INTRODUCTION: IT CAN EASILY BE SAID BY WHAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN THAT OUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS ARE ALTITUDE.
WHEN JESUS WAS ON EARTH, HE WAS HERE TO BE PRESENTED AND ACCEPTED AS THE MESSIAH. WERE THAT TO ACTUALLY HAVE HAPPENED, BIBLICAL SCHOLARS CONCLUDE THAT THIS WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO EARTH. YOU AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIVING TODAY IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
THE KINGDOM LIVING PROPHESIZED IN THE REVELATION, WOULD BE THE NORM FOR LIVING TODAY. SADLY, THIS WAS NOT TO BE THE CASE. THE NATION OF ISRAEL REJECTED THE LORD, THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION WAS EXPANDED TO THE GENTILES, THE PRESENT AGE WE LIVE IN, APTLY CALLED THE CHURCH AGE WAITS FOR THE MOMENT OF THE RAPTURE FOR GOD’S PLANS TO COME TO FULFILLMENT.
MATTHEW CHAPTERS 5-7, GIVES US A GLIMPSE OF THE TEACHING OF JESUS IN PREPARATION FOR THE KINGDOM. THEY LAY OUT KINGDOM LIVING. YET, BECAUSE OF ALL THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, THIS SERMON – PROBABLY TAKING A FEW DAYS FROM START TO FINISH, MAY RIGHTLY BE SEEN AS PRACTICE FOR THE KINGDOM.
AND OF ALL THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, BY FAR THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE PORTION IS THE BEATITUDES, OR AS SOME HAVE COINED THEM, THE “BE”ATITUDES..
TRANSITION: SO LETS TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT THE MEANING AND IMPACT OF THE “BE”ATITUDES ON OUT LIVES.
I. THE CHANGE OF DIRECTION FROM JESUS
a. BEFORE THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT THE TEACHING OF JESUS WAS VERY LIMITED AND GENERAL
i. MATTHEW 4:17 FROM THAT TIME ON JESUS BEGAN TO PREACH, "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR."
ii. MATTHEW 4:19 "COME, FOLLOW ME," JESUS SAID, "AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN."
iii. MATTHEW 4:23 JESUS WENT THROUGHOUT GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING EVERY DISEASE AND SICKNESS AMONG THE PEOPLE.
b. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS A SHIFT FROM GENERAL TO SPECIFIC TEACHING
i. JESUS EXPLAINS KINGDOM LIVING
ii. JESUS TEACHES FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS
iii. WHAT JESUS TEACHES IS REVOLUTIONARY TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE TIME.
c. THE CONTRAST WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT
i. THE OLD TESTAMENT ENDED WITH A WARNING AND CURSE, THE TEACHING OF JESUS BEGINS WITH BLESSING AND PROMISE
1. MALACHI 4:6 HE WILL TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN, AND THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN TO THEIR FATHERS; OR ELSE I WILL COME AND STRIKE THE LAND WITH A CURSE."
ii. THE OLD TESTAMENT DEMONSTRATED MAN’S NEED OF SALVATION. THE NEW TESTAMENT PRESENTED JESUS AS THE SAVIOR
iii. THE OLD TESTAMENT REVEALS ADAM WHO FELL BECAUSE OF SIN. THE NEW TESTAMENT REVEALS JESUS, WHO BY BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US PAID THE PRICE OF ADAMS SIN.
d. WHAT THE SERMON SHOWS US
i. THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BIRTH. WE COULD NEVER LIVE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE KINGDOM WITHOUT SALVATION
ii. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT DRIVES US TO CHRIST WHO IS OUR ONLY HOPE OF MEETING THE STANDARDS OF GOD.
iii. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND THE BEATITUDES SPECIFICALLY GIVE US A PATTERN FOR HAPPINESS
iv. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS PROBABLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL AS A WITNESS. THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO INCORPORATES THESE PRINCIPLES INTO HIS LIVE WILL DRAW PEOPLE TO THE LORD LIKE IRON FILINGS TO A MAGNET
v. LIVING THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS LIVING GOD’S PLAN, THE HIGHEST REASON FOR FOLLOWING CHRIST AND AS SUCH IS PLEASING TO GOD.
