True Religion - Jesus' Teachings on Love, Worship, and Community

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37 40 KJV)

True Religion The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon The Beatitudes: Our Emphasis (Matt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23) The Similitudes (Matt 5:13-16) The Law of The Kingdom 1st Our Relationships With Others (5:21-5:48) 2nd My Relationship With God (6:1-18) Giving (6:1-4). Praying (6:5-15). Fasting (6:16-18).

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon In each one of these areas, Jesus warns His disciples not t o be like the hypocrites (6:3, 5, 16) Jesus is telling them not to be like the religious elites of their day Chief priest and elders (Matt 15:7-9 Cf Isa 29:13) Sadducees and Pharisees (Matt 16:3) Herodians and Pharisees (Matt 22:16) Scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23) In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus calls them hypocrites 7 times!

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Giving (6:1-4) (Vs. 1) The KJV and NKJV render the specific action as alms or charitable deeds . The ASV, NASB, ESV, render the specific action as righteousness . Not if but when Does this contradict (Matt 5:16)? It is a question of motive One is for God s glory The other is for man s glory Sounding a trumpet is liken to tooting your own horn Christians gave publicly but it was for the glory of God

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts 2:44 45 NKJV) Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet. (Acts 4:34 37 NKJV)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Giving (6:1-4) (Vs. 1) The KJV and NKJV render the specific action as alms or charitable deeds . The ASV, NASB, ESV, render the specific action as righteousness . Not if but when Does this contradict (Matt 5:16)? It is a question of motive One is for God s glory The other is for man s glory We must always seek God s favor

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10 NKJV) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9 NKJV)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Prayer (6:5-15)

And whenyou pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:5 15 NKJV) In this way NASB Like this ESV

At that time Jesus said, I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. (Matthew 11:25 NAS95) So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me. (John 11:41 42 NAS95)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Prayer (6:5-15) Our Father (vs. 9) Reverence for our Father and His name (vs. 9 Cf Ex 3:13-15; 6:3) Prayer for God s kingdom [His will] (vs. 10) Dependance on the Father for our physical needs (vs. 11 Cf Lk 11:10-13) Dependance on the Father for our spiritual needs (vss. 12-15 Cf Matt 18:21-35)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Fasting (6:16-18) Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:16 18 NKJV) disfigure

There were various types of fasts and various motivations for fasting and this practice was a part of the fast of humiliation to express sorrow for one s sins. The use of ashes on the face could become very much a performance. It refers to the practice of making the face dirty with ashes and a generally disheveled appearance. They make themselves almost unrecognizable in an effort to be recognized. Thomas Tehan and David Abernathy, An Exegetical Summary of the Sermon on the Mount,

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matthew 9:14 15 NKJV)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain The Sermon Our Worship (6:1-17) Fasting (6:16-18) Jesus fasted for 40 days (Lk 4:1-4) Christians (Acts 13:1-3) Paul & Barnabas (Acts 14:21-23) Paul fasted often (2 Cor 11:27)

But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. (Psalm 35:13 NKJV) When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach. (Psalm 69:10 NKJV)

The Sermon On The Mount Staying On The Mountain Matthew 6:1-18 We must remember that collective worship is an out growth of our personnel worship and devotion to God! Our glory must be solely in the Lord our God! God is holy and above all that we can comprehend, Jesus brings this to the level and reality that we can understand and follow!