Blessed
Notes
Transcript
Claim - Those who come empty handed and live in ‘poverty’ )spiritual, relational. material, etc) for Jesus belong to the kingdom of Heaven
Focus - Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven (v12a)
Function - to give all to Jesus in the sure hope of belonging to the kingdom of God now and forever more.
Some will tell you the Christian life is full of trials and woes, sacrifice and temptations and difficulties and discipline.
Full of an ongoing repentance and for our failures and sins.
Full of a daily pursuit of godliness.
Others will tell you the Christian life is full of joy and blessing. Contentment, and confidence. Rejoicing and happiness.
In the extreme you have prosperity gospel churches that proclaim health and wealth. Success and riches.
More subtle, you get some proclaiming a life of victory now, where we need not seek righteousness or godliness - that’s just legalism.
We’re freed from sin so all we do is now righteous.
Just enjoy being loved by God and sort of do whatever you want.
Or there is the opposite danger where we are to live in continual guilt - living as if we will only inherit salvation, the kingdom of God if we get things right.
If we improve and change.
Well which is it?
Trials, sacrifice and effort or victory, joy and blessing?
Well Jesus is going to begin his famous Sermon on the Mount by settling this debate once and for all.
Trials, sacrifice and effort or victory, joy and blessing?
‘Yes’ says Jesus.
In fact he says a true Christian will be blessed - he says it 8 times.
And v12a,
Matthew 5:12 (NIV (Anglicised, 2011))
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
But he will also say the Christian is poor in sprit, mourning, meek, sacrificing. We will hunger and thirst strive after righteousness,
How’s it all hold together?
Let’s find out..
We left Jesus when we were last in Matthew in January having just began his ministry..
He was preaching the good news of the kingdom,
and healing diseases and illness.
We left Jesus in 4:23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and illness among the people.
Jesus had become a celebrity in whole region, and could hardly go far without being swamped by people wanting to see him, hear him and be healed by him.
So
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
He goes somewhere little quieter to teach his disciples for a while.
but we know many crowds would have still followed And listened in.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
So this is teaching for disciples, followers of Jesus, but also for anyone listening in on Christianity - what’s it all about.
And so he begins.
The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes
as they are called.
1 - Poor in Spirit
1 - Poor in Spirit
He said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed is a slightly difficult word to translate,
It carries the idea of being happy or fortunate,
but it requires a sense of relationship.
SO perhaps God is pleased with someone, and so his favourable attitude towards you makes you happy.
In other words it’s not some kinds of weird situation where Jesus is saying,
happy are those who are poor, or mourning - that wouldn’t make any sense.
But happy are those whom God looks on favourably becasue of their poverty or mourning.
So let’s go through them
The poor in spirit are simply those who come in spiritual poverty before God.
Like a toddler who approaches his parent with grubby but empty hands and says:
“Me Hungry.”
Or as 2 years of speach therapy had to fix, Zeke would say,
Me ungy!
They come with absolutely nothing - an empty hand,
Isa 66 2 shares the same idea:
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the Lord. ‘These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
When we read God’s word and learn of his character and perfection,
his glory and majesty,
we are left with little else other than trembling.
We cannot come to God and bargain with him..
Look here God - I have a few good deeds tucked up my sleeve,
could I exchange them for your blessing - your favour towards me.
No,how far short we fall of his justice and glory, and we tremble.
We recognise we’re poor in spirit.
We have nothing to pay,
just an open and empty hand.
Or at least that is what we should do - becasue that is the type of person that inherits the kingdom of heaven.
Think you’re ok spiritually - as if you’e done enough to gain citizenship in heaven,
No - it is those who know they have nothing to offer who do.
And this beatitude is really the key to Jesus’ whole sermon - strecthing to the end of chapter 7.
It would be easy to move onto Jesus’ teaching on how we are to behave before God,
and end up feeling like we do have to earn our salvation.
