The Beatitudes

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Introduction:

What is the greatest sermon you have ever heard? I have heard some pretty good sermons in my life. I have had the chance to see some of the top preachers in the country as I have visited different conferences. However, I can guarantee that there never has been nor never will be a preacher greater than Jesus. Today, we begin a journey through the greatest sermon ever. The Sermon on the Mount.

Read: Matthew 5:2-12

Explanation:

This sermon is filled with so much! For 21 weeks we will be going through this sermon. Jesus has gathered His disciples and His reputation seems to be gaining momentum. He has a very large crowd that is following Him so Jesus takes the opportunity to speak life into them. We are going to do our best to get in depth as we go along. This sermon has a lot of valuable truth that must be applied to our lives.

In our passage today, The Beatitudes, describe what the attitude of the believer should be in their everyday lives. These attitudes are ones that will bring the utmost completion in life, the utmost happiness. In fact, the word blessed in Greek is makarios which can also be translated happy. What is your attitude or your view toward your faith? I believe there are four views or attitudes described in this passage.

Application:

Our View Toward Ourselves (vs.3)

What is your view of yourself? To be poor in spirit is to live humbly. It does not mean that you are easily walked on or have no backbone. The world is all about self-praise and assertion, which is totally opposite of what Jesus says here. We need to have a right view of ourselves. We are to have a confidence that is rooted in the Lord. This humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.

Our View Toward Our Sins (vs.4-6)

Mourn, meek, hunger and thirst. These words have something in common. The common element is the view or attitude toward sin. To mourn in verse 4 is our reaction over sin. We are to despise sin. Our view of sin must change. As we mourn over our sin, we must meekly submit to God. Meekness is not weakness. Meek was used by the Greeks to describe a horse that had been broken. It is a power under control. As we meekly seek God we must always hunger and thirst for righteousness. As we seek Him, we are covering ourselves in His guidance. Our view of sin begins to change the closer we get to Jesus.

Our View Toward the Lord (vs.7-9)

When we place our trust in Jesus He shows us mercy, He gives us a clean heart, and brings us peace. How we view God is displayed in how we share the mercy we have been shown. It’s displayed in the pureness of our hearts that others may see God in our lives. Our attitude toward God is displayed through the way we make peace in a troubled world. We are the avenues and vessels for God’s mercy, purity, and peace.

Our View Toward the World (vs.10-12)

The society in which we live is not a friend toward God nor His children. There is and will always be conflict with the world we live in. It is simply because we are living counter culturally. The world is not our friend or our home. We cannot develop a love for this world. We will be persecuted so we must come together as God’s family to encourage and admonish one another.

Conclusion: When you read these beatitudes, you find they give us a radically different outlook from what we get from the world. The world we live in is at war with God, yet at the same time God’s desire is to bring reconciliation to the ones that wage war against Him. As His children we must strive to live with the view or attitude that is found in the Beatitudes. This type of living shows the world our amazing God and His love for them. Church, this must become our life style. Are you willing to commit to this type of life? I’m calling you to a change. What will you do? What will you decide?

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