The Jesus Code: Part 2
“Do-Attitudes”
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Pastor Kelly Dufour
Text: Matthew 5:7-12
Introduction:
Headline: Man soars three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair "aircraft"
The incredible flight of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old Vietnam veteran and North Hollywood truck driver with no pilot or balloon training, took place on July 2, 1982. Larry filled 45 weather balloons with helium and tethered them in four tiers to an aluminum lawn chair he purchased at Sears for $110, loading his makeshift aircraft (dubbed the "Inspiration I") with a large bottle of soda, milk jugs full of water for ballast, a pellet gun, a portable CB radio, an altimeter, and a camera.
(Show Picture) Donning a parachute, Larry climbed into his chair from the roof of his girlfriend’s home in San Pedro while two friends stood at the ready to untether the craft. He took off a little earlier than expected, however, when his mooring line was cut by the roof’s sharp edges. As friends, neighbors, reporters and cameramen looked on, Larry Walters rocketed into the sky above San Pedro. A few minutes later Larry radioed the ground that he was sailing across Los Angeles Harbor towards Long Beach.
Walters had planned to fly 300 miles into the Mojave Desert, but the balloons took him up faster than expected and the wind didn’t cooperate, and Walters quickly found himself drifting 16,000 feet above Long Beach. (He later reported that he was "so amazed by the view" that he "didn’t even take one picture.") As Larry and his lawnchair drifted into the approach path to Long Beach Municipal Airport, perplexed pilots from two passing Delta and TWA airliners alerted air traffic controllers about what appeared to be an unprotected man floating through the sky in a chair.
Meanwhile, Larry, feeling cold and dizzy in the thin air three miles above the ground, shot several of his balloons with the pellet gun to bring himself back down to earth. He attempted to aim his descent at a large expanse of grass of a north Long Beach country club, but Larry came up short and ended up entangling his tethers in a set of high-voltage power lines in Long Beach about ten miles from his liftoff site. The plastic tethers protected Walters from electrocution as he dangled above the ground until firemen and utility crews could cut the power to the lines (blacking out a portion of Long Beach for twenty minutes). Larry managed to maneuver his chair over a wall, step out, and cut the chair free.
Larry, who had just set a new altitude record for a flight with gas-filled clustered balloons became an instant celebrity, but the Federal Aviation Administration was not amused. Unable to revoke Walters’ pilot’s license because he didn’t have one, an FAA official announced that they would charge Walters "as soon as we figure out which part of the FAA code he violated."
"It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years, and if I hadn’t done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. I didn’t think that by fulfilling my goal in life — my dream — that I would create such a stir and make people laugh."
Have you ever found yourself saying, “It was something I had to do” or “I just need to DO something”? Many of us have regrets for something we didn’t DO.
The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. – Walt Disney
Just do it. – Nike
Today’s study in “The Jesus Code” comes from the second half of the Beatitudes. In our previous study, we covered the first four Beatitudes. The first four address what the Christian attitude should be (Be-Attitudes). Today, we will look at the next four which describe what a Christian should do, we’ll call them “The Do-Attitudes.”
Message: “Do-Attitudes”
Read: Matthew 5:7-12
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. Matt 5:7-12 (NIV)
1. Mercy (vs. 7)
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7
Mercy is the primary language of Christianity because it is the primary language of Christ. This Beatitude is a statement of a principle that runs throughout the New Testament.
The teaching of the New Testament insists that in order to be forgiven we must be forgiving – to receive mercy, we must be merciful.
Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13 (NIV)
What is mercy?
Illustration: Playing “Mercy” as Children
Mercy embraces both forgiveness for the guilty and compassion for the suffering and needy. There is not a specific object to which we are to be merciful because mercy is to be a function of Jesus’ disciples, not of the particular situation that calls for it. Mercy applies to all situations we may face.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matt 6:12, 14-16 (NIV)
But wait, there’s more! The original word “mercy” spoken by Jesus (Hebrew or Aramaic) means more than just forgiveness, pity, feeling sorry or compassion. It means “the ability to get right inside the other person’s skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.”—Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
Isn’t this was Jesus did when he became one of us?
This requires more effort on our part. It is easier to pass quick judgment on someone else than it is to try to put yourself in the other person’s place. To see, feel or think as they do.
How many of us have played the role of the judge and jury to another person based solely on their appearance or by how the circumstance appears?
Illustration: Car Jacking Foiled!
The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck! ~Author Unknown
There are many things that we live with in our own lives, but we can’t seem to stand them in other people’s lives: bad temper, frivolous lifestyle, lack of commitment, etc.
We are also often quick to forget how much mercy the Lord has displayed toward us. Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35. Good Samaritan – Luke 10:37.
The Lord wants his mercy shown us to be extended to those with whom we interact. He will personally reward us – we will be shown mercy.
Mercy Application:
• Begins with recognizing and receiving God’s mercy.
• See others as God sees them.
• Try to get inside the “skin” of another.
