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If Jesus came back todayWhat would you say if he were to give an 18-minute TED Talk?
Is it possible that he could mention the nation’s current financial problems and concerns about things such as inflation? Do you think he would address important topics like the current political status of the country and who his followers are voting for? Does it seem possible Jesus might address our feelings towards these topics, and how it affects our relationship with Him? In his Sermon on the Mount, he has already addressed these topics.
“It is I,” a statue depicting Jesus calming the sea faces the bay, gulf and coast of Corpus Christi as Tropical Storm Bill makes landfall Tuesday, June 16, 2015.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
In my book, 18 Minutes with Jesus: Straight talk from the Savior about The Things That Matter Most”, I discuss these topics and more. Jesus’ most powerful sermons. Though brief, the powerful 18-minute long Sermon gets straight to the heart of the subjects that matter most to us: money, worry, sex, how to deal with enemies and our eternal destiny.
It can be difficult to stay focused and do the right thing in economic times such as these. It is also easy to fall for the many worldly traps. Jesus said that it was foolish to pursue temporal wealth, such as earthly wealth, which is temporary, instead of eternal wealth. Jesus explained that wealth can easily be lost (think a plummeting stock exchange) or destroyed by moths, rust (or today by high inflation and high interest rate).
The statue of Jesus Christ overlooks Whitefish Lake, Montana’s Flathead Valley, February 20, 2011.
(Linda Thompson/The Missoulian via AP
As the PRESIDENT and CEO of WORLDVISION, I’VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS IF PEOPLE OF FAITH FACE HARSHIP
Jesus explains that wealth and worry are decisions we must make in Matthew 6;19-34. He demonstrated this choice using stark contrasts. Choose eyes that see well or those that aren’t. Decide if God is your master or if you are a slave to money.
Many of the other principles mentioned in this Sermon are at risk in today’s rapidly decaying society. We live in a society which rejects the eight attitudes Jesus Christ calls us to embody as his disciples.
A pilgrim holds three crosses toward a beam of light at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City, May 4, 2013.
(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
To embody the Beatitudes, we must use the power and influence of the Holy SpiritAccepting perspectives and practices that are completely counter-cultural is the first step.
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We cannot stop trying to make positive changes in our lives. Jesus reminded us of our responsibilityWe are responsible for the world we live in. Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean Christians shouldn’t try to better their world. Jesus called His disciples to be the “salt on the earth” in this famous sermon (Matthew 5, 13). In Jesus’ day, salt was a preservative that couldn’t prevent the decay of meat, but it could delay the decay and give the meat a longer shelf life.
A statue in Chicago depicts Jesus grieving for the murder of an individual.
(The Baptist Press).
Similarly, Christ’s followers can slow the decay of the culture and collapse of the world by pushing back against the moral and spiritual rot of the world. The leaders Christians elect will slow down the cultural decay.
My friend Cal ThomasIt was once said, “The Kingdom is not going to ride in on Air Force One.” It’s true. However, our leaders determine the policies that we follow. These policies also determine the moral or spiritual direction of the country.
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Jesus ends His sermon by speaking to our eternal destiny. To Spend eternity with GodThe narrow road is the best choice. Jesus stated in Matthew 7-14, “There are only one way to Heaven.” Jesus stated, “I am The Way, Truth, and Life” to make sure that everyone understands this way. John 14:6.
With each and every decision we make we are choosing to walk the wide path and enter the wide gate with the masses that leads to destruction or to walk the narrow way and choose to enter the narrow gate that leads to the only road that leads to a life – and an eternity – experiencing God’s blessings.
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