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Matthew 5:5 is the text for this sermon entitled, "The Third Beatitude: The Meek."

The Bible provides rich examples of the virtue known as "meekness". Curtis explores several examples in Matthew, in the rest of the New Testament, and then finally in the Old Testament that show the force of a person who controls their strength with compassion and forbearance. He describes 10 beautiful applications of this beatitude in our lives today.

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Matthew 5:4 is the text for this sermon entitled, "The Second Beatitude: Those Who Mourn."

What does the New Testament mean by the verb "to mourn"? We review the basic meaning of the Greek word and look at a number of verses that provide examples of mourning for the harm to or loss of people, tragic events, poor spiritual health, and sin.
- Mt. 9:15 wedding guests mourn when the bridegroom is taken away
- Mt. 24:30 tribulation of spiritual warfare
- I Cor. 5:2 sexual immorality

And what does Jesus promise to those who mourn? He offers the promise of God's comfort.
- Genesis 24:67 Isaac after his mother Sarah's death
- Psm. 23:4 Comfort of the shepherd and his tools
- Psm. 77:2 In the day of my trouble
- Psm. 119:50, 52, 76 God's promises, the rules of old, God's steadfast love
- Mt. 2:18 The death of the male infants ages 0-2 years
- Acts 9:31 The church experienced peace
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 sharing in Christ's sufferings and comfort
- 2 Corinthians 13:11 Christians should comfort one another

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Matthew 5:1-3 is the text for this sermon entitled, "Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount & First Beatitude: The Poor in Spirit.

The purpose of the lesson is to help us embrace the “kingdom mindset” that sees the world differently on behalf of Jesus. A person poor in spirit is one whose humility characterizes the heart of discipleship, who depend completely on God and His mercy. Totally missing is the notion of arrogantly relying on self alone. Jesus' own example of humility--from the King of Heaven to the One who stooped to heal, to comfort, to wash the feet of followers.

Note that the first and the last beatitude offer blessings tied to the kingdom of heaven, a bracketing that surrounds us in kingdom life. As the old hymn declares, "Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!"

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Matthew 4:23-28 is the text for this sermon entitled, "Jesus and the Crowds."

Jesus' ministry was in a very limited geographical area (Galilee, Decapolis, Judea, Jerusalem, trans-Jordan). His ministry was also teaching in their synagogues. In His ministry, He healed people who came to Him in crowds, towns, roads, etc. This healing was miraculous--immediate and indisputable! He healed the body, mind, soul, and relationships. In the gospel of Matthew more than the other three, the emphasis was on Jesus' interactions (ministry) with large crowds.

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Matthew 4:18-22 is the text for this sermon entitled, "Jesus Calls Four Fishermen."

Discipleship begins with answering the call. What does “Come, follow me” mean?
a. They had to leave the old life.
i.The called came immediately.
ii.They left boat, father, family.
b. English author A. B. Bruce called “The Training of the Twelve” asked the question, “What did Jesus do to train
the called Apostles?”
c. Great commission (Mt. 28 19-20) – Go into all the world and make disciples.
d. It includes teaching as planting seeds. You cannot reap a harvest unless you have planted seeds to grow a crop.

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Matthew 4:2-17 is the text for this sermon entitled, "Jesus, the Light-Bearer, Begins His Ministry."

The purpose of this lesson it to remind us to live out the ministry of being a “light-bearer” as we follow in the steps of Jesus. Being a light-bearer means:
A. We are attentive to the darkness and chaos around us.
B. We sometimes withdraw instead of confront.
C. We let our light shine in the power of the Spirit.
D. We carry our light straight into the darkness
E. We bear the message of the good news!

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Matthew 4:1-11 is the text for this sermon entitled, "The Temptation of Jesus."

We can successfully overcome temptation by following the pattern and example Jesus provided for us. This testing came right after He was baptized. This confrontation was a verbal battle between Jesus and Satan, in which the tempter tries to divert the obedient Son of God from his path. One Christian writer contends that the underlying aspect of the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world is the whole plot of the gospel of Matthew!

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. He prepared for the battle ahead by fasting. Satan is pictured as Accuser (satan), tempter (pieradso), and devil (diabolos, accuser/slanderer/defamer). Later in Matthew we find out that Satan is also the “evil one” and Beelzebul/Lord of the flies. The devil tempted Jesus with three if statements, such as "If you are the Son of God..." and Jesus responded with scripture each time.

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Matthew 3:1-12 is the text for this sermon entitled, "John the Baptizer."

Note - Curtis skips chapter 2 to save it for the December sermons on Jesus' birth. John who is called 'the baptizer' could be referred to as the Harbinger of Hope. He cried out to the people to repent of their sins, for the Messiah was coming. He called them to be baptized in the Jordan River for repentance. His baptism was different from Jewish and Graeco-Roman ceremonial and ritual washings.

John was different from other Jewish teachers of the day. He lived outside the city, in the wilderness. He wore strange clothing and ate strange foods, all to accentuate that his message was very different from the traditional teachers. He, being a herald, was not the author of the news he proclaimed--the news came from God. John also fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, “A voice cries out in the wilderness..." Learn more about John's message and his promise that Another was coming soon!