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Sermon On The Mount

Posted on 11 Nov 2018, Pastor: Tolu Makinde

Title: The Sermon On The Mount

Text: Matt. 5:1-12

[Mat 5:1] And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

[Mat 5:2] Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

[Mat 5:3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Mat 5:4] Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

[Mat 5:5] Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

[Mat 5:6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

[Mat 5:7] Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

[Mat 5:8] Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

[Mat 5:9] Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

[Mat 5:10] Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Mat 5:11] “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

[Mat 5:12] Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Introduction

This short sermon has been termed the greatest sermon that Jesus ever preached.
This sermon teaches what the heart and actions of disciples ought to be.
It contains revelation about God’s principles of righteousness by which all Christians are to live their lives through faith in Jesus and through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit
The term “blessed” stated 9 times means having spiritual well-being and prosperity, similar to
- [Psa 1:1] Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
- [Psa 34:8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man whotrusts in Him!
- [Joh 20:29] Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The term “blessed” also refer to those, who by their relationship with Christ and His Word, receive God’s Kingdom
The Kingdom includes His love, care, salvation, and daily presence

Main Topic

Poor In Spirit

[Mat 5:3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Being poor in spirit means that we recognize that we are not spiritually sufficient
We need the Holy Spirit’s life, power, and sustaining grace in order to inherit the Kingdom of God
[Joh 15:5] “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
[Joh 14:16] And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
[Joh 14:17] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
[Joh 14:18] I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
The Christian race can only be successful when the race is guided by the Holy Spirit
The absence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian race will result in failure
The blessing of those who are poor in spirit is the Kingdom of Heaven

Those who Mourn

[Mat 5:4] Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

To mourn here is to grieve over our weakness in relation to God’s standard of righteousness
It is also to mourn over the things that grieve God
To have feelings in sympathy with the feeling of God
To be afflicted in our spirits over sin, immorality, and cruelty manifested in the world – Remember Sodom and Gomorah. The world today is a billion times worse than Sodom and Gomorah.
The blessing of those who mourn is the comfort they receive from the Lord in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit

The Meek

[Mat 5:5] Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

The meek are those who are humble and submissive before God
They find their refuge in Christ and commit their way entirely unto Him
They are more concerned about God’s work and God’s people than about what might happen to them personally
The meek, not the aggressive, ultimately inherits the earth – [Psa 37:11] But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

[Mat 5:6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

The foundation for godly living is the hunger and thirst for righteousness
Such hunger was seen in Moses – [Exo 33:13] Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
Such hunger was seen in David – [Psa 42:1] As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. [Psa 42:2] My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
The spiritual condition of Christians will depend on their thirst and hunger for
- The presence of God
- The Word of God
- The communion of Christ
- The fellowship of the Spirit
- Righteousness
- The return of the Lord
The believer’s hunger for the things of God can be destroyed by
- Worldly anxiety,
- Deceitfulness of wealth,
- Desire for things and life’s pleasure, and
- Failure to abide in Christ.
When the hunger and thirst for God is destroyed, such a believer will die spiritually
Therefore, we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in our lives to keep the hunger and thirst for God

Merciful

[Mat 5:7] Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

The merciful are full of compassion and pity toward those who are suffering from sorrow or sin
The merciful wants to make the suffering less by bringing such people to the grace and help of God through Christ
Luke 10:25-37 – The parable of the good Samaritan
By showing mercy to others, we shall obtain mercy

Pure in Heart

[Mat 5:8] Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

The pure in heart are those who have been delivered from sin’s power by God’s grace
They seek after the attitude of heart that God has – a love for righteousness and an hatred for evil
Their hearts are in tune with the heart of God
[Heb 12:14] Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
Only the pure in heart shall see God – which means to be His child and dwell in His presence now and in the future

Peacemakers

[Mat 5:9] Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

The peacemakers are those who have been reconciled to God
They have peace with Him through the Holy Spirit
They now strive to bring others to peace with God
[Rom 5:1] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [Rom 5:2] through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
They shall be called sons of God

Persecution for Righteousness’ Sake

[Mat 5:10] Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Mat 5:11] “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

[Mat 5:12] Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Those who seek to live in harmony with the Word of God for the sake of righteousness will be persecuted
Those who uphold God’s standard of truth and refuse to compromise with the present evil society or the lifestyle of lukewarm believers will experience rejection and criticism
Persecution and opposition will come from the world and at times from within the church
When such suffering takes place, Christians are to rejoice. Those who suffer most for God will receive the highest blessing
Believers must beware of temptation to compromise God’s will in order to avoid shame, embarrassment or loss.
Those who suffer and endure persecution because of righteousness are promised the kingdom and heavenly rewards.

Conclusion

Matt 5:3-12: