The Mountaintop Experience: Transfiguration of Jesus

What is the ultimate authority in your life? Who do you check with before you make an important decision? Maybe you call dad or call mom, or send a message to a close friend?

Most people simply make decisions based on what they think is best. They do whatever they believe is right in their own eyes. Maybe that’s what you tend to default to, even though you profess to be a follower of Jesus.

You basically just check with yourself. And to God you kinda look like a grown adult wearing a burger king crown. You should know by now, because you aren’t a kid anymore, that you aren’t the king. But there you are still wearing that burger king crown and playing king of yourself.

That is not a pleasing way to God for you to live your life. Jesus must be the ultimate authority in your life.

Don’t get me wrong, God is not a dictator who wants to force you to do exactly what he says at all times. He gives us life to choose, create, and enjoy. But God knows what's best for you. His will is perfect.

We can choose our own ways, but, if we simply allow God to lead our lives, things will go just as they should.

That’s trust, that’s faith, to walk in the way God requires of us, even when we don’t fully understand His ways.

A temptation may appear in our lives, and we are faced with a decision, as our flesh begins to say, “I want that” what will we do? The Spirit within us will pull us back internally and say: "That isn’t who you are."

And we choose trust, or we choose evil. You are free to make your choice, but you are not free from the consequence your choice will bring.

A famous Christian writer Oswald Chambers said that the answer to temptation is to “go higher.”

In Revelation 4:1 we see the Lord saying to John, “Come up here and I will show you what comes next.”

There was a door standing open in heaven. And John went up, and through it.

What door has God placed open before you in your life? And how can you “go up” and through it, to the next level of your faith journey?

That is going to be the theme of our message for today.

There have been numerous times that God has opened a door in front of me and asked me to walk through it. But every time it required me to “go up” and climb higher to get through the door.

Today, we see three disciples of Jesus going up with Jesus.

Let’s dive into our scripture for today, from Matthew 17:1: "Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone."

Jesus takes his three closest disciples up a high mountain. They begin the climb together. Higher and higher together. Winds blowing. Bright sun shining down. Birds and goats and animals calling out around them. Beautiful, mysterious, brilliant, exciting. They climb the mountain together, three men together with their dearest friend and Lord.

Six days before this moment was a very important day. This was the day that Peter for the first time recognized Jesus as the messiah. Peter was the first of anyone to realize Jesus was the true savior. Peter had taken a huge step in his faith, when he made this declaration.

Jesus also on this day told the disciples for the first time that he was going to be put to death, and rise from the dead three days later. And immediately Peter rebuked Jesus, and told Jesus that this would never happen to him. And Jesus replied to Peter, “Get behind me Satan!”

Often we come to the mount top experience only after faithful service leading to revelation. Peter has gone everywhere with Jesus, learned so much, and has now realized the true identity of Jesus. Yet almost immediately after, Peter makes a serious mistake by rebuking Jesus.

He went from one moment of being inspired by God to declare Jesus is the true messiah, to in another few moments being used by the devil so thoroughly that Jesus calls him Satan.

It’s a good reminder that one moment we can be used by God, but if we aren’t careful the next moment we can be used by the enemy.

When I’ve understood something powerful about God, something new that God revealed to me, it is sometimes followed by a demonstration of this reality.

If I learn that God is pure love, often God will demonstrate this reality to me through a love moment. Faith came first, then the evidence came after. The reality Peter understood 6 days earlier is about to be demonstrated to him.

Verse 2, “As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”

Jesus is the messiah. Jesus is really more than just man. More than just a good teacher. More than a simple carpenter. More than someone who spoke on behalf of God. Jesus is the living Son of God.

He shines brighter than a thousand suns. White as light. Other translations say he glowed as white as snow.

Jesus is the authority we need. One day we will see Jesus like this, bright as light, shining like the sun, seated, with every person bowing before him. But right now we live by faith. We trust that Jesus is the authority. We know deep down it’s true.

But we’re tempted to make compromises because we don’t actually see Jesus face to face. Trust Jesus. Submit under the authority of Jesus, completely. Let sin die in your life. Take sin seriously. Fear God. Submit to God. Jesus is real.

I don’t want to appear before Jesus someday and say, if only I had listened, if only I’d taken it more seriously. Don’t let that be you. Take it seriously today. Make a change. Go all in for Jesus. He is the real authority.

