Sermon on the Mount - The Book of Matthew - Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. But I say unto you, love your enemies,
Bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you
and persecute you. Matthew five forty four. Dear Lord, as
I listen to the truths in to day's reading, I

(00:24):
thank you for giving me the beatitudes of how I
am supposed to be in order to live a life
full of abundance and freedom. As I begin to honor
the way that I am called to live, I thank
you that as I pray to you, I do not
have to worry about where I am going to eat
or where I am going to sleep, because when I

(00:46):
live in divine obedience to You and your word, you
continually provide all that I need. Therefore, I declare that
worry and fear will no longer be a part of
my story, for I know that, like a good parent,
you too desire to feed and provide for every need

(01:09):
I have. In addition, I acknowledge that my greatest command
is to love you and to love my neighbors as myself.
With these truths fasten tight around my heart, I will
live at a higher level. I will serve with greater humility,

(01:34):
and I will lead with my way of being so
others may see life and follow you Lord in Jesus name. Amen,
Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
with God by listening to today's Bible story brought to

(01:55):
you by Bible in a Year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Com Sermon on the Mount.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
In our last story, we saw Jesus through the eyes
of Peter. His mighty works of healing and acts of
compassion brought Peter to his knees. He truly saw that
Jesus was a man worth following, and he would soon
come to the understanding that Jesus was God himself. Now
we listen to the heart of Christ through the Sermon
on the Mound. Jesus declares what the Kingdom of Heaven

(02:31):
looks like when it is acted out on earth. People
aw at his eloquence, wisdom, and authority. Inspired by the
Book of Matthew.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
the Bible in a Year. We are so thankful for
each one of you. So many have joined this podcast
over the past nine or ten months. In fact, well
over twenty million people have joined us, and we're grateful
for each of you. In our previous episode, we heard
how Jesus called Peter and other disciples to become fishers

(03:04):
of men. We saw how when they obeyed him in faith,
he provided more abundantly than they could have ever imagined.
And we saw how jesus healings ministry began to grow
and spread in the region. But in all this business,
Jesus never neglected to find time in solitude to seek
God's presence, the heavenly Father's strength. Today we'll hear from Jesus'

(03:27):
most well known sermon and his words concerning God's kingdom
and what that looks like when we live out kingdom
principles and priorities here on earth. Is called the Sermon
on the Mount. So let's hear the word of God.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Jesus scanned the crowds as they followed his every step.
His popularity was growing rapidly, and thousands of people followed
him into the valley outside Galilee. Their hearts were hungry
for truth. They were longing to know what the Kingdom
of God truly looked like. Jesus them at the bottom
of a small hill. He climbed to the top and sat.

(04:04):
The wind carried his voice for all to hear, and
they listened to every word flowing from his mouth. Blessed
are those who are poor in spirit. The Kingdom of
heaven belongs to them. Blessed are those who hurt, for
the time will come for them to be comforted. Blessed
are those with strength, but use it for good, for

(04:25):
they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who long
for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy in return. Blessed are those
who are persecuted for doing what is right, for the
Kingdom of heaven will reward them greatly. The crowd was
completely silent as they listened to Jesus. You all are salt,

(04:50):
But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it
be used. You are also a light, meant to guide
and direct people to safety, and a light is of
no use hiding under a basket. Let your light shine
so they might glorify your father in heaven. Jesus could
see the crowds processing his words. What he spoke were

(05:10):
old truths, but it seemed new to them. Jesus smiled
and held up his finger do not think that I
came to abolish the laws or the prophets you have
learned since your youth. I have not come to destroy
the law, but bring it to fulfillment. For you have
heard it said, do not murder. But I tell you
whoever harbors hatred in his heart or insults his brother

(05:33):
as judged the same. You have heard it said, do
not commit adultery. But I have come to tell you
that whoever lusts after a woman in his mind, or
treats a woman as an object, is committing adultery in
his heart. The crowd began to stir a bit. What
Jesus was saying was revolutionary and changed the way they

(05:53):
saw themselves. Then Jesus said something that would change everything.
You have heard people say.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
And I for an eye.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
But if anyone slaps you on the cheek, you ought
to turn the other cheek. Do not return evil for evil,
Love your enemies, Bless those who scorn you. Everyone is
good at loving those who love them in return. However,
the mark of a pure heart lies within someone who
is able to love the unlovable. Jesus looked at the crowd.

