1/28/24 “The Sermon on the Mount - Part 1”
“Blessed”
Matthew 5:1-16
There’s a scene in the movie “Forrest Gump” ….where Forrest is sitting alone on his front porch in the make-believe town of Greenbow, Alabama.
As Forrest is sitting there, staring out at his front lawn - an idea pops into his head….he decides to go running.
Does anyone remember this scene?
He puts on his baseball cap, and he just takes off running down the road.
He runs through town….then to the edge of the county…then to the Alabama state line…then he decides to …..just keep on running.
If you’ve seen the movie, then you know that he eventually runs all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
What does he do next?
He runs back in the opposite direction - all the way across the country to the Atlantic Ocean.
What then?
He decides to run back across the country again.
People begin to notice what Forrest is doing, and he begins to attract a following…
Numerous people begin to run behind him because they are inspired by his drive and persistence…. his dedication and his commitment to doing what no one else had done.
Eventually, we see Forrest with his band of followers running over the barren landscape of Utah, just north of Monument Valley on iconic Hwy 163.
(In fact, many people today flock to ‘Forrest Gump Point’ on Hwy 163 just to take a picture of where the scene from this famous movie was filmed)
So anyway, for the first time in 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours….Forrest Gump stops running.
His 50 or 60 followers also stop running…and they stare at him.
A hush comes over the crowd as they are all overtaken with anticipation as to what their inspiring leader may say.
What words of wisdom will this man convey to them?
Will he provide them with needed instructions for their lives?
Will he tell them how to become successful in life?
Will he show them the secret to happiness and contentment?
Well… Forrest turns to the crowd – pauses for a moment - then says these not-so-inspiring words:
“I’m pretty tired”….”Think I’ll go home now”
His followers are stunned that he didn’t have anything more profound to say other than….he’s tired…and he wants to go home!
One person yells at Forrest in disgust: “Now what are we supposed to do?”
Why were people suddenly upset with the person whom they had been following?
Well….they were looking for a savior.
These people were lost souls looking for someone to tell them how to find happiness and fulfillment in life.
Well, Forrest Gump – it turns out – was NOT their man.
He was not a savior….nor did he ever claim to be one.
Our Bible passage for today begins with a similar kind of scene.
Although, this time, the man being followed by a large crowd of people really was a savior…and he really did have deep words of wisdom to pass along to others.
As we saw last week, Jesus had been attracting a large following in Capernaum and the surrounding area.
He was doing things that no one else could do…
He was healing the sick. He was restoring sight to the blind. He was driving out demons and diseases of all kinds.
He had inspired countless people – and many had begun to follow him wherever he went.
Then, one day, Jesus hiked up the side of a hill near the Sea of Galilee with his followers tagging along behind him.
Verse 1 of Matthew chapter five (Matthew 5:1) tells us that after Jesus came to a certain spot, he sat down and began teaching his disciples, along with the large crowd that had followed him there.
In those days, it was customary for a Rabbi, or teacher, to sit down while giving a sermon or lecture – and the audience would stand up….
Should we try that this morning?...There’s a chair right over there…
After all, It’s harder to fall asleep during the sermon while you’re standing up, right?
Interestingly, the 6th chapter of Luke also chronicles a sermon from Jesus that is very similar to the sermon we see here in Matthew chapter 5.
We don’t know for sure if Luke’s recorded sermon is the same exact sermon as the one in Matthew 5, but regardless of whether they were the same event, we see numerous parallels between the two….
Therefore, as we go through the sermon account in Matthew, you’ll hear me often reference Luke’s sermon to provide some added clarity and context.
Before Jesus begins to speak, Luke tells us in his gospel that people “Tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.” (Luke 6:19)
No wonder Jesus had attracted such a large crowd…
If someone came through our area and was able to take away diseases such as cancer and dementia through a simple touch….. I guarantee you they would have a large following as well!
Look at verse 2 (Matthew 5:2) of our passage for today.
It’s at this point where Jesus begins to speak…he begins to deliver a sermon for the ages….it will become the most famous sermon the world will ever know.
Unlike the shallow and self-serving words from Forrest Gump to his audience, Jesus’ words to his followers would be dripping with wisdom…..and they would be saturated with deep meaning.
The words of this sermon remind us that we must stand out from the culture around us…
That we must live in such a way as to bring honor to God & His kingdom…
That we must live as loyal subjects to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In its essence, the Sermon on the Mount is a user’s manual for life.
Who knows more about a product than the manufacturer, right?
Owner’s manuals describe the proper way in which an item is to be used in order to maximize its efficiency….as well as how an item is to be properly maintained.
God has made every human being, yet – tragically – only a small percentage of human beings turn to their maker in order to find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in their lives….
