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
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[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;
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[Psa 34:8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man whotrusts in Him!
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[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.
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[Joh 14:16] And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
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[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.
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[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.”
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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.
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
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[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:
[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.
- These are 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