The Beatitudes Poor in Spirit Part 1
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The Beatitudes Mourn Part 2
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The Beatitudes Meek Part 3
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The Beatitudes Hungerand Thrist Part 4
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The Beatitudes Merciful Part 5
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The Beatitudes Pure in Heart Part 6
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The Beatitudes - Peacemaker Part 7
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The Beatitudes - Persecuted and Redeemed Part 8
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The Beatitudes - Rejoice and Be Executed Part 9
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Extra Tags -- Ignore --
My Sermon Notes
Matt 4:23-25
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
It was just at this moment that Jesus healed all.
He doesn’t heal all the time as we know.
It doesn’t have anything to do with faith like some religious believe.
Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
2 Kings 13:14 “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died.”
Elisha was one of the greatness prophets that even lived.
John 5:5-15 (This man had no faith in Jesus)
Talks about a man who had been sick for 38years and Jesus ask him if he wanted to be healed?
The sick man said I can’t, because he couldn’t get to the water in time, his faith was in the water.
Jesus said rise up and walk and the man was healed right there on the spot, and he took up his bed and walked, the Jewish leaders were angry about that, and they wanted to know who told him that he could carry his bed, and the man said, and the verses showed that the man didn’t know who healed him.
Phil 2:25-30 speaks about a brother in the Lord of Paul, who was sick, and in verse 27 “For indeed he was sick nigh unto death”.
Verse 30 “Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me”.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
They were following him because they were receiving healing; most of these people were lost, because when he was arrested, these same people were saying “kill him”.
If someone is handing out money to the people, you think he’s going to have a following?
You think with these miracles, people would believe?
People say: God show me a sign and I’ll believe, false.
Matt 12:38-39
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
This is why I say all these people were not Christians, they were like their leaders.
You had to be at least 30yrs old to be a religious leader, and you would have had to spend many years in intensive study of the scriptures.
And if they would have done this with their heart they would have recognizes Jesus when he came, because O.T. is all about Jesus.
Matt 5:1-11
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Jesus is teaching to the believers, because it says that “the disciples came unto him” so these verses are for believers.
It was only the true believers who were going to understand and get the blessedness, which showed the perfect way of righteousness.
They did have lost people there; Jesus wanted them to a recognize that had sin in their lives showing them they needed a savior.
And it says “he taught them”
These verses we are going to read are from the Lord, and he’s going to teach us what they mean.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
There is only one way we can follow the beatitudes and that’s by what he says in
Matt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
We don’t do this just once in our life, we live this way all the time.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Die to what? The flesh, and to the world.
And as we know if you do this, you now have what it says in Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
You can only do them in the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you don’t do what Matt 22:37 says, then you will be trying to do them in the flesh and you’ll be only gridding your teeth and be unsuccessful.
Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Paul says: Not to listen to the world and be like it.
When we read;
The flesh, The natural man, The old man or outward man, The carnal mind,
All these titles mean a person without the Holy Spirit, they are in the world.
Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Rom 1:20-22
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
2Cor 4:4 says; “satan who is the god of this world”
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
He says; “To express our new nature in the spirit, like it says in:
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Jesus is The Light
Matt 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
We’re little lights.
Matt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Phil 2:15 says; “We’re in the midst of a wicked world, and that we should shine as lights in it.”
It is in the mind that we make choices.
“renewing of your mind” is being in controlled by the Word of God.
2 Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
John 17:14-18
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
So we have a choice, be conformed or be transformed?
I read a quote once and it said “Those who do not love the King cannot live like the King”.
Before I get started, let’s look at verse 20 this is the key to the whole teaching.
Matt 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This is what Jesus told the ones who thought they were righteous.
Matt 23:27-28
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
When you see the word “woe” expect the wrath of God.
These men were spiritually dead.
Luke 9:60 But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!
(Let non-believers bury their dead.)
Luke 15:24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.
John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”
(You are dead, until you become a believer.)
They are worse than non-believers, they are hypocrites.
Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves (Pharisee) that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased (degrade), and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The religious leader was the one bragging about the show he put on for the Lord, how self-righteousness he was.
The tax collector who were known for cheating people out of money, you think that he would be the one acting all self-righteousness.
He was so poor in spirit he couldn’t even look up to heaven.
That’s the way I feel sometimes, that I’m so unworthy to even look to heaven or even speak to him, but I do it because he tells me I can.
Pharisees believed in God, but then the devil believes in God also.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
1) These religious leaders had the first 5 books of the bible memorize and Psalms,
2) When they would tithe they would have trumpets blowing to be seen of men.
3) They wore long robes so they could be recognized.
4) When they prayed they did it very loudly, and repeated the same thing over and over.
5) People would look at them as being very spiritual.
6) They didn’t preach to the lost, they just condemned them. Jesus said in:
John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
7) They preached to show how good they were and how bad the people are.
They have preachers who put on just as big a show as these religious leaders, and they’re just as lost.
You have many people, who are outwardly religious, moral, and decent good people who say they believe in God, and they are kind, and are helpful to others.
Many of us mistake that as someone being a Christian.
In Titus it says the same thing Matt 5:20 says, not just to the religious leaders.
but here it saying to whosoever,
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The Beatitudes are going to show us how to be right with the Lord.
Jesus is saying that these religious leaders and people didn’t live this way.
They have an external way of showing they were religious, and Jesus wants internal walk that is from the heart.
And just like them, we won’t see heaven.
Let’s begin
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The word bless means, is to be content, satisfied, it means more than happiness, it’s more than an emotional state, your heart can rest and sleep at night.
It’s what you have between you and God, no matter how things are between your spouse, family, friends, health, money, and your job.
We’re not affected by the world that we live in, because we have separated ourselves from the world.
The world and preacher teach us that we should be wealthy and get very thing you can.
They don’t believe in being poor in anything.
The living bible translation.
Luke 12:15 Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."
This verse is very unpopular in many religious.
They have men who preach that being rich, will bring you happiness.
We just read the beatitudes, this belief or thought was not in there.
The beatitudes are for us to have a close walk and a peace of God that we can’t get in anything or anybody else.
We can’t fill spiritual needs with physical things.
This “poor in spirit” means, we’re bankrupt; we owe a debt we cannot paid.
Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”
We’re not talking about money.
You will realize you are noting when you don’t have the Lord.
We need to remember who owns us now, when we gave our life to the Lord he paid a debt we could not paid, so since he paid it, we now belong to him and not ourselves.
1 Cor 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Eph 1:14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
But some of us don’t act that way.
They have preachers and teachers who believe that God look down on earth and saw that some people were believers and had faith on their own and so God gave the gift of salvation.
That there is no free will among us.
So he has already predestined their life.
If this was so, then these people are better than us.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
It’s true that God already had the foreknowledge on who was going to be saved and who wasn’t, but that was by our choice.
This is some of the verses they use.
Rom 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God”
This is a promise from God that if you love him, everything will work out for good.
God has a purpose for all born again believers, and that is to follow in his footsteps;
Ps 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
The Beatitudes are some of those footsteps.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
What he is saying here is yes he knew who was going to accept him, so he gave them the honor of being like his son Jesus, that’s why we’re called Christian, we’re Christ-like.
And just like Jesus had to be the first born in heaven, he was also the Gods only son, then those who believe would be his brothers and sisters.
Matt 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
We need to learn how to read the bible.
John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
If you read the bible you’ll see that Jesus is not a liar.
What he is saying here is that they are not going to believe him.
This doesn’t mean that he chooses a few; it means a few choose him.
That’s why it says in;
Matt 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
There are no people who were believers and had faith without the Lord showing them first.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Remember Rom 12:3 it says; God gives faith
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
When the Holy Spirit comes he will show the world that they are sinners, and he will show Gods righteousness and judgment.
Let me say this, that these men who preach or teach this way are confusing Israel and the Gentiles
Israel at first was chosen to be Gods people.
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (this being the Jews) of grace.
I say they were Jews because above this verse it speak about Elias thinking he was the only Israelite left to put out Gods word, God said no I have 7000 men who are still with me.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Since the Jews rejected Jesus, God said whosoever
Matt 22:1-10
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Remember we chose to sin back in the garden?
Some more verses to show that we have a free will is;
1 Tim 2:4 Who (verse 3 speaking of God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is saying; “his will is that any should perish,”
Its Gods will that all be saved, and he doesn’t interfere with our will.
If God Predestine our lives and we don’t have a free will like some teach.
Then his plan would be very one to be saved.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Isa 65:12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
Isa 66:3-4
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
WE DO HAVE A FREE WILL.
We’re going to learn here how to please and satisfy him.
If we don’t understand what “blessed are the poor in spirit”, we can’t do the rest.
Our spirit compare to God, there is no comparison.
Do we have total faith in the word?
There are Christians who obey the word, when it’s pleasing to them, but when something they don’t like, they seem to ignore or just disobey it.
Matt 6:31-34
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (John 6:35 Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.)
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” is meaning today is more than enough for you to take care of.
This is why in the Lords prayer, we’re to say;
Matt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
1 Cor 10:13 “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”
Luke 3:14 “be content with your wages.”
Eph 5 Husbands are you loving your wife has Christ loved the church, no matter what.
Wives are you submitting yourselves onto your husband as onto the Lord.
Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
God helps those who need help and know it.
We are blessed when we accept and believe him, and self gets out the way.
The last verse of this chapter 5:48 says: Be ye therefore perfect, even as you’re Father which is in heaven is perfect.
He couldn’t say be ye 90% like the father, because if he did, then we could have 10% of what self wants, and that’s why it says “be ye perfect”
Following and understanding the beatitudes will help us in being perfect, it didn’t say be ye sinless.
With the power of the Holy Spirit we can live this kind of Christian life.
When we realize how poor in spirit we are, we will be like Peter in:
Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Rom 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”
Isa 66:2 My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite (remorse) hearts, who tremble at my word.
He will bless those who bow down and worship him.
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Worship – The act of giving divine (the highest spiritual) honors, to bow down, showing adoration, an act of reverence,
Worship comes from the heart; it’s an expression of your inner relationship with him.
Matt 15:7-9
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
8 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce, (vain) for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'"
Jesus is speaking to Pharisees and teachers of religious laws, they are hypocrites that follow traditions that can be done in the flesh, and thoughtlessly, without conviction, sincerity, or purity of heart.
Ps 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
The rest of Is 66:2
“and from the heart they really of remorse for the way they were living”, and they read the words of God as coming from God and not just a book.
Let me show you biblically what poor in spirit is.
1 Sam 17:32-37
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
David had just killed Goliath.
Did he make himself as some big hero? no
In 1Samuel 18: 18, 23
1 Sam 18:18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
1 Sam 18:23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
Are you seeing what “poor in spirit” means?
When you see how poor you are, that’s when you’ll become totally dependent of him.
When we get to this point, then we will be blessed.
You have preachers like Robert Shuller who preach positive thinking.
This is humanism; we are to teach ourselves not to have any negativity in our lives.
Have we read the Bible, blessed are the poor in spirit.
Poor in Spirit is the opposite from what Shuller teaches.
Yes we are somebody, we are the children of God, we are to be lifted up, but not to the point we think we’re higher than others.
I learned from my Lord, who is “The Shepherd”, and has made us little shepherds, to point out the lion who is trying to destroy the sheep.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
This kind of mourning is not when someone faces great sorrow, or failure like when someone dies or you’re going through a divorce, this kind of mourning has a time limit, and it varies.
Some of us have a hard time letting someone go, this kind of mourning the Lord understands, but it’s not what he wants us to stay in.
When a person grieves so hard and so long over the loss of a loved one that he cannot function normally, his grief becomes sinful and is unable to be used by God.
The Psalmist says in;
Ps 42:5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again my Savior.
This is not the kind of mourning we’re talking about here.
Verse 4 follows verse 3 which makes clear that to be a born again Christian we must be “poor in spirit” we are totally spiritually bankrupt.
We come empty-handed to the Lord, and that is the only way we can come to him.
Rom 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”
Once you become poor in spirit, mourning follows.
Because you realize you have been sinning against the one who loves you.
David says in Ps 51:4 “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned”
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of (meaning no regret) but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Godly sorrow or mourning leads to true repentance, only those who sincerely desire to belong to him can have.
Worldly sorrow has no repentance, and that leads to spiritual death.
Job said a lot of stuff about the Lord that he didn’t understand, and in;
Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
This is how he felt when he saw the Lord.
