This broadcaster has 1366 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
February 25, 2022 5:00 am
What do you think really needs to change in America and why you think Jesus would answer the question stay with welcome to this edition of living only Living on the Edges of international discipleship between the Bible. I think we all agree there's a lot that needs to change. The trouble is there are so many opinions of experts on how to fix what's wrong but common ground how to prioritize what matters tackles these tough questions. What the world needs now.
Over the next few programs. Triple sure Jesus is method of fostering unity and how his perspective will radically change our society as a quick reminder if you miss a portion of this program but we encourage you to catch up to the chip and remap. It's a great way to listen to Living on the Edge anytime you have a Bible open it now to Matthew chapter 5 stewardship stalk difference makers to be teaching out of Matthew chapter 5, and what I want you to know as we study this passage is the context here is Jesus is coming to a world much like ours. I mean it's broken. It's difficult. There's violence there is brutality 80% of the world are slaves.
Women are marginalized children. I mean don't even matter. Slaves are treated like pieces of property. Mercy wasn't even a value. It was brutal. It was violent entertainment was watching people get chopped up. I guess things haven't changed much in on the front of your notes.
I ask a list of questions I'd like you to think about because as you listen to pond in sin and television and talk shows, you would really think there really isn't any hope for the way a lot of people would answer those questions like what the world needs now more and better education, better wages eliminate corruption. I mean all these things have been around forever and I'm sure we need all those things, but historically what has brought the difference what really changes things. You know this groups in power for a while and another group says how wrong they are and as soon as I get power within 10 or 20 years. All the same corruption. The human heart of man constantly repeated oppresses people hurts people. Greed rules then there's violence. What the world needs Jesus is going to speak into and what I want you know that he would answer the questions on the front of that page today exactly like he did that. Is there a bright future for America. It depends on how his people respond. What would you change if we ask 100 people. What really needs to change. We get 90 different answers, and we blame 89 different people so want you to open your notes and I want you to imagine if we could invite the Lord Jesus on a separate stool to say Lord you seen all this before and at the most. The lowest time in human history.
You spoke and you launched actually a movement. The movement is literally the Jesus Creed Jesus ministered he loved people he met. He was asked what really matters in the Jesus Creed is love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, your soul and your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. He does amazing miracles that gives him credibility.
He heals every disease and he cast out demons. So he comes with this revolutionary thought not. Not namby-pamby illegally love, but a lot of its transformative and he heals people demonstrating his power.
He confronts evil, casting out demons and then he teaches there is a kingdom of heaven. There's a new way of doing a life people been waiting on it.
The kingdom of heaven is among you. P shown up and he launches the kingdom and after he spends all night praying he chooses 12. It will be the key leaders and then he will sit down and he will give what's commonly called the sermon on the Mount and he will describe the character qualities necessary to join this movement and then he'll talk about the strategy of this movement will not be education or technology, it won't be a change in government or political parties.
It'll be what this group actually does and how they live, and then he'll go on to describe to them how does this movement fit in with all they learned about the law of Moses and then finally talk to them about what it really takes to please God is far more than difficult.
It's supremely impossible, and so you will need to be dependent and the way to practice righteousness is different than you've ever heard before. And as you do this a little mustard seed of life is going to be planted each and every little network of relationship and as you keep living out these the attitudes not do attitudes that all around you. Change will occur and I'll go collect the society of people in the society of people as they are change will literally change the core of systems and politics and institutions. And whenever the kingdom of God, not just church or religion or politics within the church.
But whenever the kingdom of God in the sermon on the mount has been followed, empowered by the Holy Spirit, then slavery begins to disappear in people's value and dignity regardless of where they're coming from, or what their gender, it begins to come up, and instead of corruption.
You get integrity and we seen different seasons in different countries and if were ever needed a dose of the sermon on the Mount. I think what the world needs now is Jesus words lived out by Jesus people. So open your notes and as you do.
The setting is Matthew chapter 4 verses 23 I like to read that for you.
And he went through Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom notice.
That's his message healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all of Syria and it brought to him all the sick and those afflicted with various diseases and pains and those oppressed by demons epileptics in an paralytic's, and he healed them all. That'll get a crowd and great crowds followed from Galilee in the Decapolis and from Jerusalem and Judea and beyond the Jordan to get it sear a meeting people are coming from everywhere. So what you need to get the context is two things. The world is woefully broken. I mean, it is flat out messed up. Immorality is in epic proportions, making even what we have today look very righteous brutality, prejudice, racism, pain, human life disregarded and Jesus is wildly popular. He teaches like one who has authority.
He solves problems and heals people and many confronts evil had on casting out demons, and after he prayed all night. Notice what happens. Chapter 5 seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain and when he sat down that's the position of a rabbi speaking with authority. He sat down and began to speak to his disciples, the primary group are those people that are serious. It's his followers that is chosen now. The crowd gets to overhear a lot. So this is a sermon for people like us.
This is people like come to a building together to say we want to please God. We been singing about God. We been worshiping God. We told Jesus that we love them. He says this is for you and I think it's interesting when he launches his revolution. He doesn't give them a program or a game plan. He begins with who, what kind of people. What kinda characteristics what kind of attitude. What needs to be a part of you in order for the favor of God to be upon you.
