Welcome:

Today, we embark on a new sermon series focused on the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. However, I’d like to devote this morning to setting the stage and laying a foundation that will support us as we explore Jesus’ teachings in the weeks ahead. As we journey through this series, my prayer is that Jesus’ words will challenge our assumptions, transform our hearts, and inspire us to live faithfully as citizens of His kingdom.  

Let us read from God’s word: 

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 4:17-5:1 (ESV):

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with hearts open to Your Word and call. Thank You for bringing us into this sacred moment where we can listen to the message of Your kingdom. Lord, we acknowledge that You are King, and Your kingdom is here, inviting us into a new way of living. Help us to see the areas of our lives where repentance is needed, where we need to turn away from sin and turn toward You. Give us humble hearts ready to receive Your truth and courage to respond with faith and obedience. Speak to us through Your Word, transform us by Your Spirit, and let us not leave this place unchanged. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior and King. Amen.  

Introduction:

In Matthew 4:17, Jesus inaugurates His public ministry with a proclamation that is as bold as it is urgent: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” These are not timid words. These are the commanding words of a Savior who has just emerged victorious from a grueling spiritual battle. Forty days in the wilderness, deprived of comfort, tested to His very core, Jesus faced down the full force of Satan’s lies. Tempted with material comfort, tempted with power, tempted with the deceptive allure of glory without obedience—Jesus stood unshaken. He rejected every false promise and aligned Himself fully with the Father’s will.

Fresh from this victory, Jesus steps into the world’s brokenness with a declaration that changes everything. “Repent.” This is not just a call to feel remorse; it is a summons to transformation. It is an invitation to turn from sin, to recalibrate the heart, and to reorient one’s entire life toward God. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven is here—a kingdom that demands nothing less than our whole allegiance.

Imagine the people of Jesus’ day as they heard this message. They were weary, burdened by the weight of Roman oppression, plagued by poverty, and lost in spiritual confusion. These words were like a spark that ignited a wildfire, clearing away the old, dead growth of religious legalism, worldly compromise, and political hopelessness, making room for new life. For some, it was a revolution they had been longing for. For others, it was a threat to their way of life. And for still others, it was a mystery; a Messiah who defied every expectation, challenging their preconceived notions of what salvation should look like.

Jesus entered a divided and broken world. The Zealots sought liberation through violence. The Sadducees traded integrity for influence, aligning themselves with power. The Pharisees placed crushing burdens of legalism on the people, mistaking rule-keeping for righteousness. And then there were those who had given up altogether, saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

Into this chaos, Jesus spoke of a kingdom unlike any other. Not a kingdom of violence or compromise. Not a kingdom reserved for the religious elite or those who could earn their way in. No, His kingdom was, and is, a kingdom for the broken, the weary, the outcast, and the forgotten. It is a kingdom where the King Himself bears our burdens and offers us rest. And it all begins with one word: “Repent.”

Though centuries have passed, the human condition remains the same. We live in a world fractured by political divisions, consumed by rampant materialism, and entangled in spiritual confusion. Like the people of Jesus’ time, we are bombarded by false solutions—power, wealth, self-indulgence, or shallow religiosity. Yet, over the noise of this world, the voice of Jesus still calls: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Will you listen? Will you let His words pierce your heart, burn away the deadwood and weeds that have overtaken your soul, and make way for the abundant life He offers? 

Repentance is not just an emotional response. Repentance is not feeling sorry for something you did. The word “metanoia” which we translate to “repent” literally means to change direction. Repentance is a decision to turn to Christ, to trust Him, and to follow Him. Like those first disciples who left everything to draw near to Him, we too are invited to come with open hearts, ready to hear and obey.

The Kingdom of Heaven: A New Way of Life (Matthew 4:23-5:1)

But what is this kingdom that Christ proclaimed? Did you know that Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God more than any other subject? The Kingdom of God lies at the very heart of His mission, His teaching, and His redemptive work. What makes it so central, so transformative, so life-altering?

At its core, the Kingdom of Heaven is about a restored relationship—a divine reconciliation that brings us back to the love of the Father. Jesus did not come to reveal a God who is distant, harsh, or unapproachable. No, He came to unveil a Father whose love knows no bounds, whose grace knows no limits, and whose arms are open wide to all who will come. This is the heartbeat of the kingdom—a place where the broken are mended, the outcast is embraced, and the lost are found.