• Extend mercy and forgiveness to others as God has forgiven us – this is key to experiencing true forgiveness.
• Use your resources, as able, to help another.
• Giving others a clean slate.
2. Pure In Heart (vs. 8)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Psalms 24:3-4 (NIV)
“Pure” usages in Greek language imply: clean (clothing); sifted (wheat); purged (army); and refined (wine, metal).
In Bible times people thought of the heart as the very center of a person. What you thought, how you felt, your motivations, impulses and passions all flowed out of your heart—from the very core of your being. If you want to know what a person is truly like, on the inside, look at the kinds of things that flow out of their hearts.
Read: Luke 6:43-45
"You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. Matthew 5:8 (MSG)
However, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and many religious people today practice strict external purity (an appearance of being pure) but inwardly they are wicked. Their heart, the center of the man, has not been cleansed.
25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matt 23:25-26 (NIV)
Here’s an interesting thought… when God looks at you he pays little or no attention at all on your outward appearance. I’m sorry about that-- because I know a lot of you work hard on what you look like “out here”. Some of us, like me, have to work extremely hard on our outward appearance. God doesn’t care what’s on the outside of you because He’s too busy looking to see what’s on the inside of you – what’s going on in your heart.
This Beatitude demands that we submit ourselves to strict self-examination – or perhaps better stated, God examination: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Psalms 51:6 (NIV)
Pure in Heart Application:
According to Jesus “purity of heart” isn’t believing the right things. It isn’t going through the right motions. It’s doing the right things with the right motives – with the right heart. Think about it…
• If we praise God with our lips and lift our hands in worship on Sunday morning and act as though we’ve never met Him on Monday—then we’re like the hypocrites Jesus confronted and our praise is in vain.
• If we act all spiritual in here, in front of each other, but are devious and dishonest when no one is looking out there—then we’re hypocrites and our spiritual actions are in vain
• If we teach honesty and integrity to our children, and then rip off the cable company because they somehow forgot to turn off the service when we cancelled it—then we’re hypocrites and our teaching is in vain.
• If we caution our youth about sexual impurity and we use indiscretion with the internet sites we browse—then we’re hypocrites and we are ourselves impure.
Purity isn’t only the absence of corruption in your life---it’s also the fullness of God’s Spirit in you. If you were able to rid yourself of impurity in your life (and I seriously doubt that you could do that on your own) without allowing God to fill you and occupy that void—you would become nothing more than a “religious do-gooder” like the hypocrites of Jesus day.
Purity of heart isn’t just the absence of certain things in your life; it’s the very presence of God in you. It begins with shedding all pretenses—an absolute inner awareness of who you really are (poor in spirit).
Purity of hear is also about using great discretion with what you allow into your heart—what you allow to influence you.
Illustration: Overcoming The Great Wall
In ancient China, the people wanted to defend themselves from the barbaric hordes in the North and they built the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it. Not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers. The fatal flaw was in placing too much reliance on a wall and not putting enough effort into building character.
Jesus said only the pure in heart will see God—right now in this life—and in the next! (Remember Psalm 24?)
3. Peacemakers (vs. 9)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Peacemaker: One that loves peace; one that practices peace; one that brings about peace.
Difference between peacemaker (resolve conflict) and peacekeeper (avoid conflict).
Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker – making peace between man and God; man and man.
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:18-19 (NIV)
We are called to the same ministry as Jesus – reconciliation.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14:19 (NIV)
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Col 3:15 (NIV)
Peace is to be a vertical and horizontal experience.
Peacemakers Application:
• Peace with God – determine if you are at peace with God.
• Peace with Others – resolve conflict.
• Peace with Self – ask the Prince of Peace to bring peace to you.
Reward of Peacemakers – called the sons of God (showing his image/character).
4. Persevering Persecution (vs. 10-12)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:10 (NIV)
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Matt 5:10 (MSG)
Opposition is a normal mark of being a disciple of Jesus. One might ask, “How can we be persecuted for righteousness – doing right? Isn’t that a noble thing?”
The world’s standard of “doing right” does not equal the level of righteousness that God desires from his people.
Look at the conflicts we already see in our world concerning differing opinions of “right” – abortion, same-sex marriages, euthanasia, speech & art. What is the Biblical view on these issues called by secular world? Fanatic, narrow-minded, extreme, insensitive, out of touch, antiquated, etc.
We live in a world that does not embrace moral absolutes. Biblical truth is not comfortable, it’s confrontational.
Persecution is often the preferred method of forcing conformity. Too often, in the face of persecution (physical, social) Christian’s collapse.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 2 Tim 2:11-13 (NIV)
18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ’No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. John 15:18-20
This Beatitude seems to be a conflicting one – blessed are the persecuted. How?
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. Matt 5:10-12 (NIV)
Persevering Persecution Application:
(1) it takes our eyes off earthly rewards
(2) it strips away superficial belief
(3) it strengthens the faith of those who endure
(4) our attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow.—Life Application Bible Notes
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Closing:
