So if you have a Bible, perhaps you could turn with me to Matthew chapter 5. It's on page 968 if you're using a church Bible.
! We're beginning a study as a church on this sermon, the most famous sermon ever delivered by Jesus called the Sermon on the Mount.
We're looking at how he introduces the sermon in this section often known as the Beatitudes.
And we're asking ourselves the question, how can I have a happy life?
Blaise Pascal, the famous thinker, once said, all men seek happiness. That is without exception.
We're all looking for happiness. What does it mean?
The U.S. Declaration of Independence speaks about that right that people have to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Happiness. An American president, Ben Franklin, said, yes, we have the right to the pursuit, but each of us has to catch happiness ourselves.
So what is it that we're chasing when we think about happiness?
If I was to ask the room, in the same way as I was to ask the children, we'd probably get a lot of different answers.
What is happiness?
For some of us, perhaps, it's about the connections that we have.
I skimmed through, every year there's a thing called the World Happiness Report.
And this year, it was very much focusing on the ideas of caring and sharing.
And happiness consists in the social connections that we have.
Deep relationships.
Perhaps that's where we look for happiness.
But that's not the only answer, is it?
Because for some people, happiness lies in consuming.
Now, whether that's ice cream, whether that's a barbecue in the meadows, consumption is something we often think about as giving us happiness.
Joy is a marketing tool.
93% of people, when asked, were on a quest for more joy.
And so there's a whole load of advertising campaigns that became famous, especially in the early 2000s.
People seeking, here's the way.
If you're looking for more joy, what you need is to buy my product, to eat my foods.
Maybe for us, though, happiness is connected to the cash in our pocket.
The council did some statistics in this neighborhood, so the south side Newington neighborhood.
And 17% of people who were polled said that money is the best measure of a person's success and happiness.
So if you believe that, then that's obviously the thing that you're going to look to catch.
We all seek happiness, and God has made us that way.
But the really important question becomes, well, what is that happiness?
What is ultimate happiness?
What is that thing that I'm going to give my life to?
Or maybe to put it another way, who defines happiness for me?
Is it myself, or do I listen to someone else?
And that takes us to this sermon, the most famous sermon ever preached,
the most famous document on ethics and morality, I think, that the world has.
And it begins with the question, what is the blessed life?
What is the happy life according to God?
And Jesus' answer is really striking.
So one thing that you maybe noticed is that for Jesus, this life of blessing or happiness,
it's about character.
Jesus talks about our heart, a way of life that's changed,
because we've found salvation, because we've found Jesus.
But happiness is also connected to the idea of covenant.
This whole idea of blessing is the blessing of a life
where you know you're in a right relationship with God.
You know that there is forgiveness and He is your Father.
Jesus says that's what the happy life looks like.
And so we find in verses 1 and 2,
Jesus going up on a mountainside and sitting down to teach.
Just like in the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus,
you find Moses going up on a mountain to receive and then to give God's law.
Here is Jesus up on a mountain delivering God's word about God's kingdom.
Here is what it looks like to live under the rule of Jesus as God's king.
And so for the next few months,
we're going to think about this sermon,
runs from chapters 5 to 7 of Matthew's gospel.
It's going to teach us.
So whether we're a follower of Jesus,
or whether we're curious about Christianity,
it's going to teach us,
what is it like to be a follower of Jesus?
How is the kingdom of God a different way of life?
I imagine at different points this sermon,
even if we're familiar with it,
the words of Jesus are going to shock us.
Because it's very much a counter-cultural message.
Jesus presents here, for example,
a vision of happiness that's very different
from expectations,
very different to what most people are looking for today.
And I hope as well that this sermon,
the Sermon on the Mount will inspire us.
Because it shows us,
the words of Jesus show us that the transforming power of God
can absolutely change us,
change our way of life,
even change our idea of what is true happiness.
So this morning for a few minutes,
we're going to take the happiness question to Jesus,
and we're going to listen to his answer.
And we're going to do that thinking about three simple words, okay?
We're going to think about grace,
and then we're going to think about God,
and then we're going to think about glory.
So if you remember those words,
you'll hopefully remember where we're going.
So we're thinking first about grace.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Jesus begins,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I wonder,
there's a picture up there of what's known as recycled art.
