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Welcome to Day 2112 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 10 – A Christian Commitment: The Radical Choices – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/18/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Commitment: The Radical Choices Matthew 7:13-27 Today’s Scripture is found on page 1506 of the pew Bible.

• The Narrow and Wide Gates

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

• True and False Prophets

 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

• True and False Disciples

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

• The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”   As mentioned last week, Matthew 7 consists of several self-contained paragraphs. However loosely, the connecting thread which runs through chapter 7 is that of relationships. It would seem quite logical that having described a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, holiness, and ambition, Jesus should concentrate finally on our relationships.  Today we will explore how those relationships are tied to our commitments as Christ-followers.  As citizens of God’s kingdom, will we support that kingdom and build it up, or will we destroy it from within by making wrong choices? All choices have consequences, and our choices can be seen in the analogy of those citizens of our great country who take advantage of the benefits of a free society but then destroy the very foundation on which these benefits are built. Ponder this analogy today as we explore the truths discovered in the last half of Matthew chapter 7.   Christ emphasizes here even more strongly than before the necessity of choice. We have learned about...

Welcome to Day 2111 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 9 – A Christian’s Relationships: Judging Others and Effective Prayer – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/11/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Relationships: Judging Others and Effective Prayer Matthew 7:1-12 Today’s Scripture is found on page 1505 of the pew Bible. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.   “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.    “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!    So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7 consists of several self-contained paragraphs. Their link with each other is not apparent. Nor does the chapter as a whole follow on from the previous chapter with any precise sequence of thought. However, the connecting thread which runs through chapter 7, however loosely, is that of relationships. It would seem quite logical that having described a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, holiness, and ambition, Jesus should concentrate finally on our relationships. The Christian counter-culture is not individualistic but a community event. Relations within the community between the citizens of God’s kingdom and those who are not yet citizens are of overriding importance. Matthew 7 deals with the network of 7 relationships into which we are drawn as the followers of Jesus. We will focus on the first four this week, and the remainder over the next week or two. The seven relationships include:

1. To our fellow citizens of God’s Kingdom (1–5).
2. To a group startlingly designated ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs.’ (6).
3. To our heavenly Father (7–11).
4. To everybody in general: the Golden Rule (12).
5. To our fellow citizens of God’s kingdom (13, 14).
6. To false prophets (15–20).
7. To Jesus our Lord (21–27).

 

1. Our attitude to our fellow citizens of God’s kingdom (1–5)

Jesus does not anticipate that the Christian community will be perfect.

1. The Christian is not to be a judge (1, 2)

Jesus’ words, Do not judge others, and you will not be judged, are well-known but often misunderstood....

Welcome to Day 2110 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 8 – A Christian’s Ambition: Not Material Security, But God’s Rule – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/04/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Ambition: Biblical Priorities Result in Freedom From Worry Matthew 6:19-34 Today’s Scripture is found on page 1505 of the pew Bible.  

• Teaching about Money, Possessions, and Worry

 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.  But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.   In the first half of Matthew 6 (1–18), Jesus describes the Christian’s private life ‘in the secret place’ (giving, praying, fasting); in the second half (19–34), he is concerned with our public business in the world (questions of money, possessions, food, drink, clothing and ambition). The same contrast could be expressed regarding our ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ responsibilities. This distinction is false, because we cannot separate these into water-tight compartments. Indeed, the separation of the sacred from the secular in church history has been disastrous. If we are Christians, citizens of God’s kingdom, then everything we do is holy because it is done in...

Welcome to Day 2109 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 7 – A Christian’s Prayer: Not Mechanical, But Thoughtful – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/27/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Prayer: Not Mechanical, But Thoughtful Matthew 6:7-15  Today’s Scripture is found on page 1504 of the pew Bible. I am displaying two versions of this passage on the overhead.  Read along with me in your pew Bible or on the right-hand column from the overhead. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Hypocrisy is not the only sin to avoid in prayer, so is endless babbling like pagans (Non-Jews).  For they think they will be heard because of their many words. Hypocrisy is the folly of the Pharisees, and repetitive babbling is the folly of the pagans. Hypocrisy is a misuse of the purpose of prayer (diverting it from the glory of God to the glory of self); babbling on is a misuse of the very nature of prayer (degrading it from a real and personal approach to God into a mere repeating of words with no substantive meaning).   Again, we see that the method of Jesus is to paint a vivid contrast between two alternatives to indicate his way more plainly. First, regarding the practice of piety in general, he has contrasted the pharisaic way (flamboyant and selfish) with the Christian way (secret and godly). In particular, now regarding the practice of prayer, he contrasts the pagan way of empty babbling with the Christian way of meaningful communion with God. Jesus is always calling his followers to something higher than the attainments of those around them, whether religious people or secular people. He emphasizes that Christian right living is more excellent (because it’s inward), Christian love broader (because it’s inclusive of enemies), and Christian prayer more profound (because it’s sincere and thoughtful) than anything to be found in the non-Christian community.  Last week we learned about the Pharisee’s way of prayer and its issues. Today let us consider the following:

1. The pagan way of prayer

I am displaying both versions on the overhead as an example of how your Bible study can be more effective.  Comparing...

