The Beatitudes - Qualities of the Citizens of God's Kingdom Pt 2
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we’re going to continue to look at the Beatitudes
Just to recap few weeks ago - Jesus left the crowds behind, travel across Sea of Galilee & climbed a steep hill...
& sat down to teach his disciples God’s expectations for citizen’s of His Kingdom
But remember these are principles to live by, not rules to condemn us when we fail
We aspire to keep them perfectly now, but live today in God’s grace, with God’s Spirit helping us to live the best life we can
So the 1st 3 beatitudes
Citizens of God’s Kingdom are patiently humble
Citizens of God’s Kingdom grieve over sin & evil
Citizens of God’s Kingdom totally depend on God
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(Slide) So let’s move on to Beatitude number 4
Ok so Matt 5:6 traditionally reads “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
Now I thought I’d use a different translation this time to try help us understand what Jesus is saying to us
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.
So as we think about what it means to live as future citizens of God’s Kingdom today… (Slide)
I decided to word this beatitude like this
4. Citizens of God’s Kingdom are passionate about God’s ‘rightness’
4. Citizens of God’s Kingdom are passionate about God’s ‘rightness’
Now what do I mean by that?
Well I was trying to find a way of re. phrasing the meaning behind that beatitude
The original is translated that “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed...”
Now Jesus wasn’t meaning literally being hungry & thirsty right?
He’s using picture language to help us understand the meaning of his words
(Slide) In actual fact the song we sang “as the deer” comes from Psalm 41 that express the same idea Jesus is saying
As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?
Now David who wrote the same is using picture language too
In his younger days as a shepherd Davvid would’ve seen deer in the wild...
Perhaps in the drier more arid areas of Israel as they searched desperately for water to stay alive
That desperation, that really desire & desperate need to quench your thirst
David & Jesus are saying that we should have that same drive, passion, desire for God...
And for God’s way, God’s will, or God’s rightness in our world
Ok so what does it mean to desire, hunger, thirst for God’s way, God’s will, or God’s rightness?
Well for us personally it means having a passion & desire to be obedient to doing the things that God instructs to do
To put God first above everything else in our lives, to make God our no. 1 priority so our lives will be inline with God’s Word
But it doesn’t stop there - it also means to desire, hunger, thirst for God’s way, God’s, will, or God’s rightness for our world
This means loving people the way God want’s us to - loving & caring for the people in our community
As well as loving & caring for creation where our community is based
Desiring to see people & creation reach their best potential within God’s will (slide)
So with that in mind I want you to think back on the local news over the last few months
We’ve seen the effect of Methamphetamine drugs and the influx of gang members from Aus into NZ
This has created explosive problems in our Tauranga communities - including 5 people killed in gang & drug relate activities in past 2 months;
Drugs are being smuggled through our port into our communities & innocent people are caught up as victims of drugs & gang violence
The People & land of Aotearoa New Zealand are constantly under the influence & effect of evil, sin, death, & our spiritual enemy Satan
So if we are Citizens of God’s Kingdom who are passionate about God’s ‘rightness’ then...
How should we feel about this sort of stuff happening to our people in our communities?
Angry? Outraged? Saddened? Grieved? (slide)
Are we passionate for God’s rightness in our world?
Are we passionate for God’s rightness in our world?
If we’re Citizens of God’s Kingdom we should feel passionately grieved, saddened, & angry that people & land are suffering
And desire to see God put things right, to fix things to line up to his will, His ways, his rightness
If we can do something to help our land or our people in our communities who are suffering - then we should
But even if we can’t do anything physically about the problems in our community...
Our passion & desire for God’s rightness should drive us to our knees in prayer...
And express our anger, grief, frustration, at all the suffering & pain in the world to God
And ask God to bring his rightness into the world, to intervene on behalf of the oppressed & victims & creation
And to bring justice & rightness back
Jesus says our desire & passion for God’s rightness will be filled - sadly its only in part for now...
but God will fulfil our desire for rightness when Jesus returns & God destroys evil sin, & death restores & renews all creation (Slide)
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(Slide) So let’s move on to Beatitude number 5
Matt 5:7 traditionally reads “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy… or
The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy.
Now this I think sounds pretty straight forward right? (slide)
So I’ve rephrased this as...
5. Citizens of God’s Kingdom seek mercy
5. Citizens of God’s Kingdom seek mercy
But what does that word mean - mercy?
Literally it means to show compassion, kindness, forgiving others
But this isn’t about just feeling compassionate or kind...
Jesus isn’t just talking about having great rushes of emotion for people now & again...
