Doctrine

How Jesus Opened the Sermon on the Mount

Seeing the multitudes gather for the miracles and teachings He provided, our Lord Jesus Christ withdrew to a mountain to prepare His disciples for the ministry they were about to begin. His preparation came in the form of a sermon, which included the basic fundamentals of the Christian life. This sermon, known as the Sermon on the Mount, demonstrated the Spirit-filled life by showing us how we should live, and how faith should manifest itself in our lives.

It’s important to understand the Sermon on the Mount in this context. Matthew 5 says that, seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up into a mountain, and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him, and He taught them. This sermon was directed at the disciples to prepare them for what He was about to call them to do.

If we understand the Sermon on the Mount in any other way, we make it a list of to-dos, and create a Pharisaical religious system to which no one can measure up.

In opening this epic message to His disciples, Jesus began with one word, “blessed.”

The word “blessed”, as we’ve discussed before, means to be happy, which means to be confident and secure.

The first thing Jesus does in speaking to His disciples is to remind them that they are blessed, that they are confident and secure. The “Beattitudes” that Jesus mentions in this passage are not a series of virtues to aspire to, but rather characteristics of life in Christ. The true Christian is humble, meek, merciful, desires righteousness, and often endures persecution.

Going through such times can often be discouraging, but Jesus sought to lift His disciples spirits by reminding them that they are blessed, that they are confident and secure. And the blessings that He promises are the blessings of the eternal Kingdom, where there will be no more sorrow or pain, where God will be our God and where He will care for us.

The blessings that He promises are that God will become tangible, our faith will be made sight, and we shall ever be with the Lord, and we will be rewarded for our service and sacrifice.

We truly are blessed, because we know that one day, Christ will return, receive us to Himself, and establish His Kingdom on earth, where we will enjoy the goodness He always intended for us.

Then, Jesus transitioned by reminding the disciples who they were. He told them, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Ye are the salt of the earth. Photo by Castorly Stock on Pexels.com

Much has been written about this verse over the years. From the preservative nature of salt, to the seasoning it adds, many commentators have discusses what it means for Christians to be the salt of the earth.

However, to properly interpret scripture, we have to learn to hear these words the way the disciples did. In that day, salt was a commodity. It was highly valuable due to its ability to preserve food. Known as “white gold,” it was often used to pay the salaries of the Roman soldiers, and was almost a universal currency. The point? Salt was very valuable.

When Jesus said. “Ye are the salt of the earth,” He was saying that, “in this world, you are what’s valuable.” When Jesus looks at the world, we are the treasure that He sees, and the treasure that He seeks.

This lines up with the Parable of the Treasure in the Field from Matthew 13:44, which says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”

Indeed, we are the treasure in the field, and Christ purchased the entire field, us included, with His blood on the cross.

Jesus wants you to know how precious you are to Him.

And finally, Jesus told His disciples that they are the light of the world. Our mission is to illuminate the world wherever we go. Just as a light bulb illuminates a dark room, we should let our lights shine through our good works, which will glorify God and lead others to a faith in the Gospel.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to examine the Sermon on the Mount, using this context as our lens of interpretation. If you feel that you have anything to add, or any questions, feel free to post them to the comments.

Blessed: What It Means

In His first major sermon to the multitudes, Jesus began with one word… “blessed.”

What followed was a list of people who could consider themselves blessed. “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are they that mourn… blessed are the meek…” and so on. The essence of the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 was that those who know the Lord, who reflect His nature in their very lives, are blessed.

The word blessed is the state of being. Those disciples to whom Jesus preached were not aspiring to being blessed, they already were blessed. The implied promise is that those who know the Lord and live by His Spiritual leadership will be blessed, but what does it mean to be blessed?

The word translated into “blessed” in Matthew 5 means to be happy. That makes sense, until you start to wonder what it means to be happy.

What does it mean to be happy?

Sadly, so many people in our world today struggle because they pursue happiness, but fail to grasp what it really is.

For some, happiness is a state of joy, and to maintain happiness, one must maintain a continual state of joy. This is unsustainable and impossible, and almost always leads to bad choices, sacrificing long-term blessings for short-term pleasures, and warps one’s sense of values.

