Mountains of Faith: Teachings, Sacrifice, and Hope

 

Summary

The message today takes us on a journey through the significant mountains of the Bible, each representing a profound aspect of the Christian faith. We begin with the Mount of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus delivers teachings that challenge modern misconceptions about Christianity. The Beatitudes describe the true nature of a Christian, emphasizing spiritual poverty, mourning for sin, meekness, and a hunger for righteousness. These qualities contrast sharply with the self-assured and superficial morality often celebrated today. Jesus underscores the absolute nature of God's law, which demands not just external compliance but internal purity and love for God and neighbor.

Moving to the Mount of Calvary, we encounter the ultimate expression of God's holiness and love. Here, Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. The shedding of His blood is the only means of redemption, highlighting the gravity of sin and the depth of God's love. This sacrifice is not just a demonstration of love but a necessity for salvation, as no other way could reconcile humanity to God.

Finally, we ascend to the Mount of Olivet, where Jesus' ascension and promised return are proclaimed. This mount reminds us of the future hope and the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom. Jesus will return to judge the world and establish His eternal reign, a truth that stands in stark contrast to the world's false hopes of self-improvement and peace without God.

These mountains collectively reveal the pattern of God's redemptive plan, from the teachings of Christ to His sacrificial death and promised return. They call us to listen to Jesus, embrace His teachings, and live in anticipation of His coming kingdom.

Key Takeaways:

- The Beatitudes challenge modern misconceptions about Christianity, emphasizing spiritual poverty, mourning for sin, meekness, and a hunger for righteousness. These qualities contrast with the superficial morality often celebrated today, reminding us that true Christianity is deeply spiritual and transformative. [27:37]

- Jesus' teaching on the law highlights its absolute nature, demanding not just external compliance but internal purity and love for God and neighbor. This challenges the modern tendency to separate Jesus from the God of the Old Testament, emphasizing that true obedience involves the heart. [30:15]

- The Mount of Calvary reveals the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. The shedding of His blood is the only means of redemption, underscoring the gravity of sin and the depth of God's love. This sacrifice is not just a demonstration of love but a necessity for salvation. [41:30]

- The Mount of Olivet reminds us of the future hope and the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom. Jesus' ascension and promised return assure us that He will come again to judge the world and establish His eternal reign, offering hope in a world filled with false promises of peace and progress. [50:27]

- The pattern of God's redemptive plan, from the teachings of Christ to His sacrificial death and promised return, calls us to listen to Jesus, embrace His teachings, and live in anticipation of His coming kingdom. This is the true essence of Christianity, offering hope and transformation. [55:25]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:54] - The Blessed Person
- [27:09] - The Sermon on the Mount
- [27:37] - The Beatitudes Explained
- [30:15] - The Absolute Law of God
- [31:49] - The Heart of the Law
- [33:00] - Honesty Before God
- [34:06] - The Narrow Way
- [35:09] - Judgment and the Two Houses
- [36:59] - Fleeing to Calvary
- [40:29] - The Message of Calvary
- [41:30] - The Holiness of God
- [44:46] - The Lamb of God
- [50:27] - The Mount of Olivet
- [55:25] - The Future Kingdom

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)
2. Matthew 5:17-20 (Jesus and the Law)
3. Acts 1:9-11 (The Ascension)

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Observation Questions:

1. What are the qualities described in the Beatitudes, and how do they contrast with modern views of morality? [27:37]

2. How does Jesus describe the nature of God's law in Matthew 5:17-20, and what does this imply about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments? [30:15]

3. What significant event occurs on the Mount of Olivet, and what promise is given to the disciples there? [50:27]

4. How does the sermon describe the significance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Mount of Calvary? [41:30]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How do the Beatitudes challenge the common perception of what it means to be a Christian today? In what ways might this challenge be relevant to contemporary believers? [27:37]

2. What does Jesus' teaching about the law suggest about the importance of internal versus external obedience? How might this affect a believer's daily life? [31:49]

3. How does the promise of Jesus' return on the Mount of Olivet provide hope for believers, and how might this hope influence their actions and attitudes? [50:27]