Its talking about God’s people being constantly moved with feelings of compassion & kindness
And habitually acting upon them with demonstrations or acts of compassion, kindness, & forgiveness (slide)
If we’re Citizen’s of God’s Kingdom then seeking mercy for others is a reflection of God’s own personality & character
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Of course there’s a flip side to this beatitude isn’t there… (slide)
Jesus those who demonstrate mercy will be shown mercy by God - apostle James also wrote...
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
God showed his love for us by sending Jesus into creation, to live as one of us then die a horrific death
Through Jesus death God made a way for us to receive forgiveness for all the sin, evil, & wrong we’ve thought, said, & done
He did that because he loves us, because he’s compassionate, & kind - even though we didn’t ask for it or deserve it
And he gives us gifts of hope through promises of resurrection & eternal life in a restored, renewed creation
I.e. God as demonstrated mercy to all of us
If God’s willing to show his love & mercy to us - who don’t deserve it! - then our response should be to show mercy to others… (slide)
This video shows people’s reactions to a homeless man - I want you to watch this first - Show Video
Now were those people showing mercy to that homeless guy? No they weren’t
What if I told you that those videos were shot outside a church in the US?
What if I told you that the homeless man was the lead pastor at the church...
who wanted to see how the church community were doing in showing compassion & mercy to those in need? (Slide)
Are we demonstrating mercy towards others?
Are we demonstrating mercy towards others?
It’s easy for all of us to feel surges of compassion & kindness when we watch the news, video clips on Facebook, ads for WorldVision
But if we’re Citizens of God’s Kingdom we should feel compassion, kindness, mercy towards all people in need
And then follow through by reaching out to those in need
Now we might not always be able to physically help all people in need all the time in our community
But there are many ways we can show the compassion, kindness, & forgiveness God stirs in our hearts
To our neighbours, family, friends, people in our bridge club, walk group etc.
And the more we demonstrate mercy, the more mercy becomes a habit we just feel then act upon
And if we pursue a life characterised as merciful, then in faith Jesus said we too will receive God’s mercy
When we eventually stand before him in eternity...
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(Slide) Which leads us to beatitude number 6!
Matt 5:8 traditionally reads “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” or
The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.
But what does it mean to be pure in heart?
And who can truly be pure in their heart when all of us struggle with so many internal sins?
King David understood that only those genuinely dedicated & committed to serving & living for God were worthy to be in God’s presence
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.
In Jesus day it was the same - only those genuinely dedicated & committed to serving God were worthy to enter the Temples inner chambers
So when Jesus talks about being pure of heart, he’s talking about inward holiness
When he talks about the heart being pure - he’s not referring to blood pumping organ
For the Jewish people the heart was a picture or metaphor for the person’s being
Their thinking, emotions, actions - everything that made up that person was represented by the heart
So as we think about what it means to live as future citizens of God’s Kingdom today… (Slide)
I’ve worded this beatitude like this’
6. Citizens of God’s Kingdom seek devotion to God
6. Citizens of God’s Kingdom seek devotion to God
Whatever we make number 1 priority in our lives will affect our thoughts, emotions, & actions
If God is our no. 1 priority - then we will be more focused on God,
We’ll think, feel, & act more like Jesus - who’s God in human form & who’s example we follow
& ultimately we’ll experience more of God’s presence in our lives
But if God is not our no.1 priority… then something else will be (slide)
Later on in Mattthew’s gospel he warns the disciples what happens when your heart - or your thoughts, emotions, actions...
Or focused on something other than God...
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
I want you to watch this video - I’ve turned the sound off because what happens does startle you... Show Video
So did you notice - the policeman was driving as well as what? Texting - a policeman too!!!
He wasn’t completely focused on what was really important - & he inevitably crashed (slide)
Are we dedicating our thinking, emotions, & actions completely to God?
Are we dedicating our thinking, emotions, & actions completely to God?
The same applies with us - if we don’t keep our thinking, emotions, & actions completely completely focused on God...
Or to put it another way - if we don’t make God our no 1 priority all the time...
Then we’re going to run into trouble - something else will become our # 1 priority
And we will devote ourselves to that thing rather (work, family, wealth, relationship, entertainment) than to God
What ever that thing is we devote ourselves too - ultimnately its going to disappoint us, let us down, fall short of our expectations
But if we devote ourselves to God & the things of God then our security & identity are in God’s hands
And we will enjoy a greater sense of God’s presence in every aspect of our lives
And we secure our future where we will be with God in person - as citizens of his eternal Kingdom (Slide)
So in closing - Jesus wants us to ask ourselves the questions ;
Are we passionate for God’s rightness in our world?
Are we demonstrating mercy towards others?
Are we dedicating our thinking, emotions, & actions completely to God?
So Let’s Pray;
Loving God
We thank you for the gift of your Word.
We pray now for the grace to believe what we have heard,
and to live in ways that honor you above all else.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord & Saviour. Amen.