FOUNDRYcast

I fixed a car one time with bubble gum and duct tape.

No lie. I had a stem come off a vacuum line. It was good enough to get me home. It was incredible what missing that tiny little part could do to the engine of my 1993 Ford Explorer. Even wilder was what a bit of bubble gum and some excess duct tape (yes. It was totally pulled off something else) can do to remedy the issue. I learned tons about the power of small things that day.

And we are talking about small things in this podcast. Or at least the place where small things can take us.

Listen to the words of Jesus from Matthew chapter 7.

The Narrow Gate 13 "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[a] 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.

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.

This passage is all about the power of taking that small, narrow road and understanding the large impact it can have no just in our world, but in our own personal lives and relationships with Jesus.

In his 1996 album, Willie Nelson tells the story of a regret filled soul in his song "Too Sick to Pray." Upon first listen, you instantly think this is a person making excuses for a life lived in disdain. After a few more spins, what the listener begins to hear is a person who recognizes who they are and recognizes exactly where and who they are.

The person in question admits what many of us can't confess. Our own posture of life kept us from an internal and personal relationship with God founded in prayer.

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us 3 tales of warning. Each of them focuses on external actions devoid of self-awareness.

"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.

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, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. 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 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. NLT

In this long passage, Jesus details the 3 behaviors of people focused on an external, public relationship with God. He uses a pretty hard term, hypocrite, to describe the behavior. Historically, a hypocrite is an actor, a person focused on playing a role for a specific purpose.

But Jesus wants something very different for us.

And that is exactly where we will find ourselves in this passage. See you Sunday

Have you ever known a person who was always trying to find a loophole? You know the type…kinda sketchy and things seem to always be in flux.

These verses of the Sermon on the Mount are probably the toughest ones out there. They get straight to the bone. They are meant to be read and internalized together. They are in response to what Jesus just said earlier in his promise to "not destroy but fulfill"…or as I think more appropriate "I'm not about destruction. I'm about expansion."

As we read this verses in the middle of our time, with our nation and community in turmoil over issues of race, law enforcement and how we as humans related to each other, these verses also speak into our context. We also can't disagree that these words make us a little nervous. They are strong. They cut to the bone. It's hard to get into these verses and internally admit that we have never sinned.

But we find personal and worldwide hope in these words. Jesus is asking us to think seriously about the character of the human heart. We realize there is a call to follow and resemble Jesus in the utmost way in verse 48.

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.' 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

23 "So if you are presenting a sacrifice 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.

Teaching about Adultery 27 "You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.'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—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—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.' 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.

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.' 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.' 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, 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' and hate your enemy.44 But I say, love your enemies! 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, 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.

Jesus is talking about loopholes. About how folks were doing everything they could to twist the word of God around to fit into their own purpose. He is essentially telling people "I don't want to do your dirty work." So as each of us process anger, fear, confusion, frustration, questions and many other emotions…we seal our thoughts with a call to be Holy.

Are you a details person? What about a big picture person?

Both are necessary. Absolutely necessary. We can't live without each one and all of the in-betweens.

In our passage this week, Jesus shares about why the big picture matters AND why the details matter. And it's pretty simple. You can sum it up with one quick statement.

We can't waste what we've been so graciously given.

Listen to these words from Matthew. Jesus said them as part of The Sermon on the Mount.

"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.

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! Matthew 5:13-20

This is a pretty big passage. Jesus challenges each of us to an intentional, full-tilt discipleship. He then goes to talk about how the law, this big, janky, awkward thing that frustrates many of us, is absolutely necessary. We get the big picture with a challenge of salt and light and we get the details about why the law is necessary.

Jesus isn't coming to tear things down…but to expand them.

In the second week of our series week of our "Jesus's Greatest Hit" series Chad told us that the sermon on the mount was about expansion – about expanding our vision of the world to a Jesus-sized vision of the world. Our text for the week allows us to say that same thing in a little bit of a different way…. The sermon on the mount, especially the blessings of Jesus found in Matthew 5:3-12 are about expanding our field of vision that we might see God's world breaking into ours.

This episode we will explore that passage of blessing, a passage usually called the beatitudes. We will discover that blessing is much more serious than saying "bless you" or using #Blessed on social media. We will discover that blessing taken seriously can transform situations and people, blessings can be a powerful and positive force in the world. This is especially true when the blessings come from the lips of Jesus as they do in the sermon on the mount – these blessing present a radically different perspective of the world and point us Jesus' disciples toward God's future.

"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, 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, 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. Matthew 5:3-11

Have you ever stepped into a situation where you quickly realize someone was in control and it totally flipped everything upside down?

This is exactly what Matthew is trying to communicate about Jesus. In two different sections, Matthew 5;1-2 and 7:28-29, Matthew tells the story of a new boss in town. And things will be different, but in ways totally unexpected.

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them. Matthew 5:1-2

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. Matthew 7:28-29

These two sections begin and end the Sermon on the Mount. In some ways, the say the exact same thing…while also telling two very different parts of the story. We are going to primarily look at the first text, Matthew 5:1-2.

Jesus comes, sits down (another big image) and immediately begins shaking things out. Imagine Jesus being the ultimate "undercover boss", seeing everything and making sure wrongs are made right, bad employees are sussed out and those who actually get it rewarded.

Meet the New Boss

There is a lot going on here. Most of it is some serious Old Testament allusions. But the most looming thing in it is the setting. For us, mountains can mean many things. Honestly, I think of a Bob Ross painting most of the time…or the classic character from Game of Thrones. But in Scripture, mountains are serious business. Mountains are where serious things happen.

So we are going to locate ourselves on the Mountain and learn what it means to truly meet with God.