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  • Summer on the Mount - Loving Hard People: Matthew 5:38-48

    Summer on the Mount - Loving Hard People: Matthew 5:38-48
    2025/06/16
    Loving Hard People- Matthew 5:38-48Conflict has been a part of the world since the sin was introduced to the world in Genesis 3. There has always been conflict between man and man, God and man, and the nations of the world. In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus shows us a radical way to love difficult people.
    In the times of the Old Testament, there was a saying, "eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth." When a law was broken by a nation against another nation, the punishment should level out. There should not be more retaliation than was given. But the religious leaders, over time, added more rules to the laws, which made it almost impossible to follow.
    Jesus moved this from nations to neighbors and said, "Do not resist (retaliate) an evil person." Instead, do good back! He then gave four examples:
    • Example 1 - If someone slaps you - in the day, a backhanded slap to the cheek was a strong and powerful insult. Jesus is saying to "turn to them the other as well". In other words, be vulnerable to be insulted again. (He is NOT saying to stay in an abusive relationship - get out asap.)
    • Example 2 - If someone sues you - The average person had 2 shirts and 1 coat. Someone could sue you and "take the shirt off your back". Jesus tells us to not only resist suing back, but up our most valuable clothing - our coat. In Christ, we can "absorb the blow".
    • Example 3 - If someone asks you to go 1 mile - It was lawful for a Roman soldier to require a person to carry their gear (70 lbs) up to a mile, and the people hated the soldiers for this. Jesus is saying to volunteer to go 2 miles! In other words, "Go the extra mile".
    • Example 4 - Give to whoever asks - Give generously and don't question someone who asks to borrow. Let them borrow without obligation to return.
    In our lives, we have done far more to God than others have done to us. We need to remember that God has not treated us our our sins deserved! Why do we think we can treat others more harshly than God treated us? Verse 48 is the key, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."Remember:
    • We have sinned - He gave His Son
    • We turn away again and again - He is patient with us
    • We take His name in vain - He is kind to us
    • We have served idols - He loves and welcomes us
    "You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you'". Hating your enemy was never in the OT. It was added over time and became a mantra for the people. Jesus gave us 2 ways to love our enemy:
    1. Love your enemies - Do loving things for that person. We see a great example of this in Romans 12:14-20 (work at it, revenge is God's responsibility, do what is honorable in public, etc.)
    2. Pray for those that persecute you. We should pray beneficial things for those that are against us. It will change our heart towards them.
    A Path Forward
    1. Keep your heart (Proverbs 4:23) - Keep keeping your heart
    2. Guard your words (James 1:19-20) - Slow it down
    3. Trust your Shepherd (Psalm 23:1) - I am satisfied with God's management of my life
    4. God is at work (Galatians 4:19) - He is always at work, and uses frustrating people to disciple me.

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    42 分
  • Summer on the Mount - Tell the Truth: Matthew 5:33-37

    Summer on the Mount - Tell the Truth: Matthew 5:33-37
    2025/06/09
    Tell The Truth- Matthew 5:33-37Guest Speaker: Jim KallamIn the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is addressing the heart first before outward actions. At the time, many would hear the emphasis of the Pharisees about external obedience while not addressing the heart.
    The Sermon on the Mount represents both current and future realities of the Kingdom, but those are all inside out realities. What begins as a work of God in our heart moves outward into our actions and words. Jesus is drawing attention again here to external obedience versus internal intent.
    Oaths were promises meant to encourage honesty before others, but it gave opportunity for some to form new ways of deceiving others. Jesus reminds others that these commands were about our integrity. Integrity begins with connecting our heart with our actions.
    Be Honest Before GodHonesty and integrity must begin with being honest before God. You see this idea reflected so clearly in the Psalms. The psalms include prayers of praise, sorrow, and longing for God’s redemption. Commit to praying honestly and consider using these Psalms as a guide to give voice to your prayers.
    Be Honest Before OthersAs citizens of this new Kingdom, we reflect a God who keeps His word. We must keep our word before others.
    Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” We must remember that it all begins our heart sets the direction of our lives. We must be mindful of the condition of our hearts.
    “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” - James 5:12
    When our heart is trusting and following Christ, it reflects in our word and integrity before others.
    Our honesty and integrity should reflect what we believe about God. Praise God, we can take Him at His word!
    Personal Reflection:
    • Can others count on you to do what you say?
    • Are you demonstrating honesty in prayer before God?


