Sermon Central
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Beatitudes 2 Series
Contributed by Joe Friend on Feb 6, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Believers are puttering around wondering why their Christian life isn’t working – it’s simple, they have sin attached beneath the surface of their lives that needs to be removed.
Two brothers, Harry and James, were playing right before bedtime, and somehow Harry hit James with a stick. Tears and bitter words followed and they were still angry as their mother prepared them for
bed. Mother said, "Now James, before you go to bed you’re going to have to forgive your brother."
James thought for a moment and then replied, "Well OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if I don’t die in the night, he’d better look out in the morning."
1. BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.
This is a super important attitude. If we don’t show mercy to others we will not be shown mercy.
Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you…
Col 3:13 “Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
But you don’t know what they did or said…
The bait of Satan.
2. BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD.
Note: Scholars suggest the word has (2) meanings. (1) To make pure by cleansing from dirt, filth, or contamination like metals being refined by fire until they were free from impurities. (2) It refers to being unmixed, having no double allegiance.
Note: Purity isn’t just being clean; it is to be single-minded and intentionally focused. In this instance, God wants us to be focused on His kingdom and righteousness.
Mt. 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Note: Put these (2) definitions together. A person w/ a passion for purity is one who has been cleansed in his character so that the way he looks in public is the way he is in private. You’re just like Jesus even when no one is watching.
Story: A deacon and son were driving down a country road and saw a watermelon patch a little way off the highway. The deacon told his son to keep a lookout while he went to get a melon. He snuck into the patch, took a melon and called to his son, "Is anyone coming? Look both ways." The boy wisely responded, "But Daddy, doesn’t Jesus see you?"
Ps. 24:3-4 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 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.
2 Cor. 7:1 Here’s the challenge – it is at this point that we must live out our lives in purity. We live responsibly and obediently before God. Since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
See Jesus saw through the Pharisees pettiness and pretense, and looked right into their hearts –
In Matt. 15:8, “These people honor me w/ their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Matt 23:25-28 …inside your full of greed and self indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will be clean.
…inside you are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
1 Sm. 16:7 The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Pr. 21:2 All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Pr. 27:19 As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Ps. 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.
Quote: We’re suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem isn’t a race problem.
Our basic problem isn’t a poverty problem.
Our basic problem isn’t a war problem.
Our basic problem is a heart problem. Graham
The problem of sin isn’t the world around us,
but rather the world w/in us.
3. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF GOD.
PEACE-BREAKERS.
Peace-breakers are those people who go out of their way to break down relationships; to cause trouble and division.
We can’t AFFORD to have peace-breakers in the church, for divisive people cut away the very life principles of the CHURCH. They staunch the move of God, they can’t stand change, and they will destroy revival.
But, before we go riding off on a witch-hunt to find the “troublemakers”, and ‘deal with them’, we each need to examine our own hearts. Because you can be a peace-breaker without even knowing it! Most peace-breakers don’t realize what they’re doing - they feel justified in themselves.
