storiesofvalue

The Sermon on the Mount

Jesus’ earthly ministry began with His baptism by John, a forty day fast and temptation in a wilderness, and the calling of His closest disciples.  He travelled throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues, preaching on the kingdom and healing the sick.  As news of His power spread, those with diseases came to Him, and He healed them.

When Jesus saw the crowds, He walked up a mountainside.  Was He exhausted by ministry?  Did He want some private instruction time with His disciples?  Or was this a part of a carefully crafted plan to teach people deeper kingdom truths by first meeting their immediate needs?  Perhaps it was a little of all three.

It appears Jesus moved to the mountainside with His closest disciples, only to be joined by a constant trickle of uninvited guests.  At some point the entire crowd seems to have followed, since Matthew concludes his record with this commentary: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28-29).

It isn’t vital that we know Jesus’ intended audience since His lessons were ultimately for all who wished to be disciples.  Yet, it is plausible to envision Him sitting, encircled by His disciples.  Others may have huddled behind them where they could hear the sermon clearly.  Then Jesus’ teaching was possibly dispersed through the crowd until the last person heard.  What an amazing event this was as the Lord of the kingdom shared the elementary framework for the life of the disciple.  It was, and remains the life every follower seeks.

The Beatitudes teach this joy.  We return to them throughout our lives and each time they broaden our understanding of what it means to be blessed by a loving Savior.  They are like filters through which we strain our souls, becoming purer with each pass.

When I was a young boy my grandfather and I made cider in an old grinder.  We picked the apples, dumped them into the grinder and took turns with the crank handle.  At the bottom of the grinder juice drained from a metal chute into a bucket.  It was murky and mixed with pieces of apple core, so we strained it through a porous cloth over a large kitchen pot.  We repeated the process several times until the juice was clear.  And yes, it tasted great!

There is a sense in which our apple grinding is a metaphor for all of scripture.  Life-experience has a way of changing the perspectives from which we view God’s Word.  But if this is true of scripture in general, I believe it specifically pertains to the Beatitudes.  For example, as many times as I have contemplated the implications of being “poor in spirit” I am still trying to come to grips with the level of selflessness and spiritual reliance it requires.

As we begin this journey into Jesus’ kingdom vision for our lives, I encourage you to do three things: 1) Remember spiritual growth is a process.  Just as God’s kingdom is expanding gradually through the ministry of His people, it is assuming new places of prominence in our hearts, 2) Recognize kingdom truths require kingdom action.  Jesus’ teachings are not merely an academic exercise, and 3) Remain focused on the mission.  The purpose of this discourse is to learn how to present Jesus to our world in the purest form possible.  Obviously, as imperfect humans, we will never be conduits through which Jesus flows in His purest form.  Yet, the goal of “100% Jesus” is a good one.  If nothing else, there will be moments in our lives when we come close; when the Lord moves in, though and around us and the people who see us see Him with great clarity.

We have one more stage to set before we address the Beatitudes in detail.  Context is important, and it is good to understand the significance of the Sermon on the Mount as a whole.  I can’t help but think Jesus had the mission in view as He used this teaching to established a kingdom mindset for His followers.  The mission is still in view, and we are on the front lines delivering God’s grace to our generation.  To do so, we must be different.  The Sermon on the Mount helps us know how.

Kingdom joy was an infectious trait in the first church.  The message of the cross brought transforming power, but the irresistible qualities of its adherents set the stage for its proclamation.  Luke describes this dynamic when he writes, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:44-47)

The euphoria experienced by the Jerusalem church was not the product of clever marketing techniques.  I am not suggesting there is anything inherently wrong with strategic efforts to share the story of Jesus, and certainly God had a method in mind when He birthed His church on the Day of Pentecost.  In fact, Peter’s delivery of the first gospel sermon might be the best orchestrated event in church history.  Yet, people who heard weren’t nearly as impressed by a plan as they were a personality.  They witnessed the reflection of Jesus in His followers, and since many who heard Peter’s sermon had undoubtedly also met the Lord, there was joy in knowing His Spirit was alive in His followers.

Nothing has changed, really.  People who need Jesus are still drawn to those who know Him, and are filled with His presence.  Whether or not they embrace the cross, they are pleased, and perhaps even surprised to find someone who truly reminds them of the Jesus they imagine.  I use the word “imagine” because a non-believer’s understanding of the Jesus of the Bible might be inaccurate.  But he knows joy when he sees it.

100% Kingdom Joy

By now you may be wondering if, perhaps, I have misplaced my theme.  If we are concerned about letting the pure essence of Jesus shine through our lives, is the subject of the kingdom of God really this important?

Absolutely!  In fact, if we approach the gospel in any other way we have missed one of Jesus’ key teaching points.  We also risk insubordination since we can easily become prideful of our methods and forget who is ultimately in charge.  It is, after all, the kingdom of God we are building, and regardless of how much of our lives we invest in His work, the finished product will never bear our name.