Matthew 5:22 (NIV (Anglicised, 2011
anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.
But Jesus is not describing the entry requirements for heaven when he gets there,
he is describing what our life should be like in response to the grace we have been given.
We are blessed - made happy by the favour of God towards us -
if we acknowledge that we are totally unworthy/spiritually poor,
empty handed before God - then the kingdom of heaven already belongs to us.
It’s quite amazing, and quite the opposite of what our world offers.
It really is a free lunch,
Something for nothing,
It’s a blessing to come back to everyday.
He said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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2 - Mourn
2 - Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Jesus can’t mean that any person who mourns for the death of a loved one will be blessed.
It certainly seems true that God has a particular heart for the poor and down trodden, or vulnerable or unfortunate.
But in view here is the connection to the poor in spirit.
those who mourn for the spiritual state of ourselves and our world.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.
A Christian does not join in, or delight in, or even find themselves unaffected by the rebelious world around us - or our own sin.
We mourn our sin and that of the world.
Because it is an attack on the God who is so gracious to us.
Sin isn’t funny,
rejecting God isn’t something to be indifferent about.
A christian will learn to mourn sin - but,
in doing so we are blessed -
for to mourn sin echoes the very heart of God,
it reassures us that he is a God of grace and we are the beneficiaries of that grace.
If we don’t take sin seriously - there will be no comfort for us.
Our great sadness at our sin and others,
our regret and pain when we sin is not a bad thing!
For it means we recognise our need for grace,
and we joyfully look forward to the day when Jesus returns and wipes every tear away.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
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3 - Meek
3 - Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Meekness has nothing to do with weakness or timidity.
It is not about lacking confidence or boldness.
Meekness is about choosing to act in a way that lowers yourself.
It’s genuine humility .
Meekness tells us to lay down our rights.
to not assert ourselevs before others,
or to extend our own importance,
but rather - fully relying on God - we are humble, and chose to be meek.
Meekness and humility is vastly overlooked in our culture
but it has to be one of Jesus’ core attitudes.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
It will not be those who have punched their way to the top of there career,
or those who control the power on the neighbour hood whatsapp group,
or those who have the most influence on Social media who inherit the earth - when Christ retruns
It will be those who lower themselves in response to the grace and example of Jesus.
How blessed top be meek.
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4 - Hunger and thirst for righteousness
4 - Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
If we truly accept our spiritual poverty before God,
and therefore are blessed by knowing we now belong to a new and glorious Kingdom on heaven
Well then surely we can only respond wanting to please such a great God.
So we will hunger and thirst after his right and glorious ways - after righteousness.
Obedience is not legalism,
it’s not earning salavtion,
It’s a wonderful blessing.
To say we recognise our poverty,
say we accept the grace of God,
and then have an attitude of wanting to still live for ourselves - would undermine it all.
No, instead,
as the true Christian strives, hungers and thirsts after righteousness - and they will be filled!
You get the idea that for now we will always be hungry.
We will always fall short of God’s great righteousness and glory,
But we keep on striving for it -
like a dog with a bone,
They never stop trying to get through it and nor will we.
For we know a day is coming when we will be filled to the brim of righteousness.
When Jesus returns -
we will be given perfect obedience that glorifies God and thrills us!
This isn’t a challenge of perfection - for we hunger a thirst after it - we wont ever fully achieve it in this life.
It’s a challenge of our heart!
What are we hungry for?
Do we hunger and thirst after God’s word and obedience to him,
or does God barely register in our minds on an average day.
If you hadn’t eaten for 2 weeks - not much else would be on your mind other than finding food and drink.
That is the attitude we should have before God and his word.
Nothing much else on our minds.
reading his word,
praying for wisdom,
seeking to obey,
not to earn the kingdom of heaven,
but becasue we so desire to live as we will when the kingdom of heaven arrives in fullness.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
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5 - Merciful
5 - Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
How often do we aren’t Merciful to people’s needs becasue we simply see their problems as self inflicted!
