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• Why you be attitude? Matt 5:1-12 – attitude
• This is the beginning of the sermon on the mount. Some people elevate this sermon above other teachings of Jesus, but that’s not what Jesus did. While this was his longest most expansive treatise, its our elevation of it, not Him who gives it so much importance. 
• Its all important, but its not exhaustive. People want to focus on a small part instead of being responsible for the whole parts. 
• In this sermon, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and those who are following him. 
• In the beatitudes- he’s showing his disciples the character of those who are in his kingdom and those who are going to inherit his kingdom
• It’s a line of delineation for the disciples- if you’re going to be my disciples, if you’re going to be in my kingdom- this is who you must be. This must be your character.
  These are people who have been rejected or excluded from the power of Roman life, and the corrupt life of the Sadducees and Pharisees
• These attributes, and why they are so timeless, is because they were the antithesis of the world’s ethos back then- and the antithesis of the worlds ethos now
• True Christianity is not like the world, love the world or imitate the world. 
• What is meant by blessed? Blessed in the simplest of terms means prosperous. Doing well. Fortunate. Well off. Doing better than most. Blessed. 
• The kingdom of Heaven- who will receive it? Next week we talk about salt and light. This character precedes the ability to be salt and light to a loss and dying world. 
• These characteristics display what we should be, who we are not, who we could be and who we can be

1.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Those who feel an overwhelming sense of spiritual emptiness and insignificance in their life apart From God
• A poor in spirit person feels empty. They are not self sufficient and strong- They admit weak
• Isaiah 66:2  “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word
• This is in contrast to the pharisaicial spirit of self righteousness, support, and pleasure
• The Pharisee has no emptiness because they are their own God- They are actually filled to the point they don’t need God and don’t desire after them. 
• I admit I need people. I need their help, support, encouragement, affirmation. I do. 
• I also admit I need God- Nothing the world gives satisfies- 
• James 4:6 ⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
• Are you poor in spirit, or do you depend on yourself? Do you long for God and his touch?
• We, as a society pride ourselves on self-sufficiency- but that’s not Godly. Never arriving
• No amount of personal righteousness can satisfy- only the Lord. 
• Luke 18:13 ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
• Hebrew for poor– meek- abase self, afflict (-ion, self), answer [by mistake for H6030], chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble

2.  Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted. attitude

• This isn’t upon all who mourn- its for those who mourn over their sin. They will be blessed, because when they mourn over what they have done, they find comfort with God’s pardon. 
• I get no pleasure from listening to people talk about their past sins in a joking, positive light
• If you had killed someone, and got out of Jail and then laughed about it- is that Good/
• Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as ^[a]have a contrite spirit.
• Yes, you’re forgiven, you’re set free- but that doesn’t mean you can’t hate your past
• Isaiah 57:15 ^b“I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
• And its not this self-loathing I’m not forgiven I am no good spirit- It’s the “I aint that- I don’t want to be that- I aint going back to that spirit” 
• Video tape of army- threw it away- don’t want to think about it- don’t want to see it
• Isaiah 61:1  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to ^[a]heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound
• Being broken hearted over sin is good- Beating yourself up your whole life and not moving on is bad, but theres nothing wrong with mourning over your sin- God can repair your heart, but you can remember- I don’t want to go there anymore!

3.  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the ^[a]earth. attitude

• who are the meek? The humble. The not arrogant and prideful. They are able to find contentment and are not contentious. They are blessed now, and when Jesus returns
• Meekness isn’t weakness- its realizing that being viewed as or treated as less than is ok
• Romans 12:3 ³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
• There’s such a enormous balance here between thinking of yourself with sober judgment and not falling over into self loathing where you think you have no value
• You have value- but your value isn’t more than anyone elses- more than likely its less
• Matthew 11:29 ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am ^[a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• That’s the operative term- Lowly in heart- You can be confident and not have it be at the expsense of others if you elevate others and not yourself- make your life about others
• Philippians 2:3 ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
• Live that- think of others more than yourself. 
• Galatians 6:3 ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,For they shall be filled. attitude
Ya’ll know I do intermittent fasting- been doing it for almost 4 years. 8 hour window