And I wonder if you've ever seen
either these small micro-enterprise projects
in Africa or in Asia,
where crafts people are able to turn
old rubbish,
recycled plastics and cans,
into a piece of art that they can then sell.
With the eye and the skill of a craftsman,
as something broken and worthless,
can become something beautiful.
And Jesus begins his reflections on the happy life here.
A happy life discovers the power of God's grace
to bring beauty from brokenness.
The brokenness of verse 3,
blessed are the poor in spirit.
Those who are broken and know that they've come to an end of themselves
and have learned to totally depend on God.
That that idea that we have the ability
and we have the answers by ourselves,
that's been broken in their life.
Verse 4,
blessed are those who mourn.
Blessed are those who feel a sense of brokenness
over the sin in our life
and the suffering and the sorrow that it brings.
Verse 5,
blessed are the meek.
Pride has been broken.
Self-reliance is gone,
replaced by humility.
Being willing to be small before God.
But do you notice how in Jesus' hands,
by God's grace,
brokenness can be turned into something beautiful.
What's the beauty that God's grace brings?
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The follower of Jesus enjoys life in the kingdom of God,
life with God now,
with the promise of that for eternity.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Here's the beauty.
For they will be comforted.
The beautiful truth of knowing we are forgiven and reconciled to God.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
There's this beautiful message of being remade
in the image of the Lord Jesus,
so that one day,
we will rule in a world made new with Him.
See how this is a very different message of happiness compared to the world.
Our society might say something like,
blessed are the rich and powerful,
because everything they could ever want.
Blessed are the comfortable and the entertained,
because pleasure is right there at their fingertips.
Or blessed are the ones who are true to themselves
and make themselves number one,
because nothing and no one holds them back.
So often our ideas about happiness,
if they're not shaped by the Bible,
will be about now,
rather than be about the future.
Our ideas of happiness will tend to be centered on the self.
It's the idea of big me.
And we miss the wonder of a big God.
So to believe what Jesus teaches,
that this is the way to the happy life,
is an uphill battle.
And it's a daily uphill battle.
And to live this way,
we need God's grace.
In all of the Beatitudes,
Jesus is painting a portrait.
Here is a life,
here is a character of a person
who has been saved
by God's free kindness to us
in the Lord Jesus.
Here is the picture of a life
of someone who's been changed
and they're enjoying life with Jesus.
And maybe even as we were reading
this description,
we were thinking,
well, that seems impossible.
My life seems so far away from that.
All I see,
all I sense is
my own brokenness.
Or perhaps we look around
and we struggle to believe
that God could change anyone else
because all we see is there
brokenness.
And what we need to see
and what Jesus gives us a vision of
is the God of grace
who is the master craftsman,
who is able
and who is working his people
into the image of Jesus,
who is transforming hearts
and he is working this process
that will be complete
in the kingdom of heaven.
And Jesus says to us,
the happy life
is a life of depending
on God.
It's a life of repenting
of sin.
It's a life of humbling
ourselves before God.
And he promises this brings
future blessings
into our present.
That we can live knowing
we're in the family of God.
We can live free of guilt
with the comfort of forgiveness.
And we can live with security
because of a promised inheritance.
And all because of God's grace.
Not because of something
we've done to earn it
or deserve it.
I think Jesus wonderfully
pictures this for us
in maybe the most famous story
he told.
The story of the prodigal son.
And that story of the son
who rebelled against his father
wanted nothing to do
with his father.
Said,
Father I can't wait
till you're dead.
Give me my share of the money.
And he went off
and he wasted his money.
And eventually
he hit rock bottom.
He got to that point
where he was poor in spirit.
Where he did mourn
over his sin.
And he came to his senses.
I'm going to go home.
And I'm going to confess.
And as he went home
what did he find?
He found a father
offering a joyful welcome.
He found that he was
restored to the family.
That riches and honour
became his.
That he found literally
his famine
turned to a feast.
And all because
of God's grace.
Ray Ortlund is a Bible teacher
from the States
and he's got a book.
A new book called
Good News at Rock Bottom.
It doesn't sound like good news
does it?
But the good news
when we find ourselves
at rock bottom
he says
is that Jesus
meets us there.
