The Heart of the Kingdom
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The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount
Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of Heaven (God)
The sermon on the mount is a manifesto of the kingdom of heaven (or the kingdom of God)
The Kingdom of God is a present reality… embodied in the church until Jesus returns… and the Kingdom will continue throughout eternity
The Kingdom only
The first 16 verses of are general and broad statements regarding the Christian
The rest of chapter 5 as well as chapters 6-7 are specific examples how a Christian is to live in the world
These chapters are a description of character and not a code of ethics or morals… not a new law, bur rather a picture of what a Christian should be
We see the very character and heart of Jesus Christ within this timeless sermon
Jesus
This morning we are going to focus on the beatitudes - as I have been looking at these over the last couple of weeks, I have been convicted
The beatitudes are characteristics of believers… and EVERY christian is meant to live out ALL these characteristics
These are not NATURAL qualities or tendencies… but only produced by the Holy Spirit
They clearly delineate between the Christian and the non-Christian… including the reality that we belong to two absolutely different kingdoms
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto 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 they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Blessed…
Blessed…
the Greek word μακαριος is also be translated happy, or fortunate… but that seems quite superficial
the Greek word μακαριος is also be translated happy, or fortunate… but that seems quite superficial
the Greek word μακαριος is also be translated happy, or fortunate… but that seems quite superficial
a better translation and definition would be fortunate or fulfilled
Fortunate are…
Fulfilled are…
These verses, known as the beatitudes, describe what true happiness… truly fortunate… a genuinely fulfilled life has
We will be looking at
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
For all those things hath mine hand made,
And all those things have been, saith the Lord:
But to this man will I look,
Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And trembleth at my word.
For all those things hath mine hand made,
And all those things have been, saith the Lord:
But to this man will I look,
Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And trembleth at my word.
This verse is the antithesis of 21st century American culture where there is almost a religion of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-assurance, self-expression, and self-gratification
Believe in yourself!
Jesus begins this sermon with a statement in complete contrast to this spirit of SELF-focus
For thus saith the high and lofty One
That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
(KJV) For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.
(KJV) For thus saith the high and lofty One That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
isa
Isaiah 6:22
(KJV) For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.
Being “poor in spirit” means there is a complete absence of pride and self-reliance…
Isaiah 6
It is an distinct awareness that we are absolutely nothing in the presence of God
Our heritage, our family, our nationality, our education, our personality, our position, our wealth, our intelligence… Paul said he regarded those things as manure
Isaiah portrayed what it means to be poor in spirit when he said… Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips
Being poor in spirit is the key into the Kingdom of God and to all of the Christian life… but also these beatitudes…
all the others build on this critical characteristic of every Christian
How do I really feel about myself in the presence of God?
What do my conversations and my prayers about how I view myself?
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted
This is a spiritual mourning… not a natural grief that comes from a death or loss
To mourn is something that comes as a result of being “poor in spirit” - and our understanding of sin
To mourn is to admit and confess the the blackened sinfulness of my heart as I contemplate the holiness of God
As we see our absolute nothingness compared to God we can begin to see our own horrible sinfulness
This leads to repentance and the comfort only God can provide...
but it must be proceeded with the heart-felt sorrow for sin and my own sinfulness
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth
The world thinks and operates in terms of strength, power, ability, aggressiveness, conquest, domination
Jesus teaches that possession of the world belongs to the meek!
What a contrast!
Aristotle, in his fifth-century B.C. Nicomachean Ethics, defines praÿs as the virtue of acting halfway between recklessness on one side and cowardice on the other. For Aristotle, the path of virtue was always the “golden mean” between two extremes. The one who is truly praÿs (meek) is the one who becomes angry on the right grounds against the right person in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time.8
This statement must of caught the attention of the Jews...
They had their own ideas of what God’s kingdom would be like… they envisioned a military conquest to overthrow of the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom
Jesus was telling them they had it all wrong… the MEEK - they are the ones who will inherit the earth
This beatitude continues to build on the first two...
the poor in spirit recognize their nothingness before God… they mourn as a response and awareness of sin… which then leads to meekness
these seem to be getting increasingly difficult as well
the first two have to do with my attitude toward God
Meekness now involves other people… it is one thing to admit our nothingness and helplessness to God… it is quite another to allow other people to say things like that about me… we prefer to see our own weaknesses, not having others bring them to our attention
Meekness
is not laziness or weakness
it it my attitude towards myself and how I express that toward others
doesn’t demand anything for himself… doesn’t claim all his rights
is not looking out for myself or my own interests...
isn’t pitying yourself
Meekness is one who is amazed that God and others can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do.
We are placing ourselves, our rights, our cause, our whole future … into the hands of God (especially when we feel we are suffering unjustly)
These first three beatitudes are the emptying ourselves… before we can start being filled with God’s character
emptying ourselves of our SELF reliance
Aristotle, in his fifth-century B.C. Nicomachean Ethics, defines praÿs as the virtue of acting halfway between recklessness on one side and cowardice on the other. For Aristotle, the path of virtue was always the “golden mean” between two extremes. The one who is truly praÿs (meek) is the one who becomes angry on the right grounds against the right person in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time.
emptying ourselves of our sinfulness and enjoyment of sin
emptying ourselves of our rights and our interests
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled
For what are we hungry and thirsty? What do we crave? What do we desire?
