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Matthew 5:2 (8/21/24)

Open Your Mouth

August 21, 2024

* The most familiar and popular sermon in history is the Semon on the Mount. 

  * The beatitudes - “Blessed are you…” 

  * Salt and Light 

  * Treatment of Enemies

  * Judging Others

* It was Christ’s first public message. 

  * It opened up with Him talking about who we should be on the inside.  

  * Then he taught how it manifests on the outside. 

  * We should be “righteous” so we can be “salt and light.” 

* Today, I noticed a phrase that was written by Matthew before Jesus spoke a word. 

  * I read it in the NAS, which is a “word for word” translation.  

* vs 2 - “He opened His mouth and began to teach them…” 

* Why would Matthew feel the need to tell us that He opened His mouth before He began teaching? 

  * That would be like me telling you a story about my first day at school and I tell you that my teacher “opened her mouth and taught us.” 

  * Of course she did - it goes without saying. 

* I think it points to a valuable truth - Christ’s life preached the message before He spoke the message. 

  * He lived the message He preached. 

  * For the people who grew up around Jesus, if they heard His message on being gentle and merciful and pure - they would all say, “Yea, that’s who he is. We watched him help his poor neighbor. We saw Him help that old woman across the street. We never heard one foul word come out of his mouth.” 

* Christ lived it before He preached it. 

  * Then, when the time was right - Jesus “opened His mouth!” 

* Applied to the workplace, you should do such an amazing job for your customers and clients that they want to know what makes you tick. 

  * And when the time is right, you can “open your mouth” and share your faith. 

  * At your job, you can be such a great employee and teammate that when people ask you what makes you tick, you can “open your mouth” and tell them the truth! 

* Two keys - Live and Look: 

  * Live the life that preaches a message of God’s goodness. 

  * Look for an opportunity to share about it. 

    * Faith comes by “hearing.” 

* Jesus modeled this for us. 

  * Matthew recorded it so we’d have it. 

  * Now it’s our job to just go do it. 

  * Let’s live the truth, then speak the truth when the opportunity presents itself!