Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
Two gas company servicemen were working together. The senior supervisor was spending the day training the young man as they were checking meters in a neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way down the houses to the other end of the alley. At the last house, a woman was looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running up to the truck, heard huffing and puffing behind them and saw the woman from the last house running up behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I saw two men from the gas company running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!" (Leighton Vary, Sermon Central)
The world is watching the Church, especially in these days of deception, uncertainty, and darkness. How we respond to the world around us is pertinent to what we believe.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve closely examined the opening lines of Jesus’ sermon during his ministry here on earth. The first word Jesus uses to open his sermon is “Blessed” - marikos - which can also be translated as happy. It is not a fleeting feeling, but instead it is an inward blessedness that touches the very core of our being. And in those first few lines of blessing, Jesus presents us with a series of paradoxes demonstrating that the blessedness found in the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing like the worldly definition of blessedness.
First, he tells us that you are blessed when you are poor in spirit. Means, that your realize that you are spiritually poor and bankrupt, without any purpose or resources to bring to God. In that realization, you must depend on God in faith for salvation and in that, you are given the Kingdom of Heaven.
Once you realize your spiritual poverty, you come to the next rung on the ladder of the beatitudes, and Jesus says you are blessed when you mourn - meaning the grief over the sin in your life and the world. This kind of mourning and sorrow is the root of Christian repentance to turn away from sin and here we find God’s comfort through His forgiveness.
Our mourning and sorrow over sin give us the next blessing on the Beatitude ladder: meekness. Jesus tells the meek are blessed, for we will inherit the earth. Meekness means, “gentleness through self-control.” The believer’s life is continually led by the Holy Spirit. It is confidence in God instead of arrogance in ourselves. In other words, MEEKNESS IS THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF AND AN ABSOLUTE, UNASHAMED, BOLD, STEADFAST, CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
This brings us to the fourth beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. As we walk more humbly with the Holy Spirit and put our confidence in Him instead of ourselves, we learn to depend on Him for our very being and we become hungry for living for him. Like the very food and water we need to survive physically, we know we cannot live without Him spiritually.
Now we come today to the next three Beatitudes, and these three are really the fruit of being Kingdom Citizens: Blessed are the Merciful, Blessed are the Pure in Heart, and Blessed is the Peacemakers. What happens to our outward living when we are inwardly changed by The Lord Jesus Christ? We’re going to take them one by one.
I. Blessed are the Merciful
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
Mercy is not a feeling, it is not a state of being, nor is it a characteristic of faith. It is an action. Biblically speaking, mercy is an act of forgiveness in the form of healing or comfort that is extended to someone who has no merit to receive anything. It is characterized as compassionate treatment of those in distress regardless of the circumstances behind the offense. Mercy is Love in Action. (Got Questions, Logos, Sermon Central)
Many people confuse mercy and grace. They are closely related by powerfully distinct. Mercy is withholding punishment to someone who deserves to be punished. Grace is showing favor and kindness to someone who does not deserve to be given a gift.
What is amazing is Jesus was the most merciful person to ever walk this earth and he received no mercy from the very ones he showed tremendous mercy. Jesus came during the rule of two merciless systems: The Roman Empire and the apostate Jewish Legalists who collaborated together mercilessly and crucified the Lord (MacArthur).
The Greek word for mercy is ele’eo. It means to care for the afflicted. According to the Oxford Dictionary, there are 7 physical works of mercy, There are traditionally seven: (1) feeding the hungry; (2) giving drink to the thirsty; (3) clothing the naked; (4) harboring the stranger; (5) visiting the sick; (6) ministering to prisoners; (7) burying the dead. And there are there are 7 spiritual works of mercy (1) converting the sinner; (2) instructing the ignorant; (3) counseling the doubtful; (4) comforting the sorrowful; (5) bearing wrongs patiently; (6) forgiving injuries; (7) praying for the living and the dead. (F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005)
So mercy has to do with our compassion for someone regardless of how they came to their situation or their sin. It is rooted in our own understanding because we too were once poor in spirit, but it goes beyond that. Mercy is the ability to literally get inside someone’s skin until you can understand their thoughts, feel their emotion, and understand their pain. It is a deliberate act of feeling their suffering and seeking to relieve it. (MacArthur)
Quite simply, without mercy, we are evil. With the increase of violence in our country, we hear reports of people being randomly attacked on New York City subways. These are most vulnerable people who are targeted by thugs and beaten, robbed, or harassed. In one video someone is seen putting a cigarette out on an elderly man. What is even more disturbing is the lack of help or intervention from others.
