The "be" Attitudes 04

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 04

THE BEATITUDES

INTRODUCTION: I HOPE YOU HAVE BEGUNTO NOTICE FROM THE GIRST TWO BEATITUDES THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT TOGETHER, IS THAT LIVING OUT THE SECOND ONE WAS A LITTLE HARDER THAN LIVING OUT THE FIRST ONE.

AS WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN, THE BEATITUDES CAN BE SAID TO BE PROGRESSIVELY MORE DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO PRACTICE. THE FIRST BEATITUDE INVOLVES THE RECOGNITION OF OUR SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY AND THE BLESSING OF BEING POOR IN SPIRIT. THE SECOND BEATITUDE INVOLVES REMORSE OR MOURNING OVER OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF SINFULNESS. IT IS A GODLY SORROW THAT LEADS TO REPENTANCE AND A CHANGED LIFE THAT IS YIELDED TO THE LORD.

THE THIRD BEATITUDE IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE FIRST TWO, BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE ISSUE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS AND HAVING SELF CONTROL.

AGAIN, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, AND WILL KEEP REMINDING YOU – LIVINGOUT THE BEATITUDES IS A TREMENDOUS WITNESS, BUT SHOULD ALSO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT WITHOUT CHRIST, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO

BUT BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A BACKDOOR METHOD TO UNDERSTANDING THE BEATITUDES

THE UNBEATITUDES

WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE BEATITUDES BY LOOKING AT THEM FROM THEIR OPPOSITES. SOME, JESUS IMPLIED, WILL NOT BE BLESSED. THEIR CONDITION COULD BE DESCRIBED IN THIS WAY:

• WRETCHED ARE THE SPIRITUALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HELL.

• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO DENY THE TRAGEDY OF THEIR SINFULNESS, FOR THEY WILL BE TROUBLED.

• WRETCHED ARE THE SELF-CENTERED, FOR THEY WILL BE EMPTY.

• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO CEASELESSLY JUSTIFY THEMSELVES, FOR THEIR EFFORTS WILL BE IN VAIN.

• WRETCHED ARE THE MERCILESS, FOR NO MERCY WILL BE SHOWN TO THEM.

• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WITH IMPURE HEARTS, FOR THEY WILL NOT SEE GOD.

• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO REJECT PEACE, FOR THEY WILL EARN THE TITLE “SONS OF SATAN.”

• WRETCHED ARE THE UNCOMMITTED FOR CONVENIENCE’S SAKE, FOR THEIR DESTINATION IS HELL.

MATTHEW 5:5 BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH.

I. REMEMBERING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLESSED

a. A BLESSED PERSON IS ONE WHO IS ESPECIALLY FAVORED BY GOD

i. SO IN A REAL SENSE, THE BLESSING OR FAVOR OF GOD COMES FROM OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS DESIRES FOR US.

ii. REMEMBERING THAT WE CAN ONLY FULFILL HIS DESIRES WHEN WE ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

1. BE HOLY EVEN AS I AM HOLY

b. A BLESSED PERSON IN THIS CONTEXT IS ONE WHO LIVES CONTRARY TO THE WORLD AROUND HIM

c. OUR CONSTITUTION AFFORDS US THE ABILITY TO PURSUE HAPPINESS, JESUS GIVES US THE PATHWAY TO HAPPINESS

II. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE MEEK?

a. THE WORD “MEEKNESS” COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD PRAUS {PRAH-OOCE'} WHICH MEANS “NOT BEING OVERLY IMPRESSED BY A SENSE OF ONE’S SELF-IMPORTANCE, GENTLE, HUMBLE, LOWLINESS, DEFERENCE, CONSIDERATE, MILD, SOFT.”

b. THE WORD IS USED THREE TIMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND IN THE OTHER TWO USES IT IS TRANSLATED, “GENTLE”

i. CONVEYING HUMILITY AND TRUST IN GOD

ii. MEEKNESS IS AN AVENUE WHEREBY GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST

iii. MEEKNESS HAS THE ABILITY TO THEN BLESS OTHERS THROUGH OUR LIVES

iv. MEEKNESS IS NOT A CHARACTERISTIC OF MEN

1. HUMAN NATURE WORKS AGAINST BEING MEEK

2. SIN NATURE WORKS AGAINST BEING MEEK

3. MEEKNESS IS A SUPERNATURAL WORKING OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES

c. MEEKNESS IS NOT WEAKNESS

i. KIND IN HEART AND ACTION

ii. DO NOTHING THAT HARMS OR OFFENDS OTHERS

1. “MEEKNESS GROWS OUT OF THE ASHES OF SELF-LOVE AND THE GRAVE OF PRIDE.”

iii. MEEKNESS IS A QUALITY OF OUR SPIRIT THAT ACCEPTS GOD’S DEALINGS WITH US AS GOOD AND THEREFORE WE DO NOT DISPUTE OR RESIST THEM.

d. MEEKNESS IS NOT SPINELESS

i. JESUS WAS “MEEK AND LOWLY

1. MATTHEW 11:29 TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

ii. MOSES, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES WAS THE MEEKEST OF ALL MEN

1. NUMBERS 12:3 (NOW MOSES WAS A VERY HUMBLE MAN, MORE HUMBLE THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.)

MOSES IS A CASE STUDY IN MEEKNESS – NUMBERS 12:1-10

NUMBERS 12:1–10 MIRIAM AND AARON OPPOSE MOSES

MIRIAM AND AARON BEGAN TO TALK AGAINST MOSES BECAUSE OF HIS CUSHITE WIFE, FOR HE HAD MARRIED A CUSHITE

MOSES HAS REMARRIED AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FIRST WIFE ZIPPORAH HAD DIED. THERE WAS NO INJUNCTION BY GOD AT THIS POINT REGARDING MARRYING SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT A JEW

THE ISSUE WITH THE NEW WIFE WAS, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES ABOUT HER RACE. SEE, SHE WAS BLACK

. 2 “HAS THE LORD SPOKEN ONLY THROUGH MOSES?” THEY ASKED. “HASN’T HE ALSO SPOKEN THROUGH US?” AND THE LORD HEARD THIS.