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Following the Leader: A Look at the Beatitudes. Sermon 1 Matthew 5:1-5 Page 1501. What Are We Doing?. The main concept is “Following the Leader” which comes from Matthew 4:20, 22, and 25. We will be looking at the start of the Sermon on the Mount with four sermons connected to the Beatitudes.
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Following the Leader:A Look at the Beatitudes Sermon 1 Matthew 5:1-5 Page 1501
What Are We Doing? • The main concept is “Following the Leader” which comes from Matthew 4:20, 22, and 25. • We will be looking at the start of the Sermon on the Mount with four sermons connected to the Beatitudes. • We want to understand the passage and consider how to apply it to our lives today.
About the Beatitudes • The name comes from the Latin word “Beati”. • They all mention a character trait and conclude with a promise. • They can be viewed in a physical or a spiritual sense.
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:1-5 Page 1501 • Mt 5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: • Mt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • Mt 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. • Mt 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Examples of the Poor in Spirit • Jesus is the best example. • Prodigal Son: Luke 15:11-31 Page 1624 • After leaving his father, the young man had nothing. In verse 21 the son says “...Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son".
Examples of the Poor in Spirit • Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14 on page 1628. • Lk 18:9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ • Lk 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ • Lk 18:14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How Poor Are You? • How dependent are you upon God? • Pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency will keep us out of Heaven and away from God for eternity. • It takes humility and surrender to see how poor in spirit we are.
Those Who Mourn • The Promise: They will be comforted. • God is our source of comfort. • Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenheartedand saves those who are crushed in spirit. • What do you mourn? • Who do you mourn with? • Spiritually we mourn our sin and its consequences.
2 Corinthians 7:10 Page 1801 • Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. • Jesus mourned the consequence of your sin. He died so you would not be separated from God.
The Meek: • They will inherit the earth. • Meekness is not being powerless it is power under control. • Jesus shows us meekness on the cross as he controls his power to save himself. He surrenders to his Father’s will Luke 22:42. • Psalm 37:1 “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong.” • Verse 11 reads: “But the meek [not those who do evil] will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”
Living a Meek Life • Where do you most rely on your own “power”? • What things do you like to be in control of? • How has surrender to God changed the way you make decisions?
Following Jesus leads us to a changed perspective and the blessings that come from… • Realizing our spiritual poverty without Jesus, • Mourning our sins and their consequences, and • Being meek and choosing to trust in God and His power instead of our own. • The blessings will come after the change in perspective, not before!
Let’s Walk Together • We are all in the process of transformation as we follow Jesus. • We invite you to walk along as we follow our leader.