God’s promise is those who live a life of mercy -love in action- will know and enjoy a life of God’s mercy. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
II. Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Scripture defines the Purity of the Heart with two important characteristics. First, it is an inner holiness that exists apart from being pious or religious (Doriani). It is the essence of a person who is living a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life. Secondly to be pure in heart means that you are not double-minded (Doriani). You are singularly devoted to Jesus Christ as your Lord. Jesus is talking about both senses of being pure in heart here in his sermon.
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. (Ezekiel 36:25)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says Yahweh, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." 9Psalm 51:10)
The heart was considered the central seat of our being. Really this is the central Beatitude. So why didn’t Jesus put this one first? The reason is that apart from everything else in the Kingdom of God you can’t have a pure heart. Without the realization of our spiritual poverty, the mourning over sin, meekness, and a hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness, you have legalism in an attempt to be pure in heart. It’s a burden, not a blessing.
A person, according to Jesus who is pure at heart, is someone who has had a heart reborn from the world. This is the desire of God for us:
because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (1 Peter 1:16)
Behold, You delight in truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. (Psalm 51:6)
Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? And who may rise in His holy place? 4 He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness And has not sworn deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3–4)
That’s what God is after and the promise is those who are pure at heart will see God. This was the prayer of Moses and many others. Why can’t we see God without a pure heart? Because God said that no man can see him and live (Exodus 33:20). God is pure and holy; man is defiled and full of sin. The promise of God is that when your heart is cleansed see Him. Right now we see Him through the sight of faith, but there is a day coming when our faith will be made sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and we will see God in the light of all His splendor and glory.
People say to me all the time that they wish they could see a miracle or signs of God. I tell them there are miracles and signs of God everywhere. You only have to open your eyes. When you have that kind of renewal in your life you begin to realize the work of God is everywhere.
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions; for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the males abandoned the natural function of the female and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do those things which are not proper, (Romans 1:25–28)
That’s the image of someone whose life is blinded by the depravity of sin
III. Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)
The question was once asked, "If you could choose what you want most in life, what would you ask for?" The most common answer was "Peace."
People want peace in their marriages, families, workplaces, country, and world. Our country has some of the best medical and psychological treatment centers, the highest educational institutions, and worldwide communication abilities. Yet with all of these things, most people are yet without a true inner peach. The results are devastating... broken marriages, split families, hatred, rebellion, financial anxiety, and a country unsettled.
The world will offer you peace through many forms of escapism... drugs, alcohol, immoral relationships, and constant entertainment. It is sought through all forms of pleasure, self-satisfaction, and positive thinking. Many believe that peace is defined as the absence of trouble. They refuse to face the problems in their lives believing that this is finding peace. The world, however, has never held the answer to true peace. (Terry Laughlin)
The fact is, the main conflict and war that has raged for centuries is man’s war with God. That conflict is increasing and will culminate in the Battle of Armageddon when all the armies of the world will gather behind the Antichrist in battle, Jesus, in his return. Man is at war with God and it is likely that you are currently at war with God if you are not singularly devoted with a pure heart toward Him.
Simultaneously, there is an ongoing conflict happening between Satan and his fallen angels who are embattled with Him.
“They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14)
To be at peace is not the absence of war or conflict, but to be at peace means that you are in harmony with God and His perfect will. This is the root behind the Jewish word for peace, Shalom. It is so much more than our understanding of the meaning of Peace. Its meaning is that of wholeness, well-being, and rest. Ultimately, we can only find that through our relationship with God.
So, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Meaning your ability to bring peace is rooted in your relationship with God. Not because you won the Nobel Peace Prize, or because you can stop two people from arguing. God’s peacemakers are very different. Our peace comes from our kinship with God.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without doubting, without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
It’s amazing that the close of the end times will be marked by people who run around crying for peace and safety.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman who is pregnant, and they will never escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:1–3)
True peace is the child of truth. The end days are marked by mass deceptions and the world saying the only way to peace is to submit to the tenants of the world. However, true peace occurs when the truth of God prevails. So you cannot have it both ways.
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world sets himself as an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
If you are going to be at peace with the world, then you are going to be at war with God. That’s one reason why Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The Christian is one who enters into conflict for the truth and confronts the deceptions of the world. The Christian will confront heresy, knowing that the results will be the heart of someone who will find peace with God.
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18)
A peacemaker is someone whose sins have been dealt within Christ and through the pure heart he has been given he humbly becomes a peacemaker because he has found peace with God. The peacemaker hates conflict but loves truth even more. He knows the will of God for man is for peace between him and God and it’s a beautiful thing when someone comes to this realization and says, “I’ve made peace with God.”
What about you today?