Submit to Jesus. What does that mean? From the 1828 Webster's Dictionary: “To yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another” Surrender to the authority of Jesus in your life. Stop trying to run your own life. You aren’t qualified. Surrender to Jesus’ authority. Another quote from the Webster's dictionary: “To surrender; to yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance.” Give up your resistance to Jesus’ authority. Yield completely, surrender completely. He’s worthy. He’s God. He’s your boss. End the rebellion. Let it end today. Praise God!

Next, verse 3: “Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.”

Moses and Elijah, the ultimate authorities of the Old Testament, Elijah the greatest of the prophets, Moses the greatest of the judges. What does this mean? The greatest heroes of the Bible, appearing with Jesus, speaking to Him. Do you know what it means? Jesus is the messiah, the anointed savior of all mankind.

Verse 4: "Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

So you’ve sensed God calling you to a higher level in your faith walk. You’ve submitted to his authority. Jesus stands at the door, and invites you forward. At first you’re nervous, you resist, you don’t want to go higher, you don’t want to walk through that door.

Any change in our lives with God is scary at first. It’s different. It’s new. But we’ve got to see this Christian life as a journey, where we are climbing higher and higher, getting closer and closer, more and more intimate with God. And yes that goes against our flesh, so we want to resist every step of the way.

Ignore the flesh. Embrace the Spirit. Climb up higher. Walk through the doorway. And you come to the revelation, like Peter, who declared, "Jesus is the messiah!" And after the revelation, came the demonstration, Jesus is shining bright before Peter, and Peter is amazed. He cries out, “It is wonderful for us to be here!”

It is so wonderful brothers and sisters when we walk through that doorway, into all God has for us. It is wonderful when we dare to climb the mountain and get alone with God. It is wonderful when we come to the other side of the challenge and find we’ve become stronger than we could’ve imagined.

Peter wants to setup memorial stones, an altar at this place, but the memorial will live forever in his heart. It is the same with you. You will always remember the moments when God spoke into your life, you’ll always remember the moments when God revealed himself in a new way. They become memorials in your heart, if, that is, if you treasure them, and choose to remember them.

Treasure them. Write them down in your journal. Take them with you on your journey. Tell them to your children, and your grandchildren. Tell your family and friends the great moments and what God did for you. They become your testimony, and how God broke into your life with great glory. Those are the memorial stones, not an altar, but a testimony of what He did.

Sometimes my wife and I will think about who we are today, and then what we were like a year ago, or three years ago, and we’re just shocked by how much work God has done in us in such a short time.

Maybe you’re sitting there and thinking, I feel stuck. I feel like I can’t reach up to these higher levels. I see the doorway, I’ve seen it for so long, but I don’t feel motivated enough to get there. I feel stuck. Stagnant. Dry. Unmotivated. If that’s you, I understand, I’ve been there. Come to the altar, and pray. Ask God to help get you unstuck. If you’re there, start praying, ask God to help you pray. Prayer is the answer, pray and pray, more and more, begin to seek diligently. Ask God to help you do this, and you will succeed. Point the light at the problem directly. Cry out to God: “Lord I feel so stuck, have mercy on me! Set me free from this dryness! In Jesus name, amen.” God will answer.

“Come up here and I will show you” Revelation 4:1

Next, the ultimate revelation, verse 5, “But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

God our Heavenly Father actually speaks. Much like the cloud settled on Mt Sinai when Moses was on the mountain. It settled on the mountain, this great cloud of glory, for six days. And on that sixth day God spoke from the cloud.

The Father in Heaven puts his full stamp of approval on Jesus, “This is my Son, who brings me joy, listen to Him.”

Imagine seeing this moment! What a glorious day! But remember, the faith came first, then came the demonstration.

It’s similar for you, when God brings you to a new doorway, you can’t see everything you’ll become in Christ if you walk through. But, you have faith that God will do something amazing. And by faith you climb up the mountain, and walk through the doorway on the mountain. And through that doorway, you find the incredible breakthrough you had always dreamed of.

I’ll give you an example: I had to face something that happened when I was 17, something that had caused damage to my emotions, damage to my ability to love. I had to go back and face what happened, and ask Jesus’ help to learn to allow love in again. And Jesus lead me through that doorway, and into a new level of freedom.

God speaks and the disciples are amazed. But more than amazed, they are scared.

It says verse 6, “The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.”

