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Mattthew 6:1-7:27 - Jesus’ 12 messages from the Sermon on the Mount.

After centuries of resisting God, disobeying God and showing themselves wayward, something shifted in Israel with the advent of Jesus’ ministry.  They were starting to fall in love with their God.   The more they saw of Jesus, heard His words, and felt His touch, the more they became drawn to Him.  They more they observed who He was, and what he taught as compared to the Pharisees & Scribes, the more it served to intensify their adoration and love for Him.  There were not repelled by Him.  They wanted to follow Him.  They wanted to obey Him.  This was their choice.  Love-obedience was what they wanted.

As a result, Jesus’ message on the Mount became a far-ranging, broad and definitive treatise on what the kingdom was all about.  The people were hungry for as much as Jesus could give, and they were not disappointed.   In short order, and in one of the most dense, truth-filled, Kingdom-rich lessons Jesus ever gave (it is his longest recorded sermon), we see in Chp 6-7, 12 “mini” sermons all rolled into one.   They were fast-hitting, fast-acting and to the point.   Let’s go along for ride.

Sermon #1 - GIVING.  (6:1-4) When you GIVE alms, give of your money, and contribute to charity and your local synagogue…..don’t be a hypocrite and do it with trumpets and fanfare so poeple can see how great you are.  Instead, do it in secret.  To make your giving apparent to all on makes your giving worthless; it shows you don’t really care about God, you only care about being seen by men.

Sermon #2 - PRAYING. (6:5-15) When you PRAY, don’t make a show of it either.  Praying long & hard and walking through the street in your  flowing robes.  Do it in secret.  Go to your room, shut the door, get on your knees.  Now pray your heart out.   This will tell me if you truly love me — if you’re doing it for me, or for men.  And when you pray, pray like this: see 6:.9-15….simple, powerful, authentic, this is what gets my attention, not a bunch of repetitive babbling (6:7).

Sermon #3 - FASTING ( 6:16-18) When you FAST, just like I said about giving and pray, don’t make a show of it.  Don’t go out of your way to show what a sacrifice you’re making by looking gloomy and all in pain.  Instead hide your fasting, wash your face, look decent so no one knows but me.   This pleases me, and I will repay you.

Sermon #4 - BE FREE FROM THE LOVE OF THINGS.  (6:19-21).  Seriously.  Transfer your affections from earthly things to heaven.  If you can give everything you own over to me, and you won’t lose sleep or be sad if you lose it all in a fire or flood, then you’ve arrived at my place of freedom.  If you will lay up your treasures in heaven, you will be one happy person.  Why did I teach you about being a “be-attitudes” person, because that’s where the real riches are.  That can never be taken from you or stolen from you. Life with things is temporal.  Life with God is forever.

Sermon #5 -HOW CLEAR ARE YOUR EYES? (6:22-23) When you release and let go of your attachment to all material things, cars, shoes, houses, computers, phone, clothes, make-up, boats, big screen TV….something happens to your soul, and it shows up in your eyes.  They light up.  You’ve conquered the power of coveteous, greed and materialism.  Your body will be full of light.  When people look into the window of your eyes, they will see my brightness because you are a FREE PERSON.  Trust me, that feeling of FREEDOM is priceless.  You will love me for it.  You won’t be enslaved to your things. Instead you will feel great about yourself.

Sermon #6 - MONEY IS THE ULTIMATE “THING-GETTER” (6:24) With money you can do it all, buy it all, get it all - whatever you want…any shiny thing, any soft thing, any delicious thing, any convenient thing, any experience you want.  More people love money than any other religion in the world.  In this life, you’ve got to make a decision….it is me or MONEY?   You can’t serve both. Just like you can’t have two mistresses, you can’t have two masters.

