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The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most controversial passages of
Scripture in today’s Western Church culture. The reason is that in the
Western Church, for the most part, we have gotten so far off course
that even right looks wrong. We have so severely misinterpreted and
misapplied Scripture that basic, foundational Christianity 101 is
considered radical! But there is no such animal as radical
Christianity, there is only the Christianity that Jesus preached, and
He only preached one Gospel – the Gospel of the Kingdom.
 The Western Church has gotten so far course that now the most “popular” theological paradigm is the Dispensationalist view. I spent years believing and teaching the dispensational spin. And while I appreciate that many godly men and women hold to that view, I have come to understand that the dispensationalist view is absolutely “deadly” to the spiritual well-being of the believer. Under Dispensational thought the main and plain, foundational principles of the Gospel message (the Sermon on the Mount) is erroneously relegated to Israel and the Church, and it's hearers are told that it doesn’t even apply to them. The result? The core principles that are absolutely required to empower believers to be able to experience spiritual vitality is missing from the diet of millions of believers across the Western Church.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: THE CORE VALUES OF THE KINGDOM
The Sermon on the Mount is paramount to the “constitution of God’s Kingdom.” It is the standard , not only of this age, but also of the age to come. It is the litmus test, if you will, that we are to use to guage both spiritual development and ministry impact. We measure our ministry impact, not by how big our congregation is, not by how much we receive in our offerings and not even how many people fall down “under the power”. Instead, our ministry will be judged (evaluated) by the Lord Jesus, on the basis of whether or not the people we minister to seek to walk out the Sermon on the Mount values.
Jesus, the God-Man, said that a wise man builds his “house” (his life and ministry) on the “rock” which refers to how he relates to Jesus and to the principles taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Many today would call the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle radical and extreme, but Jesus, the Creator, considers it foundational and doable for every believer and He believes it is the only way to experience the fullest reality of God’s Kingdom. Beloved, to neglect this Kingdom lifestyle is to neglect, and miss, the Kingdom of God!
Everyone then who hears these words of Mine (Sermon on the Mount), AND DOES THEM will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall… (Mt. 7:24-25)
Let me ask you, why would you desire for God to anoint your ministry? What is your dream for it? What would you do with more influence? Have larger meetings? Build bigger churches? Gain the reputation of being the man of God, the man of the hour, full of faith and full of power? Or are you desirous to be one of God’s nameless, faceless servants simply desires to be faithfully used of the Lord to help bring others to the place of walking in this lifestyle secretly and consistently?
OUR PRIMARY LIFE CALLING: TO PURSUE 100-FOLD OBEDIENCE
Contrary to popular belief, the Lord did not save us primarily so that we could work for Him in ministry. He did call us however, to know Him intimately and to follow Him wholeheartedly. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle James tells us that “Faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.” (Ja.2:17) Moffatt translates this verse, “Faith without corresponding action is dead.” This is true. But the corresponding works that the Lord is looking for isn’t primarily works of service, instead it is works of obedience that He is looking for.
Jesus called us as His followers to be perfect in our obedience, that is to be mature or complete in how we walk out our faith. This issue is meant to be the primary issue in our spiritual life, yet it is often overlooked and disregarded. How does this translate into our day-to-day lives? We do this by seeking to walk in all the light that the Spirit gives us in the season of life we are currently in.
I need to point out here that the pursuit of full obedience is not the same as the attaining of it. Our pursuit for complete obedience is relative in this age and absolute only in the age-to-come. Our responsibility, however, in this age is to focus on the “seeking” to completely obey God. We trust God’s grace to empower us to “attain” full obedience in an incremental, ever-increasing measure.
You therefore must be perfect (walk in all the light that you have received) as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)
I am always amazed when those in spiritual leadership question the wisdom and leadership of the Son of God by trying to explain away what Jesus plainly spoke - that we are to be "mature" in our obedience. This may sound funny, but God is our example. You see, God always walks in all of the light that He has. And He "fully" expects us to do the same.