Well it was their own stupid fault.
But praise God that is not how he treats us!
If God’s mercy towards me was based on my own avoidance of stupidity - I’d receive no mercy at all!
No - the Christian who has truly understood the mercy of God shown them,
will show mercy to others.
If you, like me,
struggle to show mercy - then we must meditate on the mercy and grace shown to us by Jesus!
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
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6 - Pure in heart
6 - Pure in heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
The heart is more than what we might think of - as just our emotional base,
The heart in NT times was short hand for everything about us. Emotions, reason, morals.
We might say ‘to our core’.
And that core ought to be pure!
To be pure of heart is to be pure in out innermost secrets.
Everything about us
It’s a challenge, yes
Elsewhere Jesus reminds us
For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
But this is what we are freed from,
and are called to purity, in His grace!
And what a blessing - to know God looks favourably on those who seek purity to their core.
To know that God will show us his very face once we are finally changed and purified fully at Christ’s return.
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7 - Peacemakers
7 - Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Jesus is calling his followers to be peace - makers - not just peace keepers - and not just appeasers.
Peace makers make an effort to bring about peace.
It’s what God actively does for us in our rebelion against Him!
He takes the initiate, and puts in the work and sacrifice required to make peace with us his enemies!.
When we seek peace with a colleague rather than revenge,
or peace with a family member who insists on being an utter pain,
or when we seek peace in our church family rather than fairness or equality,
we will be known as son’s and daughters of God.
Of course it’s the future reality of Jesus’ return that is most in mind,
but as with all these there is an earthly present blessing as well.
Be a peacemaker like Jesus.
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8 - Persecuted
8 - Persecuted
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It’s odd to think the persecuted are blessed.
It’s probably even odder to the disciples listening and the crowds earwigging,
for why would they face persecution for being righteous.
In their culture - the pharisees pursue righteousness and are celebrated for it.
but v11 gives a clue as to the cause and specific nature of the persecution - presumably to come their way...
‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Following Jesus is going to bring them persecution.
Unlike the other beatitudes this is not one to seek out - but more of one that may be unavoidable if we truly seek to live as the beatitudes call us to.
In Britain, persecution is not in the same league, compared to what many Christians around the world and in history face.
But let us be prepared, and not shy away from standing for Jesus,
HOw often we chose ease rather than potential challenge to stand for or speak fro Jesus.
becasue blessed are those who are persucted for Jesus
For theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.
Conclusion - The life of poverty and riches
Conclusion - The life of poverty and riches
There is a real now and not yet feeling to the Beatitiudes.
The first and last one promises the present tence of the kingdom of heaven,
all the middle ones promise a future reward.
But the blessing is both the reward to come
and the knowledge and joy that God look on us favourably, with love,
when we demonstrate these chaterteristics.
Our happiness now, our blessing is not based on our present expericene of spiritual poverty,
or striving to be righteous but failing,
or facing persecution -
but on knowing God loves us and rewards us for seeking to live for Him and like His son Jesus.
v12 is really about persecution, but it is an illustration Jesus uses throughout his teachings.
It’s a great and true motivation for us to stand strong in faith, to persever and strive to live as we are called to here,
and it is a great blessing and happiness to us.
12a
Matthew 5:12 (NIV (Anglicised, 2011))
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven
Trials, sacrifice and effort or victory, joy and blessing?
‘Yes’ says Jesus.
This is the key to a blessed life,
Come empty handed - recieve it all by grace,
and go spend all your effort striving to be what we already are in Christ,
The closer we align our lives to these attitudes,
the happier, the more blessed we will be -
for we will both reflect the Lord Jesus,
and be pleasing our heavenly father,
we will be living as we were created to live,
and living as we will one day eternally be.
We wont do it perfectly - but we will know we are building our reward in heaven.
Pray