(06:23):
He could see a group of Pharisees glaring at him
in the corner of his eye. Jesus's tone was gentle
yet firm. He spoke clearly, saying, there is a trap
that many people fall into. They desire to only do
good when people are watching for them. Their reward is
in the validation of others. Beware of this. When you

(06:43):
give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet like
some do in the synagogues. Give in secret for your
heavenly Father sees you when you pray. Do not add
spectacle or poetry to come off as righteous to others.
Some love to stand on the street corners and proclaim
them devotion to God. When you pray, do so just
between you and the Lord. Some of Jesus's disciples interrupted

(07:08):
him and asked, then, teach us how to pray. Jesus
answered and said, our Father, holy is your name. May
your kingdom come and your will be done here as
it is in your perfect will, provide our daily needs,
and forgive us of all our sins. And may we
also forgive those who have trespassed against us, Lead us

(07:30):
away from temptation, and deliver us from evil. The prayer
was simple yet profound, and it spoke of the relationship
man ought to have with God. Do not be anxious
for anything, Jesus said, Look at the birds of the air.
They do not toil and worry, yet their heavenly father
feeds them. You are more important than they, so trust

(07:52):
that the Lord will provide. No one ever added one
moment to their life by worrying. Do not be anxious
about tomorrow. It has its own troubles. Live to day.
Jesus could see that some of the people were beginning
to look to one another. The nature of humans is
to look at the flaws in one another instead of inward.

(08:12):
Jesus knew this and gave a stiff warning to all
who were listening. Be careful not to judge others, for
you yourself will be judged. Why would you point out
the small piece of sawdust in someone else's eye when
you have a large wooden plank stuck in your own.
There was a chuckle from among the crowd. Jesus smiled,

(08:33):
Be mindful to understand your own flaws before mentioning the
flaws of others. You will serve them better if you
do so. Jesus welled up with love for the people.
He saw them as God did children. In need of
a loving parent, ask great things of God. Seek him
and he will answer. How many of you parents would

(08:56):
deny your children bread and instead give him a stone?
If you, being sinful, would not even do this, Even
more so, God will give happily to those who seek
his favor. There was a pause, and Jesus stood to
his feet. The wind blew from behind him, and his
robe flowed in the wind. He stepped down once and
raised his voice. He did not want anyone to miss

(09:18):
his next words. Treat others the way you wish to
be treated. This is the true heart behind the law
of God. And understand this that the gate to the
Kingdom of God is narrow. The easy path is wide
and open. However, its ease is deceptive. It is the
way of death. The true path of God is hard.

(09:42):
It requires sacrifice, struggle, and humility. This is why many
will choose to avoid it. Ultimately, a tree is judged
by its fruit. Every healthy and good tree bears fruit
that people can enjoy. Every bad tree produces thorns and poison.
The same with our hearts. A good heart will produce

(10:03):
good actions. Likewise, a bad heart will produce corrupt actions.
Make no mistake words are not enough. Not everyone who
declares to know the Lord will enter into the Kingdom
of heaven. Jesus began to walk down the hill when
he looked upon a firm stone on the ground. He
picked it up and smiled. He held the stone up

(10:24):
in the air and said, everyone who hears these words
of mine and does them is like a wise person
who builds their house on a firm rock. When the
rain fell and the floods came, their house was sturdy.
Yet those who do not listen and do not do
these things are like people who build their homes on sand.
When troubles come, they will be washed away. Jesus dropped

(10:45):
the stone and walked away. The crowd stood there, astonished
that he held so much authority in his words.

Speaker 4 (10:56):
As we begin today's reading, a large crowd is gathered
outside out of Galilee to hear Jesus speak. Jesus stood
on top of a mountain, a place where his voice
could reach far and wide, so that all in the
crowd could hear what he had to say, because what
he had to say was life changing. He began by
telling the people what it means to be blessed. These

(11:18):
weren't blessings as we understand them. It wasn't about good
fortune or wealth or health. It was something far greater,
much deeper. This was about the blessing of joy and
of total satisfaction, and to live in the fullness and
the wholeness of God's grace. Jesus then went on to
describe the attitudes that will lead to this fulfillment, the

(11:39):
perfect satisfaction. These were attitudes that we call the bee attitudes,
and these attitudes are the attitudes that we should seek,
not only attitudes towards ourselves, but attitudes towards others. The
be attitudes Jesus describes here stand in stark contrast as
to how the world seek ease what is important. These

(12:02):
were deep, deep teachings and not easy ones to follow.
He then reminded the people of the purpose of these
beatitudes that we were called, all of us who follow Jesus,
to be salt and light, to be agents of preservation
and illumination in a dark and desperate world. We are
still called to do that today, to be salt and