Many so-called Christians hunger and thirst after something other than righteousness…
They may be pursuing pleasure or material wealth and prestige or experiences in which they feel good or education or career
Jesus instructs us that true fulfilment and joy comes through a constant craving for righteousness...
What is righteousness?
a desire to be right with God (sin separates us from God)
a desire to be free from the power of sin
a desire to be free from the very desire of sin
To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to desire and long to be positively holy
this person wants to exemplify the Beatitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit in every aspect of his life
this person’s ultimate desire is to be like Jesus in this sin-filled world
When we hunger and thirst for righteousness… we will be filled!
We won’t stay empty. God will fill us with His righteousness
Not one time, but an ongoing filling
For what are you hungry and thirsty?
What do you crave?
What do you desire?
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
We continue to build on and fill ourselves with this next beatitude
The first three beatitudes show us our need… deep awareness of our need
Then, as we hunger & thirst for righteousness, God fills us… we become merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers
To be merciful - to show mercy is to have a sense of pity and a desire to relieve the suffering of the miserable consequences of sin
It is the opposite of responding “this is my opportunity to exert my rights” when someone sins against us
Being merciful is seeing others in light of what God has done for me...
… seeing them as slaves of sin and Satan whom God want to deliver
… feeling pity and sorrow for their condition rather the reacting to their actions
As we live our lives here in this world, we fall into sin. When we do, we need this mercy as well, and it is there for us in those times
You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.
Are you merciful?
Do you feel sorrow for every sinner, even though that person offends/hurts you?
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
As I studied, this beatitude probably struck me the most deeply…
It is so comprehensive, and the result is seeing God!
What a promise and privilege
But those with an impure heart won’t see God…
What is the condition of my heart?
In the Jewish mind, the heart includes the entire interior life of a person… it is not just feelings, but includes the mind, the will, and emotions
the heart is the center of one’s being… it is the fountain from which all of life flows
God’s interest is our heart… the emphasis is our inner being rather than external conduct
One reason for God’s intense interest in our heart, is because that is also the origin of all our troubles
But what exactly is the “heart” in biblical literature? Modern Western culture limits the word heart to the feelings. But the heart in the Hebrew mind included the entire interior life of the person. The feelings, the mind and the will were all part of “the heart.”9 The bless-ed exhibit purity in all three of these aspects of the interior world. That purity opens the road to a transparency that can be described as purity of heart.
Purity --- two aspects
First, without hypocrisy, genuine, single-minded, single-eyed devotion - if your eye be single, your whole body is full of light
Second, it means to be cleansed
to be pure in heart means to be like Jesus Christ - loving God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind!
It is a deep desire for God, a desire to know Him, a desire to love Him, and a desire to serve Him
In a word, pure in heart could be described as holiness
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God
This statement again conflicts with the perceptions of the Messiah establishing an earthly kingdom… I am sure it was shocking and disturbing to many Jews
Peacemakers stand in stark contrast with how the kingdom of this world thinks and operates
World War 1 was originally touted as “the war to end all wars”
Sin results in conflict and the world will not be free from war as long as there is sin
A Christian is no longer enslaved to sin and knows what true peace is and wants to make peace
a peacemaker is NOT an “appeaser” who simply wants to avoid conflict even at the expense of justice and righteousness
A peacemaker...
is a person who is not quarrelsome - doesn’t pick a fight
is a person who actively looks for ways to make peace
One cannot be an effective peacemaker without a pure and merciful heart… with sincere motives
A peacemaker is not only concerned about how a situation affects himself… but with the glory of God among mankind
Being a peacemaker means...
we learn not to speak (slow to speak, quick to hear, slow to anger)
viewing situations in light of the gospel
go above and beyond what is required
dispensing / diffusing peace wherever we go
God claims peacemakers for Himself - they are His children
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Verses 11-12 elaborate on this 8th and last beatitude Jesus gave
By concluding “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Jesus is showing a conclusion the list of beatitudes… by ending the same way as the first one.
they all descibe the kingdom of heaven, but only the first and last ones explicitly state that relationship
This one seems to be a result of being a Christian rather than a description… but it also does describe the type of person a Christian is and how he behaves
When a Christian lives a life characterized by the previous seven descriptions, he is at complete odds with the kingdom of this world
the potential for negative reaction is very high - Christians are oddballs, they don’t fit, they don’t belong, they don’t make sense to unbelievers
We live in a country that allows for religious freedom (as of today)
they all
We live in a country that allows for religious freedom (as of today)
We can face “persecution” or mistreatment for reasons other then what this beatitude states
the key is the phrase that follows the word persecuted...
What are we persecuted for?
So-called persecution for unwise choices, a personal agenda / cause, fanaticism, intentional aggravation is not what this is describing
neither is it pursuing unnecessary suffering for ourselves
Blessed are they which are persecuted FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS sake...
it is a willingness to suffer
being righteous is being like Jesus
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Do we know what it is to be persecuted for righteousness sake?
To become like Jesus we become light… light always exposes darkness… and darkness hates light (hates being exposed)
We are not to be offensive… foolish… unwise…
We are not to do anything that invites persecution
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
To become like Jesus we become light… light always exposes darkness… and darkness hates light (hates being exposed)
We are not to be offensive… foolish… unwise…
We are not to do anything that invites persecution