Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount

     It's time again for another Weekend Sermon.  I hope that everyone had a good week.
     I want to begin by thanking the Lord for providing me with a great deal of writing work this week.  I was going to be short on the money I would need to pay the bills this month, but the Lord has provided, and I want to thank and praise Him for His provision for me.
     Last week we dealt with the issue of the Lord's provision.  We learned that no matter what happens to the follower of Jesus in this world, all is well, and all will be well.  The reason for this is the fact that in eternity, those who follow Jesus will have every need met.  We will be with Jesus for all of eternity.  The trouble in this life won't matter when we think of the joys that we will experience. 
     Whatever happens to us in life, all will ultimately be well.  The vital thing that we must remember is that we must obey and follow the way of Jesus in all that we do.
     As we finish up Matthew chapter 6 and this section of the Sermon on the Mount, there are a couple of things I want to consider before moving on to the next area of teaching found in chapter 7.
     I find it interesting how Jesus speaks of God's provision for His creation.  In verse 26, Jesus speaks about God providing for the needs of the birds of the air.  In verse 28, Jesus speaks about God's provision for the lilies of the field.  Some Christian people don't seem to care about environmental concerns, but the Lord commanded humans to take care of creation because God values creation.  God cares about the animals that He made and the natural environment in which they live.
     The Bible says that one day all of creation will be delivered from the effects of the fall of man and the sin that entered into and cursed the world.  When Jesus returns, the environment and all of creation will be restored to its original Edenic state of perfection.
     Another aspect of chapter 6 I would like to discuss is verse 33 that says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."  The number one priority in life is to follow Jesus.  If someone reading this has never made a commitment to following Jesus, that is the first step in getting your life on the right track.  A person can only have the life that they were intended to have when they make Jesus the Lord of their life.  As followers of Jesus, His will must be our number one priority in life.  Nothing else matters compared to following the way of Jesus.  This is what Jesus has taught us in the previous verses, and this is what I've been trying to explain in the last few weeks of these sermons.  Following the path of this world that focuses on money, fame and a false idea of success will not result in the advancement of the kingdom of God or eternal happiness.  Put Jesus Christ first in your life.
     Verse 34 has become a very important verse to me in the last few months.  Jesus says, "Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."
     I've been living by this verse this week.  If I look ahead and think about all of the things facing me, all it does is bring me down.  I have to follow Jesus' words and just think about dealing with today.  We aren't even promised tomorrow.  Today has enough to deal with without worrying about the next day.  No matter if it is today or tomorrow, I need to trust in the Lord Jesus to provide for me and take care of me.  He goes before me along the way.
     Now, we move on the chapter 7 and a new set of Jesus' teachings to deal with.  Chapter 7 begins with one of the most well-known verses in Scripture that says, "Do not judge, lest you be judged."  Verse 2 continues, "For in the way you judge, you will be judged:  and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."
     This verse is often misused and twisted to mean something that Jesus did not intend.  The interpretation of this verse is a good example of taking a Scripture out of context and not using Scripture to interpret Scripture.  It is also often interpreted in such a way that the other teachings of Jesus are not taken into consideration.
     First of all, what is Jesus not saying in this verse.  We know from what Jesus will go on to teach in this same chapter that Jesus is not saying that we are not to judge what is true and false doctrine and teaching.  It does not mean that we are not to be spiritually discerning.  As we saw when we went through the epistle of I John, John tells us to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God.  The books of Jude and II Peter also deal extensively with recognizing and exposing false doctrine and belief.  Furthermore, Jesus tells us that the fruit that a person produces in their life is proof of their spiritual condition.  One minister I heard said that Jesus tells us not to judge, but we are supposed to be fruit inspectors.
     Next week, we will go into more detail about this teaching.  I am sorry that I didn't get to post the next chapter in the Toby book on Wednesday.  I will remember next week for sure.  May God bless you.  Amen.