October 14, 2024 • 21 mins
2000 years ago, the most famous oratorial speech, church sermon, or public rally that has ever been heard occurred in Northern Israel on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Some of the most transformative teachings ever heard were given from the Sermon on the mount as Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven to all that would listen. Join me as we explore the transformative teachings of Jesus and consider an invitation to embody the values of the Kingdom of God. With insights from my own journey of finding purpose through faith, we'll examine how Jesus, like a new Moses, referenced the Old Testament to bring forth teachings that challenge us to shine as lights in the world, to find joy even in persecution, and to practice righteousness in every aspect of our lives.
We'll delve into the basic elements that introduce the Sermon on the Mount and why we should consider Jesus' teachings with such significant authority. This episode connects the beginning of the Beatitudes with each listener's heart and invites them into a heartfelt prayer. We invite you to align your life with Christ's teachings, offering hope and service to those in need. Thank you for your continued support in spreading these messages of hope, ensuring that more hearts are touched by faith and inspiration.
Are you inspired by what you hear today? Jason deeply appreciates his listeners taking their time to listening, downloading, and sharing The Hopeful Perspective Podcast. Please help me spread 'hope' to others by writing a review for the podcast making it reachable for all who need to be inspired, encouraged, and changed by hoping once again. Further, understand that downloading the podcast is a surefire way to help increase the algorithm thus the reach of The Hopeful Perspective, even if you delete the episode after listening so as to not affect your data storage. I have also provided a (Support the Show) link DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARAGRAPH to click on for those who have shared with me they are "all in" and feel called to financially support the mission and vision of The Hopeful Perspective. A special thank you to those who have made this humble step to financially support the podcast. Without you, there is no US!
Jason Hopkins can also be reached on Facebook as well as Instagram and Threads (jayhop9953). You can also follow 'The Hopeful Perspective' FB page; where you can find more information as well as learn about upcoming news and episodes on the The Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own life story, whichillustrates God's glory.
(00:22):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my own life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem, I have moved from
merely a surviving victim to afaithful and thriving victor who
(00:44):
the Lord has motivated to helpothers discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective, and I now want to
help you, too, to have abiblical and hopeful perspective
(01:06):
as you approach differingsituations in your own life,
from the delightful to thedifficult and everything in
between.
I want to take a moment tothank you for listening and, if
you have done so, take in thetime to download our episodes,
as when you download, along withrating our podcast with an
honest response, you help thealgorithm immensely to spread
(01:27):
our reach.
That said, our statsdemonstrate that, while
thousands listen and stream theHopeful Perspective, less than
10% actually download ourepisodes.
Please consider helping bridgethe gap that broaden that reach
for us.
We have also provided a fewoptions to either contact our
show with your direct feedback,as well as to support the
(01:49):
podcast financially.
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
episode you are downloading onyour podcast platform.
Before we get started today, Iwant to compel you to grab your
favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage.
Get comfortable and come on tothis journey with me as we begin
(02:11):
our exploration into examiningJesus' extraordinary message in
His Sermon on the Mount.
When we think about the Sermonon the Mount recorded in the
book of Matthew, chapters 5-7,did you know that we are
discussing one of the mostfamous pieces of literature in
any book throughout history, letalone the Bible?
(02:34):
As a result, you can guess itis also one of the world's
foremost famous speeches.
So, regardless, if you arelistening today to this podcast
with a Christian worldview, youare probably familiar to this
podcast with a Christianworldview, you are probably
familiar in some way withexcerpts or pieces of the famous
speech or sermon.
So let's begin to look at whatwe need to understand this
(02:58):
message that has impactedhumanity as well as become the
foundation by which literallybillions of people have
developed their ethos and builttheir faith.
Of course, if we were merelyapproaching this academically,
we would cease there.
But because we are also lookingat this from a personal point
of view, from someone who haschosen to take Jesus at his word
(03:19):
and live out what he preached,not only in this sermon, but the
rest of his kingdom message, Iwant to look into what makes the
Sermon on the Mount soincredible and remarkable then
as well as today.
First, we should consider theaudience that Jesus is trying to
reach.
While his earliest discipleswere most certainly present, we
(03:44):
know that his most famous sermondrew large crowds that were
counted in the multitudes,though the numbers are uncertain
.