The mourning we’re going to see, is one that stays with us until?
But it’s not a continuous one, because when we repent of the sin, we’re free until it happens again.
It should devastate us, because we now know who we’re sinning against.
Out of all the different kinds of mourning there is, this is the one that is most severe.
I like to use the scriptures to explain the scriptures.
Luke 7:36-43, 47-50
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Now the Pharisees lived in big expense homes, they were rich and powerful.
This woman knew that she was going to be very unwanted, but she didn’t care, because she needed the Lord’s forgiveness, “she was poor in spirit”.
She couldn’t even face Jesus, she stood behind him?
She washed and kissed his feet?
Jesus wouldn’t ask us to do anything unless he’s been through it himself.
He left heaven to come down to live in this filthy earth we live in.
And then when he got here he was despised and rejected, but he still humble himself to be our savior.
She mourn because of the state of sin she was in.
She took her having sin in life very serious?
How far our willing to go?
This women look like a fool in front of these people, are we willing to go this far, to look like a fool in front of people?
The Pharisee said within himself, If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of women was touching him.
These Pharisee the most religious of men should have known that a prophet speaks only when the Lord leads him to, they didn’t know everything.
See how these religious leaders think, we have men here today that believe that.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
See how hypercritical these men are, they really didn’t look at Jesus as being a master.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
“and when they had nothing to pay”- this is another way of saying that we are “poor in spirit” because we couldn’t pay our debt.
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
We know in our lives how much the Lord has forgiveness us, so how much should we love him?
Mourning is a crying for release, to be set free. Romans 7:24 “Jesus has us free”
The lost don’t understand that in a Christian life, we have to mourn before we can receive true happiness and peace.
Mourning comes from those who sincerely desire to belong to him.
Ps 119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
There’s a song we sing in church, and it says; “break my heart from what break yours”
The fruit of a mature Christian isn’t a life of trying to be sinless, but the awareness of sin.
This is what true repentance is, when you mourn.
Let’s drop down to verse 47
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Jesus is going to show them who he really is.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Mark 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
He didn’t say “your works” but because of her faith in Jesus this is the way her heart responded.
The word hath means has?
This is were we get our comfort, like it says in verse 4 “for they shall be comforted.”
Knowing that God forgives us.
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
It also says in John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, and 16:7 that Jesus the Holy Spirit is our Comforter.
As we continually mourn over our sin, we shall be continually comforted, now in this present life, and in the future when we go be with the Lord.
2 Thess 2:16-17
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
We have just read a biblical meaning of mourning.
Verses 3 & 4 go together?
This is how you know if you’re mourning sin.
Ps 97:10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil
Do we over look the sin that is around us, or does it even bother us?
Are we sensitive to sin, or do we brag about it? And believe that it’s funny?
Isa 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The word forsake means to turn from your sin, some preachers preach you just to have confess, and confessing means nothing without repentance.
Prov 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
What can help us make our mourning less?
James 4:8-10
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (those of you who are riding the fence)
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (take the fun of sinning and mourn over it)
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The closer we get to God; we see more of our own sin.
These verses are what we look forward to and we can’t wait on.
2 Cor 5:2,8
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
The bible definition is different from Webster.
Part Three:
There is no place for spiritual pride.
Example:
It doesn’t matter to us what we do and someone else doesn’t.
We don’t think we’re better because we’re this religion, or because I speak in tongues and they don’t.
Becoming meek is like taming a horse; it’s strong and powerful and wants its own way.
But when it is finally broken it does whatever you tell it to do.
Now that horse is still strong and powerful, but now it’s under control by the Lord.
Let me show you biblically what meekness is in scriptures;
In the O.T. were this was prophesies it shows the Lords meekness.
Isa 53:1-7
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him (the Father) as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
We can for sure understand this one, who is believing what we tell them.
What is the arm of the Lord next verse?
“He” is the arm of the Lord, and has we continue to read, we’ll see that it is Jesus.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Now if our Lord Jesus Christ who didn’t deserve abuse can go through this, why can’t we?
back to verse 2
“he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Some people say he was lonely and ugly, because of this verse, but it doesn’t mean that.
If you read the 5th chapter of Song of Solomon verses 10-16 it’s speaking about what Jesus looked like.
The reason he wasn’t desire, because they wanted a mighty King with a sword.
Don’t you know that the Lord could have responded, the way we do many times.
Matt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Let’s get the picture of the Jews
The Jews have been waiting there whole life for the Messiah, the son of God.
They founded out that the wife of Zacharias a priest, was going to have a child, and he was told by Gabriel an angel of the Lord that he would bear a son, and call him John, and in Luke it says;
Luke 1:14-17
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Can you imagine the excitement these Jews had when they heard this?
This told them that the forerunner of the Messiah was here, so that meant that he was coming, The King will soon be here.
And he did come, but not the way they expected.
The Jews understood military power and miracle power, but they did not understand the power of meekness.
That’s walking in the Spirit.
They didn’t want this Messiah, the son of God to come with meekness; they wanted revenge for always having to be under someone else’s Kingdom.
They wanted it their way, instead of waiting on Gods way.
This is the reason many of the Jews hated him.
It’s hard for me to believe that the Jews, who God told them that the Messiah was coming missed it, because in Is chapters 40-60 God portrays the Messiah as the suffering servant, as well as the conquering Lord.
This is going on in our churches today, preachers are afraid of being hated for the message they bring.
Gods way is in;
1 Peter 2:19-23
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
God is pleased with you when you do the right thing, but you suffer wrong for it.
There is no credit for being patient if you’re wrong.
But if you suffer for doing right, then God is pleased with you.
This is the one that most of us can’t handle.
Even if they take things from you, your meekness should show.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
It’s goes with us getting born again, we die to self, we no longer let things we might lose, insults, or abuse get to us and just like Jesus.
Joseph who was hated and abuse by his brothers, and they sold him in Egypt.
He ended up being right under the King, and when his brothers showed up hungry he could have done the same to them, but he didn’t.
This is being meek.
Only a Christian can have this kind of courage, strength, and power.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. (That’s why we’re called Christians)
The Lord called you to do what’s right even if it means suffering.
Just like he did in Is 53 I just read.
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
He never sinned, or deceived anyone.
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
He didn’t say well an eye for an eye.
When he suffered he didn’t threaten to revenge what was done to him.
He gave it to God, who will judge rightly.
The Lord said not to do these things, he didn’t say try.
Do you see why we need the Lord the Holy Spirit?
When you read the scriptures, you will not find Jesus defending himself.
Let me say this, meek doesn’t mean you allow people to take advantage of you.
It doesn’t mean you can’t get angry, example:
Jesus got angry when he went to his father’s house
Matt 21:12-13
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
This is a righteous anger.
It’s hard not to get angry when someone is offending your father?
Just like Jesus we don’t defend ourselves, but we will defend our Father.
How about David and Saul.
After all Saul had done to David, talking about him, trying to kill him.
Did David get even with Saul? Or did he let the Lord take care of it?
Christians really don’t like the words of God.
Can we be meek?
Will we allow the Holy Spirit to control the loin in us?
The world has though us that it’s a sign of weakness. (talk about store)
Can we love our enemies? And pray for them?
We can’t say well that was Jesus God himself.
Jesus was a man just like us.
Matt 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Meek doesn’t mean you’re a weak person, look at Moses.
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
He was the meekness of all men.
We look at Moses as being a very Godly man, and he led Israel out of Egypt.
Moses had the same kind of anger that Jesus had, when he broke the tablets, Israel had turn from God and made their own god.
Another way Moses showed his meekness was when God called him to free Israel out of Egypt, Moses says in
Ex 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Also in
Ex 4:10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Lets look at Paul who was the most educated of the apostles, and who wrote most of the N.T. he refuse to put any confidence in himself like it says in Phil 3:3.
He also knew that he could do all things, but only through Christ who strengthen him.
We lost the earth when Adam failed, but the Lord is going to give it back to us.
“for they shall inherit the earth”
2Peter 3:13 speaks about the New Earth.
Who are the meek?
Ps 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
It’s those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and meekness follows those two.
1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Before I go any further, because the beatitudes are very deep in being a true follower of Christ, remember what it says in:
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Poor in spirit, mourn, meek, and now hunger and thirst.
Part 4:
Who does the teaching?
Ps 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
The meek are ones who are going to hunger and thirst for Gods divine instructions to us, which is very beneficial for us.
We know without his direction in life we will fail him
We have to believe his words when he says:
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
We have to have faith in his words, because without that:
Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him”
I always like to show you in the scriptures what something means.
In Ex. 33 Moses had a tent outside the main camp grounds and there he would meet with the Lord God face to face (vs 20 says you can’t do that and live) and God would speak to him, and God said to Moses that he has found grace in him.
But this wasn’t enough for Moses, because he says in:
Ex 33:13-14
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
How does God show us his ways? By his words.
And once we learn his ways, he gives us rest.
Heb 3:7-11
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Ps 94:12-13
12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
This is what Moses wanted:
Ps 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Ps 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Ps 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
The Living Bible says: “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”
Heb 4:15 This High Priest (Jesus) of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Ps 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
When we are thirsty, our children will receive blessing also.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
If we “come” to him and “believe” those are the two main words.
Coming is to repent of the old life of sin and rebellion, and submit to the Lord.
Believing is to totally trust in him.
If we do these two we will be hungry and thirsty.
What does it mean?
Hunger and thirst after “righteousness” just plainly means, being right with God.
And how do we know what’s being right with God, is by reading and believing his words.
If you’re not born again we don’t have Gods righteousness, because his word says so in:
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Jer 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
What’s right for us without the Lord is:
Power, no matter how we get it and with that comes money.
Glory, being popular, accepted.
Material things.
Pleasure.
John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Living water is Jesus coming out of you, called being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The wicked are hungry too.
Satan didn’t have that hunger and thirst for being like God.
The Lord said that the devil wanted to be like him.
Isa 14:13-15
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
(All you hear here is “I” and we’re just like satan.)
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The devil wanted to do his own thing.
When you don’t have the hunger of being right with the Lord, you’re filling it with fleshly desires?
Matt 10:35-39
35 'I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!'
This is way you have enemies in your own house.
37 "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
The cost of being a follower of Christ you have to be willing to give up everything, including your own family if necessary.
Do we live to please our family and put them before the Lord, or do we put the Lord first then our family?
Luke 18:22-23
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Many people hunger and thirst for wealth, riches.
Satan and this rich man, they hungered for power, praise, processions and pleasure.
Do you have more hunger for the things of the world?
1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
lust of the flesh - sexual sin
lust of the eyes – wanting what other people have.
pride of life - Rom 12:3 “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think”
Like saying look at what I have done.
The last part of the verse says: “is not of the Father, but is of the world”, meaning, you are not a Christian, but living in the flesh”
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
He saying all will die, but those who live for the Lord, will live forever with him.
This is the reason we should be so hungry for the word.
The way you get hungry and get thirsty, for food or water, is exactly the same way it should be for Jesus.
Christians are very weak, how many bold Christians to you know?
We can’t live physically without food and water.
The same here, we can’t live spiritually without Gods righteousness.
Which is more important? Spiritual food which gets you to heaven.
Or food for our physical bodies?
Some of us say we can’t get our day started until we have that cup of coffee?
Put the word of God there instead.
I can’t start my day until I have that drink of Gods words.
The world needs something whatever it may be, to get started.
Christians are different.
Ps 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
The dry and thirsty land, he’s speaking about the world.
Isa 26:9 “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early”
Jesus says that to be truly happy and blessed, is to have this spiritual hunger.
To have no hunger and thirst for righteousness is to have no part with the Lord.
You can only be a Christian when you’re being Christ like, and to be Christ like,
You have to know the word of God.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
God will receive the glory when we grow in the word.
Isa 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
You do not have to be a preacher or teacher to know the scriptures.
Look at who Jesus was, he was a carpenter, and look at what he did in:
John 7:14-18
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Vs 14 Jesus went before the church and started to teach.
Vs 15 The people were surprised saying: “How does this carpenter know the scriptures, he hasn’t even gone to college?
2 Cor 3:1-3
1 Are we beginning to be like those false teachers of yours who must tell you all about themselves and bring long letters of recommendation with them? I think you hardly need someone's letter to tell you about us, do you? And we don't need a recommendation from you, either!
2 The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you.
3 They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.
Vs 16 Jesus answer and said: the scriptures are not mine words, but God who sent me.
