Leadership Through Christ Text: Matthew 5: 1-10
Matthew 5:1-10 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus led by example, with humility, and pure love. Also, compassion flows through everything He does. His teaching is outstanding because everything He taught is what He lived. This old saying is still relevant “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Jesus lived what He taught, and men followed Him. Jesus’ truth sown within your life must be acted upon. Why? Because you never sow what you have, you sow who you are.
Matthew 5:1-2 say’s, that Jesus’ disciples followed Him up a mountain and then He taught them saying...
To follow the leadership of Christ, you have to be willing to listen and then act. The teaching of Jesus Christ is given, so we might hear and do, and if anything less occurs- it has no value.
Jesus’ teachings are intended to make you a living verb. (A life of action.) Becoming a verb church!
I want to break down Matthew 5:1-10, using the Message Bible.
Listen to Matthew 5:3TM You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
You were created to be a living, breathing and doing organism.
People were drawn to Jesus because He lived, loved and did His Fathers will. (Truth acted upon, brings more truth.)
Matthew 5:4TM "You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
Psalm 107 is filled with stories of God’s lavish love. In every story of deliverance, it was humankind coming to the point of desperation that gave God His opportunity to act.
Psalm 107: 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.
Mankind’s desperation is the beginning of God’s power.
Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.
What trait of Jesus made men and women follow Him till the end?
Love, Jesus loved mankind from birth until death. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Mother Teresa once said, “If you are kind, people will accuse you of selfish motives- be kind anyway. The good you do today, most people will forget, do good anyway. Give the world the best you got and it may never be enough, give your best anyway. In the final analysis it’s between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.”
Love listens, acts, moves, does, cares and gives, and then- if necessary- speaks.
Matthew 5:5TM You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
Millions of people are up in the false premise of, “When I get this, then I will be content.” They think, “I’ll be happy... When I get get my new car, I’ll be happy... when I get that promotion, I’ll be happy... when I get married, I’ll be happy... when I have children.
I Timothy 6:9NLT But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Here’s 4 precautions to help you avoid of materialism.
Don’t become proud of your possessions.
Don’t put your trust in money.
Use your money for the right reasons.
Give cheerfully.
Matthew 5: 6TM You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit so you can leave and live filled. ( He doesn’t endorse half- hearted Christians.)
Matthew 5:7TM You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ’care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
When you show and give mercy, you get it in return. Remember, the law of sowing and reaping doesn’t change.
Jesus showed mercy to everyone. ( Blanket statement) The woman at the well, a former prostitute, a tax collector. (And unto you.)
Matthew 5:8TM You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
Jesus never sees a person the way they are; He sees them how they can become! ( You can’t led others until you can be lead.)
Matthew 5:9TM You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Remember Jesus ask John to baptize him. Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 5:10TM You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Psalm 107: 1-3 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.
Persecution drives God’s redeemed closer to Him! Exodus says, the more they were persecuted the more they grew.