We know that the impact ofJesus' sermon expanded beyond
the immediate hearers forcenturies and generations to
come.
Jesus' words apply to anyoneexpressing allegiance to him.
(04:06):
Imagine this for a second.
Someone in modern Jerusalem,downtown Portland, new York City
, budapest or Beijing, anyonethat has chosen to follow Jesus
is just as much the audience asthose first century disciples
that were sitting at his feet.
(04:26):
This truly puts intoperspective the transcendent
power of the Holy Spirit and theWord of God.
The second thing I want us totake a look at is that the
Sermon on the Mount is full ofOld Testament quotations and
allusions.
These references to the Jewishscriptures are epitomized by the
(04:49):
phrase when we hear Jesus sayyou have heard it that it was
said.
By referencing the OldTestament law to his hearers,
jesus is kind of like the newMoses, establishing credibility
and ethics with his followers.
However, unlike Moses, theteaching is not from another
(05:10):
source, but are Jesus' own words.
So you hear him commonlyconclude with this phrase.
But I tell you so it soundslike this in Matthew 5, 21-22,.
So it sounds like this inMatthew 5, 21-22,.
When Jesus discusses anger, hesays You've heard that it was
said to the people long ago youshall not murder and anyone who
(05:34):
murders will be subject tojudgment.
But I tell you that anyone whois angry with a brother or
sister has committed murder andwill be subject to judgment.
It was this authority thatJesus spoke with that amazed his
followers.
See, while Moses was alegendary lawgiver and he was
(05:54):
Jesus was a greater Moses, theactual source of the law.
With his teaching grounded inthe Old Testament, jesus
demonstrates that he is notnecessarily trying to start this
new religion.
He preaches a strong continuitywith what the Jewish people had
already observed.
He declares that he is notabolishing the law nor the
(06:16):
prophets, and that every part ofthe law is to actually be kept.
Jesus takes the very scripturethe people knew from the past.
Jesus takes the very scripturethe people knew from the past
the law and the prophets and hefulfills them no-transcript.
(06:42):
The third thing that we shouldtake away from the Sermon on the
Mount is how we should do lifein the present day.
In his sermon, jesus givesethical teachings that apply to
their present age.
He teaches us hearers to havejoy in persecution, to be a
light in a dark world, to engagein good deeds as a testimony to
(07:05):
others, to act righteouslyconcerning marriage, to love our
enemies, to not be anxiousabout needs.
These acts, attitudes andpostures characterize those who
are part of the kingdom in thepresent.
While some might view theSermon on the Mount as a
description of the futurekingdom, jesus expects his
(07:29):
audience from his hearers in thepresent, before the kingdom
fully arrives.
He has expectations of hiscurrent disciples.
As he commands his followersabout living in the present life
, jesus asserts his role as kindof the king.
See, in Jewish and Greco-Romantraditions, the king was the
(07:51):
ideal and virtuous sage, the onewho embodied the law.
With this tradition view,jesus' sermon is the
authoritative kingdom teachingof the Messiah Elsewhere.
In Matthew, Jesus declares thatthe kingdom of God has arrived
with his presence.
In the sermon, he directs hishearers to put his kingdom first
(08:14):
.
In the Beatitudes, which wewill get into next week, jesus
calls his followers to have hischaracter, to take on the values
of his kingdom rather than thatof the world.
We can see how his teachingsapply to following his kingdom.
Having his character and takingon his values apply as much to
(08:37):
this day and age as they didthen, in the first century as
well.
The fourth idea we ought toconsider about the Sermon on the
Mount is that, in addition tohaving application to their
present age, jesus' sermon isfull of eschatological content.
Well, what is eschatology, someof you are asking?
This is the study of the endtimes, or what happens after we
(08:59):
die, etc.
And rather than having our hopein the present life, jesus
urges his hearers to bemotivated by eternity.
The Beatitudes find their basisin eschatological hope, in
inheriting the earth, in seekingGod and having heavenly reward.
Jesus speaks about hell,treasures in heaven and the road
(09:22):
to life.
