The Sermon On The Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most interesting messages Jesus gives, and certainly seems to be one of the longest. Looking at it with an overview in mind, I found that Jesus took the law and built upon it on several occasions. The law said not to lust, but Christ built on that and said not to even look at a woman with lustful intentions. The law said to not to murder, but Jesus again built on that and said to not even be angry with a brother or you will be subject to judgment. There are two specific passages in the Sermon on the Mount that I think are the most important and influential, and they deal with being salt and light and having a good foundation.

The first of these is found in Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV). This part of the message is dealing with being salt and light to the world. Something I didn’t think about for quite some time in my life was how I was affecting other lives around me. I was living for myself, and didn’t worry about what kind of wake I was leaving. For the past 12 years I have been trying to change that. Within the past year or two, I have started to understand just how important it is for me to live my life in a way that affects people in a positive way for the Kingdom. This realization goes beyond my Sunday morning experience and responsibilities there as the Worship Pastor. This includes getting outside of my comfort zone and making and taking opportunities to witness and evangelize to those who need that salt and light in their lives. It is very easy for me to do my job at the church every week, and feel as though I am going out of my way to further the Kingdom of God. The reality of this, is that I can become desensitized to the importance of getting outside the walls of the church and into the world where the lost are. Even Jesus said that he did not come for the healthy, but the sick. The way we live our lives as Christians, can either enhance life, or not. If it doesn’t, then we fall into danger of being cut off from God forever.

The second passage of scripture, I believe encompasses the entire Sermon. In Matthew 7:21-27 (NIV), Christ warns us that building our lives on a good foundation is the difference between an authentic life that God will recognize, and one that is fake and merely a façade. It is so very easy for people to go to church every week, be involved in the calendar of the church, and even serve in vital areas, and yet not be living their lives completely for God, or even the way he commanded us to. People can put on a mask when they want to and you would never know the deep dark secrets that they keep. We put on the church face, and pretend that life is hunky dory, when all the while we are dying inside. This I believe is what the world dislikes about the church. They see what we are really like in the world Monday through Saturday, yet we act differently on Sunday mornings.

Being transparent, being real, being Christ and living the way He has called us to live is vital to reaching those who don’t know God and His gift through Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) show us the difference between the one who puts Christ’s words into action, and the one who doesn’t. On the surface, the difference isn’t noticeable, but when the test’s come, our true nature and character will be revealed as our exterior weathers the storm. Having that strong foundation of Christ’s directives will make all the difference in the world.