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. An appropriate response to the voice of God speaking is fear. I’ll tell you this friends, I fear God. I love Him just as much. But I also fear God. I know he has power to send me to hell, or to heaven. I know that my actions as a Christian matter. I know that if I live in sin I will not inherit eternal life, let no one deceive you. Fear God, keep His commands. Know that our God is a consuming fire. Don’t get me wrong, He loves you, but he shows no partiality. He will judge the wicked. And if that includes you, then he won’t bat an eye at sending you there too. God is merciful and severe in His judgments.

Verse 7, “Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”

As soon as they fear the Lord, they are reminded to not be afraid. We should fear God, but we shouldn’t live in fear. Fear comes at the appropriate moment, and then it passes, and the love and joy of God takes over. Don’t live in constant fear. The fear of the Lord will guard you at moments when you are tempted or in the flesh, but don’t live there. Let the fear pass away as quickly as it came, and allow the love and joy to overcome you once again. Because God’s love is so strong that God is love itself. 

Fear of God is a tool for dangerous situations, but the joy of the Lord is for every day, and that’s why the word says everyday, “This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it” -Psalm 118:24

Jesus touches the disciples to strengthen them, after being overwhelmed by the power of God’s voice. And he comforts them, don’t be afraid. Let Jesus remind you of that today, “don’t be afraid.”

Next, verse 8, “And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.”

Just as quickly as this incredible moment of the demonstration of Jesus’ deity has changed the lives of Peter, James, and John forever, just like that, it ends. And Jesus is there with them, just as he was before, and the adventure continues.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “If God has revealed to you a new truth, you know it is because of growth in your character. Keep trusting and obeying him. Whenever he gives you a truth, apply it instantly to your life. Always work it out in your personal practices; always keep yourself in its light.” -My Utmost for His Highest

Take what God showed you, and apply it to your life. Maybe you’re thinking, I don’t experience mountain top experiences with God. But I think you do.

God said something to you in a church service that shocked and amazed you. You left different than when you came. In worship God whispered a word to you about his love and it brought you to tears. You saw a moment in your life where God supernaturally spared your life. You saw a moment where God used you in a beautiful way to help someone else. These are the experiences that change us forever. Take what God showed you, and keep using it.

Lastly, verse 9, “9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man[b] has been raised from the dead.”

Notice that timing is important for what Peter has experienced. Jesus tells the three disciples not to tell the others until after he is raised from the dead. Not everyone will be ready to hear what God has shown you. Use wisdom and ask God if it’s the right time to tell your friends and family about the revelation God has shown you.

Understand also that you can’t stay in the high of the glorious moment forever. You must continue walking with Jesus, in the plainness of everyday life. But always know that new mountain top experiences will come as you follow Jesus. So be excited about that.

Don’t tell anyone until I’ve been raised from the dead, Jesus tells them. Jesus gives them a hint of what’s coming in the future, that he will die, but also, that he will rise from the dead.

In conclusion, remember, the journey continues, the mount top experience that you had, when you decided to “go up” and walk through that open door Jesus showed to you is a glorious victory. Well done. But, the road continues, and a new doorway will appear at some point in the future. Jesus tells them, another door is coming for you all, where you will have to walk through my death, a difficult door, for certain, but on the other side, they will find Jesus is alive once again.

Again, the same scenario, the revelation comes first, Jesus will be raised from the dead, now it takes faith for them to walk to that moment, so much faith, as they saw Jesus’ body go into the tomb. He was dead. Yet the words of Jesus remind them, "I will rise from the dead." So the choice came, will I believe it, or will I refuse to believe it? It sounds crazy. Yet he said it. And every word Jesus says is true. So they walked through that door of faith, Jesus will rise, and the demonstration came, Jesus appeared to them, alive and well. And they rejoiced.

What about your life? Will you trust? Will you have faith for what he’s shown you? Will you trust His word? Faith comes first, then, after you’ve believed and walked through the doorway, you’ll find the results, victory, breakthrough, hope, renewal, a demonstration resulting from the victory of your faith.