SO, LETS TAKE THE REST OF OUR TIME TOGETHER AND BEGIN TO DISSECT THE BEATITUDES
II. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED?
a. THE ROOT OF THE WORD BLESSES IS TO BE OUTWARDLY GREAT – IT WOULD BE SYNONYMOUS WITH RICH
b. THE “BLESSED” HAD WITH IT A MORAL COMPONENT
c. PART OF OUR ABILITY TO BE BLESSED HAD TO DO WITH WHERE OUR “MORALS” WERE ROOTED
i. A SENSE OR POSITION OF GOD’S APPROVAL
ii. WE ALL KNOW THAT MAN IS APPROVED BY GOD BECAUSE OF SALVATION, NOT APART FROM IT
1. ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
2. ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS
d. BLESSING FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS DERIVED OUT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
e. SINCE THE BEATITUDES SPEAK ABOUT BLESSING UNDER DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, HOW IS SOMEONE BLESSED WHEN THEY GO THROUGH TOUGH TIMES
HOW BLESSINGS COME FROM TURMOIL
PROVERBS 3:5-6 TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING;
6 IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.
• THE VALIDITY OF OUR TRUST IS IN THE GOD WHO KEEPS IS PROMISES
• TRUST IS NOT BASED ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO OR WHAT WE ARE TRUSTING IN BUT IN OUR CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WHO OR WHAT WE ARE TRUSTING IN
o HOW MANY THINGS DO WE TRUST TO DO THINGS YET HAVE VERY LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
o HOW MUCH LESS DO WE UNDERSTAND THE WORKINGS OF GOD, YET WE STILL TRUST HIM, OR SHOULD TRUST HIM
ONCE I HAVE TRUST FIRMLY IN PLACE, THAT TRUST NOW IS THE FILTER FOR WHAT I WILL GO THROUGH
JAMES 1:2-3 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.
o JOY COMES FROM THE ROOT WORD MEANING TO BE GLAD. IT IS A VERB – ACTION WORD
o THE CHOICE TO BE JOYFUL IN THE TRIAL IS BECAUSE WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE GOD WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES
? THERE IS A WAY THROUGH IT – SO GOD HAS PROVIDED A PATH OF VICTORY – 1 COR 10:31
? GOD HIMSELF IS WITH US THROUGH THE TRIAL. SO WE GO THROUGH WHAT WE GO THROUGH, NOT BECAUSE OF FAULT BUT REFINING – GOD IS MAKING US BETTER
? JOY IS NOT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TRIAL, BUT THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL
? SINCE GOD KNOWS US, HE ALONE KNOWS WHEN WE ARE READY TO GROW, EVEN WHEN WE DON’T
ROMANS 8:28-29 AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 29 FOR THOSE GOD FOREKNEW HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BROTHERS.
o GOD IS USING TRIALS FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE – WORKING FOR OUR GOOD
? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU EITHER DONE SOMETHING, OR DONE SOMETHING FOR OTHERS THAT ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE IT THE RESULT WAS GOOD
o THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIAL IS TO BRING THOSE HE KNOWS INTO A POSITION WHERE THEY ARE MORE LIKE HIS SON JESUS
o TRIALS ARE THEN BRINGING ABOUT HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. THERE IS ALWAYS A DIVINE PURPOSE.
THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING TRIALS AS BLESSINGS IS:
CONFIDENCE IN THE ONE WE ARE TRUSTING
MAKING THE CHOICE TO SEE TRIALS AS BLESSINGS
SEEING THE COMPLETION AS PLEASING TO GOD BECAUSE WE ARE MORE LIKE CHRIST
AND UNDERSTAND THIS – WHETHER EASY OR TOUGH, TRIAL OR TEST –
ROMANS 8:39 NEITHER HEIGHT NOR DEPTH, NOR ANYTHING ELSE IN ALL CREATION, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
GOD HAS NOT ONLY GIVEN US WHAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH IT AND BECOME MORE LIKE OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, HE IS THERE WITH US WHILE WE DO.
NEXT WEEK, WE BEGIN TO DIG INTO THE BEATITUDES!
