Recent Sermons

Peter's instructions on living a godly, Christ-like life is supported by two important factors: who we serve and truth of God revealed in his word. Each of these compel us to follow the truth and reject error.

Psalm 18:30 reveals that all of God’s ways are perfect. In studying through the Beatitudes, it is most important to recognize that our Lord chose each one of these statements very carefully. They were not just haphazardly given out to the hearers. Matthew 5:7 reveals the Principle of Sympathy. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Jesus is revealing the kind of Christian character that ought to be ours if we are to accomplish His plans and purposes in our lives. Merciful is one of the characteristics of our Lord and it is God’s will that we become like Him. He created us and recreated us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). We are to think and act like Him (Philippians 2:5) in order that we might be a merciful people ready to be used for His glory.

In support of the message that Peter has already given his readers in the first part of chapter 1, he points to two witnesses to the truth of his message. He recounts the story of the transfiguration of Jesus as an eyewitness and invokes the message of the Old Testament prophets.

Jesus said, Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is an attitude and yet involves acting instead of reacting. Most people in our Western, Judeo-Christian culture lack this attribute. In the ancient world, the Greeks did not see this as a virtue and yet Jesus clearly reveals its importance. In this session, we are continuing session four on Matthew 5:5. The emphasis is to recognize that meekness is a realistic view of oneself that is expressed in a realistic view of others. My right attitude toward myself will yield itself to a right attitude toward others.

Making every effort to add the qualities of Christlikeness to your saving faith is the evidence that you are truly a child of God.

The climax of Peter's list of Christian virtues is love. He is advocating a love that sacrifices for the spiritual welfare of others.

Blessed are the proud for they will get what they deserve. The Pharisees were proud and like many today, their stance was “It’s my way or the highway!” It was the prodigal son who basically said, “Give me what I deserve!” The Pharisees were indeed proud and saw themselves as better or more important than others. Matthew 5:5 states, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek would be submissive, patient, long-suffering, forbearing and non-retaliatory, all opposites of the ruling powers in the time of Christ.

Even though we are “partakers of the divine nature” with every other believer, we fall too quickly into relationship-destroying sins such as gossip, bitterness, anger, partiality, and envy – actions that bear marks of the “corruption that is in the world through lust.” It should not surprise us that Peter commands us to cultivate brotherly affection, for it is a virtue that does not come as naturally as we would like to suppose.

The key word in the Beatitudes is “Blessed” and is used to describe the kind of happiness that can come only from God. Together, they reveal a portrait of what God expects us to be in Christ, dealing with inward attitudes that manifest Christ outwardly. Instead of asking God to bless us, we need to give serious consideration of these nine principles with the goal of asking God to make us “blessable.” The poor in spirit in verse 3 reveals that we are totally bankrupt spiritually and totally dependent on God. In verse 4, those that mourn see themselves and everyone around them as sinners in need of cleansing. Isaiah is a good example noted in Isaiah 6. It was not until he saw the Lord that he could see himself for what he was. It is God’s will that we see ourselves from His perspective instead of our own.

In the light of the return of Jesus Christ, believers should live in a holy and godly manner. They are to possess a devotion to Jesus Christ that promotes righteousness and opposes evil.

What is it that makes you happy? Quite often, what we think makes us happy and what God says will make us happy are two different things. It is not unusual for backslidden Christians to participate in lifestyles that ultimately places their spiritual life in jeopardy. Yet they justify their behavior thinking that what they are pursuing is what will bring them satisfaction. God’s Word declares, "Happy is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1,2). In Matthew 5, Jesus reveals nine different marks of happiness in the Beatitudes. These will make up the majority of our lesson material for the next few weeks starting today in Matthew 5:3.