Welcome to Day 2108 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 6 – A Christian’s Religion: Real or Hypocritical – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/20/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Religion: Real or Hypocritical? Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 We are on the sixth week of our series on the Sermon on the Mount. I pray you are learning and enjoying it as much as I am.  We won’t complete this series in eight weeks, but that is ok.  Looking back over the past five weeks, we see that Jesus began his instruction on the mount by revealing the essential elements of Christian character in the beatitudes. Jesus then incorporated those character traits into the metaphors of salt and light, which is the influence for good that Christians will exert in the community if they exhibit this character.   Further, He then described the Christian righteousness or right living, which must exceed the right living of scribes and Pharisees. Right living is accomplished by accepting the full implications of God’s law without dodging anything or setting artificial limits or a list of rules. It is the heart attitude or obedience rather than sacrifice. Christian righteousness is right living, unlimited. These teachings must penetrate our hearts, minds, and motives beyond our actions and words. It must master us even in those hidden, secret places.  So today, as we transition from describing our Christian Character, Chrisitan Influence, and Christian Righteousness through good deeds, which we taught in the seven lessons of Matthew 5, we move to our motive when we perform good deeds. Let’s read  Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, which is found on page 1502 in the pew Bible  

• Giving to the Needy

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

• Prayer

 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

• Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.   When we think we may be getting an understanding of right living,...

Welcome to Day 2107 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 5 – A Christian’s Righteousness Part 2: The Spirit of the Law – Daily Wisdom Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2106 of our trek to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today we continue with our ongoing series of messages I delivered at Putnam Congregational Church over the past couple of years. This first series of messages will cover the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7. I pray that it will be a conduit for learning and encouragement. Putnam Church Message – 06/13/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Righteousness Part 2: The Spirit of the Law Matthew 5:31-48 We are continuing this week on the subject of right living, or a Christian’s righteousness.  If you remember, this is part of Matthew 5-7, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is considered the closest to a manifesto in all Christ’s teachings. As citizens in God’s kingdom, our proclamation is to build that kingdom.  If we were in the army, this would be our marching orders.  That is an excellent analogy for these teachings because ‘We Are in the Lord’s Army’ as the old children's song goes. But, instead of violence, our weapons are the character traits in the beatitudes and are applied through us being salt and light.   Not to beat a dead horse, although I understand that it is safer to do so than a live horse, let us not forget what we learned in previous weeks.  Christ came to establish a Christian counter-culture, which turns our modern culture upside down.  Or better to say, it turns an upside-down world, right-side up! (Flip the globe right-side up)   So far, Jesus has spoken of a Christian’s character in the beatitudes and how if we take on those character traits, we can influence modern culture as we become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.   This salt and light are manifested through right living, which is ‘good deeds.’ Last week we covered Matthew 5:17-30, the first three of seven teachings covering the remainder of chapter 5. This week our focus will be on Matthew 5:31-48. The entire passage is broken down into seven lessons to learn.  Those seven lessons once again are:

1. Teaching about the Law
2. Teaching about Anger
3. Teaching about Adultery (Lust)
4. Teaching about Divorce
5. Teaching about Promises
6. Teaching about Revenge
7. Teaching about Love for Enemies

  If you missed last week, please go to putnamchurch.org, where you can watch the message.  It is also on the church’s FaceBook page. With that said, let’s move on to our fourth teaching, which is: Teaching About Divorce (Matthew 5:31–32) 31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’[m] 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.   The fourth...

