Scripture Focus (Matthew 5:6-12) – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
I. We Are A Longing People (Matthew 5:6)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
A. The desire for personal righteousness – Living out our spiritual identity. We cannot bear to violate our conscience.
B. The desire for relational righteousness -We are only at peace with God & ourselves when we are at peace with others.
C. The desire for undiluted righteousness – We long for the final fulfillment when we will never again fall short.
D. The desire for established, global righteousness – We long to be faithful to God’s revealed standards.
“…for they shall be filled…”
II. We Are Sheltering People (Matthew 5:7)
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Mercy = compassion for people in need, which always leads to intervention on their behalf
A. Merciful attitude – As those who understand the mercy given to us, we are eager to release mercy to others
B. Merciful actions
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- Helpless people need mercy – those who are truly unable to deliver themselves
- Hurting people need mercy – those who do not see clearly through their pain
- Headstrong people need mercy – those who frustrate us with their pride need our patient commitment to help them
- Hardened people need mercy – those who refuse to acknowledge their need and resist our attempts to assist them
III. We Are Sincere People (Matthew 5:8)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
A. Internal aspect – pure hearts are simple and sincere, devoid of deception and unnecessary complexity
B. Relational aspect – pure hearts are true and transparent – you know what you are getting when interacting with pure-hearted people
C. Missional aspect – pure hearts are selfless and sacrificial – seeking the good of others, purehearted people are here to serve
D. Moral aspect – pure hearts are contrite and clean – devoid of pride and impurity
IV. We Are Reconciling People (Matthew 5:9)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
A. Relational people – Peacemakers are only content when they are right with others
B. Resilient people – Peacemakers know how to be quiet & welcome God to defend them
C. Restorative people – Peacemakers build bridges, not burn them
D. Retaining people – Peacemakers do not seek peace at the expense of integrity; they hold to truth
V. We Are Steadfast People (Matthew 5:10-12)
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
A. The reason for persecution (Matthew 5:10a, 11b) – “…for righteousness’ sake…on My account.”
B. The mode of persecution (Matthew 5:11a) – “…when others revile you and persecute you, utter all kinds of evil against you falsely…”
C. The response to this persecution (Matthew 5:12a) – “Rejoice and be glad…”
D. The precedent for persecution (Matthew 5:12b) – “…they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
VI. We Are Blessed People
A. We receive mercy (Matthew 5:7) – “…for they shall receive mercy.”
B. We experience intimacy with God (Matthew 5:8) – “…for they shall see God.”
C. We resemble and reflect God (Matthew 5:9) – “…for they shall be called sons of God.”
D. We have great reward awaiting us (Matthew 5:12) – “…for your reward is great in heaven…”
The word BLESSED indicates that Jesus is saying, “Oh how happy are they!”
The reason that repentant, broken, meek, thirsting, merciful, pure-hearted, peacemaking, persecuted people are happy is because:
- They are inheriting the Kingdom of God both now and forever (Matthew 5:3, 10)
- They receive their comfort from the heart of God (Matthew 5:4)
- They understand that all that is denied them now will one day be under their rule (Matthew 5:5)
- They alone are the only ones who can be completely satisfied (Matthew 5:6)
- They experience God’s mercy (Matthew 5:7)
- They are experiencing intimacy with God now, and will do so forever (Matthew 5:8)
- They are fulfilling the will of God in that they are taking on His character so much that they are known as His children (Matthew 5:9)
- They are promised a great reward when their life is over (Matthew 5:12)