At the heart of the sermon on the Mount is…man’s heart.
This sermon explains the importance of serving Jesus with a heart motivated by love and gratitude….as opposed to a heart motivated by empty legalism and ceremonial duty.
Think of the difference in this way:
When we see a speed limit sign, we tend to be motivated to stay at least somewhere near the posted speed because we know that if we drive too fast, it could mean a ticket – and money out of our pocket.
But when we have a baby riding in the back seat, we tend to drive much more cautiously….WHY?... because our love for that precious little life motives us to drive safely – as opposed to simply being motivated by the law and its consequences.
The same holds true of why we strive to live in obedience to God – we love Him for what He has done for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross...
Therefore, we want to please Him – and in doing so – our actions will look very different than the actions of many people around us…
in fact, the entire sermon on the mount is VERY counter-cultural.
Jesus begins this radical Sermon by describing 8 counter-cultural characteristics – or “Beatitudes” - that will exemplify every one of his followers…
First of all…Believers don’t ‘pick & choose’ which of these 8 characteristics they want to align with, like its some sort of ‘Beatitude buffet’…
“Well….today, I feel like being poor in spirit and I’ll have a little purity in heart on the side…but I’ll pass on the mourning and the persecution – someone else can have them”
It doesn’t work this way, folks…If you are a genuine follower of Jesus Christ…. ALL of these virtues will be present in your life.
It’s a similar situation to the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians chapter five…true believers will exemplify ALL of these attributes in their lives.
So….we could easily dedicate an entire sermon to each of these 8 beatitudes, but since our current sermon series is on the entire Sermon on the Mount, we’ll just do a “fly-over” of each beatitude today.
First of all, the word ‘Beatitude’ is translated as ‘blessed’…and it’s derived from a Latin word referring to ‘a state of happiness or bliss.’
Jesus is saying that blessings, or ‘happiness’ will be the defining characteristic of people who exemplify these virtues in their lives.
In other words, if you are living in obedience to Christ, you will experience authentic happiness & joy in your life – you will possess what the rest of the world is so desperately searching for…..and never finding!
The world looks for happiness through power, prestige, and personal acquisitions.
Jesus, on the other hand, teaches that happiness is found - not through these selfish, superficial channels - but through a self-less life of sacrifice and obedience.
The first of these virtues – revealed in verse 3 (Matthew 5:3) is to be ‘Poor in Spirit.’
To be spiritually poor means that we are aware of our sinful condition to the point that it keeps us in a constant state of humility.
Jesus puts this beatitude first because humility is the foundation of every aspect involved in living the Christian life.
It’s impossible for pride to gain a foothold in our lives when we constantly remind ourselves that “Apart from God, we can do nothing” (John 15:5)
It’s also very interesting (And encouraging) that for each of these lived-out beatitudes, Jesus conveys a promise.
The promise for living as one who is ‘Poor in Spirit’ is that “Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
In other words, we as believers can enjoy the comfort of knowing that – as children of God – we belong to Him & that we have been given the privilege of having the Holy Spirit dwelling within us now – and we will also be given the privilege of living in the presence of God for eternity!
The second Beatitude is in verse 4 (Matthew 5:4) “Blessed are those who mourn…”
To the non-believer, this idea of achieving happiness through sadness must seem like….well…madness!
How can this be true?....What on earth is Jesus saying here?
How can sadness bring joy?
The first thing we need to realize is that there are different kinds of mourning, or sorrow.
We mourn over the loss of a loved one….we mourn over a friend who just received a devastating diagnosis from their doctor….we experience sorrow over natural disasters and their results….
For instance, many of you mourned over the devastation incurred right here in LaValle by two major floods within the last 15 years.
However, these are not the kinds of mourning that Jesus is talking about.
Jesus is referring to spiritual mourning – specifically, mourning over sin.
If you study these beatitudes, you’ll notice that one builds upon the next…they are progressive in nature…like steps – taking a person to where they need to go.
In order to mourn over our sinfulness, we must first be Poor in Spirit.
We must first be humble in heart before we are able to see the depths of our own wickedness in light of God’s holiness.
But something amazing happens when our sinfulness causes us to be overcome with sorrow….we are….actually….comforted.
We are comforted to a degree that the world will never understand…why?
Because we have the reassurance that our sins have been forgiven!
1 John 1:9 reminds us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
There is no better feeling in the world than to know that God has forgiven me of my sins….and this brings the ‘happiness’ that Jesus speaks of!
The third beatitude in verse 5 (Matthew 5:5) is “Blessed are the meek.”
As you’ve probably heard before, “meekness does not mean weakness.”
Meekness is power under control.
