whose life is ruled by god
DESCRIPTION
2 Philip Yancey (born 1949) is an American Christian author. Fourteen million of his books have been sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling evangelical Christian authors.[citation needed] Two of his books have won the ECPA's Christian Book of the Year Award: The Jesus I Never Knew in 1996, What's So Amazing About Grace in 1998.[1] He is published by Zondervan Publishing.TRANSCRIPT
Whose Life Is Ruled By God
1 The State, Character, Behavior & Treatment of TheOne Whose
Life Is Ruled By God One of the greatest problems in many local
congregationstoday is superficiality. A. The remedy for
superficiality is found in the Beatitudes!B. The famous historian
Will Durant said that in anygiven generation only a handful of
people make an impression on the world that lasts morethan a few
years. The person who stands out above allothers, he said, is Jesus
Christ. Jesus undoubtedly has hadthe most powerful and permanent
influence on the thoughtof mankind. But, the historian went on to
say, Histeachings have not had a corresponding effect on
mansactions. (MacArthur, Matthew 17, 137) C. The Sermon on the
Mount is probably the best-known, butleast understood and least
followed, of all the teachings ofJesus. The Beatitudes are a
collection of eight characteristics(qualities of life) that
separate children of God from therest of the world (Matt 5:312).
These eight beatitudes describe the blessed state of thosewho
humbly submit themselves to the will of God. These are not eight
different groups of people (poor,mourners, meek, etc.), but every
Christian is meant tomanifest every one of these characteristics. 2
Philip Yancey (born 1949) is an American Christian author.
Fourteenmillion of his books have been sold worldwide, making him
one of thebest-selling evangelical Christian authors.[citation
needed] Two of hisbooks have won the ECPA's Christian Book of the
Year Award: TheJesus I Never Knew in 1996, What's So Amazing About
Grace in [1] He is published by Zondervan Publishing. The
RIGHTEOUSNESS expected of its citizens - (Mt 5:17-7:12)
3 The CHARACTER andBLESSEDNESS of the citizens ofthe kingdom - (Mt
5:3-16) The RIGHTEOUSNESSexpected of its citizens - (Mt5:17-7:12)
Our need to respond to theDEMANDS of the King inevery respect - (Mt
7:13-27) 4 The Beatitudes are a collection of eightcharacteristics
(qualities of life) thatseparate children of God from the restof
the world (Matt 5:312) These eight beatitudes describe theblessed
state of those who humblysubmit themselves to the will of God.
These are not eight different groups ofpeople (poor, mourners,
meek, etc.),but every Christian is meant to manifestevery one of
these characteristics. One of the greatest problems in many local
congregationstoday is superficiality. A. The remedy for
superficiality is found in the Beatitudes!B. The famous historian
Will Durant said that in anygiven generation only a handful of
people make an impression on the world that lasts morethan a few
years. The person who stands out above allothers, he said, is Jesus
Christ. Jesus undoubtedly has hadthe most powerful and permanent
influence on the thoughtof mankind. But, the historian went on to
say, Histeachings have not had a corresponding effect on
mansactions. (MacArthur, Matthew 17, 137) C. The Sermon on the
Mount is probably the best-known, butleast understood and least
followed, of all the teachings ofJesus. The Beatitudes are a
collection of eight characteristics(qualities of life) that
separate children of God from therest of the world (Matt 5:312).
These eight beatitudes describe the blessed state of thosewho
humbly submit themselves to the will of God. These are not eight
different groups of people (poor,mourners, meek, etc.), but every
Christian is meant tomanifest every one of these characteristics.
The Character & Blessedness of The Child of God
Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV) 1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a
mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then
He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the
poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are
those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the
meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. The
Character & Blessedness of The Child of God
Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV) 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall
obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see
God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons
of God. 10 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. The Term Blessed Used Nine Times In Nine
Verses Literally "How Very Happy." , makarios was originally
&commonly associated with thehappiness produced by
materialwealth & prosperity - But the Lord and NT writers
assignedto it a far greater meaning - happiness& joy associated
with spiritual wealthwhich comes ONLY through a rightrelationship
with God. One of the greatest problems in many local
congregationstoday is superficiality. A. The remedy for
superficiality is found in the Beatitudes!B. The famous historian
Will Durant said that in anygiven generation only a handful of
people make an impression on the world that lasts morethan a few
years. The person who stands out above allothers, he said, is Jesus
Christ. Jesus undoubtedly has hadthe most powerful and permanent
influence on the thoughtof mankind. But, the historian went on to
say, Histeachings have not had a corresponding effect on
mansactions. (MacArthur, Matthew 17, 137) C. The Sermon on the
Mount is probably the best-known, butleast understood and least
followed, of all the teachings ofJesus. The Beatitudes are a
collection of eight characteristics(qualities of life) that
separate children of God from therest of the world (Matt 5:312).
These eight beatitudes describe the blessed state of thosewho
humbly submit themselves to the will of God. These are not eight
different groups of people (poor,mourners, meek, etc.), but every
Christian is meant tomanifest every one of these characteristics.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Complete absence of pride and selfreliance (Jer 10:23; 1 Cor 3:18).
