Matthew
5:1-10 Sermon
on the
Sermon
on a MT - creative The
Beatitudes
In Matthew 5 we have the the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, and that portion
of His words known as The Beatitudes.
Background
In 4:23
we are told that Jesus was going around all of
We
are told that His
fame went throughout all of
We
are told that great multitudes of people from all of Galilee and from
Josephus,
the Jewish historian, tells us that there were over 200 cities in
And
again, many scholars feel upwards of ten, twenty thousand people at a time
following in these days.
Excited
crowds are growing -
There are blind men that have lived their lives
as beggars running back to their old friends that are still sitting somewhere
blind and begging and saying to them, come
on, you got to see this and their friends are saying, what do
you mean see this.
And
they’re saying, that’s what I want to tell
you about. He’s opening the eyes of the blind and you got to come with us!
There
were guys who were crippled that Jesus had healed and they went running back
to their friends that were crippled saying, He’s giving out legs, you gotta
come, just taking them with.
THAT is EVANGELISM
A) A man once blind going
back to his blind friends telling them WHO made him to see
B) A man once lame going back
to his crippled friends and telling them WHO made them to walk
C) Those who were full of leprosy running to family and
friends telling them of this man who made them clean and whole again.
D)
You can imagine it
was pandemonium!
Something
else unique was happening with these crowds – Mixed
Group.
A)
There are Pharisees
and Sadducees in the crowd who normally would not rub shoulders.
B)
And along side of the Pharisees and Sadducees there were Romans and people from
C)
It was as Jesus saw all of this pandemonium, that we read 5:1 And seeing the multitudes He went up into a mountain:
D)And oh how DIFFERENTLY Jesus saw them than we would.
1)
Not a Bother – Sheep without a Shepherd
E) Bible describes man as wandering
aimlessly
1)
Shopping with a woman – wandering aimlessly
F)
One thing to the next – can’t make up their minds
That
is the way the Bible describes man: Wandering aimlessly – one pleasure /
pursuit to the next
A) Looking for satisfaction
in things – just have that
B) Looking for satisfaction
in relationships – only meet the right person.
C) Wandering like Sheep
without a shepherd
1) Jesus sees the Multitude
in that way
So Jesus
seeing the Multitude crowding around Him climbs up the mt
and sits down.
A) He goes up the MT for a
reason – You see, Jesus KNOWS that there were those who
were simply there for the side show. / free lunch
B) They were there for the
pandemonium, just for the power that was being demonstrated.
1) He goes up on the hill – “ Oh he does this – lets get lunch and come back when
miracles start again – 2nd
show
C)
But Jesus also knew that there were others that were glued to Him.
D) So He is seeking to create at this moment a
separation –
1)Reason for this – Separate those who
want to be disciples – and those who’re just curious
E) He wants to speak to
those who want to be disciples so they can reach those who were simply curious
and when He was seated
His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
A) He has a special message
for those who were willing to come up on the MT
B)
DID YOU KNOW that
those uphill moments with Jesus were the places where His followers heard the
most incredible things.
Besides the Sermon on the Mount there were
other uphill moments with Jesus
A) The
B) Then there was the
discourse on the
C) The Great Commission was
given on the next mountain.
Have
you noticed that the Christian life involves a lot of UPHILL MOMENTS?
A) MTs
this week – 2 days pray and seek the Lord – special times in the MTs – Uphill moments
B) Doesn’t have to be a
literal hill mind you, but a trial…. A circumstance…. that calls you to a greater cost to be
near Him/hear Him
C)
Choice to make: You can be like the people who just wanted to be spectators, or
you can embrace the trial….
1) Embrace
the challenge and the cost and MEET Jesus up the hill!!
So at this point Jesus Withdraws Himself and
in order to separate those who were casual followers…. A) Those who were there
just for the side show of the whole miraculous ministry ………..from those who
were longing in their hearts to KNOW Jesus
KEY INSIGHT: The Sermon on the Mount is a very misunder-stood
portion of Scripture.
A)
Many people believe that the Sermon on the Mount was given as the guidelines
for becoming a Christian.
B) They believe that if they
do their best to LIVE out the Sermon on the Mount they will EARN their way into
heaven.
C)
But The Sermon on the Mount was NOT given as a means of BECOMING a Christian.
D) In fact If one takes the Sermon on the Mount seriously he will find
out that The Sermon on the Mount is impossible to live out.
E)
You find that God’s standard of righteousness is unattainable!
No
the sermon on the MT is for true Disciples - Jesus is going to TEACH His disciples about the
A )He is going to show them – what God intends to do in
their lives AS THEY FOLLOW HIM.
B) And it starts with the reshaping of their
attitudes
1) First section is known as
the Be-attitudes
C) Attitudes that God wants to
develop in the heart of His followers
Notice These are called the BE-attitudes, NOT the DO-attitudes.
A)
These are descriptions of what God causes a person to BE, rather than a
description of what God wants them to DO.
B)KEY INSIGHT: God places a PREMIUM of BEING, because what we DO
flows out of what we ARE.
C)
The world says that happiness hinges on what you DO while God says that true
happiness hinges upon who you ARE.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Key word Blessed:
It means Happy – fulfilled satisfied
A) “Blessed” implied an inner satisfaction and sufficiency
that did not depend on outward circumstances for happiness.