Gal 1:10-12 Paul says:
10 Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
(my teaching comes from the Word of God, that is why you are giving the scriptures to read for yourself)
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: (we don’t need to be taught how to speak, when to get loud, The Lord gives us the ability with power)
So we qualify men by our earthly eyes instead of our spiritual eyes.
The world says we need men who are eloquent speakers, and have college degrees so they can have enticing words.
If your just a religious person than this is OK for you.
But if you’re a born again believer you want God’s words by Godly men filled with the Spirit.
Vs 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God, will know if the scriptures are from God or of man.
Vs 18 The man who gives his own opinions is looking to glorify himself, but the man who tells the truth is seeking to glorify the Lord, and is not a liar.
In Ephesians chapter 4 Jesus speaks about giving gifts to the church and he says in:
Eph 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
These gifts are administration gifts to the church
They do have other gifts that are for individuals like it says 1Cor 12:8-10
Why did he give pastors and teachers?
By the way they shouldn’t be young?
1 Tim 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
They should have deep spiritual understanding, and they should be at least 30yrs of being a Christian.
This is one of the reasons we have confusion in the church, because of young teachers who shouldn’t be there yet. (give example: a teacher who used in his prayer:
This is speaking about a backslider and brothers confront him.
Matt 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Simply saying to equip, to service, and to build up the church.
Only those who are hungry and thirsty want this.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Has this happen? No, the church still has division.
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
This is why we still need these gifts of gifted pastors and teachers, so we can come to together in unity.
This can only happen with men who are led by the spirit.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Where do we find his words? In other books or the bible.
He ate them, he was hungry.
Did he say some of his words?
“Love your enemies” we should look at it has we get to pray for someone who needs him.
For we are called “Christians”
We make our walk with the Lord conditional, “God, I’ll become a Christian, but I can’t spend very much time with you, in your word.”
Like I said before if you haven’t received the first 3 blessing, than you can’t be hungry or thirsty for his words.
Finally this is what happens when you hunger and thirsty.
You go wherever the word is being taught.
Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
1 Cor 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Philem 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
Acts 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Acts 2:46-47
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
In Acts 17 it speaks about the Berea Jews which in verse 11 it says:
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
They were open to the truth, and then searched the scriptures themselves to see if was so.
They recognized that Paul did proclaim the truth of God.
James 1:22-24
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (you’re only hurting yourself if you’re not a doer.)
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
I know that there are Christians out there that are content and laded back with their walk, but is that pleasing to the Lord?
Part 5:
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
We’re going to see that the first 4 beatitudes, was a deeper spiritual walk with the Lord for yourself.
The next 4 are going to be an outward showing.
Merciful means - Genuine compassion, pure and unselfish motive, to reach out and help others.
We can see by the scriptures that the religious leaders didn’t teach mercy, because mercy was not part of them.
They were proud, self-righteous, and judgmental.
The more Jesus showed mercy, the more the leaders wanted him dead.
The religious leaders justify their lack of love and mercy under the deceptive appearance of their religious duties.
By not even showing mercy to the parents.
Matt 15:1-9
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
They didn’t even try to hide the fact that Jesus disciples offended their traditions of the elders.
These men’s traditions were superior to the scriptures.
Just like today, you have religions were the people give more authority to the traditions of men than the word of God.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Jesus totally ignored their question, because when men try to put themselves over the Lord he’s not even going to give attention to that.
Jesus goes straight to the problem.
Why are you disobeying the commandments of God.
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
One of the Ten Commandments Ex 20:12 is “Honour thy father and mother”
Also Ex 21:17 “He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”
If we lived by the commandments of God, teenagers wouldn’t be acting the way they do now. One putting to death a teenager for disrespecting their parents, that would fix a lot of problems.
This is how important it is to respect the authority that God has put in place.
In 1 Cor 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
We have gotten away from the ways of God.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Jesus says: but you say “It’s O.K. to give to the church, and tell the parents sorry I gave to the church already. This is not honoring father and mother.
Family comes before the Church, I didn’t say God.
I’m sure most preachers won’t like what about to say, but if your parents are in need, you help them before you give to the church.
Especially if your mother is a widow.
Let me just say that the things we use the tithe money on, it’s not biblical.
Don’t help your parents so we can built nice big fancy churches, it is against God’s word to have debts, there’s a lot of things the church uses the tithe for, and biblically there are only 3 things the Lord said to use it on.
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Again they are saying that their tradition is superior to God.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This is the very reason the Lord said in:
Matt 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The churches of God are allowing little by little sins come into the church.
Homosexual can be preachers.
Women can be pastors.
You have to be that religion in order to be baptized by them.
Passing the plate in the church stops some people from coming, passing the plate is just like asking for money.
We’re fighting right here in the Baptist religion, is the word of God infallible?
1 Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
I used these verses in Matt chapter 15 to show that traditions have no conviction, no purity of the heart, you don’t need faith, no trust, and we have no dependence on God.
The more we live by tradition the further we get from the Lord.
There is no true love or mercy with traditions.
The devil is the one who wants tradition of men in the church, because he knows what true love and mercy can reach people.
Jesus was condemned and crucified for the love and mercy he wanted to give.
It’s not just pray for people, but to physically help them. If you’re able.
Helping the lonely
Helps those who need love
Mercy helps and not just watches.
Mercy helps in secret.
Matt 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Don’t be like the world, they do it for show.
They do it for tax purposes
They do it expecting something in return.
Jesus gave the most mercy than any one who ever walked the earth.
This is what he gave to the lost people and this is what we should be giving. (salvation)
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
It says that you’ll “obtain mercy” from whom? NOT THE WORLD.
But what did he get in return; from the people “crucify him”
People think that if you give mercy than you will get mercy in return.
The scriptures don’t teach that this is going to happen.
This is not the world’s way.
The Lord is saying you give mercy and I’ll give mercy to you.
Lam 3:22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
You know he could have just done away with us after Adam and Eve sinned, and he would have been just in doing it. Amen
But because of his mercy his love doesn’t end.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It wasn’t because of the good we did (works), it wasn’t because you spoke in tongues, or got water baptize, or because you go to church every Sunday.
It was because of his mercy that he offers us, and he gives it to the ones who want it.
Eph 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, (to be loud) and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. (to hurt someone)
Why do you think the Lord had to put that in there?
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Just like God has given us mercy, we should see how important it is to give mercy, we all need it.
Micah chapter 6 the Lord is asking Israel, “what have I done to thee for you to treat me this way” God says look at what I have done for you.
And the people answer and said “What kind of offerings and sacrifices can we make for you” and the Lord said unto them:
Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Not just have mercy, but LOVE mercy.
You may ask how I can love mercy; you have to have the first 4 blessed to be able to love mercy.
The scriptures show how mercy is done.
Luke 10:25-37
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
This man got the answer right, but you don’t go to heaven for knowing the right answers, you go to heaven for doing what the command says.
You have people who know the scriptures, who know the order of the beatitudes?
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
You notice here that the man wanted to justify himself, just like he said in verse 25 saying “what shall I do” like many of us do.
And then he jumps to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and the reason he did that was because he knew he didn’t love the Lord the way it said.
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
These were Jews that passed him by, his own people.
This Samaritan which the Jews didn’t like at all did stop to help this man.
He didn’t look at race or color.
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Jesus answers his question, and now he’s going to ask the man a question.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
This Samaritan didn’t stop because this man was poor or hungry.
Because if he was poor and hungry they wouldn’t have robbed him.
He needed physical help.
Some of you might be saying that in:
Matt 25:37-40
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
1 John 3:17-18
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
This beatitude and the others are the evidence of our true salvation, not what happen in one moment when you got saved.
You give mercy to the one who needs it, because there are some who don’t deserve it.
You see somebody on the side of the road or highway; you better make sure that the Lord leads you to stop and help.
Yes we are to have mercy for people, but it’s the ones who deserve it, and the ones who deserve it are the ones the Lord will lead you to help.
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
II Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he (it’s not they) eat.If this man doesn’t do the command of God, and that is he should work, then he is on his own for not obeying the word of God.
This is way we need to hear from the Lord on who we should give help to.
We don’t want to get in his way when he might be allowing this to happen for a chastisement.
Part 6:
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Who is going to see God?
It plainly says it here, those that are pure in heart.
This should be the number 1 goal in our lives. Is to see God.
The beatitudes are actions that are going to happen when we are truly born again.
John 3:1-6
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Nicodemus in his religion was equal to a Cardinal in some religions; he was up there,
There are 3 religions in Jewish nation, Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees, Nicodemus was a Pharisees which was the most religious, they lived on the word of God (Old Testament),
They started to have great sin, and in between the Old Testament was completed until the New Testament started which was about 400 yrs, when the Lord was quiet.
During that time the Jews started making their own laws and rules, the same as today, taking scriptures and just pulling them apart to mean something else that would benefit them (traditions),
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
In vs 2, you would think Jesus would be please with Nicodemus, for calling him a teacher from God, and that God sent him, but he was not please with that, because Nicodemus hadn’t recognize him as Lord, just like Peter in Matt 17:4-5 Peter put Moses, and Elias in with Jesus, and God answer and said, “hear ye him”.
So Jesus saw that Nicodemus was not yet there, and Jesus said that you’re not even going to see the Kingdom of God. Eph 2:1 “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.”
Nicodemus was a slave to his religion, one reason I say that is because he had to go by night, to see a man that his religion was trying to get rid of,
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Nicodemus knew what Jesus was saying, when he said “can I enter a second time into my mother’s womb; he knew he was talking about the water sack.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Jesus told Nicodemus he was lost, so if that was true then, don’t you think it would be true today, preacher in high places are lost, since the Lord said that there would be wolves among us,
We begin to see him with our new spiritual eyes, and live by the beatitudes we have no problem saying to God:
Ps 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Just like it says in Ex chapter 33 when it says that Moses saw God face to face.
This is how we see God, when we have a pure heart.
Ps 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Who is going to see God?
The one with clean hands referring to:
Ezek 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
And the ones with a pure heart, which we’re learning about now.
God will show you were your heart is.
Heb 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is to show that we cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, hypocrisy, will be noticed by him.
And since our hearts are perfectly open before him, we should be sincere
Your thoughts and intents from the heart are seen by God.
The word will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let him see all that is in his heart.
The Lord knows our hearts better than we do.
Do we act like Christian only when we are around them, and then act like the lost when we are with them?
Intent of the Heart is it to glorify him?
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Everyone who has been created by God will not be able to hide from him.
All disguises will be ripped off and only the real person will be seen.
So who should we care on who sees the real us?
Ps 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
The heart is wicked
Gen 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The heart is the reason the Lord destroys the earth the first time.
Jer 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord looks at the heart, and what it has done, he give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.
Matt 15:18-19
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
The heart represents the inner person.
Like Mark 7:15 says it’s not goes into your body that defiles you.
But like it says here, it’s what comes out of you that defiles you.
To have a pure heart you can’t even have evil thoughts, not just acts.
Matt 5:27-28
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
The religious leaders we know didn’t have a pure heart, because if they did Jesus wouldn’t have had to complete the commandment with “if you even look at a woman with lust in the heart you have sinned”
That includes our thoughts, this can happen when we’re walking in the Spirit.
John 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
The word of God had proclaimed the born again Christian to be cleaned by the Holy Spirit and made them a new creature in their character and instilling holiness in their life.
1 Sam 10:9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel's signs were fulfilled that day.
God took the kingdom from Saul because he refused to live by the new heart God had given him.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
You’re trying to live for the Lord and yourself?
Matt 23:25-26
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Prov 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”
Ask the Lord for a pure heart
Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
This is when you realize who you are, and who you need.
Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep a close eye on your heart; watch over it, because the way your heart is that’s the kind of life you will live.
Prov 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
No one can make their own heart pure
Don’t look at the outside
1 Sam 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
1 Sam 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.
1 John 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
God does not cleanse people who are not truly saved.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We will know if we have totally accepted the teaching that has been given to us by the way we live.
In the flesh by gritting your teeth or in the spirit with a pure heart.
If I were to go before all the churches around here and teach what “pure in heart” means, and tell them that only those who are pure in heart would see God.
People would be offended and those who know the truth would be sad.
Remember this, if we are guilty of not being this way it says in:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So when we go before the Lord on judgment day, it won’t be for salvation, it will be for how we lived our lives for him.
