Read Matthew 4:24 - 5:3

News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. 

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

    He said:  ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Questions

1. Seeing the needs of the crowd Jesus retired to teach the Sermon on the Mount! Why? Are you hungry for God?

2. If being “poor in spirit” means “Willing to be governed”, where do we struggle with this, particularly given the society and culture we are part of?

3. Check out some of the marks of discipleship below–what do we find tough? What is God speaking to us about here?

A . Supreme Love for Jesus (Luke 14v26)
Who do I think about most? Who is most likely to compete for my time/money/affection?
(If they are not yet a Christian, how can I talk this through with them?)

B. Denial of Self (Matt.16v24)

“..the hyphenated sins of the human spirit...are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies their subtlety and their power. To be specific, the self-sins are these: self-righteousness,    self- pity, self-confidence, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them.”    A.W.Tozer, ‘The Pursuit of God’.

C.    Deliberately choosing the Cross (Luke 14v27)

D.    Following (Lk.14v27)

E.    Fruitfulness John 15v8 A life that is fruitful...

i. Character (Galatians 5 vs 22/3)
ii. People (Matt. 28v19)

F.    Fervent love for fellow-believers. (John 13v35)

G.    Devotion to God’s Word (John 8v31)

H.    Leaving everything! (Luke 14v33)

Listen to the accompanying talk