Matthew 5 DEVO: THE Best Sermon Ever! – Part 1

Chapter 5:
So since I like math, I thought I’d run the numbers, and the average churchgoer will hear over 2500 sermons in their lifetime (50 years x 50 weeks). That number goes up if you add in Sunday school lessons, Bibles studies, sermon mp3’s, etc… So depending on how long you’ve been a believer and how old you are, take a moment and do your math. What did you come up with? I became a believer in October of 1982 and because I listen to lots of sermons as I drive I know I’m up over 5K! So here’s the question I have – how many of them do you remember? Good question huh? I believe this first recorded sermon of Jesus would have made your list, and I’m guessing you’ve heard the sermon on the mount preached before too! Which finally leads me to my disclaimer – Chapters 5,6 & 7 could take months to fully go thru, and I’ve got 3 devos. So I’ll be hitting some points and leaving others out.
The Sermon On The Mount shows the absolute necessity of God in our lives. There is no way we can live the way taught in these chapters without God!
The BE-attitudes – emphasis on BE. The Christian life is first about BEing, then DOing. We were meant to be human beings, not human doings. These are a series of condition blessings Jesus states. Humility, meekness, passion for God, mercy, purity & suffering are all priorities in God’s Kingdom!
Salt & Light – Living this way allows a believer to be an impact in a world that is often tasteless and dark. God wants to transform us to lead others to Him.
The Law – It’s always been good, even though the keeping of it was never meant to determine our acceptance before God!
Murder, Adultery, Divorce – I am heartbroken by these. Hating others, cheating on others. I’m sure God is much more heartbroken. If stats are right, half of you reading this are either divorced, or come from a divorced home, or (sadly) will some day get divorced. Here is a Biblical way to think: How about just keeping your promise? How about from the get-go not having divorce as even an option. I’m not saying that if you are being abused to keep taking it. I’m saying make Christ the center of your marriage and persevere.
Keep Your Word – (Read Proverbs 10:19) Our pastor has been preaching out of James on the tongue and it’s been major convicting! Let’s keep that thing in our mouths! Let’s be like Horton (Dr Suess) who said, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful 100%.”
Treating Others – Let’s not be a revengeful bunch. Hate those who love you = the work of the devil, love those who love you = the work of man, love those who hate you = the work of God!
SO WHAT?
*When you hear a sermon, what do you do with it? Deposit the knowledge in your memory bank? Forget about it by that evening? Take notes so you can pray about it and apply it later? Talk it over at lunch with your spouse & family? Why note take some extra time this week after you hear the word of God and hash it over – you’ll be blessed!