Introduction:

• Manifesto of the Kingdom of God where Christ is the King

• Though this looks forward to the literal millennial Kingdom when the principles taught here will be fully realized, as members of Gods Spiritual Kingdom, these principles are binding on us too

• Distinctive lifestyle of a disciple of Jesus Christ following the standards and principles of the Kingdom

• What was taught in this sermon was repeated and explained in the new Testament epistles for the Church today

• Shows the contrast between the false religious profession (measured by external rituals such as prayer, fasting and giving alms) and the true Christian living (based on right heart condition and attitudes)

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BEATITUDES: Matthew 5:1-12

• Primary audience: the disciples

• Old Testament closes with curse (Mal.4:6) and the New Testament opens with blessing(Matt.5:3)

• Blessed ˜Makarios in Greek denotes inner joy and rest that does not depend on external circumstances. The word describes the kind of joy experienced only by the gods. The blissful state in which God exists (1 Tim.1: 11, 6:15)

• How wonderful it is that God is willing to share that blissfulness with us!

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1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (V3)

Poor in spirit:

• Attitude that recognizes one’s own inadequacy to please God, leading to a sense of total dependence on Him.

• Acknowledgement of our spiritual bankruptcy

• Spiritual poverty can be recognized only when our life is measured against God’s standard (see the prayer of the Publican in Luke 18:9-14)

• Opposite of self- praise and self-assertion (Rev.3: 17)

• Acknowledgement of sinfulness essential to salvation- to enter the Kingdom of Heaven

 

Questions

• Identify some of the manifestations of the poverty of spirit in your life.

• Do you have an increased sense of spiritual need?

• How does poverty of spirit promote our spiritual growth?

• Try to identify the symptoms found in Rev.3:17 in your own life

• Why do you think poverty of spirit is so important?

 

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (V4)

• Deep and intense sorrow for one’s own sin and lack of Christ-likeness

• Sense of spiritual poverty leading to genuine sorrow

• Sin in one’s personal life and lack of spiritual growth should always be a cause of sorrow for a disciple of the Lord Jesus

• Sorrow because of the lost condition of man and the doom of the unsaved Example of the Lord Jesus – Matt.9:36; Luke 19:41,42

• Sorrowing over sin in a world where sin is celebrated and taken lightly

• Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel and Jeremiah were mourners over sin.

• Comforted = strengthened. They shall be comforted with the very comfort of God through the Holy Spirit. Victory promised in the area over which we mourn.

 

Questions

• When was the last time that you mourned over your spiritual poverty?

• Detect areas in life where sin is tolerated or entertained (and not mourned over).

• What is the difference between confession of sin and mourning over it?

• Compare your attitude towards the world around, with that of Jesus, as found in Matt.9: 36 and Luke 19:41,42

• How is the comfort experienced practically?

 

3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (V5)

• The Greeks used this word meek for a horse that had been broken

• It is power brought under control to be used for the right purposes (The horse does not lose its strength)

• Meekness is not weakness

• Example of the meekest of men, Moses (Num.12:3) and Jesus (1Pet.2:23)

• Though they had the right and power to strike back, they chose not to retaliate. (Deliberate non-exercise of power for selfish gain)

• Willingness to trust God and willingness to give up rights (1Pet.2:23; Phil.2:5-8)

• Jesus asks to learn meekness from Him (Matt.11:29)

• This word is also used to speak of a soft massage or gentle breeze

• God will work on their behalf and give them the inheritance due to them even when they do not fight for it.

 

Questions

• My power is under proper control Is this a true statement about you?

• What are some of the practical things you can do to maintain the attitude of meekness all the time?

• Compare the attitude of Moses and Jesus with yours in similar situations.

• Does gentleness mark your lifestyle?

• Give some examples of God’s intervention in your affairs to give you what was due to you, without your fighting for it?

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4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (V6)

• Hunger for salvation (that is where righteousness begins) and righteousness in the process of sanctification.

• Longing after Christ who is our righteousness (1Cor.1:20)

• Intense desire to live a just and holy life

• Longing to see righteousness ruling everywhere

• Hunger and thirst for the same thing shows intense longing and not a casual desire

• God always satisfies a longing soul (Heb.11:6). He requires diligence and whole-heartedness (Matt.7:7,8)

 

Questions

• What are the evidences of a real hunger and thirst in your life for the things of God?

