The Essence: Unpacking Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
Ebook
The teaching of Jesus of Nazareth is unparalleled and universally acclaimed in the history of our world. Born into relative obscurity and poverty, no one has impacted the world to the same extent as Jesus. Amidst all he said and did, his close friend Matthew (a former social outcast) captured his teaching--delivered on a hillside just above the town where he lived, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew's Gospel, commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, have been described as the essence of all that Jesus taught about God and how we relate with him. Every Christian (and every preacher!) must wrestle with the words of Jesus given on a Galilean hillside. If a person grasped nothing else of the words Jesus spoke, apart from that contained in the Sermon on the Mount, he or she catches the essence of his timeless message. This book unpacks the essence of Jesus' teaching and its remarkable application in our current age--a resource for individual Christ-followers, preachers, and a discussion-starter for small groups.
“Brian has the unique gift to faithfully and accurately expound
passages of Scripture with language and illustrations perfectly
suited to the twenty-first-century person. As I carefully and
prayerfully read each sermon in The Essence, I felt afresh
the immense privilege and challenge of being confronted with Jesus’
teaching. . . . This is a book every serious Christian, pastors
included, should have on their bookshelf. Thank you, Brian, for
blessing the church with your new book.”
—Vernon E. Light, South African Theological Seminary
“In a time of disorientation and seeming chaos, Brian shows us that
discipleship and the radical way of Jesus is the plumb line from
which all else is measured. This book is needed and the author’s
ability to root it in life makes it all the more invaluable.”
—Gary V. Nelson, Tyndale University
“Brian is an excellent expositor of Scripture who pulls no punches.
In The Essence, like a skillful mountain guide he takes you
up each verse to the top of the Sermon of the Mount. To the pastor
looking to preach a series on Matthew 5–7, here is a boatload of
exegesis and great stories. To the small group leader looking for a
stimulating book for your members to study, each chapter ends with
conversation and conviction-building questions. To the Christian
who is tired of drifting in the faith, take up and read The
Essence and love Jesus all the more.”
—Rick Durst, Gateway Seminary
Product Details
- Title : The Essence: Unpacking Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
- Authors:
- Winslade, Brian N.
- Stiller, Brian C.
- Publisher: Resource Publications
- Publication Date: 2020
- ISBN: 9781532695360
Brian N. Winslade has been involved in pastoral ministry and
denominational leadership within New Zealand, Australia, the USA,
and Bangladesh since 1979—including as CEO of the Baptist Churches
of New Zealand, national director of the Baptist Churches of
Australia, and a member of the International Council of the World
Evangelical Alliance. He is married to Elizabeth; they have three
adult children and eight grandchildren.