Sermon On The Mount Week 2 - Matthew 5:7-12 Beatitudes II Walking In The Word Service Sat, 7.30pm Sun, 8.30am The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God is the sovereign rule of God, manifested in the person and work of Christ, creating a people over whom He reigns, and issuing in a realm or realms in which the power of His reign is realized. - George E.Ladd 1
The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God is not limited by any physical or geographical boundary The Kingdom of God is anywhere where the rule and reign of Christ can be established. The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God is both a present and future reality. The fullness of the Kingdom of God will only be realized in the 2nd coming of Christ. 2
Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount addresses both the character and the conduct of those who belong to the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes The structure of a beatitude is as such: It consists of a blessing. A description of the recipient because of an attitude or conduct befitting the blessing. 3
a. Definition of Blessed (μακάριοι) Every one of the beatitudes starts with the word Blessed. The word Blessed comes from the Greek word μακάριος. It describes the near incomprehensible happiness of those who participate in the Kingdom. Website address: http://trinity.net/walking_in_the_word.htm 4
Fifth Beatitude Matthew 5:7 (NIV) Blessed are the merciful, for they will (shall) be shown mercy. Fifth Beatitude MERCY has two biblical connotations: The 1st meaning: The act of pardoning one in the wrong. The 2nd meaning: To show kindness to one who is in need. 5
Isaiah 6:5 (NIV) Fifth Beatitude Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty. Fifth Beatitude The definition of mercy in this beatitude is that of the act of pardoning one who is in the wrong. 6
Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant (Matt.18:21-35) The 1 st servant owes the master several million dollars. The master, out of his mercy and kindness, writes off all the debts of the 1 st servant. Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant (Matt.18:21-35) But the 1 st servant goes out and demands another fellow servant who owes him a few hundred dollars. The master finds out about this and calls the 1 st servant to judgment. 7
Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:32-35 (NIV) 32 Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. 8
Fifth Beatitude Having recognized our failures before God and experienced His forgiving mercy through Jesus Christ, reflect the same relationship of mercy toward others in the wrong. Sixth Beatitude Matthew 5:8 (NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will (shall) see God. 9
Sixth Beatitude Psalm 24:3-4 (NIV) 3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Sixth Beatitude According to Ps.24, the person with a pure heart is one with: singleness of devotion and undivided loyalty to God (does not lift up his soul to an idol) and with integrity before God and man (does not swear by what is false). 10
Sixth Beatitude One standing before God with total integrity, without dissimulation, totally committed to Him. One who has integrity in his inner core being before God and his outward conduct with others. Luke 21:1-4 Sixth Beatitude Jesus & disciples were watching the giving of offerings. The widow gave the most because she gave her all. It was not the value but the heart that gave everything to God. 11
Sixth Beatitude The promise of this beatitude: the pure in heart will be accepted into the presence of God where they can see God face to face in the eschatological age Sixth Beatitude Exodus 33:20 (NIV) But, he said, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. 12
Seventh Beatitude Matthew 5:9 (NIV) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Seventh Beatitude Definition of Shalom: It is not merely that of political and economic stability. It is inclusive sense of wholeness, all that constitutes well-being to a person. It encompasses a person s emotional, physical and spiritual needs. 13
Seventh Beatitude Peacemakers are those who are actively serving as channels of peace, bringing about wholeness and well-being to people s lives. Seventh Beatitude Mark 5:25-34 Jesus was a peacemaker when he healed the woman with the issue of blood The woman had a bleeding problem for 12 years. 14
Seventh Beatitude Jesus healed the woman of: physical affliction her relationship with the society acceptance back into her own community as she was no longer unclean. Seventh Beatitude Mark 5:34 He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 15
Seventh Beatitude Qn: Who can be a peacemaker? Anyone who has tasted the goodness of God and has experienced the peacemaking process by our Lord Jesus Eighth Beatitude Matt.5:10-12 (NIV) 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 16
Eighth Beatitude 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Eighth Beatitude The 1st Beatitude starts off with the introduction of the Kingdom of Heaven The 8th Beatitude concludes with the mention of the Kingdom of Heaven. Obvious pattern of writing for Matthew to mark the beginning and the end of the beatitudes. 17
Eighth Beatitude This beatitude both a promise of blessing and also a promise of persecution. Eighth Beatitude 2 types of persecution that warrant the blessing: persecuted for righteousness and persecuted for Christ. 18
Eighth Beatitude Definition of Righteousness: A new relationship with God by means of God s grace in one s life through Jesus and it requires conduct in keeping with this new relationship to God and others. Eighth Beatitude 2 components that qualify one to be righteous: a right relationship with God a godly conduct with others. 19
Eighth Beatitude Persecuted for Righteousness: For anyone who desires to have a right relationship with God and desires to have a godly relationship with others on earth, we will be assured of persecution. Eighth Beatitude Persecuted for Christ: One who is persecuted because of his testimony, witness and ministry for Christ. 20
Eighth Beatitude Persecution was a common phenomenon in the times of old where the prophets experienced the same outcome. 21