OceanSide church of Christ
Previous | Return to list of articles | Next |
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Matthew 5-7
Victor M. Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
Jesus’ longest sermon, three chapters, 111 verses of which 107 are Jesus’
words.
B.
Many names given to the sermon:
The Ordination of the
Twelve, The Manifesto of the King, The Magna Charta of the
Kingdom
C. Quote
by William Barclay:
The Sermon on the Mount is greater even than we think. Matthew in his introduction wishes us to
see that this is the official teaching of Jesus; that it is the opening of
Jesus’ whole mind to the disciples; that it is the summary of the teaching which
Jesus habitually gave to his inner circle.
The Sermon on the Mount is nothing less than the concentrated memory of
many hours of heart to heart communion between the disciples and their Master
(The
Gospel of Matthew, Vol. I, Barclay, p. 87)
D. The
central theme is found in Matthew 5:48.
Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.
I.
BE HAPPY (Matt.
5:1-12)
II.
BE INFLUENTIAL (Matt.
5:13-16)
III.
BE RIGHTEOUS (Matt.
5:17-48)
IV.
BE SINCERE (Matt.
6:1-18)
V.
BE LOYAL (Matt.
6:19-34)
VI.
BE FAIR (Matt.
7:1-6)
VII.
BE DILIGENT (Matt.
7:7-12)
VIII.
BE OBEDIENT (Matt.
7:13-27)
CONCLUSION
“It seems certain that no
other speech ever delivered has so influenced man as the Sermon on the
Mount. Its contents, so superior to
any production of man, prove the deity of it author. Its teaching is out of harmony with any
school of philosophy or of religion of that day; hence, their brightest lights
could not have produced it. It is
not eclectic, that is, its contents are not a collection of the best thoughts of
that and previous ages. Its
teaching is distinct, revolutionary, challenging every school of religious
thought of the times, both Jewish and heathen. It is not the product of the times, but
of Deity” (Annual Lesson Com-mentary, 1939, R.L. Whiteside, “The Citizens
of the Kingdom,” p. 251).