Matthew 5:9 | When we live as peacemakers, we live true to our identity as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father who is the ultimate peacemaker. So how do we step into the character God is crafting in us to be people who make peace? And where do we need to be true to live out this identity in our lives right now?
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Matthew 5:10-12 | The last message in our summer Beatitudes series.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Jesus bookends His Beatitudes message with reference to the kingdom of Heaven and encouraging His followers to "rejoice and be glad" when they face persecution. But what is persecution? How are we to respond and how can we respond with joy?
The goal of persecution is to silence the witness, but the Lord gives us power to overcome fear for His glory.
Matthew 5:9 | When we live as peacemakers, we live true to our identity as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father who is the ultimate peacemaker. So how do we step into the character God is crafting in us to be people who make peace? And where do we need to be true to live out this identity in our lives right now?
Matthew 5:8 | "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
The sixth Beatitude statement from Jesus' Sermon on the mount.
Matthew 5:7 | "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
The fifth Beatitude statement from Jesus' Sermon on the mount. What does merciful mean and how can we cultivate a heart of mercy?
Matthew 5:6 | As the Rolling Stones say, "I can't get no satisfaction..."
That one line summarizes so much of the human existence. What brings satisfaction in this world? And why does it seem so much of what we pursue in hopes of being satisfied actually leads us to be more dissatisfied? What if satisfaction is not found in pursuing satisfaction but in the pursuit of something else?
Jesus tells us the secret, so let's look at it together.
Matthew 5:5 | What is meekness? It's actually kind of hard to pin that question down. It's increasingly hard when we swim upstream in a culture where meekness is often disregarded. So what is meekness? We have to get at it because the meek receive a beautiful inheritance. It's an inheritance we don't want to miss out on. So let's pursue an understanding of meekness and this inheritance Jesus promises will be theirs.
Matthew 5:4 | Consider for a moment those times in life when you feel alright –when you feel at peace. What are the conditions that cause that or allow for that?
Next, think about the times in your life when you don’t feel alright –when you don’t feel at peace. What’s gone wrong?
Now, for our final query, how much time do you spend trying to be in the first category and not the second? If you’re like most of us, you spend much of your waking energy trying to build a life that keeps you feeling alright and at peace. We want to be ok. We want to live at peace.
So imagine the shock and surprise you’d experience if Jesus walked up to you and turned that all around by saying, “Happy are those who experience deep sadness.” It’s counter-intuitive and it goes against everything we’re striving so hard for. How could it possibly be true?
Matthew 5:1-3 | The Blessed Life
What is the blessed life? We will define what it means to be blessed based on the value system of the kingdom we identify with. So what kingdom do we identify with? And if it is the kingdom of God, we might be surprised to hear the very opening line of how Jesus characterizes who a blessed one is. There is major encouragement in what he says for those who know their deep spiritual poverty and need.
