Bottom Line

Jesus invites us to go from being fans to becoming followers.

Four ways the Sermon on the Mount has been misunderstood and misapplied:

1. The Sermon on the Mount is for the Spiritual Elite
2. The Sermon on the Mount is for our Private Life
3. The Sermon on the Mount is for God’s Future Kingdom
4. The Sermon on the Mount shows us how badly we need Jesus

"Jesus asks nothing of us without giving us the strength to perform it."
‍— Dittrich Bonhoeffer

The Sermon on the Mount describes the way of life for followers of Jesus.

"The Sermon on the Mount is a description of the way of life of a people who are centered on Jesus."
— Stanley Hauerwas

The Sermon on the Mount invites us to become disciples of Jesus.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Matthew 4:23-25

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
Matthew 5:1

"Crowds are typically not overly concerned with obeying Jesus, but a disciple’s life is one of continual obedience. Crowds tend to follow Jesus when it is convenient, but disciples follow Jesus even when it is difficult."
— JRC Cousland

Jesus invites us to go from being a fan to becoming a follower.

We are all already being discipled by someone or something.

Action Steps

Prayer: Create some space to prayerfully reflect on the following:

• Are you a fan or a follower?
• Do you want to become a follower of Jesus?
• Who else and what else is shaping you as a person?
• Are there any areas in your life that you need to surrender to Jesus?
  

Practice: Read The Sermon on the Mount this week (Matthew 5-7)