Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine.
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful morning, rise and greet it with a bright, sunshiny smile! And while you’re at it, declare with confidence: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!’ Yes my people, it’s always best to begin our days on a positive, expectant note than in a sour, negative frame of mind. It’s the way Jesus did it. And today I’m going to do something I’ve never done before; I’m going to quote a long passage from the scholars on the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve quoted small bits, or used my own words when needed, but never such a long section. I only discovered it when I’d almost finished my message yesterday, and since it was too long to include there, I left it for today. It’s an outstanding explanation, so let’s get into it. ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that this message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestations of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity. To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish-only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicates that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’ Wow! Oh Friends, isn’t that brilliant, though somewhat highfalutin reasoning. Just as I said yesterday; the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest set of words, the most brilliant philosophy ever stated, and it is an absolute blueprint for Christian living in this crazy, confused, evil world. And right there Friends, is one reason why people were astonished at Jesus’ doctrine; because it was contrary to that taught and done by the world. Jesus came to build something different, something new, something that the world had never seen or heard of before; a Church, a society truly built on the spiritual foundations of grace, glory, forgiveness, mercy and LOVE! Unfortunately, not too many humans, then or now, were willing to give up the worldly lusts of the flesh that it required. But my people, if we want to be real, true followers of the Prince of Peace, of the Mighty Counsellor, of the Sacrificial Lamb, then we’ve got to do like he did on His earthly sojourn; willingly pick up our individual cross and bear it without complaints before the world. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way that unbelievers will recognize us as genuine Christians and pay attention to what we say. Luke, in his description of Jesus teaching in Capernaum on the Sabbath, truthfully declares: ‘And they were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): for his word was with power (authority).’ (Luke 4:32) And after Jesus cast out the demon from a man in the synagogue, the crowd was confounded. ‘And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ (Luke 4:36) Yes Friends, the world had never seen or heard anything like Jesus. And one more reason why people were astonished and amazed at Jesus’ power of thought and speech is related to His humble status, and lack of education; a carpenter’s son from the backwater town of Nazareth. And strangely, it’s in His own hometown that Jesus found the least faith, the most unbelief. Just listen to how His hometown crowd reacted when He taught there. ‘And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought (performed) by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judah and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.’ (Mark 6:2-3) But Jesus, with that magnanimous soul of His, wrote off the rejection by saying; ‘A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.’ (Mark 6:4) There’s no doubt though that Jesus was tremendously hurt by the sad state of unbelief in His own hometown of Nazareth, which made it impossible for Him to do any great works there. It seems that’s the only place He did nothing of much value during His earthly ministry. How sad. But them’s the breaks! Our own usually show the least respect and interest in our achievements. And here’s one last instance of the power of Jesus’ words, which occurred while He taught in the temple at Jerusalem. The council had heard that the ordinary, more rural people were beginning to accept Jesus as whom He claimed to be, so they sent some officers to arrest Him. However, they returned to the council empty-handed, and when asked why, there response was simple but poignant. ‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.’ (John 7:46) Now isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! And neither has anyone spoken like Him since, my people. That obviously means Jesus was, and still is, in a class all by Himself. His teachings are both literally and figuratively out of this world. And I strongly advise us to join Him in His great and most worthwhile mission of bringing all the Father’s human creation together as one, under the unique, but powerful and protective umbrella of His Church, where things like grace, mercy, truth, forgiveness and LOVE abound. Oh my Friends, it certainly is the best way, so please check it out! Much LOVE!…to live a true Christian life…truly adopt the life giving principles… of the Sermon on the Mount…
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful morning, rise and greet it with a bright, sunshiny smile! And while you’re at it, declare with confidence: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!’ Yes my people, it’s always best to begin our days on a positive, expectant note than in a sour, negative frame of mind. It’s the way Jesus did it. And today I’m going to do something I’ve never done before; I’m going to quote a long passage from the scholars on the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve quoted small bits, or used my own words when needed, but never such a long section. I only discovered it when I’d almost finished my message yesterday, and since it was too long to include there, I left it for today. It’s an outstanding explanation, so let’s get into it. ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that this message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestations of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity. To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish-only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicates that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’ Wow! Oh Friends, isn’t that brilliant, though somewhat highfalutin reasoning. Just as I said yesterday; the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest set of words, the most brilliant philosophy ever stated, and it is an absolute blueprint for Christian living in this crazy, confused, evil world. And right there Friends, is one reason why people were astonished at Jesus’ doctrine; because it was contrary to that taught and done by the world. Jesus came to build something different, something new, something that the world had never seen or heard of before; a Church, a society truly built on the spiritual foundations of grace, glory, forgiveness, mercy and LOVE! Unfortunately, not too many humans, then or now, were willing to give up the worldly lusts of the flesh that it required. But my people, if we want to be real, true followers of the Prince of Peace, of the Mighty Counsellor, of the Sacrificial Lamb, then we’ve got to do like he did on His earthly sojourn; willingly pick up our individual cross and bear it without complaints before the world. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way that unbelievers will recognize us as genuine Christians and pay attention to what we say. Luke, in his description of Jesus teaching in Capernaum on the Sabbath, truthfully declares: ‘And they were astonished at his doctrine (teaching): for his word was with power (authority).’ (Luke 4:32) And after Jesus cast out the demon from a man in the synagogue, the crowd was confounded. ‘And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ (Luke 4:36) Yes Friends, the world had never seen or heard anything like Jesus. And one more reason why people were astonished and amazed at Jesus’ power of thought and speech is related to His humble status, and lack of education; a carpenter’s son from the backwater town of Nazareth. And strangely, it’s in His own hometown that Jesus found the least faith, the most unbelief. Just listen to how His hometown crowd reacted when He taught there. ‘And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought (performed) by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judah and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.’ (Mark 6:2-3) But Jesus, with that magnanimous soul of His, wrote off the rejection by saying; ‘A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.’ (Mark 6:4) There’s no doubt though that Jesus was tremendously hurt by the sad state of unbelief in His own hometown of Nazareth, which made it impossible for Him to do any great works there. It seems that’s the only place He did nothing of much value during His earthly ministry. How sad. But them’s the breaks! Our own usually show the least respect and interest in our achievements. And here’s one last instance of the power of Jesus’ words, which occurred while He taught in the temple at Jerusalem. The council had heard that the ordinary, more rural people were beginning to accept Jesus as whom He claimed to be, so they sent some officers to arrest Him. However, they returned to the council empty-handed, and when asked why, there response was simple but poignant. ‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.’ (John 7:46) Now isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! And neither has anyone spoken like Him since, my people. That obviously means Jesus was, and still is, in a class all by Himself. His teachings are both literally and figuratively out of this world. And I strongly advise us to join Him in His great and most worthwhile mission of bringing all the Father’s human creation together as one, under the unique, but powerful and protective umbrella of His Church, where things like grace, mercy, truth, forgiveness and LOVE abound. Oh my Friends, it certainly is the best way, so please check it out! Much LOVE!…to live a true Christian life…truly adopt the life giving principles… of the Sermon on the Mount…
SCRIP-BITS 