The Kingdom Framework: Part 1

✨ Subtitle:

Jesus redefines success in His Kingdom with heart-altering attitudes that bring heaven to earth.

Series: Building the Kingdom

📖 Series Recap to Lead into Week 4 – “The Kingdom Framework”

We began this series by remembering who we are—not just saved sinners but the Bride of Christ, chosen, cherished, and called to reflect His love (Ephesians 5). We then stepped into the tension between God's Kingdom and the voices of culture, hearing the clear call to repentance, rebirth, and Spirit-led living (Matthew 3). Last week, we witnessed what happens when the Kingdom breaks through— God’s reign advances with unstoppable force to preach the gospel, heal the broken hearted, and cause the blind to see (Luke 4). Now, in Matthew 5, Jesus shifts our focus from power to posture, from conquest to character. The Kingdom isn’t built by force—it’s formed in the hearts of those who live by its values. These Beatitudes aren’t just traits to admire; they are the essential framework for the kind of people the King is calling us to become.

📖 Introductory Story: St. Francis and the Sultan

During the Fifth Crusade in 1219, while Christian and Muslim armies clashed violently outside the Egyptian city of Damietta, Francis of Assisi did something that shocked both sides:

He walked, unarmed, across enemy lines to speak directly with Sultan al-Kamil, the Muslim leader of Egypt.

Francis didn’t come to fight.

He didn’t come with an army.

He came in peace—with humility, prayer, and courage rooted in Christ.

And what happened next?

The Sultan didn’t kill him. He welcomed him.

They talked for days. Some sources even say the Sultan offered Francis safe passage to Jerusalem. While no one converted, a genuine, respectful friendship was formed—in the middle of a war.

The crusaders came with swords.

Francis came with Kingdom character.

“The Kingdom doesn’t come by conquest—it comes through character. The Crusaders sought to take the Holy Land by force. But Francis entered enemy territory with nothing but the Beatitudes—and made peace in a place no army ever could.”

Introductory Bridge: Human Flourishing and the Kingdom All around us, people are chasing happiness, fulfillment, and significance—but most are coming up empty. The Harvard Human Flourishing Project has identified five areas that lead to a truly flourishing life:

Purpose

Character

Relationships

Health

Financial Stability

The Avenues to flourish: Family, Work, Education, and Religious Community.

But here’s what’s remarkable: over 2,000 years before Harvard, Jesus laid out His vision for a flourishing life. In the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, He outlines eight heart attitudes that don’t just lead to a “better” life—they lead to blessing, meaning, and Kingdom impact.

In other words, Jesus didn’t come to crush you—He came to help you flourish in His Kingdom.

And here’s our phrase for today:

“You flourish when the Kingdom forms you from the inside out.”

Jesus doesn't just give us tasks to do—He gives us traits to become. These Beatitudes are the Kingdom Framework for the life He blesses.

Sermon Outline

Matthew 5:1–6 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

The Poor In Spirit - Dependence over Pride

Matthew 5:3 ESV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: The King’s Principles: True Righteousness (Matthew 5)

Warren Wiersbe says, “To be poor in spirit means to be humble, to have a correct estimate of oneself (

Isaiah 66:1–2 ESV

1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Illustration: Like someone beginning rehab, healing starts when we admit our brokenness. Application: Your need doesn’t disqualify you—it qualifies you for grace. Human flourishing begins with a humble and honest assessment of ourselves—acknowledging our deep need for grace, submitting to the mighty hand of God, and standing shoulder to shoulder with others who are just as needy.

Those who Mourn - Repentance over Indifference

Matthew 5:4 ESV

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Mourning brings comfort when it leads to repentance

2 Corinthians 7:5–9 ESV

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

Godly Grief refreshes the spirit

2 Corinthians 7:10–13 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

Illustration: Several years ago, a young pastor had just finished preaching on the hidden sins of pride and bitterness. He had delivered it with conviction, but what he didn’t expect was what came after.

As he walked to his car, a man from the church followed him out—not to thank him, but to confess. With tears in his eyes, the man said, “That message exposed everything I’ve been burying for years. I haven’t spoken to my brother in over a decade. I’ve been angry, prideful, and pretending I was fine. But I’m not. I’m broken.”

The pastor stood there with him in the parking lot as the man wept. But those tears weren’t hopeless—they were healing. That man made the call to his brother the next day. And months later, their families were restored.

It all started with godly grief—not guilt, not shame, but a Spirit-led sorrow that led to repentance and freedom. He didn’t mourn just to feel better. He mourned so he could become better.