4. Why is the shedding of Jesus' blood on Calvary described as a necessity for salvation, and how does this understanding impact the concept of grace? [41:30]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the Beatitudes. Which quality do you find most challenging to embody, and what steps can you take to cultivate it in your life? [27:37]

2. Jesus emphasizes the importance of internal purity and love for God and neighbor. Identify one area in your life where you struggle with internal obedience, and consider how you might address it. [31:49]

3. The sermon highlights the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice for redemption. How does this understanding of sacrifice and grace affect your view of forgiveness, both receiving and giving it? [41:30]

4. The promise of Jesus' return offers hope in a world filled with false promises. How can you live in anticipation of His coming kingdom in your daily life? [50:27]

5. Consider the modern misconceptions about Christianity that the sermon addresses. How can you engage in conversations with others to clarify these misconceptions and share the true essence of the faith? [27:37]

6. Reflect on the absolute nature of God's law as described by Jesus. How does this understanding challenge your current lifestyle, and what changes might you need to make? [30:15]

7. The sermon calls believers to listen to Jesus and embrace His teachings. What practical steps can you take this week to deepen your understanding and application of His teachings in your life? [55:25]

Devotional

Day 1: The Beatitudes: A Call to True Spirituality
The Beatitudes, as presented in the Sermon on the Mount, challenge the superficial morality often celebrated in today's world. They emphasize qualities such as spiritual poverty, mourning for sin, meekness, and a hunger for righteousness. These attributes reflect a deeply spiritual and transformative nature of true Christianity, contrasting sharply with the self-assured attitudes prevalent in modern society. The Beatitudes call believers to a life of humility and dependence on God, urging them to seek a righteousness that goes beyond mere external compliance. [27:37]

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself relying on your own strength rather than seeking spiritual poverty and dependence on God?


Day 2: The Heart of the Law: Internal Purity and Love
Jesus' teaching on the law highlights its absolute nature, demanding not just external compliance but internal purity and love for God and neighbor. This challenges the modern tendency to separate Jesus from the God of the Old Testament, emphasizing that true obedience involves the heart. The law is not merely a set of rules to follow but a call to love God and others deeply and sincerely. This internal transformation is essential for living a life that truly honors God. [30:15]

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper love for God and others in your daily interactions, going beyond mere rule-following?


Day 3: Calvary: The Necessity of Sacrifice for Redemption
The Mount of Calvary reveals the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. The shedding of His blood is the only means of redemption, underscoring the gravity of sin and the depth of God's love. This sacrifice is not just a demonstration of love but a necessity for salvation, as no other way could reconcile humanity to God. The cross stands as a powerful reminder of the cost of sin and the incredible love God has for each person. [41:30]

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on the significance of Jesus' sacrifice for you personally. How does understanding the gravity of sin and the depth of God's love impact your relationship with Him?


Day 4: Olivet: Hope in the Promise of His Return
The Mount of Olivet reminds us of the future hope and the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom. Jesus' ascension and promised return assure us that He will come again to judge the world and establish His eternal reign. This promise offers hope in a world filled with false promises of peace and progress, reminding believers to live in anticipation of His return. The certainty of His coming kingdom encourages a life of faithfulness and readiness. [50:27]

"And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: How does the promise of Jesus' return influence the way you live your life today? What changes can you make to live more expectantly?


Day 5: Embracing the Redemptive Plan: Living in Anticipation
The pattern of God's redemptive plan, from the teachings of Christ to His sacrificial death and promised return, calls us to listen to Jesus, embrace His teachings, and live in anticipation of His coming kingdom. This is the true essence of Christianity, offering hope and transformation. Believers are encouraged to align their lives with God's redemptive plan, living in a way that reflects the hope and transformation found in Christ. [55:25]

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to align your life more closely with God's redemptive plan, living in anticipation of His kingdom?

