Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart

Introduction

I went back in forth on how to introduce this lesson. On one hand, the Sermon on the Mount is a contrast between Christianity and religion. We can sum up the difference between Christianity and Religion this way: Christianity is God-centered and religion is man-centered.

When we started this series, I mentioned many benefits of preaching through this Sermon of Jesus. One of those benefits is how to be joyful and happy. This sermon gives us the insight into being joyful and happy from the inside out. This is just the opposite with how the world approaches joy.

The world preaches empowerment but the Word preaches dependency. This entire Sermon on the Mount cannot be accomplished without God intervening. In particular, the beatitudes cannot be achieved without divine intervention. We need God to work effectually in our hearts to produce change. Sometimes I am fearful that we put too much dependance upon man and not God.

Matthew 23:25–26 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 KJV 1900

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, And he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Illustration: Lebron James opened up a school for at risk children in his home town of Akron, Ohio. Even though he is one of the greatest NBA players and a standup guy in the community, this does not mean he has a pure heart. Having a pure heart is not demonstrated in our relationships with our fellow man, but with God.

Matthew 23:

Illustration: Whenever I go to the doctor’s for a physical, the doctors takes a medical instrument that has a rubber end and hit’s my knee. Once he does this my knee will reflexively make an upward movement. Similarly, to work out our salvation as Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, is a supernatural reflex of God working in us. It is not about us; rather about God’s power.

Hababb

The Pharisees and Scribes were making the outside of their lives look clean. They were focused on doing what was right in their own eyes, instead of doing what was right in God’s eyes. They thought all those rabbinical laws were right but Jesus said very clearly that they took away from God’s word. They empowered people but magnifying God. We do not have the rabbinical laws today but we there are laws that takeaway from magnifying Christ and God’s word. Today it is compassion, love and experiencing God without turning from sin. This sermon is at odds with that theme.

Why can we be joyful and happy when everything falls apart? Joy and happiness is secured in the kind of relationship we have with God. The words of Habakkuk, on the eve of his kingdom’s destruction were:

Today’s world’s view of a pure heart is not much different than in Jesus day.

So long as you complied with the standards of society then you were deemed good. Yet, Jesus gave a different view point to the standards of the world.

Matthew 23:25–26 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

On the other hand, this section of the sermon focuses on the blessed person. What does the bless person look like? Jesus gives us the answer in this portion of the sermon.

“I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

The outside of the cup was cleaned but their heart was filthy. Outwardly, they were good citizens but inwardly they were in a state of rebellion towards God. People saw their contribution to society but God saw their depravity. We cannot be good or have a pure heart without having a right relationship with God.

The bless person is someone who came to Jesus in poor in spirit. Absolutely broken over their sin and could only find relief at the cross.

This is where we are today. You can be a fornicator: homosexual, having sex with someone who is not your wife, and be viewed as a good person or a person with a pure heart.

The bless person is someone who mourns over their sins. It is not just acknowledging their sin but mourning over their sin.

How do we have a pure heart? It starts with being “poor in spirit.” Being broken over our sin and coming clean with God. That is, repenting of our sins and trusting in the finish work of Calvary. What does that person look like?

The bless person is meek. He or she is not worried about getting their way; they are worried about God being right.

Someone who mourns over sin

The bless person is someone who hungers and thirst after righteousness. They want to reflect the righteousness of Jesus through their lives.

Someone who is meek for truth

The bless person is merciful. They understand their own position outside of grace and use this understanding in treating people in such a way that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer.

Someone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness

The bless person is the pure heart. Why?

Someone who is merciful enough to give the message of the cross to others

Spirit of God Did a work in their heart

Blessed are the poor in spirit - broken over offending God

Blessed are they that mourn - mourning over sin

Blessed are the meek

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness

Blessed are the merciful

Spirit of God

Divine work

If we are pure in heart this evening, it is because God did a divine work in our hearts.

We need God to do a divine work in our hearts. There is no way we can cleanse our hearts, or even contribute to the cleansing.

Job 14:4 KJV 1900

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

Illustration: How can anything come out clean that originates from a mud pool. Likewise, you can not take a deceitful heart and wash it with the filthy rags of righteousness, expecting clean results.

Everyone is unclean before God because of our sin.

Romans 3:10 KJV 1900

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Scriptures

Seeing

Conclusion