A Disciple’s Posture & Practice | Matthew 5:1-16

Date: 10/4/26
Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus
Passage: Matthew 5:1-16
Series: Jesus The Tested Teacher
SERMON SUMMARY:
What does it actually look like to follow Jesus?
In Matthew 5:1–16, Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by describing the posture and practices that should characterize his disciples. The Beatitudes reveal that following Jesus begins with honest humility—recognizing our spiritual poverty, mourning over brokenness, hungering for righteousness, and depending completely on God’s mercy.
But humility doesn’t remain internal. A heart that has received God’s mercy begins to show mercy. A heart transformed by the gospel pursues integrity, works for peace, stands for truth, and remains faithful even when following Jesus brings opposition.
Jesus then calls his disciples to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world—not by becoming proud or self-righteous, but by living distinctly in a way that points people toward God.
The Christian life isn’t about pretending that we have it all together. It’s about knowing that we need Jesus and allowing his grace to shape how we live, love, serve, and respond to a broken world.
Jesus’ disciples ought to have a humble posture and honorable practices.
IN THIS SERMON:
- What the Beatitudes actually mean
- Why being “poor in spirit” is the starting point of discipleship
- Why Christians shouldn’t wait until they have their lives together to come to Jesus
- How receiving God’s mercy changes the way we treat others
- What it means to have a pure heart
- Why biblical peace is more than simply avoiding conflict
- Why following Jesus can lead to persecution
- How Jesus fulfills the Beatitudes perfectly on our behalf
- Why Christians should remain humble instead of becoming “Christian experts”
- What it means to be salt and light in the world
- How humility, truth, compassion, and service shape Christian witness
———————————————
CHAPTERS:
00:00 — Matthew 5:1–16 | The Sermon on the Mount
03:03 — A Disciple’s Posture and Practice
04:00 — Jesus Is the Authoritative Teacher
05:22 — The Beatitudes and the Humble Heart
09:49 — Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
15:48 — Mercy, Integrity, and Peacemaking
21:23 — Truth, Persecution, and Following Jesus
23:53 — Jesus Is the Blessed Man for Us
27:41 — When Following Jesus Brings Opposition
30:13 — Be Salt and Light
31:00 — Humility Makes a Different Kind of Christian
33:08 — A Scripture-Shaped Community
34:23 — The Witness of the Early Church
35:53 — Closing Prayer
———————————————
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discipleship begins with honest humility.
2. God’s mercy changes how we treat others.
3. Biblical peace means pursuing what is broken.
4. Humility and integrity belong together.
5. Following Jesus may bring opposition.
6. Jesus fulfills the Beatitudes for us.
7. Christians never graduate from needing Jesus.
8. Humility should make Christians compassionate.
9. Christians are called to be salt and light.
———————————————
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1. Where am I tempted to pretend that I have things more together spiritually than I actually do?
2. What would it look like for me to honestly acknowledge my need for God’s grace right now?
3. What brokenness in my own heart or in the world around me am I tempted to ignore or distract myself from?
4. How has receiving God’s mercy changed the way I extend mercy to other people?
5. Is there someone I need to forgive, show compassion toward, or move toward instead of away from?
6. Where might God be calling me to pursue peace rather than simply avoid conflict?
7. Am I holding to biblical truth with humility, or am I using truth as a way to feel superior to others?
8. Where am I more concerned with public opinion than with faithfulness to Jesus?
9. What does being “salt and light” look like in my specific relationships, workplace, family, church, or community?
10. If someone observed my life, would they see someone who thinks they have all the answers—or someone who knows where to find help?
———————————————
APPLICATION:
1. This Week, Practice Honest Humility
Take time to honestly name before God where you are struggling, where you have sinned, and where you need His help. Don’t wait until you have everything together to come to Him.
2. Receive Mercy—and Give It
Think of one person toward whom you have been withholding mercy, patience, or forgiveness. Ask God to help you see that person through the same mercy He has shown you.
3. Pursue Peace
Identify one broken relationship, conflict, injustice, or situation that you have been avoiding. Consider one concrete step you can take toward reconciliation, healing, or restoration.
4. Refuse the Distraction
Pay attention to the ways entertainment, busyness, or distraction can keep you from noticing the brokenness in your own heart and around you. Create space this week to be present with God and with the needs of others.
5. Be Salt and Light
- Ask yourself: What would it look like for the character of Jesus to become visible through me this week?
- Choose one specific action that reflects humility, compassion, truth, service, or peacemaking.