I have had numerous church leaders say to me that they feel that I am making it too hard on believers if I suggest that they do what the Scriptures plainly say that God expects of His children. If I say what God has said, then, they say, this is too hard. But Jesus, who was the Designer and Creator of man, Jesus, who emptied Himself of His rights and privileges as the Son of God and took on the form of man, with all of its limitations, said, again as a man, that we were to be perfect in our obedience.
Jesus might say, “I designed man, I created man, I became man, and I lived my life out on earth as a man, so I know what even the newest believer is capable of walking in regarding his or her relationship with the principles of God. If you want to be happy (blessed), if you want to prosper in your inner man, you must be mature in your efforts to walk in all the light that I have given you in the current season of your life.”
COMPLETE OBEDIENCE DEFINED
The pursuit of “complete obedience” includes: bridling our speech (James 3:2), disciplining our physical appetites (1 Cor. 9:27), managing our time (for service and prayer with the Word), faithfully stewarting our money (to increase the Kingdom over and beyond our personal comfort, honor and reputation; (Mt. 6:19-21) and making a covenant with our eyes to refuse to look upon anything that stirs up lust (Job 31:1).
Because of God’s zeal for deep relationship with us, He requires that we walk in all the light that He gives us. Our pursuit of full obedience accurately expresses the value we place on our relationship with Jesus. Our obedience is an accurate expression of the depth of our love for Him.
Whoever has My commandments AND keeps them, he it is who loves Me. (Jn. 14:21)
We only experience the “full light” or brightness of the Spirit when the eye of our heart is good (single) so that it brings light to our inner man. We ONLY do this by pursuing (not necessarily achieving) 100-fold obedience.
The eye (of the heart) is the lamp (the source of spiritual light) of the body. So, if your eye is healthy (single - KJV), your whole body will be full of light. 23 but if your eye is bad (lacks single focus), your whole body will be full of darkness. (Mt. 6:22-23)
Only if our lifestyle is engaged in the seeking of full obedience can we know the “brightness” of being connected to God’s heart and thus experiencing the fullness of His Presence. There are powerful dynamics that occur in us only when we are in active pursuit of 100-fold obedience. Pursuing obedience in 98% of our life has only limited blessing. It is in the last 2% that we receive “double” grace and experience a bright spirit or spiritual vitality.
A spiritual dullness touches our heart unless we love righteousness. All the areas of our spiritual life are inter-connected. We as leaders rob people of joy (the oil of gladness) by lowering the truth of the gospel in our human sentiment that seeks to make it easier by presenting a “lesser gospel” (one that can be achieved by someone living in the 98 pecentile. By our efforts to make it "easier" on them, we are actually making it impossible for them to succeed in the one area that the Lord absolutely requires that they connect.
You (Jesus) have loved righteousness and hated wickedness: therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions. (Heb. 1:9)
THE CALL TO BE COMPLETE IN CHRIST: 2 DIFFERENT REALITIES
The Scriptures present two aspects of being complete before God; they are like two sides of the same coin. First, the moment we are born again, we are instantly made complete in Christ in our legal position (justification) because of Jesus’ work on the cross (2 Cor. 5:17-21). Second, we progressively become “complete in our obedience,” in our living condition before God (sanctification). Both are foundational and necessary truths.
You are complete in Him... (Col. 2:10)
Remember, our basic premise; before God, our primary objective in this age is to become perfect or complete in our obedience (spiritually mature – not totally perfect, but pursuing perfection).
