Sermon On the Mount | MATTHEW 5:7-10 | The Beatitudes: By Faith It Is Possible to Please God

I. Introduction:

   A.  Looking For Human Love.

            One of the greatest things in life is to be loyally loved:  to have someone really love you and not leave when the bloom of romance is over. 

We would all like to be excessively handsome, or a tremendous athlete, always successful, then we would always be loved.

            Example:  Those of you in school, what if when you go to get lunch, as you walked by, girls swooned, and started to

hyperventilate just because you passed by.  What if one of one of you gals started guy's hearts racing just because you walked into

view.  What a life!  Huh?

            Note: But there is a good chance you would not be loved.

            RQ Did you ever realize that those who have money really wonder if they are ever lovable if they did not have money?  

            RQ Is not a rich or famous male vulnerable to never really finding out if someone loves him for just who he is?

            RQ Did you realize how hard it is to separate the gold-diggers from those who sincerely love you?

            RQ Would you be loved if the health, success, money, or looks would be gone?

            Note:  Do you see why the marriage vows include:  "for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health".  Whoever, pinned those vows knew a

great deal about love.  

            Q How do we know if we are truly loved by someone?

               An = The ancient Israelites knew the difference between "love" and the "love they really needed", this quality was so important that

they coined a word for it:  "Hesed".  They had other words for love, like "ahav", but the word "hesed" meant more.  It can be loosely translated:  "covenant

or loyal love".  God had committed Himself to them and so His love was "Hesed", it was consistent, it was loyal love.

   B.  Looking For How To Love God.

            Q What about loving God?  How does God know we really love Him, or that we are only doing things because we fear Hell, or want some

blessing?

               An = Some folks think that if you have "deep religious emotions" that this is what makes you truly good.  They will criticize churches

or individuals who do not have the same deep emotional experiences that they have as "dead".

            Q But do not such feelings quickly fade?  How many of you have come back from camp as a kid all pumped up about God only to have the

feelings quickly disappear.

            Note:  Some folks think that we just need to do the proper rituals or ceremonies or have the correct doctrines.

            Q But what if your spouse told you:  "Listen, I fulfilled my part of the contract, so you owe me.  Now pay up.  I have earned your

blessing".  Is that what we really need?

            Q Do we really love God when we do the right rituals or believe the correct doctrines?  Is that really loving God?

               An = We should have emotions and we should do the right rituals and believe the true doctrines.  However, that is not love, but could be

a form of manipulation.  

            Note:  We humans are a tough lot to teach how to love.  It is hard to find a human to who loves us for ourselves and hard

to really love God.  So what can we do?

            >>>> Read Hebrews 11:6

            Q It makes sense that if we loved God we would like to please Him, so if faith is necessary to please Him, how do we develop faith?

               An = I think God has a way of making it hard to be loyal to Him.  Sometimes He seems so emotionally far away.  Sometimes we do our

part, we are loyal, we go to church, we serve in the church, we are moral, we believe in biblical doctrines, but it does not seem to help us get ahead in our

lives.  Some times you help in the church and all you get is criticism!!!

            Q Ever experience that one?  Ever served your best only to be picked apart by others in the church?

            Q Why does God allow that?  Where is He?  Why does He feel so far?  Why no success despite our religious actions?  Why no appreciation

from God's own people?

               An = The key is the word:  "Faith".

            RQ Do we love God when the emotions are gone?  Do we love God when it does not seem to get us ahead?  Do we continue to serve when all

we get is flack?

            Note:  Let me give you three simple ways to help your faith grow.  I know they are good, because they are not my ideas, but come from the

very lips of Jesus Himself.  Turn with me to Matthew 5:7.

 

II.  Developing Love, Developing Faith, By Loyal Obedience.

   A.  Being Merciful by Faith:  Matthew 5:7.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 5:7

            Note:  God says if we are merciful, then we will receive mercy.

            Q But is this true?  Aren't we really tempted to think:  "He who is merciful is a chump".  "He who is merciful is naive".  "He who is

merciful is a fool who will be taken advantage of and burned time after time".

               An = Jesus comes along and says "Blessed are you".  Notice the motivation that He gives!  See the reason He gives:  God will reward

you.

>>>> Have someone read Psalms 41:1-3.

            Q But will God really come through?

               An = You won't immediately know.  There is usually a delay, and maybe it will take years, maybe not even in this life, for the reward to

come.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 21:14-15.

            Q How do these people respond to the wonderful deeds Jesus had performed?

               An = They were indignant!  Even Jesus Himself has experienced what has happened to you in the way of criticism:  healing the blind and

the lame, in the very temple courts of God, brought Him reproach.

            Note:  So how can you love God?  How can you prove to God and yourself that you love Him, "be merciful and by faith trust He will show

mercy to you".

   B.  Being Pure In Heart:  Matthew 5:8.

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 5:8.

            Q What does "pure in heart" mean?

               An =  Some scholars think pure in heart means "singleness of heart".  Having pure motives.  In other words, our motives are not

mixed:  part for God, part for us.

            Q Does it pay to really be pure hearted or purity just something we image?   

               An = At times it seems most folks just want to hear the right words, you do not have to mean it!  It almost seems that all the effort to

truly be "pure in our heart" is not worth the effort and not necessary.  People just want the "words" anyway.

            Q Is there really a God who knows our hearts and whether we are lying?

               An = Some would say:  "Just go to church, do the right rituals, or just pump up those emotions".  However, God says it does matter if

our heart is pure.

>>>> Have someone read Psalm 24:3-6.

            Note:  But is this true?  Perhaps it will only be known by faith.

   C.  Being A Peacemaker:  Matthew 5:9

>>>> Have someone read Matthew 5:9.

            Q  What is your definition of a "peace maker"?

            Q  Have you wondered if it was worth while to try, will anyone ever appreciate it or will it ever do any good?

               An = Many times it seems that no matter how hard we try to make peace it does not seem to help.  However, we make the effort not

because it will always work but because it shows we truly believe in God.

            We believe He really exists and will reward us.  

            We believe He will call us His sons in final day of Judgment.

            We believe He will stand up and say:  "That one is mine, that's my son, that one is my daughter".

            If an angel should question Him, He will reply:  "She is just like me, he tried to act like me even when it did not always pay."

                        Imitation is a sincere form of flattery:

>>>> Have someone read Psalms 103:1,8.

            Note:  He wants us to be like Him, but we will only get there by faith, by being loyal, when it does not seem to pay.