This is where Jesus’ Beatitudes take center stage.  If, as Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones claimed, the Sermon on the Mount is the “best means of evangelism” and a tool for building “true Christians”, those who want to point the world to Jesus must embrace its principles.  The Beatitudes are a preamble to the Christian life and the embodiment of lasting happiness.

We know the gospel is the power of salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16), but it is the “unashamed” kingdom joy found in those who proclaim it that prompts people to listen.  Even those who find the cross through an independent reading of the scripture owe their discovery to the first disciples who passionately recorded the things they witnessed.  Pure Jesus shines in the hearts of sinners made pure and their inward and outward joy is purely irresistible.

From yesterday: Just as Jesus’ mission required Him to suffer for our sakes, our mission calls us to suffer with Him.  One day there will be one kingdom, and death, mourning, crying and pain will cease (Revelation 21:4).  But while we live as citizens of God’s kingdom, behind enemy lines, it is impossible to avoid the inevitable conflict.  In the words of Paul, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29).

I used to view this verse as an attitude adjustment.  In other words, it helped me put my struggles in perspective, although I recognized my occasional discomforts were nothing compared to the persecutions endured by my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.  But now I realize Paul’s statement is a challenge as well as a reality.  Our journey is hard because we have chosen a more difficult, but profoundly more rewarding path.

One day a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (Matthew 8:19).  Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (8:20).  Another disciple asked Jesus to let him go bury his father.  His father was probably not dead, but he wanted to remain with him for as long as he lived.  Jesus said, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead” (8:22).

If you have taken an oath of citizenship for God’s kingdom, only to be surprised by the difficulty of the journey, you must know the misunderstanding is not Jesus’ fault.  He could not have been more honest.  Maybe you weren’t listening closely enough, or someone misrepresented the Christian walk by making it sound too easy.  Or perhaps it was easier to talk about trials in the abstract until Satan unleashed his fury in your life.  My advice is not to give up, but “re-up.”  Consider it joy when you face trials (James 1:2).  The journey is hard because we are engaged in a spiritual struggle, but if we persevere, we will experience indescribable joy.

Kingdom work is hard by design.  I don’t mean to suggest the evil we encounter along the way is a part of God’s plan.  Instead, it is the work of Satan who tries everything possible to make us feel mistreated and abandoned.  James was concerned believers might misinterpret their feelings in the midst of difficult circumstances when he wrote, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:13-14).  Clearly, it is not God’s desire for us to be harassed by the Tempter, or to fall victim to his schemes.

Still, our exposure to hardship, suffering and sin hints of Divine intentionality.  As Jesus’ painful death on the cross neared, He made this request of His Father in reference to His disciples:  “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15).  It is highly possible you have heard this excerpt many times before, but have you ever contemplated its strategic implications?  This prayer was not a last-minute brainstorming session between the Father and the Son.  If the kingdom of God on earth was to expand through believers, then it was necessary for them to live in non-kingdom places where they could love and serve non-kingdom people.  Though inherently dangerous, this approach was the most practical means of reproducing disciples.  How else can Jesus’ principle, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8), be put into practice?

Just as Jesus’ mission required Him to suffer for our sakes, our mission calls us to suffer with Him.  One day there will be one kingdom, and death, mourning, crying and pain will cease (Revelation 21:4).  But while we live as citizens of God’s kingdom, behind enemy lines, it is impossible to avoid the inevitable conflict.  In the words of Paul, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29).

Why Is The Journey So Hard?

There is an old film from the 60s titled “Rage” about a doctor’s desperate attempt to reach a city where he can receive treatment for rabies.  When he begins his journey he has forty-eight hours before his disease becomes incurable, and along the way he encounters a series of challenges that cut into what little time he has left.  He delivers a baby by cesarean and runs the battery down on his jeep in an effort to provide enough light for the operation.  The father of the baby helps him jump-start the jeep and decides to ride with him, but several miles down the road they run out of gas.  The two men, and a third passenger they picked up along the way, decide to hike across a mountain range that leads to a highway.  Once they reach the highway they commandeer a school bus, suffer a mechanical breakdown and get a push from the school children down the other side of the mountain.  The bus speeds down a hill at a dangerous rate of speed and finally comes to rest just outside the city, where the doctor jumps to the ground and begins to run.  That’s where the movie ends, presumably just before the doctor gets the life-saving rabies serum he needs.

Not long ago I watched “Rage” for the first time in years and I was struck by the empathy I felt for the doctor whose greatest enemies were time, and his own inability to ignore the pain of others.  It occurred to me citizenship in the kingdom of God isn’t much different.  If time weren’t a factor and if people weren’t important, how we lived wouldn’t matter.  But it is, they do, and it does.

We also have Satan as our adversary, and he is relentless in his efforts to rob us of our hope and distract us from our mission.  The Apostle Paul defined this battle in his letter to the Ephesians: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).  The journey is hard, yet one fact is certain: we can’t say we weren’t warned.