Has anyone ever been around a wild horse that’s been ‘broken’?
The horse is still capable of doing the things it once did when it was wild, but it has been conditioned to take on a calm spirit….
Essentially, this is what Jesus is talking about here…as believers, we have taken on a calm spirit of gentleness and kindness in our relationships with others.
As one author observed: “Meekness is not thinking less of ourselves, rather, it means thinking of ourselves less.”
The promise for meekness is that we will inherit the earth.
Someday, Jesus will return to this Earth and he will have absolute dominion over it.
We are also promised in Revelation chapter 20 (verse 6) that we - his meek servants - will rule with him during His millennial kingdom.
We shall indeed inherit the earth.
The fourth beatitude is found in verse 6 (Matthew 5:6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”
The first 3 beatitudes were about ‘emptying’ ourselves of pride, arrogance, and rebelliousness…
This 4th beatitude is about being filled…being filled with righteousness.
Jesus uses two words that have special meaning here: “Hunger” and “Thirst”
Just as food and water are necessary for physical survival…righteousness is necessary for spiritual survival.
Our position before God must be one of righteousness in order for Him to allow us entry into his presence…and the only way we can obtain this righteousness is through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Righteousness, then, is a gift from God…it is imputed to us through the shed blood of Jesus.
Therefore, we ought to hunger and thirst for this to be a reality in our lives,
2 Corinthians 5:21 says “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
…And when we hunger & thirst for this righteousness, Jesus promises us that we will be filled….through our continual hunger for the things of God…we will be satisfied in the process.
The fifth beatitude is listed in verse 7 (Matthew 5:7): “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”
Mercy is the opposite of justice.
Justice is getting what you deserve…mercy is not getting what you deserve.
We must be merciful to others…why?
Because we ourselves have obtained mercy!
The sermon in Luke 6 says it very plainly: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
We have all sinned, therefore we all deserve eternal death…but God has shown mercy to those who are in Christ.
Therefore, we are to reflect God’s mercy to others as a visual example of what He has done for us.
People who show mercy are promised to be shown mercy themselves…this should definitely cause us to be happy!
The sixth beatitude is in verse 8: “Blessed are the pure in heart.”
One of the most revolutionary components of Jesus’ teaching was that God is not concerned about the outward, external parts of our faith….Rather, He is concerned with what is in our hearts.
God concerns himself with the inner person…the source of our motives and attitudes…the center of our personality – this is what is meant by “The Heart”
We are called to have a pure heart.
Does this mean a sinless heart? No. – We all fall prey to sin from time to time.
What it means is that we intentionally choose to live our lives in such a way as to cultivate those habits that bring us closer to God – and eradicate those habits (or choices) that drive us away from God.
When we do this, we are told that we will “See God.”
1 John 3:2 provides a glimpse as to what seeing God will be like: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”
As followers of Christ, someday, we will see God – just the thought of that should bring happiness and joy to our lives today!
The seventh beatitude in verse 9 (Matthew 5:9) is: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
If you go to our denomination’s website and read the statement of beliefs, you’ll notice that one of the emphases of the Advent Christian denomination is that – whenever given the choice – we ought to choose peace over war.
As believers in Christ, our primary objective in dealing with other people should be to establish – and maintain – an environment of peace.
Romans 12:18 says “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Paul goes on to write in that passage that we are not to take revenge against others – that we are to leave that up to God.
If we live peaceful lives that are rooted in humility, brokenness, meekness, righteousness, mercy, and purity….Jesus promises that we will be called ‘Sons of God.”
This is a relational promise…this means that we have been adopted into God’s family…that we have a seat at the Lord’s dinner table for all eternity….that should bring us joy!
Lastly, the Eighth and final beatitude is in verse 10 (Matthew 5:10) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness…”
The way of the world is conformity…specifically, conformity to unbiblical lifestyles and morals.
The media, public schools, the government, the entertainment industry…the systems of our culture all demand that people to conform to a humanistic, naturalistic, unbiblical worldview.
When people don’t bend to this cultural expectation, pushback inevitably ensues.
2 Timothy 3:12 tells us that “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
When we align our lives to biblical morals and values, people don’t like it – it reminds them of the sin in their own life….even if they say they don’t believe in sin!
As one bible commentator put it “Those born only of the flesh will persecute those born of the Spirit.”
…And yet, Jesus says that we will find happiness amid such persecution.
Did you notice that the promise associated with this beatitude is the same promise as in beatitude #1?
“For theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
We’ve come full circle….
Through these eight virtues of the Christian life, we have been given a map that leads straight to the land of happiness.
What eludes the unbelieving world has been revealed to God’s children.
Let’s live in such a way as to display this joy to the world.
Let’s Pray.