January 6, 2013
Morning Service

We have just come through the holiday season where we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior.  Last week we looked at Simeon and Anna’s faithfulness and tried to tie that to our New Year’s resolution of being more faithful to Him. 

 

We are now going to shift gears and move onto probably Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.  This sermon is spoken directly to his disciples and does not include the plan of salvation, but the attitudes that salvation should bring into our lives.  These attitudes are very contrary to the nature of man, if not the total opposite of them.  The teaching outlines the spiritual character and qualities of His kingdom that are to be present in His followers and His church. These are truthfully unattainable without the Holy Spirit’s intervention.

 

As we study through this teaching, we must ask ourselves the question; “Who is this man Jesus?”  Is what He tells us here simply guidelines to be considered and enjoyed as a sweet aroma; or are these words the Words of God which we need to live as we need oxygen?

 

 Rev 1:8 I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

 

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

 

Mat 5:1-3 And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain. And when He had sat down, His disciples came to Him.  (2)  And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,  (3)  Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

·         Blessed means happy or could even be extended into meaning saved.

·         Poor here does not mean financial, but spiritual.  It is one who is humbled by grace, acknowledges his own sin, claims no righteousness of his own, and displays a deep dependence upon God.

·         One who is poor is spirit is one who has yielded himself to God.

·         They are promised the kingdom of Heaven where self-sufficiency is not a virtue.

 

Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted.

·         This does not mean one, who is sad always, but rather one who mourns with his fellow man and his Savior over a fallen, sinful world and the consequences that result.  They sorrow over the overwhelming condition of this world and the rejection of the Savior who offers a way to have victory over it.

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!

·         Their promise is to be comforted.  There will be no sorrow or tears in heaven (Rev 21:4)

 

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth.

·         Meekness is displayed by patience in the time of injury.  It is accepting the position of a servant and not allowing our circumstances to dictate our faith.  True meekness produces a peace in the face of adversity because we know who is in control.

·         They shall inherit the earth, referring to be land owners or partakers of God’s kingdom. 

 

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.

·         Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness possesses a desire, need, and passion for the things of God.  They long for honesty, integrity, and justice.  Only God can quench this thirst and hunger. 

·         People search throughout the world seeking to fill and emptiness of their soul that can only be filled by our Savior.

Psalms 107:9 For He satisfies the thirsty soul, and fills the hungry soul with good.

 

Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.

·         Mercy means to be actively compassionate.  It means withholding due punishment from those who deserve it and helping those who cannot help themselves.

·         God has mercy upon us by offering us forgiveness for our sins and the punishment that we deserve.  He also meets our every need and even blesses us beyond that.

·         When we are merciful we imitate our God and He then rewards us with mercy.

 

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.

·         The pure in heart are ones whose motives and thoughts are fixed upon God and have a clear conscience before Him.  God wants our heart.

·         The pure in heart are one day promised to see Him.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

 

Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God.

·         Peacemakers strive to prevent and resolve contentions and strife.  It is not a passive, side-line approach, but an active one.  We are to take positive action in the lives of those around us to promote reconciliation and Biblical answers to conflicts and offences (they will come).

·         These are called “the sons of God” because in pursuing peace we resemble our Father.

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

 

 

Mat 5:10 Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

·         It is a blessing to be persecuted for doing the right thing.  God will bless you for making the hard and difficult choices that come with growing as a Christian.  We must strive to be transformed and not to conform. (Rom. 12:1-2)

·         Heaven is the reward promised for enduring this persecution (overcomer).

 

Mat 5:11-12 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake.  (12)  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

·         Persecution will come.  People will talk about you, revile you and seek to do evil to you because you are a Christian.  Here is how we are to react to it; with rejoicing and gladness.

·         This is how it has always been and will be until Jesus returns.  The spiritual battle between good and evil rages on.

 

The Beatitudes certainly challenge us this morning. We are being called to be poor in spirit, meek, mourn, hungry, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and rejoice in the face of persecution. This is the transforming process we must go through to grow into the full stature of Christ.

 

This is Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega teaching us the attitudes that our salvation should be producing.  Are you listening?  Is there a hunger and thirst in your life for more of God?

 

Luke 11:9 And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.