply so much information.

So in seeking to apply the whole law, the sermon on the mount is not remembered or applied, and great is the ruin of the church.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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This has more to do with results.

People can only handle so much information at once, and then the extra info becomes irrelevant and ignored.

Since the sermon on the mount has a particular quality in that if we do not follow it, it causes great ruin - this might speak to today.

Thus the sermon on the mount needs to be the primary focus, if people become "least" in the kingdom Heaven, it is better than having a righteousness like the pharisees and not entering at all.

Not everyone has the capacity to remember let alone apply so much information.

So in seeking to apply the whole law, the sermon on the mount is not remembered or applied, and great is the ruin of the church.
Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law. He said in the same sermon your referencing “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law.”

I think its important not to create our own meaning to the Words of God or Jesus when what They have said is so plain. We are warned not to lean on our own understandings and for good reason. Proverbs 3:5-6.
 
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fhansen

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Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 5-7 - New International Version

In the sermon on the mount, principles by which to live a Christian life are explained. These points that Jesus is speaking of is illustrating the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men.

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as a new covenant or new commandments. However, these principles are on a higher level than the Jewish laws. When a point of the law is re-iterated, Jesus takes it one step farther giving it a spiritual foundation to build the house of the church and one's life on.

Jesus ends the sermon stating that those who do not follow what He said in this sermon, is like building their house on a foundation of sand, and great ruin is what happens when it isn't what people actually do.

Do not be deceived, the old testament laws are not enough, but what Jesus taught about the foundation is what we need.
Yes, to say that “the old testament laws are not enough” is the right way to put it. As we find in the New Testament the moral law as defined by the Ten Commandments is right, good, holy, and spiritual (being based on love), but it doesn’t actually give us the power to fulfill it because that would depend on our own efforts, our own “righteousness” which we don’t even really possess apart from God. Only God, as we turn to and enter fellowship with Him through faith, can accomplish that, can cause the internal change that makes us clean on the inside first of all.
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matt 23:26

Fulfilling the law while being “under the law” can only make us appear to be righteous on the outside at best, while fulfilling it while “under grace” means it’s fulfilled the right way, God’s way, internally by the Spirit who produces the love in us necessary to make that change.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Rom 5:5

The only way to truly fulfill the Ten Commandments is to fulfill the greatest commandments first of all. That God-caused love already makes our righteousness easily exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Man cannot justify himself; only God can do that. Our job is to humbly say yes to Him, and continue doing so.
I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
Jer 31:33
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law. He said in the same sermon your referencing “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law.”

I think its important not to create our own meaning to the Words of God or Jesus when what They have said is so plain. We are warned not to lean on our own understandings and for good reason. Proverbs 3:5-6.
However, the law is not enough. By focusing exclusively on the law, the sermon on the mount is being ignored for the most part in the above quoted post.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Yes, to say that “the old testament laws are not enough” is the right way to put it. As we find in the New Testament the moral law as defined by the Ten Commandments is right, good, holy, and spiritual (being based on love), but it doesn’t actually give us the power to fulfill it because that would depend on our own efforts, our own “righteousness” which we don’t even really possess apart from God. Only God, as we turn to and enter fellowship with Him through faith, can accomplish that, can cause the internal change that makes us clean on the inside first of all.
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matt 23:26

Fulfilling the law while being “under the law” can only make us appear to be righteous on the outside at best, while fulfilling it while “under grace” means it’s fulfilled the right way, God’s way, internally by the Spirit who produces the love in us necessary to make that change.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Rom 5:5

The only way to truly fulfill the Ten Commandments is to fulfill the greatest commandments first of all. That God-caused love already makes our righteousness easily exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Man cannot justify himself; only God can do that. Our job is to humbly say yes to Him, and continue doing so.
I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
Jer 31:33
Reflecting on your post, the thought came to me:

We need to clean the inside first, or we won't be cleaned at all.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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However, the law is not enough. By focusing exclusively on the law, the sermon on the mount is being ignored for the most part in the above quoted post.
Not saying I disagree with that, but the laws are still very much a requirement. Jesus wanted to make that abundantly clear in the sermon as well.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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Not saying I disagree with that, but the laws are still very much a requirement. Jesus wanted to make that abundantly clear in the sermon as well.
This however, goes beyond the scope of this thread.

I also would note that you are glazing over the distinctions of how the law is related to the requirements.

i.e. least and great in the kingdom of heaven, and also righteousness of the pharisees.
 
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