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The Sermon on the Mount:
Jesus' Manifesto for Disciples
An 184-page book by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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Manifesto: "a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer."
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is Jesus' most definitive statement of the principles of Kingdom living.
In this study we'll seek to understand Jesus' radical teaching within its context of first century Judaism – then translate the principles into our own lives today. If we can understand what Jesus meant and absorb that into our spirit, we can grow to become the kind of disciples that make Him proud.
The Sermon on the Mount provides an ethical and philosophical framework that can help us order our lives as Christ followers. But organized religion has domesticated Jesus and watered down his message, providing a low-dose familiarity that can make us immune to Jesus' full-strength teaching. Here we allow Jesus' uncompromising message to both shame us and enflame us to become part of a Christ-committed counter-culture to challenge the present world order.
This examination of Jesus' manifesto in the Sermon on the Mount, with its provocative discussion questions, provides an excellent 13-lesson study for personal enrichment, for use by small groups and classes, and for sermon preparation by teachers and preachers.
Brief Table of Contents
| Preface | |
| Introduction | |
| I. Kingdom Citizens (5:1-16) | |
| 1. Paradoxical People: the Beatitudes (5:1-13) | |
| What Is the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus Proclaims? (Excursus 1) | |
| 2. Witnessing People: Living as Salt and Light in the World (5:13-16) | |
| The Religion of the Pharisees (Excursus 2) | |
| II. The Kingdom and the Spirit of the Law (5:17-48) | |
| 3. The Spirit of the Law and Reconciliation (5:17-26) | |
| Did Jesus Believe in Hell? (Excursus 3) | |
| 4. Adultery, Lust, and the Spirit of Marriage (5:27-30) | |
| 5. Divorce and the Spirit of Marriage (5:27-32 with 19:1-12) | |
| Loving Your Enemies Case Study: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Excursus 5) | |
| 6. The Spirit of Truthfulness and Love (5:33-48) | |
| III. Piety in the Kingdom (6:1-18) | |
| 7. Giving, Prayer, and Fasting (6:1-8, 16-18) | |
| Verses on How God Looks at the Poor (Excursus 6) | |
| 8. The Lord's Prayer (6:9-15) | |
| IV. Materialism and the Kingdom (6:19-34) | |
| 9. Temptation to Idolatry (6:19-24) | |
| 10. Temptation to Worry (6:25-34) | |
| V. Discernment in the Kingdom (7:1-29) | |
| 11. Judging Self and Others (7:1-6) | |
| 12. Asking in Faith (7:7-12) | |
| 13. Discerning the True Way (7:13-29) | |
| Appendices | |
| Appendix 1. Question Handouts for Group Participants (may be duplicated at no extra charge) | |
| Appendix 2. Songs and Hymns Based on the Sermon on the Mount and Related Themes | |
| Appendix 3. Inductive Bible Study Questions for the Sermon on the Mount (downloaded separately in PDF format) | |
| Appendix 4. Readers Theater Scripts for the Sermon on the Mount (downloaded separately in PDF format) | |
- Detailed Table of Contents
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- About the Author
- Statement of Faith
- Copying Policy
- Guarantee and Refund Policy
You can purchase this book either as an e-book or a printed book.
Copyright © 2025, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
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