1 Cor 3:12-15
12 Now if any man build upon this (Jesus) foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, (judgement day) because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (was it in the flesh or in the spirit)
14 If any man's work abide (make it) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, (because it was done in the flesh) he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This is for the Christians who were lazy, is like being on the football team but all you did was sit on the side line, you wasn’t a player.
Part 7:
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
This is an example of what Jesus is speaking about:
Luke 12:49-53
I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. 'Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'"
Sometimes the conflict between a believer and a non-believer last a life time, and there’s no fixing it.
But for the true disciple of God it’s a price that we are willing to pay, and it’s because of the love the Lord has put in us for the lost.
So this sword is not made of steel.
Heb 4:12 the word is a two edged sword
If he was bringing peace that the Jews wanted then he would have brought a sword made of steel, to fight.
This is part of the reason the Jews rejected Jesus; they were looking for a King that was going to fight physically in a battle.
Remember when Peter went to defend Jesus the night they came to arrest him.
Matt 26:52 “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
The Lord is saying here, if you want to do it your way go ahead, but you won’t be called a child of God.
The word peace in the bible means, you are right with God, forever.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Don’t worry about what the world throws at you, for we are overcomers:
Rom 8:35-37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
God stared with peace with peace in the Garden of Eden, but then man messed up when he sinned.
Jesus made peace again at the cross, with those who believe in him.
And God is going to finish what he started with peace with the new Jerusalem.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
If you don’t have peace within yourselves, it’s because you don’t have peace with God.
Life for an unbeliever has no peace.
Knowing you have been forgiven for your sins, that give you peace, once you receive this peace, you become a peacemaker.
Acts 10:34-36
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:
Being a peacemaker is showing the peace of God that is in you.
If you’re not a peacemaker, either you’re not a Christian, or you’re being disobedient.
Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
The devil and man want to have their own independence from the Lord.
When self is first, peace is last.
God’s peace never evades issues, it doesn’t hide from problems, and it doesn’t excuse them.
With the peace of God we can confront our problems and not struggle with them.
Only Christians can have this peace.
Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
For the lost there is no peace, because of the devil that is their enemy, has blinded their eyes from the truth.
The Lord told Paul on the road to Damascus, where he got born again.
Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'
Until they give their lives to the Lord, they are under the power of the devil.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Gods wisdom is first pure, and then peaceable.
No pure in heart, no peace.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
A person who is lost cannot have the peace or holiness of God.
Only Christians have this power through the Holy Spirit.
Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Witnessing
This is why the Lord has called us to be peacemakers, to bring people back to this peace.
If we love men we will want them to have this peace also.
For those who want it.
Christians who are truly born again.
Are the ones who have the peace of God in them?
We are the ones who walk in the Spirit.
We are the ones who live and obey the beatitudes.
2 Cor 5:18-20
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, (Calviness must of not read this verses) not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
As being ambassadors we have a responsibility.
2 Cor 5:11 “Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too”
We have family; friends, co-workers who are lost and we just keep on acting like there nothing wrong.
We don’t want to offend them.
Prov 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
We need to tell them, “If you think you’re sins are not so bad and you believe you’re going to make it to heaven, the bible says you will not prosper, make it to heaven.
Only those who confess and repent, (for you Catholics confession is not enough)
He will give mercy to.
Another one
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The Lord says their wicked.
God didn’t sugar coat anything.
Like the Pastor said in one of his sermons:
What different are you from the lost people if don’t tell people about the Lord?
We are not doing a very good job.
Servants of the devil are.
Rom 10:14-16
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (doesn’t mean pastor)
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
They’re going to be many who won’t believe what you say.
Some of us use the excuse that we need to earn their respect or be friends with them first?
Is this in the bible, how did Jesus do it?
Jesus in John 4:16-18 witness to and showed love to the Samaritan women at the well, but he didn’t hesitate to confront her sinful ways, about telling her she had 5 husbands and the one she’s living with now is not her husband.
Ezekiel who was called a watchman, this same calling is for us also.
Ezek 3:17-19 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die: and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. (lose a blessing) Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul. (blameless)
Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Luke 10:16 “Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me."
This is a verse the Jehovah Witness need to read.
How can they accept God but not his son that makes them a liar.
John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Also
2 John 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
This also goes for anyone you witness too.
There’s a price to pay here on earth, but in heaven there will be rewards. Amen.
Look at the disciples some of them were stoned to death, others crucify, some got their heads cut off, to tell the lost about Jesus and his salvation that he has for them.
I would call this the highest form of love there is, when you risk everything to tell them about Jesus even if it gets you kill.
The Lord has given us a special ministry, to reach those who are still fallen from the fall of man.
Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Matt 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
This is for the one, who profess to be a Christian, but when it comes to doing Gods will or ministry we fail him.
We fail him by being silence.
We also deny him in front of families, and friends by living like the world lives, we have no higher standards of values.
What is the power of God? The gospel, that’s the word of God.
They have men out there who can make you feel good for a while.
Like musicians they get you all fired up.
Same thing with preachers and teachers who are no different than a motivational speaker.
They stand up there and get loud and rave their hands.
All that is for nothing if the word of God is not penetrating your heart.
If you don’t witness to lost people, it could be that you’re allowing the devil to lie to you.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
John20: 21-22
21 then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
We need to learn from his dicsiples, when they found the Lord they had to go tell their family.
John 1:41 “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ”
John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”
The Lord will be with us
Matt 4:12 “Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
Ex 33:16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don't go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."
Paul is saying in:
Eph 6:19-20 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
1Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God, if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth,
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile (despised) you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
These verses are not verses that teachers or preachers like to bring to the people, and you’ll see why, but it is the word of God.
Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
We need men who will do this, and not worry about losing members or having a small tithe collection, or even if it means not being a very popular teacher.
This last beatitude is really two in one; it’s about being persecuted and being despised,
Jesus seems to be saying there’s a double blessing for those of us who go through this.
This follows “blessed are the peacemakers” because this is what going to happen for shining the light in a dark world.
When we suffer because of righteousness sake, it’s because we doing verse 6 we’re “hungry and thirsty for righteousness”
If you haven’t suffered for being a Christian, than you haven’t been hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
As long as people don’t know you’re a Christian than you don’t have worry about being persecuted for being one, you are no threat to the devil and his work.
Look at Cain and Abel, Abel didn’t preach to Cain, but because of the way he lived for God, as being a righteous man, Cain kill him.
If we are suffering it’s because we’re obeying and living the 7 beatitudes before this one.
Then we are pleasing to the Lord and not the world.
God’s people are rejected people.
Just like Jesus, for being the sons of God, we will be treated the same way, because the world hated Jesus, and will hate us too.
John 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
They hate us partly because we were one of them, and then we switched teams.
Example; you’re a Nederland Bulldog then you turn to Port Neches-Groves Indian.
It’s not us against the world; it’s the world against the Lord.
Because of these verses, there is no way you are going to be a popular person, especially if you’re a preacher.
Robert Schuler is a wolf in sheep clothing; positive thinking is of the world.
There is no way he would preach on these verses, because it’s what he would call negative thinking.
That is why he is so popular.
Jesus exposes people sins, Schuler doesn’t.
What kind of Shepard would I be if I didn’t point out the wolf?
Jesus did it all thought the bible.
You could listen to him month after month and never know how to get born again.
This is what happens when you’re preaching the word of God.
2 Tim 3:10-14 (this is Paul speaking)
10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance.
This is a Christian.
11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it.
Paul was practically stoned to death, and the Lord brought him back to life.
Acts 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
These preachers who preach nothing but prosperity, they must not be living Godly lives.
13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
The Lord is saying; it’s going to get worse for us.
14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
Even dough things are going to get worse, stay with who you are, A Christian.
The beatitudes are a very good place to stay.
You know that the things you have been taught are true, because the one who taught them to you, use the scriptures to explain the scriptures.
It’s hard to tell your teacher “that’s your opinion” when all he uses is the words of God.
It’s been happening since the beginning of time.
Men who walk with God suffer persecution.
1 John 3:12 Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Remember Joseph how his brothers despise him, for obeying his father.
Daniel, it was because of his righteousness that he was throw into the lion’s den.
He could have compromised with the King and said “Oh it’s only for 30 days I can do that” but he didn’t.
This is the devils plan, if he could only separate us from God just long enough to work on us, to tempt us.
Stephen in Acts 7 was stone to death, for telling the religious leaders and the people the truth about what they had been doing, to Gods prophets.
Jesus went into the synagogue to teach and the religious leaders there:
Matt 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Here the meaning of prophet is someone who explains or interprets the word of God, this is not the gift of prophesy.
When you give the truth which is Jesus, you’re not even welcome were you live.
When we witness to people do we tell them that there is a cost?
1 Thess 3:3-4
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
This shouldn’t surprise you, the scriptures in many places tells of this happening.
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
He says to be happy with great joy, that you are in good company with Jesus, as he suffered.
We will be with him when he reveals himself to the world.
That’s when our suffering that we have endured will be rewarded, we will have an exceeding joy, that’s a joy we’ve not experience yet.
The Lord gives us joy now, but it’s nothing compare to what we’re going to have.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
If people are talking bad about you, insulting you, because you are a Christian, the Lord says to be happy about it, for the spirit of God is with you, 1 John 4:4 “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
God is glorified when we are cursed and insulted and not respond in the flesh.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
If you suffer for doing any of these things you deserve it.
Guess what we all have done at least one of these.
If you even think about killing someone, it’s like doing it.
The Lord says in Mal3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Can you say you have never did anything wrong?
Can you say you’ve never gotten in other people business?
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
It’s not a shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1 Cor 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. We have our judgment now when we are saved, but those who do not accept the Lord, what a terrible judgment waits for them.
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
If any of us have pride, because we think “look at me how righteous I ‘am” well the Lord said you barely made it.
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Luke 6:26-28
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets. TLB
How many preachers or priest, do you know that people praise and worship them?
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Again he says; the world will hate you” but we’re to love them.
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
If they don’t turn to the Lord, after you have loved and prayed for them, he says;
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Ps 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Any suffering I did for the Lord is a small price to pay for what awaits me in heaven.
We shouldn’t try to hide or escape from this would because he tells us in:
John 17:14-18
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
He has sent us into this world to serve just like he did.
We will be loved and hated by people, just like in Jesus.
Luke 4:28-3228 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Why should we be rejoicing and exceeding glad? Because we belong to the father, and the world cannot take that away.
In it’s a command from the Lord to be glad.
The world can take away many things form us, but it can’t take away our joy, gladness, or happiness or our salvation.
Rewards
When we are persecuted for his sake, he says “great is our reward” Amen.
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
The reason we joint-heirs with Christ is because of:
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Unlike the world were children have to split the inheritance, we inherit everything.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Matt 25:31-34
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
God foreseen from the very beginning, that his plan for mankind.
John 14:2-3
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
1 Cor 15:51-54
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Don’t look at now
None of the suffering we will have in going to be permanent.
God’s blessings are present, in the millennium, and in heaven.
The life we are living now is nothing compare to eternity in heaven.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
He says that our lives here are just for a while and we don’t know what tomorrow brings,
But we do know that heaven is forever. Amen
And because of what James says, the Lord tells us in:
Matt 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure ids, there will your heart be also.
Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Who is our great reward?
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
It’s not that believers will become gods, as some cults teach, but that we will receive, by our joint inheritance with Christ, all the blessings that God has.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Ps 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
The greatness blessing for the Christian is being in God’s presence.
Closing
We should rejoice for the persecution we go thought, because we’re in the company of most the prophets in the O.T. and other great Saints in the bible, who were
Mock, suffered, chain in prison, stoned to death, and died by the sword, these are great men of God.
In closing
We hardly ever see a Christian living the way the Lord wants us to, we been thinking we live a normal Christian life, but now you see we haven’t.
Have we really seen that we are absolutely nothing without God, or do we think we been doing pretty good with what we have done?
The beatitudes are in the order God put them in for a reason.
You can’t skip one, because if you do you will not be able to complete the rest.
This is the way of the Lord, the world doesn’t associate happiness with being humble, or mourning over sin, happiness is not being meek, or giving mercy to others, and happiness for sure doesn’t have to suffer.
Now that we know what being a Christian is, do we still want to be one?
Josh 24:15 “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The beatitudes begin and end with the promise of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.
No matter what the world does to us, it cannot affect our home that is waiting on us in heaven and living forever with the Lord. AMEN
Let me say this; you hear about the world needing a great revival or America, it’s not going to happen.
