What's.the.Kingdom.All.About?

A sermon on the "Kingdom of God":

A...
It.comprehends.Matthew.chapters.5.through.7..
......1...It.is.the.best.known.sermon.of.all.time..
......2...
It.is.also.quite.possibly.the.least.understood.sermon.of.all.time.....
............a...Despite.its.antiquity,.the.Sermon.on.the.Mount.is.as.relevant.and.applicable.to.modern.life.as.it.was.when..
..................it.was.first.delivered..(Some.people.don't.consider.the.Scriptures.to.be.relevant)....
............b...
Illust:..He.stood.in.the.midst.of.the.Golden.Corral.restaurant—with.Thousand.Island.salad.dressing.dripping.
..................from.his.hair,.his.glasses,.his.face,.and.his.new.suit.and.shoes...A.waitress.was.carrying.a.2-gallon.container.of.
..................Thousand.Island...She.paused.for.just.a.second.as.she.came.through.the.swinging.doors.of.the.kitchen...The.
..................doors.knocked.her.forward.and.she.accidently.launched.the.entire.contents.of.her.container.on.to.a.man.
..................enjoying.Sunday.afternoon.dinner.following.worship...The.patron.went.ballistic...He.started.shouting.and..
..................cursing.embarrassed.waitress..."This.is.a.BRAND.NEW.suit.and.it.cost.me.$300!"..His.wife.also.chimed.in,..
.................."You've.ruined.my.husband's.$300.suit;.this.is.the.first.time.he's.had.a.chance.to.wear.it."..Both.demanded.to.
..................see.the.manager...The.shaken.waitress.went.to.find.the.manager...When.the.manager.arrived.at.the.scene,.he..
..................humbly.apologized.and.offered.to.have.the.suit.sent.to.the.dry.cleaners...The.newly."baptized".patron.
..................shouted,."No,.I.don't.want.my.suit.cleaned!..I.want.a.brand.new.suit.and.I.demand.a.check.for.$300.right.here..
..................and.now!".he.howled...The.manager.went.back.to.his.office,.wrote.out.a.check.and.handled.it.to.the.furious.
..................man...Both.he.and.his.wife,.still.boiling,.stormed.out.of.the.Golden.Corral..
..................1)..Observations:...
...........................It.would.be.disappointing.to.see.a.new.suit.ruined.by.Thousand.Island.dressing,.and.it.would.certainly.be.
...........................embarrassing.to.have.more.salad.dressing.on.me.than.on.my.salad,.but.there's.probably.a.more.effective.
...........................way.of.dealing.with.my.frustration.that.standing.up.in.Golden.Corral.and.shouting.obscenities.......
...........................But.Jesus.calls.us.to.be.transformed—to.be.different.from.the.rest.of.the.world...(And.that's.what.TSOTM.
...........................is.all.about;.it's.about.an.internal,.spiritual.reprogramming)....
..................2)..It.is.not.the."cotton-candy,"."everybody.feel.good".sort.of.preaching.that.is.often.espoused.today..
...........................
On.the.contrary,.it.is.in-depth.material.that.will.challenge.your.life.and.thinking..
...........................The.emphasis.of.this.message.was.radically.different.from.the.common.understanding.of.the.OT;....
...........................Christ's.message.struck.violently.against.the.Jewish.traditions.of.His.day...Illust:..If.I.pour.water.into.a.
...........................bucket,.I.should.not.be.surprised.when.water.comes.out...(If.I.have.anger.in.my.heart,.I.shouldn't.be.
...........................surprised.when.anger.comes.out,.etc.)....
B...The.setting:.
......1...
John.the.Immerser.(e.g.,.the.Lord's.road-construction.engineer).had.been.preparing.the.way.for.Jesus...cf.,.Mt..
...........3:1-3.
...........a...
."Repent,.for.the.kingdom.of.heaven.is.at.hand."..v..2,.cf.,.4:17,.23.
.......................1)..Repentance.is.a.change.of.mind.that.results.in.a.change.of.life...cf.,.2.Cor..7:10;.Mt.12:41;.Jonah.3:10.
.......................2)..It.is.not.simply.sorrow.alone....
...........b...If.something.is."at.hand,".then.you.know.it.will.come.about.soon...Ex:..Hurricane.
................1)..Many.of.our.religious.friends.teach.that.the.kingdom.has.not.yet.been.established..