Main Points Review: 

1. Who is the real authority in your life? Is it you or Jesus?

2. The key to victory over your flesh is to “go up” with the Lord

3. Faithfully walking with God leads to revelations from God

4.After we’ve believed, demonstration of the revelation comes

5. Jesus is the true authority we need in our lives, submit to Him

6. The Mountain Top Experience with God is wonderful

7. Treasure the experience, remember it and share it with your family and friends

8. If you feel trapped in dryness, ask God to help you escape the place where you are stuck

9. The fear of God is clean and helpful in our battle against sin

10. Don’t stay trapped in fear, return after the moment of fear to the spacious love of God

11. Take what you learned in the mountain top experience and apply it to your life

12. Watch for the next faith revelation, this is a journey, God will continue to speak new things

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

What is the greatest message ever given? The greatest sermon ever preached? Today I’m going to give to you the greatest sermon ever written. How do I know it’s the greatest sermon ever written? It’s because I didn’t write it.

It’s the sermon Jesus gave on the mount of olives during his ministry on Earth. It is a challenging message, encouraging and convicting and beautiful and challenging.

Many have struggled to interpret this sermon correctly. I’ve heard many times that this sermon isn’t about obeying what Jesus said, all the sermon is doing is just pointing us to the fact that we can’t obey God and we have to accept Jesus as our perfect sacrifice.

That is partially true, but also false.

If we say that the message is just meant to convict us of sin and point us to the sacrifice of Jesus, we’re missing the fact that Jesus gave commands here that we can and should follow.

But it is true that we can’t follow any of these teachings without Jesus. But, with Jesus in our heart, as our Lord and savior, and with the Holy Spirit within us, helping us, guiding us, and convicting us, we can and should hear, learn and apply to our lives every word Jesus shares in the sermon on the mount.

During this message I will offer very brief comments, mainly to indicate main points we can pull from it.

So without further ado here is the greatest message ever given:

The Beatitudes

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

This opening section is often referred to as the beatitudes. It’s a perfect sermon opening. What kind of attitudes of the heart does God bless? Humility, mercy, working for peace, pure, and so on. Point number one, where is your heart? In God’s kingdom it’s all about the heart.

Teaching about Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Second point, serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God. We may be tempted to hide our message, but putting it under a basket. We may be afraid, or nervous to share the word, but we must shine the truth out for all to see.

Teaching about the Law

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Third point, don’t ignore any of the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom.

Teaching about Anger

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’[c] 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone,[d] you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,[e] you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,[f] you are in danger of the fires of hell.[g]

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice[h] at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Fourth point, Jesus teaches about anger. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them.

Teaching about Adultery

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[l]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Teaching about Divorce

31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’[m] 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Fifth point, Jesus teaches about sexual conduct. We’re told to take radical action if we are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful. We also get a teaching about marriage, that divorce is considered very serious and should be avoided.

Teaching about Vows

33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’[n] 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Teaching about Revenge

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[o] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[p] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

Teaching about Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Point number six, love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you. We often think this seems too difficult or unrealistic. But Jesus says, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Teaching about Giving to the Needy

6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point seven, Jesus had said earlier to shine your light so others will give glory to God, yet Jesus also warns us not to do good deeds to be admired by others, instead, give your gifts with a humble heart, and God will reward you. It's important that we avoid pride, by making sure our chief desire is to please God, not be seen and applauded by people. 

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[t]
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[u]
but rescue us from the evil one.[v]

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[w] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point number 8, instructions on prayer, pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you, and pray in the format of the our father, a deeply personal and relational way to pray.

Teaching about Money and Possessions

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[x] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Point number 9, you can’t serve God and money. Let God be first, then you won’t have to fear, there will be no anxiety, because you trust God to care for you and not your own money/ability. Many of us in the wealthy western world pretend to rely on God but we're really relying on our money. Repent of this attitude, and put all your trust in God. Money is a tool, not a wall of protection. 

Do Not Judge Others

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[y] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[z]

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[aa] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[ab] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[ac] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Point number 10, don’t judge others. Stop looking at the conduct of others and look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you. If you've become judgmental in your walk with God, it's time to ask God's forgiveness. And ask God to renew a "right spirit within you."

Effective Prayer

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

The Golden Rule

12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[ad] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Point number 11, be doggedly persistent in your walk with God. Keep praying, don’t give up, pray for years if necessary. Do to others what you would have them do to you, and be focused in your walk with God, because narrow is the way that leads to life.

The Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

True Disciples

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Building on a Solid Foundation

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Point number twelve, what will really matter in the end is not the things you claimed to believe, but how you actually lived them out. Did you apply the teachings of Jesus in your life? By our fruits people will know us. We’ll know false teachers by their fruit, and true teachers by their fruit. If we claim to follow Jesus but break God’s commands, we won’t be welcomed into heaven on judgment day. But, if we put into practice Jesus’ teachings, we will endure, like a house built on a firm foundation.

Main Points Drawn from the Message:
1. It’s about the heart, blessed are you if you are humble, merciful & pure in spirit

2. Serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God

3. Don’t ignore the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom

4. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them

5. Take radical action if you are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful

6. Love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you.

7. Don’t do good deeds to be admired, serve others humbly and God will reward you

8. Pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you

9. You can’t serve God and money. Put God be first, then you won’t have to be anxious

10. Don’t judge others. Look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you

11. Be persistent in your faith. Keep praying, don’t give up, walk the narrow road to life

12. Be wise and apply the teachings of Jesus to your life, then you will be like a house built on a firm foundation

How to make an Approach to God

Before I had faith in God, I went through a series of changes over years that brought me slowly closer and closer to knowing God. So if you're someone today who doesn't know God, but you honestly wish that you did, you may be wondering, how can I make an approach to God?  Here's how...

First thing you'll notice is, you start to feel a sense of longing. You will sense an urge for something more that you can't explain. 

The word of God says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." –Matthew 5:6 

You will long for something pure, something good, something beyond this life’s messiness.

Suffering hones this search- problems in your life, as hard as they are, actually will draw you toward the bigger important questions of life. So embrace difficulties as something that will actually help your search for God. 

If you sense a draw from God, act on it, move toward what God is saying to you. It may be a slow unveiling of who he is. Make the choice to interact in the search for God. 

Ask people of faith that you know to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, surround yourself with people praying for your spiritual journey.

Get access to a Bible and then keep it in your bedroom, and instead of playing on your phone, read a chapter from the Bible each night. You may not understand it, but keep studying it. For years I read the Bible from time to time, but it didn't make sense to me. 

When you're ready, begin to ask God this simple question: Lord Jesus, if you’re really real, please show yourself to me in a way I can understand. Make this your daily prayer.

Watch for nudges from God – it’s something you’ll notice, something that speaks to your heart, it could be a conversation with a friend, it could be something beautiful in nature, it could be a sign on a billboard. Be open to what God is showing you. 

All of this is having a spiritual experience – and here’s the thing, as soon as you decide to have it, it will start happening. 

It's a decision you make in your own heart and mind, that you are open to an experience with God. Immediately upon making that decision the experience will commence. 

As you engage in the experience and watch for it, you'll be amazed that you begin to have moments in your life where God interacts with you. 

All of this will lead you toward God’s son Jesus, and what Jesus did for you. Slowly but surely you’ll notice what Jesus did on the cross. What happened there will begin to matter to you. And as you do, slowly your heart will realize, "I need Jesus."

You’ll sense an ache in your heart, a loneliness, a sense of disconnection, a guilt over the sins you’ve committed, a sorrow of being distant from God, and as you do, slowly but surely, it’ll connect, the reason for that sorrow and disconnection, is because "I need Jesus."

Then, last thing, it’ll connect in your heart and head, if I need Jesus, then I need to call out to Jesus, who will hear my cry and answer me. This is a form of prayer, to call out on the name of Jesus.

God will bring you to a moment when you are sufficiently emotionally and spiritually moved, to call out to Jesus, and you’ll need to do this verbally, with your mouth.

The word of God says it, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9-10

When you call on Jesus, you’re believing that he can help you, you’re believing he’s God, you're believing he will forgive your sins, and you’re believing that he’s alive right now. That’s sufficient to receive Him. Then you’ll be born again. And suddenly you'll become connected to God through Jesus. But remember, this is not the end of the journey. It is the end of one journey, but the beginning of another. 

The Crucifixion of Jesus: What It Means

In 1947, a young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers decided to recognize his lifelong dream to work with the Voice of the Andes ministry in Ecuador.

The day of departure, he arrived at the Miami airport and realized he’d forgotten to buy a card to send to his mother. There was no time to select and purchase one before he had to rush onto his flight. Spotting a piece of paper on the terminal floor, he scooped it up.

The paper was part of an advertisement with ‘Why?’ featured prominently.

Glenn scribbled his note around the single word then stuffed it in an envelope and dropped it in a post box. Minutes later, he boarded a DC-4 bound for Ecuador’s capital, Quito.

