Sermon on the Mount #1

 

INTRODUCTION:

1. The pure religion of Jesus Christ – the whole words of Jesus Christ – the doctrine according to godliness.
2. When great multitudes followed Him, Jesus did not preach John 3:16 but rather this sermon of holiness.
3. The disciples that came to him were more than just the 12 or 70, for they are called people (5:1; 7:28).
4. Jesus showed it does not matter where you preach or from what position, but rather what you preach.
5. Rejected by the Jewish leadership that knew of Him at 12, He preached a message of righteousness to all.
6. The ideas of the nature and purpose of this sermon are confused, which should be known before starting.
   1. Some teach that Jesus set aside the Law of Moses and established a new standard of righteousness.
   2. Some teach this is the gospel of the kingdom and applies primarily to some future Jewish millennium.
   3. We believe this is the Lord Jesus Christ confirming and defending Moses’ Law against the Pharisees.
   4. The sermon is very practical, covering topics from sexual thoughts to swearing to savings to enemies.
   5. If you have any thoughts of being a Christian, here is the longest single discourse of His radical religion.
   6. Ignore or neglect this sermon to your own peril, for these laws and commandments will judge you soon.

THE BEATITUDES:

1. Nine individual blessings with the last two being of the same nature.
2. 1. Supreme blessedness. 2. A declaration or ascription of special blessedness.
3. These nine character traits of the members of His kingdom and citizens of heaven should judge you.
4. This is no sissified religion of an effeminate compromiser. This is the religion of the King of kings.
5. These nine character traits run totally contrary to the thinking and programs of the world around us.

 

POOR IN SPIRIT

1. They are blessed with a promise of His kingdom now and heaven to come.
2. The natural man cries, “Blessed are the rich, for theirs is the kingdom of the world.”
3. The poverty described here has nothing to do with financial poverty, but rather poverty of spirit.
4. Poor in spirit knows you are nothing before God and men, having nothing to offer or please Him.
5. Most religion is geared to uplift and make proud, rather than abase and make humble before God.
6. It is not mere worthlessness as all men, but rather the consciousness of worthlessness.
7. This is not a new standard of righteousness for those that knew the Bible (Pr 16:19; Is 57:15; 66:2).
8. The Pharisee and the publican illustrate the difference in spirits of men (Luke 18:9-14).
9. When the righteous stand before Jesus Christ, they will show their poverty of spirit (Luke 18:9-14).
10. When the self-righteous stand before Him, they will show their rich and proud spirit (7:21-23).

 

MOURN

1. They are blessed with a promise of comfort in His kingdom now and in heaven to come.
2. The natural man cries, “Blessed are the happy and carefree, for theirs is the kingdom.”
3. Most contemporary, seeker-sensitive, and self-esteem worship this morning will be to promote joy.
4. The Christian world caters to a pleasure-mad church that only mourns when it cannot have its way.
5. Are not blessedness and mourning opposites? Only a child of God can understand this.
6. Are not blessedness and joy opposites? Only a child of God can understand this.
7. Jesus did not bless just any mourning, for the world mourns when they get caught or have to work.
8. Mourning is godly sorrow and grieving for sin that results in repentance and zeal for righteousness.
9. We are exhorted to afflict ourselves, mourn, and weep in forsaking our sins (James 4:8-9).
10. Do you appreciate persons and things for the poverty and mourning they produce in you?
11. This was not a new standard, for it had been prophesied of the Messiah (Is 40:1-2; 52:7-10; 61:1-3).
12. Note the comfort a sinful woman received from Christ after mourning for her sins (Luke 7:37-50).
13. Lazarus was comforted in heaven, while the rich man was tormented in hell (Luke 16:22-25).
14. Do you have … or have you ever had … the broken and contrite heart of a mourner (Ps 51:17)?

 

MEEK

1. They are blessed with a promise of inheriting the earth, in a spiritual sense now and heaven later.
2. Gentle, courteous, kind. Free from haughtiness and self-will; piously humble and submissive; patient and unresentful under injury and reproach.
3. The natural man cries, “Blessed are the strong and independent, for they shall inherit the earth.”
4. The flesh and the world strive to be tough, hard, proud, selfish, demanding, resentful, and vengeful.
5. Meekness is related to lowliness, longsuffering, and forebearance (Eph 4:1-3; Col 3:12-13).
6. Meekness is contrasted with envying and strife and related to gentleness (James 3:13-18).
7. Do you suffer being offended and defrauded? Or do you fight it (I Cor 13:4-7; 6:7)?
8. Can you take correction? Can you pass over a transgression? Can you be slighted for public honor?
9. Abraham (Gen 13:5-9), Moses (Numbers 12:3), and Jesus Christ were meek (Matt 11:29).
10. This was not a new standard, for it had been taught long before (Psalm 37:11; Zephaniah 2:3).
11. Women should be meek and quiet (I Peter 3:4).
12. It takes much more strength to respond meekly to most situations than it does to respond with anger.