    Discussion Questions:
    • Why is honesty in our words and actions important to God?
    • Why does Jesus emphasize the heart in understanding and directing our actions?
    • How does honesty and integrity before others reflect our lives as citizens of God’s Kingdom?


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    26 分
  • Summer on the Mount - Look Here Not There: Matthew 5:27-32

    Summer on the Mount - Look Here Not There: Matthew 5:27-32
    2025/06/02
    Look Here Not There - Matthew 5:27-32Senior Pastor Alex KennedyLast week we looked at Jesus’ teaching on anger and murder from Matthew 5:21-26 which spoke about God’s heart to protect the sanctity of life. This week, as we continue our series in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:27-32. God is for the pure in heart - shown by God's love for His people and reflected in the marriage relationship
    Our tendency is to simply view adultery as an external, outward act. However, Jesus points out that in reality adultery begins with the heart. He says that everyone who looks at another person with lustful intent has already committed adultery with them in their own heart (5:28).To read more, go to https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-look-here-not-there-matthew-527-32/

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    35 分
  • Summer on the Mount - Anger: Matthew 5:21-26

    Summer on the Mount - Anger: Matthew 5:21-26
    2025/05/28
    Anger - Matthew 5:21-26Senior Pastor Alex KennedyIf we do not deal with our anger properly, it will end up leading to broken relationships and a lack of community. While it is obvious that we should not murder someone (6th commandment), all kinds of relationships get murdered without anyone ever dying (marriages, friends, small groups, parents and children, etc...) Jesus takes this much further to teach us a better way to live with our God-given emotion of anger.
    Remember, Jesus had just said "that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Without Jesus' help, this is an impossible task due to all the rules that the Scribes and Pharisees added to the law.

    To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-anger-matthew-521-26/

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    36 分
  • Summer on the Mount - You Complete Me: Matthew 5:17-20

    Summer on the Mount - You Complete Me: Matthew 5:17-20
    2025/05/19
    You Complete Me: Matthew 5:17-20Senior Pastor Alex KennedyThroughout history, there have been those that have said that when Jesus came, the Old Testament became irrelevant. Well, Jesus had something to say about that when He said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
    So, Jesus is actually saying that He is "filling the Law and the Prophets full". The Law was a shadow of what was to come; the reality belonged to Christ. We also see that Jesus fulfilled all of the Messianic prophecies. The Truth in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus, which makes it extremely valuable!
    To read more, please go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-you-complete-me-matthew-517-20/

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    33 分
  • Summer on the Mount - True Influencers: Matthew 5:13-16

    Summer on the Mount - True Influencers: Matthew 5:13-16
    2025/05/19
    True Influencers: Matthew 5:13-16Senior Pastor Alex KennedyAn influencer is someone who has the capacity or power to be a compelling force on or to produce effects on the actions, behavior, or opinions of others. All of us are influencers in one way or another.
    Jesus speaks to this reality when He teaches on salt and light. He is saying to let your character overflow into what you do.
    "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."
    Salt was incredibly valuable in the time and culture. It was used to preserve food and to add flavor. Salt is very stable until you start adding impurities to it, and then it can become useless. When it "lost its taste" it was thrown on the footpaths or roof tops to form a hard top seal.
    Salt influences everything it touches.
    "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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."
    "You" is written in emphatic Greek plural tense, which would translate, "you all, and you all alone are the light of the world." Jesus is speaking these words to a people that are seeing the city of Tiberias to their right on the Sea of Galilee. Also, directly across from them were the ten pagan cities of the Decapolis. Both of these cities would have been lit up with light.
    Jesus is also telling us that our faith is personal, but it's not private. Hiding a light is contrary to its purpose.
    "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."
    Our good works are done so that we may highlight and make a big deal of God. Our light is a borrowed light.
    Light influences everything it touches.
    You don't need to become salt and light. You ARE salt and light. It is a matter of identity, and our deeds flow from our identity and character. In Christ, we have the power to influence the culture for the Kingdom of God.
    Questions to Consider
    1. Who is someone that you would consider "salty" in your life? Why?
    2. Why is it important for followers of Jesus to be salt and light in their sphere of influence?
    3. What is the "salt level" in you? How much light is flowing through you?
    4. What is your underlying motivation? What "good deeds" do you do for others and does that bring glory to God or glory to you?


