Matthew 5, 1-12. Sometimes, you know, there's things in life, aren't there, that just, they're really hard to get going, they're really hard to get into.
A little bit like exercise. You know, don't you, there's certain times you're supposed to do exercise. And you know the time when you're supposed to start doing it. It's just so hard to get in the gym or to get out for a run or to do those things.
It's a really difficult thing to start. And you just need to get on with it and do it and start it. And it's a bit like that when you come to a two-part sermon.
You just have to get on with it. And you just have to get into it again. And last week, you'll know if you were here, we dealt with the first half of the Beatitudes.
Beatitudes. And we mentioned several things about the Beatitudes. We said you've got to take them as a whole. Don't divide them up.
Don't carve them up individually and think, well, I'm not bad at being merciful, but I'm not so pure in heart.
We're meant to take them together. They are a total description of the disciple of Jesus.
And you need to remember, secondly, the audience to whom they were spoken to. They were spoken to the disciples of Jesus.
In other words, they're not for every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. They are not spoken to the pagan world at large.
They're not a manifesto for a government. They are spoken to the followers of Jesus Christ.
And they are descriptive of God's people.
The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5, 6 and 7, is not meant for all people.
It is particularly aimed at Jesus' disciples.
And so we said that the first thing that Jesus does in these Beatitudes is he gives us a description, then, of kingdom people.
A description of kingdom people. That was the major point.
He describes kingdom people. And he describes them as to their condition.
So we looked at verse 3 and 4 and 5 and 6.
And we said the one thing that runs as a theme through those verses, through those first four Beatitudes,
is essentially common to them all. It's that theme of being destitute.
That they describe God's people as having needs.
They are not completely filled.
God's people still mourn over their sin.
And over the church's sin.
That repentance is continual.
They hunger and they thirst for righteousness.
They thirst to be conformed
to God's will
for their lives
and for this world.
And so it describes them according to their needs.
And then you have this description of God's people.
Not only the condition
of God's people, but the character
of God's people. That's the first thing this morning.
A description of their character.
And you see that in verses 7
and 8 and 9.
How blessed are the merciful
and the pure in heart
and the peacemakers.
So he's describing
kingdom people.
He looks at their character
and look what it says.
It says,
How blessed
are the merciful
verse 7.
This word is one that is used
when they translated
the Old Testament into Greek
about 200 BC or so.
They use this word
merciful
in the Old Testament
about 18 times.
13 of those 18 times
it refers to the Lord.
And it describes the Lord
as merciful
or gracious.
Especially in the fact
that he
withholds judgment.
And he forgives sin.
And he withholds punishment.
He doesn't treat his people
as they deserve.
He is merciful
in that sense.
And that is the majority
of the way that it's used
when it's describing the Lord.
And so it's interesting
isn't it?
When Jesus should describe
his people
as ones who are merciful.
That is they take on
their father's characteristic
in that they delight
to be able to forgive others
when wrong is committed
against them.
They are a kind people.
They are a pardoning people.
They've received
the mercy of God
in their own lives.
They know that they've not
been treated by God
as they deserve to be.
They know that they've been
forgiven for Christ's sake.
And that has left
its mark upon them.
And so they can't help
but let that mercy
flow out to others
who wrong them.
And so they reflect
the father's characteristics.
And then he says
verse 8
How blessed
are the pure in heart.
Who are the pure in heart?
What does that mean?
I think immediately
in our culture
for some of us
that immediately goes
to kind of sexual sin
isn't it?
The pure in heart
are not like that.
They don't think
rude thoughts.
They're not infected
by the world.
But actually
as we saw last week
we need to remember
don't we?
Bible words have
Bible meanings.
What does it mean?
What is this idea
of being pure in heart?
It's not so much
that of being
undefiled
but actually
that of being
undivided.
We see
say pure in heart
let me try to get it
this way.
When they translated
the Old Testament
into Greek
the very word
pure was used
in reference
to the tabernacle.
So as you remember
we went through
Exodus a few years ago
we came to the instructions
about the tabernacle
and in those latter chapters
of Moses
of Exodus
when God is giving
Moses
those instructions
on how are you going
to build the tabernacle
what furniture
are you allowed to use?
