It's all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

by Seth Burgan: Youth Pastor at Dayspring Community Church

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.”-Matthew 7:24-27.

If I were to ask you to describe your house to me; more than likely you would begin by telling me where your house is located, the design, color, lot size, and perhaps even the square footage. However, something the majority of you would not mention, while describing your house to me, is a description of the type of foundation it sits on.

Perhaps you don’t know a lot about foundations or it’s just not something you considered to be important to include when describing your home; but it is the foundation of the house that makes the difference. Proverbs 24:3 states:

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.”

Not only does this apply to the physical house you live in, but it is also true regarding the life you are living. Unfortunately, many people build their lives on poor foundations like status, popularity, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, sports, and careers. Life quickly becomes centered on “self” and catering to our own wants and desires.

The Apostle Paul warned that this attitude would begin to prevail throughout our society in the last days:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be loves of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”-2 Timothy 3:1-5

Many people have adopted these worldly, self-centered attitudes, but as we will see from the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus intends for us to build our lives on a different foundation.

Jesus’ teachings, found in Matthew 5-7, are designed to build Christ’s character into our lives. A strong foundation of His character is what will enable us to lead Godly lives; both in thought and action.

 He begins His teachings with what are commonly known as the Beatitudes by addressing eight characteristics of Godly character that should shape our attitudes. Those include becoming poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure,  a peacemaker, and perseverant in persecution.