When our life
gets hard
and discouraging
when we find ourselves
with that sense
of our own poverty
and mourning
Jesus meets us there
to show us grace.
one of our mission partners
working in Columbia
is Manuel
many of us
know him well
and I was speaking
with him this week
and he was speaking
about the joy
that he has
in his everyday ministry
of seeing
the beauty
of what happens
when God's truth
breaks in
to a person's life
where instead of despair
now there's hope.
where instead of being
just wrecked
by guilt
now there's an understanding
of the gospel
of forgiveness.
He talked about
the joy
of being a spectator
of God's powerful
transforming work.
Our God
is a God
of grace
who can bring
beauty
where there was
brokenness.
I wonder today
have we found
are we living
in
this happiness
because we know
this God.
So that's grace.
That's our first word.
The second word
very basic
is the word
God.
Verse 6
here's another one
of our Beatitudes.
Blessed are those
who hunger
and thirst
for righteousness
for they will
be filled.
I met a friend
last week
who I hadn't seen
for many years.
He's French
and we were chatting
about life
and how things were
and we concluded
after a while
by observing
that happiness
is a cup
of French coffee
and a nice
warm croissant
to start the day.
It's happiness
isn't it?
Even talking
about it
served to
increase appetite
and can't wait
for the next trip
because that means
the next taste.
Right at the center
of the Beatitudes
Jesus connects
these ideas
of happiness
and hunger.
And what he says
to us here
is that a happy
life has discovered
a new appetite
for God.
That his worship
his ways
his will
that's the appetite
that we want
to be filled.
Bruce Springsteen
is a great singer
songwriter
and a great psychologist.
He said
everybody
has a hungry heart.
And that's a really
good point.
I think that's
a biblical point.
We are all
looking for
something
to satisfy us.
And sometimes
we have those
great moments
of joy
when we find
ourselves saying
this is it
this is the thing.
This is what
I was made for.
This is the person
who makes me
feel happy.
It can come
in lots of different ways.
It might be a role
or a responsibility
that we have
in our workplace.
It might be
a subject
that we come
to study
and we get
really into it.
It might be
a new friendship
or a relationship.
It might be
the place
that we live
the home
that we make.
If you've ever
had that experience
again
it's because
this is
how we were made.
We were made
for joy.
We were made
to be worshippers.
God has made us
that we would
build our life
around
something.
And the Bible
teaches us
actually that
the one thing
to build our life
on
is God
and life
with Him.
That knowing
God
that would be
the great goal
that would lead us
to sacrifice
joyfully
to commit
wholeheartedly
the goal
that directs
our lives.
But our human
problem
is that while
we are all made
to worship
and ultimately
to worship
God
our heart
curves inward.
So instead of
worship going up
to God
so often
it comes back
into ourselves
and so we find
ourselves redirecting
our worship.
So we're still
looking for happiness
we're still looking
for an ultimate thing
but now we've taken
God out of the picture.
And so we might
find ourselves
following the message
of the ad campaigns
or the message
of culture.
You know just
you do you
or be whatever
you want
and just
you know
get as much
as you can
because that's
what life's
all about.
Those hungry
hearts of ours
they're often
too easily
satisfied.
What we fill
our lives with
is often
far more
me-centered
than it is
God-centered.
And when we've
lived that way
I expect
like me
you find
it leaves
us
with a
sense
of
emptiness.
I'm
spending
I'm
consuming
I'm
sacrificing
but it
never seems
enough
it never
feels
enough
the joy
never
seems
to last.
There is
no lasting
satisfaction
because we
were made
for more.
It's that
God-shaped
hole.
And so
Jesus has
come
to change
our appetite
and to
teach us
about the
appetite
that we
should look
to satisfy.
And again
this is not
what naturally
drives our
lives.
Happy are
those who
hunger
and thirst
for righteousness
for they will
be filled.
What does
Jesus mean?
That what we
want more
than anything
is to be
right with
God
and to
stay right
with God
day by day.
That's what
I'm hungry
for.
to
couple it
with verse
seven
blessed
to the
merciful
for they
will be
shown
mercy
by God's
grace.
