THE BEATITUDES
Mike Schmalz
MATT. 5:1-6
Many have traveled down the wrong path looking for happiness. Fooled by sin, their pursuit has led them to misery and problems. The beatitudes give us God’s path to true happiness and blessing. They reveal the type person that the Lord feels is blessed.
Blessed Means:
A deep abiding happiness, internal joy, real gladness and divine reward.
The key to God’s happiness is that this world can not affect it. This inner peace and joy is not produced by circumstances but comes through our relationship with Christ.
“Human happiness is dependent on chances and changes in life, something which life can give and life can take away? The Christian blessedness is completely untouchable and unassailable.” William Barclay
First – “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Happy are they that acknowledge their spiritual poverty before God, for the doorway to heaven is open to them!
Second – “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
Happy are they that cry out with sorrow unto the Lord, for he will comfort them!
Third – “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Insights into meekness:
1. Meekness is not -weakness, an easy going attitude, a spirit of compromise (peace at any price), or a passive (whatever) lifestyle.
2. Meekness is power under control. Meekness denotes a gentle,humble attitude toward others because of a right appraisal of ourselves.
“The man who is truly meek is the one who is truly amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do. This makes him gentle, humble, sensitive, and patient in all his dealings with others.” John Stott
Bible examples of meekness:
Abraham Gen. 13:7-9
Joseph Gen. 50:18-21
Moses Num. 12:3
David I Sam. 26:7-11
Jesus Christ I Peter 2:21-23
Seven characteristics of meekness:
1. You will begin to exercise self-control. Matt. 7:12
2. You will have the right attitude toward circumstances in life. Ps. 37:1-11
3. You will submit to God’s Word. James 1:19-21
4. You will be concerned and help to restore the backslider. Gal. 6:1
5. You will work at having unity within the church. Eph. 4:1-3
6. You will try to instruct those that disagree with you.
II Tim. 2:24-25
7. You will be reaching for the lost. I Peter 3:15
Meekness grows in trials: Fruit must grow and meekness is part of the fruit of the spirit. Gal. 5:23
Moses- Backside of the desert for 40 years.
Joseph- Mistreated by his brothers and falsely accused.
David- Attacked by King Saul.
Jesus Christ- Came to bless others and was rejected.
“THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH”
Everything that the proud, haughty, and self-reliant thought they could get, the meek will receive! This inheritance comes through Jesus Christ!
Fourth – “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Hunger and thirst; Refers to a very strong desire, a driving pursuit, a passionate force inside us that longs for righteousness.
Just as our physical life depends on food and water, our spiritual life depends on righteousness. Everyone is created to hunger and thirst after God but too many try to satisfy this hunger with the
wrong things! (I Jn. 2:15-16)
King David hungered for the things of God:
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Ps. 42:1-2
“0 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; Ps. 63:1
The Apostle Paul hungered for the things of God:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Phil. 3:10
Righteousness:
Refers to doing right and being right with God. (We are no longer satisfied with our righteousness but hunger for God’s righteousness. Phil 3:8-10) Happy are they which passionately seek after God and his ways for they shall be satisfied! (We do not seek after happiness; it is always a by-product of seeking after God and his ways.)
Remember- when the prodigal son hungered for worldly possessions and thrills – everything fell apart. When he began to hunger for the things of his “father’s house” his life was made whole again.
“To be righteous means to be right- right with God, right with self, and right with others.” Warren Wiersbe
Three key questions to know if you are truly thirsting and hungering after righteousness:
1. Are you satisfied with your spiritual condition?
“For the good that 1 would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. “O wretched man that 1 am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:19,24
2. Do you have a great appetite for the Word of God?
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” I Pet. 2:1-3
3. Is your hunger and thirst unconditional?
“Jesus said unto him, If thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Matt. 19:21-22
Now is the time to hunger and thirst after righteousness, for you will be filled But if you waste your life seeking the things of this world, it will leave you empty and eternally lost!
The above material was published by Pastor Mike Schmalz. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research purposes only.
