Blessed Life: The Seekers

Introduction:

RED LETTERS: Series on Jesus’ teachings!

Red letters in Bible = the words of Jesus

Discuss most famous collection of teach’gs, Sermon on the Mount

Series will take us until at least the end of April

Great sermon begins with a section prominently called “Beatitudes”

Latin: means "blessed sayings” —describes people who belong in God’s kingdom

Last wk: Jesus’ Kingdom is for the Needy…

…those who understand their Spiritual poverty,

A person X calls is one who owns of their lack of ability to be pure

Instead they rely on God.

…those who mourn the word's sin, and

JC uses those who are horrified by the world’s rebellion & feels it deeply.

Even in grief over those deceived & longs for better.

…the emotionally regulated.

Not one who lashes out or always goes with their ‘gut’,

Someone who thoughtfully responds to circum. with a cool head.

If we’re controlled by our emotions or dictated by our desires, unlikely to be guided by the Holy Spirit!

These are first three kinds of ppl Jesus wants.

God’s Kingdom Made up of People who Wouldn't be Called “Blessed” in Society’s eyes!

X saying: The most productive servants of God are those who are most humble, selfless, & in-control.

If U find urself out of control of emotions, self-right’ss, or egocentric…beware!

No matter how much you want to, find yourself roadblocked from Kingdom productivity.

Disclaimer: These are not statuses to achieve or boxes to check, but the qualities of a person that X will use.

If you don’t reflect these characteristics…

Ask: How has Christ & His Word been changing me?

How am I growing to be more like Him?

If your answer is: Trying, but have ups/downs; I struggle… “congrats, you’re human! Pick ‘self back up and try again, relying on HS!”

If your answer is: I don’t remember last time Jesus affected my life at all? ASK “What practices can put in place to see me learn more & grow mature?”

You’ll find that, as you grow in Jesus, with His ppl, by His Spirit, you’ll begin to take on these attributes.

Again — not something to DO, but someone to become.

SCRIPTURE??

Last week described needy people—those with plenty of LACK.

Once you realize your LACK, you naturally begin to LONG for something better >>

Jesus Fulfills Those Who are…

These three focus on people whose hearts have been "re-oriented."

They aren't just empty anymore; they are actively longing for justice/righteousness.

They desire for things to be "put right" in their own hearts (purity) & in their treatment of others (mercy).

You’ll notice that each of these three have strong DESIRES for the things of God!

The first one is a person >>

…Hungry for Righteousness [δικαιοσυνη]

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Going to work thru this Beatitude inside out.

First thing have to talk about is a very Bible-y word, “right’ss!”

Gk: Dikaiosune; assume they’re thinking about the Hebrew meaning

"Righteousness" [Heb: tsedaqah] in the Bible isn't just private piety; it’s doing right by others or/and by God, too.

Men’s Bib. stud.—chosen to cultivate God’s best for others/his world.

Another, sometimes synonymous word: justice!

Need to think: “Right relationships”

Say: “Right relationship”

What’s right is slightly diff. depending on relat.—talk w/ boss, not how talk to spouse

Not hypoc., diff. context dictate diff. relats!

So we act rightly in order to maintain a good relat. May look diff. z

YHWH breaks it down thru servant Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 22:3 LEB “Thus says Yahweh, “Act with justice & righteousness...

and deliver the one who has been seized from the hand of the oppressor. And you must not oppress or treat violently the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. And you must not shed innocent blood.”

Rightly treating those who have NO/little STATUS or things to their name pleases God & ensures a right-relat. with HIM also.

Not mutually exclusive!

First part of this Beatitude [Mt 5:6] is intriguing:

To hunger/thirst for it means you don’t have it; you want justice as desperately as a starving person wants bread.

U don’t take a night off! Work late into Fri night to ensure justice for some1 else.

Example: Parable of the Widow & the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1–8)

Summarize Parable

This widow has been wronged and has no social power.

She doesn't just halfheartedly wish for justice; she pursues it relentlessly, pestering the judge until he acts.