He talked various times
about different types
of furniture
that they would put
in the tent of God
and he said
over and over again
that they would be
covered in pure gold.
Again and again
and again
pure gold.
It means gold
that's unmixed
with other metals.
It means gold
or metal
that doesn't have
anything mixed
with it.
It is
pure gold.
It is gold
gold
quite literally.
The idea
of being unmixed
of being whole
of being complete
that is
pure.
Abraham
or to take
another background
in Genesis chapter
20 and verses
5 to 6
you've got this
little story
about Abraham
passing off
Sarah
as his sister
and because he
pretended that
Sarah was his
sister
Abimelech
that Philistine
thought
well I'll take
Sarah as my wife
she's available
because after all
she's only Abraham's
sister
and so
Abimelech
adds Sarah
to his
harim
he'd not had
sexual relationships
with her yet
but he'd taken her
into his household
and into his
harim
and the Lord
confronts Abimelech
about that
and he says
well Abraham
it's not my fault
Abraham told me
she was his sister
he says
why
in the wholeness
of my heart
in the innocence
of my hands
I've done this
that's the idea
the innocence
of my hands
the wholeness
of my heart
he said
I didn't have any
underhanded
scheme at work
there was no
devious design
I acted in
integrity
towards Sarah
and so
when they used
when they translated
it into the Greek
they used this
with a pure heart
I've done this
that's what it is
in our vision
with a pure heart
in the wholeness
of my heart
wholeness
and undivided
hearts
not mixed
with other
motives
and this
may well
be what
Jesus means
when he speaks
about blessed
are the pure
in heart
that is
their whole
heart
is devoted
in affection
to their
father
they don't
have a
divided
heart
they don't
have other
allegiances
and so on
but it is
all focused
on their
God
and their
kingdom
how blessed
are the pure
in heart
verse 9
how blessed
are the
peacemakers
for they
will be called
sons of
God
and immediately
we think
well this is
exactly what
our world
needs
isn't it
peacemakers
and negotiators
between nations
on the international
scene
the united
nations
how blessed
are the
peacemakers
that's why
you should
go into
the army
blessed
are the
peacemakers
well forget
all that
I'm not
saying the
world peace
doesn't
matter
but the
tendency
is to
always
when we
come to
the
bible
I think
we
we get
a big
general
picture
and we
think about
the big
problems
which allows
you and
I just
to wiggle
out from
under the
word of
God
so let's
stick with
the disciples
of Jesus
being
peacemakers
what does
that mean
we know
that it
doesn't mean
that you
ignore
wrong
it doesn't
mean that
you cover
over wrong
and act
like it's
not there
doesn't even
necessarily mean
that you
avoid
conflict
in fact
blessed are
the peacemakers
and that
means that
sometimes
there must
be
there has
to be
conflict
sometimes
you have
to confront
and you
have to
confront
wrong
and sin
and error
before peace
and any
real peace
can be
restored
sometimes
church
leaders
have to
fight
they
must
fight
Jesus
is not
saying
appease
everybody
it is
not
appeasement
making
it is
peacemaking
and we
need to
keep that
in mind
it's not
peacetalkers
it's not
peacethinkers
but it's
peacemakers
and the
disciples
of Jesus
who act
in this
way
they are
blessed
and I
want to
say to
you
you are
in the
greatest
laboratory
that you
could
you will
ever need
to be in
for
practicing
peacemaking
church
because
after
15 years
of working
for the
church
and a
lifetime
of being
in the
church
I want
to say
to you
there is
nowhere else
on earth
that I
can think
of where
you can
become more
exasperated
with people
than the
church
I've just
spent a
week with
different people
moaning to
me about
problems in
their church
do you
remember what
you promised
when you
became a
member of
the church
to commit
yourself to
building and
maintaining
healthy
relationships
within this
church
treating your
fellow believers
as your
brothers and
sisters in
Christ
it's really
a question
about the
peace of
the church
if it had
been written
a hundred
years ago
it would
have read
