GOSPEL OF MATTHEW THE BLESSED LIFE PT 1

THE BLESSED LIFE PT 1 - MATTHEW 5:1-5

We are walking through the Gospel of Matthew.  Last week we finished up chapter 4 where Jesus calls us to follow Him and be like Him.  He taught, preached and healed – after we repent and become His disciple – we are called to do all three as well.  Remember that teaching involves knowledge, preaching moves the person to a decision and healing we are called to help people heal morally, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Today we begin the longest teaching of Jesus, 107 verses between chapters 5, 6, and 7 – the Sermon and the Mount.  We start with the beatitudes which comes from the Latin word beatus meaning blessed and as you will see over the next several weeks the beatitudes part of the sermon on the mount start with blessed are the…

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Matthew 5:1-5 The Beatitudes Pt 1 – Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The Beatitudes can be summed up in one word – Righteousness – more like God – more like Jesus.

1. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: (Matthew 5:3) – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Key Idea: Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by proclaiming that those who recognize their spiritual poverty are blessed. Their humility opens the door to the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Being poor in spirit means recognizing our need for God and our spiritual bankruptcy apart from Him.

Those who fully rely on God – FROG –

Blessed are those with authentic spirituality – those who do not boast about their spiritual riches – “look how holy and righteous I am”

Supporting Scripture: Isaiah 57:15 – Isaiah 57:15“For this is what the high and exalted One says—He who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

He is with those who know they are a sinner and are seeking Him for redemption, they are broken over their sin not proud of what they do for God!

Isaiah 66:2b – “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

We need Him active in our lives – active and not distant – so ask yourself – Am I doing things for God or with God?

We have a lot of people doing things FOR God – but have they gone to Him and sought Him knowing that we need God to go before us so we are doing things WITH God!

Their reward is the Kingdom of Heaven – all the blessings that come from that – most will not be on this side of Heaven but some are

So what is our BIG IDEA Here? – Recognizing Our Need for God

Application Questions:

1.   In what areas of your life do you need to acknowledge your dependence on God?

2.  How can embracing spiritual humility transform your relationship with God and others?

3.   What are the areas of your life where you struggle to admit your need for God or to allow God to be a part of?

4.   How can you migrate from doing things for God to do things WITH God?

2. Blessed are Those Who Mourn: (Matthew 5:4)

Key Idea: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This mourning isn’t just about personal grief but grieving over sin and the brokenness of the world.

Mourn over their sin – mourn over the sin of the world, the rejection of Christ by the world

God promises comfort to those who bring their sorrows to Him. Jesus promises that those who mourn this way will be comforted by God’s presence and grace.

Supporting Scripture: Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Isaiah 61:2 – to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Part of the Jesus’ work was that God will consol those who seek His reprieval from their sin – partly now on and completely on the side

Those that mourn WILL BE comforted – we will only find true comfort by being in His Presence.

BIG IDEA – Finding Comfort in God’s Presence

Application Questions:

What burdens or sorrows do you need to bring before God today?

2.   How can you bring your sorrows and burdens to God for comfort and healing?

3.   How can you be a source of God’s comfort to others who are mourning?

3. Blessed are the Meek: (Matthew 5:5)

Supporting Scripture: Psalm 37:11 “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.."

Key Idea: Meekness is not weakness – we have all heard this cliché – and its true; it is also strength under control and it is gentleness rooted in trusting God rather than asserting oneself.

It is not a personality trait that some are born with – it is a conscious decision

This new definition I love – it is an unassuming humility that rests in God

Meekness rejects the desire to remove themselves from struggles and trials or to even seek their own desires and needs

Echoing Psalm 37:7 – Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

The meek are those who submit their power and rights to God and then both rest and trust Him to act on their behalf. Jesus promises that these are the ones that will inherit the earth.

Humble disciples not power hungry and strongarm wielding leaders will inherit the earth

To inherit the earth would to no longer be subject to the sin inflicted on us due to leaders following after the enemy and not God – it is our ultimate vindication for drawing near to God and sacrificing our wants and needs for His Will to be done.

When blessings come – the meek do not let it go their heads or get puffed up – they seek how to share the blessings, in positions of power or prestige do not lord it over people, sees everything they have as not earned by hard work but true blessings from God and not because they were earned – but the Goodness of a Good God

BIG IDEA – Surrendering Our Strength to God’s Control

Application Questions:

1.   How can you practice meekness in your daily interactions and relationships?

2.   How do you typically respond to conflict or opposition—meekness or defensiveness?

3.   What areas in your life where you need to surrender control and trust God’s timing and justice?

4.   In what situations can you practice gentlenessand trust God to defend your cause?

Conclusion and Call to Action

N. T. Wright provides a helpful illustration about the upside-down kingdom ethics, describing a dramatized movie about the test pilots who first broke the sound barrier, after many had failed before, their planes disintegrating in flight or crashing. He writes, “The controls, it seemed, refused to work properly once the plane came to the sound barrier. Finally, at the climax of the movie, another test pilot figured out what to do. It seemed that when the plane broke the sound barrier the controls began to work backwards. Pulling the stick to make the plane bring its nose up sent it downwards instead. Greatly daring, he flew to the same speed.

At the critical moment, instead of pulling the stick back, he pushed it forwards. That would normally send the plane into a dive, but his hunch had been correct. The nose came up, and the plane flew on, fast and free, faster than anyone had travelled before.” While not completely historically accurate, “the story gives a graphic illustration of what Jesus is doing in these apparently simple words. He is taking the controls and making them work backwards”

Key Takeaway: The Beatitudes reveal that true blessing comes from a heart aligned with God—who does things the opposite of what the world does – the true blessings come in our recognizing our need for Him, mourning over sin and suffering, and living in meekness.

These attitudes draw us closer to God and open the door to His kingdom promises.  True blessedness comes from a heart posture of humility, sorrow for sin, and gentle strength. In these, we find the riches of God’s kingdom, His comfort, and His inheritance.

Challenge: This week, reflect on which Beatitude resonates most with your current season of life. Ask God to help you embody these kingdom attitudes and extend His blessings to those around you.  Also this week, focus on one of the other of these beatitudes to embody—dependence on God, mourning over sin, or practicing meekness. Let God’s Spirit transform your heart in that area.

Closing Scripture: – James 4:10 ”Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

In His upside-down backwards economy, when the world bets against us – the Lord is lifting us.

Remember to be meek is to have an unassuming humility that rests in God

Let us pray!