Sermon Central
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Sermon On The Mount Series
Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 9, 2013 (message contributor)
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1. Blessed Are The Broken
Contributed on Jan 9, 2013
It is only in our brokenness that we understaned who we are, what we need, humbly serve, and become a blessing in the lives of other broken people.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To understand the “poor in spirit” you only need to understand the Hebrew word anawin. The best way to understand this word is to remember what happened to the inhabitants of Israel when they were hauled into ...read more
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2. Happy Are The Sad
Contributed on Jan 15, 2013
It is when I comprehend who I am, what my sin does to me and the world of which I am a part, that my heart breads before a holy and righteous God.
“Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted.” Jesus begins this sermon by making it clear that God blesses only those who realize they are sinners, with nothing to bring to the table when it comes to their personal righteousness or eternal salvation (vs. 3). But He ...read more
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3. Blessed Are The Humble
Contributed on Jan 22, 2013
God has never spent one moment thinking He is me. Meekness is understanding who I am, who God is, and responding accordingly.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Jesus’ first statements were shocking to the audience that sat before Him on this Galilean hillside.. He challenged them with things totally foreign to their way of thinking. No doubt, they expected to be commended for ...read more
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4. Happy Are The Desperate
Contributed on Jan 30, 2013
Divine Desperation is an all-consuming passion to know God, to be like God, and to live forever with God.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 His name was Nicolas Herman, and due to a lack of education, he spent his life serving in the kitchen and cobbler shops of a ...read more
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5. Blessed Are The Picker Uppers
Contributed on Feb 6, 2013
We must be before we do. Our Father who is "rich in mercy" expectes as much of His children and promises the same merciful treatment to them as they extend to others.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. A Christian must be something before he can do something. One bankrupt in spirit, broken with grief, submissive to God’s leading, and living with an insa¬tiable hunger for righteousness is now ready and able to live out the life he has ...read more
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6. Blessed Are The Ermine
Contributed on Feb 13, 2013
While we tend to focus on the purity of such things as food, water, and air, we would be wise to focus more intently on the purity of heart that Jesus speaks of here. A purity if not possessed will prevent us from seeing God both now and eternally.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. The ermine is a short-tailed weasel that has the unique feature of having its fur change to a snow-white color in the win¬ter. God created this animal with this feature to protect it from others. The ermine instinctively protects his white ...read more
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7. Blessed Are The Peacemakers
Contributed on Feb 21, 2013
Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of righteousness in the haearts of men and women.Peacemakers are those who have been called to share that reality with others.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. One would be hard pressed to find a better description of the peace that God desires for his children than the words of an old song written in 1875 by Edward ...read more
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8. Blessed Are The Persecuted
Contributed on Feb 27, 2013
Called to live a beatitude kind of life, the hard reality is anyone who lives out the first seven beatitudes is guaranteed at some point to experience the eighth.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus ends the beatitudes by saying “Blessed are those persecuted, reviled, and spoken against.” Would anyone care to get in “the blessed line?” Most of us prefer ...read more
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9. Difference Makers Are Different
Contributed on Mar 6, 2013
To make a difference, one must be different. Such is a real possibility as we become salt and light before a decaying and dark world.
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a ...read more
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10. Righteousness Begins In The Heart
Contributed on Mar 13, 2013
Making clear His attitude toward the Old Law, Jesus challenged the religious leaders teaching and raised the bar when it came to righteous living.
Righteousness Begins in the Heart Matthew 5:17-20 To some who were confident of their own righteousness (don’t miss that statement) and looked down on every¬one else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The ...read more