Sermon Tone Analysis

Not Just OT

We have been looking at how Matthew displays Jesus fulfilling the OT with His birth, ministry, teachings and life in general.

However, that was not all that Matthew brings to the table.

Jesus has 5 great speeches that bring out different aspects of His expectation for the kingdom’s citizens and all of them pointing to a future era.

The first one we commonly refer to as the Sermon on the Mount.

This is the speech from Jesus that has garnered a lot of attention with phrases like “Do not judge, and you will not be judged”, “Love your enemy”, and the Lord’s prayer.

All of these are commonly held in high regard in our society, but why not, “You cannot serve God and money?” or “everyone who divorces his wife , except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

These phrases are all expected to be overlooked in many churches today in order to keep the peace and not rub the members the wrong way, but we are not so sensitive.

All of these teachings stand out in their own way though.

As we study the different teachings of Jesus in this sermon, we learn a great deal about how God is intending to create a people who have a heart that is like David, “after His own heart.”

Beginning

Matt 4:

Just as Jesus has told the apostles, the men are coming in like fish in a net.

Matthew has Jesus kicking off His ministry with a bang!

Healing everything and drawing a huge crowd.

How does Jesus respond?

He invites them all to heaven with an invitation song… Right?

He has a moment on top of the mountain to discuss things with His disciples.

Seeing the crowds grow, what else is there to think, but that the time is about to come to form an army and start taking things over.

Right?

He gathers His disciples together to help them distinguish between those who are coming to Him just to see Him work miracles or be healed of their earthly ailments and those who have a heart that is seeking to please God.

End

You will notice a difference as you move on from the Sermon into future healings.

Although it occasionally has the broad sweeping healing statements, the main thing that is intended to be noticed is the attitude and faith of the one requesting healing.

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It is important that those who come to Jesus have some qualification before they can be called disciples or be loved by Jesus.

This is so clearly seen in Chapter 8 as Matthew shows us those who have that qualification and those who do not.

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He seems to have a low tolerance for those who aren’t doing what He mentions in the Sermon on the Mount.

His expectations are laid out and we see men and women either meeting some qualification or failing to meet it.

What is the Qualifier?

It is never simply that they believe that Jesus is the son of God.

Did you catch that in the last quote?

It doesn’t matter if you believe that He is all He says He is and you have to obey His command.

What is your attitude?

What is your perspective on life?

Perspective

When we look at any part of the Sermon we see one of two things.

The view that one has of their life must be God centered.

The view that one has of their life must not be overtaken by any other thing.

I often wonder what the most important thing to pray for might be.

I think I’ve found it.

1. God let me focus the entire course of my life on bringing you glory.

2. God help me flee the things that take my focus away from you!

I want to look at a just a few verses in this sermon that get this point across.

God Centered Works

It’s not so that they may be amazed at your greatness or so that people will like you and fall down at your feet and worship you.

It’s all about giving glory to their creator who is the reason for your good works.

I have heard that athletes imagine themselves running the play or hitting the ball or taking the shot before they ever do it.

They imagine themselves as the greatest of athletes before they work hard to accomplish their dreams.

I want us to picture a good work in our mind.

Watch yourself going through the process of loving someone else.

Someone who you don’t even know.

Somenone who has done nothing to deserve anything from you and someone you know could not pay you back.

You choose to do something for them that they couldn’t do for themselves.

Now, having visualized it, go and do it.

God Centered Righteousness

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Why would you do the hardest thing that you will ever do?

Why love someone who has just killed your child or stolen your property or kept you from having what you rightfully deserve?

Because you are focused on being like your heavenly Father who you understand well enough to know that He forgave His own Son’s murderers.

If you would say, “that’s all well and good, but there ain’t a chance of me not killing someone who did that to me” and you really desire to get back at someone who is hateful and harmful towards you.

Realize that you are making yourself an enemy of God.

It’s not your place to inflict wrath or judgment no matter how emotional you get.

God shows an amazing amount of patience towards us all.

God Centered Faith

If you truly have faith that God is listening and watching all that you do, your life must be about His business.

However, He also wants to know that you aren’t just appearing to live for Him with the good works that you do.

Israel would do this and God said that their “good works” were appalling to Him.

They made Him want to vomit.

He desires more than just sacrifice in order to be glorified by men.

Jesus even provides encouragement to do this.

He tells us that God, who sees in secret will reward you for all eternity.

Show God that you believe in Him.

Don’t just say the words without doing for Him what He desires.

God Centered Focus

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Also, realize that God sees our internal thoughts and motivations.

We have to take every thought captive and bring it toward God Centered Thinking.

What should I do in light of what God has said about this?

Then, either we trust God’s word or we don’t.

If we say that we do, but then we try to take control of our lives, He is offended by that.

We have no control over anything that will happen to us.

Believing otherwise is like a slap in the face of God.

I know that many of you struggle with this.

We all do from time to time and the devil has worked hard on making our society more self sufficient that it has ever been.

But we still need the sun to shine, and the air to breath, and the rain to fall.

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God Centered

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God Centered Obedience

The whole sermon is about having the right view of God and life itself.

A heart that does not truly know God will never be able to please Him.

Mat 6:22-2

Have you done and are you doing the will of the Heavenly Father?