This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on Aug 29th by Navaz D via zoom. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.
CREATING A COUNTERCULTURE- The Sermon on the Mount
INTRODUCTION
The last time I preached I introduced
you to the topic of the Kingdom of God. We know Jesus came to usher in a Kingdom that was an upside-down kingdom.
My topic for today is Creating a
counterculture.
Jesus described Kingdom culture and
Christian character in this one passage of scripture popularly known as the
Sermon on the Mount.
My text is Matt 5:1-3. But we will
read from verse 1 to 11
BACKGROUND
A little about the author of this
text. Matthew who was also called Levi is the author of this book. He was a tax
collector by profession. Matthew is largely writing for a Jewish audience
In his writing Matthew makes several
references to the OT to show the link between the Messiah they longed for and
Jesus who was God incarnate
THE THEME
In the gospel of Matthew, the Kingdom of
heaven as he calls it was a main running motif.
God always wanted
a unique people to be set apart for him. Israel were his chosen people. They
were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles.” will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
These were familiar
texts to the Jews.
Jesus was showing them how to really
live it out.
Matt 5 to 7 explains the kingdom culture
making lots of reference to the Old Testament, saying you know this in your
scriptures, but this is the real heart of the matter: the sermon on the mount
is a treatise replete with phrases like “you have heard it said, but I say to
you”… , or you believed and lived like this, but know I am telling you how it
really should be done.
E.g.) 5:21 – You have heard about do not
commit murder – but I say even if you are angry, it is murder
5:27- You have heard it say do not
commit adultery – but I say even if you look with lust
This sermon ends in chapter 7. What
Jesus is drawing their attention to is the heart of the matter. It is all
about relationships and not rules. Love and forgiveness are the currency of this
kingdom.
He emphasizes fruit Ch7:16 -20 By their fruit you will
recognize them.
He
ends with the parable of the wise and foolish builders once emphasising
obedience.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Introducing a counterculture.
As I said earlier, Jesus came to usher in an upside-down
kingdom.
As Christians, we are supposed to be the salt and light of
this world.
Also, we do not belong to this world. We are in but
not of it.
The Jews too forgot their “otherness” and consorted with the nations
around them and took on the culture, practices and even worship of other gods.
We are supposed to create a counterculture too.
This is important to understand if we must understand the
Sermon on the Mount. He was ushering this new kingdom that John the Baptist had told
them about when he said “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”.
The sermon on the mount is about returning to roots by
turning away from all the adulteration of the law and returning to true
righteous living.
The whole sermon on the mount can also be seen as a compare
and contrast in style. The pagans live like this, or you have heard it
said, but I say live like this. eg) the pagans pray like this, but you pray like
this. The pagans run after riches, but you seek the kingdom.
Moses
gave them the law on a mountain. Jesus gave them a life imparting counterculture
on a mountain. It was not a set of laws like the 10 commandments. Rather
it describes a culture or the character of a person who lives to please God.
Note the OT ended with Cruses, the NT
first sermon opens with blessings. It was the dawn of a new era.
The Pharisees and scribes had put
their own twist to the understanding and application of the law. Jesus was
about to set it right.
WHO IS THE
SERMON ON THE MOUNT FOR?
This talk on the mount is a discipling moment that Jesus is
having with those who followed Him. He is telling them that if they want to be a
part of my Kingdom then this is how they need to be and live.
This sermon is not to be used as a code of social ethics. It cannot be
applied by all of society. The Sermon on the mount was not for general
consumption. This was Jesus’ teaching to his disciples or followers. This is
kingdom culture.
Is living by the sermon on the Mount doable or is it idealism? It is doable
only if we are born again.
Some may say this is the hardest set of teachings to live by. Who said
anything about it being easy? In fact, Jesus said how hard it is for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God. He was raising the bar!!
Is it any wonder
that Jesus opens it with “Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs, is the kingdom of heaven”?
IS THIS SERMON
RELEVANT FOR TODAY?
The first obvious answer is yes, simply because all scripture
is God-breathed 16 All Scripture is God-breathed (1Tim
3:16-17)
WHY
PRACTICE THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT?
It is the foundation for Christian living. It is by
adopting a poverty of spirit that says, “apart from you I can do nothing”.
