The Monarch's Manifesto,pt1-Matt 5:1-2

Sinclair Ferguson remarks on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount saying, "The sermon underscores something that marked the whole of Jesus' ministry: He stands before us as Savior AND Lord, Redeemer AND Teacher. We can never divide Jesus in two, and take Him in half measure. It is all or nothing. The 'saved' life and the 'holy' life are, in Jesus' view, two sides of the same coin. It was once said of Jonathan Edwards, the famous American preacher, philosopher, and theologian (and instrument in great revivals), that 'his doctrine was all application, and his application was all doctrine.' Edwards must have learned that from Jesus, for that perfectly describes the character of His teaching in the sermon. In our time we have lost that balance and mixture. We badly need to recover it, and recognize that in the Kingdom of God, what we believe and how we live are joined together...What does it mean to have a Christian lifestyle in the pluralistic, secularized world in which we live? To what extent are Christians really 'different' from other people? How can we live like 'a city on a hill' that 'cannot be hidden' (Matt 5:14)? Are our Christian faith and life as obvious to others as Jesus' words suggest they should be?" What should the character of Kingdom kids be like? Look to the beatitudes. Over the next few weeks we will be considering the character & attitudes that characterize 'Kingdom Kids'/Believers in our study "The Monarch's Manifesto" (Matt 5). Join us for part 1 this week.