1. The Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-12

2. Introduction Beatitudes are a collection of eight qualities of life that separate children of God from the world much like 10 commandments comprise the whole of the Law of Moses, Beatitudes embody the Sermon on the Mount and the Law of Christ, cutting to the heart describe the blessed state of the child of God a state of mind based on the assurance of God’s blessings, not on circumstance they are not eight separate groups of people, but rather the Christian is to manifest each

3. Overview poor in spirit those who mourn meek hunger and thirst for righteousness merciful pure in heart peacemakers persecuted kingdom of Heaven comforted inherit the earth shall be filled -------------- ---- shall obtain mercy shall see God called sons of God kingdom of Heaven

4. The Poor in Spirit “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” must recognize our own spiritual poverty as a sinner, we rely wholly on the grace of God and His strength (Rom. 3:23; 5:6)(Lk. 17:10) manifested in our thankfulness (Lk. 17:12-16; 18:9-14) we shall receive an eternal kingdom usually the rich and powerful who reign in the kingdom of heaven, it is those who submit themselves to God (1 Pet. 2:9-10; 5:5-7)

5. Those Who Mourn “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” we lament our spiritual poverty expressing sorrow for our sins and our need for help from God (Lk. 18:13)(Acts 2:37) godly sorrow necessary for repentance (2 Cor. 7:8-10) our comfort comes from God (Lk. 4:16-21) justification (Lk. 18:14), remission of sins (Acts 2:38), comfort & strength to self and others (2 Cor. 7:11-13) measure of joy now (2 Cor. 7:4-7), fullness in eternity (1 Pet. 4:12-13)

6. The Meek “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” to be meek is to be God-controlled (Ps. 37:3-11) gentleness and restraint not due to lack of will, but rather wisdom, patience, self-control (1 Pet. 2:21-25) when circumstances warrant bold action, it is taken (Jn. 2:13-17)(2 Cor. 10:1-6) they will not be forgotten (Ps. 37:16-29) though downtrodden, they shall be the ones left standing (James 5:1-11) the righteous enjoy what blessings they have as God intended – as His children (1 Cor. 10:26)(2 Cor. 6:10)

7. Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” insatiable longing after the righteousness of God only Christ can satisfy our spiritual desires (Jn. 4:10-15) not our own righteousness (Rom. 10:3)(Acts 17:22-31), or even the appearance of righteousness (1 Cor. 4:1-5) to receive righteousness is to be forgiven the promise is certain (Mk. 16:16)(Heb. 11:6) we must unhesitatingly search for and follow after the path of righteousness (Rom. 1:16-17)

8. The Merciful “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” the merciful extend compassion to others towards the suffering, in care and aid (Lk. 10:30-36) (Mt. 25:34-40) towards the sinner, in encouragement and forgiveness (Mk. 11:25-26)(1 Thess. 5:14)(James 2:13) our relationship with God is dependent, in part, upon our relationship with our fellow man

9. The Pure in Heart “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” approaching God with single-mindedness cannot deceive God with false intentions (James 4:8) (1 Tim. 5:24-25) the heart is kept pure by dwelling on purity (Phil. 4:8) the pure will be granted admittance to God in a sense, now – in prayer (1 Pet. 3:12), in worship (Mk. 18:20), in faith and righteousness (2 Cor. 3:18) in fullness – in eternity (Rev. 22:3-4)

10. The Peacemakers “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” a resolver of disputes and divisions, between brethren, and between God and man peacemaker does not seek his own (Rom. 12:16-21) willing to sacrifice, yield (1 Cor. 6:5-8)(James 3:17-18) understands the gospel and the cross are the source of lasting peace (Eph. 2:13-18) shall be honored as a child of God lifted up to an inheritance (James 4:10)(Rom. 8:14-17)

11. Those Who Are Persecuted “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” true character and motive revealed by fire tests and purifies us (1 Pet. 1:6-7)(James 1:2-4) share in Christ’s sufferings (1 Pet. 2:19-25) those often cast down by the kingdoms of men are promised their place in the kingdom of God (2 Thess. 1:3-10)

12. Conclusion the blessedness of the kingdom of Christ is available to all who would live in the manner of the kingdom and not in the manner of the world accept that while we may not be able to achieve all our temporal goals, the blessings of Christ are promised in full (Eph. 1:3) recognize all that stands to be gained…or lost