Revival not coming, but judgment is.
There’s going to be a revival, but it’s going to be the rapture, because during the tribulation many will be saved.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
It was just at this moment that Jesus healed all.
He doesn’t heal all the time as we know.
It doesn’t have anything to do with faith like some religious believe.
Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
2 Kings 13:14 “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died.”
Elisha was one of the greatness prophets that even lived.
John 5:5-15 (This man had no faith in Jesus)
Talks about a man who had been sick for 38years and Jesus ask him if he wanted to be healed?
The sick man said I can’t, because he couldn’t get to the water in time, his faith was in the water.
Jesus said rise up and walk and the man was healed right there on the spot, and he took up his bed and walked, the Jewish leaders were angry about that, and they wanted to know who told him that he could carry his bed, and the man said, and the verses showed that the man didn’t know who healed him.
Phil 2:25-30 speaks about a brother in the Lord of Paul, who was sick, and in verse 27 “For indeed he was sick nigh unto death”.
Verse 30 “Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me”.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
They were following him because they were receiving healing; most of these people were lost, because when he was arrested, these same people were saying “kill him”.
If someone is handing out money to the people, you think he’s going to have a following?
You think with these miracles, people would believe?
People say: God show me a sign and I’ll believe, false.
Matt 12:38-39
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
This is why I say all these people were not Christians, they were like their leaders.
You had to be at least 30yrs old to be a religious leader, and you would have had to spend many years in intensive study of the scriptures.
And if they would have done this with their heart they would have recognizes Jesus when he came, because O.T. is all about Jesus.
Matt 5:1-11
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Jesus is teaching to the believers, because it says that “the disciples came unto him” so these verses are for believers.
It was only the true believers who were going to understand and get the blessedness, which showed the perfect way of righteousness.
They did have lost people there; Jesus wanted them to a recognize that had sin in their lives showing them they needed a savior.
And it says “he taught them”
These verses we are going to read are from the Lord, and he’s going to teach us what they mean.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
There is only one way we can follow the beatitudes and that’s by what he says in
Matt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
We don’t do this just once in our life, we live this way all the time.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Die to what? The flesh, and to the world.
And as we know if you do this, you now have what it says in Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
You can only do them in the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you don’t do what Matt 22:37 says, then you will be trying to do them in the flesh and you’ll be only gridding your teeth and be unsuccessful.
Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Paul says: Not to listen to the world and be like it.
When we read;
The flesh, The natural man, The old man or outward man, The carnal mind,
All these titles mean a person without the Holy Spirit, they are in the world.
Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Rom 1:20-22
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
2Cor 4:4 says; “satan who is the god of this world”
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
He says; “To express our new nature in the spirit, like it says in:
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Jesus is The Light
Matt 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
We’re little lights.
Matt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Phil 2:15 says; “We’re in the midst of a wicked world, and that we should shine as lights in it.”
It is in the mind that we make choices.
“renewing of your mind” is being in controlled by the Word of God.
2 Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
John 17:14-18
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
So we have a choice, be conformed or be transformed?
I read a quote once and it said “Those who do not love the King cannot live like the King”.
Before I get started, let’s look at verse 20 this is the key to the whole teaching.
Matt 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This is what Jesus told the ones who thought they were righteous.
Matt 23:27-28
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
When you see the word “woe” expect the wrath of God.
These men were spiritually dead.
Luke 9:60 But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!
(Let non-believers bury their dead.)
Luke 15:24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.
John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”
(You are dead, until you become a believer.)
They are worse than non-believers, they are hypocrites.
Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves (Pharisee) that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased (degrade), and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The religious leader was the one bragging about the show he put on for the Lord, how self-righteousness he was.
The tax collector who were known for cheating people out of money, you think that he would be the one acting all self-righteousness.
He was so poor in spirit he couldn’t even look up to heaven.
That’s the way I feel sometimes, that I’m so unworthy to even look to heaven or even speak to him, but I do it because he tells me I can.
Pharisees believed in God, but then the devil believes in God also.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
1) These religious leaders had the first 5 books of the bible memorize and Psalms,
2) When they would tithe they would have trumpets blowing to be seen of men.
3) They wore long robes so they could be recognized.
4) When they prayed they did it very loudly, and repeated the same thing over and over.
5) People would look at them as being very spiritual.
6) They didn’t preach to the lost, they just condemned them. Jesus said in:
John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
7) They preached to show how good they were and how bad the people are.
They have preachers who put on just as big a show as these religious leaders, and they’re just as lost.
You have many people, who are outwardly religious, moral, and decent good people who say they believe in God, and they are kind, and are helpful to others.
Many of us mistake that as someone being a Christian.
In Titus it says the same thing Matt 5:20 says, not just to the religious leaders.
but here it saying to whosoever,
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The Beatitudes are going to show us how to be right with the Lord.
Jesus is saying that these religious leaders and people didn’t live this way.
They have an external way of showing they were religious, and Jesus wants internal walk that is from the heart.
And just like them, we won’t see heaven.
Let’s begin
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The word bless means, is to be content, satisfied, it means more than happiness, it’s more than an emotional state, your heart can rest and sleep at night.
It’s what you have between you and God, no matter how things are between your spouse, family, friends, health, money, and your job.
We’re not affected by the world that we live in, because we have separated ourselves from the world.
The world and preacher teach us that we should be wealthy and get very thing you can.
They don’t believe in being poor in anything.
The living bible translation.
Luke 12:15 Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."
This verse is very unpopular in many religious.
They have men who preach that being rich, will bring you happiness.
We just read the beatitudes, this belief or thought was not in there.
The beatitudes are for us to have a close walk and a peace of God that we can’t get in anything or anybody else.
We can’t fill spiritual needs with physical things.
This “poor in spirit” means, we’re bankrupt; we owe a debt we cannot paid.
Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”
We’re not talking about money.
You will realize you are noting when you don’t have the Lord.
We need to remember who owns us now, when we gave our life to the Lord he paid a debt we could not paid, so since he paid it, we now belong to him and not ourselves.
1 Cor 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Eph 1:14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
But some of us don’t act that way.
They have preachers and teachers who believe that God look down on earth and saw that some people were believers and had faith on their own and so God gave the gift of salvation.
That there is no free will among us.
So he has already predestined their life.
If this was so, then these people are better than us.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
It’s true that God already had the foreknowledge on who was going to be saved and who wasn’t, but that was by our choice.
This is some of the verses they use.
Rom 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God”
This is a promise from God that if you love him, everything will work out for good.
God has a purpose for all born again believers, and that is to follow in his footsteps;
Ps 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
The Beatitudes are some of those footsteps.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
What he is saying here is yes he knew who was going to accept him, so he gave them the honor of being like his son Jesus, that’s why we’re called Christian, we’re Christ-like.
And just like Jesus had to be the first born in heaven, he was also the Gods only son, then those who believe would be his brothers and sisters.
Matt 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
We need to learn how to read the bible.
John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
If you read the bible you’ll see that Jesus is not a liar.
What he is saying here is that they are not going to believe him.
This doesn’t mean that he chooses a few; it means a few choose him.
That’s why it says in;
Matt 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
There are no people who were believers and had faith without the Lord showing them first.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Remember Rom 12:3 it says; God gives faith
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
When the Holy Spirit comes he will show the world that they are sinners, and he will show Gods righteousness and judgment.
Let me say this, that these men who preach or teach this way are confusing Israel and the Gentiles
Israel at first was chosen to be Gods people.
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (this being the Jews) of grace.
I say they were Jews because above this verse it speak about Elias thinking he was the only Israelite left to put out Gods word, God said no I have 7000 men who are still with me.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Since the Jews rejected Jesus, God said whosoever
Matt 22:1-10
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Remember we chose to sin back in the garden?
Some more verses to show that we have a free will is;
1 Tim 2:4 Who (verse 3 speaking of God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is saying; “his will is that any should perish,”
Its Gods will that all be saved, and he doesn’t interfere with our will.
If God Predestine our lives and we don’t have a free will like some teach.
Then his plan would be very one to be saved.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Isa 65:12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
Isa 66:3-4
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
WE DO HAVE A FREE WILL.
We’re going to learn here how to please and satisfy him.
If we don’t understand what “blessed are the poor in spirit”, we can’t do the rest.
Our spirit compare to God, there is no comparison.
Do we have total faith in the word?
There are Christians who obey the word, when it’s pleasing to them, but when something they don’t like, they seem to ignore or just disobey it.
Matt 6:31-34
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (John 6:35 Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.)
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” is meaning today is more than enough for you to take care of.
This is why in the Lords prayer, we’re to say;
Matt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
1 Cor 10:13 “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”
Luke 3:14 “be content with your wages.”
Eph 5 Husbands are you loving your wife has Christ loved the church, no matter what.
Wives are you submitting yourselves onto your husband as onto the Lord.
Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
God helps those who need help and know it.
We are blessed when we accept and believe him, and self gets out the way.
The last verse of this chapter 5:48 says: Be ye therefore perfect, even as you’re Father which is in heaven is perfect.
He couldn’t say be ye 90% like the father, because if he did, then we could have 10% of what self wants, and that’s why it says “be ye perfect”
Following and understanding the beatitudes will help us in being perfect, it didn’t say be ye sinless.
With the power of the Holy Spirit we can live this kind of Christian life.
When we realize how poor in spirit we are, we will be like Peter in:
Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Rom 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”
Isa 66:2 My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite (remorse) hearts, who tremble at my word.
He will bless those who bow down and worship him.
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Worship – The act of giving divine (the highest spiritual) honors, to bow down, showing adoration, an act of reverence,
Worship comes from the heart; it’s an expression of your inner relationship with him.
Matt 15:7-9
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
8 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce, (vain) for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'"
Jesus is speaking to Pharisees and teachers of religious laws, they are hypocrites that follow traditions that can be done in the flesh, and thoughtlessly, without conviction, sincerity, or purity of heart.
Ps 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
The rest of Is 66:2
“and from the heart they really of remorse for the way they were living”, and they read the words of God as coming from God and not just a book.
Let me show you biblically what poor in spirit is.
1 Sam 17:32-37
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
David had just killed Goliath.
Did he make himself as some big hero? no
In 1Samuel 18: 18, 23
1 Sam 18:18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
1 Sam 18:23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
Are you seeing what “poor in spirit” means?
When you see how poor you are, that’s when you’ll become totally dependent of him.
When we get to this point, then we will be blessed.
You have preachers like Robert Shuller who preach positive thinking.
This is humanism; we are to teach ourselves not to have any negativity in our lives.
Have we read the Bible, blessed are the poor in spirit.
Poor in Spirit is the opposite from what Shuller teaches.
Yes we are somebody, we are the children of God, we are to be lifted up, but not to the point we think we’re higher than others.
I learned from my Lord, who is “The Shepherd”, and has made us little shepherds, to point out the lion who is trying to destroy the sheep.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
This kind of mourning is not when someone faces great sorrow, or failure like when someone dies or you’re going through a divorce, this kind of mourning has a time limit, and it varies.
Some of us have a hard time letting someone go, this kind of mourning the Lord understands, but it’s not what he wants us to stay in.
When a person grieves so hard and so long over the loss of a loved one that he cannot function normally, his grief becomes sinful and is unable to be used by God.
The Psalmist says in;
Ps 42:5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again my Savior.
This is not the kind of mourning we’re talking about here.
Verse 4 follows verse 3 which makes clear that to be a born again Christian we must be “poor in spirit” we are totally spiritually bankrupt.
We come empty-handed to the Lord, and that is the only way we can come to him.
Rom 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”
Once you become poor in spirit, mourning follows.
Because you realize you have been sinning against the one who loves you.
David says in Ps 51:4 “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned”
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of (meaning no regret) but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Godly sorrow or mourning leads to true repentance, only those who sincerely desire to belong to him can have.
Worldly sorrow has no repentance, and that leads to spiritual death.
Job said a lot of stuff about the Lord that he didn’t understand, and in;
Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
This is how he felt when he saw the Lord.
The mourning we’re going to see, is one that stays with us until?
But it’s not a continuous one, because when we repent of the sin, we’re free until it happens again.
It should devastate us, because we now know who we’re sinning against.
Out of all the different kinds of mourning there is, this is the one that is most severe.
I like to use the scriptures to explain the scriptures.
Luke 7:36-43, 47-50
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Now the Pharisees lived in big expense homes, they were rich and powerful.
