One Powerful Sermon

Jesus came to enable fallen mankind to come back to a personal relationship with the Creator. What a day it was when the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and eternal one, became a man and dwelled among us! His virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, and bodily resurrection sealed the deal. Jesus is "the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him". (John 14:7). Those whose daily lives and eternal destinies have been radically changed by Jesus, will naturally follow Him.

As a follower of Christ, we must be devoted to His teachings. His call to us is to " Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me ... for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-29)

Jesus' teachings were (and are) different from any other "religious" teacher of His day. Much like today, the Jewish rabbi's teachings were harsh and legalistic. Jesus' teachings were full of Grace and Truth. At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew tells us the reaction of the multitude who heard Jesus' powerful discourse - "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matt. 7:28-29).

Consider that powerful discourse we call the Sermon on the Mount. His teaching was controversial to the legalists, to say the least. It was simple, yet profound! Just look at the wide range of topics that Jesus covered:

The Beatitudes 5:1-12
Salt and Light 5:13-14
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law 5:15-20
Anger 5:21-26
Lust 5:27-30
Divorce 5:31-32
Oaths 5:33-37
Retaliation 5:38-42
Love Your Enemies 5:43-48
Giving to the Needy 6:1-4
How to Pray 6:5-15
How to Fast 6:16-18
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven 6:19-24
Do Not Be Anxious 6:25-34
Judging Others 7:1-6
Ask and It Shall Be Given 7:7-11
The Golden Rule 7:12-14
A Tree and Its Fruit 7:15-20
I Never Knew You 7:21-23
Build Your House on the Rock 7:24-27

I have recommitted myself to the teachings of Jesus. That may sound strange coming from a guy who has been in ministry for nearly four decades, but I have determined that my focus in my remaining ministry will be to follow Jesus and to teach what Jesus taught. The whole Bible revolves around Him. His teaching ties it all together. "Churchianity" cannot change the lives and destinies of men - but Jesus can, and does!