Sunday Sermon Matthew 5:1-7

The Revelation Bible study continues this Thursday June 30 at 6:30pm with Kevin. If it is too hot in the sanctuary or Bible study room, we will meet downstairs.

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to FCC where we worship God in Spirit and in Truth, one verse at a time, one book at a time.

Thank you for that wonderful message of music and for the faithful of the worship teams.

Please pray for the worship teams church, because there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that most of us do not know about.

Like practice, practice, practice, learning new music.

Meshing schedules so they can practice...

Differences in personalities, experience, the list goes on.

Know that we are grateful for your commitment and perseverance even when things are not going well, or you are in a difficult season of life, or your schedules are jammed packed, but you still make things happen because you love the Lord and his people!

We have come as far as Matthew 5:7, so let us open our Bibles there.

Has anyone memorized the first 5 beatitudes?

Read Matthew 5:1-7

Matthew 5:1–7 NKJV

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Prayer

Lord Heavenly Father, we praise you that your mercies are new every morning and that your compassions fail not. Thank you Lord because of your mercies we are not consumed! Great is your faithfulness! Lord together we say as Jeremiah that you are our portion, therefore are hope is in you. As we continue our study in the beatitudes, we ask that everyone of these would become a reality in our lives and that the blessedness that comes because of these, we would return to you and others would know that we are your disciples. God, changes are hearts, renew our minds, and help us to grasp what it means to be merciful! Remove any and all distractions and encourage those that are not here.

In Jesus Name, we love You! Amen and Amen

Review

In looking back over the last few weeks, we have discovered what it means to enter into The Kingdom of Heaven.

But we have also learned that it is not only about entering the Kingdom, but allowing God’s Kingdom to live through you.

Because after all, God is certainly about others, amen!

Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for their is the kingdom of heaven.

This is the opposite of self-sufficiency.

The religion of the day was works based and therefore self-sufficient.

This speaks of the deep humility of recognizing one’s utter spiritual bankruptcy apart form God.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

This means that God comforts those who are mourning.

Mourning over sin and the sins of others.

Godly sorrow produces repentance, leading to salvation (2 Cor 7:10)

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

This means having humility and humility is the precursor to being teachable.

Meekness is the opposite of being out of control.

It is not weakness, but supreme self-control, empowered by the Spirit.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled our satisfied.

There must be a great spiritual appetite on the part of Christians for holiness of life or they will never have it.

Only Jesus can fill us to over flowing church, nothing else, no one else!

Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness?

If we took inventory of our lives, could we honestly say that the number one appetite we have is for Jesus, for the Word of God, for prayer, for fellowship, to be with our church family?

This beatitude causes us to look at our priorities and realize we need to make some changes.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

So we come to verse 7 and it is here that the natural progression continues.

Note: That the first three beatitudes are talking about brokenness.

Jesus is being totally counter cultural, he is teaching them simple, yet profound truths that can only be grasped through humility and through brokenness.

If indeed you have the first three beatitudes operating in you life, then the hunger and thirst for righteousness will indeed be a natural by-product by the Holy Spirit.

It is when I have pride in my life church that I become a self-sufficient Pharisee who attempts to please God by my works.

When this happens in my life, it is then that my appetite for righteousness decreases and thus I begin to hunger and thirst for things that do not, or will not satisfy.

NOTE: There are many unhappy Christians today because they are seeking happiness through experience. Christians are not meant to hunger and thirst after experiences or even after happiness itself, for that will lead only to frustration. If Christians want to be truly happy and blessed, they must hunger and thirst after righteousness.

It takes time, effort and concentration to develop positive practical holiness. To become Christ-like a person must often think, will and act in ways contrary to what his human nature, culture or background has taught him.

Our Lord is telling us the truth about how we enter His kingdom and how you live while we are in His kingdom.

Only the poor in spirit enter. Only the mourners enter. Only the meek enter. Only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness enter.

And once they enter, they continue to be poor in spirit, mournful, meek, and hungering and thirsting after even more righteousness.

Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

The progression continues church and here we become merciful to others.

But not just others, but to the outcast, to the leper, to the underdog, and to those the world system has deemed as unlovable.

Jesus again is turning the tables of the hearts of those who are listening because he is placing all the emphasis on the inside, which is upon the heart.

While sadly, the Jews of His day had put all the emphasis on the outside.

The religion that Jesus faced in His day was shallow, it was superficial, and it was external. The Jewish leaders thought that God was pleased with the outside, their apparent external self-righteousness, their formalized religion. They were proud about it. They were self-centered about it. And Jesus dismantled it.

Matthew 23:25–27 NKJV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

God is a God of mercy and it is one of his attributes.

If a person is born again church, then we should naturally be merciful to others.

Why? It is because he has been merciful to us.

God extends his love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness to us church, so we can be his hands and feet, the salt and light of the earth.

He gives to us freely, so we can give to others.

Merciful- eleēmōn (el-eh-ay'-mone) n. — a person who shows leniency, compassion, or forgiveness; especially towards someone who has offended them. Actively compassionate, not merely unhappy for the ills of others, but willing to relieve them, not merely pity, but promptly aiding them.

Wow! This is a big order that the Lord is calling us to!