This woman knew that she was going to be very unwanted, but she didn’t care, because she needed the Lord’s forgiveness, “she was poor in spirit”.
She couldn’t even face Jesus, she stood behind him?
She washed and kissed his feet?
Jesus wouldn’t ask us to do anything unless he’s been through it himself.
He left heaven to come down to live in this filthy earth we live in.
And then when he got here he was despised and rejected, but he still humble himself to be our savior.
She mourn because of the state of sin she was in.
She took her having sin in life very serious?
How far our willing to go?
This women look like a fool in front of these people, are we willing to go this far, to look like a fool in front of people?
The Pharisee said within himself, If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of women was touching him.
These Pharisee the most religious of men should have known that a prophet speaks only when the Lord leads him to, they didn’t know everything.
See how these religious leaders think, we have men here today that believe that.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
See how hypercritical these men are, they really didn’t look at Jesus as being a master.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
“and when they had nothing to pay”- this is another way of saying that we are “poor in spirit” because we couldn’t pay our debt.
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
We know in our lives how much the Lord has forgiveness us, so how much should we love him?
Mourning is a crying for release, to be set free. Romans 7:24 “Jesus has us free”
The lost don’t understand that in a Christian life, we have to mourn before we can receive true happiness and peace.
Mourning comes from those who sincerely desire to belong to him.
Ps 119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
There’s a song we sing in church, and it says; “break my heart from what break yours”
The fruit of a mature Christian isn’t a life of trying to be sinless, but the awareness of sin.
This is what true repentance is, when you mourn.
Let’s drop down to verse 47
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Jesus is going to show them who he really is.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Mark 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
He didn’t say “your works” but because of her faith in Jesus this is the way her heart responded.
The word hath means has?
This is were we get our comfort, like it says in verse 4 “for they shall be comforted.”
Knowing that God forgives us.
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
It also says in John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, and 16:7 that Jesus the Holy Spirit is our Comforter.
As we continually mourn over our sin, we shall be continually comforted, now in this present life, and in the future when we go be with the Lord.
2 Thess 2:16-17
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
We have just read a biblical meaning of mourning.
Verses 3 & 4 go together?
This is how you know if you’re mourning sin.
Ps 97:10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil
Do we over look the sin that is around us, or does it even bother us?
Are we sensitive to sin, or do we brag about it? And believe that it’s funny?
Isa 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The word forsake means to turn from your sin, some preachers preach you just to have confess, and confessing means nothing without repentance.
Prov 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
What can help us make our mourning less?
James 4:8-10
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (those of you who are riding the fence)
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (take the fun of sinning and mourn over it)
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The closer we get to God; we see more of our own sin.
These verses are what we look forward to and we can’t wait on.
2 Cor 5:2,8
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
The bible definition is different from Webster.
Part Three:
There is no place for spiritual pride.
Example:
It doesn’t matter to us what we do and someone else doesn’t.
We don’t think we’re better because we’re this religion, or because I speak in tongues and they don’t.
Becoming meek is like taming a horse; it’s strong and powerful and wants its own way.
But when it is finally broken it does whatever you tell it to do.
Now that horse is still strong and powerful, but now it’s under control by the Lord.
Let me show you biblically what meekness is in scriptures;
In the O.T. were this was prophesies it shows the Lords meekness.
Isa 53:1-7
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him (the Father) as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
We can for sure understand this one, who is believing what we tell them.
What is the arm of the Lord next verse?
“He” is the arm of the Lord, and has we continue to read, we’ll see that it is Jesus.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Now if our Lord Jesus Christ who didn’t deserve abuse can go through this, why can’t we?
back to verse 2
“he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Some people say he was lonely and ugly, because of this verse, but it doesn’t mean that.
If you read the 5th chapter of Song of Solomon verses 10-16 it’s speaking about what Jesus looked like.
The reason he wasn’t desire, because they wanted a mighty King with a sword.
Don’t you know that the Lord could have responded, the way we do many times.
Matt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Let’s get the picture of the Jews
The Jews have been waiting there whole life for the Messiah, the son of God.
They founded out that the wife of Zacharias a priest, was going to have a child, and he was told by Gabriel an angel of the Lord that he would bear a son, and call him John, and in Luke it says;
Luke 1:14-17
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Can you imagine the excitement these Jews had when they heard this?
This told them that the forerunner of the Messiah was here, so that meant that he was coming, The King will soon be here.
And he did come, but not the way they expected.
The Jews understood military power and miracle power, but they did not understand the power of meekness.
That’s walking in the Spirit.
They didn’t want this Messiah, the son of God to come with meekness; they wanted revenge for always having to be under someone else’s Kingdom.
They wanted it their way, instead of waiting on Gods way.
This is the reason many of the Jews hated him.
It’s hard for me to believe that the Jews, who God told them that the Messiah was coming missed it, because in Is chapters 40-60 God portrays the Messiah as the suffering servant, as well as the conquering Lord.
This is going on in our churches today, preachers are afraid of being hated for the message they bring.
Gods way is in;
1 Peter 2:19-23
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
God is pleased with you when you do the right thing, but you suffer wrong for it.
There is no credit for being patient if you’re wrong.
But if you suffer for doing right, then God is pleased with you.
This is the one that most of us can’t handle.
Even if they take things from you, your meekness should show.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
It’s goes with us getting born again, we die to self, we no longer let things we might lose, insults, or abuse get to us and just like Jesus.
Joseph who was hated and abuse by his brothers, and they sold him in Egypt.
He ended up being right under the King, and when his brothers showed up hungry he could have done the same to them, but he didn’t.
This is being meek.
Only a Christian can have this kind of courage, strength, and power.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. (That’s why we’re called Christians)
The Lord called you to do what’s right even if it means suffering.
Just like he did in Is 53 I just read.
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
He never sinned, or deceived anyone.
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
He didn’t say well an eye for an eye.
When he suffered he didn’t threaten to revenge what was done to him.
He gave it to God, who will judge rightly.
The Lord said not to do these things, he didn’t say try.
Do you see why we need the Lord the Holy Spirit?
When you read the scriptures, you will not find Jesus defending himself.
Let me say this, meek doesn’t mean you allow people to take advantage of you.
It doesn’t mean you can’t get angry, example:
Jesus got angry when he went to his father’s house
Matt 21:12-13
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
This is a righteous anger.
It’s hard not to get angry when someone is offending your father?
Just like Jesus we don’t defend ourselves, but we will defend our Father.
How about David and Saul.
After all Saul had done to David, talking about him, trying to kill him.
Did David get even with Saul? Or did he let the Lord take care of it?
Christians really don’t like the words of God.
Can we be meek?
Will we allow the Holy Spirit to control the loin in us?
The world has though us that it’s a sign of weakness. (talk about store)
Can we love our enemies? And pray for them?
We can’t say well that was Jesus God himself.
Jesus was a man just like us.
Matt 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Meek doesn’t mean you’re a weak person, look at Moses.
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
He was the meekness of all men.
We look at Moses as being a very Godly man, and he led Israel out of Egypt.
Moses had the same kind of anger that Jesus had, when he broke the tablets, Israel had turn from God and made their own god.
Another way Moses showed his meekness was when God called him to free Israel out of Egypt, Moses says in
Ex 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Also in
Ex 4:10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
Lets look at Paul who was the most educated of the apostles, and who wrote most of the N.T. he refuse to put any confidence in himself like it says in Phil 3:3.
He also knew that he could do all things, but only through Christ who strengthen him.
We lost the earth when Adam failed, but the Lord is going to give it back to us.
“for they shall inherit the earth”
2Peter 3:13 speaks about the New Earth.
Who are the meek?
Ps 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
It’s those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and meekness follows those two.
1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Before I go any further, because the beatitudes are very deep in being a true follower of Christ, remember what it says in:
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Poor in spirit, mourn, meek, and now hunger and thirst.
Part 4:
Who does the teaching?
Ps 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
The meek are ones who are going to hunger and thirst for Gods divine instructions to us, which is very beneficial for us.
We know without his direction in life we will fail him
We have to believe his words when he says:
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
We have to have faith in his words, because without that:
Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him”
I always like to show you in the scriptures what something means.
In Ex. 33 Moses had a tent outside the main camp grounds and there he would meet with the Lord God face to face (vs 20 says you can’t do that and live) and God would speak to him, and God said to Moses that he has found grace in him.
But this wasn’t enough for Moses, because he says in:
Ex 33:13-14
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
How does God show us his ways? By his words.
And once we learn his ways, he gives us rest.
Heb 3:7-11
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Ps 94:12-13
12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
This is what Moses wanted:
Ps 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Ps 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Ps 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
The Living Bible says: “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”
Heb 4:15 This High Priest (Jesus) of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Ps 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
When we are thirsty, our children will receive blessing also.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
If we “come” to him and “believe” those are the two main words.
Coming is to repent of the old life of sin and rebellion, and submit to the Lord.
Believing is to totally trust in him.
If we do these two we will be hungry and thirsty.
What does it mean?
Hunger and thirst after “righteousness” just plainly means, being right with God.
And how do we know what’s being right with God, is by reading and believing his words.
If you’re not born again we don’t have Gods righteousness, because his word says so in:
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Jer 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
What’s right for us without the Lord is:
Power, no matter how we get it and with that comes money.
Glory, being popular, accepted.
Material things.
Pleasure.
John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Living water is Jesus coming out of you, called being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The wicked are hungry too.
Satan didn’t have that hunger and thirst for being like God.
The Lord said that the devil wanted to be like him.
Isa 14:13-15
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
(All you hear here is “I” and we’re just like satan.)
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The devil wanted to do his own thing.
When you don’t have the hunger of being right with the Lord, you’re filling it with fleshly desires?
Matt 10:35-39
35 'I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!'
This is way you have enemies in your own house.
37 "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
The cost of being a follower of Christ you have to be willing to give up everything, including your own family if necessary.
Do we live to please our family and put them before the Lord, or do we put the Lord first then our family?
Luke 18:22-23
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Many people hunger and thirst for wealth, riches.
Satan and this rich man, they hungered for power, praise, processions and pleasure.
Do you have more hunger for the things of the world?
1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
lust of the flesh - sexual sin
lust of the eyes – wanting what other people have.
pride of life - Rom 12:3 “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think”
Like saying look at what I have done.
The last part of the verse says: “is not of the Father, but is of the world”, meaning, you are not a Christian, but living in the flesh”
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
He saying all will die, but those who live for the Lord, will live forever with him.
This is the reason we should be so hungry for the word.
The way you get hungry and get thirsty, for food or water, is exactly the same way it should be for Jesus.
Christians are very weak, how many bold Christians to you know?
We can’t live physically without food and water.
The same here, we can’t live spiritually without Gods righteousness.
Which is more important? Spiritual food which gets you to heaven.
Or food for our physical bodies?
Some of us say we can’t get our day started until we have that cup of coffee?
Put the word of God there instead.
I can’t start my day until I have that drink of Gods words.
The world needs something whatever it may be, to get started.
Christians are different.
Ps 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
The dry and thirsty land, he’s speaking about the world.
Isa 26:9 “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early”
Jesus says that to be truly happy and blessed, is to have this spiritual hunger.
To have no hunger and thirst for righteousness is to have no part with the Lord.
You can only be a Christian when you’re being Christ like, and to be Christ like,
You have to know the word of God.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
God will receive the glory when we grow in the word.
Isa 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
You do not have to be a preacher or teacher to know the scriptures.
Look at who Jesus was, he was a carpenter, and look at what he did in:
John 7:14-18
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Vs 14 Jesus went before the church and started to teach.
Vs 15 The people were surprised saying: “How does this carpenter know the scriptures, he hasn’t even gone to college?
2 Cor 3:1-3
1 Are we beginning to be like those false teachers of yours who must tell you all about themselves and bring long letters of recommendation with them? I think you hardly need someone's letter to tell you about us, do you? And we don't need a recommendation from you, either!
2 The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you.
3 They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.
Vs 16 Jesus answer and said: the scriptures are not mine words, but God who sent me.
Gal 1:10-12 Paul says:
10 Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
(my teaching comes from the Word of God, that is why you are giving the scriptures to read for yourself)
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: (we don’t need to be taught how to speak, when to get loud, The Lord gives us the ability with power)
So we qualify men by our earthly eyes instead of our spiritual eyes.
The world says we need men who are eloquent speakers, and have college degrees so they can have enticing words.
