In a continuation of the series on the Sermon on the Mount Pastor Doug explains how the Pharisees and scribes had twisted the law into an uncaring instrument for showing one's outward "righteousness" far from the guide for interacting with those around us in a caring manner it was meant to be. We still do the same thing today and just like the Pharisees of old we have missed the boat! 

We are on our fourth part of a walk through the Sermon On The Mount! In the Beatitudes, at the beginning of this series... Jesus spoke to a culture (very much like ours) that built their holiness and merit before God on their works in the Law...Jesus opened His sermon by making it clear the exact opposite was true...He told them (and us), the only starting place with God is to realize that we CAN DO NOTHING... That we are hopelessly sinful...  And there is no good in us! And that all we can do... ALL HE WANTS us to do...Is desperately, humbly seek HIM with all our hearts...

Before the break after surgery, we spent two weeks looking at the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This first public sermon that Jesus preached was one of the most important sermons in all of Scriptures to Christians. It was not designed to address unbelievers. It was Jesus Christ, the Author of all of Scriptures, beginning His earthly ministry by correcting the terrible damage which the Pharisees and Scribes had caused in their interpretation of these Scriptures.

On Wednesday night our lesson was about the fact that God not only calls us to be His saved, Blood bought servants...But also... As hard as it is to comprehend... His friends!
 John 15:13-15

In this message Brother Jon uses the example of Paul (recently Saul) being lowered out of the city in a basket to show what we are supposed to be to the Brothers and Sisters in Christ around us.
Note: Due to technical difficulties the audio quality is poor. Apologies.

Last week we began a two-part series concerning just one section of Jesus' first public discourse, after officially beginning His public ministry—we began studying the Beatitudes. Which is one of the best known, but least understood and least pursued discourses Jesus ever spoke. The Beatitudes were spoken primarily to His disciples, but with hundreds joining in as He taught. Therefore, this teaching was purposefully directed towards those who have already made the decision to follow Christ with their lives.

In this message Pastor Doug continues going over the beatitudes further showing how they build on each other and how the serve as a foundation to every Christians walk.

For the next couple of weeks we are going to have a very brief look at a well known, but rarely understood moment of Jesus' Ministry...The Sermon on the Mount... Specifically, the Beatitudes!
 
Many people see the Sermon on the Mount...As either so confusing or so impossible to follow spiritually...That they pass it by without serious consideration! One Professor gave the Sermon on the Mount to his freshman class as an assignment, without revealing the origin of the writing... (Texas A&M)The resulting feedback from the papers was an overwhelming combination of anger, rejection and, "that was for another era of time" mentality...As an example, one paper disgustingly wrote:"...That is the most extreme, stupid, un-human statement that I have ever heard."  (1)Even those who recognized the writings as Biblical were very critical and clueless of their origin and intent:
 
“Many believe that this sermon should be taken literally. I believe, on the other hand, that, because the scriptures have been interpreted from so many different languages, we should use them as a guide—not law. Another fallback is that certain beatitudes are irrelevant to current life-styles. Loving your enemies, for instance, is obviously not observed by the majority today.”  (1)