28, July 2002
Dakota Community Church
Step up to Blessings II
Review:
Matthew 5:1-12
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "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.
Phase I – PREPERATION
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
2. Blessed are those who mourn.
3. Blessed are the meek.
4. Blessed are the hungry.
Phase II – PRESENTATION
That brings us to the presentation stage, & both preparation & presentation have to come together. If we have one & not the other, it just won’t work. Jesus says, “Here is the inside stuff,” & He gives us the first 4 Beatitudes. Then he says, “Here’s the outside stuff.“ And he gives us 4 more. Once preparation has taken place, it’s time for the presentation.
5. Blessed are the merciful.
Matthew 18:32-35
32 "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,’ he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
James 2:12-13
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Matthew 6:12-15
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
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.
You see, the Bible consistently teaches that only the merciful will receive mercy. And mercy is to be reciprocal. Because we’ve received it from God, through Jesus Christ, we’ve got to give it to others. When we recognize what a precious gift it is, we’ve got to share it. “I received it from God, & now I extend it to you.”
6. Blessed are the pure in heart.
2 Timothy 2:20-22
20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
The Greek word for “pure” It was used for
- Soiled clothes that had been washed clean. It was used to describe
- Grain & flour that had been carefully sifted & cleansed of all impurities. And it was used when describing milk or
- Wine that had not been mixed with water or some other liquid.
So this Beatitude could be translated, “Blessed is the man who is genuine in heart, who is authentic, who is not a phony, because such a man will see God.”
So if you want to see God:
- Take the mask off. Quit being phony.
- Quit pretending to be the person you’re not.
- Just be straight with God. “Blessed are the pure in heart.”
Have you ever tried to con God?
7. Blessed are the peacemakers.
James 3:13-18
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness
A peacemaker is not just someone who stands between two people who are fighting & separates them. A peacemaker is someone who changes the whole climate of what is going on.
There are 2 kinds of people: “thermostat” people & “thermometer” people.
Have you ever been in a room where everybody is negative & complaining, & everything is going wrong? Then a thermostat person enters the room, & soon says something that causes people to say, “We never thought of it like that.” And the whole climate changes.
- God wants peacemakers in His church
- God wants peacemakers in the workplace.
- God wants peacemakers out in the world
- People who never dwell on the negative, but concentrate on the positive & see the good things God is doing in His church & in the world.
8. Blessed are the persecuted.
John 15:19-21
19If 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. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: ’No servant is greater than his master.’[1] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.
“You’re kidding! I’ve climbed all these steps & I’ve finally gotten to the top, & God says what?”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Why would that be at the top?
- The world doesn’t know how to respond to people who are living so close to Jesus that everybody sees it.
- I think the persecuted people He is talking about are those who are so close to God that when they walk into a room there is something about them that makes everybody else uncomfortable.
ILL. A number of years ago Orel Hirschheiser was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had just won the World Series, & Orel had been named “The most valuable player of the series.”
One of the TV shows about the series showed him in the dugout just before the 9th inning started. He was leaning against the wall & his lips were moving. It was obvious that he was saying something to himself.
So when he was a guest on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson asked him what he had been saying. “I wasn’t saying anything,” Orel responded. “Well, then, tell us what you were doing.” Finally Orel replied, “I was singing.”
“You were singing?” Johnny said. “I didn’t know you were a singer.” “Aw,” Orel said, “I’m not.” Johnny persisted, “What were you singing? Sing it for us now.” “Nah, I don’t want to sing.” But by that time the audience was chiming in with “C’mon, sing it, sing it to us!”
Finally, Orel Hirschheiser started to sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below.” And Johnny Carson was speechless. The whole audience was dead silent. Then one person started clapping, & soon the whole audience joined in applause.
Conclusion:
So I guess the question this evening is, “Where are you on this ladder?” Are you still waiting to take steps 1, 2, & 3? Or are you stuck on rung 4? You have lots of excuses why you don’t read the Word, you’re just too busy, & you have a ton of other things to do?
Or have you taken the first 4 steps, the steps of preparation, & the presentation part is what is lacking in your life. You really haven’t begun to extend mercy to other people. You really haven’t become pure in heart or authentic with God. And you really haven’t become a peacemaking type person? Where are you on this ladder?