Who did Jesus go to?

The sinners

The Outcast

The Broken

The Lame

The Deaf

The Leper

The Tax collectors

The paralyzed

The marginalized

Jesus went to everyone who the religious folks of the day despised, rejected, and considered unclean.

Do we do the same?

Or do we keep comfortable and avoid this group?

When I look back over my life, I can see the merciful hand of God and others, can you?

It is hear, that I want to share three things that will change your life, if you allow them to.

Justice is getting what you deserve (punishment).

Mercy is not getting what you deserve (no punishment).

Grace is getting what you don't deserve (salvation).

Think about this.

God is rich in mercy church and he sent his only begotten Son to die in our place, therefore the wrath of God or justice of God was satisfied.

For there is no remission of sins, without the shedding of blood.

Therefore, Jesus who is a merciful and compassionate high priest, died for us.

God who is rich in mercy, love us so, so much church that he desires mercy and not sacrifice.

Look at what he said to the Pharisees who were offering sacrifices, but not mercy:

Matthew 9:12–13 NKJV

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

We are saved by mercy church:

Titus 3:4–7 NKJV

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

If we are heirs of eternal life church, then we must be merciful.

This is the natural progression of entering into God’s kingdom and walking out our faith.

Did the Lord present an opportunity to be merciful this past week? How did you do?

Mercy begotten, is mercy bestowed, right?

Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

The merciful, will obtain mercy or they shall be shown mercy.

Mercy- eleeō-(el-eh-eh'-o)v. — to be or become the recipient of leniency, compassion, and to be pardoned. To show kindness toward, to be spared, and have pity upon. To help one afflicted or to bring help to the wretched.

How is your mercy meter after hearing this definition?

Let’s look at a story that exemplifies this trait:

Read Matthew 18:21-35

Peter thought that he was being super spiritual by coming to Jesus and saying how many times shall he forgive someone>

He said 7

The Jewish Rabbis taught that you should only forgive three-times

Jesus again turned Judaism upside down when he told Little rock up to 7x70

Forgiving 490xs is not when you stop forgiving, but rather it is an exponential number that keeps going and going

The servant in the story is us. He had a debt that he could not pay back, just like you and me.

The King, who represents the Father, gives mercy and forgives the debt.

Just like he has for us. Jesus who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might be called the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Then look what happened!

This wicked servant left after he pleaded for mercy and it is was given by a merciful and compassionate King or High Priest if you may, went to a fellow servant that owed him pennies on the dollar and would not forgive him.

It is importnat to note the lack of forgiveness is forgiveness is offensive to believers and most importantly to God.

There is punishment of justice for this.

God gave him mercy, so that he could be merciful and he failed, just like us at times.

Remember, those three thoughts I gave you earlier?

Justice is getting what you deserve (punishment).

Mercy is not getting what you deserve (no punishment).

Grace is getting what you don't deserve (salvation).

God extended mercy and grace to this servant as he does to us, and because this wicked servant did not extend this same mercy to another he was punished.

So, yes mercy is not getting what you deserve and grace is getting what you don’t deserve, but should we fail to yield the voice of God when he cry’s be merciful, justice can and will follow...

Mercy is forgiving the person who you refuse to forgive, it is being compassionate toward those that do not deserve it.

Jesu went to the sinners, the outcast, the lepers, and the underdogs.

Do you? Do we as a church?

God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead.

Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation.

Throughout the Bible, God gives many illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.

God was merciful to the wayward Solomon in 1 Kings 11:13.

God was merciful to Israel in captivity .

God was merciful to Israel when the continued to walk away from Him, but not without consequences.

David illustrated God’s mercy when he showed kindness to Saul and did not kill him when he had the chance.

God’s mercy was illustrated every year on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Holiest Place and sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice before the mercy seat .

The Word of God is all about God’s mercy.

Psalm 86:14–17 NKJV

O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

As I close, I think about a few things:

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,? the mother explained. “I plead for mercy.? “But your son does not deserve mercy,? Napoleon replied. “Sir,? the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.? “Well, then,? the emperor said, “I will have mercy.? And he spared the woman’s son.

The second is this text:

Luke 7:47–50 NKJV

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Jesus is dealing with the legalistic religious leaders in this text and they are attempting to trip him up.

This women who was a known sinner came to eat at the Pharisees house brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil to the dinner.

She fell at his feet weeping and washed his feet with her tears church, then she took that flask an anointed his feet with the fragrance of heaven.

Was the oil the most fragrant thing in the room? NO

It was her because:

Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It was her :

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

It was her:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

It was her:

Because she was hungering and thirst for righteousness because her lifestyle left her empty.

And it was her, because see obtained mercy which is forgiveness...

Church, Jesus said that her sins were many and she was forgiven. And because of this she loved much!

It seems like the more we are forgiven and granted mercy, the more we extend it to others...

How is your mercy meter? Who is God calling you or us to be merciful toward? Is it that person who you struggle to forgive? Who is it?

Prayer

Lamentations 3:22–26 NKJV

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.

THE LORD BLESS YOU!

YOUR MISSION STARTS NOW!

BE MERCIFUL!!!

Related Media

Related Sermons