Here's
the appetite
I want
to pursue
to do
God's
will
and to
do
God's
work.
To
pursue
life
with God
living
God's
way
and to
show
mercy
to
others.
Jesus
is saying
there is
a happiness
to be
found
when we
come to
an end
of ourselves
and when
our hearts
are turned
up
and out
when we
look outside
ourselves
to Jesus
Christ.
When that
happens we
find that
he does
meet our
needs.
We are
satisfied.
We are
filled
with
God's
glory.
We see
the glory
of God
and he
has shown
us mercy
so he
helps us
to show
mercy
to others.
So Jesus
here in the
Beatitudes
he's giving
us this
glorious
picture
of a
heart
and a
life
restored
to God's
original
creation
design.
And you
know if
God worked
this in
us
and if
God by
his spirit
worked the
truth of
his word
into our
hearts we
would be a
transformed
people.
We would
be a
community
known for
our joy
in Jesus
because he
would be
who we'd
be hungry
for.
We would
want more
of God's
word.
Your coming
to worship
would be a
great joy
as well as
being a
duty.
We would
be eager
to spend
time with
God in
prayer.
We would
love to
gather
together
with God's
people to
worship.
We would
be so
excited about
the joy
of sharing
fellowship and
getting to
serve alongside
brothers and
sisters in
Christ.
Do we
believe that
God can
change our
hearts that
way to
make us
that
community?
Again,
maybe we
see naturally
this is an
uphill battle
because our
hearts are so
easily satisfied
and you
think about the
time that we
live in.
We live in
what's known as
the age of
distraction.
Maybe
especially for
those who
are younger.
Modern
technology can
keep us
constantly
busy,
always
connected,
always
entertained,
always
distracted.
How often do
we find
ourselves with
that sense of
regret?
man,
I've just
spent ages
settling for
the equivalent
of junk
food when
Jesus invites
us to come
to the
feast.
We need
to pray that
we would want
to give time
and attention
to Scripture
and to our
Savior instead
of to endless
scrolling.
That just as
cultivating a
healthy diet
physically is a
battle for so
many of us,
spiritually we
need to
understand we
are in a
battle for
our hearts.
That we
would taste
and see
that God
is good.
Jesus'
words challenge
us.
If we're
Christians,
is this my
appetite?
Think about
how we've
spent our
time in
this past
week.
Does it
reflect a
hunger and
thirst for
righteousness?
To what
extent am I
letting Jesus'
words shape
how I
parent or
my approach
to work
or to
study?
Am I
committing to
a church
community that
will help
me to grow
this healthy
appetite?
Even ask
the question,
where do
these eight
character traits
fit in my
list of
priorities?
Do I want
to look like
this by God's
grace?
God's
Maybe one
way this
word will
hit us is
that we'll
ask God
today,
give me a
new appetite
for you and
for your
word,
that we
wouldn't be
satisfied with
less than a
joyful life
in Jesus.
Okay, so we
thought about
grace, and
we thought
about God.
The one
last word
that we're
going to
think about
is the
word glory.
glory.
And that
takes us to
verse 8,
and this
beatitude,
blessed are
the pure in
heart, for
they will see
God.
Just to
return to the
idea of the
moment of
finding the
one, the
one person
or the one
thing, that
thing that
makes me
happy, when
we make
that discovery,
what happens
in our
lives?
We understand
that we
find the
one,
it changes
us.
We will
then find
ourselves
sacrificing
for the
sake of
that person,
and we
will do
it gladly.
We will
spend our
energies and
our resources
for that
job that
we love.
We'll
sacrifice
easily.
We will
commit our
lives to
that person
or that
thing, and
the people
around us
know it.
our
identity
becomes
shaped
by the
one.
Now, why
does that
happen?
Because it
does happen,
doesn't it?
Well, it's
all to do
with this
idea of
glory.
The biblical
word glory
is the idea
of something
having weight,
weightiness in
our lives.
That
boyfriend or
that girlfriend,
that sport or
that hobby,
that job,
it comes to
have weight
in our
life.
And when
Jesus says,
blessed to the
pure in
heart, for
they will
see God,
he's saying,
a happy
life has
discovered
ultimate
glory in
Jesus and
his gospel.