The widow "hungers" for things to be made right; and doesn’t sleep until it is. See: Amos 5:24

She knows things aren't right, and she won't be satisfied until they are.

Jesus says those who have this appetite will be "filled"—a promise of the coming Kingdom’s wholeness.

Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

You know, plenty of brokenness & reason to be offended/hurt in this world.

If the pursuit of right-relat’s is how we see God’s kingdom come, then

the ONLY way we can see our relationships be right (with God & others) is if you are… >>

Filled with Mercy [ελεος]

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Mercy [eleos] isn't just a feeling of pity; it is an active choice to withhold judgment in order to step into someone else’s pain.

It's the natural result of realizing how much mercy you yourself have received in your "spiritual poverty".

When one realizes that they’ve been given SO MUCH by God, the overflow is a love in which judg’t operates after/thru grace.

Won’t look down on the alcoholic or the violent or the criminal bc I know I’ve been forgiven much.

This doesn’t negate justice, but it does reorient its purpose to restoration, not just cold punishment. God can handle that!

“Mercy” is often connected with a/n [altruistic] familial love; agape. Being with someone not considering what you get in return.

If a family member of yours comes to you and says: “I’ve gotten into a bunch of trouble & I need your help"… you help!

Ideally self-righteous judgment is set aside to help the person in need.

Not: I’ll only give you love if you first… Instead: I will go to the ends of the earth to see you restored. Then we’ll talk about how to best use this gift…

We can do this often with our kids; earning love… to the detriment of our relationships.

Example: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)

You likely know the story well. Jesus is asked “who’s my neighbor” & tells a parab.

A dying man lying in road. Two men dedicated to ‘helping’ pass him by & the one who should be his enemy stops to help.

The Samaritan didn't just feel bad for the man in the ditch. He stopped, bound the wounds, and paid for the recovery.

Mercy is love, moved into action.

This is the first "blessed saying" that implies action: Those living the Good Life don't just see a broken world but participate its healing.

And, as the Beatitude promises

To sincerely long for what’s right & then to show mercy requires one to be… >>

Pure-Hearted [καθαρος τε καρδια]

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

To be "pure in heart" doesn't mean you're perfect, sinless; but "undivided" between motives & actions (integrous, whole).

You aren't "playing the game" of religion for status; you actually want God.

You also aren’t showing love or compassion to get God’s attention or to brag to others or even to just appear good/holy.

Example: Nathanael’s character (John 1:45–49)

John 1:45–49 “Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” ”

When Jesus first sees Nathanael, he says, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

WYSISWYG—Can be bad, but also can be REAL, AUTHENTIC.

Nathanael didn't have a hidden agenda.

Jesus says these are the people who will "see God"—meaning they will recognize God’s presence when He is standing right in front of them.

The real goal needs to be reoriented desires >>

Ask: “What Do I Long For?”

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink & sex & ambition when infinite joy is offered us; like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased." — CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory

For yourself and for Others?

Do you long for everyone to like you? for wealth? for power/influence? for just phys. health? for ev’one to do things FOR YOU?

Do you long to love better? to consider others well? to serve those less status than U?

See, we must ackn. our insufficiency & world’s state (spiritual poverty, morning), but >

God’s Kingdom doesn't just leave us in our poverty or lack; it gives us a new set of desires. (Psalm 24:3-4)

Psalm 24:3-4 "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? ... The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol."

If our desires for right’ss & justice; if we’re committed to love w/o considering the return (mercy); and actions consistent w/ that… we will see God!

We will be worthy of Eden.

Rather, that’s char. of someone who will XP God’s closeness in life: walking in cool of day; “Father God”.

Pursue a Change of Heart.

The Real challenge here is changing our heart/mind.

PRACTICAL TIPS THAT WILL GROW DEPENDENCE ON GOD & KNOWING HIM MORE CLOSELY.

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

"When the Kingdom touches you, your appetite changes.

You stop hungering for status and start hungering for justice (The Widow).

You stop protecting your own rights and start protecting the rights of others (The Samaritan).

And you stop wearing a mask and start living with an undivided heart (Nathanael)."