In fact, the ending of hissermon contains repeated
eschatological warnings the wideand narrow gates, the false
prophets who will be thrown intothe fire, a warning about false
followers and the image of thefoolish man's house collapsing.
In the end, adhering to Jesus'words leads to eternal life and
(09:46):
not adhering to them leads toeternal destruction.
While Jesus comes and declaresthat the kingdom has arrived in
the present, he also talks aboutthe kingdom being in the future
.
He teaches about a futureentrance into the kingdom and he
instructs his hearers to praythat the kingdom will come.
By using language about boththe present and future aspects
(10:09):
of the kingdom, and he instructshis hearers to pray that the
kingdom will come.
By using language about boththe present and future aspects
of the kingdom, jesus teachesthat the kingdom of God does not
merely exist at a single pointin time.
This already-but-not-yet aspectof the kingdom points to what
many have called inauguratedeschatology.
Jesus has brought the kingdomto earth, yet it will not reach
(10:30):
its fullest realization orpotential until the future, with
the discussion of what willhappen in the end times.
Jesus asserts his role as thejudge.
He teaches his hearers of theeternal consequences of
uncontrolled anger, of lust andadultery, of private almsgiving,
(10:51):
of storing up of heavenlytreasure and of judging others
of false teaching.
He is the one who will decideif people enter the kingdom of
heaven, and he warns that somewill be surprised that they will
not.
The judge's instructions arenot to be taken lightly, and
(11:15):
this leads us to the fifthdistinctive idea that we ought
to consider about the Sermon onthe Mount.
Jesus bears many titles as thelawgiver, as the judge, as the
king, but Jesus is also the trueteacher.
During the Sermon on the Mount,he declares his uniqueness, he
(11:39):
warns his hearers about falseprophets in their midst, and he
declares that the righteousnesstaught and practiced by the
Pharisees and scribes is notenough to enter the kingdom.
In his explanation of the law,he taught a different kind of
righteousness, one that goesbeyond outward appearances.
The righteousness of thekingdom includes interchange as
(12:03):
well.
The whole person is transformed.
Ultimately, the standard is thatJesus' followers should be
perfect, just as the HeavenlyFather is perfect.
Some might lament that Jesus'raising of the bar makes it
impossible to meet his moralstandards and that this
(12:24):
unattainable goal only revealsour need for a savior.
In other words, theinterpretation is that the
purpose of the impossibly highethical standard is to have
people reflect on thehopelessness of our sin and to
rely on Christ's perfectrighteousness.
This is painted in his largestmessage that he did not come to
(12:48):
abolish the law, but to fulfillthe law.
He came as the perfect lambthat could save us from our sin,
restoring us to be with him forall eternity.
I'd say that these are the fivemost profound messages, all
unto themselves, that we shoulddelve into and to study.
(13:09):
That would most edify the faith.
If you were to break down theSermon on the Mount into finer
detail, Yet, I think mostscholars would agree that if
there was one overarchingmessage that hearers needed to
take away from the Sermon on theMount, it is that there is a
kingdom that is not of thisearth, and it is that of the
(13:32):
kingdom of heaven.
Sure, this is covered in thepoint about eschatology.
Yet one needs to understandthat even Matthew, who was the
one gospel author to record theSermon on the Mount, found it
significant enough to be aprimary theme of his entire book
.
Jesus spoke of the kingdom ofheaven 126 times in the Gospels,
(13:56):
and we know that the NewTestament speaks it by name an
additional 34 times.
This is the one thing that theSermon on the Mount.
Jesus wanted to communicate tohis disciples that they were of
a royal blood and that they werenot of this world.
In order to receive theinheritance that came along with
their royal bloodline, they hadto give up all that came along
(14:21):
in this world.
They had to sacrifice theirlives in order to save their
lives.
And with this in context, jesusbegins the most spectacular
speech, the most profound sermonor the most famous oration
that's ever been heard, and itwould begin something like this
(14:44):
Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, forthey will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for theywill inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hungerand thirst for righteousness,
(15:10):
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, forthey will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children
(15:33):
of God.
Blessed are those who arepersecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is thekingdom of heaven, regardless
of where you are on the journey.
You are listening today bydesign and by God's plan, and
that is no mistake.
