The Beatitudes

Order of Service

• Announcements
• Hymn — Praise Him, Praise Him
• Call to Worship — Psalm 47
• Hymn — Praise Him, Praise Him
• Prayer of Invocation
• Prayer of Confession
• Assurance of Pardon — Jeremiah 31:33-34
• Scripture Reading — Acts 19:21-41
• Hymn — My Jesus, I Love Thee
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — My Jesus, I Love Thee
• Sermon
• Prayer of Blessing
• Hymn — Blessed Be the Tie That Binds
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26

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Sermon Title: The Beatitudes

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

I. Introduction: The Beatitudes as Part of the Whole Sermon on the Mount

A. A photograph can only capture part of a whole scene; to appreciate any part of the Sermon on the Mount, one must understand the whole B. The Sermon on the Mount is for Christians — for God's liberated people

1. Jesus speaks to his disciples gathered closely around him, with the crowds listening in (Matthew 4:25)
2. Jesus speaks as the suffering servant, the true Israel, the better Moses — giving New Covenant law of liberty for kingdom life
3. The sermon is not a self-help guide; it is an autobiography of Christ and a biography of every believer C. The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus prepares his people to live as kingdom citizens in a hostile, upside-down world
4. The world hates believers because it hated Christ first
5. Persecution, anxiety, and indwelling sin are all addressed throughout the sermon
6. The Christian life is a pilgrim life — the life of an alien in a foreign land D. Structure of the Sermon on the Mount, following Martyn Lloyd-Jones
7. General (Matthew 5:1-16) — the Beatitudes belong here as a general overview of the Christian character
8. Particular (Matthew 5:17 through end of Matthew 7) — specific outworkings of the general E. The Beatitudes set forth who you are in Christ's kingdom

II. The Character of Those in Christ's Kingdom in Relation to God (Matthew 5:3-6)

A. The structure of each Beatitude: a pronouncement of blessedness, a character quality, and a promised blessing

1. Blessedness carries the sense of congratulations — not merely an emotional state, but a declaration of one's situation before God
2. This is what God thinks of his people; Jesus pronounces it with the full weight of the Godhead B. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3)
3. Not material poverty — spiritual poverty; awareness of one's emptiness before God
4. Rooted deeply in the Psalms and Prophets; the poor man is afflicted, unable to save himself, and looks to God alone
5. Promise: theirs is the kingdom of heaven — the poor in spirit can submit to Christ's reign and receive his kingdom now C. Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)
6. Mourning over sin and its effects in a broken world
7. Promise: they shall be comforted — comfort is available now in Christ, and will be fulfilled finally when God wipes every tear (Revelation 21:4) D. Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:5)
8. Not a natural personality trait toward humility, but a Spirit-wrought disposition of a bowed heart before a holy God
9. Humility grounded in a right understanding of the self before the righteous King
10. Promise: they shall inherit the earth — background in Psalm 37, where the Lord cuts off the wicked and gives the land to the righteous; the emphasis is on the gracious Giver, not the thing given; fulfilled now and fully in the new heavens and new earth E. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6)
11. Flows from knowing one's spiritual poverty and lowness before God
12. The blessed person desires Christ himself — who is righteousness — not merely what he gives
13. Promise: they shall be satisfied — Christ gives himself, his righteousness, to his people

III. The Character of Those in Christ's Kingdom in Relation to Mankind (Matthew 5:7-10)

A. God saves his people not only to reconcile them to himself, but to restore right relationships between people

1. The second table of the law (commandments five through ten) reflects God's care for horizontal relationships
2. The second greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself B. The person in Christ's kingdom responds in a certain way
3. Blessed are the merciful (Matthew 5:7) — they do not return hurt for hurt; they keep short accounts because they know they have received immeasurable mercy
4. Even under persecution — being reviled and harassed for righteousness — they can respond with mercy, knowing they belong to a better, lasting kingdom
5. Promise: they shall receive mercy C. The person in Christ's kingdom lives in a certain way
6. Blessed are the pure in heart (Matthew 5:8) — not perfect, but seeking to live with a pure conscience through the work of Christ and the Spirit
7. They run toward holiness even when the world runs toward sin
8. Promise: they shall see God — they live now before the face of God and will dwell with him forever D. The person in Christ's kingdom pursues certain ends
9. Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) — the same word Paul uses for Christ's work of making peace by the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20); one people made out of two (Ephesians 2:14-16)
10. Peacemakers seek reconciling peace in their community, family, and church
11. Promise: they shall be called sons of God — declared to be children of the King, proved so on the last day

IV. Conclusion

A. These character qualities are not a pick-and-choose list — all are true of every believer B. None of these qualities are natural to any person; they are given — pronounced over God's people in Christ C. For those who do not know Christ: these can be yours — believe on Christ, submit to his reign, come humbly to him D. The Beatitudes are your biography, believer — Christ has congratulated you; this is who you are