At the center of this kingdom stands Jesus Christ Himself. But He is not a king who rules with an iron fist or wields His authority through fear or domination. No, His rule is one of healing, restoration, and transformation. In Matthew 4:23, we see this clearly:  

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”  

Here is a king who meets us in our need, who ministers to our deepest brokenness. He proclaims the good news of salvation, calling us to repentance and faith. Yet His kingdom does not stop at spiritual renewal—it reaches into every corner of human suffering. Where there is pain, He brings healing. Where there is despair, He brings hope. Where there is darkness, His light shines.

The impact of this kingdom is vividly illustrated in Matthew 4:24-25:  

“So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”  

People came from everywhere—Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, the powerful and the marginalized. Why? Because in Jesus, they found what the world could not give: hope, healing, and the promise of a better kingdom. A kingdom where the barriers of race, class, and status are shattered. A kingdom where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

This kingdom is not some distant, utopian dream. It is not merely a promise for the future. The Kingdom of Heaven is here, breaking into the world through Jesus Christ. He calls us to repent—to turn from sin, to surrender to His kingship, and to live under the gracious rule of God. When we do, this kingdom transforms us—spiritually, mentally, and even physically. But this kingdom is not ours to hoard; it is a treasure to be shared with a world that is longing, aching, and searching for hope.

And what does life in this kingdom look like? How do we, as its citizens, live out its values? Jesus answers these questions in the Sermon on the Mount, a manifesto for kingdom living. Matthew 5:1 sets the stage:  

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”  

Here is Jesus, surrounded by ordinary people with real struggles, doubts, and fears. He does not turn them away. He does not offer shallow answers. Instead, He climbs the mountain, evoking the image of Moses on Sinai. But unlike Moses, Jesus does not simply deliver God’s law—He speaks with divine authority as the King Himself.

And yet, He sits. The position of a rabbi. A teacher. The crowd watches from below, but it is the disciples—the willing, the curious, the committed—who ascend the mountain to draw near and listen. And so we are left with a choice: Will we stay at a safe distance, content to observe? Or will we press in, eager to hear and obey?

The Sermon on the Mount is not a burdensome list of rules or a lofty moral ideal we can never reach. It is an invitation to a transformed life. Jesus calls us to humility in place of pride, mercy in place of judgment, love in place of hatred. He calls us to a righteousness that goes beyond outward appearance to the transformation of the heart. This is what it means to live under the reign of God.

Jesus concludes with a challenge that cuts to the core. In Matthew 7:24, He declares:  

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  

The storms will come—they always do. But a life built on the solid foundation of God’s truth will stand firm.

And so, the question comes to each of us: Will we simply admire Jesus’ words from a distance, or will we allow them to shape our lives? Will we let His teaching transform our hearts, reorient our priorities, and strengthen our faith? The Sermon on the Mount will challenge us, convict us, and stretch us. But if we respond—if we choose to live as citizens of the kingdom—it will change us forever. 

Responding To The Kingdom’s Call 

How, then, should we respond? Jesus Himself described three ways to respond in faith: repent, commit, and proclaim. These are not lofty ideals; they are the practical steps of a life transformed by the kingdom of God. 

As we have seen, the foundation of entering the kingdom of heaven is repentance. In Matthew 4:17, Jesus begins His public ministry with the call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

For the people of Jesus’ day, repentance meant facing the inadequacy of their own paths. The Pharisees believed that strict rule-keeping and outward purity could earn God’s favor. The Sadducees compromised their faith for political and material gain. The Zealots sought salvation through violent revolution. To each, Jesus spoke the same word: Repent.  

To the Pharisees, repentance meant admitting that legalism could not bring them closer to God. To the Sadducees, it meant abandoning their self-serving bargains with Rome. To the Zealots, it meant letting go of the false hope that power and violence could establish God’s kingdom. His message was simple yet revolutionary: salvation begins with a change of heart.  

And His call is no less relevant today. Repentance requires us to reflect on where we have misplaced our trust. Are we, like the Pharisees, trying to earn God’s love through religion or moralism? Have we, like the Sadducees, grown too comfortable with wealth, power, or worldly success? Or do we, like the Zealots, harbor anger, seeking control over our circumstances?  

As we have seen, repentance is not merely turning away from sin—it is turning toward Jesus. It is the faith to believe that in Him, we are forgiven, redeemed, and welcomed into the kingdom of God. Repentance is the doorway, but entering the kingdom demands loyalty to its King. 