I pray that as you arelistening, you are not just
(15:55):
undergoing informationtransference, but rather you are
sensing the Spirit talkingdirectly to you because, friends
, in my experience, the HolySpirit is deeply personal and
with Him there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweeding His redemptive work in
your life.
(16:16):
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now, as Jesus
declared 2,000 years ago, we areblessed.
As Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago, we are blessed.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you toward Him,
and I would be remiss if we leftour time today without
providing an opportunity for usto respond, and I want to pray
(16:42):
for you right now.
So all of you listening eitheragree with this prayer or lift
those up who are in need ofintercession right as we sit.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
(17:07):
I believe that you are the Sonof God, that you died on the
cross for the forgiveness of mysins and that you rose again on
the third day for my victory.
I believe that in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior and that your kingdom
, the kingdom of heaven, isforever and I want to live my
(17:32):
life according to your terms andI want you to change my
reliance from myself and anyearthly vessels.
I've placed hope and instead Iwant to trust your plan and I
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and the models
to pursue restoration into mylife.
(17:53):
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I've neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
indifferent, incapable, where Ihave been unable to prioritize
those who need to feel the hopeof Christ.
Show me where I am called to bea part of your team and I
entrust myself to your equippingand sending, as you will.
(18:15):
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing and a
God of truth, a God of hope.
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be the one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Show me your ways, lord.
(18:37):
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven
and may our priorities begin toreflect your heart and your
kingdom, begin to reflect yourheart and your kingdom.
Jesus, it's your name that Ipray, as the judge, as the
(19:05):
teacher, as the Messiah, and asour King.
We pray in these things, amen.
You see, friends, if you havetoday agreed with this prayer
from the depths of your heart,then I agree with you and I
welcome you to the eternalfamily of God, or I commend you
if you've returned to the faith.
I want to encourage you to finda church family who worships
the Lord passionately and iscommitted to the teaching and
(19:27):
the preaching of the scripturesand is committed to serving the
community and beyond.
Also, devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, tolearn and to be discipled in as
it pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ, as we're
learning in this series.
(19:47):
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show his children in
his love letters that he haswritten to them.
And so, hopeful Fam.
This has been my pleasure tospend the morning, the afternoon
or whatever time of day it is,growing and learning with you.
I look forward to tuning in nexttime on the Hopeful Perspective
(20:08):
podcast, where we'll be furtherunpacking what it is known as
the Beatitudes, or the furtherintroduction to the Sermon on
the Mount.
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
journey, allowing me to sharefrom my heart today and if you
would be so kind as to follow,subscribe and, most importantly,
(20:29):
to rate and write a review forothers on your platform who may
need the hopeful perspective intheir life.
Did you know that you couldcontribute monetarily by
pressing our support the showlink that is embedded on your
platform in the episodedescriptions?
If you believe in what we do, Iwould cherish your prayers as
(20:49):
well as consider giving to thecause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple donors
who already have made thiscommitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without them, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
with the messages that we do,or anyone who needs to be
reminded that hope is indeedreal and his name is Jesus.
(21:14):
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time.
Remember, friends, you areloved.
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own life story, whichillustrates God's glory.
(00:22):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my own life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem, I have moved from
merely a surviving victim to afaithful and thriving victor who
(00:44):
the Lord has motivated to helpothers discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective, and I now want to
help you, too, to have abiblical and hopeful perspective
(01:06):
as you approach differingsituations in your own life,
from the delightful to thedifficult and everything in
between.
I want to take a moment tothank you for listening and, if
you have done so, take in thetime to download our episodes,
as when you download, along withrating our podcast with an
honest response, you help thealgorithm immensely to spread
(01:27):
our reach.
That said, our statsdemonstrate that, while
thousands listen and stream theHopeful Perspective, less than
10% actually download ourepisodes.
Please consider helping bridgethe gap that broaden that reach
for us.
We have also provided a fewoptions to either contact our
show with your direct feedback,as well as to support the
(01:49):
podcast financially.
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
episode you are downloading onyour podcast platform.
Before we get started today, Iwant to compel you to grab your
favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage.
Get comfortable and come on tothis journey with me as we begin
(02:11):
our exploration into examiningJesus' extraordinary message in
His Sermon on the Mount.