If your just a religious person than this is OK for you.
But if you’re a born again believer you want God’s words by Godly men filled with the Spirit.
Vs 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God, will know if the scriptures are from God or of man.
Vs 18 The man who gives his own opinions is looking to glorify himself, but the man who tells the truth is seeking to glorify the Lord, and is not a liar.
In Ephesians chapter 4 Jesus speaks about giving gifts to the church and he says in:
Eph 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
These gifts are administration gifts to the church
They do have other gifts that are for individuals like it says 1Cor 12:8-10
- Word of wisdom
- Word of knowledge
- Faith- like Noah, Mary
- Healing
- Miracles
- Prophecy
- Discernment
- Tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
Why did he give pastors and teachers?
By the way they shouldn’t be young?
1 Tim 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
They should have deep spiritual understanding, and they should be at least 30yrs of being a Christian.
This is one of the reasons we have confusion in the church, because of young teachers who shouldn’t be there yet. (give example: a teacher who used in his prayer:
This is speaking about a backslider and brothers confront him.
Matt 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Simply saying to equip, to service, and to build up the church.
Only those who are hungry and thirsty want this.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Has this happen? No, the church still has division.
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
This is why we still need these gifts of gifted pastors and teachers, so we can come to together in unity.
This can only happen with men who are led by the spirit.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Where do we find his words? In other books or the bible.
He ate them, he was hungry.
Did he say some of his words?
“Love your enemies” we should look at it has we get to pray for someone who needs him.
For we are called “Christians”
We make our walk with the Lord conditional, “God, I’ll become a Christian, but I can’t spend very much time with you, in your word.”
Like I said before if you haven’t received the first 3 blessing, than you can’t be hungry or thirsty for his words.
Finally this is what happens when you hunger and thirsty.
You go wherever the word is being taught.
Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
1 Cor 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Philem 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
Acts 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Acts 2:46-47
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
In Acts 17 it speaks about the Berea Jews which in verse 11 it says:
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
They were open to the truth, and then searched the scriptures themselves to see if was so.
They recognized that Paul did proclaim the truth of God.
James 1:22-24
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (you’re only hurting yourself if you’re not a doer.)
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
I know that there are Christians out there that are content and laded back with their walk, but is that pleasing to the Lord?
Part 5:
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
We’re going to see that the first 4 beatitudes, was a deeper spiritual walk with the Lord for yourself.
The next 4 are going to be an outward showing.
Merciful means - Genuine compassion, pure and unselfish motive, to reach out and help others.
We can see by the scriptures that the religious leaders didn’t teach mercy, because mercy was not part of them.
They were proud, self-righteous, and judgmental.
The more Jesus showed mercy, the more the leaders wanted him dead.
The religious leaders justify their lack of love and mercy under the deceptive appearance of their religious duties.
By not even showing mercy to the parents.
Matt 15:1-9
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
They didn’t even try to hide the fact that Jesus disciples offended their traditions of the elders.
These men’s traditions were superior to the scriptures.
Just like today, you have religions were the people give more authority to the traditions of men than the word of God.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Jesus totally ignored their question, because when men try to put themselves over the Lord he’s not even going to give attention to that.
Jesus goes straight to the problem.
Why are you disobeying the commandments of God.
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
One of the Ten Commandments Ex 20:12 is “Honour thy father and mother”
Also Ex 21:17 “He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”
If we lived by the commandments of God, teenagers wouldn’t be acting the way they do now. One putting to death a teenager for disrespecting their parents, that would fix a lot of problems.
This is how important it is to respect the authority that God has put in place.
In 1 Cor 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
We have gotten away from the ways of God.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Jesus says: but you say “It’s O.K. to give to the church, and tell the parents sorry I gave to the church already. This is not honoring father and mother.
Family comes before the Church, I didn’t say God.
I’m sure most preachers won’t like what about to say, but if your parents are in need, you help them before you give to the church.
Especially if your mother is a widow.
Let me just say that the things we use the tithe money on, it’s not biblical.
Don’t help your parents so we can built nice big fancy churches, it is against God’s word to have debts, there’s a lot of things the church uses the tithe for, and biblically there are only 3 things the Lord said to use it on.
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Again they are saying that their tradition is superior to God.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This is the very reason the Lord said in:
Matt 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The churches of God are allowing little by little sins come into the church.
Homosexual can be preachers.
Women can be pastors.
You have to be that religion in order to be baptized by them.
Passing the plate in the church stops some people from coming, passing the plate is just like asking for money.
We’re fighting right here in the Baptist religion, is the word of God infallible?
1 Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
I used these verses in Matt chapter 15 to show that traditions have no conviction, no purity of the heart, you don’t need faith, no trust, and we have no dependence on God.
The more we live by tradition the further we get from the Lord.
There is no true love or mercy with traditions.
The devil is the one who wants tradition of men in the church, because he knows what true love and mercy can reach people.
Jesus was condemned and crucified for the love and mercy he wanted to give.
It’s not just pray for people, but to physically help them. If you’re able.
Helping the lonely
Helps those who need love
Mercy helps and not just watches.
Mercy helps in secret.
Matt 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Don’t be like the world, they do it for show.
They do it for tax purposes
They do it expecting something in return.
Jesus gave the most mercy than any one who ever walked the earth.
This is what he gave to the lost people and this is what we should be giving. (salvation)
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
It says that you’ll “obtain mercy” from whom? NOT THE WORLD.
But what did he get in return; from the people “crucify him”
People think that if you give mercy than you will get mercy in return.
The scriptures don’t teach that this is going to happen.
This is not the world’s way.
The Lord is saying you give mercy and I’ll give mercy to you.
Lam 3:22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
You know he could have just done away with us after Adam and Eve sinned, and he would have been just in doing it. Amen
But because of his mercy his love doesn’t end.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It wasn’t because of the good we did (works), it wasn’t because you spoke in tongues, or got water baptize, or because you go to church every Sunday.
It was because of his mercy that he offers us, and he gives it to the ones who want it.
Eph 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, (to be loud) and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. (to hurt someone)
Why do you think the Lord had to put that in there?
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Just like God has given us mercy, we should see how important it is to give mercy, we all need it.
Micah chapter 6 the Lord is asking Israel, “what have I done to thee for you to treat me this way” God says look at what I have done for you.
And the people answer and said “What kind of offerings and sacrifices can we make for you” and the Lord said unto them:
Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Not just have mercy, but LOVE mercy.
You may ask how I can love mercy; you have to have the first 4 blessed to be able to love mercy.
The scriptures show how mercy is done.
Luke 10:25-37
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
This man got the answer right, but you don’t go to heaven for knowing the right answers, you go to heaven for doing what the command says.
You have people who know the scriptures, who know the order of the beatitudes?
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
You notice here that the man wanted to justify himself, just like he said in verse 25 saying “what shall I do” like many of us do.
And then he jumps to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and the reason he did that was because he knew he didn’t love the Lord the way it said.
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
These were Jews that passed him by, his own people.
This Samaritan which the Jews didn’t like at all did stop to help this man.
He didn’t look at race or color.
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Jesus answers his question, and now he’s going to ask the man a question.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
This Samaritan didn’t stop because this man was poor or hungry.
Because if he was poor and hungry they wouldn’t have robbed him.
He needed physical help.
Some of you might be saying that in:
Matt 25:37-40
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
1 John 3:17-18
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
This beatitude and the others are the evidence of our true salvation, not what happen in one moment when you got saved.
You give mercy to the one who needs it, because there are some who don’t deserve it.
You see somebody on the side of the road or highway; you better make sure that the Lord leads you to stop and help.
Yes we are to have mercy for people, but it’s the ones who deserve it, and the ones who deserve it are the ones the Lord will lead you to help.
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
II Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he (it’s not they) eat.If this man doesn’t do the command of God, and that is he should work, then he is on his own for not obeying the word of God.
This is way we need to hear from the Lord on who we should give help to.
We don’t want to get in his way when he might be allowing this to happen for a chastisement.
Part 6:
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Who is going to see God?
It plainly says it here, those that are pure in heart.
This should be the number 1 goal in our lives. Is to see God.
The beatitudes are actions that are going to happen when we are truly born again.
John 3:1-6
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Nicodemus in his religion was equal to a Cardinal in some religions; he was up there,
There are 3 religions in Jewish nation, Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees, Nicodemus was a Pharisees which was the most religious, they lived on the word of God (Old Testament),
They started to have great sin, and in between the Old Testament was completed until the New Testament started which was about 400 yrs, when the Lord was quiet.
During that time the Jews started making their own laws and rules, the same as today, taking scriptures and just pulling them apart to mean something else that would benefit them (traditions),
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
In vs 2, you would think Jesus would be please with Nicodemus, for calling him a teacher from God, and that God sent him, but he was not please with that, because Nicodemus hadn’t recognize him as Lord, just like Peter in Matt 17:4-5 Peter put Moses, and Elias in with Jesus, and God answer and said, “hear ye him”.
So Jesus saw that Nicodemus was not yet there, and Jesus said that you’re not even going to see the Kingdom of God. Eph 2:1 “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.”
Nicodemus was a slave to his religion, one reason I say that is because he had to go by night, to see a man that his religion was trying to get rid of,
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Nicodemus knew what Jesus was saying, when he said “can I enter a second time into my mother’s womb; he knew he was talking about the water sack.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Jesus told Nicodemus he was lost, so if that was true then, don’t you think it would be true today, preacher in high places are lost, since the Lord said that there would be wolves among us,
We begin to see him with our new spiritual eyes, and live by the beatitudes we have no problem saying to God:
Ps 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Just like it says in Ex chapter 33 when it says that Moses saw God face to face.
This is how we see God, when we have a pure heart.
Ps 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Who is going to see God?
The one with clean hands referring to:
Ezek 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
And the ones with a pure heart, which we’re learning about now.
God will show you were your heart is.
Heb 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is to show that we cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, hypocrisy, will be noticed by him.
And since our hearts are perfectly open before him, we should be sincere
Your thoughts and intents from the heart are seen by God.
The word will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let him see all that is in his heart.
The Lord knows our hearts better than we do.
Do we act like Christian only when we are around them, and then act like the lost when we are with them?
Intent of the Heart is it to glorify him?
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Everyone who has been created by God will not be able to hide from him.
All disguises will be ripped off and only the real person will be seen.
So who should we care on who sees the real us?
Ps 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
The heart is wicked
Gen 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The heart is the reason the Lord destroys the earth the first time.
Jer 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
The Lord looks at the heart, and what it has done, he give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.
Matt 15:18-19
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
The heart represents the inner person.
Like Mark 7:15 says it’s not goes into your body that defiles you.
But like it says here, it’s what comes out of you that defiles you.
To have a pure heart you can’t even have evil thoughts, not just acts.
Matt 5:27-28
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
The religious leaders we know didn’t have a pure heart, because if they did Jesus wouldn’t have had to complete the commandment with “if you even look at a woman with lust in the heart you have sinned”
That includes our thoughts, this can happen when we’re walking in the Spirit.
John 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
The word of God had proclaimed the born again Christian to be cleaned by the Holy Spirit and made them a new creature in their character and instilling holiness in their life.
1 Sam 10:9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel's signs were fulfilled that day.
God took the kingdom from Saul because he refused to live by the new heart God had given him.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
You’re trying to live for the Lord and yourself?
Matt 23:25-26
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Prov 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”
Ask the Lord for a pure heart
Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
This is when you realize who you are, and who you need.
Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep a close eye on your heart; watch over it, because the way your heart is that’s the kind of life you will live.
Prov 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
No one can make their own heart pure
Don’t look at the outside
1 Sam 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
1 Sam 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.
1 John 1:6-7
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
God does not cleanse people who are not truly saved.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We will know if we have totally accepted the teaching that has been given to us by the way we live.
In the flesh by gritting your teeth or in the spirit with a pure heart.
If I were to go before all the churches around here and teach what “pure in heart” means, and tell them that only those who are pure in heart would see God.
People would be offended and those who know the truth would be sad.
Remember this, if we are guilty of not being this way it says in:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So when we go before the Lord on judgment day, it won’t be for salvation, it will be for how we lived our lives for him.
1 Cor 3:12-15
12 Now if any man build upon this (Jesus) foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, (judgement day) because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (was it in the flesh or in the spirit)
14 If any man's work abide (make it) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, (because it was done in the flesh) he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This is for the Christians who were lazy, is like being on the football team but all you did was sit on the side line, you wasn’t a player.