Many Scriptures using different terms for the same truth exhort us to be complete in our obedience (Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 13:20-21; Jas. 1:4); perfect (Mt. 5:48; 19:21; Jn. 17:23; Gal. 3:3; Eph. 4:13. Col. 1:28; 1 Thes. 3:10; Jas. 2:22; 3:2; 1 Pet. 5:10; Rev. 3:2); mature (Phil. 3:15; Col. 4:12); blameless (Lk. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:6-8; Phil. 2:15; 1 Thes. 3:13; 5:23; 1 Tim. 3:2, 10; 5:5-7; 6:14; 2 Pet. 3:14; without spot (Eph 5:27); Worthy (2 Thes. 1:5-12; Lk 21:34-36; 20:35-36; Col. 1:9-10 Mt. 10:37-38; 22:8; Rev 3:4-5; Eph. 4:1; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thes. 2:12); Stand (Lk. 21:36; 1 Cor. 10:13; 16:13; Eph. 6:10-14; Phil. 4:1; Col. 4:12; 1 Thes. 3:8; Rev. 6:17).
This also we pray, that you may be made complete. (2 Cor. 13:9 - NKJ)
Epaphras…always struggling for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured (complete – NKJ) in all the will of God. (Col. 4:12)
Him we proclaim warning everyone (every believer) and teaching everyone…that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil… (Col. 1:28-29)
…the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (in our obedience)… (Jas 1:3-4)
as we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply (perfect – NKJ) what is lacking in your faith…12 …may the Lord make you increase and abound in love… (1 Thes. 3:10-12)
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace…will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Pet. 5:10)
BEING PERFECT = WALKING OUT THE 8 BEATITUDES
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (filled – NKJ). 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3-10)
Jesus, the God-Man, the Designer and Creator of man, who Himself was fully man, defined being “perfect” or being “complete in obedience” as walking out the eight beatitudes, as we pursue 100-fold obedience (Mt. 5:48). Again, let me reiterate, this IS our foundational call in this age. We cannot focus on walking out the Sermon on the Mount unless we are very familiar with it. The eight beatitudes do not make sense and have no practical application in our day-to-day lives separated from the context of pursuing 100-fold obedience.
The beatitudes are like eight beautiful flowers in the “garden in our heart” that God wants to fully blossom. They define love, godliness and spiritual maturity and describe life in the Spirit (true discipleship and/or spiritual maturity). They also describe how God wants to bless us and what He wants to duplicate in the nations through His ministry in and through us.
Again, the beatitudes can be likened to eight beautiful flowers that need to be carefully and continually cultivated as we “weed our garden” by resisting the six negative influences (toxins/poisons) related to our natural lusts (Mt. 5:21-48) and as we “water our garden” by pursuing the five positive nutrients (prayer, fasting, giving, serving and blessing our enemies, Mt. 6:1-18) that position us to receive a greater impartation of grace.
In the Sermon on Mount, Jesus listed six practical areas in which we must wage war against the lust (passions of our flesh) (1 Pet. 2:11): anger (the spirit of murder, Mt. 5:21-26), adultery (the spirit of immorality, Mt. 5:27-30), disregarding (breaking) covenants – particularly the marriage covenant (the spirit of treachery, Mal. 2:13-17 that breaks covenant for selfish pursuits, Mt. 5:31-32), false commitments (the spirit of manipulation that seeks to promote ourselves, Mt. 5:33-37), demanding justice (the spirit of pride or bitterness that insists on our personal rights, Mt. 5:38-41) and retaliation (the spirit of revenge or animosity in personal relationships, Mt. 5:42-47).
Jesus gives us five “grace-releasing activities” in our devotional life that position our heart to receive more strength in the grace of God. Our heart receives more grace as we consistently and secretly serve and give (charitable deeds: giving service and/or money (6:1–4, 19-21), pray (6:5–13), bless our adversaries (forgiving, 6:14–15; 5:44) and fast (6:16–18).
It is imperative that we understand that spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, meditation, etc) are ordained by God, not as works that “earn” us something from God, but instead they are attitudes of our heart that are necessary as a way to posture our heart to freely receive more grace. These activities do not earn us God’s favor but instead they are an opportunity to express the value we have concerning our relationship with Jesus.
It is like the proverb “ the rich get richer.” God gives more to those who are hungry for relationship with Him. Our hunger for Him is an accurate expression of our love for Him. It is the “proof” of our love for Him. As the Lord said several years ago, "Every man is as close to me as he wants to be."
