Beatitudes Part III

Those instructions for kingdom living sound tough don’t they? They are not suggestions, they are instructions. We learn from instructions and instructions are to be applied. So may we continue to look at more instructions this afternoon?

Let me ask a few general questions that will come from our passage today first.

Q: What does pure in heart mean

Q: What does peacemaker mean?

Q: What about insult persecute mean?

Q: What does speaking evil mean?

Mt5:8-9 “8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Mt5:10-11 “10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

Mt5:12 “12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Q: What do you notice, anything stick out to you?

Q: what is the instruction and the promise in each verse (8-11)?

Q: how are we to look at the instructions and promises, what kind of action (v.12), and why?

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Or listen to the NLT version.

Matthew 5:8 NLT

8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

pure in heart, scriptually speaking through the Greek comes to mean, straightness, honesty, clarity, moral purity, undivided heart, utterly sincere, not divided in devotion and commitment to God.

Q: Can we be people with a pure heart?

Spurgeon said: “Christ was dealing with men’s spirits, with their inner and spiritual nature. He did this more or less in all the Beatitudes, and this one strikes the very center of the target as he says, not ‘Blessed are the pure in language, or the pure in action,’ much less, ‘Blessed are the pure in ceremonies, or in raiment, or in food;’ but “blessed are the pure in heart.”

For they shall see God.

Think about this, what greater blessing is there, what a great reward there is “shall see God.”

See God, the impure will not see God, the reviler, the drunkard, the immoral person, the liar, the sexually immoral person. But the pure in heart will.

This world wants to pollute us with sin, the world is pulluted with sin, like covetousness, oppression, lust as well as intentional deception that can be blinding to the Christian. The pure in heart is cleansed of these things and stays far from these things.

Poole once quoted saying: “For though no mortal eye can see and comprehend the essence of God, yet these men shall by an eye of faith see and enjoy God in this life, though in a glass more darkly, and in the life to come face to face.”

The pure in heart person can see God in nature

The pure in heart person can see God in the Scripture

The pure in heart person can see God in His church family

Our faith, our active faith, our God knowing, God fearing faith must become our greatest motivation for purity, more so than a fear of getting caught with thoughts, intentions or actions and the fear of the consequences of such.

Blessed are the peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 GNB

9 Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!

I used this version (GNB) for a reason, but I want you to read me your versions beyond blessed (happy) tell me about the peacemakers.

Q: To be a peacemaker is that natural? Or do you think it takes effort?

Q: What is the results of the effort of the peacemakers?

This is not peace people, that just live in peace where ever possible (Ref: Rom12:18) this is he person, the people that make, bring about peace.

Q: How do you think you can make, or bring about peace?

(Turn with me to 1PT3:9ff)

Consider:

1 Peter 3:9–10 NASB95

9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

1 Peter 3:11–12 NASB95

11 “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. 12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:13–14 NASB95

13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,

Peacemakers do not replay evil for evil; insult for insult

Peacemakers give blessings

Peacemakers keep tongue from evil, and lips from deceit

Peacemakers turn from evil; they do good

Peacemakers are committed to what is good

Peacemakers are even willing to suffer for righteousness

Q: Do these things we just listed sound like they may take effort and concerted effort at that?

Another great way to be a peacemakers is to bring peace between, man and God. How? By sharing God’s Word with them that can bring faith that can bring peace with God (Rom5:1) and the peace of God (Php4:7).

Before being a peacemaker one learns to be pure in heart and has a pure heart because or the great mercy that have received and given, How is that? Because they hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they are gentle or meek for they know of their broken state and mourn that they were sinners separated from God because of their sin.

Spurgeon said: Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin, or an alliance with that which is evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything which is contrary to god and his Holiness. that being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness towards men.”

Peacemakers are not others stepping in on your behalf, it is YOU stepping in to be a peacemaker yourself. They are to be a peacemaker even when they are the injured, hurt, persecuted party.

Jon Stott: “It is the devil who is a troublemaker; it is God who loves reconciliation and who now through his children, as formerly through his only begotten Son, is bent on making peace.”

Peacemakers shall be called sons of God

Jesus Christ is a peacemaker who made peace between God and man. It was at a great cost.

Jesus Christ had a passion for peace

Peacemakers today, real peacemakers need to have a passion for peace. They desire to help bring peace between man and God and man and man too.

Peacemakers shall be called sons of God for they have been adopted into Gods family. By first making peace with God.

Found another interesting quote this time from Trapp:

“Now therefore, although it be, for the most part, a thankless office (with men) to interpose, and to seek to take up strife, to piece those against that are gone aside and asunder . . . yet do it for God’s sake, and that ye may (as ye shall be after awhile) be called and counted, not meddler and busy bodies, but sons of God.”

The peacemakers is willing to take the heat of others to bring peace betwen others. Why? for the peacemakers knows the heat Jesus took for him.

We don’t really have enough time to get into the rest of these today (vv.10-12) so may we review the blessedness, the happiness we have seen so far?

Blessed for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (v.3)

Blessed for they shall be comforted (v.4)

Blessed for they shall inherit the earth (v.5)

Blessed for they shall be satisfied (v.6)

Blessed for they shall receive mercy (v.7)

Blessed for they shall see God (v.8)

Blessed for they shall be called sons of God (v.9)

All these blessings for the

Poor in spirit (broken); mournful, gentle (meek); those hunger and thirsty for righteousness; who are merciful, who are pure in heart and are peacemakers.

Are these impossible things, or are these qualities for kingdom living?

One leads to the other and it starts with (v.3) knowing we are broken, or in our plight need Jesus.