We are looking this week at the Sermons of Jesus. These studies help us to grasp the significance of His life and give us a whole picture of who He was and is.
Before each time of study and reading, pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see in a fresh way the wonderful life and teaching of the Saviour.
Day 1 Read Matthew 5
This is the most famous sermon of all time.
There is a cohesion to what Jesus says – He begins in 5:1-16 with the personal character of the follower of Jesus.
Jesus is concerned with “internal” integrity and homes in on our thought and emotional life – this area of our lives demands hard work because it is always easier to clean the outside of a container than the inside. However, the externals of our life are important too, lest we forget how necessary it is to develop all areas of our lives. We need Jesus to help us change our lives, as this is something we cannot do on our own.
Day 2 Read Matthew 6
Jesus touches on three areas of Christian discipline and in each case He emphasises the privacy of the action.
Christians should be generous with their money and time –
but they should do so with the minimum of fuss in order not to draw attention to themselves.
Neither should Christians be anxious about money or life,
but trust in God who is the great Provider and in control of all the events in our lives.
Christians should be people of prayer,
but again prayer at its most effective is private and Jesus gives a structure for us to use when praying.
It is good to fast,
but to do so in a personal, private and controlled manner–
All these things are Spiritual Disciplines.
Day 3 Read Matthew 7
Jesus encourages us not to judge other people.
We really have enough problems getting our own lives right without putting other people’s lives right. Helping other people to get into a right relationship with God is one thing, but condemning others is quite another – that is the business of God alone. On judging others – don’t do it!
Instead of judging others we should be seeking God – in other words, Jesus turns our attentions away to a healthy pursuit. Indeed, Jesus encourages us to make seeking God a constant pursuit in our lives and in our prayers. Finally, Jesus warns us against false prophets – there has always been a conflict between people who speak an authentic word from God and people who are people-pleasers. Be careful and discerning in what you hear.
Day 4 Read Matthew 23
Jesus warns us about the danger of hypocrisy.
Literally, hypocrisy means “wearing a mask.” The teachers of the Law were pretending to be better than they were and not practising what they preached. For us the answer is simple. The teaching of Jesus is not complicated and so we cannot pretend not to know the difference between right and wrong. We are not to be preoccupied with appearance but with inner and outer conformity to the will of God – irrespective of what other people think of us.
Day 5 Read Matthew 24
I am going to make this simple. None of us knows when the end of the world will take place – it could happen when we least expect it – but it will happen! Jesus tells us that we are to live our lives as if we are to be prepared for the final hour. Put it this way – if you knew that this was to be your last day on earth, how would that focus your mind on the things that really matter?