Matthew 5:1-2; 7:28-29 – And seeing the multitudes, he
went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them….And
it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished
at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes.
Please understand—the Christian life is just that—it is a life. The Christian life is a way of living that is only available to one who has been changed by God. So many people claim to be Christians with their mouths today, yet their lives seem to speak much more loudly saying they are not.
Ø Do you agree with that last statement?
Ø Do you believe many people claim to be saved but are not?
Ø What are some things in people’s lives (claiming to be Christians) that make you question whether they are really genuine or not?
When it comes to Christian living, please understand all we have in mind is living the way Christ would have us live—a way that pleases and glorifies the Father. Well, these three chapters give us some of the most practical advice concerning Christian living. To me, part of the main drive of the Sermon on the Mount is teaching us what true righteousness is all about. That is, it teaches us the right way to live before God and others. I divide it into three parts—
According to our passage, when Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth, and taught them the truths we want to see throughout these three chapters. When he finished, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. In other words, the people were blown away at what he had to say. When he spoke, it was real; it came from the heart; it was the very Word of God speaking giving the people God’s Word. It is my desire that we will listen to Jesus and instead of just being astonished, I hope his words penetrate our hearts and make a real change in the way we are as well as the way we live.
Please understand I believe the Sermon on the Mount is impossible to live—in our own strength. That is, I can’t give you a set of rules or a pattern to help you live out these truths. Instead, the only way it can be lived is for Jesus to put it within our hearts. It requires a change on the inside, and these words need to be planted within us, and they need to grow, bloom, and blossom into a way that will change the way we think, act, and live. But again, it begins with the heart. As Christians, we need to realize in one sense we are like a car. People love to have nice cars that look impressive, have lots of features, and attract attention. But what if a car has all that and it’s engine isn’t very good? If we are not careful, we try to impress people with our outward “Christianity” instead of being concerned with genuine Christianity which begins on the inside with God working in us and starts growing in areas such as our attitudes and thought life. Until those areas are affected, the outward things we do are of not much value. I hope through this series that God will plant the attitudes within each of our hearts that he wants us to have, and I pray it will change the way we think and live.