When we think about the Sermonon the Mount recorded in the
book of Matthew, chapters 5-7,did you know that we are
discussing one of the mostfamous pieces of literature in
any book throughout history, letalone the Bible?
(02:34):
As a result, you can guess itis also one of the world's
foremost famous speeches.
So, regardless, if you arelistening today to this podcast
with a Christian worldview, youare probably familiar to this
podcast with a Christianworldview, you are probably
familiar in some way withexcerpts or pieces of the famous
speech or sermon.
So let's begin to look at whatwe need to understand this
(02:58):
message that has impactedhumanity as well as become the
foundation by which literallybillions of people have
developed their ethos and builttheir faith.
Of course, if we were merelyapproaching this academically,
we would cease there.
But because we are also lookingat this from a personal point
of view, from someone who haschosen to take Jesus at his word
(03:19):
and live out what he preached,not only in this sermon, but the
rest of his kingdom message, Iwant to look into what makes the
Sermon on the Mount soincredible and remarkable then
as well as today.
First, we should consider theaudience that Jesus is trying to
reach.
While his earliest discipleswere most certainly present, we
(03:44):
know that his most famous sermondrew large crowds that were
counted in the multitudes,though the numbers are uncertain
.
We know that the impact ofJesus' sermon expanded beyond
the immediate hearers forcenturies and generations to
come.
Jesus' words apply to anyoneexpressing allegiance to him.
(04:06):
Imagine this for a second.
Someone in modern Jerusalem,downtown Portland, new York City
, budapest or Beijing, anyonethat has chosen to follow Jesus
is just as much the audience asthose first century disciples
that were sitting at his feet.
(04:26):
This truly puts intoperspective the transcendent
power of the Holy Spirit and theWord of God.
The second thing I want us totake a look at is that the
Sermon on the Mount is full ofOld Testament quotations and
allusions.
These references to the Jewishscriptures are epitomized by the
(04:49):
phrase when we hear Jesus sayyou have heard it that it was
said.
By referencing the OldTestament law to his hearers,
jesus is kind of like the newMoses, establishing credibility
and ethics with his followers.
However, unlike Moses, theteaching is not from another
(05:10):
source, but are Jesus' own words.
So you hear him commonlyconclude with this phrase.
But I tell you so it soundslike this in Matthew 5, 21-22,.
So it sounds like this inMatthew 5, 21-22,.
When Jesus discusses anger, hesays You've heard that it was
said to the people long ago youshall not murder and anyone who
(05:34):
murders will be subject tojudgment.
But I tell you that anyone whois angry with a brother or
sister has committed murder andwill be subject to judgment.
It was this authority thatJesus spoke with that amazed his
followers.
See, while Moses was alegendary lawgiver and he was
(05:54):
Jesus was a greater Moses, theactual source of the law.
With his teaching grounded inthe Old Testament, jesus
demonstrates that he is notnecessarily trying to start this
new religion.
He preaches a strong continuitywith what the Jewish people had
already observed.
He declares that he is notabolishing the law nor the
(06:16):
prophets, and that every part ofthe law is to actually be kept.
Jesus takes the very scripturethe people knew from the past.
Jesus takes the very scripturethe people knew from the past
the law and the prophets and hefulfills them no-transcript.
(06:42):
The third thing that we shouldtake away from the Sermon on the
Mount is how we should do lifein the present day.
In his sermon, jesus givesethical teachings that apply to
their present age.
He teaches us hearers to havejoy in persecution, to be a
light in a dark world, to engagein good deeds as a testimony to
(07:05):
others, to act righteouslyconcerning marriage, to love our
enemies, to not be anxiousabout needs.
These acts, attitudes andpostures characterize those who
are part of the kingdom in thepresent.
While some might view theSermon on the Mount as a
description of the futurekingdom, jesus expects his
(07:29):
audience from his hearers in thepresent, before the kingdom
fully arrives.
He has expectations of hiscurrent disciples.
As he commands his followersabout living in the present life
, jesus asserts his role as kindof the king.
See, in Jewish and Greco-Romantraditions, the king was the
(07:51):
ideal and virtuous sage, the onewho embodied the law.
With this tradition view,jesus' sermon is the
authoritative kingdom teachingof the Messiah Elsewhere.