He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Notice now the repetition he starts with the kingdom of heaven ends with the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you, and others revile you and persecute you with all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you notice the elevation of himself. The prophets of Yahweh, the great King. The creator of all life. They were persecuted. Now you will be persecuted because of me.
He's clearly been doing all this teaching that he's God incarnate, he's the son of God. He's the Messiah. Old Testament passages are predicted for hundreds and hundreds of years and anointed one, that the word Christ means and anointed one. A king is going to come and set up God's kingdom and the world is not like God wants it, but this new king is going to usher in God's way. God's values so that people treat one another and they honor God in ways that are best for them and give honor and glory to him and he's just given us the eight characteristics of that kind of person as I prayed and as I just study this. He's going to take each one of these Beatitudes and he's going to show this group of people what it looks like in their world and their context of what it means to be poor in spirit what it means to mourn and why what it means to be meek what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and he's going to an planet in their experience in a way that when he gets done. All the lights are gonna come on and they're going to go all this is the kind of follower.
This is the agenda this is what it means to follow this king, and so that's how I'm going to teach it. So with that, you'll need sort of an overview of what's going on and and as you look at the whole passage question number one was this how can we share in this revolution and continued can you get out of your sort of in a Christian forever.
I go to church or I grew up in the 20th or 21st century industrialized. Imagine a 30-year-old teacher comes on the scene. He's doing these miracles.
Your brother was paralyzed.
Now we can walk you seen 5000 people fed you know what it is about them, but this guys from God, and you want to be a part of what he's doing and he says okay number one. Here's the character qualities in you kinda scratch your head and then what he says the strategy the strategy working to change the whole world is a revolution of love and the kingdom is going to start.
It's going to be here already but not yet. But one day I will come back as the reigning King and believe me, this kind of world is going to be forever and ever and ever. But until then were going to start and then look at versus 13 through 16. He doesn't say try to be the salt of the earth doesn't see try to be the like.
The strategy of Jesus movement isn't something or someone is not technology is not education is not politics, it's his actual people living out their life like this Beatitudes described in ways that literally transform like salt tasting and infecting things like like penetrating in all areas of darkness and then the next question is not only you know what will we do. As the salt and light. But how does this drive. I'm not sure Jesus would uses words that how does this jive with all that we learned in the Old Testament. In other words, they would say we we know the law is from God and from Moses we know the prophets spoke year from God, but would you help us understand what's your relationship and this new movement.
This revolution of love. How does it fit in, so follow along as I read verses 17 through 20 do not think that I've come to abolish the Law or the Prophets not come to abolish them but to fulfill them for truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. No verse 20 is the key to the sermon on the Mount verse 20 is where he is going to rock their world and I hope it rocks mine and yours, for I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Unless your righteousness, your behavior, your attitudes from the heart how you live your rightness with God and rightness with people unless it exceeds the scribes and the Pharisees, you can't even get in now. If you're a good Jewish boy and all these were good Jewish boy they grew up in the synagogue at a minimum they all had the first five books of the Old Testament memorized and many of them anymore. It was an oral learning.
They had scores and scores of the songs they know the prophets and and their heroes if you will the people. The top them in the synagogues were the Pharisees and the Pharisees are squeaky clean and you blow a trumpet and pop up upon, they pray out loud. I got these long things with all these verses and memorized and they tied their money. They tied their time down to the herbs and spices. I mean these guys were morally squeaky clean, externally they were religious over the top and good Jewish boy. Following this young radical rabbi LSI more holy than them. I can't even get in yeah yeah yeah I and then he said what that mean and so you notice in your Bible here.
Don't it says anger then lost divorce booths, retaliation, love your enemies. I put it on your handout. But what is going to do is he's going to say murder, adultery, divorce owes retribution and enemies. He's going to take those hot topics and is going to say you've heard it said that I say to you, you've heard it said Old Testament and then how the Pharisees say this is what it looks like to be righteous, but this is what I say it's a you've heard it said, you shall not murder. I say internal if your anger is in your heart toward your brother. If you say rocket to him, you fool. You're in danger.
You've heard it said don't commit adultery. I say no, no, no, it's not just the action in your heart when you look at a woman. If you lessen your heart, you heard it said, and he goes through each of these hot topics. You've heard it said be good to your friends and hate your enemies but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for them. I mean if you're a good Jewish boy and you're following him for whatever level of spirituality you had your getting crashed. In fact, I put the little chart.
What he does with each one of these things all the way through the entire chapter basically says what you've heard about as extra righteousness. I'm talking about that with those internal from the heart you learned it's about doing doing doing. I'm telling you it's being, it's who you really are. You had the sense of duty got to do all this stuff and all this religious requirements cannot devotion love, loyalty you live in a world where righteousness is your performance. We translate today.
