John Fenn
Notes for Sermon on the Mount
It is a roadmap for growing in the Lord. Paul & Peter expanded on it. End of Matthew Chapter 4 sets the tone. It starts as a private discourse between Jesus and His disciples. Covers basic core principles. Came from cities including Decapolis which is the 10 Greek cities on east side of Galilee. Chapter 5 vs 1 – multitudes and disciples came to Him. 6:34 – Seeking the Kingdom and speaking to a larger audience now.....no longer just a private discourse.
He opened His mouth and began to teach. Teach here has the meaning of repeatedly (continually expounding while teaching). Basically the same things in different ways trying to reach all the people.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. A non born again person, before they know the Lord, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! 2 Corinthians Ch5, Paul expounds on this. Not knowing them by their flesh but by their spirit. Not status but to know them according to vs 17 b/c you are a new creature in Christ. Old things passed away, all things new.
Ministry of reconciliation. Be reconciled to God. (Larger version of what Jesus said...Blessed are the poor in spirit.....be reconciled and come into the Kingdom. Unsaved sins are not charged against them – they are blessed b/c the Lord gas given His Kingdom to them & they don't even know it! Jesus has brought reconciliation between us and the Father. Romans 2:4 It's the goodness of God that leads to repentance.
Matthew 5:4-48 Do good to those who do evil to you. Especially do good to the body of Christ but love all equally. Binding and loosing....Loose your sins and receive Christ.
VS4: Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Has to do with repentance and humility of the heart. A heart that reflects on time lost. If I'd known then what I know now.....(Traditional church didn't even exist for the first 300 years of the Church) – It's not about closing your eyes and saying a silent prayer while no one is looking. It is about true repentance which is a total visible change of life. Peter said repent & be baptized. We've lost track of true repentance.
Repentance means 2 different things: The 1st type of repentance is b/c you got caught and/or your plan didn't go the way you meant so you are sorry that your selfish tendencies didn't play out your way. This is like Judas in Acts 27:3.
The 2nd type of repentance is a godly repentance like in 2nd Samuel 12:13. David sinned with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed. Despite all he did against them, he cried out saying that he had sinned against the Lord. It was a true repentant heart between him and the Lord.
2 Cor Ch5 is also an example of the one with the incestuous relationship. He was confronted by the church and he repented.
2 Cor. 7, vs 10,11 says that a godly sorrow works a repentance to salvation & that will not be repented of. Sorrow of the world works death – Judas. True repentance, you won't go back. True repentance produces a godly zeal that brings forth fruit to demonstrate that repentance.
…....for they shall be comforted: So who is the comforter? John 14:26....it is the Holy Spirit!
Some receive Jesus and are born again but there is no mourning process, no demonstration of sorrow therefore no true repentance of sin. They have the church experience but not the God experience.
Psalm 51 is tied to Samuel 12 when David sinned against the Lord. …..Create in me a clean heart o god and renew a right spirit within me.
Churches need to preach repentance. He is a way of life.
John 14:16 and 26. 16 says I'll pray to the father and he'll give you another comforter. Jesus is the first comforter and the Holy Spirit will also come and stay with you forever. The Holy Spirit brings the new birth. If all that happened when we receive Jesus is that our sins were forgiven but our spirit man was not born again we would still not be able to get to heaven. Because it is the Holy spirit brings the new birth. Those whose spirits are filled with the spirit of God who are created by the spirit of god.
Romans 8:17: the holy spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. It's more than forgiveness of sins but we are actually being recreated. That changes our citizenship that we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven.... no longer a citizen of the world.
Blessed are the meek: humble and teachable.
Numbers 12vs3. Has the Lord only spoken through Moses? He didn't defend himself. The number one thing about a meek person is that they are teachable.
One of the main ministry of the holy spirit is teaching. John 14:16 and John 16:23.
We've got to change the way we think of non born again people. They are blessed and the kingdom has been given to them. You can feel yourself alive on the inside. Something has changed. Repentance and the revelation of the creation of a clean heart.
They shall inherit the earth: Jesus could have used the word cosmos (the world system) or something to do with land but it's talking about the portion that God has in store for you. This isn't the earth as a globe or the world's system but your inheriting that which the enemy has stolen from you. Gaining back what has been lost during the time that you were poor in spirit. Inheritance has to do with someone dying to give to you. Jesus died and we have a task, a purpose, a plan. We will inherit this and we will walk in these things. What has been lost will be restored!!!
We will start to receive the teaching ministry of the holy spirit as a result of being comforted. We find out the keys of the kingdom. Maintain a teachable heart. Luke 12:32. The whole kingdom has been given to you. Godliness, brotherly love, perseverance....We inherit our portion. Luke 10:38-42. Jesus having lunch with Martha. Martha talks about serving portions of food. Jesus says Mary has chosen the good portion of food. We have inherited our portion that is meant for us.
