Disciples Who Make a Difference

Sermon on the Mount Introduction
“Probably the greatest tragedy of the church throughout its long and chequered history has been its constant tendency to conform to the prevailing culture instead of developing a Christian counter-culture.” (John Stott, 1978)

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: (Matthew 5:1-2, ESV)

The Disciple’s Character

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12, ESV)

• A Disciple of Jesus acknowledges his spiritual .
• A Disciple of Jesus grieves over .
• A Disciple of Jesus is and .
• A Disciple of Jesus yearns for .
• A Disciple of Jesus extends .
• A Disciple of Jesus acts with pure and intentions.
• A Disciple of Jesus lives with and promotes .
• A Disciple of Jesus persecution.

In other words, a disciple of Jesus is free from:

• Pride (Blessed are the poor in spirit…)
• Spiritual (Blessed are those who mourn…)
• Overly aggressive or behaviors (Blessed are the meek…)
• The love and power of (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…)
• Revenge (Blessed are the merciful…)
• Selfish (Blessed are the pure in heart…)
• Causing strife (Blessed are the peacemakers…)
• The fear of (Blessed are those who are persecuted…)

The Disciple’s Influence

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

• The character of your will draw others to Christ.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, ESV)

• The intentionality of your will draw others to Christ.