The giant prop plane rumbled through the growing gloom as night fell and clouds began to thicken over Colombia’s humid jungles. The pilot squinted as a sudden darkness filled his view, then the plane smashed into the side of the 14,000 foot peak El Tablazo with a deafening scream of warping metal.

Everyone aboard died instantly.

Glenn’s mother received his note some days later, emblazoned with the haunting question, “Why?” -Rachel Chimmit

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there evil in the world? We often wonder why. And for all those why questions, why this, why that, we need to go back to the ultimate why question.

The question that causes us to either understand or misunderstand our Christian faith: Why did Jesus have to die?

The Lord laid it on my heart for us to go to the cross, and examine exactly what took place. And then to ask the question: Why? Why did this need to happen this way for us to saved?

We’re going to Matthew chapter 27. At this moment Jesus has been ministering, healing, and shaking things up for three years. He spread the word and healed in numerous towns, but now he’s in the capital city of Israel, Jerusalem. The religious leaders have plotted and schemed against Jesus. And one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas, has secretly met with the Jewish leaders to plot to turn Jesus over to them.

Jesus knew ahead of time that all this would happen. He knew it was meant to happen. In God’s word, in books like Isaiah and Psalms, the persecution and death of Jesus was predicted.

Jesus told his disciples ahead of time: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” -Luke 9:22

The first important truth you must remember today is that God planned for Jesus to be crucified before the creation of the Earth, to become a ransom offering for our sins.

If you read the crucifixion of Jesus as a sad thing happening to a nice man you’ve completely missed the purpose for why Jesus died.

After being betrayed by Judas, Jesus was taken before the high priest, questioned, then taken before the romans, and questioned again. He was sentenced to death for the charge of claiming to be the king of the Jews. Pontius Pilate the roman governor ordered Jesus flogged, and then turned over to be crucified.

So let’s jump into the scripture, starting with verses 27-31:

"Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”

It says Jesus was brought in front of a whole company of soldiers. That’s not the best translation, the word there is actually "cohort." A cohort was part of a roman military unit, and it would typically have 480 soldiers attached to it.

So Jesus was being publicly mocked in front of hundreds of soldiers, who were all laughing at him. I’ve experienced a few times in my life when I was publicly mocked by a group of people, and it was very painful and ugly.

But notice what the soldiers are doing. Jesus really is the king of the Earth. He really should be worshiped by every human being on the planet. Yet the opposite happens. They mock his kingship. They put a robe on him to mock him, a staff in his hand, and a crown of thorns onto his head.

They grabbed the staff and struck him with it. They spat on him. They pretended to worship him.

This is a nightmare beyond imagining, for someone to experience something like this is brutal. But Jesus was willing to experience this for us.

Jesus is forced to carry a wooden cross to the place where they are going to execute him.

Next, verses 32-34: "As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.”

I think it’s fascinating that Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus’ cross for him. It’s believed Simon was an African man, since Cyrene was located in Libya, in north Africa.

I believe that Simon of Cyrene should’ve been Simon Peter. If Simon Peter had stayed awake and prayed, he would’ve not fallen into temptation, and been filled with fear and fled from the persecution of Jesus.

I imagine if Peter had been there through the crucifixion, he would’ve been the one who would’ve ran over and helped Jesus carry his cross. I can’t prove that, I have no scripture to back that up, it’s just a theory that I have.

But it’s an interesting reminder I think, don’t let the enemy stop you from being where you’re supposed to be, in the will of God. Now Jesus forgave Peter later, even though Peter abandoned Jesus during his sufferings. But, imagine if Peter had been there to the very end.

Next, they brought Jesus to the hill of Golgotha, and drove rusty metal spikes into his hands and feet. He was hoisted up on this piece of wood, and it was dropped into a hole in the ground. The trauma would've been intense as the base of the cross landed in the hole and jostled the wounds in Jesus' body. 

Next, verses 35-37: "When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.”

Crucifixion was invented by the Persian empire, and later practiced extensively by the roman empire, until later in the 4th century AD it was outlawed as a form of execution by Constantine. Crucifixion was so severe that it was actually unacceptable for a roman citizen to be crucified, if they were executed it was done by decapitation, not by crucifixion.

Verse 35 tells us that they divided up his clothes and cast lots. That was predicted in the Old Testament as well.

