Kingdom Principles from the Sermon On the Mount

References

Preface

The Sermon on the Mount and the principles that Jesus taught are the basics of the Christian faith.  If we will stay with the basics we will not drift off into error and end up in a cult.  Here is a testimony of how God spoke to me about getting back to the basics.

My pastor used an introduction about Duke Snider for one of his sermons and it went something like this.  Some of you old-timers will remember Duke Snider, but for you younger ones who don’t know who he was; he was a home run hitter who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  When he would go into a batting slump they would take him back through the basics, and his batting performance would improve.  So as Christians we need to get back to the basics and my sermon will be on getting back to basics this morning.

Two days later I met Duke Snider when he called where I worked, and asked for us to install a garbage disposal in his vacation home in Northern California.  His main residence was in Southern California. 

When I drove up to his house he was out burning brush and I recognized him, because he had been in many TV commercials.  I asked him if he was the famous baseball player and he said, He was.  He took me into the house and gave me a tour, and showed me his trophies and letters from people like Yogi Berra.  Duke was also in the baseball hall of fame. 

I told Duke about how our pastor had used him as an example to introduce his sermon, and how the trainer would take him back to the basics.  He thought that was awesome.

Then the Lord put it on my heart to witness to him.  How can I do that Lord? He is famous. I thought.  OK Lord, You are the Boss.  So I said, Duke you were famous in this life, but how about the one to come, do you know Jesus?  He said he did and his pastor sends him his weekly message while he is on vacation.  What a joy it is to meet someone and witness to them and find out they already know the Lord.

I believe this was how the Lord was telling me to get back to basics.  As you work your way through this Bible study, and put these principles into practice God will back you up with His power.  You will come away with a deeper walk with God, and knowing Him in a way that will amaze you.

Introduction

When I was in the Philippines doing mission work in 2007, the Lord put it on my heart to write a Bible study based on the Sermon on the Mount.  This Sermon is the law of the kingdom and is God’s heart for His people.  Jesus will soon return and set up His millennial reign and the Sermon on the Mount will be the governing law of that kingdom.  So the sooner we get started learning His law, and living by it, the more blessed our lives will be.  Also, the easier the transition from this time period to the next will be for us. I am not saying that we are to go back under the law, but these principles are guidelines to let us know where we are with God. 

I begin with lessons on the seven beatitudes which is an example of our Lord’s character.  I have included another sixteen lessons on the principles that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.  There are twenty three lessons in all.  These lessons are designed to help the leader of a home group or Sunday school class.  You can also use them for your individual study.  These lessons have thought provoking questions to help you see and evaluate where you are in your character development.

This is a good study to be used in a discipleship class with new believers as well as the more mature ones.  It will help ground the new believers in the word of God, and act to strengthen the more mature believers in their faith. Jesus says, Feed my sheep, so as a leader in the body of Christ you are called to do this.  This guide can be used as a recipe book to feed God’s people, and you can change the lessons as you want as long as you remain true to the Scriptures. Some people follow a recipe exactly, but others can see some things that can make it better, so feel free to use this guide the best way that works for you and your group.

In your home group or Sunday school class encourage everyone to share how God is using these lessons to help them grow in their faith.

These lessons go right to the heart of Jesus’ teachings and reveals God’s heart for you.  If you learn these concepts, and meditate on them, they will change your life.  If you are struggling in your walk as a Christian, this study will help you come through to victory.  Peter gave us good instruction on how to make our salvation secure:

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.  Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;  for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:5-11).

If you spend time in the word of God your mind will be renewed and your character will be changed. Jesus uses the water of the word to wash us and make us clean (Ephesians 5:26).

We are all in process and there will be times when we will fail to keep these principles.  When this happens we need to repent, ask forgiveness, pick ourselves up, and press back in.  If we will do this we will get the victory over our sin.  Believers are not under condemnation.  Victory will come if we don’t give up.  The only way Satan can defeat a believer is if they give up:

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).

We don’t come to the Lord and live a perfect life.  We go through a cleansing process that believers call, the working out of our salvation (Philippians 2:12).

