The Sermon on the Mount – Introduction

Principles for Christian living

My previous blog re-visited what happened to you when you became a Christian. We saw that salvation is totally free and undeserved. However, there are implications regarding how you live the rest of your life as a Christian disciple. I intend to look at some of these implications as taught by Jesus and recorded in Matthew Chapters 5 to 7. Before getting into the detail, I would like to give some background to the whole sermon.

Importance of the Sermon on the Mount.

For me, the importance of the Sermon on the Mount cannot be overstated. The creator of the universe took the form of one of his creations and lived with us on earth for over thirty years. His mission was to make salvation available, defeat evil and introduce a whole new way of living – the kingdom of heaven, or kingdom of God. For three years prior to his death and resurrection, he lived with a group of men and women, and taught them about this new kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is the most concentrated and comprehensive record of instruction that Jesus gave to his disciples. It is totally relevant to today’s Christians.

Overview of the Sermon on the Mount

The fundamental teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is that Christians must be DIFFERENT from non-Christians. In particular, LOVE should typify this difference – firstly, love for God and then love for the rest of mankind (not just fellow Christians but non—Christians, even including enemies).

I recommend that you first read the whole Sermon from Matthew chapter five through to the end of chapter seven. The flow of the Sermon is great, as it starts with outlining the characteristics and attitudes that Christians should display, then moves on to how we should behave in this fallen world, followed by practical advice and the call to be active. After obtaining this sense of the document, the Sermon can then be sub-divided into various sections for further, deeper study:-

  1. The Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12). This is a list of characteristics that all Christians should have and strive to develop – Poverty of Spirit; Mourning; Meekness; Hunger and thirsting after righteousness; Merciful; Pure in heart; Peacemakers; Persecuted.
  2. Salt & Light (Matt 5:13-16). Jesus shows how we are to use these characteristics (Beatitudes) in the world of non-Christians, to the glory of God.
  3. How the law should be interpreted (Matt 5:17-48). Jesus shows how he fulfilled the law, and how he endorsed it for every follower. However, it must be properly interpreted and applied, as illustrated by the six antitheses.
  4. The correct way to give, pray and fast (Matt 6:1-18). Don’t be showy or hypocritical when living the Christian Life. Be humble and low-key so that “your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” Matt 6: 4, 6 & 18.
  5. Get your priorities right (Matt 6:19-7:23). Do not be pre-occupied with material things or the cares of this world. Instead, seek first God’s kingdom, and righteousness with God.
  6. Practice what is preached (Matt 7:24-27). Jesus wants us to put his teaching into practice.

I hope to look more closely at each of these sections in the next series of blogs.

What do theologians say about the Sermon on the Mount?

John Stott – “The Message of the Sermon on the Mount”

“Christian counter-culture is the life of the kingdom of God.” And, “there is no single paragraph of the Sermon on the Mount in which the contrast between Christian and non-Christian standards is NOT drawn”.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones – Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

“The Sermon on the Mount is… a great and grand and perfect elaboration of what our Lord called His ‘new commandment’…that we love one another even as He has loved us” (Pg15)

We are told in the Sermon on the Mount “’because you are Christian, live like this.’ This is how Christians ought to live; this is how Christians are meant to live.” (Pg17)

“He came, I say, and lived and died and rose again and sent the Holy Spirit in order that you and I might live the Sermon on the Mount.” (Pg19)

NT Wright – “The day the revolution began”

“A world full of people who read and pray the Sermon on the Mount, or even a world with only a few such people in it, will always be a better place than a world without such people.”

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The standards set by the Sermon on the Mount are very high. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit living within us, we should be able to make some progress. So it’s important to keep up with our daily devotions and keep the Sermon fresh in our minds.

Do you hear the Sermon being preached in your local congregation? If not, perhaps encourage your minister/pastor to start a series of services incorporating the Sermon.

If you are a member of a bible study group, perhaps you could encourage the group to study the Sermon – there are plenty of resources to help.

SUMMARY

The Sermon on the Mount contains some fundamental teaching directly from Jesus to his disciples. It applies equally to every Christian today and must not be ignored.

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