something like
this
do you
promise to
promote the
purity and
the peace
of the
church
and that
means to
be reconciled
with those
you have
wronged and
who have
wronged you
to seek to
be at
peace
that doesn't
mean you
cover over
things
that doesn't
mean that you
pretend it's
okay when
it's not
okay
doesn't mean
when you say
it doesn't
matter when
it does
matter it
means you
get to the
root
and you
make peace
in
relationships
in a
place where
you know
some people
very well
it's very
easy to
become
aggravated
with them
and here
it says
God's
people are
peacemakers
you see
Jesus says
kingdom people
people who
belong to
me have
this character
about them
there are
characteristics
there are
marks of
being in
my kingdom
there is
this
mercifulness
there is
this
pardoning
mentality
about it
there is
this
undividedness
in their
affections
and in
their
internal
being
towards
their
God
and this
way of
peacemaking
which they
practice
now that
is the
charter
that is
what
marks
them
out
Spurgeon
tells the
story of
a man
in the
army
and he
was fighting
or serving
somewhere
and finally
after years
he was
discharged
from the
army
and he
studied
for parish
ministry
to become
a minister
in the
church
of England
studied
theology
and he
was finally
ordained
and he
was going
back to
Glasgow
to his
home
to preach
there
he'd not
seen his
aged mother
in years
so he
stopped to
see her
and as
he walked
up the
road
she was
sweeping
the path
he recognised
her straight
away
but she
didn't recognise
him because
he'd changed
he'd left
as a boy
but now
he was a
man
when he
was a
little boy
she had
accidentally
cut his
wrist
and left
a scar
and she
comforted
her son
at that
time
and said
never mind
ye
bonnie
men
your
mother
will
ken
you
that's
recognise
you
by that
when you're
a man
he walked
up the
path
he spoke
to her
and she
didn't
recognise
him
what did
he do
he pulled
back his
sleeve
and said
mother
do you
ken
this
and immediately
they were in
each other's arms
there was a
mark that
identified
him
Jesus
says
there is a
mark that
identifies
kingdom
people
because
they have
a certain
character
they have
a certain
mark
and part
of the
way that
you can
identify
them
and describe
them
is that
they show
mercy
and they
have this
undivided
devotion
and they
make peace
among each
other
it's a
mark of
kingdom
people
Jesus
in this
description
of kingdom
people
he not
only does
he describe
us in
terms of
our
condition
and our
character
but thirdly
he describes
us in
our
conflict
thirdly
including
last week
the points
are all
mixed up
look at
verses 10
to 12
blessed are
those who
are persecuted
for righteousness
sake
for theirs
is the
kingdom
of heaven
blessed are
you when
others
revile you
and persecute
you and
utter all
kinds of
evil against
you falsely
on my
account
rejoice and
be glad
for your
reward is
great in
heaven
for so
they persecuted
the prophets
who will be
for you
he expands
doesn't he
on this
persecuted
for righteousness
sake and
when others
revile you
he expands
on that
much like
he does
in Matthew
6
with the
Lord's
prayer
you know
where he
talks about
forgiveness
forgive us
our debts
and then he
goes to
expand that
doesn't he
and so
here he
takes verse
10 where
he talks
about
persecution
for
righteousness
sake
and then he
expands on
that in
verses 11
and 12
and he
says how
blessed you
are
when men
heap
abuse on
you and
they persecute
you and
they speak
all sorts
of evil
against you
they speak
evil on
falsely on
account of
me
and it's
important to
one notice
why this
persecution
is
look at
verse 11
it's speech
as well
it's not just
in actions
they might
abuse you
verbally
that's
more
the
case
for
us
today
isn't
it
they may
ridicule
you
they may
make fun
of you
and that
may be
what persecution
involves for
us
it involves
verbal abuse
of some
sort
but I think
it's really
important if
it's going
to be
persecution
for it
to meet
a couple
of
criteria
number one
it has to
be
false
doesn't it
look at that
in verse
11
they utter
all kinds
of evil
against you
falsely
on my
account
they'll say
all sorts
of evil
against you
falsely
I mean
if it's