In Matthew, Jesus declares thatthe kingdom of God has arrived
with his presence.
In the sermon, he directs hishearers to put his kingdom first
(08:14):
.
In the Beatitudes, which wewill get into next week, jesus
calls his followers to have hischaracter, to take on the values
of his kingdom rather than thatof the world.
We can see how his teachingsapply to following his kingdom.
Having his character and takingon his values apply as much to
(08:37):
this day and age as they didthen, in the first century as
well.
The fourth idea we ought toconsider about the Sermon on the
Mount is that, in addition tohaving application to their
present age, jesus' sermon isfull of eschatological content.
Well, what is eschatology, someof you are asking?
This is the study of the endtimes, or what happens after we
(08:59):
die, etc.
And rather than having our hopein the present life, jesus
urges his hearers to bemotivated by eternity.
The Beatitudes find their basisin eschatological hope, in
inheriting the earth, in seekingGod and having heavenly reward.
Jesus speaks about hell,treasures in heaven and the road
(09:22):
to life.
In fact, the ending of hissermon contains repeated
eschatological warnings the wideand narrow gates, the false
prophets who will be thrown intothe fire, a warning about false
followers and the image of thefoolish man's house collapsing.
In the end, adhering to Jesus'words leads to eternal life and
(09:46):
not adhering to them leads toeternal destruction.
While Jesus comes and declaresthat the kingdom has arrived in
the present, he also talks aboutthe kingdom being in the future
.
He teaches about a futureentrance into the kingdom and he
instructs his hearers to praythat the kingdom will come.
By using language about boththe present and future aspects
(10:09):
of the kingdom, and he instructshis hearers to pray that the
kingdom will come.
By using language about boththe present and future aspects
of the kingdom, jesus teachesthat the kingdom of God does not
merely exist at a single pointin time.
This already-but-not-yet aspectof the kingdom points to what
many have called inauguratedeschatology.
Jesus has brought the kingdomto earth, yet it will not reach
(10:30):
its fullest realization orpotential until the future, with
the discussion of what willhappen in the end times.
Jesus asserts his role as thejudge.
He teaches his hearers of theeternal consequences of
uncontrolled anger, of lust andadultery, of private almsgiving,
(10:51):
of storing up of heavenlytreasure and of judging others
of false teaching.
He is the one who will decideif people enter the kingdom of
heaven, and he warns that somewill be surprised that they will
not.
The judge's instructions arenot to be taken lightly, and
(11:15):
this leads us to the fifthdistinctive idea that we ought
to consider about the Sermon onthe Mount.
Jesus bears many titles as thelawgiver, as the judge, as the
king, but Jesus is also the trueteacher.
During the Sermon on the Mount,he declares his uniqueness, he
(11:39):
warns his hearers about falseprophets in their midst, and he
declares that the righteousnesstaught and practiced by the
Pharisees and scribes is notenough to enter the kingdom.
In his explanation of the law,he taught a different kind of
righteousness, one that goesbeyond outward appearances.
The righteousness of thekingdom includes interchange as
(12:03):
well.
The whole person is transformed.
Ultimately, the standard is thatJesus' followers should be
perfect, just as the HeavenlyFather is perfect.
Some might lament that Jesus'raising of the bar makes it
impossible to meet his moralstandards and that this
(12:24):
unattainable goal only revealsour need for a savior.
In other words, theinterpretation is that the
purpose of the impossibly highethical standard is to have
people reflect on thehopelessness of our sin and to
rely on Christ's perfectrighteousness.
This is painted in his largestmessage that he did not come to
(12:48):
abolish the law, but to fulfillthe law.
He came as the perfect lambthat could save us from our sin,
restoring us to be with him forall eternity.
I'd say that these are the fivemost profound messages, all
unto themselves, that we shoulddelve into and to study.
(13:09):
That would most edify the faith.
If you were to break down theSermon on the Mount into finer
detail, Yet, I think mostscholars would agree that if
there was one overarchingmessage that hearers needed to
take away from the Sermon on theMount, it is that there is a
kingdom that is not of thisearth, and it is that of the
(13:32):
kingdom of heaven.
Sure, this is covered in thepoint about eschatology.
