Summary: A series on the beatitudes

THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM #2

Text: Matthew 5: 2-12

BLESSED (markarios) - A Spiritual Joy and Satisfaction that lasts regardless of Circumstances and Conditions; that carries us through pain, sorrow, heartache, loss and grief.

To be blessed is what men seek! The problem is that they seek it in the things of this earth;

money, position, power, fame, and material things.

IN OUR TEXT JESUS GIVES US EIGHT KEYS TO BLESSEDNESS OR TO GOD’S KINGDOM:

1. Mt. 5:3 - THE FIRST KEY IS POVERTY --- Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the

Kingdom of Heaven. We are nothing without Jesus!

2. Mt. 5:4 - THE SECOND KEY IS MOURNING--- Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

(Penthountes) - To have a broken heart.... The strongest word in the Greek for the word mourn!

It is like the deep sorrow of the loss of a loved one. - Now we know that life is full of Troubles, Trials, Heartaches and Sorrows! -- Job 14:1 - Man is born is of few days and full of trouble. – But Jesus is not talking about Physical Suffering. – Just as He was not talking about being physically poor in the first key, He is not talking about physical mourning here.

Jesus is talking about a Sorrow that brings us into right relationship with God. A Sorrow that brings us to True Repentance. II Cor. 7: 9,10 - Now I rejoice, not that ye where made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For Godly Sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (Lucern)- Bill Gothard taught in Atlanta that a true broken heart had a chemical called Lucern in it. I wonder if we checked the tears under a microscope at the altar if Lucern would be there.

TRUE REPENTANCE MEANS - A COMPLETE TURN AROUND, A TOTAL CHANGE! --- Not just weeping and crying on an Altar but a true Change of Heart and Life Style! --- EXAMPLE OF PLAYING WITH GOD ON THE ALTAR: I Kings 2: 28-34 - Joab --- Mt. 12:45 - 7 more demons!

SOME THINGS CHRISTIANS SHOULD MOURN OVER:

1.We should Mourn when we think of how Jesus Loved us when we were sinners and

rebellious against the call of God. --- Romans 5: 6-10 - Jesus loved us when we without strength, While we were yet sinners, When we were enemies of God! --- I John 4:10 - Herein is Love, Not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for

our sins.

2.We should Mourn when we think of How Jesus died on the Cross to Save the World from Sin. (He took our thrist, He took our Suffering, He took our Hell.... So we could go to Heaven!)

John 15:13 - Greater Love hath no man that this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends.

3.We should Mourn when we think of our Spiritual Growth - (I Pet. 3:18 - Grow in Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chirst.... We are to Grow everyday in Christ and become more like Him! --- There are alot of people who will admit that are not as close to Jesus as they once was! --- IF YOU DON’T FEEL CLOSE TO GOD GUESS WHO MOVED? --- It should break our heart that all Jesus has done for us and we treat his love and goodness so carelessly!

4.We should Mourn when we do not Go Soul Winning for Jesus! -- Psa. 126:6 - He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing prescious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

5.We should Mourn when we Sin against God! A man is in truly bad shape when He can sin and it does not bother him! --- Eph. 4: 17-19 - Talks about being past feeling! --- I Tim. 4:1-3 - Conscience seared with a hot iron! --- God help when our heart becomes hard and sin does not bother us anymore! ---When you sin does it hurt? --- The very purpose of mourning and a broken heart is to keep us from getting a hard heart! -- BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED!

THOUGHT: If we do not mourn or cry here we will cry in hell. If we mourn or cry here we will never cry in heaven.