I. The Local Church as a Microcosm of Kingdom Living

Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 give us the Truths that define the Christ-life that is produced through the supernatural enabling of the Holy Spirit of God. Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 are very important in that the teachings of Jesus in these texts practically define a spiritually mature local church. There are many today who say that these three chapters are intended only for the glorified Church during the Kingdom Age because they present impossible standards that no individual could live during the Church Age. This is nothing but rationalization and is certainly not consistent with God's expectations of believers in any Dispensation. In every Dispensation God has given impossible expectations to believers. The very fact that the expectations are impossible is intended to reveal to believers the necessity of God's supernatural workings within the lives of believers individually and within the context of a local church. Only the operations of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit working upon and within believers makes these impossibilities possible.