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    30 分
  • Summer on the Mount - The Kingdom of God: Matthew 4:17-25 & 5:1-2

    Summer on the Mount - The Kingdom of God: Matthew 4:17-25 & 5:1-2
    2025/05/05
    The Kingdom of God: Matthew 4:17-25 & 5:1-2Senior Pastor Alex KennedyWhen the book of Malachi ends in the Old Testament, the Persian Empire is reigning. Between the time of Malachi and Matthew, there are 400 years of prophetic silence. We know God is still working, but we don't hear from a prophetic voice until we hear John the Baptist say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." At this time, the Jewish nation is under the rule of the Romans. They want a military king to come and rescue them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. It is at exactly this moment that Jesus steps into His earthly ministry.
    For generations, Jews anticipated this special deliverer, the Anointed One of God, who would liberate God's people from oppression and set up His kingdom.
    The book of Matthew, who was very Jewish, emphasizes what Jesus said to show the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy of the Anointed One.
    In Jesus' formal Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues the trail of the Kingdom when He says in Matthew 4:17, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
    The Kingdom can be defined as the sovereign and comprehensive rule of God over all of His creation. Jesus tells us how someone can be a part of His Kingdom in John 3:5 by saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. In other words, everyone is welcome into the Kingdom, but only those that confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will enter into His kingdom.
    Again, we are all born in sin, so we are in born into a kingdom of darkness. If we confess Christ as Lord, we are transferred to a kingdom of light.
    The church is not the kingdom; it is in the kingdom.
    Kingdoms have kings, and our King is Jesus! We serve a king that reigns forever, and He doesn't change. He is always good, kind, faithful, just, and loving. He is worthy of our devotion to Him.
    When Jesus talks about His Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, He gives an impossible mandate. We only get in by grace, and we are forever secured by His grace. He consistently takes the kingdom from "there" to "here".
    Questions to Consider:
    1. See your calling/vocation as sacred. You are an ambassador for Christ in His Kingdom. How does that thought cause you to think about your work?
    2. Spend this week reading and meditating on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. Allow the Word of God to shape your heart and your mind to think more like Jesus and less like the world.


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    31 分
  • Summer on the Mount - The Good Life: Matthew 5:3-12

    Summer on the Mount - The Good Life: Matthew 5:3-12
    2025/05/05

    The Good Life: Matthew 5:3-12Senior Pastor Alex KennedyThe Sermon on the Mount was Jesus' first public sermon, and His sermon was very counter-intuitive. He is declaring not what they may feel like (happy), but what God thinks of them (blessed). John Stott said it this way, "Such a reversal of human values is basic to biblical religion. The ways of the God of the Bible appear topsy-turvy to people. For God exalts the humble and abases the proud, calls the first last and the last first, ascribes greatness to the servant, sends the rich away empty-handed and declares the meek to be his heirs. The culture of the world and the counter-culture of Christ are at loggerheads with each other. In brief, Jesus congratulates those whom the world most pities, and calls the world's rejects 'blessed'."
    To read more and for questions to consider, go to https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-the-good-life-matthew-53-12/

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    37 分