The Beatitudes
Did you know there are divine blessings available to you? This message digs deep into the character of each Beatitude. Get seven steps to put these into practice.
About the Speaker
Pastor Rinaldo (Ron) Macciola served in ministry since 1976. He was an Associate Pastor at Harbor Light Church in Fremont, CA, retiring in 2022 after 31 years of service. Since 1990, he has served as a Chaplain at Fremont Hospital in Fremont, CA. Ron and his wife Robin have five married sons and enjoy spending time with their 9 (soon to be 10 in December!) grandkids.
7 Steps to Divine Blessings
Let’s make some main observations of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7) as we get started:
Jesus delivered the sermon outside, without voice amplification, at the top of a hill.
He sat down and remained approachable.
He taught rather than preached. Sermons that stick have substance, not simply a dynamic delivery.
Jesus blessed the crowd instead of revoking them.
I want to bless you this morning. Jesus is not interested in the size of the crowd but in the size of your heart.
As a side note, words of appreciation are a shot in the arm against the pressures; a vaccine against the hard times.
I want to bless you for your steadfastness. I want to encourage you to find out what you’re good at and do it as unto the Lord. Here, Jesus blesses them to underscore the divine blessings available to them.
As we examine verses 3-12, we want to raise some questions about these blessings and then we’ll get into an analysis of each character.
What is meant by the term blessing?
True blessedness lies not in power or privilege. True contentment comes from turning away from the world’s false values. Inner righteousness, not just piety, makes a person flourish.
Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:1-2). Let’s meditate in the law of the Lord. Let’s pray for this church, the worship team, pastor, this city, children, grandchildren, our country.
What & when are the blessings in The Beatitudes?
Are the blessings in the beatitudes for now or later? They are for both now and later. The first beatitude (verse 3) and the eighth (verse 10) offer blessings in the present tense, and the other beatitudes offer blessings in the future tense. They form the guidelines of authentic Christian character that have a present as well as a future fulfillment.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3, NKJV).
This is not financial insecurity, rather a contrite and humble spirit before God.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
This refers to a passionate spirit of contrition. Do you have a longing in your heart for Jesus? The blessing extended to the broken hearted is a salve of God’s comfort.
“Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, VOICE).
This is not referring to weakness or a “doormat” mentality. This refers to those who take the sting out of harshness, those who are tender, those who are humble, courteous, and treat others with respect. Peter used this to describe Jesus.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).
This Beatitude describes those with an unquenchable thirst to know God and his word. We’re after the fountain of truth, not the fountain of youth. It describes those with an insatiable hunger for fellowship with God. When we feast on the Lord, we’ll be satisfied. The hungry spirit will be filled to the brim with God’s goodness.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
Now we turn more from our attitude to God to our attitude toward other human beings. That’s where we need to let Jesus shine. Mercy is a concern for people in need that goes beyond sympathy to empathy. A merciful person sees the other person sees and feels what they feel. True mercy never stops with an outpouring of emotion. It stoops to offer help. Whatever your hands find to do, do it heartily as unto the Lord. People are hurting. Let’s empathize. Bless people as best you can. Give and it shall be given to you. Have your needs been met? What do you have left over? How have you been blessed? Share your blessings.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
This pictures someone whose entire life is free of hypocrisy. This is someone who has no guile or hidden motives. They shall see God. John Stott says this:
“Only the pure in heart will see God, see him now with the eye of faith and see his glory in the hereafter, for only the utterly sincere can bear the dazzling vision in whose light the darkness of deceit must vanish and by whose fire all shams are burned up.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Peacemakers do not seek conflict. We’re not going to win the world through a fight. Peacemakers ease tension. They seek solutions, not arguments. They generate light, not heat. They’re quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. But, make no mistake, peacemaker is not a synonym for appeaser. To overlook flagrant sin or embrace doctrinal heresy for the sake of peace only cheapens it. This is not peace at any price. If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).
The persecution comes as a result of our faith, not because we’ve been offensive, fanatical, or opinionated. Persecution results when two irreconcilable value systems collide. When that happens people will revile you, pursue you, lie about you in an attempt to extinguish the light that reveals the dark corners of their lives.
The world loves darkness. But we are sons and daughters of the light. Let them see your good works that glorify God.
“You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy!” (James 4:4, TPT).
Does that mean we should be obnoxious to others? No! Love them. Love covers a multitude of sins.
7 Steps to Put This into Practice
On Monday, work on dependence, being poor in spirit.
On Tuesday, concentrate on repentance.
On Wednesday, take on gentleness.
On Thursday, focus on the pursuit of truth.
On Friday, be merciful.
On Saturday, walk in integrity.
On Sunday, be a peacemaker.
God offers us a better world. God turn us right side up with The Beatitudes.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA.
Matthew 13:44-46: What does your forever—your eternity—look like? As hard as it is to imagine, God has already promised us a priceless, personal treasure. All we have to do is say yes to Jesus and He will help us get there.