BACK DOORS TO A BLESSED LIFE Matthew 5:9-12

BACK DOORS TO A BLESSED LIFE

Matthew 5:9-12

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.

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.

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

Not

More than

More than

Peacemakers

Ephesians 4:3 we must “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

THEY WILL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD

Ephesians 2:14a: “For he himself is our peace…”

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you

2 Timothy 3:12 ¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Podcasters and influencers don’t have to be accurate, but they do have to be sensational.

Because of righteousness/ Because of me

1 Peter 2:20 ²⁰ But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,

“Keep on…leaping for ecstasy

We can rejoice because we are in

“for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We can rejoice because we have .

Stott, “We are not to retaliate like an unbeliever, nor to sulk like a child, nor to lick our wounds in selfish pity like a dog, not just to grin and bear it like a Stoic, still less to pretend we enjoy it like a masochist. What then? We are to rejoice as a Christian should rejoice and even to ‘leap for joy.’ Why so? Partly because, Jesus added, your reward is great in heaven. We may lose everything on earth, but we shall inherit everything in heaven.”

This may be your finest hour.

COMMUNION TEXT

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.