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With Eternity’s Values in View

Part 7

by Samuel E. Ward

The BeatitudesMatthew 5:3-12

See the text version of this sermon at http://www.cbckck.blogspot.com

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Matthew 5:3-12 (NIV2011) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Introduction

Our consideration of The Beatitudes have led us to these five thus far:

I. “Blessed Are Those Who Are Poor in Spirit,” Mat 5:3

II. “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn,” Mat 5:4

III. “Blessed Are the Meek,” Mat 5:5IV. “Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

and Thirst for Righteousness,” Mat 5:6

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V. “Blessed Are the Merciful, For They Will Be Shown Mercy.” Mat 5:7

The sixth Beatitude is next in our study of the eight which appear in Matthew 5:3-12.

VI. “Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, For They Will See God.” Mat 5:8

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Someone has observed that in “New York City, tap water comes pre-loaded with tiny crustaceans called copepods, or as I like to call them “mini shrimp”. Yum. Talk about a deal… you get seafood with every free glass of NYC tap water.”

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/copepods.jpg

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In what things do we expect have a reasonable expectation of purity?

1. Food2. Water3. 4.5.6.7. etc.

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What about our hearts?

How Does One Develop a Pure Heart?

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I. We Must Work from the Inside Out.

A. Here Is the Life-Cycle of Evil Desire.

1. Impurity starts in the heart with an evil desire.

Matthew 15:10-12, 17-20 (NIV2011) 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

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12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” . . . 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

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19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

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2. Evil desire drags us into temptation.

James 1:13-14 (NIV2011) 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

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3. Evil desire unites with temptation which leads to sin.

James 1:15a (NIV2011) Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; . . .

4. Sin leads to death—A spiritual heart attack!

James 1:15b (NIV2011) . . . and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

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B. Here Is the Health Regimen for a Pure Heart

1. Think pure thoughts.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV2011) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

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9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Note the outcome of obedience in this regard as stated in verse 9. “The God of peace will be with you.”

Note just as importantly the outcome for the disobedient. “There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked.” (Isa 48:22; 57:21)

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2. Flee evil; pursue righteousness.

2 Timothy 2:22-23 (NIV2011) 22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

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3. Resist the devil, come near to God, confess and repent as needed.

Stop trying to live in the ways of God’s kingdom and the ways of the world at the same time. This is self-imposed spiritual schizophrenia and is not healthy.

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James 4:7-8 (NIV2011) 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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1 Peter 4:1-2 (NIV2011) 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

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II. How to Diagnose an Impure Heart.

A. They Are Constantly Making Innuendoes.

They see impure double-meanings in everything. Nothing is sacred in their eyes.

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Titus 1:15-16 (NIV2011) 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

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B. They mock the righteous and seek to draw them into their sin.

1 Peter 4:3-5 (NIV2011) 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

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C. They Do Their Deeds in the Darkness, Thinking No One Sees.

Isaiah 29:15 (NIV2011) Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”

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There is certainly no desire to let the light of Jesus or Gospel expose them for who they are so that they might be saved from their sins.

John 3:20-21 (NIV2011) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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Generally speaking, if you can’t feel comfortable doing something in the full light of day so that all can see it, then don’t do it. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable with others being able to see the images of your mind on a public screen, then don’t think it.

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III. We Must Work Within the Bounds of God’s Definitions of

Good and Evil.A. Judgment Will Come to Those Who

Re-Define Good and Evil.

Isaiah 5:20-21 (NIV2011) 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight

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B. God Will Turn Us Over to the Consequences of Our Sin If We Do Not Repent.

Romans 1:28 (NIV2011) Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

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Romans 2:5-6 (NIV2011) 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

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IV. We Must Conduct Ourselves with Purity of Motive and

Intent Based on God’s WordHebrews 4:12-13 (NIV2011) 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

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Conclusion1. Give yourself as whole-heartedly to

righteousness and purity as you once did to sin.

Romans 6:19 (NIV2011) I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

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2. Refuse the wages of sin (death) in order to gain the gift of God (eternal life).

Romans 6:22-23 (NIV2011) 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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3. Capture every thought for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV2011) 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.