Jesus has
ultimate
weight.
And that
gives us
joy when we
discover it.
love.
The idea
of blessed
to the
pure in
heart, that's
a theme
from Psalm
24.
In Psalm
24, we
have this
idea of
the person
who is
pure in
heart, and
that heart
is not
undecided on
the worship
question.
The happy
heart knows
God is
Lord, he
deserves
worship, I'm
not going to
settle for a
God substitute,
I'm not
going to
settle for
anything
less.
So the
happy heart
is not
undecided, and
the happy
heart is
undivided.
To be
pure in
heart, it
is to be
undivided.
God and
his glory,
that's the
target I'm
going to
aim for with
laser-like
precision.
That's the
goal I'm
going to
follow and
to sacrifice
for.
And by
God's
grace, he
works in
our hearts,
so we
come to
see Jesus
is a
glorious
saviour.
The good
news that
sinful people
like us can
have peace
with God
through what
Jesus did
on the
cross, that's
glorious.
That God
would show
us mercy,
though we
don't deserve
it, that's
wonderful and
glorious.
It's the best
message, it's
the happiest
news we'll
ever hear.
So much
so, verse
10 to
12, not
even
persecution
will be
enough to
steal that
joy away or
make us
give up
Jesus.
The pure
heart wills
one thing,
nothing will
get in the
way of
Jesus.
You'll think
about maybe
if you go
to the
theatre, you
go to watch
a sporting
event and
you end up
sitting behind
the person
with the,
he's really
tall, or you
sit behind a
pillar, you
know the
frustration of
having an
obstructed
view.
The Christian
won't tolerate
an obstructed
view of
Jesus.
We want to
see his
glory.
Think about
Zacchaeus.
Wonderful story
of Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was a
very small man
and a very
hated man.
He knew
Jesus was
coming through
his time, he
wanted to see
Jesus.
The crowd
wouldn't let
him get
through, so
what he did,
what no man
of his age and
status would
do, he
climbed a
tree.
He faced
the hatred
of the
crowd because
he wanted
to see
Jesus.
He wanted
an unobstructed
view of
Jesus, the
King of
glory, and
when he
saw it, he
discovered
Jesus, invite
him, show
him hospitality,
and show him
saving grace.
He was
changed because
he had that
desire in his
heart to see
the glory of
Jesus.
This is the
ultimate reward.
verse 8,
blessed to
the pure in
heart for
they will
see God.
How do we
see God?
We see God
in Jesus.
Jesus makes
the glory of
God visible.
And what we
need is for
God by his
grace to open
our eyes to
the glory and
the beauty of
Jesus so we
would live for
him with real
happiness.
See, at the
end of the
day, these
beatitudes, as
much as God
is working in
our character to
make us more
and more like
this, they're
also at the
same time a
perfect portrait
of the perfect
character of
Jesus.
The Sermon on
the Mount
begins with
Jesus climbing
a hill.
The story of
Jesus will
climax with
Jesus going up
another hill,
the hill of
Calvary, the
place of the
cross.
And as we
look to that
hill, there we
see Jesus, the
one who was
persecuted for
righteousness
sake.
We see Jesus
humble himself
to pursue the
Father's will,
willingly making
himself nothing
to go on
God's rescue
mission.
for sinners.
We see the
pure heart of
Jesus, determined
to carry out
that plan to
clean our
sin-stained
heart.
We see Jesus
mourning over
sin as he
prepared to go
up that hill,
but we know
that as he dies
and rises.
He can give us
the joy of
forgiveness as
he bore the
penalty for
sin on our
behalf.
Jesus came as
the ultimate
peacemaker,
making peace by
his blood shed
on the cross.
Jesus is the
ultimate one who
shows us
mercy.
He meets our
deepest need in
his life and
death and
resurrection.
Jesus is the
one who takes
God's curse so
that you and I
can live this
blessed life in
him and with
God.
Jesus suffered
and died so
that you and I
could live a
truly happy life
today and for
all eternity
because we know
him as Savior and
God as our
Father.
And as we let
the glory of
Jesus capture
our hearts,
that's when he
transforms our
lives, making
something beautiful
out of something
broken, causing
us to long for
and to live for
the glory of
God.
Amen.