Unexpected
Jul 26 2020 • Greg Boyd
When Jesus started preaching, he announced there was a new Kingdom in town and everyone was welcome to join. But what exactly was he inviting them to? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out God’s vision for a whole new kind of world. In a way this sermon is his manifesto, his charter, his declaration for a new way of life. But it’s not what anyone expected. Instead it was far more surprising, beautiful and astonishing than any human system could ever be.
Sermons in this series:
What is the real cause of the persecution that Jesus says leads to blessedness? The answer is found in the refusal to make enemies of others or to embrace an “us vs. them” mindset. By opting out of this game, we no longer fit on either side and persecution becomes the norm.
Topics: Non-Violence,
Spiritual Warfare
In a world where violence is promoted as the solution to conflict, Jesus teaches us that God’s children are to be those who live in and offer peace.
Topics: Blessings,
Non-Violence
In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, he includes Jesus’ teaching on those who have embraced idols and are not blessed as they are on the path of woe. This sermon addresses what these “woes” mean and how we can fight against the woe road.
Topics: Blessings,
Covenant,
Judgment
Our world offers continual distractions that overwhelm us and keep us from purity of heart, and therefore hinder our sight of God. To have purity of heart is to have a single-minded focus on one thing, the one thing that matters.
Topics: Blessings,
Discipleship
In the midst of a culture of perpetual judgment, God has called the church to be a people of mercy. We will receive mercy to the degree that we offer mercy, and judgment to the degree that we judge.
Topics: Blessings,
Peace,
Relationships
God created us with a homing device in our souls which causes us to hunger for LIFE that can only be filled through our connection with him. However, we too often fall into the trap of hungering and thirsting after idols that leave us empty and leave us restless.
Topics: Blessings,
Communion
Jesus taught that those who are meek will actually inherit the earth. What does this counter-cultural teaching mean? How does it relate to being humble and the reality that people are forced to be humble by those in power? This sermon explores these questions and then provides practical direction to embracing Jesus’ teaching.
Topics: Humility,
Relationships
Jesus taught that those who mourn are blessed. This occurs as the people of God know how things should be and set God’s beauty in contrast to the ugliness of the world. And thus, we mourn for God to come and bring his deliverance.
Topics: Blessings,
Kingdom of God
The Sermon on the Mount opens with a teaching on being poor in spirit, which refers to an attitude one has before God. It means not being self-reliant, but broken and dependent upon God for life.
Topics: Blessings,
Judgment,
Kingdom of God
This sermon introduces the Sermon on the Mount by asking why we should trust the words of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7. Jesus addresses big life questions and if we don’t know why we should trust his answers, then we might place the authority of others on par with that of Jesus. Christ is the expert of all experts, which is the reason his teaching must be heeded.
Topics: Defense of Christian Faith,
Faith