(12:24):
light in our world, in our culture, to make a
difference in people's lives, to turn on the light of
the Gospel and to be salt in the earth. Next,
Jesus turned his attention to his own purpose. He told them,
in no uncertain terms, that he did not come to
abolish the law or the writings of the prophets, but
to bring them to fulfillment. This is very important. God

(12:47):
had outlined in the Ten Commandments the requirements for holy living,
a life set apart for God. This is the law
that he gave to Moses. This was the standard by
which people were expected to live, and principles that we
can live by even today. The Ten Commandments spoke of
murder and adultery, and divorce and swearing oaths, and vengeance

(13:08):
and love, and for each of these Jesus began with
the basics of the law. But rather than lowering the
standards of the law, Jesus raised the standards. He was
showing them that the real perfect standard was not just
weighty and burdensome. It was impossible in our own power.
This is why we need a savior. Jesus came to

(13:30):
fulfill the law and the prophets for us, and when
we trust in him, his righteousness becomes our righteousness. He
was also teaching them and all of us something else.
The issue of sin and disobedience to God is an
issue of the heart. Without changed hearts, it is impossible
to live a righteous life. They didn't know this yet,

(13:53):
but the one speaking to them was their only hope
and our only hope. For a life changed, a heart
sh changed the only way that any of us could
meet the high and holy standard that God has established.
Jesus cautioned people against acting righteously for the sake of
recognition that is, self righteously, especially with regards to caring

(14:14):
for the poor. Again, he was pointing them to the
heart of the matter, their own hearts. The Lord then
began to teach the people about prayer, starting with the
posture of prayer. Prayer is not to be a spectacle
a show for others to see. It is rather a
personal conversation with the God who created us. Jesus himself

(14:35):
lived by this example, often retreating in solitude to pray.
When asked how they were to pray, Jesus gave them
a pattern for praying, an outline, if you will, as
to how to pray. We know it as the Lord's prayer,
and it is a beautiful model for how to speak
to our Father in Heaven. It is a prayer that
has endured to this day, one that speaks to our

(14:57):
relationship with God. Our submisis to His will and dependence
upon His provision and forgiveness, and our need to forgive
others as God has forgiven us. As he continued to
teach the crowd, Jesus poured out wisdom from God's heart.
He called people to invest in God's kingdom, to be generous,

(15:18):
storing up treasures in the life to come, treasures that
will never decay or be destroyed. He called the crowds
to release their worries to God, trusting that he will
provide for their every need, and he urged them and
us to boldly ask God to provide, reminding us that
the Father in Heaven is infinitely gracious and kind and

(15:39):
giving good gifts to all who ask. Finally, Jesus concluded
the message with an illustration. He said, in Matthew chapter
seven and verses thirteen and fourteen, enter through the narrow gate.
For why ite is the gate, and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate, narrow the road that leads

(16:01):
to life, and only a few find it. So with
this is an illustration and a warning. He warns us
about those who would lead us astray, false prophets and
false religions, disguised disciples who claim to follow the Lord
but are way way lost. Jesus' words would stick to

(16:22):
some that day. Those who heard and held on to
his teaching would build their foundation their lives on a
solid rock, and they would be prepared to weather the
storms of life. It is so important that you build
your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ. As Jesus
taught us, we must not build our lives on the
sifting sands of time that crumble, but upon the solid

(16:46):
rock who is Christ himself. At the center of Jesus'
famous sermon is the theme of true righteousness and the
truth that righteousness is not a result of our action,
but a condition of our hearts. And ultimately, jesus words
would remind us that our hope, our only hope for righteousness,
is him Christ himself. He is the ultimate good gift

(17:09):
of the heavenly Father, who knows our needs and provides
for them in every way so that we could accomplish
His purpose and will for our lives. Let's pray thank
you Dear God, for this powerful sermon from the very
lips of Jesus and how it points us to our
great need of You. You've told us to be perfect,

(17:30):
even as the heavenly Father is perfect. And we know
we are not perfect, but you are. So we thank
you for your perfect sacrifice for us of the Cross,
for your resurrection that we might have forgiveness of our
sins and be given your righteousness that we may live
in the eternal hope of Heaven. Help us to live
putting You first in all things, to seek first the

(17:52):
Kingdom of God and your righteousness, Lord, knowing that you
will bless us with everything we need in life and
in the life to come. Amen. Thank you for listening
to Today's Bible in a year. I'm pastor Jack Graham
from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Prey dot com
app and make Bible study in prayer the priority of

(18:13):
your life. And if you appreciate this podcast, please share
it with someone else. I also want to encourage you
to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org for we have resources that are free and
available for you so that you may know Christ and
grow in Him. God bless you

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Sermon on the Mount - The Book of Matthew

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Jack Graham

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