Sermon on the Mount – The Mountain of God • Founded in Truth Fellowship

Exploring the Foundational Ethic of God’s Kingdom

In a teaching delivered at Founded in Truth Fellowship, the focus was placed on understanding the foundational ethic of King Yeshua (Jesus) as presented in the Sermon on the Mount. The speaker began by highlighting the human desire for community and a place rooted in truth and love, welcoming attendees as part of a spiritual family. The sermon delved into the significance of stories as a powerful means of communication, noting how different storytellers emphasize different aspects and invite their audience to engage in various ways.

An experiment was mentioned where people were asked about the central story of the Bible, revealing diverse perspectives such as new creation, restoration, redemption, defeating evil, and God’s love. The speaker addressed the common concern about differing details in biblical accounts, particularly in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which offer narrative accounts of Yeshua’s ministry. It was explained that these differences are intentional, with each author, acting like a film director, highlighting specific themes and purposes. These variations should not be seen as contradictions that undermine faith but rather as different lenses through which to understand the overarching story.

The teaching then contrasted the approaches of John and Matthew in their Gospel accounts. John’s Gospel begins with Yeshua turning water into wine, presented as the first of many signs, drawing a parallel to the first sign in Exodus where water was turned into blood. This was linked to John’s central theme of Yeshua being the new temple of God, the place where heaven and earth converge and God’s glory is manifested. John emphasizes Yeshua’s declaration against the corrupt power structures within the temple, portraying Him as the one who will rebuild the true temple – Himself.

Matthew’s Gospel, on the other hand, positions the event of Yeshua overturning the tables in the temple towards the end of his narrative, leading up to Yeshua’s death and resurrection in Jerusalem. Matthew’s primary objective was to present Yeshua as the fulfillment of the Old Testament story, particularly the Exodus story, which is considered the most significant and frequently referenced event in Israel’s history. Matthew portrays Yeshua as the greater Moses who was prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15, leading his people to righteousness and freedom not from physical slavery in Egypt but from the slavery of sin and death.

Several parallels between the lives of Moses and Yeshua were highlighted in Matthew’s account:

• Both were born under evil kings who slaughtered children.
• Both escaped through divine intervention (midwives tricking Pharaoh, Magi tricking Herod).
• Both were hidden in Egypt.
• Both went through water (Red Sea/Jordan River).
• Both ventured into the wilderness for testing.
• Both ascended a mountain to deliver God’s revelation to the people (Moses on Mount Sinai, Yeshua on the mountain for the Sermon on the Mount).

The Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew 5:2, is presented as Yeshua, the greater Moses, delivering the pure revelation of God and the ethic of the new covenant described in Jeremiah 31. The first of these teachings is the beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. The term “blessed” (or Beatitude) can also mean “happy” or even “congratulations,” signifying a state of being ready for the coming of God’s kingdom.

Two main interpretations of “poor in spirit” were discussed:

• One view suggests it refers to those who are not overly confident in themselves and recognize their dependence on God. This could include individuals who are not blinded by wealth, security, pride, or entitlement, echoing the warnings in Deuteronomy 8 against forgetting God’s deliverance and blessings. It also describes those who are not “poor at being spiritual,” acknowledging their imperfections and need for God, contrasting with the idea of a “spiritual elite” who use a facade of piety to elevate themselves above others and control them.
• The second view interprets “poor in spirit” as referring to the dispirited, those who have been beaten down, marginalized, and have lost hope, possibly even walking away from faith due to their experiences. For these individuals, the promise is a surprising reversal of their condition.

The teaching emphasized that Yeshua’s kingdom is not for the spiritual elite. The call to “repent” (shift your mind) in the context of the kingdom of God being near requires a change in how we view sin and our place in the world. Luke’s version of the beatitude, “Blessed are the poor,” followed by “Woe to you who are rich,” highlights a more direct connection to economic status and social revolution, contrasting with Matthew’s deeper spiritual dimension. While material poverty can be a component, Matthew suggests that one can be materially poor but still carry spiritual pride, or materially wealthy but use their resources with humility.

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Application for Everyday Life:

• Cultivate Dependence on God: Recognize your limitations and actively seek God’s guidance and provision in all areas of life, rather than relying solely on your own abilities or resources.
• Embrace Humility: Avoid spiritual pride or the desire to appear superior to others. Acknowledge your imperfections and treat everyone with equal respect.
• Show Compassion for the Dispirited: Be aware of those who are struggling, marginalized, or have lost hope, and offer support and encouragement, reflecting the surprising reversal promised in God’s kingdom.
• Challenge Worldly Values: Be mindful of the “dog-eat-dog” mentality and the relentless pursuit of material success. Prioritize the values of justice, peace, and love that characterize God’s kingdom.
• Examine Your Heart: Regularly assess your motivations and desires. Are you seeking to climb a worldly pyramid, or are you aligning your life with the upside-down values of God’s reign?
• Practice Generosity and Humility in Resource Management: Whether you have much or little, strive to use your resources in a way that reflects humility and contributes to God’s kingdom, rather than hoarding or using them to oppress others.
• Embrace Change and Repentance: Be open to shifting your mindset and breaking down any barriers that prevent you from fully understanding and participating in God’s kingdom.

References:

Bible Verses:

• Deuteronomy 8
• Deuteronomy 18:15
• Jeremiah 31
• Matthew 5:2

Books and Resources:

• The Bible by Various Authors