Welcome to Day 2106 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 4 – A Christian's Righteousness Part 1: The Spirit of the Law – Daily Wisdom Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2106 of our trek to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today we continue with our ongoing series of messages I delivered at Putnam Congregational Church over the past couple of years. This first series of messages will cover the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7. I pray that it will be a conduit for learning and encouragement.   Putnam Church Message – 06/06/2021 Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Righteousness Part 1: The Spirit of the Law Matthew 5:17-30 So far, Jesus has spoken of a Christian’s character and the influence we will have in the world if we exhibit this character and if our character bears fruit in ‘good deeds.’ He now proceeds to define further this character and these good works in terms of righteousness, or as I like to call it, right living. Jesus explains that the right living He has mentioned twice, is a character trait we, as his disciples, should hunger after. (6) We may even suffer as we conform to God’s moral law. (10)  In our passage for today, we learn that our good deeds, which we will call righteousness or right living, must be better than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (20). The ‘good deeds’ are deeds of obedience. Jesus began his Sermon with beatitudes in the third person (‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’). He continued in the second person (‘You are the salt of the earth,’ and You are the light of the world). In today’s verses, he changes to the authoritative first person and uses for the first time his unique and dogmatic formulas I tell you the truth (18), and I warn you (20).   In verses 17-20, this first section teaches about the bridge of God’s old covenant, focused primarily on the nation of Israel and His new covenant, which is establishing His worldwide kingdom.  It contrasts the New Testament and the Old Testament, between the good news and the law.  I had initially planned to cover the entire passage listed in the bulletin, but unless you want me to speak for an hour, I thought it would be best to split it in half and finish the remainder next week. Therefore, we will cover Matthew 5:17-30 today.  The entire passage is broken down into seven lessons to learn.  We will cover lessons 1-3 today and the remainder next week.

1. Teaching about the Law
2. Teaching about Anger
3. Teaching about Adultery (Lust)
4. Teaching about Divorce
5. Teaching about Promises
6. Teaching about Revenge
7. Teaching about Love for Enemies

  Teaching about the Law (Matthew 5:17-20) 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....

Welcome to Day 2105 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 3 – A Christian’s Influence: Salt and Light – Daily Wisdom Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2105 of our trek to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today we continue with our ongoing series of messages I delivered at Putnam Congregational Church over the past couple of years. This first series of messages will cover the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7. I pray that it will be a conduit for learning and encouragement.   Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Influence: Salt and Light Matthew 5:13-16   Last week we learned that the beatitudes describe the essential character of the disciples of Jesus, including us. As we continue with the verses today, the salt and light metaphors indicate their influence for good in the world, even today.   Yet, the notion that we, as citizens of God’s kingdom, can exert a beneficial influence in the world should cause us to pause and consider if this is true. What possible influence could the character traits described in the beatitudes exert in this challenging, harsh world? What lasting good can the poor and the meek do, the mourners and the merciful, and those who try to make peace, not war? Would we not simply be overwhelmed by the floodtide of evil? What can we accomplish if our passion is an appetite for righteousness and our weapon is a pure heart? Are we too feeble to achieve anything, especially if we are a small minority in the world?  Consider, though, how vast the army of citizens of God’s kingdom grows each day. More than we can imagine.   It is evident that Jesus did not share our skepticism. When God became human in Jesus Christ, it was to continue His plan to establish His kingdom on earth, which began in Eden. It was only delayed because of sin.  We read last week in verses 10-12 that the world will undoubtedly persecute the church, yet it is the church’s calling to serve this persecuting world with good deeds.   To define the nature of our influence, Jesus used two domestic and everyday elements as metaphors. At the time of Christ’s life on earth, every home, however poor, used, and we still use both salt and light. During his boyhood, Jesus must often have watched his mother use salt in the kitchen and light the lamps when the sun went down. Salt and light are indispensable household commodities.  Nothing is more useful than ‘salt and sunshine’  The need for light is evident. Salt, on the other hand, had a variety of uses. It was both a condiment and a preservative. It seems to have been recognized from time immemorial as an essential component of the human diet and seasoning of food.  In particular, refrigeration was used to keep meat wholesome and prevent decay in the centuries before refrigeration was invented. Indeed it still is.  If properly cured, meat can keep nearly indefinitely.  Can you imagine a slab of bacon or ham without salt?  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. (hold up bacon)   The fundamental truth behind these metaphors, common to them, is that the church and our modern culture are distinct communities.  Further, the metaphors tell us something about both communities. The world without Christ is a dark place, with little or no light since an external light is needed to illuminate it. True, the world’s elite are always talking about how enlightened they are, but...

Welcome to Day 2104 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 2 – The Christian Character - The Beatitudes – Daily Wisdom Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Character: The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12   Everybody who has ever heard of Jesus of Nazareth, and knows anything at all of his teachings, is probably familiar with the beatitudes with which the Sermon on the Mount begins. Their simplicity of words and clarity of thought has attracted each new generation of Christians, and many others. The more we explore their implications, the more it remains unexplored. Their wealth is inexhaustible. We cannot plumb their depths.   I will read each verse today as we go through the Beatitudes, so if you want to keep your Bibles open, starting in Matthew 5:3   Let us consider the beatitudes in detail. The first four beatitudes describe the Christian’s relation to God, and the last four the Christian’s relations and duties to their fellow humans.  