true about
you then
they're just
telling the
truth
they're not
persecuting
you are
they
and you
need to be
aware of
that
when Peter
talks about
that
if for
instance
you just
happen to
be an
abrasive
person
if you
happen to
be
someone
who
really
gets on
people's
nerves
and
somebody
verbally
abuses
you
you should
just
expect
that
if I'm
persecuted
or
I'm
reviled
just
because
of my
sheer
awkwardness
that is
not
persecution
it may
be just
that
you're
pretty
obnoxious
and if
people
abuse
you
because
of
that
it's
not
persecution
and it
needs to
be said
and done
falsely
and it
also needs
to be
done
falsely
on account
of me
Jesus
says
it is
only
persecution
if it
is on
account
of your
relationship
or some
account of
your relationship
with Jesus
that's what
brings the
abuse
and so we
need to keep
that in
mind
Jesus
is
implying
here
and he
is
assuming
that if
you are
a
kingdom
person
and you
belong
to him
you are
going to
have
trouble
and you
are
going to
have
distress
and you
are
going to
have
abuse
that you
are
going to
have
to
face
there
will
be
ridicule
there
simply
will
be
conflict
because
you
are
his
on
account
of
me
he
said
and
when
you
belong
to
Jesus
more
or
less
severe
whether
you
have
it
in
your
workplace
or
even
in
your
home
or
perhaps
in
your
relationships
at
some
point
when
your
relationship
to
Jesus
becomes
visible
in
some
degree
or
other
it
will
cause
fire
and
so
we
need
to
teach
that
to
our
children
don't
we
you
children
who
are
here
that
when
you
make
a
stand
for
Jesus
and
when
you
stand
out
for
him
people
will
not
like
it
and
there
may
well
be
verbal
persecution
and we
mustn't
be surprised
at that
we must
prepare
ourselves
for that
and it
is
infinitely
worth
it
and as
adults
we mustn't
keep our
heads
down
martin
jones
before
he
came
to
london
and
was
a
minister
in a
really
deprived
part
of
south
wales
abber
abben
and
while he
was there
it's a
great story
to read
if you've
not read
it
there's a
number of
people in
the
congregation
who are
wonderfully
converted
at that
time
and because
of that
one man
had been
converted
he was
a joyful
christian
he attended
the
monday night
prayer
meeting
and as
he came
home from
the
prayer
meeting
his wife
met him
at the
prayer
meeting
where did
she get
that kind
of
hostility
from
it's
just
when
people
when
someone
belongs
to
Jesus
people
tend
to
hate
that
and so
there's
this
conflict
and so
Jesus
gives us
a description
of kingdom
people
he talks
about a
condition
he says
kingdom
people
have a
certain
destitution
they are
needy
they're
still mourning
over their
sin
more of
the sins
of God's
people
generally
and they
hunger
and they
thirst
for righteousness
they're not
yet filled
and they
still haven't
seen
complete
conformity
to God's
will in
their lives
they know
there's areas
in their
lives
where God's
will isn't
perfectly
practiced
and they're
still
unsatisfied
there's
this
destitution
about
kingdom
people
and then
there's
their
character
there's
a certain
likeness
in kingdom
people
that you can
see a
resemblance
of their
father
they remind
you of
God
and then he
describes the
conflict
and he says
there's a
certain
suffering
in kingdom
people
and there
you have a
description
of kingdom
people
now let's
leave that
behind and
go to the
second major
point of the
past two
weeks
not a
description
of kingdom
people but
Jesus gives us
a declaration
about kingdom
people
can you see
that
look at these
statements
again
look at the
declaration
Jesus makes
what we've
been doing
is we've
taken
these
phrases
and we've
asked what
does it
mean to be
poor in
spirit
and try to
define that
that's
important
but you
mustn't think
that's really
what's happening
in the
beatitudes
because what's
really happening
in the
beatitudes
is Jesus
is making
a declaration
that's very
important
he's saying
something about
kingdom people
and basically
it's this
how blessed
my people
are
this is what
I'm giving
them
these are my
assurances
they are almost
his covenant
promises to
his people
how blessed
are they
he's saying
here are the
blessings
here are the
riches I'm
giving them
because theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven
because they
will be
comforted
and they
will be
filled
and they
will inherit
the earth
with the
righteousness
that they
long for
and they
will receive
mercy at the
last judgment
and they
will see
God as
Revelation 22
says
and they
will see
his face
and they
will be
called
God's
sons
and so on
so these
are the
blessings
these are
the treasures
these are
the gifts
that God
gives to
his people
and these
attitudes
they really
are a
declaration
about
Jesus
people
and the
riches
he's
given
them
they're
not
rewards
please don't
think that
they're not
rewards
they are
assurances
you see
Jesus did
not say
did he
in verse
four
because you
mourn
you will
be comforted
he did
not say
it that
way
he said
how blessed
are those
who mourn
for they
shall be
comforted
so it's
not as
though
mourning
earns them
or makes
them
deserving
it is
that
Jesus
delights
to assure
them
of it
you will
be
comforted
these are
declarations
of Jesus
gifts
and assurances
to his
people of
what he's
giving
and he
will give
them
and you
need to
see that
Jesus
is trying
to assure
his
people
he's trying
to assure
his people
who assert
as certainly
as possible
that these
gifts
belong to
them
and they
will have
them
because the
future tense
in these
beatitudes
is not just
what is in
the future
but it is
also a future
that has
certainty
they will
be
comforted
they shall
see
God
so what
difference does
that make
for us this
week
it ought to
make a
difference
in this
way
in this
sense
it tells
you
that Jesus
delights to
assure his
people
of what he's
going to
give them
Jesus
delights
to tell his
people and
to assure
them what
he's going
to give
them
and the
reason that's
so important
is this
because it's
so hard to
believe
it's so hard
to believe
that these
beatitudes do
actually carry
your name
and your
address
it's very
hard isn't
it for our
feelings
to be
really to
the point
where we
read Matthew
5 1 to
12 and
we think
yes that's
talking about
me
as one of
his kingdom
people
and if
you've never
struggled to
think like
that
well let me
say to you
you are a
freak
and you
should be
very thankful
that you
are a
freak
because many
of us
do
remind me of
a story
that a
preacher told
and so you
know that
it's not
true
but you
have this
guy this
man who
believed that
he was
dead
and his
wife and
family were
really concerned
about him
because he
was convinced
he was dead
his friends
were concerned
about him
because he
was convinced
he was dead
sent him to
the friendly
neighbourhood
psychiatrist
and the
psychiatrist
decided he
would treat
him by
convincing
him of
something
convincing
him of
something that
contradicted
his other
belief
that he
was dead
that he
would convince
him of
something so
surely that
if he
believed that
then he
would no
longer be
able to say
I'm dead
and so he
decided the
psychiatrist to
go about it
this way
he was going
to convince
him of the
simple truth
that dead
men do
not bleed
dead men
do not
bleed
well he
started to
work and
to study
he had him
reading medical
records and
autopsies and
all sorts of
things
and after
several weeks
of quite
concentrated
effort the
fella finally
caved in and
he said alright
you have convinced
me dead
men do
not bleed
with a certain
triumph and
joy the
psychiatrist
took a
needle out
of his
pocket and
he pricked
the man's
arm and
blood flowed
the man
looked down
and with a
contorted and
ashen face
said good
grief dead
men do
bleed after
all
and some
of us
we know
that don't
we
it's so
hard for
us to
believe
sometimes
the
comforting
reassurances
of jesus
but they
really do
carry your
name and
address
it's very
hard sometimes
for our
feelings to
feel really
assured
and what
jesus promises
us when he
seeks to make
us secure in
what he's
giving us
and what
can we do
at a time
like that
well we
have to
be brought
and come
to the
place where
we have
to say
even though
my feelings
don't
reinforce it
and even
though my
feelings don't
know if
this is true
i have to
forget my
feelings
and believe
the word
that jesus
speaks
and that
is the
challenge of
faith
let's pray