Jesus is quoting Psalm 37:11. The meek will inherit the earth. AND shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Progression of growth. Disciples knew the psalms by heart. The abundance of peace is the key. We have to walk with him, remain meek and teachable and sometimes do very difficult but right things that are difficult to confront. Lord always moves from the innermost being outward, Acts 1:8, You'll be witness in Judea then out further and further. Start applying these things in the physical realm and start inheriting your land, your portion.
END OF DISC 1
Matthew 5:33: You shall not sware.... Pharisees had made varying degrees of oaths. They said since they were “lesser” oaths then you could break them. If you swore by things of the heavens then you could not break but if you swore by things of yourself (the hair on my head) then you could. It was a lesser oath so you could break it! Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no be no. Resist not evil but offer the other check. Compel to go 1 mile go 2 miles with him instead. Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.
Exodus 21 to explain eye for eye.....starting at vs 18: Laws of Restitution. This is all about “making it right.”
Example: Paying for loss of time for fighting if no permanent injury. Sometimes if intent is rape, abuse or violence then it is life for life.
This is not about revenge but about restitution.
Vs.33: If a man opens a pit and donkey falls in. Then the pit owner owes the other man money.
Don't be a doormat to get hit again (give the other cheek also) but be so eager to make restitution that you offer the other cheek also (in their day, part of the payment could be payment plus getting hit on the cheek). It doesn't mean to let them abuse and hit you 100 times.
Persian times in the days of Daniel: Going 1 mile with your animal. If the ruler of Babylon had a message to get out then the messengers would take their horse as far as they could go then the law said they could confiscate a fresh animal to take them 1 mile to help deliver the message b/c the messengers animal would get tired. The owner of the animal would be allowed to walk with the messenger and their animal then the messenger must give back the animal. Jesus said to go the extra mile with them as well. To basically be good. BUT, not 3 miles. If they don't respond to your goodness then cut ties and move on.
Loving those that are difficult to love. Do what you need to do and a little extra. If they don't respond then cut ties and move on.
Tid Bit:
The Lord's prayer is an old testament prayer that is actually a prayer of statement not of supplication.
Jews vs Gentiles: Matthew 6: Can't serve God and money. Look at the birds of the air.
Vs25: Take no thought of your life. 32: Your Father knows you have need of these things. Seek first the Kingdom. Gentiles refer to non covenant people....outside the commwealth of Israel.
Matt 8: Centurion servant being healed. Just speak the word and servant will be healed. Jesus said he had not seen such great faith in all of Israel. Many will come from the east and west but children of the kingdom will be cast away......? East and west is outside of Israel...gentiles. Many of the Jews (children of the Kingdom) will be cast away. Many gentiles will be brought into the faith and many Jews will wind up in Hell.
Matt 15: Canaanite woman: Daughter is vexed with the devil. I am only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Puppy eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table. People think he was rude to her. His message is to the children of Israel. She calls Him son of David....which is a term of the messiah.
Here is a gentile woman who is calling him the messiah. Lots of people called him that but how many actually believed it. When the Lord speaks in parables it requires spiritual understanding.
Mark 4:34 – he spoke in parables. Lord told peter Matt 16:17 My father has shown this to you...not flesh and blood. Having a relationship with the Father where the Holy Spirit has shown them things. True revelation from the Father. He is not being rude to her but trying to determine if she has true revelation from the spirit about Him as messiah or if she is just repeating what she has heard.
Muslims consider us dogs....same terminology. She answers the parable in like manner indicating that she understands that he is the messiah. Jesus drew faith out of people. That was his way of drawing from her.
Chapter 7: Ask, Seek, Knock. (Luke 11 for more detail). Friend at midnight. Being persistent. Jesus is not saying that God is the friend. He is using contrast. Here in the natural your friend will not give what you need b/c of friendship but because of persistence. Not to keep knocking and knocking. He is saying how much more Father will give what you need.
People treat God as the unjust Judge but He wants to help you speedily. When Jesus returns will he find people that understand this about Father? Will He find people of faith? He gives quick answers and responds speedily. If you think God is unjust and takes forever then that will be what it is. What is bound on earth is bound on heaven and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. Step up and think highly of your Father! He will respond according to how your faith is. Step up in your faith then He is loosed to walk in that toward you. We are part of the family of the true Israel.
Matt 7:15 Not everyone who says lord lord will get into heaven. Beware of false prophets. Judge by their actions. Dont judge a persons spiritual life. We can have thoughts about it but not do it in a mocking way. Does Jesus always tell the truth? Yes he is the way , the truth and the life. If He says I will declare I never knew you...is that the truth? Yes. That person said I have done all these things in your name but they were never born again b/c he says he never knew them. Depart from me you who work inequity. They have never known the Lord. Inequity is larger than sin. Sin is a single act. Inequity is a spider web of sin. Shady, dishonesty, a lifestyle of sins....so numerous that they are woven together. VS:23.
Every tree that doesn't bare fruit......only he that does the will of the Father. John 6:29...that you believe on He whom He has sent. That is the will of the Father.
Built house on a rock......it stands. Hears these things and does not act on them is like a house built on the sand.