I make it to church, three out of every four weeks. I give at least 10%. I go on a missions trip one every three years. Blah blah blah blah blah hi family devotion. 3/5 nights all those things are good things you can do all those things in your heart the wrong place because you've been living in a world guilt driven. I'm talking about a world that is grace driven. You learn about the letter of the law of righteousness. I'm talking about the spirit you have had your head filled with the knowledge about God and I want your heart fool with the knowledge of God. Now here's what I want you to get started with the Beatitudes. You've got to get your mind into the heart and the mind of a twentysomething dedicated zealous Jewish boy or girl and when he gets done with chapter 5. Here's what I can tell you how ever close you thought you were to God. The distance is now infinitely increased and what you're feeling right now is I'm undone.
I don't even remotely measure up translation. What does it mean to be poor in spirit to be in spore in spirit needs to. I sense that I'm spiritually bankrupt before God I bring nothing to the table.
I could never earn your favor unless you help me I'm doing these top them. It's in your brokenness. It's in the relinquishing of your pride.
It's in you seeing your need and second if they were honest.
I mean, are you kidding me. These are young guys, I'm not committing adultery but you're saying if I just think it I'm undone.
I'm undone and so now they move from a poor in spirit, and so if they're honest, they're going. I thought it was so much farther along. I do last.
I do have in the I do have jealousy and they mourn over their sin, and legal. I'm so from you. I'm so sorry will be comforted member that the Pharisee in the in the center and the in the Gospels and the Pharisee comes in its as I think that I'm not like that sinner in the center. Oh God, have mercy on me.
I don't deserve anything. And Jesus said this one leaves justified this one not say what is done in chapter 5 Jesus taught the first two Beatitudes, and he saying to you and he sang to me if you think you're doing okay and you think that you compare yourself to other people and you think your religious activities, get you where you need to get you are not uniting up to bat the loan on first base spiritually. In fact, notice in your notes. I summarize chapter 5. Jesus condemns X internal righteousness spiritual activities when it doesn't flow from an authentic relationship with God. Jesus condemns doesn't say doesn't quite measure up. He condemns it the harshest words of Jesus are in for Romans that are brutal. Talk about the politics of the day and talk about you know that all those things shouldn't be happening to the gladiators and talk about it all the terrible things of slavery. P1 after the people who thought they were righteous.
He launched a movement of people that own their own stuff and love radically. First, the difference makers will be right back with his application for this teaching from his series with the world needs now turmoil division political corruption prejudice.
These are just a few of the serious issues were dealing with in our society today. But did you know the early church and Jesus's disciples faced similar problems in this three-part series scriptures.
The guidance Jesus gave to his followers, some 2000 years ago and how that wisdom relates to us today. Don't list the ways to build relationships, handle injustice and live your life like never before. For more information about what the world needs now for our many resources.
Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse to have special offers will check before you get your application would you take just a minute and share with us your thinking behind this series and why you decided to err it now all day if I really thought and prayed. As we look at what's happening especially in America, but also around the world.
What would Jesus say you know we got so many opinions so many experts were so divided and were so divided inside the Christian community.
I think we need to pause. I mean just know call a big big timeout and step back and say okay yes there is major issues that need to be addressed and there is very very divergent views of what the answers are.
But of all times. I feel like we need to pause and say Lord Jesus. What do you want to say how would you speak into this and the fact of the matter is that the first century world is amazingly parallel in the issues and the problems then as today and so I really wanted to bring the words of Jesus at this season at a time where I think we would all say America is in crisis. Thanks for that ship will I hope you make plans to be with us for this entire series. If you happen to miss a program you can always listen on the chip and remap or@livingontheedge.org will now here's chip as we launch this series together. I like you to really think about what you heard. I don't know many people that just naturally like to think of themselves as poor in spirit. We live in a country of independence of strength of of might makes right and you know when were very honest, we all tend to see what's wrong with other people. Right you know it's what's wrong with that other group. It's what's wrong with that other political party is what's wrong with that other denomination is what's wrong with those Christians who believe this don't believe that.
And if were not very careful we can fall into the very trap that Jesus was speaking to a group of people whose fundamental problem was they thought they were okay. They were self-righteous. This is a moment in time for you and for me, as followers of Jesus to pause and humble ourselves and come bankrupt before the Lord and say Lord I have a warped perspective.
I have a bias there's issues in my life.
You warned me not to judge other people and not to come down hard on them. You ask me first and foremost examine my own heart to humble myself and come to you and so as we launch this series could I ask you to do that.
Can I ask you today to dial down the anger and the hate and the victory all in the posting on Facebook and to pause and ask God and I'm not saying you're wrong I'm not saying there are issues that need to be addressed, but could you start with whatever issues you have and I'll start with the ones that I have and let's just start a journey where we pray for the people right now that we feel most angry toward the we think they're so wrong and that's where the change needs to happen.
Jesus would say to us. The poor in spirit, the people who recognize the needs they have is where you begin and so father I ask you to help me to be honest with myself and I pray for my brothers and sisters. The you might give them a humble and contrite poor spirit where we be open to hear what you want to change in us before we go looking to what needs to change in others. In Christ name, amen. As we wrap up I want to thank those of you who make this program possible for your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs purchase airtime and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.
Would you consider sending a gift today. Call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse step donate.
Your support is greatly appreciated will be with us again next time when ship continues a series Tobin this is Dave really saying thanks for listening to this edition living on the