From last Friday:  When we remember the kingdom of God is indeed God’s kingdom, we are more likely to do His will, give Him praise and adapt to trials over which we have no control.  The Lord will guard our hearts against the footholds of pride and independence, and teach us to watch for His hand in everything.

This doesn’t mean we should stand by passively as we wait for God to tell us what to do.  This would be a mistake in two regards.  First, Jesus’ teaching is packed with action words such as “go”, “give”, “love”, “forgive”, and “pray.”  Our decision to follow Jesus instantly enrolls us in a general daily agenda.

In the city of Jericho Jesus went to the home of a corrupt tax-collector by the name of Zacchaeus. Everyone in town was shocked to see someone like Jesus visit a notorious sinner.  We don’t have a record of everything that was discussed, but we know Zacchaeus responded by promising to give half of his wealth to the poor and repay the people he had cheated fourfold.  Jesus stood up and said, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).  As far as Zacchaeus was concerned, following Jesus was synonymous with serving Jesus.

The second reason we shouldn’t merely wait for God’s direction is because, individually, we are redeemed kingdom pieces in motion.  God is making us into the people He needs us to be as His Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out.  The Apostle Peter wrote, “As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him–you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).  Our new relationship with God is a daily process in which He fills us with love and grace and shows us how to live together with other kingdom citizens.

Therefore, we are the kingdom of God.  The Father’s reign extends to our personal borders, and He is working through us to storm the gates of hell everywhere we go.  Yet He can only use us when we take our citizenship seriously and pursue His vision.  We pray, “Our Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven.”  May it be so, as we live for Him.

It is important to remember our role in the kingdom of God is that of a servant.  Yes, we are full citizens, but God’s system of government is not a democracy.  While we are free to choose our allegiance, and have been given a scope of authority to perform ministry, we are not in charge of the kingdom.  Therefore our successes and victories ultimately belong to God.

This doesn’t mean our efforts to grow the church don’t matter.  God inspires us to use the resources He provides in fresh and innovative ways.  Yet, in every generation, what He desires most are workers with submissive hearts who are committed to His mission of transforming lives.  This can take place in small, midsize and large churches.  It occurs in storefronts, multi-campuses and parachurch ministries, as well as traditional, contemporary and multi-generational congregations.  God can even use seriously flawed ministries as long as He can find someone who is willing to live by His Spirit and for His glory.

This is the nature of the kingdom of God.  We are His ambassadors and He defines our steps.  When we forget this important truth we become possessive, permissive and pompous, but when we serve with a kingdom mindset, God uses us to change the world.

The apostle Paul shared this perspective in His letter to the Philippians.  While he was imprisoned in Rome some church leaders decided to stir up trouble in his ministry.  They were filled with envy and selfish ambition, and saw the incarcerated apostle’s situation as an unexpected windfall.  Yet, Paul was thankful.  He knew for every jealous rival who was using his misfortune for personal gain, there was a pure-hearted brother who was emboldened to preach more courageously.  Not only this, but Paul wasn’t losing any sleep over those who were trying to leverage his pain.  He wrote, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice” (Philippians 1:18).

When we remember the kingdom of God is indeed God’s kingdom, we are more likely to do His will, give Him praise and adapt to trials over which we have no control.  The Lord will guard our hearts against the footholds of pride and independence, and teach us to watch for His hand in everything.

What is the Kingdom of God? 

The kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, as it is sometimes called, is inhabited by those who have placed themselves under God’s rule.  It includes material resources as well, but the work of the kingdom on earth is carried out by God’s people as He directs them and His Spirit moves in them.  Christ has called the church to proclaim the kingdom and invite others to citizenship through His blood poured out at Calvary.

The church is the kingdom, but the kingdom is more than the church.  It is everything over which God reigns which has been consecrated for His holy purposes.  However, when the church came to earth, God’s relationship with His servants changed forever.  When Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain that separated worshippers from the Holy of Holies was torn in two, signaling a final payment for sin and the removal of mankind’s guilt and shame.  From then on it was possible for sinners, Greek and Gentile, male and female, to become full citizens and co-heirs of the kingdom of God.  As well, these same individuals were tasked with sharing the good news of Jesus with others and expanding the kingdom through the work of grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit in believers.

It was only possible to enter the kingdom through grace, not by works lest followers boast of their own righteousness (Ephesians 2:8).  This was different from the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers who hoped to gain citizenship through their own efforts (Matthew 5:20).  Jesus’ illustrated deeper truths of the kingdom with parables (Matthew 13:11), and helped His listeners translate truth into action through other teachings, such as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

One of the clearest examples of Jesus’ kingdom vision is found in His model prayer where He asked His disciples to pray, “Our Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven.”  Of course, if God chose to impose His will on His creation, He could.  But instead He has invited us to share in His inheritance and given us the freedom to choose willingly.  Herein is the beauty of the kingdom of God: it is growing in the hearts of believers who have received Jesus as Savior and ever-expanding through the work of the gospel.