A BLESSED ATTITUDE
”A Brief Look into the Beatitudes”
TEXT - Matthew 5:1-12
The principles Jesus is teaching in the text are commonly referred to as the “Beatitudes” because the word “blessed” at the beginning of each verse is translated from the Latin word “Beati” and because this should be our attitude. My objective over the next two weeks is not necessarily to go too deep into the Greek but to confront what we so often try to avoid in the English. The text teaches us what it means to be truly blessed. The chapter starts off with the saying “And seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up into a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him”. We learned in the last series that Jesus calls us up to show us something about Himself and calls us apart to take us apart and show us something about ourselves. Jesus took the disciples up and apart after the saying “And seeing the multitudes”. As a good bible student, I know that if a chapter starts with “and, but, wherefore, or therefore” I have to go to the previous chapter to see what the “and, but, wherefore, or therefore” is there for. From chapter four, we can see what Jesus saw about the multitudes. He saw the multitudes as people that followed Him for what He could do for them. Most church people think being bless is receiving the blessings of God. Jesus is teaching us in Matthew 5 that in order to be blessed we must be the blessing. The issue is never whether or not God can get a blessing to us. The issue is always whether or not God can get a blessing through us. What are you willing to sacrifice for God? The word blessed means to be happy, fortunate, or to be envied. The only real happy people are helpful people. The only real blessed people are people who are willing to be a blessing and a conduit. The only real blessed people are people who are not looking for a window of heaven to open above them for God to pour a blessing out of it but are willing to be open windows of heaven for God to open them up and pour them out. The reason God has given us power in our hands to get wealth is so He can establish His covenant upon the earth. The reason we receive God’s blessings to be a blessing. Let’s look at Matthew 5:3-12 to see what we need to be blessed and to be a blessing.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A. To be poor in spirit means to recognize and realize everything I have and nothing I have is enough without God. In other words, blessed people know its not all about them. Its all about Him! Therefore my being blessed is bigger than what God gives to me. Its about what God can give through me.
B. The kingdom of heaven is a storage place. In the beginning, God create the heaven and the earth and all the host thereof and on the seventh day He rest from all His work. Therefore God has made everything He is going to make and if it is not in the earth it is stored in heaven. When we recognize and realize that we are nothing without God, He then gives us access to everything He has stored for us in heaven! Once I recognize and realize that being blessed is not about what God can give to me but what God can give through me, then He can give me anything and everything! Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
A. To be blessed and be a blessing, I have to have the capacity to be moved with compassion by someone else’s situation and circumstance. The way most people cope with the problems they see around them is to become callous and cold in an attempt avoid the pain. In order to be bless and be a blessing, we have be able to feel something because if we feel nothing, we will do nothing! Because Jesus has given unto us the keys to the kingdom of heaven for us to gain access to what we need on earth which is stored in heaven, until we are moved by compassion to do something, God will do nothing. He has already done His part! Until we are moved by compassion to do something, nothing will ever change. But if we are moved by compassion, God is moved by our faith and we will be comforted because situations will change. We can either let the problems around us change us or we can be moved by compassion to change them.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. In order to be blessed to be
a blessing we must be meek. Meek means under the rule and reign of the one that is
holding the reigns. God is not your co-pilot! God is the pilot and we are to go
wherever He takes us. This is why it is so important to learn to embrace the place
where you are. If we put God in control then He can put us in charge. Pr 29:2 -
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice… We are blessed to be a
blessing. For some of us, the reason we are not getting our blessing is because we are
not willing to be a blessing.
There are three things that fuel the desire to be a blessing:
1. The Desire to Please God. – Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
2. The Desire to Be Like God. – Matthew 5:7 – Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
A. We are never more like God than when give and forgive.
3. The Desire to See God. – Matthew 5:8 – Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see
God.
Three things happen when refuse to be used by God to be a blessing:
1. I Refuse to Allow God to Change Me.
A. I cannot break selfishness if I refuse to be a blessing
B. I cannot break stinginess if I refuse to be a blessing
C. I cannot mature spiritually if I refuse to be a blessing – (I have to go to church to mature spiritually)
a. I cannot be perfected if I refuse to go to church - Eph 4:12 says I cannot be perfected, the work of the ministry will not get done, and the body of Christ will not be edified, strengthened and built up if I refuse to be used by God to be a blessing.
b. I cannot flourish if I refuse to go to church - Ps 92:13 - Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall
flourish in the courts of our God.
c. I cannot be the church if I do not come to church. - You can get to know the word of God through TV ministries but you can’t get to know the God of the word through the TV. To know God like Adam knew Eve involves intercourse. Inter means between and a course is a way or path. In other words, intercourse means a two-way street. In order to know God, you can’t just receive from God. You have to be willing to give to God like He gives to me to know Him. In order to know God requires not only that He do for me. I have to be willing to do for Jesus what He was willing to do for me to know Him.