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (3)

The Old Testament supplies the necessary background against which to interpret this beatitude. At first, to be ‘poor’ meant to be in literal, material need. But gradually, because the needy had no refuge but God, ‘poverty’ came to have spiritual overtones and be identified with humble dependence on God.  Thus, to be ‘poor in spirit’ means acknowledging our spiritual poverty, indeed our spiritual bankruptcy, before God. For we are sinners, under God's holy wrath, deserving nothing but God's judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy the favor of heaven.   To the poor, in spirit, the kingdom of God is given. God’s rule, which brings salvation, is a gift as absolutely free as it is utterly undeserved. It has to be received with the dependent humility of a little child. At the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contradicted all human judgments and all nationalistic expectations of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is given to the poor, not the rich; the feeble, not the mighty; to little children humble enough to accept it, not to soldiers who boast that they can obtain it by their skill. In Jesus’s ministry on earth, it was not the Pharisees who entered the kingdom. They thought they were rich, so rich in merit that they thanked God for their attainments.  The Zealots did not dream of establishing the kingdom by blood and sword.  The publicans, prostitutes, and the rejects of human society, who knew they were so poor, could offer nothing and achieve nothing. They could only cry to God for mercy, and he heard their cry.  Still today, the indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom of God is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty.  

1. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (4)

One might almost translate this second beatitude, ‘Happy are the unhappy,’ to draw attention to the startling paradox it contains. What kind of sorrow can bring the joy of Christ’s blessing to those who feel it? The comfort is offered not primarily for those who mourn the loss of a loved one but also for those who mourn the loss of their innocence, righteousness, and self-respect. It is not the sorrow of grief to which Christ refers, but the sorrow of repentance.   Mourning and comfort are the second stages of spiritual blessing. It is one thing to be spiritually poor and acknowledge it; it is another to grieve and...

Welcome to Day 2103 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Sermon on the Mount 1 - The Upside-Down Culture – Daily Wisdom Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2103 of our trek to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Beginning today, I will share the messages I delivered at Putnam Congregational Church over the past couple of years. This first series of messages will cover the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7. I pray that it will be a conduit for learning and encouragement. Putnam Church Message – 05/16/2021 Sermon on the Mount – The Upside-Down Culture Matthew 5:1-2   The Sermon on the Mount covering Matthew 5-7 is Matthew’s version of the good news.  It is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though possibly it is the least understood, and indeed, it is the least obeyed. Nevertheless, it is the nearest thing to a manifesto that Jesus ever uttered, for it is his description of what he wanted his followers to be and to do. In my mind, no two words better summarize its intention or indicate its challenge to the modern world more clearly than the expression ‘Christian counter-culture.’  You might say it is an upside-down culture. Let me tell you why.   I realize that King Solomon tells us there is nothing new ‘under the sun.’ Still, with our ever-advancing technology and ability to communicate instantly to the entire world at once, it appears that a Christian counter-culture is more necessary than ever before when we take to heart the manifesto that Christ preached in The Sermon on the Mount.   We have seen through the past several decades a spirit of disillusion. Each rising generation is disillusioned with the world it has inherited. Sometimes the reaction has been naive, though that is not to say it has been insincere. For example, there were times of unrest in the recent past coming out of the Vietnam War.  There were riots and bombings in our country and many other places worldwide. But, unfortunately, we tend to forget those events quickly.   The pandemic of the past 18 months has brought to the forefront what has been brewing under the surface for several decades.  The events and philosophies have been put into overdrive.  When you consider the Violent Uprisings, Riots, BLM, Critical Race Theory, Wokeness, Cancel Culture, Entitlement Mentality, and many other movements that we read about nearly every day, it seems like the wheels have fallen off the bus called common sense.  It looks like someone has been passing out crazy pills.  It is not just young adults anymore; adults of all ages have been influenced. Of course, with 24/7 always-on opinion newscasts, the talking heads constantly push an agenda.  Add to that instant online social media; anyone can have their bully pulpit to spew their doctrine anywhere. When we begin to despair, we have to remind ourselves again. Although the noise may be louder today, there is nothing new under the sun.   In a way, Christians should find this disturbing alternative reality prevalent in our culture one of the most hopeful, even exciting, signs of the times. For we recognize in it the activity of God’s Spirit within us who before he was our comforter was our disturber.  We know for our current society to find true peace and comfort, it will only find it through the Spirit of Peace.   Those pressing so hard against this Christian counter-culture are...