Sermon #7 -  WORRY.  (6:25-34) Look at the birds of the air (6:25), and the flowers of the fields (6:28)?  Do I provide for them and clothe them?  Are you not more valuable than them? (6:26). Then why are you worrying.  Why all the grey hairs? It’s completely unnecessary.  HAVE A BEDROCK TRUST in my love to take care of you, and instead focus your energies and attention on seeking first my kingdom (6:33), and all these things will be added unto you.

Sermon #8 - JUDGING OTHERS.  (7:1-5) Ok guys, this is a serious problem.  Judging others in your heart, under your breath is becoming epidemic.    You are such a hypocrite…you can see the tiniest little speck in someone else’s life (7:3), some itty-bitty fault and imperfection and you can’t see the giant zit on your own face, the humongous log in your own eye (7:3).  Are you kidding!  Deal with yourself first.  Only I know the true motive and intent of the heart.  Only I see all the details of a situation.  Only I have all the facts to make a proper judgement.  Let me be the judge not you.  You judge yourself first (7:5).  If you want to be the judge expect this:  A BOOMERANG will come back and hit you in the head (7:2).  It’ll be embarrassing and revealing as to what’s in your heart. That boomerang is my judgment on you.  So don’t judge.

Sermon #9 - DON’T WASTE your words on fools.   (7:6) There are learners in this world, and then there are fools.  Don’t be naive, thinking everyone will receive your good words.  They won’t.  Don’t throw pearls before swine, and wisdom to the dogs.  You will only feel defiled, sickened and regretful that you did. 

Sermon #10 - ONE OF MY LOVE LANGUAGES IS GIFT-GIVING.  (7:7-12) I’m a dad, I can’t help it! (7:11).  I love to give gifts to my kids. Ask and it will be given. Knock and it will be opened.  Seek and you will find.  I’ve got so many great gifts for you…big ones, littles ones, in-between ones.  I’ve got parking spaces for you in a crowded mall, I’ve got that extra sale you need to close to make your commission quota, I’ve got a destiny I will reveal to you children.  I love to give…that’s why I GAVE my ONLY son to die on the cross for you (jn 3:16).  And if I don’t give what you ask, or open the door you desire, or let you find what you want, it’s because I ‘ve gotten something better for you.  What you ask & want may actually harm or hurt you, and I’m not going to let that happen to you.  Don’t worry , I won’t bait and switch you. If you ask for a fish, I won’t give you a snake (7:10).  I will give you a fish.   If you ask for bread, I won’t give you stone.  I will give you hot fresh bread (7:9).

Sermon #11 - THE NARROW WAY (7:13-14) Get this clearly set in your mind.  My way is narrow, and the world’s way is wide.  If the wide way were to lead to life, I would tell you. But it doesn’t. I’m not a liar.   It’s the narrow and small gate that leads to life.  Don’t choose the wrong door.  Choose me always. I will always lead you to life.  

Sermon #12 - FALSE PROPHETS. (7:15-20). People are craving for truth.  They want a guide and a guru.  But be discerning and don’t fall for anyone.   Don’t fall for false prophets.  They only want to exploit you. Don’t judge them by their outward success, judge them by their FRUIT. 

Sermon #13 - (Baker’s dozen!) - ACTIONS MATTER (7:21-27).  It’s not what you know that matters.  It’s not what you say that matters. It’s what you do that matters.  There will be those, even religious looking people that know how to use my name and have the Christian lingo down & even do some miraculous things (7:21-22), but don’t be shocked; they will banned from eternity (7:24).  They are not true followers.  You know how can tell true followers?  Look at the houses they live in.

Is it built on a rock or is it built on the sand?  Those who take my sermons to heart have the advantage of building with the right materials on the right foundation.

And when rains, floods and winds come, their house doesn’t fall down.

This is the kingdom life.  This is the kind of house LOVE-OBEDIENCE builds.

This is an innner life of riches, delight and joy.  It’s an invisible house that can’t be seen by the natural eye.  But trust me, there is nothing more sturdy, safe and warm than God’s house.  

Build a house in Me.  This is what Love-obedience does.

Full audio message here.