Quotes

"Blessed are the poor in spirit that means that you think nothing of yourself that you're hopeless blessed are they that mourn that you're grieved because you're a sinner that you're not always justifying yourself and showing what a good fellow you are though you deny Christ no no blessed are they that mourn they're in trouble blessed are the meek is the Modern Men meek is he a picture of meekness with the confidence and the assurance and the pump and the show of it all modern men has is filled with a spirit of self-confidence and Assurance he despises everybody who's lived before him he alone knows he's arrived blessed are the meek here are your contrasts blessed are they that to hunger and thirst after righteousness is the modern world hungering and thirsting after righteousness is the man who thinks that as long as he lives a fairly good and clean and decent and moral life and gives a bit of help to other people that he's a fine Christian and that if he goes to church once a year it's all right is he hungering and thirsting after righteousness blessed are the merciful blessed are the pure in heart blessed are the peacemakers blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake and so on well now there you see is the portrait of the Christian he's not just a nice and just a good and decent man a good fellow no no he's a man who's deeply spiritual in the way that is described so perfectly in those Beatitudes." [00:28:33]

"The next thing we are told is this that the law of God is absolute think not he says that I am come to destroy the law of the prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfill for verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled the modern world hates that it says we don't believe in the law we believe in Jesus we don't believe in that God of Si we believe in the love of God in Christ the god of Jesus but listen to what Jesus says the one whom God tells us to listen to the law given through Moses was the law of God and its absolute and it stands Heaven and Earth shall pass away but this will never pass away one J nor one title shall in no wise pass until all be fulfilled and remember the teaching is that the whole law matters but it's not enough to keep bits of the law if you break any one section of the law you've broken the whole law God demands the whole law to be kept and it's this Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and all thy strength and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself that's what he teaches not a little bit of goodness and kindness and compassion no no loving God with the whole of your being and living to his glory and to his praise." [00:30:15]

"And then he goes on to tell us the spiritual character of this law he says it isn't something external it's something in the heart internal it isn't enough that you haven't committed murder if you've hated and murdered a man in your heart in your imagination you've murdered him if Thou shalt say thou fool about a man you've murdered him same with adultery the Pharisees said we've never committed adultery wait a minute says Christ whosoever lookth upon a woman to lust hath already committed adultery with her in his heart God judges not by external appearance God judges the heart you says our Lord to the Pharisees later on are they that are highly esteemed amongst men but God seeth your heart for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God so he goes on to point out that the law is not a matter of observing certain decencies and externals it's the heart that matters and God wants the heart and the whole of it." [00:31:49]

"Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins now that of course was the message that was given through Moses when God gave that plan and that pattern to Moses on the mount he told him how to build that Tabernacle as I've told you on the various compartments and how he was to set up priests and there was to be a high priest and how they were to take certain animals put their hands on his head kill the animal take the blood do this and that with it burn the carcass and so on and so forth bulls and goats ashes of an heer Pascal lamb lamb offered day by day what's it all mean well God it was who told Moses to instruct the children of Israel to do all this why well here's the great message without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins what does that mean well you see it means this that God is a holy God and he has told us in so many places that he cannot abide sin he is the governor of the universe he's the great lawgiver and he has made it so plain that sin must be punished that sin will be punished." [00:41:30]

"But Christ being come and high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hens that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of gats and carves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us for if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot unto God Purge your conscience from dead Works to serve the Living God and he goes on arguing this great theme he says in a later chapter as he said in earlier chapters that it was impossible that the blood and the of bulls and of goats should have been adequate in this respect why well because they're only animals that was merely a figure that was merely pointing forward to something that was going to happen the blood of bulls and of goats are not sufficient but they have this great function they point forward to a blood that is going to be enough." [00:44:46]

"John the Baptist again said the first thing about it do you remember there he was with his followers and they thought the world of John this great teacher this remarkable men in the desert but John Suddenly as is talking there to his followers he suddenly sees the Lord Jesus Christ pass by and he turned to his followers and he said Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world the Lamb of God what's he mean ah he says this is the Fulfillment of all that was taught by Moses and the prophets we've been using Lambs but all they're only temporary they're not enough their blood isn't sufficient but here now is the Lamb of God himself God has provided his own lamb his own sacrifice so the author of The epistle to the Hebrews tells us that when he went into heaven he didn't offer the blood of bulls and of goats he offered his own blood he is God's sacrifice he is God's lamb without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins and God has shed the blood of his own Dear Son in order that you and I might be forgiven the blood of bulls and of goats is not enough yes but the HW writer tells us his blood can make the foulest clean his blood availed for me Sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains that's the message from the hill Calvary." [00:50:27]

