Sermon on the Mount

Pursuing Kingdom Life

Grace??? A new filter…..

• “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation…” (1 Corinthians 3:11–12, NASB95)

• Eph 2:8-10 – His creation vs. our cultivation• Discipleship is maturing to become in experience what

we are by birth• “and being fully assured that what God had promised,

He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21, NASB95)

Outline

• Today– Spirit, Soul & Body: a brief overview– Life & Death

• Coming Weeks– Matthew’s Gospel – Summary Info– Intro & Background: Where, when & why…– Goal = Maturity Defined (Beatitudes) What…– Sermon on the Mount & Beatitudes– Practical Applications

The Nature and Composition of Man

• Body, Soul & Spirit

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living being (soul).” (Genesis 2:7, NASB95)

Salvation

• Past Tense: Spirit (my spirit has been saved)• Present Tense: Soul (my soul is being saved)• Future Tense: Body (my body will be saved)

Spirit• “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are

enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” (Hebrews 12:23, NASB95)

• “How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:2, NASB95)

• ““Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:26–27, NASB95)

Spirit• “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am

convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.” (Romans 15:14, NASB95)

• “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22, NASB95)

• “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NASB95)

Spirit

• “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”” (Galatians 4:6, NASB95)

• “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14, NASB95)

• ““Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” (Mark 14:38, NASB95)

Soul• “In your patience ye shall win your souls.” (Luke 21:19,

1901 ASV) • “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you

entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NASB95)

• “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21, NASB95)

• “obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:9, NASB95)

Soul

• “For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” (Galatians 5:5, NASB95)

• “and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:23–24, NASB95)

Body

• “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, NASB95)

• “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26, NASB95)

Body

• “For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight—” (2 Corinthians 5:4–7, NASB95)

We must train our souls…

The Real Issue: Life or Death

• Our tendency is to make the primary issue Right Vs. Wrong (sin or self focused)

• God is always calling us to make the primary issue Life over Death (focus on Christ vs. Self, Spirit vs. Soul, Zoe vs. Psuche, Tree of Life vs. the Tree of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong)

Choose Life!!!!

““I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”” (Deuteronomy 30:19–20, NASB95)

Jesus’ Mission

• ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, NASB95)

Matthew’s Gospel

• Matthew sees Jesus as the King of the Jews (emphasizes his royalty & lineage as opposed to Mark’s humanity of the ‘Son of Man’)

• Audience is new believers (Discipleship Manual)

• Fullest and most systematic account of Jesus’ life

• Collects the saying of Jesus into five ‘sermons’

• These parallel the 5 books of the law• Telling his Jewish readers that Jesus brings a

New Law (He sits here as the new lawgiver)• Structure: – Introduction: birth, baptism, temptation

Word (Chap 5-7) Deed (Chap 8-9)Word (Chap 10) Deed (Chap 11-12)Word (Chap 13) Deed (Chap 14-17)Word (Chap 18) Deed (Chap 19-23)

Word (Chap 24-25)

• Conclusion: Death and resurrection

Matthew’s Theme

• Theme: the kingdom, the difference between the Jewish expectancy and the Christian experience

• Secret of the kingdom: Messiah is coming not once, but twice…thus the age to come has been inaugurated (but not consummated) by Jesus already

• Matthew’s theme: “How do you live in the kingdom now?”

The Kingdom – a two way process

• Indicatives of the gospel: What Christ has done for us (our foundation & grace message)

• Imperatives of the gospel: What we are to do with/through Christ

• We work out what He works in us (avoiding legalism & license)

Sermon on the Mount: Importance• Jesus’ most comprehensive statement on a

believer’s role in cooperating with the grace of God

• The ‘Constitution’ of God’s kingdom• It contains the Core Values/Beatitudes of the

Kingdom (thus revealing the nature of God)• It is the standard for spiritual development and

ministry impact• It is the impartation of the kind and quality of

Kingdom life

Intro & Background

• Jesus language here is poetic, thus not to be taken with inflexible literalism

• For example, The Lord’s Prayer is a poem of two stanzas, each of which has three lines of four beats apiece

• “Proverbs are principles stated in extremes” and we are to “seek the principle that underlies the proverb” (A.M. Hunter)

Interpretation is Important!!!!

I know what it says, but what does it mean!?!

Everyone who takes everything in this passage literal should be missing some body parts!!!!!

Sermon….WHERE?

• Christ sat as the new lawgiver and Mediator…Old Testament Law Sermon on the Mount Lord came down The Lord went upSpoke in thunder Speaks in a still small

voicePeople ordered to keep their distance

Invited to draw near

Spoke through Moses God Himself speaks to usBrought Death Brings Life

“For the Law was given

through Moses; grace and truth were realized

through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17,

NASB95)

Sermon – When?

• Matthew & Luke sequence this event in the 1st year of Jesus public ministry

• His fame had spread (outdoor preaching), but opposition hadn’t gelled

• (Matt) Sermon follows the choosing of the 12 disciples and implies an ‘ordination’ or ‘commissioning’ message

• Message of ‘Repent’ gives way to the nature of the kingdom for His disciples

Sermon - Who?

• Directed to His disciples, but in the hearing of the multitude, for it is said ‘the people were astonished’ (Matt 7:28)

• ““If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”” (Mark 4:23, NASB95)

• Sermon is recorded through the ages for us to consider, or rather for it to consider us…

-6 + 5 = 8

• Weeding our garden: 6 Temptations• Water our garden: 5 Activities• Fruit or Produce: 8 Beatitudes

Parable of the Sower (Matt 13)• The Seed represents the Word/Spirit & thus life.• The Soil represents the Soul/flesh and thus death. • “For thus says the LORD…“Break up your fallow ground, And do

not sow among thorns. “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart…”” (Jeremiah 4:3–4, NASB95)

• “Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12, NASB95)

• “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23, NASB95)

Confused???

• This gardening business sounds like an awful lot of hard work?

• How does this square with what grace says? • Are the Beatitudes given or earned?• What if I feel guilty or I don’t do all these

things in this passage?• Will I ‘fail’ the test?• Are you as confused as I am?

Perfection?

• ““Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48, NASB95)

• Perfect:‘perfect’ (17), ‘man’ (1), ‘of full age’ (1)• 1) brought to its end, finished. 2) wanting nothing

necessary to completeness. 3) perfect. 4) that which is perfect. 4a consummate human integrity and virtue. 4b of men. 4b1 full grown, adult, of full age, mature. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon

Perfection

• “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons (fully mature) of God.” (Romans 8:14, NASB95)

• “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” (Romans 8:29, NASB95)

• “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—” (Galatians 4:19, NASB95)

Read Matthew 5:3-10

The End