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'll 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 peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. Well, thus begins what many consider to be the greatest sermon ever, certainly preached by the greatest preacher who ever lived, the Son of God, Jesus. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been around in those days to where you could have actually been in Christ's presence and heard Him talk. We're told on one occasion that, that when the crowds came to Him, He healed them. And then he spoke to them for so long that he was afraid that they would faint going home from being so hungry. And so he fed them with 5, 000, the crowd of 5, 000 with just a few fish and a few loaves of bread. Repeated essentially the same thing not too long after that with 4, 000 people just with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. But just think about what kind of a presence of a speaker. Jesus must have been to have been able to have drawn those kind of crowds to himself. And then to have been able to held their attention for very likely hour upon hour until they got to the point where Jesus himself was afraid that had enough and he needed to stop and they needed to be fed. When you think about the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, of course, it becomes less surprising. When you think about the fact that Jesus was with God at the creation. We're told in John 1, 1 that John in chapter 1, that without Christ, nothing was created, that all things were created through the Son. And when you, so when you think about the creator of the world, the co creator of the world being in their presence, being able to answer any question that they might have. And then you add to that the fact that he would heal the people. He drew crowds by healing people. Think about Christ's miracles. They were always done with love and compassion. He could have drawn a crowd just as easily with some sort of a magnificent display like we might see in a fireworks display in modern times, but he didn't use that. He didn't do things for show. Instead he would come and he would heal people or people would come to him to be healed. And so imagine being in a crowd at one of his sermons where maybe you'd been healed of some disease, you'd given up all hope for ever being cured of, or maybe you had a child that he had healed, or maybe a spouse or a close friend. And once that healing had occurred, that miraculous healing, can you imagine how intently you would have listened to his words? And then when he started to speak, and he spoke with such an authority that people had never heard anything like that before, of course they hadn't. Here was the Son of God, the ultimate authority along with God. And he was speaking to them and he was telling them exactly what they needed to hear for that time. Now think about the Sermon on the Mount. It's just really three short chapters in the New Testament. The time it takes to read those three chapters would probably be far less than most preachers preach on a given Sunday morning. But the content that was contained within those three short chapters within the Sermon on the Mount, it's just incredible. He starts out with the Beatitudes, some of which we just read, and, and you think about how people will be blessed based upon what they have done, based upon how, who they are, and, and how they are acting before God. And then after that, he points out to the crowds. He, he lets them know, you're the salt of the world. Salt gives flavor to things. And those who follow God truly are to flavor the world. with, with, with God's word. He says, you're the light of the world. They were to reflect the light of Christ, the light of God, a light illuminates, and that's exactly what Christ's followers are to do. And so he points out that since you're the salt of the world, and since you're the light of the world, you need to be careful to make sure that you use these gifts in the right way. And then he goes on and he points out that he hasn't come to do away with the law or to abolish the law. He's talking about the law of Moses, the, the law that the Jewish people were under, the descendants of Abraham from the time that Moses came down Mount Sinai, not only with the Ten Commandments, but with hundreds of other commandments that the people were to obey. This was the law. And this is the exact law Jesus was talking about. And he points out he didn't come to abolish that law. He came to fulfill it. It's certain that, that after Jesus died upon the cross and rose again. to walk a newness of life that he had fulfilled the law and at that point the law did change but until that point including throughout the entire lifetime of Christ while he was here on earth the law was in effect and he was just pointing out that he wasn't coming to do away with it he was coming to fulfill it to bring it to the to the point that the law was always meant to be And one of the things he did, I suppose, that we probably should note at this time, was he became the ultimate sacrifice. We don't have to sacrifice bulls and goats like they did during the period of the old law, because we have Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, who shed his blood once and for all for the sins of the world. That didn't mean that the world could keep on sinning, it just meant that those who would accept Christ and his terms could have their sins forgiven because of his perfect sacrifice. And then he goes to talk about the heart. He begins talking about murder and, and, and he makes a point that it's not just those who kill someone else. that are considered murderers in God's eyes, but it's those who, who hate their neighbor enough, who are angry enough to kill somebody. It's a condition of the heart. And then he points out the same thing with adultery. This is something that's really important for people to understand today. There's a lot of people who think that things like adult movies or pornography that you might see in a magazine or online somewhere are somehow harmless, but they're not. They, they cause people to lust in their hearts. And Jesus points out that anybody who lusts in their heart after another person is, is guilty of adultery. And so it's not just the physical act that he's talking about. It's the condition of the heart that could bring a person to that act, whether they had the opportunity or not. And then he goes on to talk about treasures in