• I am hungry most days all day- you just get used to be hungry- never satisfied. 
• Jesus says- those who hunger for righteousness- eventually will be filled in the kingdom
• But that hunger never subsides on this side of heaven
• John 6:27 ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
• Do you notice that hunger always returns? You have to eat again, you have to have relations again, you have to drink water again- never satisfied- “I ate last year” 
• Following God is the same- One church service isn’t enough- one song. One read. Nope. 
• Matthew 6:33 ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
• Not righteousness of their own- but righteousness that is from God alone- These are the people who deeply desire to honor God- to be right with him- to honor him
• They find righteousness in Christ
• Psalm 34:9-10 ⁹ Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no ^[a]want to those who fear Him.
  ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

5. Blessed are the merciful,For they shall obtain mercy. attitude
Those who give others mercy because of the mercy they have obtained- will get mercy

• Jesus upholds mercy as a kingdom action and mindset- those who have obtained mercy should be merciful. 
• Luke 6:36 ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
• We, as Christians- should be the most merciful person in the room- we should get no pleasure from retribution- 
• I get it- we want it- I have a friend who was wronged recently- I wanted a lb of flesh. no
• forgive- let others fail- Don’t hold them to a higher standard than you hold yourself
• James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• I have been late- I have messed up. I wanted mercy- so much mercy-   
• Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.^[a]
• Psalm 18:25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

6. Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see God.

• This might be the hardest one of them all- Those who are not just righteous in action- but righteous in their desires and intents. You don’t even try to be righteous- you just are you do the right thing without fightin a desire
• Psalm 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
• Stopping an action is the easy part. Its changing the desire that is hard. 
• But God judges the intents of our hearts- envy, greed, jealousy- all in the heart
• Proverbs 4:23 ²³ Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
• Isn’t that the truth? You start thinking something- then you start feeling something- then you start doing something you shouldn’t do. 
• The heart issues hurt us more than others- they are out living- we’re stuck in the mud
• James 4:8 ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• Do the hard work of purification. Pray, read, scripture your mind into submission
• Force yourself to celebrate other peoples wins. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing

• 
  7. Blessed are the peacemakers,For they shall be called sons of God.
  There are people who like to fight- and people who like to make peace. Jesus says- the peace makers are the ones who are sons of God. Not the ones who fight
• 1 cor 6:7 READ “Why not just let yourself be cheated’
• The idea that all of the wrongs against us must be made right on this side of heaven will cause more strife than peace- and we are to work towards peace. 
  Romans 12:18¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
• He 12:14 ¹⁴ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
• As it depends on you- don’t blame others. Pursue with all people
• Don’t you know those people who are unreasonable, cant be reasoned with, love to fight, looking for offense? If its you- stop- people are avoiding you. Just make peace. 
• 2 Corinthians 5:18 ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

8.Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Living by Kingdom principles doesn’t make you friends. But Jesus says loyalty to him and his kingdom produces good things. And being righteous with Jesus- most important loyalty
• He goes so far as to say- 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.
• Jesus understood and you must understand that persecution comes to those who follow Jesus
• 1 Peter 4:12  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
• Don’t get upset. Don’t get mad- just say- “oh” cause you knew that’s what was going to happen
• Don’t get on 167 southbound at 430 on a Friday and get mad- that’s what happens. 
• This scripture has never been more true than it is now. We are in cancel culture- the world is going to run out of institutions to attack and people to destroy- when they finally figure out what we’re about and what we do- you’re going to have to walk through protests to get here
• John 16:2  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
• But its ok- just embrace it and thank God
• 1 Peter 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
• 2 Timothy 3:12  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

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