Convicted of one's spiritualdestitution without God Ps51:16,17
Individuals who render themselvessubservient to the will of
God,partake of the blessings & benefitsof being a citizen in
the kingdom ofheaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
The godly sorrow of which produces repentance and leads to
salvation, - (2 Cor. 7:10) Will have the burden of sin lifted
Matthew 11:28-30 Comforted by God in this life even in the midst of
trials through our faith & hope of eternal life - 2 Corinthians
1:3-7; Romans 8:23-39; Revelation 21:4 Matthew 5:4 (NKJV) 4 Blessed
are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the
meek Power under control - Inward powerand strength of mind to
remain undercontrol and respond properly toinstruction, rebuke and
adversity. For they Shall inherit the earth - AHebraism for Gods
blessings (Gen15:7,8; Ps 37:20), Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) 5 Blessed are
the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is patience in
the reception of injuries. It is neither meanness, nor a surrender
of our rights, nor cowardice; but it is the opposite of sudden
anger, of malice, of long-harboured vengeance. Christ insisted on
his right when he said, "If I have done evil, bear witness of the
evil; but ifwell, why smitest thou me?" John 18:23. Paul asserted
his right when he said,"They have beaten us openly uncondemned,
being Romans,and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust
usout privily; nay, verily, but let them come themselves,and fetch
us out,"Acts 16:37. And yet Christ was the very model of meekness.
It was one of his characteristics, "I am meek," Matthew 11:29. So
of Paul. No man endured more, and more patiently, than he. Yet they
were not passionate. They bore it patiently. They did not harbour
malice. They did not press their rights through thick and thin, and
trample down the rights of others to secure their own.Meekness is
the reception of injuries with a belief that God will vindicate us.
"Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord," Romans 12:19. It
little becomes us to take his place, and to do what he has a right
to do, and what he has promised to do.Meekness produces peace. It
is proof of true greatness of soul. It comes from a heart too great
to be moved by little insults. It looks upon those who offer them
with pity. He that is constantly ruffled, that suffers every little
insult or injury to throw him off his guard, and to raise a storm
of passion within, is at the mercy of every mortal that chooses to
disturb him. He is like the troubled sea that cannot rest, whose
waters cast up mire and dirt.Barnes Notes on the New Testament
Explanatory and Practical. Numbers 12:3 Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness
Depicts one with an intensecraving for being right with God - a
strong desire to know Godswill and do that which is right inHis
sight - Psalm 1:2; 42:1,2;63:1,2; 119:97-104; 1 Pet 2:2 Our ardent
desire will be filledthrough and in Christ by faith -Rom. 5:1; Rom
6:3-6; Gal.3:26,27; Eph. 1:3-13; 2 Pet 1:3- 11 Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) 6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they
shall be filled. An ardent desire for anything is often represented
in the Scriptures by hunger and thirst, Psalms 42:1,2, 63:1,2. A
desire for the blessings of pardon and peace; a deep sense of sin,
and want, and wretchedness, is also represented by thirsting,
Isaiah 55:1,2. Those that are perishing for want of righteousness;
that feel that they are lost sinners, and strongly desire to be
holy, shall be filled. Never was there a desire to be holy, which
God was not willing to gratify. And the gospel of Christ has made
provision to satisfy all who truly desire to be holy. See Isaiah
55:1-13, 65:13, John 4:14, 6:35, 7:37,38, Psalms 17:15.(*) "for
they shall be filled" Psalms 34:19, Isaiah 65:13 Notes on the New
Testament Explanatory and Practical. Blessed are the merciful
Mercy is the moral quality offeeling compassion andespecially of
showingkindness toward someone inneed. This can refer to ahuman
kindness and to Godskindness to humankind Matthew 5:7 (NKJV) 7
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. (Goodrick,
Kohlenberger andSwanson, Greek to EnglishDictionary). Blessed are
the merciful
No action, no mercy - (theGood Samaritan Luke 10:27- 37); cf. Col
3:12; James 3:17 Possessing a forgiving spirittoward those who sin
againstthem (HENDRICKSEN) - Mat.18:21-25; Luke 6:35; 23:24;Acts
7:60 Matthew 5:7 (NKJV) 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall
obtain mercy. Blessed are the merciful
For they Shall obtain Mercy Matthew 5:7 (NKJV) 7 Blessed are the
merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Those who realize their
spiritualposition before a Holy God, whomourn due to their sin,
those whoaccept Gods judgments, andhunger and seek for
righteousnesswill recognize their need for mercyfrom God - Rom.