When we pursue more of Him out of our spiritual hunger, God responds by releasing more of His Manifest Presence to our heart - but that does NOT mean that He loves us more when we live in the context of godly spiritual disciplines. An analogy: we put our cold heart before the bonfire of God’s Presence (His warm, passionate heart. The power is in the “bonfire of God’s Presence” not in the “cold heart” positioned in front of it.
It’s like an ice cube. When positioned before a flame, it is not because of any inheriant virtue resident in the ice cube that it melts. No, it is because of the heat emanating from the flame that the ice cube melts.
THE BEATITUDES: THE ONLY WAY TO BLESSEDNESS (HAPPINESS, GREATNESS, FREEDOM)
Jesus gave us the eight beatitudes or the eight attitudes that release God's blessedness on our lives. To be blessed is to experience abundant life, which is the happiness, greatness and freedom that God created us to experience.
…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (Jn. 10:10)
Beloved, we need a fresh revelation that only in a lifestyle expressed through the beatitudes, can we experience abundant life. Our natural mind cannot see this without the aid of the Spirit. The Kingdom of God cannot be naturally observed. The natural mindset thinks happiness is found through favorable circumstances (money, honor, influence and abilities, etc.).
…Blessed are you, Simon…For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 …on this rock I will build My Church... (Mt. 16:17-18)
By a spirit of revelation, (Eph. 1:17) we conclude that the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is not just the "best" way to experience God's abundant life (happiness, greatness and freedom), or one of many ways. It is the only way.
In closing, let’s look for a moment at the beautiful flowers:
Being poor in spirit (theirs is the kingdom, Mt. 5:3)
Being poor in spirit means acknowledging that we are in great need of divine help to sustain wholeheartedness (Mt. 5:48). This is to understand, that we are in a serious dilemma in needing a breakthrough in our heart (divine insight/power) and ministry in godliness.
Mourning for breakthrough (for they shall be comforted, Mt. 5:4)
Mourning means to be desperate enough, as a result of being "poor in spirit", to be “extreme” in our pursuit of a progressive breakthrough in our heart (divine insight/power) and ministry.
Walking in meekness (they shall inherit the earth, Mt. 5:5)
Walking in meekness means to walk in the fasted lifestyle, or to have a servant spirit in the use of our strengths (time, money, energy, reputation, authority etc.).
Hungering for righteousness (for they shall be filled, Mt. 5:6)
Hungering for righteousness means to exhibit a sustained faithfulness in seeking God, with wholeheartedness, throughout the changing seasons of our life, instead of being "burned out" by our disappointments with God or by our offense at the way people treat us.
Relating to others with mercy (for they shall obtain mercy, Mt. 5:7)
Being merciful means having a tender spirit in how we treat others who fail spiritually, as well to those who attack, resist or disappoint us.
Being pure in heart (they shall see God, Mt. 5:8)
Being pure in heart means pursuing, not necessarily achieving, a breakthrough of purity in our thoughts (significantly protecting us from the results of bitterness and/or immorality) and our motives (resulting in our helping people, for their benefit, without any thought of personal gain). To “see God”, even in a small measure, causes our spirit to be bright (i.e., fascinated with God – this alleviates spiritual boredom which is the norm in the Western Church).
Becoming an anointed peacemaker (called sons of God, Mt. 5:9)
Being a peacemaker means to walk in an anointing to bring peace (healing, restoration) to that which is out of God’s will (broken relationships, sick bodies, etc.)
Enduring persecution (theirs is the kingdom, Mt. 5:10-12)
Enduring persecution translates into bearing the counterattack for plundering satan’s realm and goods (people) because we operate in power and/or stand for righteousness. We rejoice for the glory of knowing Jesus and the privilege of suffering for His name's sake (Acts 5:41).
Beloved, it is worth the cost!
Let's covenant together to seek to be the generation that pursues AND significantly realizes the life changing and life giving Kingdom dynamics of the Beatitudes!!!
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