A ttitudes and actions that garner God’s blessings

1. Attitudes and actions that garner God’s blessings

2. What is this series about? • An examination of 21 attitudes and behaviors identified in the New Testament as “blessed” • A look at Christian conduct and characteristics that will enrich our lives with lasting joy • A look at the condition of those who lack these qualities

3. Outline (Matthew 5:4) • “Blessed are those who mourn” • What we should mourn • “For they shall be comforted” • The cursed life

4. Blessed are those who mourn (Matt. 5:4) • Mourn (Greek pentheo) • Lament, sorrow, wailing, grief • Strongest Greek word for grief, as in the sorrow one feels when a loved one dies • The kind of grief that takes such a hold of man that it cannot be hidden or contained…brings ache to the heart and unrestrainable tears to the eyes (2 Cor. 2:4) • The sorrow you feel when a loved one dies is the same sorrow you should feel over sin

5. What are we mourning about? • Our own sins (Matt. 26:75; 2 Cor. 7:8-11) • Saints who sin and do not repent (2 Cor. 12:21) • The lost condition of sinners (Rom. 9:2-3; Phil. 3:18) • Mourning over sin should motivate us to act • David confessed, found forgiveness (Ps. 32:3-5) • “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:22-23,36-37) • Repent and be baptized for forgiveness! (Acts 2:38) • “perform deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20) • “made sorrowful to the point of repentance…without regret, leading to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:9-10) • Do not delay…act before it is everlasting too late!

6. For they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4) • “God Who comforts the depressed” (2 Cor. 7:6) • Comfort of God’s grace (2 Thess. 2:16-17) • Comfort of forgiveness (Psalm 32:5-7) • Comfort of God’s Word (Isa. 61:1-3/Luke 4:16-21) • Comfort of Christ’s return (John 16:19-22) • Comfort of the resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13-18) • Comfort of heaven (Rev. 21:3-4) • We have great comfort in knowing what is to come! • The unrepentant are hardened and cursed by sin…

7. The cursed life • The opposite of mourning: delighting in wickedness • “their god is their appetite…glory in their shame…set their minds on earthly things” (Phil. 3:19) • Sinners enjoy comfort in this life, but suffering in the afterlife (Luke 6:24-25; 16:25) • Their repentance is merely regret over worldly things • “sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10) • Esau mourned too late (Heb. 12:16-17) • Rather than mourning, some are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13) • Those who refuse to repent cannot be forgiven (Heb. 6:4-6) • They have forfeited their souls for pleasure (Matt.16:26)

8. Summary • To be blessed, we must see our sin as God sees it • The one who mourns his sin will find God’s blessings • The one who repents will be comforted • The one who refuses to regret his sin, and instead delights in wickedness, will be cursed • Blessed are those who mourn, • for they shall be comforted!

9. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 14:1; Acts 16:30-34) • That He died for your sins and was resurrected (1 Cor. 15:3-4) • Repent of your past sins (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9) • Commit yourself to holy conduct (Acts 26:30; Titus 2:11-12) • Confess your faith (Matthew 10:32) • Declare your belief that Jesus is God’s Son (Acts 8:37) • Receive Baptism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12) • Baptism puts you into Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27) • Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16) • Baptism saves you (1 Peter 3:21) • Be faithful until death (Revelation 2:10) • Trust His grace and obey His commands (Hebrews 5:9) • Or face the retribution due to those who do not obey • 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 2:8; John 3:36

10. Pray without ceasing…Practice what Jesus preached…Prepare for our next assembly