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:
[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