Matthew 5:1-20 Born to Teach - Revision history

Wakefien: /* Meaning in life comes through identity in Christ (5:17-20). */

2023-12-14T19:12:53Z

‎Meaning in life comes through identity in Christ (5:17-20).

Wakefien: /* A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12). */

2023-12-14T19:05:10Z

‎A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).

Wakefien: /* Introduction: */

2023-12-14T19:01:11Z

‎Introduction:

Wakefien: /* Image: The meaning of life is not 42 */

2023-12-14T18:57:44Z

‎Image: The meaning of life is not 42

Wakefien: /* A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12). */

2023-12-11T03:32:12Z

‎A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).

Wakefien: /* In verse 5 we blessing on the meek. */

2023-12-10T20:27:51Z

‎In verse 5 we blessing on the meek.

Wakefien: /* Eternal life only comes from identity in Christ (19-20). */

2023-11-30T17:14:47Z

‎Eternal life only comes from identity in Christ (19-20).

Wakefien: /* Meaning in life comes from representing God to creation (5:13-16) */

2023-11-29T17:26:01Z

‎Meaning in life comes from representing God to creation (5:13-16)

Wakefien at 16:25, 29 November 2023

2023-11-29T16:25:43Z

Wakefien: /* Meaning in life comes from Christlikeness (5:3-12). */

2023-11-27T21:35:30Z

‎Meaning in life comes from Christlikeness (5:3-12).

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:12, 14 December 2023
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	Let me put a couple of pieces of a puzzle together here. Mankind has a prime directive, represent God. We fail. That doesn't mean we stop trying, it just means we fail. God responds by personally fixing our failure and invites us to identify with him and thus succeed where we otherwise fail. Let me show you how this plays out in Matthew 5:17-20.		Let me put a couple of pieces of a puzzle together here. Mankind has a prime directive, represent God. We fail. That doesn't mean we stop trying, it just means we fail. God responds by personally fixing our failure and invites us to identify with him and thus succeed where we otherwise fail. Let me show you how this plays out in Matthew 5:17-20.
		+
		+	<blockquote>
		+	17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
		+	</blockquote>

	===Righteousness can only come from identity in Christ (17-18).===		===Righteousness can only come from identity in Christ (17-18).===

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 ===A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).===
-We live in a world that is fallen. Violence is present all over. People are mean, spiteful, self-centered, and that is just the beginning. However, this is now how we are called to live. Children of God should be peace makers. We should seek peace with others. In fact, Jesus, is the supreme peacemaker. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made the ultimate peace when he reconciled us to himself through his death on the cross. As we follow Christ we should be peace makers seeking to heal divisions between people. The first way the you can have meaning in the midst of a fallen world is by seeking peace.
+We live in a world that is fallen. Violence is present all over. People are mean, spiteful, self-centered, and that is just the beginning. However, this is not how we are called to live. Children of God should be peace makers. We should seek peace with others. In fact, Jesus, is the supreme peacemaker. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made the ultimate peace when he reconciled us to himself through his death on the cross. As we follow Christ we should be peace makers seeking to heal divisions between people. The first way the you can have meaning in the midst of a fallen world is by seeking peace.
 We also must admit that persecution is a reality for the one who follows Christ. Our world is fallen and we should not be surprised when we are persecuted for righteousness. We should not be surprised when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ. However, that should not slow us down in our faithful service to Christ. We live in a fallen world but we are part of something much greater and we have a long history of which we are part.

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 '''Homiletical Proposition/Application: As we celebrate the birth of Jesus let us also reflect upon the reality of how Jesus taught us to live.'''
-=Introduction:=
+=Introduction: Memory Verse of the Month Matthew 1:23=
 ==Image: The meaning of life is not 42==

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 ==Image: The meaning of life is not 42==
-For millennia people have tried to answer the question "what is the meaning of life?" Actually that specific question was not really asked until the 19th century but Greek philosophers over 2000 years ago were trying the question. Platonism aimed to acquire deep knowledge. Antisthenes argued that purpose of life is living a life of Virtue which agrees with Nature. And Douglas Adams essentially argued that the meaning of life was 42. However, none of these is really a satisfactory answer. The good news is that there is an answer and answer provided by the greatest teacher ever, one who was literally born to teach us and save us.
+For millennia people have tried to answer the question "what is the meaning of life?" Actually that specific question was not really asked until the 19th century but Greek philosophers over 2000 years ago were trying to get close to the question. Platonism aimed to acquire deep knowledge. Antisthenes argued that purpose of life is living a life of Vvrtue which agrees with nature. And Douglas Adams essentially argued that the meaning of life was 42. However, none of these is really a satisfactory answer. The good news is that there is an answer and the answer provided by the greatest teacher ever, one who was literally born to teach us and save us.
 ==Preview: Today we look at Matthew 5 and see that meaning in life comes from Christlikeness, representing God to creation, and finding one's identity in Christ.==