The power of God’s word will make a difference in your life:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

These basic lessons based on the Sermon on the Mount are to narrow our interests until our mind and heart are focused on Jesus Christ.  When this happens we will have the peace Jesus desires us to have and we will be able to endure to the end no matter how hard times become.

I hope this study blesses you, helps you grow in the Lord, and helps you become more effective in your ministry.  May you enjoy your journey through the Sermon on the Mount.

Lesson One

Character Trait: Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3).

POOR IN SPIRIT — those who admit their spiritual inadequacy and cast themselves on the mercy of God (Matt. 5:3). The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud, the arrogant, and the self-righteous who boast of their own goodness.  Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14) illustrates this contrast.

The Gospel of Luke declares, Blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). The poor in spirit are those who look to the Lord for justice, mercy, and deliverance, and not to themselves.1

HUMILITY — A freedom from arrogance that grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God.  The Greek philosophers despised humility because to them it implied inadequacy, lack of dignity, and worthlessness. This is not the meaning of humility as defined by the Bible. Jesus is the supreme example of humility (Matt. 11:29; Mark 10:45; John 13:4–17; Phil. 2:5–8), and He is completely adequate and of infinite dignity and worth.  Biblical humility is not a belittling of oneself (Matt. 6:16–18; Rom. 12:3), but an exalting or praising of others, especially God and Christ (John 3:30; Phil. 2:3). Humble people focus more on God and others than on themselves.

Biblical humility is also recognition that by ourselves we are inadequate, without dignity and worthless.  Yet, because we are created in God’s image and because believers are in Christ, we have infinite worth and dignity (1 Cor. 4:6–7; 1 Pet. 1:18–19).  True humility does not produce pride but gratitude.  Since God is both our Creator and Redeemer, our existence and righteousness depend on Him (John 15:5; Acts 17:28; Eph. 2:8–10). 1

Being poor in spirit and humility are the same virtue.

For thus says the High and Lofty One, Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).

We can see from this scripture God chooses to dwell with the humble.  One of the reasons God allows trials to come into our life is to humble us.  He gave Paul a messenger of Satan to keep him humble (II Corinthians 12:7).  The more humble you are the more God can use you.  God of the universe, when He became a man, humbled himself even to the death on the cross.

Do you consider yourself a humble person?

If not, are you willing to pray for God’s grace to become a humble person?

Do others mention they see humility in you?

What areas in your life do you consider yourself as being humble?

In what areas do you think you might still have pride?

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:1-11).

Do you esteem others better than yourself?

Do you look to the interests of others along with your own?

What characteristics would you expect to see in true Godly leadership?

Jesus said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Have you tried Jesus’ yoke?  Did you find rest?

Have you given your burdens to Him? Did you pick them back up again?

Here are some Scriptures from Proverbs that give you some insight about how pride versus humility:

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate (Proverbs 8:13).

When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).

By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom (Proverbs 13:10).

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them (Proverbs 14:3).

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

By humility and the fear of the LORD, are riches and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4).

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor (Proverbs 29:23).

If you want joy in your life, you need to get rid of your pride, because it only causes strife and separates you from God and others.

What are some of the fruits of pride?

What are some of the fruits of humility?

We can see from these Scriptures that our life would be more joyful and more productive, if we were truly humble.

God’s grace flows to the humble, and not to the proud. When we take God’s job into our hands (exalting ourselves), God must take our job into His hands (humbling us).  We want Him to be the One who lifts us up and not ourselves.  We need to resist temptation by taking every thought captive (II Corinthians 10:5), and standing in faith (Ephesians 6:10-18).

In conclusion:  Those who are poor in spirit will inherit heaven. Heaven is coming to earth, and those who inherit heaven will live in harmony with God and others.  This is hard to realize because there is so much strife in the world today, and there is so much deception that many don’t see living for God as a benefit.  However, we must believe what the Bible says about God being a God of love.  He loves us and desires us to come into the abundant life that He died for.

Prayer: Father, we humble ourselves under Your mighty hand.