Sermon Central
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Beatitudes: Attitudes For Revival
Contributed by Richard Tow on Mar 6, 2023 (message contributor)
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1. Attitudes For Revival: Poor In Spirit
Contributed on Mar 6, 2023
How do we posture ourselves for Revival? This message draws upon the Beatitudes for answers to that question.
I want to share with you eight keys attitudes for revival. I confess up front that this list is not original with me. I got it from the greatest revivalist who ever lived. He shared these insights at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. We often refer to these eight attitudes of heart as the ...read more
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2. Attitudes For Revival: Those Who Mourn
Contributed on Mar 13, 2023
"Blessed are those who mourn." How does this beatitude instruct us to position ourselves for revival? Is there a mindset here necessary for operating in a revival?
Intro How do we posture ourselves to be used by God? What attitudes of heart invite the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives? We find answers to these questions in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus began that sermon in Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes he shares eight attitudes of ...read more
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3. The Meek
Contributed on Mar 20, 2023
What is biblical meekness? When and how is the reward of meekness experienced? How do we cultivate this quality in our lives?
Intro Our text today is Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”i This is the third beatitude that introduces Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. In this series, we have already considered the first two: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn.” ...read more
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4. Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness
Contributed on Mar 27, 2023
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." This beatitude calls for an intense desire for righteousness. Are we actively and passionately seeking to be more and more like Jesus?
Intro Our text today is Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”i What do you long for in life? People are hunger machines. Bruce Springsteen sang in the 80s, “Everybody’s got a hungry heart.”ii Even the world recognizes the internal ...read more
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5. The Merciful
Contributed on Apr 4, 2023
Most people think we should be merciful to other people. But is their understanding of mercy biblical? This message expounds the 5th Beatitude: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
Intro Our text today is Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”i Do you need mercy from God? Do you need a lot of mercy from the Lord? Do you need contined mercy from the Lord? Our answer to those questions alerts us to the importance of this text. Jesus is giving us a ...read more
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6. Pure In Heart: Defined
Contributed on Apr 10, 2023
In this sixth beatitude, we must understand the standard Jesus is setting with the with the phrase "pure in heart.". If we set the standard too low, we fail to enter into the fullness of the blessing. If we set it too high we forsake the pursuit as futile.
Intro We are studying the Beatitudes with an interest in how to position ourselves for revival. What attitudes of heart are conducive to experiencing more of God’s grace and participating in what he is doing. The Beatitudes provide insight for participating in the kingdom of God because this is the ...read more
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7. Pure In Heart: The Reward
Contributed on Apr 17, 2023
This is the second message in a study of the sixth beatitude. The reward for the pure in heart is that they will "see God." How does that promise relate to the resurrection, and how does it relate to this life? What is biblical impact of seeing God?
Intro We are in a study of the Beatitudes with an interest in how to position ourselves to be revived and enter into his purposes more fully. Last week we began talking about the sixth beatitude. It is recorded in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”i That is our ...read more
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8. Peacemakers
Contributed on Apr 24, 2023
"Blessed are the peacemakers." Our concept of peacemaking must be based on scriptural revelation. Biblical peacemaking is not appeasement. We know that from God's example of making peace. What is biblical peacemaking and how is it rewarded?
Intro We come today to the 7th Beatitude found in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”i We are approaching the pinnacle of this list of attributes that bring blessing on a person’s life. Everybody wants to be blessed. But not everybody is willing to take ...read more
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9. Persecuted: Why?
Contributed on May 1, 2023
The Beatitudes are a beautiful picture of the character of Christ and of consecrated Christians. Why would such a lifestyle depicted in the first seven beatitudes provoke persecution rather than admiration and esteem?
Intro In our study of the Beatitudes, we come to the eighth beatitude. It is recorded in Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”i The reward declared in this final beatitude is the same as declared in the first ...read more
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10. Responding To Persecution
Contributed on May 8, 2023
Will we experience increased persecution in the days ahead? If so, will we respond in a way that facilitates the work of the Holy Spirit, or will we respond in the flesh, pursuing worthy goals in an unworthy manner? Message examines biblical revelation of how to respond.
Intro Persecution: Will we experience increased persecution in the days ahead? If so, will we be prepared and equipped to handle it well? These are questions that naturally arise as we read our text today. It’s found in Matthew 5:10--12: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' ...read more
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11. Benefits Of Persecution
Contributed on May 16, 2023
In this exposition of Jesus's 8th Beatitude ("Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake"), we explore biblical revelation as to why persecution is a blessing, more specifically, what are the benefits of persecution for God's people.
Intro We are considering the 8th Beatitude in Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Persecution is a major theme in Scripture. We see it in the first family; it runs all through the Old and New Testaments; and in the ...read more
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12. Preparations For Persecution
Contributed on May 22, 2023
Will persecution against Christians intensify in the days ahead? If so, will we be ready to stand strong in our testimony of Christ? This message processes seven preparations we should be making now.
Intro We have been discussing the final, eighth, beatitude found in Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”i Last week we addressed two preparations for potential persecution. First, expect it. It will happen in the ...read more
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13. Praying The Beatitudes
Contributed on May 27, 2023
To conclude this study of the Beatitudes, the text in Matthew 5:3-10 is used as a TEMPLATE for prayer. Praying Scripture is a powerful way to apply truths to our own lives and reinforce our understanding of the passage.
PRAYING SCRIPTURE To complete our study of the Beatitudes, we will now use this portion of Scripture as a template for prayer. Learning to pray Scripture will strengthen your prayer life significantly. Some of you may have already learned to use the Lord’s Prayer in this way. That is the most ...read more
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14. Revival And The Beatitudes
Contributed on Jul 10, 2023
This message defines revival, then demonstrates from Scripture how the qualities in the Beatitudes posture believers for revival. Understanding the Beatiudes helps us understand how to position ourselves for revival. God can only trust these kind of people with revival.
Intro What the world needs now is revival. In times of revival the effectiveness of the church skyrockets. The wind of the Spirit lifts the believers to greater heights of service, the world is evangelized, and the moral climate of society is changed. The question asked of God in Psalm 85:6 is: ...read more
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15. Being Salt
Contributed on Jul 31, 2023
Immediately following the Beatitudes, Jesus turned the instruction from character qualities of his followers to their function in the world as salt and light. Matthew 5:13 warns about failing to function as salt.
Intro We have found in our study of the Beatitudes that a certain kind of person is blessed (approved and favored by God). This follower of Christ has the same characteristics developed in him that we see in Christ. He is poor in spirit, mournful of anything that does not glorify God, meek, etc. It ...read more
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16. Being Light
Contributed on Aug 14, 2023
The Beatitudes teach the qualities that God works in the character of Christ's disciples. Then in Matthew 5:13-16 the emphasis turns to the influence Christians are to have in the world around them. The point of our text is that we let our light shine.
Intro Immediately following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to declare the task given to his followers in the world. Those two metaphors are salt and light. We have examined the first one. Now we want to learn from the second metaphor, light. Our text today is Matt 5:14-16: "You are ...read more