heaven. And he points out that we really need to be focusing on the things in life that are, that are of true value. Too many people are, are running after the physical things, money and all the things that money can buy. And it's not that it's wrong to enjoy wealth in a certain context. We have to understand that we are here as God's servants and that wealth needs to be used first and foremost for him. And then of course we can enjoy it. The one who created the mountains and the oceans and the rivers and the valleys and had such beauty within them. And then you look at the foods that he's given to us and, and the, the, not just the variety of flavors, but the variety of colors, things that are pleasing to the eye. God intends for us to enjoy his creation. Amen. But we cannot get to the point where we start to think that it's the physical that we live for, that we need to start storing up physical treasures to be happy somehow. Jesus points out that our real treasure is in heaven. And so we need to focus first and foremost upon the spiritual things. These are the treasures that we need to be accruing in our lives. So that someday we can be with God forever. And then at the end of chapter six, he talks about this. He, he, he says, don't worry. I love this, this concept because the whole world is just filled with worry right now. There, there's such an angst and there's such anxiety in the world. Have you ever thought about the, the amount of money, the billions of dollars that are spent each year on things like psychiatrists and, and medication that will somehow make you happy. People, people are worried to death and, and God and Christ don't want us to be that way. And so Christ just points out, you don't have to worry. God knows what you need. And he'll make sure that you're supplied with everything that you need. And then you go to verse, chapter 7, excuse me, you go to chapter 7, and he starts to talk about judging others. One of the most famous quotes ever, Judge not that ye be not judged. And of course, he's not talking about being able to tell the difference between right and wrong, or being able to tell if somebody's sinning or not. How could we ever encourage somebody to repent if we're not supposed to notice that they're sinning? But what he's talking about is you and I don't have the right to take God's place in the judgment and somehow determine somebody is worthy of hell or even worthy of heaven for that matter. That's not our realm. And so we're not to judge one another eternally. An important concept. And also important with that is not to be looking at the speck in your brother's eye when all the time you have a log in your own eye. He wants us to consider ourselves and reflect upon our own sins. And then if we have time left over, we can help other people, but not to judge them, to help them. And then we have an incredible series of passages starting in, in chapter seven and verse seven, Jesus says, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you'll find, knock and the door will be opened to you. And he asks the question, who of you, who would have a, has a father, if you ask him for a fish would give you a snake, or if you ask for bread would give you a stone. And then he points out that God is our father as well. And he knows how to give good gifts. We just, we just need to ask. And by the way, we need to be on speaking terms with him. Just. As we need to be on speaking terms with our parents when we request something from them, we need to be in a right relationship with God. And, and then right after he says that, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you'll find, he, he says in verse 13, enter through the narrow door, talking about heaven. He says for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter thereby. But then he says, small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. Now think about that. If you know anything about math, even if you're not told the exact numbers, if you're talking about the same population, and a portion of that population is many, and another portion of that population is few, which is more. Many are few. Jesus said that many would take the path that leads to death. And yet as you think about it in life, think about the funerals you've attended. When was the last time you ever attended a funeral where the preacher didn't preach that person right into heaven? I'm not saying that they weren't going to heaven. I'm just saying that that we almost think of heaven as a birthright just because we are we, God is somehow going to save us. And that's not the case. Jesus said that many would go on the path that leads to death, but only a few would find the path that leads to life. And you read that and you might be tempted to say, well, that's not fair. If, if, if the ones who are on the broad path, some of them are seeking the path, but don't find it. Is that fair? But remember, Jesus set this up by saying, seek and you will find. And so we understand from that, that we need to seek God's will. And we know that we need to do it with all of our heart. But if we will, we'll find out what God wants us to do. We'll find the narrow path. And by the way, the narrow path. It's a good path. He goes on to say, talk about a tree and its fruits, and he, he, he talks about one of the ways you can recognize a servant of God as opposed to a servant of the evil one is the co, is the comparison he's making. He doesn't say so in so many words, but he, he tells us it's by the fruit that we bear. A good tree can't bear bad fruit and a bad tree can't bear good fruit. And so very often we'll see people who were, were, were told or righteous or who we consider to be righteous. And yet we see the most awful sins within their life. And while they may repent from time to time, it seems like they always go back to those sins. What kind of fruit are they bearing? And then you probably won't even see the humble man or the humble woman who just quietly go about in their lives doing good things, bearing good fruit. But these are the ones that please God, and that's the type of person we need to be. And then he says this in verse 21. And this should make all of us be all the more determined to make sure by studying the Word of God. One of the things that I have been the most concerned about since I've been a preacher is that somebody might take my word for the way to get to heaven, for the plan of salvation, for the way we're to worship. Nothing could be further than the truth as far as what my desire is. I don't want people to, to take my word for it. I want them to go to the word of God. And in a like fashion, I don't want to take somebody's word for it. I want to go to the word of God. I want to be sure. Eternity is a really long time. We can't afford to take chances on that with some pleasant sounding person. Because a lot of the pleasant sounding people are telling us all you need to do is confess your belief in Jesus and you'll be saved by the grace of God. And while these are two very important factors in salvation, they're not the totality of salvation. How do we know that? Look at what Jesus says in verse 21 of Matthew 7. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. And then in verse 22, he says, many will say to me on that day, talking about judgment day. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons and perform many miracles? Apparently he's talking about people who lived during the first century because that was the time that the miracles were present as well as the demon possession. After the first century, we don't, we don't have any record of some, how miracles being performed that could be proved or demons existing, but they were at the first, during the first century. And the reason I bring that up is these were people who very likely. were around when Jesus was around, or at least around when Jesus's apostles were preaching, because they were performing miracles. And these people will come to Jesus and they'll say, didn't we believe essentially to the point where we were actually doing good things in your name? But look at what Jesus said in verse 23, then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evil doers. And so from this we see that, that our service to God goes way beyond just lip service. It goes way beyond just a sincere confession. There has to be a sincere life of service lived after that. And when we sin, when we make those mistakes, as all men do, we need to come back to God, repenting and coming back to him on his terms. But just thinking that salvation is somehow a one and done thing, it's a very attractive teaching, but it's not something Jesus taught. Again, it goes beyond just a belief and a confession of that belief. It means that we live for God and for Christ. And, and then he goes on and he talks about the wise and the foolish builders. You remember that song we sang when we were in Sunday school, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the foolish man built his house on the sands and the rains came down. Well, that's where we get this from. And Jesus points out that the wise man will build his house upon the rock. As the New Testament was revealed further after Jesus died, we find that that rock, the Apostle Paul said, was Jesus Christ. It was the foundation. And Paul said, you can build on that foundation using anything you want, expensive or cheap. But he said, you have to build on the foundation of Christ. That's the rock. There's a lot of people trying to build their lives on other things than Christ, and it doesn't work. And when the storms of life come, that will prove it. But if you and I will build our lives on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and we'll use as good of materials as we can find, not try to do it on the cheap, but to live a life worthy of the master, or at least as worthy as men can be, Then we'll withstand the storms of life and someday there will be heaven. Well, there's other teachings within these, these chapters that obviously we have, have not covered, but again, I, I want to point this out. This is widely viewed as the greatest sermon ever preached. And certainly it was preached by the greatest preacher to ever walk the face of the earth, Jesus Christ. I can only imagine what it would have been like to have been sitting at the feet of the master. when he started preaching these great truths. And I can only imagine what it must have been like for the people as he touched upon subject after subject that really Touched on their very lives and how they would have been cut to the heart and determined that they were going to do better And when he gave them the better path how they would have been looking at that Determined that they were gonna walk on that better path because he was worth it Jesus was worth it the the very privilege of being able to sit and listen to the Son of God as he preached a Sermon must have been incredible And though we cannot be in his physical presence yet, we can still sit at the feet of the Master. One of the reasons it's so important for us to read the Word of God is so that we can allow him to tell us the things that he longs for us to hear, so that we can learn of his love for us, and his sacrifice for us, and the things that he expects us to do, but also the blessings that will flow as a result of that. The Bible is not just hell, fire, and brimstone, it's far more than that. Jesus promises us a life that is filled with joy and peace and beauty if we will just do his things his way. And while the sin, the wrongs of sinful men will sometimes encroach upon that peace and joy and beauty, it can never take it away. For those who are faithful servants of God, it's a good life here, and then there'll be heaven. And the Sermon on the Mount, I believe, as well as any sermon ever given, gives us a glimpse of what's been done for us, of how we're to live, and of where we're going, if we'll just be faithful to God. It's a magnificent sermon. I would encourage you, if you have time this week, to go back and read it. You won't be sorry that you did. And again, I would encourage you to read the entire Word of God as often as you can, because it will change your life. And it won't just change your life so that only you can go to heaven someday. It will change your life so that you can make an impact upon others and bring the life saving gospel to others. so that they too might be saved by the grace of God and by the shed blood of Christ. It's a marvelous God that we serve. His word is marvelous. And this Sermon on the Mount was one of the most beautiful glimpses of the wisdom and the love that the Master has for us that's ever been given. Go back and read it if you get a chance. I'll say it again, you won't be sorry you did. That's all for today. I really appreciate your tuning in today. I hope this helps you. And I, as always, would pray that God will continue to bless you richly as you seek to serve Him to the very best of your ability.