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Beautiful Attitudes Fit for Kingdom Life - Series # 1

Sep 27, 2023

Matthew 5:3-12 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.


Our Lord Jesus Christ was an itinerant Preacher who traveled thousands of miles to preach the blessed Gospel. He was described to have preached in many places. His first sermon was preached on the mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee behind Capernaum. It was in this location where He began His earthly ministry and started the first New Testament Church.


It was appropriately called the Sermon on the Mount for an apparent reason. This sermon touched on different topics, covering instructions on living a godly life full of wisdom and understanding. 


The Lord’s sermon started with the Beatitudes, an empowering statement of blessedness found in Matthew 5:3-12. This sermon became so famous that this mountain is now known as Mount Beautitudes.


Beatitudes describe the blessedness of those with certain qualities peculiar to those in the Kingdom of Heaven. 


In Greek, blessed means “blissful, happy, or to be enlarged.” The Lord used this word to define what true blessedness was. It was not the shallow and superficial form of happiness but a condition of “spiritual well-being and glorious prosperity•.”


The kind of happiness being described here has profound joy and satisfaction. Everyone who possesses these qualities of blessedness (poor, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will enjoy the results (kingdom of heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, get filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, and inherit the kingdom of heaven). 


The promise of blessedness is not only for the future kingdom. It begins in our time today. It describes the faithfulness of a faithful servant and his blessed rewards. It also describes the tremendous and beautiful expectations of God’s faithful disciples in the future kingdom.


Conclusion:


The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his present and future rewards. The person Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom."


Are you living the kingdom life? We may claim to belong to the kingdom of God, but if, as a disciple, we do not fit the qualities of the kingdom life, we need to search our hearts.