1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
This message was to the disciples of Jesus, not to the multitudes.
The Declaration of the Kingdom. The nature and the aspirations of the citizens of that Kingdom.
This is what the Kingdom of God looks like among the people of God. The marks & goals.
It is so different than the kingdoms of men.
Jesus gives His followers seven characteristics that make up Christian character.
These characteristics are all interrelated and are progressive in nature.
One leads to the next; each one builds upon the previous one.
The Beatitudes are not natural characteristics, and they actually create a sharp distinction between the Christians and non-Christians in the things they admire and the things they seek.
This teaching is for the disciple of Jesus.
WHY? Why did Jesus teach His disciples these things? Because He saw the multitudes.
This was what the disciples would need to be in order to effectively represent Jesus to the multitudes, and bring Jesus to the multitudes.
Jesus taught His disciples there things, not only for them, but also for the multitudes, that they might be saved.
Turn to Matthew 9:36-38
2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
Notice that Jesus would have them first be, and then do.
We must be transformed, before we can rightly serve the Lord.
We cannot give what we do not have.
The Sermon on the Mount speaks about what we are, as opposed to what we do.
The 1st three characteristics deal with our response to the revelation of God to us.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed- “Oh how happy”, supremely blessed, fortunate, well off.
Remember, the S.O.T.M. is a message about being, not about doing.
True happiness- not something to be sought after, but is a by-product of a right relationship w/ God.
Poor in spirit-To be spiritually bankrupt. To recognize one’s spiritual lack before God.
To recognize one’s need for God: forgiveness, strength, grace, mercy, guidance, wisdom, comfort.
It is the opposite of being spiritually proud and self-reliant.
Poverty of spirit is a consciousness of our own sinfulness and spiritual poverty.
The way to happiness comes through the painful road of discovering your spiritual poverty.
Our interaction with God should lead us to the realization of our spiritual poverty.
Our true spiritual evaluation of ourselves should also reveal our spiritual poverty apart from God.
Turn to Luke 18:9-14
Kingdom of heaven-Two aspects:
The coming reign of Jesus over all mankind upon the earth.
The rule of Jesus over the hearts of those who have bowed their lives to Him.
QUESTION- How does Jesus’ message differ from the mindset of this unbelieving world?
1. It goes against our carnal nature, which often will not admit spiritual poverty.
2. People believe that they can spiritually enrich themselves apart from a relationship with God.
THE REMEDY- When one discovers his spiritual poverty, he will seek to remedy the situation.
After all the searching one may do, they will finally realize that the cure is only found in a right relationship with Jesus.
When that person receives Jesus as their Savior, they become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
They experience supreme blessedness.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Remember- This mourning is based upon the awareness of one’s spiritual poverty.
Mourn-To grieve, to wail.
1. We mourn over our own sinfulness. Deep grief over our own failures before God.
2. We mourn over sin in the world. Pain and suffering brought about by man’s choices to sin.
3. We mourn over sickness, disease, deformities, and physical sufferings of all kinds.
4. We mourn over mankind’s hardness of heart against the love and forgiveness of God.
5. We mourn for those who do not see their own spiritual poverty, and never turn to Jesus.
Comforted- parakaleo- to call near, to invite, to console or comfort.
The comfort comes to us as we sorrow over our sins, and choose to receive forgiveness in Jesus.
PERSONAL COMFORT
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
FUTURE COMFORT Turn to Isaiah 2:1-4; Revelation 21:1-5
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Meekness- A happy medium between two extremes. Emotional moderation.
To domesticate a wild animal. Strength under control. Speaks of a human life under God’s control.
To be willing to submit to the authority of God.
Meekness comes as we are poor in spirit, and are mourning over much in life.
Jesus spoke of Himself as being meek. Turn to Matthew 11:28-30
Meek- gentle. Meekness doesn’t mean weakness. Turn to Mark 3:1-5
Meekness will be angry at sin; at others’ mistreatment, but will patiently suffer wrongdoing to self.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Inherit the earth- The meek person has learned that true happiness isn’t found in possessions, but in a correct view of self, and right view of others, and a right relationship with God.
That person will come to God thru faith in Jesus; all things are theirs; they shall rule w/Jesus in the age to come.
NOTE- These characteristics are not the source of blessing; they are designed to lead us to the source.