Flourishing Application: Emotional and spiritual flourishing isn’t found in numbing our pain—it’s found in repenting from what caused it. Jesus doesn’t bless us because we mourn—He blesses us because our mourning leads us back to Him. When we let go of indifference and grieve the sin in us and around us, it opens the door for healing, restored relationships, and renewed purpose.

Godly grief doesn’t break you down—it builds you up.

The Meek - Submission over Control

Matthew 5:5 ESV

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Power Under Control

The greek work (praus) translated as meek was used by the greeks to describe a horse that had been broken. Power under control.

Righteousness over Wickedness

Jesus is quoting Ps 37 where David is comparing the demise of the wicked to the inheritance of the righteous.

Psalm 37:9 ESV

9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Psalm 37:11 ESV

11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Psalm 37:22 ESV

22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:29 ESV

29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.

Psalm 37:34 ESV

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

Flourishing is not getting everything that you want but resting in what God has prepared for you.

Flourishing Application: Meekness opens the door to emotional and spiritual peace. You don’t have to fight for your place when you trust the One who holds your inheritance. Flourishing comes when you stop trying to control outcomes and start delighting in God’s timing and provision.

Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness - Pursuit over Passivity

Matthew 5:6 ESV

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Righteousness is the way of God.

More than vindication or justice.

Jesus is our righteousness but that doesn’t determine our hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Righteousness is being conformed and transformed into the likeness of God.

Psalm 17:1–5 ESV

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

Psalm 17:15 ESV

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Satisfaction only comes from transformation.

The Mirror of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 KJV

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Mirror of the Word.

James 1:23–25 ESV

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Flourishing Application: Flourishing requires more than behavior modification—it flows from a deep, Spirit-led hunger to become like Christ. Satisfaction comes not from consuming more, but from being conformed to His image. When your soul longs to be shaped by righteousness, you stop chasing empty things and start becoming eternally full.

The more you hunger for God, the more you become like Him—and the more your life bears fruit that lasts.

🧩 Sermon Summary:

Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount not with commands, but with character. The first four Beatitudes form a foundation for Kingdom flourishing—not based on circumstances, but on heart posture. When you live poor in spirit, mourn your sin, submit to God's way, and hunger for His righteousness, you're not only blessed—you begin to flourish in ways the world cannot give and cannot take away.

🪜 Next Steps (C = D × V × F):

Change model: Change = Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps > Resistance

Dissatisfaction: Where have you been spiritually stagnant—independent instead of dependent, indifferent instead of repentant, controlling instead of meek, or passive instead of hungry?

Vision: Imagine your inner world shaped by Kingdom attitudes. What would peace, purpose, and joy look like if your inner life aligned fully with Jesus?

First Step: Choose one Beatitude to pursue intentionally this week. Write it down. Pray through it. Share it with someone you trust.

🙏 Altar Call / Gospel Invitation:

You’ve heard the invitation of Jesus—not to try harder, not to pretend longer, but to come honestly. He doesn’t say, “Blessed are the successful” or “Blessed are the strong.” He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

This is the Kingdom’s open door—and it swings wide for the broken, the weary, the desperate, and the seeking.

Maybe today you're realizing:

You’ve been depending on your own strength, and it’s left you empty.

You've ignored the sin that's numbed your spirit, and you're ready to feel again.

You’ve tried to control everything, but life feels out of control.

You've lost your appetite for the things of God, and you're starving for something real.

Friend, hear this: Jesus didn’t come to crush you—He came to help you flourish. He doesn’t call the worthy. He calls the willing. He doesn’t demand perfection. He invites surrender.

So come as you are.

Come poor in spirit—He’ll give you the Kingdom.

Come mourning—He’ll give you comfort.

Come meek—He’ll give you your inheritance.

Come hungry—He’ll fill you with what truly satisfies.

You flourish when the Kingdom forms you from the inside out.

This altar isn’t just a place of prayer—it’s a place of transformation. Come forward. Kneel. Weep. Rejoice. Repent. Be renewed. Let this be your moment of Kingdom breakthrough.

📣 Pastor’s Prayer:

Father, we thank You that the Kingdom is not reserved for the perfect, but for the poor in spirit. Thank You that comfort follows godly sorrow, and that surrender leads to strength. Teach us to hunger for what is right, not what is easy. Form us, not just into people who do good—but into people who are good, because we’ve been with Jesus. Let us be citizens of the Kingdom who flourish from the inside out, and who carry that Kingdom into every room we enter this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.