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 ===A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).===
-We live in a. world that is fallen. Violence is present all over. People are mean, spiteful, self-centered, and that is just the beginning. However, this is now how we are called to live. Children of God should be peace makers. We should seek peace with others. In fact, Jesus, is the supreme peacemaker. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made the ultimate peace when he reconciled us to himself through his death on the cross. As we follow Christ we should be peace makers seeking to heal divisions between people. The first way the you can have meaning in the midst of a fallen world is by seeking peace.
+We live in a world that is fallen. Violence is present all over. People are mean, spiteful, self-centered, and that is just the beginning. However, this is now how we are called to live. Children of God should be peace makers. We should seek peace with others. In fact, Jesus, is the supreme peacemaker. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made the ultimate peace when he reconciled us to himself through his death on the cross. As we follow Christ we should be peace makers seeking to heal divisions between people. The first way the you can have meaning in the midst of a fallen world is by seeking peace.
 We also must admit that persecution is a reality for the one who follows Christ. Our world is fallen and we should not be surprised when we are persecuted for righteousness. We should not be surprised when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ. However, that should not slow us down in our faithful service to Christ. We live in a fallen world but we are part of something much greater and we have a long history of which we are part.
 ===MTR: Determine to pursue Christlikeness as the source of meaning in your life.===

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 ====We see that God blesses those who mourn, or lament.====
 The idea here is of someone who is groaning under a burden. When I translated the passage I chose the word lament because it is not just death (which we often associate with the word mourn) it is any hardship or guilt that can cause someone to lament. This burden may be a burden because of something they have done or a burden because of something that has happened to them. Overall this is again part of humility as someone who laments is a broken person. The person experiencing this type of burden is promised comfort.
-====In verse 5 we blessing on the meek.====
+====In verse 5 we see blessing on the meek.====
 Meekness is not weakness but rather a sort of gentleness. Again, this is a picture of humility. A meek individual sees no need to be rough or harsh because they know that they themselves have also made mistakes and deserve punishment. Meekness stems from humility.
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 So, what else should a humble person do? How about live for God!
 ===Recognizing the need for holiness brings deeper meaning to life (6-8).===
 The next three beatitudes really have to do with living for God, persuing holiness.

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 ===Eternal life only comes from identity in Christ (19-20).===
+The Jews were seeking the righteousness of the Pharisees and Jesus responds that this righteousness is insufficient. I think one of the greatest lessons that Jesus teaches is the reality that we cannot and should not ever compare ourselves to another person. The only one we should be comparing ourselves to is the Savior. When we do so we will find ourselves lacking and realize that we must identify with Jesus. So many problems that people have stem from the simple fact that they compare themselves to someone other than Christ. So often people struggle because Jane is stronger, Jack is more popular, Dan is smarter,... and the list goes on. Stop! Look at Christ, find your identity in Christ, he is the only source of eternal life!
 ===MTR: Celebrate Christmas by placing your identity in Christ.===

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 ===We satisfy our prime directive by being a positive influence within our world (13).===
 ===We satisfy our prime directive by pointing others to God (14-16).===
 ===MTR: Determine to appropriately represent God.===

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 ==Setting the Stage:==
 ===Let's start by reading Matthew 5:1-2.===
 The book of Matthew begins with genealogy, proceeds to birth, baptism, testing, and then introduces Jesus as someone who is followed and worth following. Once we get to chapter 5 we are prepared to listen to the teaching of Jesus. So, what does this great teacher begin with? The sermon on the mount. Amongst those who study the Sermon on the Mount, there are as many as 36 different interpretations. These 36 interpretations can be reduced to nine different perspectives that there is general consensus on. Not surprisingly many of the interpretations come down to nuanced differences and really don't matter much to how we apply the sermon here and now. So let me give you one way to view the sermon on the mount. I think that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is giving us instruction on how to live a meaningful full life. In our current fallen form we will fail to live up to all of this but striving toward the eschatological ideal described in the Sermon on the Mount will bring about a satisfaction in life that is unmatched.
 ===With that in mind, let's read verses 3-12.===
 =Body=
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 ===A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).===
+We also must admit that persecution is a reality for the one who follows Christ. Our world is fallen and we should not be surprised when we are persecuted for righteousness. We should not be surprised when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ. However, that should not slow us down in our faithful service to Christ. We live in a fallen world but we are part of something much greater and we have a long history of which we are part.
 ===MTR: Determine to pursue Christlikeness as the source of meaning in your life.===
 ==Meaning in life comes from ''representing'' God ''to'' ''creation'' (5:13-16)==
 ===Image: The prime Directive.===
 ===The prime directive is found in Genesis 1:26-27.===
 And by the way, it is hard to imagine our prime directive being any more different than the prime directive in Star Trek!
 ===We satisfy our prime directive by being a positive influence within our world (13).===
 ===We satisfy our prime directive by pointing others to God (14-16).===
 ===MTR: Determine to appropriately represent God.===

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 ==Meaning in life comes from ''Christlikeness'' (5:3-12).==
 ===Humility is key to living a meaningful life (3-5).===
-===Recognizing the need for Holiness brings deeper meaning to life (6-8).===
+====The first blessing we see is upon those who are poor in spirit.====
 ===A fallen world should not keep you from a meaningful life (9-12).===
 ===Image: ===