• Do you share the experience the Psalmists speak of in Psalms 42 and 63?

• Ponder over the cost you are willing to pay to meet your spiritual need.

• What practical steps are you willing to take to satisfy your spiritual hunger?

• Are you able to fix the responsibility for your spiritual coldness or your lack of desire?

 

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (V 7)

• Mercy is an attribute of God (God rich in mercy - Eph.2:4)

• We experience His mercy when we trust Christ (Eph.2:4-7)

• Having received His mercy, we share it with others

• We, as God’s children, should reflect the very heart of God

• Mercy is showing compassion for people in need and being sensitive to the needs of others.

• Parable of the unmerciful servant- Matt.18 (Lesson- the Lord forgives us so that we will forgive others)

• We refuse to show mercy when we lose the awe and wonder of the mercy we received from God.

 

Questions

• Do you take time to meditate upon and appreciate the mercy of God?

• What did God do as a practical expression of His mercy to us?

• In what practical ways can you reflect the heart of God in showing mercy to others?

• Why could the servant in the parable in Matt.18 not show mercy to his debtor?

• How does the thought we need God’s mercy at every point in life persuade you to be merciful to others?

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6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (V8)

• Pure = unmixed, holy and clean

• One who is pure in heart is one who is single-minded in his devotion to God His motives are unmixed, thoughts pure and clean

• He is an actual Christian with integrity

• Jesus rebukes the externalism of the Pharisees and lays emphasis on inner purity (Matt.23: 25)

• God seeks truth in the inward parts (Ps.51:6)

• Intimate, unhindered fellowship with God is the privilege of the pure in heart.

• Not only that they will see God one day, they will see God in every situation of life.

• Special emphasis in the Greek text on they -they alone shall see God.

• Privileges for the pure in heart- Ps.24:3,4; 73:1

• God is holy and therefore intimate fellowship with Him is possible only to the pure in heart.

 

Questions

• Can your heart condition be termed as pure? If not, why?

• How far does internal purity match with external piety in your life?

• Why is purity of heart important for fellowship with God?

• Identify areas in your life where you are struggling for purity of heart.

• Do you have the courage to deal with all impurities in your heart and what practical measures would you adopt to be a transparent Christian?

 

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (V9)

• God is called God of Peace (Phil.4:9)

• God is a Peacemaker and He took initiative to make peace with us while we were His enemies (2 Cor.5:18,19)

• As God’s children, we must reflect His character in this sphere also

• We are messengers of peace and the ministry entrusted to us is the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor.5:18-20)

• Peacemakers are those who actively intervene and take positive action to create peace even if it means taking abuse

• The New Testament epistles instruct us to make peace (Rom.14:19; 12:18 Heb.12:14)

• Merit: We will be identified as the children of God and will be able to enjoy the blessedness of the Kingdom.

 

Questions

• Consider solemnly if you have been a peacemaker in the past.

• How did God take initiative in making peace with you?

• What practical measures have you taken in your personal life to obey Rom.12:18?

• Identify situations within your reach where you can act as a peacemaker and state the steps you are going to take to bring peace.

• To what extent have you been able to manifest the character of God in this area?

 

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (V10)

• The 9th Beatitude (V11,12) is the offshoot of the 8th one

• Verses 10-12 speak of the response of the world to Christian lifestyle

• The world is threatened by the holy lifestyle of a Christian and it convicts and condemns people living in sin

• First, Christ our Master was persecuted (John 15:20)

• Godly shall have tribulation - 2 Tim.3:12

• We are persecuted (our values and priorities are trampled up on) in our context as we take stand on issue like abortion, divorce, immorality

• It is a privilege and honor to be persecuted for Christ and righteousness (1Pet.3:14; Phil.1:21) The persecuted ones are counted in the best possible company – God’s own prophets!

 

Questions

• Identify some areas where you are persecuted. How do you react in such situations?

• What should we make out about our life, according to 2 Tim.3:12, if we do n

• What are the reasons for our being exceedingly glad when we are persecuted?

• How can we deal with the spirit of compromise that comes in to avoid persecution?

• How can we be prepared to face persecution?

 

Concluding Remarks:

True religion is the excitement of living the kingdom life here and now, enthroning Christ as the King of our lives. God wants to fulfill the kingdom agenda in and through our lives. Let us therefore open our lives to His plan and follow His agenda in our lives!