Part 7:
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
This is an example of what Jesus is speaking about:
Luke 12:49-53
I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. 'Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'"
Sometimes the conflict between a believer and a non-believer last a life time, and there’s no fixing it.
But for the true disciple of God it’s a price that we are willing to pay, and it’s because of the love the Lord has put in us for the lost.
So this sword is not made of steel.
Heb 4:12 the word is a two edged sword
If he was bringing peace that the Jews wanted then he would have brought a sword made of steel, to fight.
This is part of the reason the Jews rejected Jesus; they were looking for a King that was going to fight physically in a battle.
Remember when Peter went to defend Jesus the night they came to arrest him.
Matt 26:52 “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
The Lord is saying here, if you want to do it your way go ahead, but you won’t be called a child of God.
The word peace in the bible means, you are right with God, forever.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Don’t worry about what the world throws at you, for we are overcomers:
Rom 8:35-37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
God stared with peace with peace in the Garden of Eden, but then man messed up when he sinned.
Jesus made peace again at the cross, with those who believe in him.
And God is going to finish what he started with peace with the new Jerusalem.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
If you don’t have peace within yourselves, it’s because you don’t have peace with God.
Life for an unbeliever has no peace.
Knowing you have been forgiven for your sins, that give you peace, once you receive this peace, you become a peacemaker.
Acts 10:34-36
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:
Being a peacemaker is showing the peace of God that is in you.
If you’re not a peacemaker, either you’re not a Christian, or you’re being disobedient.
Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
The devil and man want to have their own independence from the Lord.
When self is first, peace is last.
God’s peace never evades issues, it doesn’t hide from problems, and it doesn’t excuse them.
With the peace of God we can confront our problems and not struggle with them.
Only Christians can have this peace.
Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
For the lost there is no peace, because of the devil that is their enemy, has blinded their eyes from the truth.
The Lord told Paul on the road to Damascus, where he got born again.
Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'
Until they give their lives to the Lord, they are under the power of the devil.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Gods wisdom is first pure, and then peaceable.
No pure in heart, no peace.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
A person who is lost cannot have the peace or holiness of God.
Only Christians have this power through the Holy Spirit.
Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Witnessing
This is why the Lord has called us to be peacemakers, to bring people back to this peace.
If we love men we will want them to have this peace also.
For those who want it.
Christians who are truly born again.
Are the ones who have the peace of God in them?
We are the ones who walk in the Spirit.
We are the ones who live and obey the beatitudes.
2 Cor 5:18-20
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, (Calviness must of not read this verses) not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
As being ambassadors we have a responsibility.
2 Cor 5:11 “Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too”
We have family; friends, co-workers who are lost and we just keep on acting like there nothing wrong.
We don’t want to offend them.
Prov 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
We need to tell them, “If you think you’re sins are not so bad and you believe you’re going to make it to heaven, the bible says you will not prosper, make it to heaven.
Only those who confess and repent, (for you Catholics confession is not enough)
He will give mercy to.
Another one
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The Lord says their wicked.
God didn’t sugar coat anything.
Like the Pastor said in one of his sermons:
What different are you from the lost people if don’t tell people about the Lord?
We are not doing a very good job.
Servants of the devil are.
Rom 10:14-16
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (doesn’t mean pastor)
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
They’re going to be many who won’t believe what you say.
Some of us use the excuse that we need to earn their respect or be friends with them first?
Is this in the bible, how did Jesus do it?
Jesus in John 4:16-18 witness to and showed love to the Samaritan women at the well, but he didn’t hesitate to confront her sinful ways, about telling her she had 5 husbands and the one she’s living with now is not her husband.
Ezekiel who was called a watchman, this same calling is for us also.
Ezek 3:17-19 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die: and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. (lose a blessing) Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul. (blameless)
Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Luke 10:16 “Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me."
This is a verse the Jehovah Witness need to read.
How can they accept God but not his son that makes them a liar.
John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Also
2 John 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
This also goes for anyone you witness too.
There’s a price to pay here on earth, but in heaven there will be rewards. Amen.
Look at the disciples some of them were stoned to death, others crucify, some got their heads cut off, to tell the lost about Jesus and his salvation that he has for them.
I would call this the highest form of love there is, when you risk everything to tell them about Jesus even if it gets you kill.
The Lord has given us a special ministry, to reach those who are still fallen from the fall of man.
Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Matt 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
This is for the one, who profess to be a Christian, but when it comes to doing Gods will or ministry we fail him.
We fail him by being silence.
We also deny him in front of families, and friends by living like the world lives, we have no higher standards of values.
What is the power of God? The gospel, that’s the word of God.
They have men out there who can make you feel good for a while.
Like musicians they get you all fired up.
Same thing with preachers and teachers who are no different than a motivational speaker.
They stand up there and get loud and rave their hands.
All that is for nothing if the word of God is not penetrating your heart.
If you don’t witness to lost people, it could be that you’re allowing the devil to lie to you.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
John20: 21-22
21 then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
We need to learn from his dicsiples, when they found the Lord they had to go tell their family.
John 1:41 “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ”
John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”
The Lord will be with us
Matt 4:12 “Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
Ex 33:16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don't go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."
Paul is saying in:
Eph 6:19-20 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
1Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God, if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth,
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile (despised) you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
These verses are not verses that teachers or preachers like to bring to the people, and you’ll see why, but it is the word of God.
Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
We need men who will do this, and not worry about losing members or having a small tithe collection, or even if it means not being a very popular teacher.
This last beatitude is really two in one; it’s about being persecuted and being despised,
Jesus seems to be saying there’s a double blessing for those of us who go through this.
This follows “blessed are the peacemakers” because this is what going to happen for shining the light in a dark world.
When we suffer because of righteousness sake, it’s because we doing verse 6 we’re “hungry and thirsty for righteousness”
If you haven’t suffered for being a Christian, than you haven’t been hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
As long as people don’t know you’re a Christian than you don’t have worry about being persecuted for being one, you are no threat to the devil and his work.
Look at Cain and Abel, Abel didn’t preach to Cain, but because of the way he lived for God, as being a righteous man, Cain kill him.
If we are suffering it’s because we’re obeying and living the 7 beatitudes before this one.
Then we are pleasing to the Lord and not the world.
God’s people are rejected people.
Just like Jesus, for being the sons of God, we will be treated the same way, because the world hated Jesus, and will hate us too.
John 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
They hate us partly because we were one of them, and then we switched teams.
Example; you’re a Nederland Bulldog then you turn to Port Neches-Groves Indian.
It’s not us against the world; it’s the world against the Lord.
Because of these verses, there is no way you are going to be a popular person, especially if you’re a preacher.
Robert Schuler is a wolf in sheep clothing; positive thinking is of the world.
There is no way he would preach on these verses, because it’s what he would call negative thinking.
That is why he is so popular.
Jesus exposes people sins, Schuler doesn’t.
What kind of Shepard would I be if I didn’t point out the wolf?
Jesus did it all thought the bible.
You could listen to him month after month and never know how to get born again.
This is what happens when you’re preaching the word of God.
2 Tim 3:10-14 (this is Paul speaking)
10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance.
This is a Christian.
11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it.
Paul was practically stoned to death, and the Lord brought him back to life.
Acts 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
These preachers who preach nothing but prosperity, they must not be living Godly lives.
13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
The Lord is saying; it’s going to get worse for us.
14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
Even dough things are going to get worse, stay with who you are, A Christian.
The beatitudes are a very good place to stay.
You know that the things you have been taught are true, because the one who taught them to you, use the scriptures to explain the scriptures.
It’s hard to tell your teacher “that’s your opinion” when all he uses is the words of God.
It’s been happening since the beginning of time.
Men who walk with God suffer persecution.
1 John 3:12 Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Remember Joseph how his brothers despise him, for obeying his father.
Daniel, it was because of his righteousness that he was throw into the lion’s den.
He could have compromised with the King and said “Oh it’s only for 30 days I can do that” but he didn’t.
This is the devils plan, if he could only separate us from God just long enough to work on us, to tempt us.
Stephen in Acts 7 was stone to death, for telling the religious leaders and the people the truth about what they had been doing, to Gods prophets.
Jesus went into the synagogue to teach and the religious leaders there:
Matt 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Here the meaning of prophet is someone who explains or interprets the word of God, this is not the gift of prophesy.
When you give the truth which is Jesus, you’re not even welcome were you live.
When we witness to people do we tell them that there is a cost?
1 Thess 3:3-4
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
This shouldn’t surprise you, the scriptures in many places tells of this happening.
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
He says to be happy with great joy, that you are in good company with Jesus, as he suffered.
We will be with him when he reveals himself to the world.
That’s when our suffering that we have endured will be rewarded, we will have an exceeding joy, that’s a joy we’ve not experience yet.
The Lord gives us joy now, but it’s nothing compare to what we’re going to have.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
If people are talking bad about you, insulting you, because you are a Christian, the Lord says to be happy about it, for the spirit of God is with you, 1 John 4:4 “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
God is glorified when we are cursed and insulted and not respond in the flesh.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
If you suffer for doing any of these things you deserve it.
Guess what we all have done at least one of these.
If you even think about killing someone, it’s like doing it.
The Lord says in Mal3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Can you say you have never did anything wrong?
Can you say you’ve never gotten in other people business?
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
It’s not a shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1 Cor 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. We have our judgment now when we are saved, but those who do not accept the Lord, what a terrible judgment waits for them.
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
If any of us have pride, because we think “look at me how righteous I ‘am” well the Lord said you barely made it.
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Luke 6:26-28
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets. TLB
How many preachers or priest, do you know that people praise and worship them?
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Again he says; the world will hate you” but we’re to love them.
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
If they don’t turn to the Lord, after you have loved and prayed for them, he says;
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Ps 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Any suffering I did for the Lord is a small price to pay for what awaits me in heaven.
We shouldn’t try to hide or escape from this would because he tells us in:
John 17:14-18
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
He has sent us into this world to serve just like he did.
We will be loved and hated by people, just like in Jesus.
Luke 4:28-3228 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Why should we be rejoicing and exceeding glad? Because we belong to the father, and the world cannot take that away.
In it’s a command from the Lord to be glad.
The world can take away many things form us, but it can’t take away our joy, gladness, or happiness or our salvation.
Rewards
When we are persecuted for his sake, he says “great is our reward” Amen.
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
The reason we joint-heirs with Christ is because of:
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Unlike the world were children have to split the inheritance, we inherit everything.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Matt 25:31-34
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
God foreseen from the very beginning, that his plan for mankind.
John 14:2-3
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
1 Cor 15:51-54
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Don’t look at now
None of the suffering we will have in going to be permanent.
God’s blessings are present, in the millennium, and in heaven.
The life we are living now is nothing compare to eternity in heaven.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
He says that our lives here are just for a while and we don’t know what tomorrow brings,
But we do know that heaven is forever. Amen
And because of what James says, the Lord tells us in:
Matt 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure ids, there will your heart be also.
Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Who is our great reward?
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
It’s not that believers will become gods, as some cults teach, but that we will receive, by our joint inheritance with Christ, all the blessings that God has.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Ps 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
The greatness blessing for the Christian is being in God’s presence.
Closing
We should rejoice for the persecution we go thought, because we’re in the company of most the prophets in the O.T. and other great Saints in the bible, who were
Mock, suffered, chain in prison, stoned to death, and died by the sword, these are great men of God.
In closing
We hardly ever see a Christian living the way the Lord wants us to, we been thinking we live a normal Christian life, but now you see we haven’t.
Have we really seen that we are absolutely nothing without God, or do we think we been doing pretty good with what we have done?
The beatitudes are in the order God put them in for a reason.
You can’t skip one, because if you do you will not be able to complete the rest.
This is the way of the Lord, the world doesn’t associate happiness with being humble, or mourning over sin, happiness is not being meek, or giving mercy to others, and happiness for sure doesn’t have to suffer.
Now that we know what being a Christian is, do we still want to be one?
Josh 24:15 “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The beatitudes begin and end with the promise of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.
No matter what the world does to us, it cannot affect our home that is waiting on us in heaven and living forever with the Lord. AMEN
Let me say this; you hear about the world needing a great revival or America, it’s not going to happen.
Revival not coming, but judgment is.
There’s going to be a revival, but it’s going to be the rapture, because during the tribulation many will be saved.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.