Yet one needs to understandthat even Matthew, who was the
one gospel author to record theSermon on the Mount, found it
significant enough to be aprimary theme of his entire book
.
Jesus spoke of the kingdom ofheaven 126 times in the Gospels,
(13:56):
and we know that the NewTestament speaks it by name an
additional 34 times.
This is the one thing that theSermon on the Mount.
Jesus wanted to communicate tohis disciples that they were of
a royal blood and that they werenot of this world.
In order to receive theinheritance that came along with
their royal bloodline, they hadto give up all that came along
(14:21):
in this world.
They had to sacrifice theirlives in order to save their
lives.
And with this in context, jesusbegins the most spectacular
speech, the most profound sermonor the most famous oration
that's ever been heard, and itwould begin something like this
(14:44):
Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, forthey will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for theywill inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hungerand thirst for righteousness,
(15:10):
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, forthey will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children
(15:33):
of God.
Blessed are those who arepersecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is thekingdom of heaven, regardless
of where you are on the journey.
You are listening today bydesign and by God's plan, and
that is no mistake.
I pray that as you arelistening, you are not just
(15:55):
undergoing informationtransference, but rather you are
sensing the Spirit talkingdirectly to you because, friends
, in my experience, the HolySpirit is deeply personal and
with Him there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweeding His redemptive work in
your life.
(16:16):
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now, as Jesus
declared 2,000 years ago, we areblessed.
As Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago, we are blessed.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you toward Him,
and I would be remiss if we leftour time today without
providing an opportunity for usto respond, and I want to pray
(16:42):
for you right now.
So all of you listening eitheragree with this prayer or lift
those up who are in need ofintercession right as we sit.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
(17:07):
I believe that you are the Sonof God, that you died on the
cross for the forgiveness of mysins and that you rose again on
the third day for my victory.
I believe that in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior and that your kingdom
, the kingdom of heaven, isforever and I want to live my
(17:32):
life according to your terms andI want you to change my
reliance from myself and anyearthly vessels.
I've placed hope and instead Iwant to trust your plan and I
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and the models
to pursue restoration into mylife.
(17:53):
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I've neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
indifferent, incapable, where Ihave been unable to prioritize
those who need to feel the hopeof Christ.
Show me where I am called to bea part of your team and I
entrust myself to your equippingand sending, as you will.
(18:15):
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing and a
God of truth, a God of hope.
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be the one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Show me your ways, lord.
(18:37):
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven
and may our priorities begin toreflect your heart and your
kingdom, begin to reflect yourheart and your kingdom.
Jesus, it's your name that Ipray, as the judge, as the
(19:05):
teacher, as the Messiah, and asour King.
We pray in these things, amen.
You see, friends, if you havetoday agreed with this prayer
from the depths of your heart,then I agree with you and I
welcome you to the eternalfamily of God, or I commend you
if you've returned to the faith.
I want to encourage you to finda church family who worships
the Lord passionately and iscommitted to the teaching and
(19:27):
the preaching of the scripturesand is committed to serving the
community and beyond.
Also, devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, tolearn and to be discipled in as
it pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ, as we're
learning in this series.
(19:47):
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show his children in
his love letters that he haswritten to them.
And so, hopeful Fam.
This has been my pleasure tospend the morning, the afternoon
or whatever time of day it is,growing and learning with you.
I look forward to tuning in nexttime on the Hopeful Perspective
(20:08):
podcast, where we'll be furtherunpacking what it is known as
the Beatitudes, or the furtherintroduction to the Sermon on
the Mount.
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
journey, allowing me to sharefrom my heart today and if you
would be so kind as to follow,subscribe and, most importantly,
(20:29):
to rate and write a review forothers on your platform who may
need the hopeful perspective intheir life.
Did you know that you couldcontribute monetarily by
pressing our support the showlink that is embedded on your
platform in the episodedescriptions?
If you believe in what we do, Iwould cherish your prayers as
(20:49):
well as consider giving to thecause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple donors
who already have made thiscommitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without them, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
with the messages that we do,or anyone who needs to be
reminded that hope is indeedreal and his name is Jesus.
(21:14):
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time.
Remember, friends, you areloved.
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