It is the best
evangelistic tool you will ever find. It is also by demonstrating Christ
like love to one another and by this shall all men know that you are my
disciples.
The
Beatitudes
So, let’s look at Matthew 5:1 -3 today.
The Beatitudes
1Now
when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them.
He
said:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
He goes to the mountain top to be with
his disciples and away from the crowds. This teaching was for those who wanted
to follow Him.
He sits down to teach – It was common in
those days for the Rabbi to sit and teach while the rest stood and listened.
First, the Beatitudes are how every
Christian should live.
This is not just for some pious people, but for every Christ-follower because
it is a description of Christian character. We are meant to display all 8
characteristics in our life!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
I
am not surprised that this is the first for I think all else hinges on this
first one.
Blessed or happy is how one can interpret this word. “Makarios is the Greek word
which means happy, content.
The first thing that strikes me is that Jesus wants us to be happy. He is not a killjoy!!
What is true happiness?
Can happiness be the end goal of all things? Is that what Jesus is
saying when He says you are “Blessed”? Or could it be more?
Happiness is a part
of it but not the whole thing. It also implies favour with God.
Blessedness is also a characteristic of God. And we can only
share that through our union with Christ.
“Poor
in Spirit”
What
is it?
The Greek word for “poor” is “Ptochos” i.e., to crouch, to cower like a beggar.
Jesus
is not talking about material poverty, but spiritual poverty.
Jesus
is basically saying that you cannot rely on your own goodness to enter
into God’s kingdom. It is not an appeal to deny our worth as human beings, but
to recognize our sin and desperate need for salvation.
Matthew
Henry comments that “to be poor in spirit, is to have humble thoughts of
ourselves, of what we are, and have, and do
It
means I am spiritually destitute, and I need a saviour.
It means that in and of myself I am morally
bankrupt and there is nothing good in me without Christ. This is not an excuse or licence for self-loathing
or hate as some streams of Christianity indulge in. It is unbiblical and cannot
find any basis in scripture.
The Beatitudes acts as a mirror to show me how full of me I am
and how much I need to have more of Christ in me.
How do I become “poor in spirit”?
It is a recognition that I do not have
anything worthy to bring to God.
When we come to God emptying ourselves
of pride, independence, self-achievements.
I need to recognize that I cannot do it
on my own. I
need Him to fill me.
The poor in spirit like Zacchaeus
received the kingdom.
Following from being poor in spirit you can
mourn, be meek, thirst after righteousness or be merciful to others.
Why do I need to be “poor in spirit?”
Unless I recognize my poverty I will not recognize
the need for a Saviour.
Because apart from Jesus I can do
nothing.
.
Pride will lead me to anger, independence, folly, unforgiveness,
unrighteous living, seeking satisfaction elsewhere which will lead to all kinds
of sin.
How do I become “poor in spirit”?
Be humble: Humility will keep me dependent and
trusting God to meet my every need – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual,
and material.
We need to come to Jesus’ poor in spirit
and not in a poverty spirit.
There is a big difference. The former
comes in a posture of humility saying that I need one that is greater than me
and acknowledges the “all-sufficiency of the Saviour”. The latter says I am
living in lack of what I have is not enough and denies the “all-sufficiency of the
Saviour”.
Dependence grates against everything that
is part of the cultures in which we live today that promote, applaud self-reliance,
self-confidence, self-effort, self-promotion.
Paul says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20.
Paul considered all his achievements as dung compared to
knowing Jesus. What is more,
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I
consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ Phil 3:8
THE RESULT:
The kingdom of heaven is mine.
I will live in awe of the finished
work of the Cross
I will be thankful for His grace in my
life.
I will live in dependence on the Holy
spirit
My Prayer life will grow
I will not think highly of myself
I will serve with humility because no
task is too small for me.
I will love like Christ.
CONCLUSION
This Kingdom culture can only be lived
out when Jesus is
the King of our hearts. We need Him every moment of the day. To be mindful of
Him. For this, we need to acknowledge our need of Him by being poor or humble of
spirit.
When we live in this way we are blessed,
happy, content and enjoy all favour as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Amen!
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