5:1; Rom 6:3-6;Gal. 3:26,27; Eph. 1:3-13; 2 Pet1:3-11 Blessed are
the merciful
For they Shall obtain Mercy Matthew 5:7 (NKJV) 7 Blessed are the
merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. If we are not merciful
toothers - we will not obtainmercy from God -Matthew 6:14,15;
7:2;18:21-35; James 2:13 Blessed are the pure in heart
Purity refers to more than just theremoval of sin and impurities of
theheart - it includes the idea ofsingleness of devotion -
(James4:8; Mat 6:24) The heart represents much morethan emotion,
feelings. It alsoincludes the thinking process andparticularly the
will... The heart isthe control center of the mind andwill as well
as emotion. Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For
they shall see God. Pure in heart is not a ritual cleanliness,
(23:25-28), but cleanliness at the center of our being. Heart here
stands for the inner man, and since it is from here that evil
proceeds, it is here that cleanliness must start. Blessed are the
pure in heart
In Contrast To Purity of Heart Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) 8 Blessed are the
pure in heart, For they shall see God. The Pharisees wereclean on
the outside,but inwardly were fullof hypocrisy andlawlessness -
(Matt 23:2328) Blessed are the pure in heart
Pure in heart is not a ritual cleanliness, (23:25-28), but
cleanliness at the center of our being. Heart here stands for the
inner man, and since it is from here that evil proceeds, it is here
that cleanliness must start. (Luke 6:45) Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) 8
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Pure in
heart is not a ritual cleanliness, (23:25-28), but cleanliness at
the center of our being. Heart here stands for the inner man, and
since it is from here that evil proceeds, it is here that
cleanliness must start. Blessed are the pure in heart
For they shall see God Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) 8 Blessed are the pure in
heart, For they shall see God. We see God now through the eye
offaithlike Moses who endured asseeing Him who is invisible (Heb
11:27;cf. 3 John 11). We see God now in the sense of
beingreconciled to Him in Christ, i.e., thosewho keep His
commandments are in arelationship with Him - (1 John 3:6) In the
final sense, we will see God inheaven (Ps 17:15; Rev 22:34; 1
John3:2). Blessed are the peacemakers
The peacemaker here is not thecompromiser of disagreementsand the
settlers of disputes. It is apassage on reconciliation to Godand
involves the doctrine of peacewith God, and the peacemaker isthe
peace preacher, the disciplewho would show the people of theworld
how to find peace with God. (Wallace, The Sermon on the Mount and
the Civil State, 21) Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) 9 Blessed are the
peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are the
peacemakers
Those who make peace with God Eph. 2:13ff. Those who encourage
others to make peace with God Eph. 2:17; 6:15 Those who strive to
be at peace with all men through the unity of the Spirit Rom.
12:18-21; Eph 4:1-6 Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) 9 Blessed are the
peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are the
peacemakers
Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be
called sons of God. Not through compromise but through conformity
to the gospel of peace (Luke 12:5153; Acts 5:29) Churches and
Christians can be divided because of ungodly attitudes, ungodly
behavior, and ungodly doctrine those guilty of these ungodly deeds
demonstrate they are not children of God! (John 17:20,21; 1 Cor.
1:10-13) Blessed are the peacemakers
For they shall be called thesons of God Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) 9
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
We are the sons of God becausewe reflect the character of
ourFather. - The phrase sons of God includesboth men and women,
becausewith sonship comes the rights ofinheritance (cf. Gal 3:26).
Blessed are the persecuted
This persecution is because of righteous living, not because of our
sins or some character defect (1 Pet 3:14; 4:1415). As we endure
persecution we are related in spirit to the prophets who were
persecuted before us (2 Chr 36:1516; Matt 23:2936; Acts 7:5153; Jas
5:10). Those who have universal favor & praise of the worldly
and wicked are not living right - (2 Tim 3:12) Matthew 5:10-12
(NKJV) 10 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. Blessed are the persecuted
For theirs is the kingdomof heaven Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV) 10
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. We have cause for rejoicing - we are partakers of
every spiritual blessing available in Christ & a reward
awaiting us in heaven if we endure - James 1:12; Rom 8:17 True Joy
and Happiness Can Only Be Experienced By
The Humble, Contrite, Obedient, Spiritually minded, Forgiving,
Sincere, holy, Those who are Promoters of Peace Those who endure.
True Success is ONLY Achieved By The Godly!
Your Character and Behavior Determines Both Your Happiness
&Reward - Are you living the truly blessed life? West 65th
Street church of Christ P.O. Box 190062 Little Rock AR 72219
Charts by Don McClain Prepared March 30-31, 2012 Preached April 1,
2012 West 65th Street church of Christ P.O. Box Little Rock AR
72219 Prepared using PPT 2010 More PPT & Audio Sermons: Note
Many of the transition effects used in this presentation may be
lost using PPT 2007 Viewer Matthew 18:21-35 (NKJV) 21 Then Peter
came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I
do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times
seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king
who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had
begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten
thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master
commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that
he had, and that payment be made. Matthew 18:21-35 (NKJV) 26 The
servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have
patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of
that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt. 28 But that servant went out and found one of his
fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands
on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he
would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay
the debt. Matthew 18:21-35 (NKJV) 31 So when his fellow servants
saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told
their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he
had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all
that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had
compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34
And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until
he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So My heavenly Father
also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not
forgive his brother his trespasses."