BACK DOORS TO A BLESSED LIFE Matthew 5:7-8

BACK DOORS TO A BLESSED LIFE

Matthew 5:7-8

INTRODUCTION

God is always at work in and surprising ways.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them He said:

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.
⁷  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

Mercy is an as much as an .

Broadus, It denotes not only mercy to the guilty but pity for the suffering and help to the needy.

James 2:12-16 ¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY

From people

From God

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART

Swindoll, “If a film were made about someone who lived this kind of completely sincere life in both private and public, there would be no need to edit…”

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? ⁴ The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,  Psalm 24:3-4a

Fake hearts

THEY WILL SEE GOD

See Him Now

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

See Him and

I Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

I John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

C.S. Lewis, “Heaven offers nothing that a mercenary soul can desire. It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.”

Fanny Crosby, “If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind — for when I die, the very first face I ever see will be the face of my blessed Jesus.