THE POINT: Jesus understands your heart and offers himself so that it may be transformed
ME
Bandwagon story…OU SOONERS
WE
We often jump on the bandwagon and follow the crowd…but when push comes to shove and real commitment or real cost is involved we tend to back away. Jumping on the bandwagon is easy, until we get down to the heart of the matter.
When we discover that what we’re following is going to cost us, or require sacrifice, or be painful and difficult or involve commitment, we often tend to jump back off of the bandwagon. The heart of the matter can change our minds/
The people who followed Jesus were no different…he had a lot of bandwagon followers. They saw the miracles, they heard the preaching, they were excited about the prospect of the Messiah being present…but they never really stopped to consider what it would mean to be a true follower of this man who made such astounding claims.
Early on in his ministry, Jesus knew that there would be all kinds of people attracted to him, not because of his radical call to live a life of sacrifice, surrender and holiness, but because he was new and different or because he performed miracles and fed them when they were hungry.
So, early in his ministry Jesus begins to teach some of the hard teachings of the Gospel. He begins to reveal to the crowds just exactly who it is that will be able to follow him and what it will cost. And his teaching was different. His whole way of life was upside down.
What the world had always taught was up, Jesus reveals to be down. What the world had thought would make a man happy, Jesus revealed would enslave him. And what the world thought was bad or painful or difficult, Jesus teaches are the very things that prepare us for life in the Kingdom and the very things that allow God to bless us.
The fact is, when compared to conventional wisdom, the way of God is UPSIDE DOWN. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reveals the UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD. And he doesn’t build up to it…He jumps right in.
He explains what it is that creates true happiness…and why. And it is completely upside down from what we would think.
Let’s look at what Jesus says and then over the next 8 weeks we’re going to dissect this passage of scripture to find out just who it is, in God’s kingdom, that is truly blessed.
GOD
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Let me interrupt myself here…This is what I’ve been talking about…This large crowd saw Jesus healing people, casting out demons, working miracles and they heard him preaching this new and exciting message that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. And, as a result, many of them began to follow him.
He was new
He was different
He was novel
He was intriguing
He was entertaining
So they followed but most, if not all, did not fully grasp what it meant to follow Jesus…. Jesus proceeds to reveal what it will mean to truly be called by his name and follow him. And for the next three chapters, Matthew 5-7 we have what is called the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew has collected Jesus teachings to those who would follow him. This sermon covers Jesus’ teachings on suffering, on marriage & divorce, on prayer on social justice, being an influence in our world, on murder, hatred, adultery etc… This is powerful, earth shattering stuff. We’ve become so familiar with the text that it doesn’t shock us like it did the first people to hear it…but we have here the teachings of Jesus…the God of the Bible…the God that we worship…
For the next two months we are going to dive in and study just the introductory verses of this sermon. We’re going to study the “Beatitudes.” These are a group of sayings where Jesus teaches us who it is that is truly blessed.
It’s all a part of him revealing the gospel – the message of good news – to his followers.
So Jesus sees this large crowd and…
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 4:23-5:12 (NIV)
For the next two months we are going to explore these beatitudes. We’re going to hear just what it was Jesus was teaching about what it means to be truly blessed. We’re going to look at the UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD. But today I’m focusing on chapter 5 verses 1 & 2. We’re focusing on this short little passage because these verses reveal to us just how important Jesus considered this body of teaching to be. THESE VERSES GO TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
I want to take the next several minutes and break these two verses down...showing you their importance and then I’m going to encourage you…even challenge you…to take this teaching of Jesus that we’re about to spend two months of our lives on and seriously apply it to your life.
-when he saw the crowds…Jesus knew who was following him. He’s God. He knew the heart of every man, woman and child that chose to follow him and watch him work miracles and listen to him preach.
The word “SAW” is from a Greek word that means…”to perceive, to understand or to know.” Jesus didn’t just see this group of people with his eyes. He saw their hearts and minds. He understood what they were about.
Jesus knows what we are about, too. Jesus understands your heart and offers himself so that it may be transformed
-He went up on a mountainside… The mountainside is primarily a description of the location where Jesus taught…BUT some scholars would say that Jesus chose to teach from a mountainside to parallel God giving His word to Moses and the people of Israel from the mountainside.
-and sat down…When a Jewish rabbi wanted to teach deep truth, the truth that weighed deeply on his heart he would sit down. When a rabbi sat down to teach it mean that he was serious about what he was teaching…it was a time for everyone to stop and pay close attention.
-he began to teach them saying…This is in the imperfect tense. That means it is an ongoing action. He didn’t just sit this once and teach them these things…it was his custom to regularly teach these things. What Matthew has recorded here is a summary of the teachings that Jesus used to regularly and consistently teach his followers.
Jesus began to teach his followers…those who followed closely and those who followed at a distance this truth of gospel because of his incredible love for them. He understood them…he knew what they were about…and he offered himself so that they could experience true transformation. In the same way, Jesus understands your heart and offers himself so that it may be transformed
YOU
What about you? Are you willing to hear these powerful, radical, hard teachings of Jesus and are you willing to led them guide your life. Do you want to experience true joy and fulfillment? Jesus understands your heart and offers himself so that it may be transformed
And his Sermon on the Mount is great place to start.
The Sermon on the Mount is not a list of moral imperatives that we must follow in order to be good enough for God.
• We can’t EVER be good enough for God
• Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we CAN’T live up to the standard of the Sermon on the Mount
• Jesus didn’t give this difficult, radical, teaching and say “If you love me you’ll get all these things right.” He said, “Because I love you, and in the power of my love…you’ll be able to live this amazing, joyful, satisfying, fulfilling life.”
• Jesus didn’t say “if you obey my teachings…then I will love you.” He said “because I love you and IF you love me, then you’ll obey what I teach.”
Therefore, IF you claim to follow him…and IF your life doesn’t reflect these teachings of Jesus…THEN you need to repent of disobedience and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and the will to obey what the master, Jesus, has taught us.
IF you don’t claim to be a follower of Christ, then you need to become one. You need to confess your sin. You need to repent of your sin. You need to believe in faith that he is who he says he is and that he will forgive you and redeem you and give you the strength and desire to live this UPSIDE DOWN kind of life that he teaches us about.
Choosing to experience GOD’s love and choosing to follow the teachings of his Son, Jesus, to live this UPSIDE DOWN way of life will be the greatest choice you ever make and it will start you on the greatest adventure you will ever take.
So wherever you are on the faith spectrum…I invite you to make the choice to trust and obey Jesus and begin this UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD
WE
Imagine 100+ followers of Christ choosing to live this UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD in our homes, schools, places of business, at little league and at the store. Imagine all of us…together…living this UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD in our community…think of the eyebrows (and questions) it will raise. Think of how attractive it will be to those who are hurting and lost and are watching…imagine living the life that Jesus would have us live so that HIS kingdom might advance…
SO WHAT?
Jesus understands your heart and offers himself so that it may be transformed
If you are willing to trust him and if you are willing to obey him…he’ll get straight to the heart of the matter…he’ll enable you, by the power of his Holy Spirit, to live this UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD…
Will you join me on this journey?
Let’s Pray.