Notice also the crime he committed was nailed to the cross on a plank of wood above his head. Interesting that the "crime" that he committed, that he was the king of the jews is actually true. Jesus is the king of all Jews, indeed he’s, the king of all peoples everywhere.

So at this point Jesus is now on the cross. He’s been flogged. He’s been humiliated. They’ve robbed Jesus of his dignity. They’ve forced a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus has been beaten and spat on. He is bleeding profusely. Yet he is still alive.

Next, verses 38-44:38 "Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

Next to Jesus on the left and right are two men who are being crucified with him on that day. In Luke’s gospel we get the dialogue between the two men, one of which begs Jesus to help them escape, the other of which admits his own wrongdoings and asks Jesus to remember him in paradise. Jesus responds by saying that he will be with him in paradise on that day.

Also in this moment we see the final temptation of the devil against Christ. I believe Satan inspired the people walking by, including the religious leaders to tempt Jesus to come down from the cross.

“Come down from the cross” is the last temptation of Christ. It’s spiritual warfare, Satan trying to tempt the all powerful son of God to use his power to escape his own death. How tempting that would be, when you are going through such incredible horrible suffering. We can’t even imagine the kind of pain Jesus was in, and yet, he refused to leave the cross.

The son of God refused to leave the cross, what about you? Can you endure the struggles you’re going through without giving up your faith. The enemy may whisper to you, and try to convince you that if you just give up this Jesus thing, life will be easier. Don’t listen to those lies. Even in the struggle, stand firm in Jesus. He’s suffered much worse than you have. He knows what it means to suffer.

Next, verses 45-50: "From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.”

Suddenly at noon, the brightest moments of the day, it goes completely dark. And it’s dark for three hours. Can you imagine this? You're out there watching Jesus getting crucified. Many are celebrating this moment, and yet, suddenly at noon it goes dark in the sky, for three hours.

Might you stop and think to yourself, maybe we’ve made a serious mistake. Something is not right here.

For three hours it’s dark as night. Something evil and horrible is happening.

Gospel means good news. How is this good news? It’s horrible beyond imagining what happened to Jesus that day. Yet the symbol we Christians use, the emblem we wear around our necks is in the shape of a cross. 

Jesus cries out to the heavenly father, and says, “Why have you forsaken me?” In that moment I believe the presence of God departed from Jesus, and he was left utterly alone on the cross, so that he could die for our sins.

He was completely alone in those moments. The Old Testament law says cursed is anyone who is nailed to a tree, Jesus became cursed for us in those moments.

His blood was poured out, dripping from the wounds on his head, his back, his hands and his feet. His body was broken. He was humiliated and shamed in front of hundreds. People walking by shook their heads. He became cursed.

At 3pm, after the three hours of darkness, Jesus screamed out in utter horror and suffering one last time, a brutal cry, and then he died.

How is this good news for you and for me?

Sin are the things in our lives that separate us from God. Sin are those times when we’ve hurt someone we love, made our children feel inferior and alone, made our wife/husband feel empty and disappointed, sin is when we’ve taken something that wasn’t ours, used a substance that did damage to our own body, used someone for our own pleasure, all of these things separate us from God.

In God’s universe, meaning the one you live in, sin is serious, so serious it warrants the death penalty from God.

In the old Testament if you sinned, you had to bring a sacrifice to the temple, a sheep or a dove, and it would be slaughtered, it’s blood would be poured out, and that sacrifice would cover over the sin you had committed.

The sins we commit can only be washed away with blood. But the blood of animals was never enough to cover our sins.

All of that was pointing to the future, when Jesus would come into the world, for the purpose of going to the cross, to be crucified, to have his blood poured out as an offering to take away our sins.

That’s why this brutal crucifixion event of Jesus that is so ugly and horrifying and dark, became life and salvation to us.

You can’t understand how wonderful the bloody death of Jesus was until you understand just how offensive your sins are to God. One of the worst things we can do is pretend that we don’t have them. God’s law makes it very clear that we’ve all sinned. We’re lying if we say we haven’t sinned. We all know what it sin is deep down and we all know we’re guilty of it. We can say things like "hey it’s in the past" but that isn't how God sees it.

God will deal with our sins, and it will either be that Jesus died for our sins, and reconnected us to God, or our sins remain on us, and on judgment day God will turn us over to outer darkness, a place set aside for sinners, away from the light of God’s presence.

We can pretend like we have no sins. But we all know we do. We can hide from God. But in the end, we all have our meeting with God face to face.

Get your sins under the blood of Jesus. Only His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient to pay off your debt. We all know that deep down. It’s hard to admit, I get it. But if you can admit it, and ask for forgiveness, Jesus will forgive you.

Let’s see what happened immediately after Jesus died:

"51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

The temple in the times of Jesus had three courts, and in the third court there was a curtain that blocked access to the most holy place. When Jesus died, that curtain was ripped in half. 

It says an earthquake occurred. Old Testament heroes rose from their graves and appeared to people throughout the city of Jerusalem. This was truly a day unlike any other!

Lastly, verse 54: "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

We started in verse 27 with the roman soldiers mocking Jesus and pretending to worship him. Now, we see the same romans terrified by what they’re seeing, the earthquake, the darkness that came over the land, and one centurion calls our, “Surely Jesus is the son of God!”

In conclusion today, I know if you were there that day you would say the same thing, "Jesus is the son of God, Jesus is the King." Yet we only have these words to tell us that Jesus really did die for us.

I understand that sometimes it's hard. We've never met Jesus face to face. We only have the words on the page and the sense of His presence within us. Sometimes it feels far away and difficult to understand. Yet somehow we know deep within: It's real. It's all real. 

Yet the question remains: Why? We all want to know why. Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? Why is sin so bad? Why did Jesus have to die?

I know we get so lost in our own thoughts. We try to rationalize our sins, we try to hide them in our own minds. We try to ignore the problem. We even lash out at God and call him bad. We try philosophy, psychedelics, politics, social justice, post-modernism, self help psychology, new age ideology, anything to escape from our sins, to explain away our sins, to prove that our sins really don’t matter that much.

Set all that aside and simply confront your sins. See them. See how they are wrong. Face them, and then instead of running from them, trying to bury them in dirt, or put a pretty ribbon on them and call them good, instead, take them, carry them over to Jesus, and leave them at the foot of the cross. Jesus will forgive them all.

I know it’s hard. I know we want to look away. I know it makes us angry. I know we want to lash out. I know we want to use our mind to explain it all away…

But if you will reach out for Jesus right now, and even examine your own heart, and your own sins, you will see that everything written here is true. Jesus did die for you that day. As you turn toward Jesus, you will sense His love for you. And that what Jesus wants most, to be with you in love relationship. That is also the answer to the question of why…

Why did Jesus have to die?

For His love for you, he came on a rescue mission, to bring you back home to him, after you got lost in a dark, dark place. He saw you there in that dark dark place, and came riding into this world, for love, for a restored connection with you, that is why he had to die for you. And why he would do it all over again, to come and get you today.

He sent out an army to find you, in the middle of the darkest night. 

Did he die on the cross to tell you how bad you are? To make you feel bad? No. Does it take an admission of our sins to Him? Sure. But the real purpose was love. Jesus’ desire to have you with Him in heaven, in love relationship, forever.

Give your life to him. It's ironic, as a Christian, you understand completely how much Jesus loves you, the meaning of the cross becomes radically clear. But before we know Jesus, it feels blurry, far away, in a cold dark reality, that seems devoid of the love of God. That is the challenge, a challenge of faith. Will you dare to reach out in that cold, cold reality in which you live, toward a love that will cut through that darkness faster than the curtain ripped in the temple when Jesus was crucified? The darkness around the dead savior of the world, breaks to light beyond imagining bursting forth in our world as we call on Jesus name in faith, faith that He really loves us!

Let’s pray a prayer of surrender, and give our lives to Jesus Christ, who will forgive all of our sins.

Lord Jesus, we admit freely that we've sinned in numerous terrible ways. We don't hide it Jesus, we show it all to you. Here it is Jesus, all of it. We see you Jesus nailed to the cross, bleeding and dying, and we know you did it for us. You did it for me. I believe in you Lord Jesus Christ. I believe you are the savior I need, that your sacrifice is sufficient to pay off all my sin debt. And I believe you rose from the dead, you're a living savior. Thank you! I'm set free! I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit within to guide me always. I embrace God as my Heavenly Father. Thank you Lord Jesus for your amazing gift! I am born new of the Spirit. I repent of every sin in my life. I renounce the evil one and all his evil schemes. I embrace Christ in all things! In Jesus name, amen.