"Would you know God would you have new life would you lose the fear of death in the grave would you make certain of your Eternal Bliss in heaven well listen my friend listen to the message of this mountain in particular this is perhaps the one that is neglected most of all what is the message of calvary the first answer is it is a message concerning the Holiness of God the Holiness of God now this men the author of The epistle to the Hebrews from whose book we are preaching tonight this man makes a great deal of this in many ways it is his central theme and of course it was essential that he should do so because there was great confusion at that point what's his message well it's this where without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." [00:55:25]

"Here he is now he's asked his disciples to meet with him on a mount called Olivet and there he speaks to them he gives them the great promise of the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit the baptism of power without which even these Apostles who've been with him for three years and who knew all his teaching and had seen his death and Resurrection could do nothing this power this baptism of the spirit that gives conviction and power to the word he he tells them about it and when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and the cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked steadfastly toward heav as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparo which also said listen he asked the message of the Mount of Olivet ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Jes which is taken up from you into heaven so shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven." [00:50:27]

"Here's a message and thank God for it in this modern evil arrogant world the world that's so proud of its Atomic power and of its own abilities and that it can control history the pride of the politicians who think that they rarely are going to make a final difference of course they're not here's the answer to it all this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as he have seen him go into heaven and this is as essential a part of the Gospel as all the others we come to the communion table from time to time what are we doing we are declaring the Lord's death till he come this is interim we're just waiting we're going on he's going to come the message of the Mount of olivate is proclaiming it he's gone he's taken his seat at the right hand of God he has all power in his hands he's waiting until his enemies shall be made his foot stol and then he will come the second time as the author of The epistle to the Hebrews puts it at the end of chapter 9 not for sin this time but for judgment." [00:55:25]

"What is this well this is the great statement with regard to the whole of the future the future of the world what's the future of the world is it going to be one of gradual Improvement is it one of increasing reform is it that men are going to be so educated and so nice and good and kind that they'll banish war and never fight again and the whole world is going to be increasingly perfect and we're all going to have a great time no work plenty of money great enjoyment everything perfect is that it oh the blindness of a human race that can believe in such Folly no no here's what he says evil men shall wax worse and worse there shall be wars and rumors of wars as it was in the days of Noah even so shall it be in the days of the son of men they were eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came or like the days of Sodom and gamorra same thing the Book of Revelation tells us that evil men shall indeed Works worse and worse in its amazing and extraordinary symbolism of extraordinary beasts you have pictures of great world powers arising military Powers governmental powers church Powers beasts with power and authority controlling the whole world killing people who haven't got their Mark of these beasts upon them on their hands are their foreheads Mighty power shaking the universe dominating civilization and apparently conquering and mastering even God and His Christ no no their power is but for a while God in his in scrutable wisdom permits it tolerates it but it's only for a while Sly when least expected he comes the one who ascended into heaven on the Mount of oliv it he comes riding the Clouds Of Heaven surrounded by the Holy Angels King of Kings Lord of lords riding upon his White Horse what is he coming for coming back into this world to complete what he began coming to judge the world in righteousness coming to destroy all his enemies and all the enemies of God coming to cast The Devil and all his followers whether they be Angelic Spirits or whether they be human beings to cast them into a lake of ption to cast them everlastingly and eternally out of his presence and out of the presence of God oh but he comes to set up his glorious Kingdom of Light and of knowledge and of love and of Truth the whole Cosmos shall be purged of all evil and every relic of sin and wrongdoing and the glory of God shall cover the Earth as the waters cover the Sea Christ shall be in glory and shall reign over all and hand the kingdom back to his father and God shall be all and in all." [00:55:25]

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Transcript
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