B)Notice how he starts 3 Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed are those who possess a poverty
of spirit.
C) That sounds weird:
1)
There have been modern translators who have sought to interpret this as,
"Blessed in spirit are the poor“.
D)
But Jesus
is NOT speaking about physical poverty.
1)There isn’t a blessing in physical poverty unless God leads us into physical
poverty.
Paul
said, I’ve learned to be abased and to abound.
And
in that leading of God there is blessing.
A)
But there is no inherent blessing, nor spirituality in poverty.
B)
But He’s speaking about something else here
He’s
talking about poverty of spirit. Blessed are the
poor in spirit for theirs is the
CRUCIAL INSIGHT: To be poor
in spirit means to have a correct estimate of oneself
“Poor
in spirit” is
the exact opposite of the world’s attitudes of self-praise, self-assertion and
self-esteem.
KEY
EXAMPLE: Isaiah - "In the year that king Uzziah
died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, andHis train filled the temple…… Then
said I, "Woe is me! for I am undone"; because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine
eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts". (Isa. 6:1 and 6:5)
KEY
EXAMPLE: Daniel, when he saw the Lord
said,
"Therefore
I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in
me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no
strength". (Dan.10:8)
KEY
EXAMPLE: Peter
- “…. fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart
from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord". (Luke 5:8)
Jesus is saying when a man comes to
understand that He is spiritually poor – He is at the doorway of being blessed.
A)
This is completely contrary to the normal way that pp think.
B) The
world says that in order to feel good about yourself you NEED to look a
certain way, live in a certain place, drive a certain car and have
certain things.
C)
So you begin to make the attaining of those things the focus of your life so
that you can feel good about yourself.
Man
sets his own standards for what is good and bad so that he will come out
looking good.
A)
He makes himself the final authority on what is good and bad and adjusts those definitions so that he
ultimately comes out looking good.
B)
Always changing the rules – so he comes out on top
C)
Always looks like a winner – because compare ourselves with those who are worse
off than us
D)
When you compare yourself with me, you might think that you look pretty good!
E)
I am happy because I am better than you – but I am not satisfied – deep inside
– I know something is wrong – not right – I am missing
CRUCIAL INSIGHT: POOR IN
SPIRIT is the result of a true evaluation of
myself; not in the light of men, but in the light of God.
A)
Seeing myself in light of His Holiness / His standard
B)
Poverty of spirit is coming to the realization that before a holy God you are SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT.
1) Doorway to being saved - I realize I can’t
do a thing to make myself right with God – I need a Saviour
C) But it carries over into
the Christian life. –
1)
I realize – I can’t in my flesh do anything that will have an eternal value
attached to it
Catch
the paradox – the world says you will be blessed if you have the ……
A)You will be blessed if you – when you reach your full potential – discover
the champion living with in
B) Jesus says you will be
blessed when you realize you are nothing –
1) You will be blessed in
realizing how needy you are
C) How can that be!
1) For theirs is the
Starts
with Salvation – Assurance of Heaven
A) I am there - nothing to do with
me
B) Can’t attain it – can’t
maintain – it is all Jesus
C) In the Christian life –
the more I see my need
The more dependant
I will be on Jesus
For
theirs is the Kingdom of heaven
A) God good pleasure to give
us the Kingdom
B) He gets joy out of
blessing us
1) Realize my need – Poor in
spirit – Lord help supply
C) The resources of the King
are available to me today
1) Strength / direction /
Hope/ grace /
This
verse became very real to me many yrs ago during a time of personal struggle
A) Sue – Jealously
B) Since experienced – when
I am weak – He supplies strength
1) I am at a loss and need
direction – He supplies wisdom
C) I am not feeling very
loving – The love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the HS
1) Love the unlovable
D) I feel intimidated – He
supplies boldness!
That
is why it is blessed to have an attitude of being poor in spirit
A) See how little you are /
how great God is – blessing to Know that God – says I am on your side
B) Now understand the
beatitudes connect together like a strand of pearls – one connects with the
next one.
C) After being Poor in
spirit He says: 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted
Having
become aware of my true condition in the light of God, my heart is now broken.
A)
I mourn over what I see of myself, and in myself.
B)KEY INSIGHT: My
HAPPINESS in NOT found in the mourning itself.
1)
It is found in the promises of the Lord’s comfort and forgiveness.
Psalm
51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite
heart, O God, you will not despise.
Here
is another of those upside down principles – happy are the sad!
A)
Everyone in the world is spending their lives in an attempt to AVOID sadness
and find happiness.
B)
How many here want to be HAPPY? How many here want to be SAD?
1)
Fortunes are being made on the BE HAPPY industry.
C) Our
world is FILLED with people that are searching for SENSATION.
AMUSEMENT
REIGNS in American
Everywhere
one looks there are amusement parks (with complete vacation packages built
around them – A hotel at Disney World for $750/night!)
A =
without
MUSE
= to think
Amusement
= Feel good without thinking!!
But true happiness comes when a man
realizes how greatly he has been forgiven
A)
Psalm 32:1-2
Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven,
Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
B)
He who has been forgiven much – loves much
1)
Mourn when I see my sin – how greatly I fall short
C)
Failure as a husband and a father – Comforted in knowing – Jesus forgives
1)
Jesus supplies –