Who was Jesus talking about during the Sermon on the Mount?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I am a young preacher studying for the ministry and want to preach on the Sermon on the Mount to clear up confusion about the references to the poor. People seem to think that Jesus was talking about people in poverty, but I don’t think so. – S.M.
A: The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most well-known sermons given by Jesus, but the reference to the poor is often misquoted. In this great sermon, Jesus …
The Powerful, Life-Transforming Lessons Jesus Taught His Disciples! Hit The Road Team Jesus!
I have preached for years that one of the greatest failures of the American Church is as a whole is we are not carrying out THE GREAT COMMISSION and many Churches are baptizing very few folks. How is your Church doing on this? Converts? New Members? Street Ministry? I love to be out and about sharing JESUS! EVEN IN THE GROCERY STRORE! AND IN THE POST OFFICE! AND THE BANK!!! ON THE STREETS!! TRAVELING IN THE ‘JESUS CAR ALL OVER!!! JESUS! JESUS!! Get to work my friends! Don’t preach to the choir so much! Come on! Wear out those shoes!
I was listening to Dr. Charles Stanley yesterday on KKIM Radio in Albuquerque, he basically stated, if a Church is not carrying out THE GREAT COMMISSION its not cutting the mustard! For you young folk, that means its not doing the work JESUS commanded the Church to do. He said that if a Church is not growing its in trouble. For sure! Pastors and Church members have to challenge themselves to do better for JESUS!
I’m not political…I am a MAN OF JESUS!!! Wat too many Preachers are sucked up into the world of politics.
FROM CBN: Last year, a Pew Research Center poll found that self-proclaimed Christians make up 63 percent of the U.S. population—down from 75 percent just a decade ago. Most of this decline is among Protestants, and those who are keeping track note that religious “nones” are on the rise. A new generation of young adults—in every part of the country and every socio-economic demographic—have lower attachments to religion than their parents or grandparents. One pastor notes this data is marked by young people who grew up in the church and may have been entertained in church… but not discipled and then simply walked away.
FROM CHURCHLEADERS:
The Powerful, Life-Transforming Lessons Jesus Taught His Disciples
How can you become better at telling others about JESUS?
What does the body of Christ not understand about THE GREAT COMMISSION? IT IS A COMMAND, TO GO! GO!
‘My God Is an Awesome God’: Former Satanist Comes to Jesus
Can a nation be Great Without God By Jerry Stewart
Love this post from Pastor Don Kimbro!
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Matthew 9:37-38).
I have been a pastor for more than forty years. In the process I have started churches, led existing churches, mentored new believers and pastors, shared the gospel on the mission field, taught Arabs in Israel, worked for a well-known parachurch ministry to prisons and have started several new ministries, including one as a chaplain to auto racers. Zoom. Zoom.
But there’s one thing I have learned that stands out above everything else and that is that the ministry of the church is first and foremost to proclaim, teach, preach and share the gospel wherever we are and wherever we go to every person who will listen.
I don’t believe there are any exemptions to this calling. It is not the sole domain of the offices of the church, the apostles, prophets, evangelists or pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). It doesn’t make any difference whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, professional or blue collar, sophisticated or otherwise, a new believer or old salt, married or single, retired or just beginning your career. If you are a true believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s calling on your life is to spread the good news about what Jesus did for you through his death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11).
These final instructions were on the heart of our Savior as he met with his disciples during the forty days he was on the earth between his resurrection and ascension into heaven. His mandate to them was what we call the Great Commission or evangelism, which is winning the lost by preaching the gospel. The specific directions consisted of five different statements Jesus made in this regard and which he commanded his disciples to inaugurate after his departure. And they did. Aren’t we glad!
Here are those five statements Jesus gave to his followers, first in Jerusalem, then in Galilee and finally at the Mount of Olives. I call them the Message, the Model, the Magnitude, the Method and the Means.*
The Message
And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things. — Luke 24:46-48
Notice the emphasis on repentance and forgiveness of sins and proclaiming that message to all nations.
The Model
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” — John 20:21-23
Notice the emphasis on sending out the disciples and receiving the Holy Spirit and to teach God’s forgiveness and judgment.
The Magnitude
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
— Mark 16:15-18
Notice the emphasis on going into all the world and preaching to everyone and the signs that would follow those who believed.
The Method
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. — Matthew 28:18-20
Notice the emphasis on going to all nations, baptizing and making disciples by teaching them his commandments.
The Means
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. — Acts 1:8-9
Notice the emphasis on receiving the power of the Holy Spirit to witness and then going to the end of the earth to do it.
Every true believer and every church that exists is commissioned to follow in the footsteps of these first disciples. We have been given our instructions. How are we doing? Maranatha!
*Dr. Marvin J. Newell, Commissioned, pp. 23-25.
To help us walk closer with God and to know Him better.