Are we Blessed?

Matt 5:1-12,

November 6^th

† In the name of Jesus †

May you realize the blessing of the grace and peace that comes from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Post-Note Holiness (place post it notes on various parts of the pulpit)

Let’s see, here we have my reminder to be meek, and here my reminder to be poor in Spirit. Here is my reminder to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Now here is one, I have to rejoice when I am persecuted. Neat reward there, so how do I go about getting people to persecute me. Oh wait, they have to persecute me for being righteous, that will make it a bit harder. I am sure, if I am holy enough, and I really let people know it, I will be persecuted. Everybody hates the know-it-all goody too shoes type.

Now this mourning one…not sure if I like that one all that much. I wonder, can I skip that one? Especially when I have to mourn for those sinners, the ones that betrayed me, or my country. Imagine, mourning for Saddam Hussein, because he does not know Jesus. Mourning for loved ones is difficult, mourning when bad things happen to bad people, or when they die without receiving the forgiveness of sins Jesus died to give them… that is impossible!

I hope that all sounded as silly as I wanted it to sound. Let me explain why.

It is impossible, to treat all of these statements about being “blessed” or as theologians call them “beatitudes” in depth, within the time allotted to one sermon. Matter of fact, there are several 300 to 400 page books written on this passage. Some pastors will use them for an entire sermon series, lasting weeks and months. I have even seen a 13 week Bible Study series based on them. What they attempt to do is to dissect each one, to determine what the attribute means, and then what a great thing the blessing is, and then encourage you to “achieve” that attribute and receive the blessing. Used to do it, stealing sermon titles like the “be- attitudes”. We almost want someone to publish – the Dummies Guide to Being Blessed, a simplistic step by step approach to holiness.

Iit does not work that way. These 12 verses are not a 12-step approach to living life, blessed and full of joy. They are the first 12 sentences of a 3-chapter sermon, given by Jesus one day on the side of a mountain. I do want to look at them in this sermon, but in a different manner, to look at the blessing first, to see the similarity in them, and then to realize something truly incredible.

1. In the Father’s Kingdom!

a. Poor in Spirit. Persecuted, reviled and slandered for Him

b. Pure in Heart

c. Consider descriptions of the Kingdom

d. Romans 8:28

For four of the groups described in our gospel reading, the way in which they are counted blessed, is because to them is given the “Kingdom of God”. It is to the poor in Spirit, to those who are persecuted, and to those who are hated and slandered. Finally, it is also to those who are pure in heart. The reward for this group is that theirs is the Kingdom of God, or as one says it – they shall see God.

As we have been going through the Book of Revelation on Thursday evening, we have seen the throne room pictured. An incredible sight, with all sorts of incredible descriptions of the power and majesty and purity of God. In Isaiah, the very site of the throne and the one leaves Isaiah certain he will die, for he is a sinner. It is a place where sin cannot abide, nor can sinners. Yet all, every man, is a sinner. The answer we find in the Hebrews 4:

¹⁴ That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. ¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (NLT)

The only way we can truly find ourselves in the Kingdom of God, in His presence, is by the blood of Christ, the Blood He offered up at the cross. Knowing we can approach God, then being poor in spirit, being persecuted and lied about, seems easier, for we know we can go into the presence of the Father.

To have complete access, how incredible! To know that God sees us as being pure in heart, our motivation not questioned, because of the forgiveness given to us in Christ. How amazing. How blessed, we are!

2. Co-heirs of Christ!

a. Inherit the Earth/Called sons of God

b. Co Heirs with Christ

c. Our Adoption – eph 1:5

d. Rom. 8:16-17 – transistion

It does go on beyond that, as we see the next grouping. The next group are described as “blessed”, because they inherit, because we are called the very “sons of God”! We are His children, He is our Father. Every week, as I stand there with you, and we recite the words of the Lord’s Prayer, realize, we have the right, the incredible blessing of calling the Creator of the Universe, Dad! Here it in the words that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus,

⁴ Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. ⁵ Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) ⁶ He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (MSG)

Those described as sons of God, as inheritors of the earth, are those who called meek, or humble, and are those called peacemakers. Literally those who “do peace”. Where they go, there can exist peace, they bring peace to others. How incredible to take the peace of God, and bring it to those around them! How blessed we are, through Jesus!

As Jesus spoke these works to the crowd, could they have realized that He was describing them in the future, that He was describing how His church would live, because He died for them?

That as Romans 1 says, His gospel, the Good news that He brought, is the power of God that saves us, each one of us, no matter what our background. We hear the message from God, and trust Him! Holiness, being “blessed” is not so much a matter of reminding ourselves to be Holy, but simply living day to day in the knowledge that Jesus has made us Holy!

3. Ministered to by Holy Spirit

a. Mourn, Hunger for Righteousness, Mercy

b. These shall be done

ON this day, when we celebrate All Saints Day, how incredible to consider the amount of people, all over the world, throughout all of time, that have been saved because of the work of Jesus Christ. From every people, from every tribe, and tongue, from every time period, they have heard Jesus’ Gospel, and believed!

The people that mourn, for the losses in their life, and for the lost in the world, who receive the Holy Spirit’s comfort! The word there for comforted, is the very word that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit – the paraclete, the one that calls us alongside! Those who hunger to be made holy and righteous, because of Jesus, they too are filled, and those of us, who realize we are sinners, and approach the throne of God, seeking mercy, do it, as we heard earlier – boldly – knowing that we have received that mercy!

How incredible is our God! We have been given lifetime E-tickets into His kingdom, for we are His sons and daughters. We have been blessed, we have been made Holy and righteous, by the incredible work of Christ!

We are free to live in that righteousness, we are free to create peace in people’s lives, to be persecuted for the righteousness counted as ours, but that comes from Christ!

4. Our Baptism…

a. Marks us as the Father’s

b. Unites us with Christ

c. Gives the gift of the Holy Spirit,

In our baptism, God takes us, and calls us His own! We are marked with the incredible name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! How incredible!

We are united with Jesus the Messiah, we through His work, are made His brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the Most High, most Powerful God.

We join the incredible throng of the people that have been called and given faith in the incredible promises of Jesus Christ! Given the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, who equips us to live in these incredible ways. To work in the Kingdom, knowing that all is in His care.

I titled this sermon, are we blessed?

Yeah, we are, more than blessed,

For we have the peace of God, which passes all understanding, which comes through our risen, and reigning Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.

Amen!

And let’s us know – we are blessed