OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.

Review The scene is set… Jesus is preaching out in the open Jesus is preaching out in the open Four cultural identifiers… wealth wealth comfort comfort power power fame fame Luke 6:17-36 Week One Blessings and Judgments Week Two Kingdom Principles Matthew 5:1-10 Week Three Who are you? John 3:3 “In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 1 Peter 1:23 “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

Review Jesus wants us to be something before he asks us to do something “A Christian is something before he or she does anything; and we have to be a Christian before we can act as a Christian.” Studies in the Sermon on the Mount - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones It is our character and identity that matter and our actions should be an outcome of that Luke 6:17-36 Week One Blessings and Judgments Week Two Kingdom Principles Matthew 5:1-10 Week Three Who are you?

Review The Beatitudes cannot be divided or looked at individually Jesus starts and ends with the statement… “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “inclusio” = an ancient theological literally device Each one of these statements should define who you are vs.3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs.10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Review vs.3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs.10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mourn Because of the sin within you Because of the sin within you Meek Having the true view of yourself Having the true view of yourself Hunger and thirst for righteousness We are to long for it because we cannot create or produce perfect righteousness We are to long for it because we cannot create or produce perfect righteousness Poor in Spirit Realising that you don’t have any righteousness

Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Mercy Beatitude #5 Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Grace Is a loving response when love is undeserved Is a loving response when love is undeserved Mercy Is a loving response prompted by the misery and helplessness of the one whom the love is shown Is a loving response prompted by the misery and helplessness of the one whom the love is shown

Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Mercy Beatitude #5 Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 18:23-35 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Mercy Beatitude #5 Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 18:23-35 (cont) "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Mercy Beatitude #5 Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 18:23-35 (cont) "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Beatitude #6 Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Purity The ‘heart’ = mind / emotions / will / the inner life of the self / the centre “In Hebrew psychology, the ‘heart’ is literally the human centre, the home of personal feeling, willing and thinking. Heart, will and mind are all covered by the biblical term ‘heart’. We can translate ‘pure in heart’ therefore as ‘clear at centre.’” Frederick D. Bruner - The Christbook, pg.175

Beatitude #6 Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Purity Purity [katharos] Clear Clear clean clean Singleness Singleness Unmixed Unmixed To will one thing To will one thing Without hypocrisy Without hypocrisy For the pure in heart pursuing a relationship with God is their one and only focus

Beatitude #7 Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Sonship Shalom Wholeness Wholeness Completeness Completeness Healing Healing Sar Shalom (the Prince of Peace) El Shalom (the God of Peace) Those who facilitate Wholeness Wholeness Completeness Completeness Healing Healing Will be called “children of the living God”

Beatitude #8 Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Are you new or are you just nice? The Blessing of Heaven Jesus is our model “If you are always persecuted it is because you are obnoxious. If you are never persecuted it is because you are a coward...” Tim Keller “It is a frightening thought to consider that our faith is so tepid that the wicked do not persecute but simply ignore us.” John J. Parsons

OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.