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33:  “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

We are commanded to seek after the kingdom. We are to seek after righteousness. Not only should we be seeking, we need to “seek first,” meaning that the kingdom of God and His righteousness must be our first priority. It’s not enough to halfheartedly seek Christ. There were many who tried to do this during his ministry and they all fell away. It is not enough to desire the kingdom of God and His righteousness with most of your heart. The rich young ruler wanted the kingdom, but not at the cost of his financial security. The would-be disciple wanted the kingdom, but he put his family over his faith. Neither were ready for the kingdom. Ironically, had they truly sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, they would have found greater security than wealth, they would have found a greater family than their earthly kinfolk. No one said this was easy, but if we seek first we will find. That is a promise. No one has ever fully surrendered to Christ and come to regret their decision. 

This is not a casual pursuit. It is a whole-hearted surrender, a reordering of priorities. Jesus illustrates this beautifully in Matthew 13:45-46:  

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  

The kingdom of heaven is that pearl of great price, so valuable that it is worth giving up everything else to obtain it. For the disciples, this commitment was radical. For those early Christians this meant leaving behind jobs, possessions, and even family ties to follow Jesus. In Matthew 4:20, Peter and Andrew respond immediately to Jesus’ call:  

“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”  

Their nets represented their livelihood, their security, and their identity. Yet they knew that the kingdom Jesus offered was worth infinitely more.

What about us? What “lesser pearls” are we holding onto—comfort, ambition, wealth, relationships, or control? These things are not inherently wrong, but when they take precedence over God’s kingdom, they become obstacles. Jesus calls us to surrender them, trusting that what we gain in Him far outweighs what we give up.

Make no mistake, Kingdom living transforms every part of our lives. Spiritually, we grow closer to God through prayer, worship, and obedience. Mentally, we allow God’s truth to renew our minds, as Paul writes in Romans 12:2:  

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”  

The kingdom is not just one area of life—it is the foundation that shapes everything we do.  Are you willing to fully embrace life in God’s kingdom?

The kingdom of God is also not a private treasure—it is a gift to be shared with a hurting world. Jesus’ ministry was marked by both proclamation and compassion. In Matthew 4:23-24, we see this clearly:  

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”  

Jesus did not merely preach; He demonstrated the kingdom’s power by healing the sick, comforting the brokenhearted, and restoring the oppressed. His words were accompanied by tangible acts of love and grace.

As His followers, we are called to do the same. Jesus commissions us in Matthew 28:19-20:  

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”  

Proclaiming the kingdom involves both words and actions. Spiritually, we share the good news of salvation through Christ. Emotionally, we offer hope and encouragement to the hurting. Physically, we meet practical needs, reflecting Jesus’ compassion.

This mission is not reserved for pastors or missionaries—it is the calling of every believer. But it begins with a question: Do we see the world through the eyes of Christ? Are we moved with compassion for the lost, the broken, and the weary? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones to bring the hope of the kingdom to others? 

Repent. Commit. Proclaim. These are not mere suggestions; they are the hallmarks of life in the kingdom of God. To repent is to turn from sin and embrace Christ as King. To commit is to surrender fully, allowing His kingdom to transform every part of your life. To proclaim is to share the good news with boldness and compassion, inviting others to experience its life-changing power.

Conclusion:

The kingdom of heaven stands before us, and Jesus calls each of us to respond. His message remains as clear and compelling today as it was when He first proclaimed it: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The question before us is this: Will we respond? 

Jesus does not force His kingdom upon anyone, but He invites all to enter. To hear His words and ignore them is to stand outside the kingdom, missing the abundant life He promises. But to hear His words and obey them is to become like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The storms of life may come, but those whose lives are built on Christ will stand firm.  

The kingdom is here, and Jesus is the King. He invites you today to repent and believe, to commit to kingdom living, and to proclaim the good news to others. Will you lay down your lesser pearls to embrace the pearl of great price? Will you surrender to the One who gave everything to make you His?    

Closing Prayer:

Father, we thank You for the invitation into Your kingdom—a kingdom that brings hope, healing, and purpose into every part of our lives. Lord, we hear Your call to repentance, and we ask for Your forgiveness for the ways we have turned away from You. Help us to fully surrender to Your lordship, putting aside anything that hinders us from pursuing You with undivided hearts. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to live as faithful citizens of Your kingdom—spreading Your love, truth, and compassion to a world in need. May we not only hear Your Word but obey it, building our lives on the unshakable foundation of Christ. Use us to proclaim Your gospel with boldness and to reflect Your light in all we say and do. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.