2. I Refuse God’s Ability to Supply My Needs.- 2Co 9:10 -
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food,
and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Why
should God give to people that won’t give to others. Why should God do for
people that won’t do anything for Him. The purpose for giving seed to the sower
is so the sower can sow. If I’m not willing to be a blessing, I cut off my
supernatural supply.
3. I Refuse God’s Supernatural Increase. - Lu 6:38 –
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Genesis 28:10-22 - Don’t be like Jacob. Jacob had it backward. Jacob said you will be my
God if you bless me. The way the covenant works is if He is your God,
then He will bless you! Don’t cut off your increase by bartering with God.
Don’t wrestle with God! You are cutting off your increase. Don’t cut off your
blessing. Let the Lord, use you and He’ll bless you. Let the Lord use you and
He’ll increase you. He’ll bless you if you determine in your heart that you are
going to be a blessing. The blessing of being blessed is being a blessing. The
Lord will change you. The Lord will supply your need. The Lord will increase
you if you will serve Him. The blessing of being blessed is being the blessing.
The desire to be a blessing is the blessed attitude Jesus Christ wants to develop in us. Having a blessed attitude means I am blessed in spite of what I am going through. Being blessed in spite of means a blessed attitude has developed two things in me:
1. Peace, when peace seems impossible. Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
A. The peace is in you - There will never be peace in this world, but there can always be peace in you. Jesus said in Mt 10:34 and Luke 12:51 that He did not come to bring peace on earth.
The peace on earth is the peace in you. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace is the peace in you. Philippians 4:7-says He is the peace of God that passes all understanding and guards your heart and mind. In John 14:27, Jesus said Peace I leave with you and my peace I give to you. The peace is in you. Romans 3:16-18 says the way of the world is misery and destruction and the way of peace they have not known. Peace is not in the world. The peace is in you. Galatians 5:22 says the fruit of the Spirit is in you and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… The peace is in you. Eph 2:14 says He is our peace who hath both made us and broken down the middle wall of partition between God and us. Jesus Christ is our peace and the peace of God is in us. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 say Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. No matter what is going on around you, you can have peace in you! And there is something about the peace of God in you. The songwriter said I have peace like a river, it grows and overflows and shows on me in spite of what is going on around me. In Mat 10:13,
Jesus said I can let my peace come upon a house, upon a situation, upon a circumstance because the peace that is in me grows and overflows and shows. It becomes contagious.
You can MAKE peace. When Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and said Peace, be still, the storm had no choice but to cease because the peace that was in Jesus overflowed and showed. Jesus MADE peace. Blessed are the peace makers. The peace is in you. You have to let it grow and overflow and show and let it change the world around you.
YOU have to make peace because the peace is in you in spite of what is going on around you.
2. Joy, when things are seem enjoyable. Matthew 5:10¬-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
A. The joy is in you! That is why it is called enjoying yourself. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength. If you can enjoy yourself when things are not enjoyable, it will enable you to endure. Heb 12:2 - says that Jesus, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy is in you. You can enjoy yourself when things are not enjoyable. The joy is just like the peace. It grows and overflows and shows on me in spite of what is going on around me. It’s called rejoicing. If I rewind, and reflect, and remember all the things that God has already done for me, my soul cries "Hallelujah, Thank you Lord for saving me!" That’s rejoicing. That’s how the joy of the Lord, which is my strength, causes me to enjoy my self in the middle of a problem situation to endure anything the devil throws at me. I don’t have to wait until the battle is over, I can shout now in spite of. This is how I can bless the Lord, 0 my soul and His praise continually be in my mouth. I like to call it a "Yet” praise! I can praise Him, even though I haven’t gotten my breakthrough Yet; Even though I haven’t received the promise Yet; Even though my prayer has not been answered Yet... I can rejoice in spite of because the joy that is in me reminds me that I am blessed in spite of. I have a blessed attitude so I can bless the Lord even when it looks like He is not blessing me because my objective is not just to get a blessing. I want to be the blessing. The blessing is not about me. The blessing is all about Him so the blessing cycle does not end with me. The blessing cycle is not complete until I can bless Him. I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth because I am going to be a blessing to God. I have a blessed attitude in spite of.
https://youtu.be/pY4B-tO0-74
Click on the URL above to listen to a Pastor Gatson YouTube video.
Be Blessed!!!
