Learning the (Unexpected) Way of Jesus: Before anyone was known as a Christian, Jesus' early followers were called "The Way." Why? Because they followed the way of Jesus, which is radically different from every other philosophy or religion throughout the history of time. Today, we look at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which shows eight unexpected ways to live that result in a life of blessing. Recorded on July 3, 2022, on Matthew 5, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our sermon series "The Unexpected Way," from the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7 in the Bible. The way of Jesus is totally unique, it's different from every other way of life, philosophy, or religion. Why? Because the teaching of Jesus — emphasizing holiness, humility, justice, faith, and sacrificial love — leads to a whole new gospel-centered ethic. This ancient ethic, if actually practiced, has the power to bring abundant love and joy and peace to anyone, anywhere today. This is the way.

Sermon Transcript

So today is the first sermon in our brand new annual theme of Learning the way of Jesus. For the last two years, we’ve focused primarily on the story of who God is, what God has done, and what God is doing through his Son and Spirit. This story is what Christians call the gospel. For the next year, we’ll be asking the question, “If the gospel is true, how then should we live?” As Christians, we never graduate from the gospel, but if the gospel is true, then it has huge implications for the rest of our lives. So if the gospel is true, how then should we live? Well, the answer is rooted in learning a new way of life, which is the way of Jesus. Before anyone was called a Christian, they were known as The Way, because they followed the way of Jesus. And that’s what every sermon series in this annual theme will be about, learning the way of Jesus. Because if the gospel is true, and Jesus is truly the Lord and Savior of our lives, if Jesus is truly the Son of God who died on the cross and rose from the dead, then we must at least listen to him. But if Jesus isn’t who he claimed to be, if the gospel isn’t true, then none of this matters. We’ll start our first sermon series called The Unexpected Way, by exploring a very famous teaching of Jesus which is known as the Sermon on the Mount. What we’ll see in this series is that the way of Jesus is radically different from every other philosophy or religion that has ever existed. Why? Because the teaching of Jesus — emphasizing holiness, humility, justice, faith, and sacrificial love — leads to a whole new gospel-centered ethic. This ancient ethic, if actually practiced, has the power to bring abundant love and joy and peace to anyone, anywhere today. This is the way. However, when you dig into the way of Jesus, you find something surprising. At every turn, it’s not what you would expect. It’s truly The Unexpected Way. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Matthew 5:1.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV), “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,