................2).."And.He.said.to.them,.'Assuredly,.I.say.to.you.that.there.are.some.standing.here.who.will.not.taste.death.
......................till.they.see.the.kingdom.of.God.present.with.power."..Mk..9:1;.cf.,.Mt..16:18-19.
......2...
Great.multitudes.were.following.Jesus..."Then.His.fame.went.throughout.all.Syria;.and.they.brought.to.Him.all.
...........sick.people.who.were.afflicted.with.various.diseases.and.torments,.and.those.who.were.demon-possessed,.
...........epileptics,.and.paralytics;.and.He.healed.them...And.great.multitudes.followed.Him…"..Mt..4:24-25a.
...........a...This.was.early.in.Jesus'.ministry.and.prior.to.the.time.of.organized.opposition.against.Him..
...........b...He.ascended.a.mountain..."And.seeing.the.multitudes,.He.went.up.on.a.mountain…"..Mt..5:1a.
...................
Tradition.suggests.this.was.the.natural.amphitheater.known.as.the."Horns.of.Hattin,".near.Capernaum..
...................It.was.located.west.of.the.Sea.of.Galilee,.about.1,000.feet.above.sea.level..
.
I...
What.was.the.CONTEXT.of.the.sermon?...
.
.....A...
Political.
.
...........1...Most.Jews.of.Jesus'.day.expected.the.Messiah.to.be,.first.of.all,.a.military.and.political.leader.who.would..
................deliver.them.from.the.yoke.of.Roman.tyranny.and.establish.a.prosperous.Jewish.kingdom.that.would.lead.the.
................world..
................a...
After.Jesus.miraculously.fed.the.multitude.on.the.far.side.of.Galilee,.the.people.tried.to."take.Him.by.
.....................force.to.make.Him.a.king…"..cf.,.Jn..6:15.
................b...
Pilate.asked.Jesus,."Are.you.the.King.of.the.Jews?"..cf.,.Jn..18:36.
...........2...But.the.thrust.of.TSOTM.is.that.the.message.and.work.of.the.King.Jesus.are.internal.not.external,.and.spiritual.
................and.moral.rather.than.physical.and.political..
.
.....B...
Religious.
.
...........1...Jesus.lived.in.a.highly.complex.religious.society,.one.that.included.four.professional.religionists:..
the.
................Pharisees,.
the.Sadducees,.
the.Essenes,.and.
the.Zealots..
...........2...Notes:.
................a...The.Pharisees.believed.that.right.religion.consisted.in.divine.laws.and.religious.tradition...(Their.primary.
.....................concern.was.for.fastidious.observance.of.every.minute.detail.of.the.traditions.handed.down.by.the.various.
.....................rabbis.over.the.centuries)..
................b...The.Sadducees.were.the.religious.liberals.who.discounted.most.things.supernatural.and.who.modified.both.
.....................Scripture.and.tradition.to.fee.their.own.religious.philosophy..
................c...The.Essenes.believed.that.right.religion.meant.separation.from.the.rest.of.society...(The.led.austere.lives.in.
......................remote.edges.of.the.Dead.Sea)..
................d...The.Zealots.were.fanatical.nationalists.who.that.the.right.religion.centered.on.radical.political.activism....
.....................(They.looked.down.on.fellow.Jews.who.refused.to.take.up.arms.against.Rome)..
......................1)..The.Pharisees.said,."Go.back",.the.Sadducees.said,."Go.forward",.the.Essenes.said,."Go.away,".and.the.
............................Zealots.said,."Go.against."..(The.Pharisees.were.conservative.traditionalists,.the.Sadducees.were.the.
............................liberals,.the.Essenes.were.separatists,.and.the.Zealots.were.activists)..
......................2)..But.Jesus'.say.was.not.any.of.these..
...............................To.the.Pharisees.He.said.that.true.spirituality.is.internal,.not.external..
...............................To.the.Sadducees.He.said.that.true.spirituality.is.God's.way,.not.man's.way..
...............................To.the.Essenes.He.said.that.true.spirituality.is.a.matter.of.the.heart,.not.the.body..
...............................To.the.Zealots.He.said.that.true.spirituality.is.a.matter.of.worship,.not.revolution..
.
II...
What.was.the.THEME.of.the.sermon?.
.
