Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:42:19 -0700 Bill Mounce http://www.billmounce.com Podcast Maker v1.3.8b - http://www.lemonzdream.com/podcastmaker Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is his best-known teaching, but is it understood and lived? This is Bill's two year long sermon series on these three pivotal chapters in Matthew. More sermons are available at www.BillMounce.com. en-us Copyright 2007 Dr. Bill Mounce Bill Mounce http://www.billmounce.com/podcast/sermonmount/billmounce_144.jpg http://www.billmounce.com 97 144 Christianity Mounce,Bible,Jesus,Sermon,Mount clean Bill Mounce Parenthetical sermon applying last week's message. Last week we heard the call to become a church that, in ever-increasing measure, reflects the realities of the Sermon on the Mount. But what does that look like, practically? How will we get there? What will it cost, both in terms of money and commitment? Sun, 20 May 2007 21:59:32 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:49:03 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:24-27 We have arrived at the last piece of teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It does no good to hear the sermon; the destruction of those who hear and do not do will be great. Is Jesus trying to frighten people out of hell into heaven? Sun, 13 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:38:23 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:21-23 One of the ways in which we can fall off the narrow path is to be self-deceived. We think we are traveling the path, and can even claim powers of exorcisms, prophecy, and miracle working, but none of this is necessary proof that we did in fact walk through the narrow gate. Did you go through the gate? Sun, 06 May 2007 23:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:41:49 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus has called on us to go through the narrow gate and walk on the narrow path. But there are two ways we can fall off the path. The first is the problem of false prophets, who appear to be sheep, but are in reality ravenous wolves. So what are we doing about Jesus' admonition, "Beware of false prophets"? Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:49:31 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus has finished the teaching part of the Sermon on the Mount and now wants to close by driving home the point that it is not enough to hear the sermon but you must do the sermon. We must enter the narrow gate and walk the narrow road. It is narrow because it is the life of discipleship, but it is the only path to true life. The wide and easy road leads only to destruction and ruin. Sun, 22 Apr 2007 23:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:43:16 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:7-11 The instructions on not being judgmental, looking at your own sin, and not throwing pearls before swine, are difficult. THey are in fact impossible to do on our own strength. So Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock; he calls us to persistent and confident prayer. Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:44:04 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:47:15 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:3-6 As we conclude the discussion of judgmental attitudes, we will look at the famous picture of a person trying to remove a speck of sawdust from someone's eye while all along there is a log coming out of his own eye. Hypocrisy leads us to equally absurd actions, like pointing out sin in some else's life while ignoring sin in our own life. Why would anybody do this? Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:40:34 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:1b-2 Matthew 7:2 is a strange verse. It is well-known, but what actually does it mean? "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." Judged by people or by God? Judged while on earth or at the Final Judgment? If it is by God at the Final Judgment, what specifically does it look like. How will my censorial attitude affect God's judgment of me? Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:41:13 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:46:26 Bill Mounce Matthew 7:1a Matthew 7 starts the third major section of the Sermon on the Mount, and begins by dealing with interpersonal conflict, namely, criticalness. When Jesus says, "Judge not!" does he want us to be undiscerning, gullible jellyfish? Are you sure? Why? Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:59:39 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:30:22 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:31-34 Our final pass through this paragraph emphasizes that the negative "Do not worry,""Do not be like the Gentiles," is replace with the positive "Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness." Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:23:24 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:30 As we continue to trace the themes running through Matthew 6:25-34, we come to the issue of "little faith" in v 30. Worry is practical atheism. Many have a little faith, enough to be saved, but not enough faith to trust their sustaining God. How can we grow into people of "great faith" that covers all our lives? Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:35:46 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:25-34 We like to worry; if we didn't, we wouldn't do it so much. But worry is practical atheism, refusing to believe God will keep his promises. We start our study of this paragraph with an overview. Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:33:33 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus commands that we do not amass wealth for ourselves on earth, and he commands that we amass wealth in heaven (Matthew 6:19-24). That is all he need say, and then we will either be obedient or sinful. But by his grace Jesus knows we are weak and so gives us four reasons why we should want to to this. Most people convince themselves that Jesus is simply wrong here, and so let everyone examine himself or herself. Do we live for the pleasures of this world centered around ourselves, or do we live for God in this world and for the next? Check your bank statement for the answer. Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:42:21 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus calls for undivided loyalty, especially in the area of money. We are not to treasure the things of this world, but to use God's wealth under our control to advance God's purposes and so send our treasure on ahead, to heaven. Sun, 14 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:35:39 Bill Mounce Are any prayers unanswered? Is there such a thing as unanswered prayer? Certainly it is the perception that God doesn't hear and answer our prayers that contributes most to our failures in prayer. How does a sovereign God keep his word to us? Sun, 31 Dec 2006 11:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:50:33 Bill Mounce Does God listen? We will not pray the Lord's Prayer, or pray in general, if we are not convinced that God listens and that the prayers matter. Do they? Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:47:57 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:44:39 Bill Mounce Why is prayer mysterious? Having discussed the Lord's Prayer, we need to spend a few Sundays talking about prayer in general. Why is it mysterious? Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:42:39 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:13 Finally, in the Lord's Prayer we are instructed to admit our dependence on God for deliverance from future temptation. We are not able, in and of ourselves, to withstand the forces of the evil one. But God is. Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:41:14 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:12 Matthew 6:12 Sun, 05 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:37:11 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:11 Prayer orients us to God; we are his children and he is our father. As our father, he is intimately concerned with and involved in the details of all our life, our physical sustenance, the present forgiveness of our sins so that we can walk in relationship with him, and future protection from evil, and the evil one. Jesus now turns to these issues, teaching us to admit our dependence on God for all things pertaining to our life, and God will graciously give us what we need. Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:29:06 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:10b Just as the saints and angels in heaven do God's will perfectly, spontaneously, instantly, and joyfully, so also when we pray "May your will be done," we are calling on God to act in such a way that on earth we will be doing the same. But what is God's will? Do we have the faith to really pray this prayer? Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:36:03 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:10a What does it look like to pray that God be reverenced for who he is? It begins by praying that his kingdom come. God’s “kingdom” is his reigning in the lives of his followers. As they grow in their discipleship, and as they share the gospel and others come into the kingdom, the kingdom advances. But there is another kingdom of this age, and there is a great battle being waged. Are you up to the fight? Is the sacrifice worth it? Sun, 17 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:33:25 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:9 Once we have oriented ourselves to God in prayer, we turn our focus to God and his holiness, to his kingdom and his will. But how is God seen to be holy? How is his name “hallowed”? Through his disciples! If we are hypocrites, then God is made to appear small and ineffective. If we are authentic worshippers, our lives and words declare God’s holiness. What do people who know you think of God? Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:41:34 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:9 Prayer begins by “recollecting” who we are and who God is. He is our father who loves us, cares for us, and is more ready to answer than we usually are to ask. At the same time he is the transcendent God of the universe, whose power assures us of his ability to hear and answer our prayers. So we begin, “Our Father in heaven.” Sun, 03 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:44:47 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:5-6 Our prayers reflect our perception of the character of our God. If he is unloving and uncaring and ignorant, then we must plead and beg and instruct him in what he should do. But if our God is loving and caring and omniscient, then that too will be reflected in how we talk with him. We are still persistent in our prayers, but our prayers also acknowledge that he is not manipulated by many words. Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:45:56 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:5-6 The second act of traditional piety Jesus addresses is praying. The message is the same as with giving and fasting. Who is your audience? To whom and for whom are you praying? How many times are our prayers directed more to the people listening than to God? This is the beginning of a series within a series, the topic of prayer as addressed in the Sermon on the Mount. Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:55:02 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:16-18 Our personal religion, our piety, how our heart works itself out in public within a religious setting, must be for the audience of one; our praise is not from man but from God. This includes how we work out our own spiritual self-discipline. Fasting is one spiritual discipline whose value can be easily destroyed by doing it for human praise. As in the case of giving and prayer, to fast for human accolades brings no praise from God. Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:48:33 Bill Mounce Matthew 6:1-4 The thesis of Matthew 6 is that we should work out our piety in ways that do not bring attention to ourselves, but to do so for the audience of one, God, and God who sees the heart will reward you. The first of three examples is that our giving must be from the heart. Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:42:49 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:48 How do we understand the strong language Jesus is using, especially the call to be “perfect”? The answer is contained in our view of the Christian life as a journey. There is a beginning; we go through a gate. But there is a path beyond the gate, a path we must travel if we are to arrive safely at the end. As we journey along this path, we come to know the truths of Scripture more and more, deeper and deeper. The Sermon on the Mount is not a snapshot of life, it is a moving picture of who we are, what we are becoming, and who we will be. Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:41:04 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:43-47 God calls us to imitate his Son by loving our enemies. It is the charge of being counter-cultural, to live detached from not only the world but also from ourselves. Sun, 11 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:42:32 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:38-42 The final three examples of not insisting on our rights ask us if we are willing to forgo our rights even if this means suffering loss of property or doing humiliating work or letting go of money. The cry of our culture is “Mine,” the cry of selfish entitlement. Has your heart been changed so that this is no longer your heart’s cry? Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:39:44 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:38-42 While “lex talionis” was an attempt to limit retaliation, Jesus goes to the spirit of the law and says that we should be willing to let our rights go if doing so were an act of love. This includes not only refusing to retaliate physically, but also refusing to retaliate with our minds and mouths. Sun, 28 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:40:28 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus goes to the spirit of the law and insists that while we must not actually use God’s name irreverently, we must also pursue rigorous honesty, a full commitment to be totally truthful. It is a call to be people of our word. Sun, 21 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:35:56 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:31-32 In our culture this is a sensitive topic and yet one that must be addressed given its frequency especially in the church and the devastation of its effects. Jesus holds to the sanctity and permanence of marriage while allowing that sexual infidelity can break the marriage covenant and make remarriage legitimate. Divorce, however, is not the unforgivable sin, and we must do everything we can do, as individuals and a church, to strengthen the “one-flesh” covenant of marriage. Sun, 14 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:52:28 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:27-28 The second example of deep obedience is lust. Jesus is talking about looking with the intent to lust, which is not the same thing as adultery and yet which violates the commandment not to commit adultery. The challenge of the passage is whether we take sin seriously or not. Are we ready to live as one who is blind and as one who is crippled? Sun, 07 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:42:35 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:23-26 Last week we talked about anger, emphasizing the danger and seriousness of anger and hatred. But what to do about it? The biblical answer is reconciliation, instant reconciliation, before the sun sets and Satan gains a toehold in your life. But easier said than done. Sun, 12 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:31:26 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:21-26 Now that Jesus has established that our righteousness is to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees by being a deep obedience, a righteousness that comes from the heart, he now spells out six practical illustrations. In the first he goes to the heart of the matter, to our heart, and talks about our anger. Just because we have not shed blood does not mean we are safe from God's judgment. Jesus' law goes deeper than that; it goes deep into the heart and how we respond to conflict in the midst of personal relationships. The commandment not to murder is broken by the heart of anger that might lead to murder. Sun, 05 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:31:05 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:21-22 Following Jesus’ call to a deep obedience, he moves on to six illustrations of deep obedience. However, these six summarize two basic themes: the supremacy of Christ, and the difference between the letter and the spirit of the law. Christianity is not a list of do’s and don’t’s. It is the call to be a certain kind of person, which is what the spirit of the law was always about. Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:32:35 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:20 Jesus demands that our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, not by calling for more obedience, but deeper obedience. The Pharisees were concerned on external rituals, and not their hearts toward God. Our actions flow from our heart, so a life of righteousness will flow from a heart that is right before God. Sun, 19 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:37:42 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:18-19 Do you believe that all or just parts of the Bible are true? I am not so much talking about an academic decision but rather a life commitment to the truth of the Bible and all that entails. Matthew 5:18-19 encourages us to view the Bible as Jesus does, that not even the slightest commandment should be ignored. Not a "jot" or a "tittle," not the smallest Hebrew character or the smallest stroke of the pen, will pass away until all is accomplished Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:33:20 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:17 Evidently, at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, the entrenched religious hierarchy realized that Jesus was a threat to their power and very way of life. Above all, Judaism was a people of the law, their very existence defined by God's revelation to Moses. What does Jesus think about the law? What is the believer's relationship to the Old Testament? The answer is that all of the Old Testament points to Christ as the fulfillment of the law. This is the supremacy of Christ. Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:49:07 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:14-16 As the light of the world, we are called to shine God's truth into the darkness of this world. Not only is Jesus the light of the world, but as believers in Christ, we are the light of the world. We illuminate the darkness around us by what we sat and how we live. To try and deny that we are light is ridiculous, because God made us to be light. Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:33:04 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:13 After reading the Beatitudes, one might think that the only way to live out this type of life is to live in isolation from the world. The Beatitudes themselves make this an impossible conclusion, because how could we receive the blessing of persecution unless we are in the world? And in the paragraph that follows the Beatitudes, Jesus explicitly makes spiritual isolationism impossible. If we truly live out the Beatitudes, we will function as salt, slowing down the moral decay of society, and we will function as light, bring truth and healing to society as well. Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:31:43 Bill Mounce Beatitudes are the work of the Spirit and are essential. The Beatitudes form a golden chain in which one leads to the next. Ultimately, they are all supernatural qualities that are are the work of the Holy Spirit. These qualities are characteristics of those who are in the Kingdom of God and are not optional. Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:37:39 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:10-12 When a person lives out the beatitudes they are not going to be accepted in this world. Persecution can take many forms, and ultimately, persecution is a means of blessing. Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:43:33 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:9 When God calls us to make peace, it is different than the world's understanding of peace. Ultimately, true peace begins by having peace with God. Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:36:38 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:8 If there is one quality that would revolutionize us as individuals and us as a church, it would be purity, single-minded devotion to Jesus with an uncompromising absence of sin. This is the only source of true joy, and it is the only way that anyone will ever see God. Sun, 11 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:44:02 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:7 There is a slight shift in the fifth beatitude, from an emphasis on my need to an emphasis on our response to others. Mercy is that great quality of God whereby he extends his goodness to those in need. Without God's mercy, we would all be dead in our sins. Without extending mercy to one another, we too will not be shown mercy, neither in life nor at judgment. Sun, 20 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:36:53 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:6 The golden chain of the beatitudes moves from poverty of spirit, to mourning, to meekness, and now to hungering and thirsting for God's righteousness. We fill ourselves so much with junk food that there is no room left for God's food. Come and be challenged to eat healthy. Sun, 13 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:35:52 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:5 Meekness isn't being timid or weak. Rather, meekness is only possible by having a right understanding of who we are before God. Throughout the New Testament, meekness is often used to describe what kind of attitude we should have in the face of conflict. Sun, 06 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Religion & Spirituality no 00:40:00 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:4 Those who understand their spiritual bankruptcy before God (Beatitude #1) will mourn over their spiritual emptiness. This is not bereavement; it is an intense, deeply-felt anguish in your heart when you realize your spiritual lostness before God. It is what leads you to the next beatitude. Sun, 16 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:37:24 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:3 The first beatitude is simply the most important verse in the Sermon on the Mount, and perhaps the entire Bible. In it lies the treasures of salvation and growth into holiness. If a person does not understand this verse, then nothing else will be clear. Sun, 09 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:38:26 Bill Mounce Matthew 5:1-2 Before jumping in to the details of the sermon, we need to step back and get the big picture. Life in the Kingdom of God is Counter-Cultural. This is the basic message of the Sermon and we need to orient ourselves to this way of thinking. Sun, 25 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0700 Religion & Spirituality no 00:37:25