A SERMON FOR OUR TIMES
A Series On The Sermon On The Mount
Section 1 ¡§Be All That You Can Be With The Right Attitude¡¨
Part 2
Matthew 5:3-12 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:5-6 (AMP)
5 Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous¡Xwith life-joy and satisfaction in God¡¦s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!
6 Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!
INTRODUCTION: From the very onset of this message, Jesus has made it clear that the kingdom of heaven was close, it was at hand. As such, his message was give in order to prepare the people on living in the kingdom. With his crucifixion, resurrection and promise of return, kingdom living needs to be practiced now. So, we need to identify how God wants us to live and incorporate that kind of living into our lives now.
I Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
A The definition of meekness
1 Meekness today is not a character quality sought after today.
2 Meekness was not a characteristic quality sought after during the time of Jesus
a We often today, as people did in Jesus¡¦ day associate meek with small, and timid.
b The word meek is the word used to describe a horse.
1 Horses are meek
2 Horses are not small
3 Horses are not timid
3 Jesus was conveying that to be meek is to be gentle
Yet more important than the definition of meekness is the concept of meekness
B The Concept Of Meekness
1 Meekness is a personal humility that comes from a deep trust in God
2 The way we come to trust God deeply is to understand our position before God.
a We have the same position before God that the lump of clay has before the porter
Romans 9:20-21 (NIV)
20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ’Why did you make me like this?’" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
b We do not have the right to question our maker
c We do not have the right to resist our maker
d We have the obligation to yield to the desire of our maker
3 Understanding our position before God permits us to do two things
a Live without a self-centered attitude
b Model a biblical lifestyle before others
QUALITIES OF A BIBLICAL LIFESTYLE
„X A diminishing desire for my rights
„X An increasing desire towards my responsibilities
„X A strong teachable spirit
„X An inward harmony with God
Jesus says that there is a reward for meekness
C The Reward of Meekness is to Inherit The Earth
1 Inheritance is a gift
a Anyone can receive an inheritance
b Anyone can receive anything for an inheritance
Psalms 37:11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
1 The Jew looked to inherit the land of Israel
2 The Christian looks forward not to just a land, but to a fully reformed and restored earth ¡V Rev 20-22
2 Inheritance is also a legacy of what has gone on before us
a The inheritance of the believer is based on the past actions of the one giving the inheritance
b Our inheritance is based on the predicted and fulfilled death of Christ for us on the cross
c Our inheritance is based on our Saviors death for us while we were yet sinners
3 Inheritance is the opportunity to carry forward with us what has been accomplished before us
Will we squander it as the foolish son did, or empower it as the wise servants did?
II Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
A The words ¡§hunger¡¨ and ¡§thirst¡¨ are words of intense longing.
Psalms 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
B Longing for righteousness is a ¡§blessed¡¨ activity ¡V it brings satisfaction to us
C Righteousness is a sign of personal growth
IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY:
1 wanting what God wants
2 A complete discipleship ¡V I am going where God is going, I am going to do what God does
3 Complete obedience ¡V most of us walk around partially obedient, thinking that is enough for us.
a God does not grade our spirituality on a curve
b That¡¦s why he sent Jesus
Romans 7:21-8:4 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
WHAT WE DO NOT COMPREHEND IS THAT PARTIAL OBEDIENCE IS IN REALITY DISOBEDIENCE
D In order to thirst for righteousness, I need to:
1 Desire to be righteous personally
2 Desire to do right consistently
3 Desire to see right done corporately
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS TO SEE GOD¡¦S STANDARD ESTABLISHED AND OBEYED IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE
E The result of longing for (and attaining) righteousness is to be filled
1 The word means to be fattened as a calf
2 The word means to be filled as each person was when Jesus fed the multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fish ¡V the feeling after a big Easter meal
So, part of our living until Jesus comes is in this area of meekness and righteousness. As believers we must be willing to put a greater attention on our responsibilities instead of our rights, and seek the satisfaction that comes from being right with God in every area of our life.