 

HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. They are blessed with a promise of having their appetite fully satisfied.
2. The natural man hungers and thirsts after sensual pleasure and satisfaction in this world.
3. The Christian world today is hungering and thirsting for pleasure, happiness, activity, fulfillment.
4. This hungering and thirsting is after both legal and practical righteousness.
5. Jesus will emphasize this again when giving us our priority for life (6:33).
6. Paul himself did all that he could to lay hold of legal righteousness in Christ (Phil 3:8-11).
7. Then he pressed forward to achieve the maximum degree of practical righteousness (Phil 3:12-14).
8. Paul exhorted Timothy to follow after practical righteousness (I Tim 6:11; II Tim 2:22).
9. The gospel reveals righteousness (Rom 1:17), teaches righteousness, and promises it (II Tim 4:8).

 

MERCIFUL

1. They are blessed with a promise of obtaining mercy themselves from God and men.
2. The natural man cries, “No one else is going to protect you, so you had better protect yourself,” or, “I have to look out for number one.”
3. Forbearance and compassion shown by one person to another who is in his power and who has no claim to receive kindness. Disposition to forgive or show compassion.
4. There is no virtue or reward in being hard, when it comes to personal offences or affronts to you.
5. If we are to obtain mercy, we must show mercy (James 2:13; Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:36-37).
6. Mercy is shown by deferring anger and passing over a transgression against you (Pr 19:11; 17:9).
7. Do you show mercy with cheerfulness (Rom 12:8)? Are you excited to show mercy to others?
8. The good Samaritan showed mercy (Luke 10:37).
9. Mercy is related to kindness, longsuffering, forbearance, and forgiveness (Col 3:12-14).
10. Are you merciful to your spouse? Your children? Your boss? Your employees? Church members?

 

PURE IN HEART

1. They are blessed with a promise of seeing God both spiritually now and in heaven itself.
2. The natural man puts on an outward show that deceives most other men, but it never deceives God.
3. The natural man makes excuses for himself by denying your ability to know his heart.
4. Purity of heart separates the carnal and outward religion of man from the spiritual religion of God.
5. The perilous times of the last days are when Christians have only a form of godliness (II Tim 3:5).
6. Men often clean up their outward conduct, but they are whited sepulchers of dead men’s bones.
7. Jesus Christ measures the motives and affections in religion (Ps 51:6; I Sam 16:7; Heb 4:12).
8. He orders us to remember, repent, and do the first works to restore first love (Rev 2:5).
9. Head religion is the form of worship that emphasizes the words of doctrine in a creed.
10. Hand religion is the form of worship that emphasizes the observance of rules.
11. Speech indicates what is in your heart (Matt 12:34; Prov 22:11; Col 4:6).
12. We are to work at purifying our hearts (James 4:8; Ps 51:10; II Cor 7:1).
13. You will never see God without holiness, and it begins in your heart (Heb 12:14).

 

PEACEMAKERS

1. They are blessed with a promise of being called the children both now and in the last day.
2. The natural man values pride, self-defense, self-vindication, and “principle” over peace.
3. The natural man would much rather argue, criticize, defend himself, or strive than make peace.
4. The natural man would much rather avoid getting involved than help to mediate those at war.
5. Making peace is an important part of the gospel (Rom 12:16-21; I Thess 5:13-15; Eph 4:1-3).
6. You should be as peaceful as you possibly can be (Rom 12:18).
7. The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable (Jas 3:17-18).
8. Bitterness is totally contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Heb 12:11-16).
9. The good life awaits those who will seek peace (I Pet 3:8-13).
10. If the Lord came today, would He find you in peace (II Pet 3:14)?

 

PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE

1. They are blessed with a promise of His kingdom now and heaven to come.
2. The natural man and the contemporary Christian can only imagine popularity and prosperity.
3. But the true citizens of Zion are persecuted, for they godly lives in Christ Jesus (II Tim 3:12).
4. Jesus warned His apostles that they could not escape this familiar mark of Him (John 15:20).
5. You are called not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for Him (Phil 1:29).
6. The key here is not merely persecution, but persecution for righteousness (I Pet 2:18-21).
7. Let the world think you strange, as long as you are not running to excess with them (I Pet 4:1-5).
8. Some will pervert the gospel of Christ to avoid persecution, but we will not (Gal 6:12).
9. It is the stony ground that cannot bear fruit under persecution (Matt 13:21; Prov 24:10).
10. There is great comfort in these words of Jesus Christ for those already suffering persecution.

 

PERSECUTED FOR JESUS CHRIST’S SAKE

1. They are blessed with a promise of great reward in heaven and similarity to the prophets.
2. While the connection here emphasizes ministers, it applies to every one suffering for Christ.
3. While the world worships popularity and prosperity, the gospel of Christ rewards persecution.
4. If you live a godly life in Christ and stand for His doctrine, you will be persecuted (II Tim 3:12).