For some, happiness is a state of accomplishment. The problem with this approach is that the satisfaction of accomplishments is usually short-lived. Ask any Super Bowl winning quarterback, and they’ll tell you.

No, happiness is a state of being confident and secure. To be happy is to realize that all of your needs have been met. To be happy means to have the human needs of love and esteem met. To be happy means to know that you are going to be okay.

With happiness being the confident and secure state, one can experience happiness regardless of emotional state. You can be happy and joyful at the same time. You can also be happy and sad at the same time. You can grieve while feeling confident and secure in God’s grace, so while you are expressing emotions of sadness and angst, you are still happy.

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America declares that God created man with certain unalienable rights, among which are the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have the God-given right to pursue a state of confidence and security, but where shall we find it?

For some, it’s in the finances. So long as they can accumulate enough wealth to provide for their families indefinitely, they think they will find happiness, that is, confidence and security. The problem with this approach is that those who work, or invest, for money realize how fleeting it is. If your hope for happiness lies in money, you will always fear losing it, thus will never attain to confidence and security, and thus will never be happy.

For others, it’s in relationships. The problem with people is that we each bring our own hang-ups, baggage, traumas and triggers to the table, rendering us incapable of providing confidence and security to others. When others seek to find their happiness in us, they are almost always left disillusioned.

No, happiness can only be found in the Lord. By trusting the Lord, we learn that, not only is our eternal destiny secured, but God has also taken note of our needs in this life, and has committed Himself to providing for those needs. (See Matthew 6).

Therefore, it can be concluded that the more we trust the Lord, the happier we’ll be, even if the emotion of joy eludes us.

May you find God’s blessing today.

Celebrate Advent with Us

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 27, Life Point will begin celebrating the season of Advent, which is the celebration of the arrival of Christ. This celebration will feature special services, messages about the arrival of Jesus Christ, times of fellowship, and special music.

What is Advent?

The word “advent” denotes the arrival of a notable person, thing or event. For centuries, the Christian churches have celebrated the birth of Christ as the season of “Advent.” We celebrate His birth, His arrival, and thus His Gospel during this time, as we also look forward to His return.

What makes Advent different from Christmas?

Advent is different from Christmas as the season predates the Christmas holiday. The roots of Advent are in the Christian church and its traditions. The roots of Christmas are largely secular, being integrated into Christian tradition in later centuries.

What should I expect at Life Point’s services this Advent?

Expect scripture readings from Isaiah, Matthew and Luke. Expect traditional Christmas hymns. Expect a time of peace. Expect to be encouraged by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life Point Baptist Church

599 Sunrise Dr./PO Box 3134

Early, TX 76803

Sunday School 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

For John, It Was Personal

Later in his life, the Apostle John continued to minister, serving as pastor of the church at Ephesus, proclaiming the Gospel, and even being imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, where he penned Revelation. John, one of the closes friends to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preached His gospel, not only out of duty and faith, but from a deep abiding love for our Lord.

So, when new theories and doctrines began to arise concerning Jesus, John was moved by his passion for the Lord, and more importantly by the Holy Spirit, to confront these new theories. From this passion, we got the The Gospel According to John, and The First Epistle of John, more commonly known as 1 John.

In these books, John noted how he personally knew Jesus Christ, thus giving him the expert authority to declare who Jesus really is. He then boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the incarnation of God, yet, was fully human. He proclaimed how Christ paid for our sins on the cross and the forgiveness that is freely available to those who believe.

In modern times, we again face new theories about Christ, and new doctrines that seek to redefine Christianity. We also face old traditions that de-emphasize Who He is. To re-center on the Lord, we began a new sermon series back in July called “The Real Jesus Christ.”

“The Real Jesus Christ” seeks to set aside the religious politics of our day, and get back to the core beliefs that make us Christian. This series seeks to truly teach Who Jesus is, and by doing so cultivate the faith of all who hear. As of the writing of this post, we are in the middle of John 6, as Jesus feeds the multitudes. You can catch up with our series by listening to the playlist here: