Sermons by Shawn Reese (Page 10)

Sermons by Shawn Reese (Page 10)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Matt 5:1-10 Now that we have finished our Judges study, what were the judges lacking? In general, they were lacking character. The judges had charisma, but no character. This Sunday we will kick off a new series we’re calling ‘Living Right-Side Up in an Upside-Down World’ in which we will study The Sermon on the Mount. In this famous sermon, Jesus describes for us what his kingdom life is all about, and it all begins with character. What kind of character do the people of God have? Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes, some of the most famous sayings ever uttered. Some might think Hallmark came up with them, but no, Jesus said them. And, he said them to bring us life! Meditate over them this week and decide which one is your favorite, and which one is the most challenging for you.

Life to the Full?

Judg 6:1-32 As we continue our studies in the book of Judges, we meet a new judge this week, Gideon. Gideon enters the scene when Israel once again does evil in the eyes of the Lord. This means that they have once again oriented their lives around the idols of the land, instead of around God. And, what we see is that this idolatry robs the Israelites of the life that God intended for them, a life to the full (not a full life, mind you). But, instead of living a life to the full, as God intended, the Israelites end up simply surviving in caves. So, what is the answer? As we have seen throughout the book, dispossessing the idols in order to possess new life is what needs to happen. And Gideon does just that in the last scene of our text, showing great promise as a deliverer. Are you living life to the full or are idols robbing you of the life to the full that God intends for you?