.....A...One.phrase.is.used.repeatedly.throughout.the.sermon:.
.
...........1...
."The.kingdom.of.heaven…"..Mt..5:3,.10,.19,.20;.6:10,.33;.7:21.
...........2...What.was.it.that.John.and.Jesus.were.preaching.prior.to.this.occasion…?..(The.kingdom)..
.
.....B...The.theme.of.TSOTM.is:.."The.Gospel.of.the.Kingdom.of.Heaven.".
.
...........1...If.you.are.a.member.of.the.Lord's.church,.you.are.a.member.of.this.kingdom.on.earth..
................a...The.term."kingdom".refers.to.the.abstract.idea.of.rule.or.dominion,.not.some.geographical.area.surrounded.
......................by.physical.boundaries..
................b...Thus.the."kingdom.of.heaven".is.wherever.the.God.of.heaven.is.allowed.to.rule.in.the.hearts.of.men..
......................1)..It.is.not.physical.in.nature..."Jesus.answered,.'My.kingdom.is.not.of.this.world...If.My.kingdom.
............................were.of.this.world,.My.servants.would.fight,.so.that.I.should.not.be.delivered.to.the.Jews;.but.now.My.
............................kingdom.is.not.from.here."..
Jn..18:36.
......................2)..It.is.spiritual..."For.the.kingdom.of.God.is.not.food.and.drink,.but.righteousness.and.peace.and.joy.in.the.
............................Holy.Spirit."..
Rom..14:17.
......................3)..It.has.reference.to.those.today.in.the.church...
cf.,.Col..1:13.
...........2...Jesus'.sermon.addresses.how.each.of.us.are.to.LIVE.in.this.kingdom...
Ex:..How.do.we.react.when.folks.spill..
................Thousand.Island.salad.dressing.on.our.new.clothes?...
.
III...
What.are.the.DIVISIONS.of.the.sermon?.
.
.......A...
The.CITIZENS.of.the.kingdom..
.
.............1...Their.character.and.blessedness...5:3-12.
.............2...Their.relation.to.the.world...5:13-16.
.
.......B...
The.RIGHTEOUSNESS.of.the.kingdom..
.
............1...In.contrast.to.the.traditional.interpretations.of.the.Law.of.Moses...5:17-48.
............2...With.respect.to.man's.relation.to.God...6:1-33.
............3...With.respect.to.man's.relation.to.man...7:1-12.
.
.......C...
The.EXHORTATION.to.enter.the.kingdom....
.
............1...The.beginning.of.the.way...7:13-14.
............2...The.progress.along.the.way...7:15-20.
............3...The.end.of.the.way...7:21-27.
.................a...Sayers.as.opposed.to.doers...21-23.
.................b...Hearers.as.opposed.to.doers...24-27.
.
Concl:.
A...
Illust:..A.person.may.play.Beethoven's.Moonlight.Sonata.accurately.and.without.a.single.mistake—yet.not.really.
......play.what.the.composer.had.in.mind...Even.though.the.notes.are.played.correctly,.they.do.not.produce.the.Sonata..
......The.pianist.may.mechanically.strike.the.right.notes.at.the.right.time,.yet.miss.the.essence,.the.soul,.of.the.
......composition...He.may.not.at.all.express.what.Beethoven.meant.to.be.expressed...The.true.musician.must.play.the.
......right.notes.at.the.right.time...He.is.not.exempt.from.the.rules.and.principles.of.music...But.accurate.playing.is.not.
......what.makes.him.a.great.musician...It.is.his.expression.of.what.lies.behind.the.notes.that.enthralls.the.listeners...In.
......the.same.way,.faithful.Christians.are.concerned.about.the.letter.of.God's.Word;.but.beyond.that.they.are.also.
......concerned.about.the.spirit,.the.deeper.will.and.purpose.that.lie.behind.the.letter...That.concern.reveals.an.obedient.
......heart.filled.with.the.desire.to.glorify.the.Lord..
......1...If.we.claim.to.follow.the.spirit.without.obeying.the.letter.then.we.are.lying..
......2...If.we.follow.the.letter.without.following.the.spirit.then.we.are.being.hypocritical..
B...Jesus.wants.us.follow.to.follow.the.letter.of.His.Word.in.the.right.spirit....
C...
Are.you.a.loyal.subject.of.the.King.of.kings?.

 

--Mike Benson