Blessed to Be a Blessing: Embracing the Beatitudes
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor emphasizing the concept of being blessed and being a blessing to others, highlighting the Beatitudes and the importance of generosity and sharing God's light with others. The pastor encourages the congregation to recognize that they are blessed beyond what the world offers, as these blessings are not earned but gifted by God. The pastor then focuses on the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:6-10, emphasizing the importance of hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and being peacemakers. The pastor uses King David as an example of someone who was considered pure in heart because he sought after God.
The pastor shares about a mentoring program called Whiz Kids that they were involved in, which was brought to the church in Broomfield as part of their outreach to the community. However, the pastor forgot to take down a poster about Jesus, which led to the school district asking them to leave. The pastor connects this to the markers of the Kingdom of Heaven, which include humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity in heart, peacemaking, and sometimes experiencing persecution. The pastor also reflects on a quote about heroes and saints, highlighting that heroes kindle a great light in the world, while saints walk through the darkness.
The pastor then focuses on the Beatitudes as taught by Jesus in Matthew 5, emphasizing that the blessings described in the Beatitudes are not dependent on circumstances but rather on the relationship with God. The pastor highlights that these blessings come from the kingdom of heaven and can only come from God through Jesus. The pastor also discusses the various ways in which God works in people's lives, both in big and small ways, and acknowledges the saints who have gone before us, those who have invested in our faith and shaped our journey.
The pastor focuses on the Beatitudes, which are teachings of Jesus about the values of the Kingdom of Heaven. The pastor explains that the Beatitudes contrast with the values of the world. The pastor highlights the blessings that Jesus pronounces upon the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted because of righteousness. These blessings are not things that can be earned, but rather gifts that God gives to His people.
The pastor concludes by emphasizing the importance of investing in the future of the church, particularly in children and youth. The pastor acknowledges that while the church may not see the immediate results of their efforts, it is their calling to reach out to everyone, especially those who do not know Jesus yet. The pastor encourages the congregation to pledge and give generously to support the remodel for the kids and youth, emphasizing that it is a privilege and joy to minister to children.
Key Takeaways:
- The Beatitudes are not dependent on circumstances but rather on the relationship with God. These blessings come from the kingdom of heaven and can only come from God through Jesus. The world may put their trust in other people or things, but the blessedness that Jesus speaks of is not tied to circumstances. [49:33]
- The Beatitudes contrast with the values of the world. The blessings that Jesus pronounces upon the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted because of righteousness are not things that can be earned, but rather gifts that God gives to His people. [52:45]
- The pastor shares about a mentoring program called Whiz Kids that they were involved in. However, the pastor forgot to take down a poster about Jesus, which led to the school district asking them to leave. This experience is connected to the markers of the Kingdom of Heaven, which include humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity in heart, peacemaking, and sometimes experiencing persecution. [55:12]
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of investing in the future of the church, particularly in children and youth. While the church may not see the immediate results of their efforts, it is their calling to reach out to everyone, especially those who do not know Jesus yet. The pastor encourages the congregation to pledge and give generously to support the remodel for the kids and youth. [58:30]
- The pastor shares two stories of individuals who exemplify the Beatitudes in their everyday lives. These stories demonstrate how these individuals embody the Beatitudes by showing love, compassion, and hope to those they encounter. Their actions serve as powerful examples of how ordinary people can make a significant difference in the lives of others by living out their faith in practical ways. [61:15]
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)
### Observation Questions
1. What are the specific blessings mentioned in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12?
2. According to the sermon, how do the Beatitudes contrast with the values of the world? [10:12]
3. What example did the pastor give to illustrate experiencing persecution for righteousness? [18:40]
4. How does the pastor describe the importance of investing in the future of the church, particularly in children and youth? [29:40]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does the pastor emphasize that the blessings in the Beatitudes are not dependent on circumstances but on a relationship with God? [11:27]
2. How does the story of King David relate to the Beatitude about being pure in heart? [15:35]
3. What does the pastor mean by saying that God often flips life upside down, and how does this relate to the Beatitudes? [07:01]
4. How do the stories of Linda, the bus driver, and Father Bole illustrate living out the Beatitudes in everyday life? [21:52] and [24:25]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt blessed despite difficult circumstances. How did your relationship with God influence your perspective during that time? [11:27]
2. The pastor shared about experiencing persecution for displaying a poster about Jesus. Have you ever faced opposition for your faith? How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [18:40]
3. The Beatitudes call for qualities like meekness, mercy, and peacemaking. Which of these qualities do you find most challenging to embody, and why? [10:50]
4. The pastor emphasized the importance of investing in the future of the church, especially in children and youth. What are some practical ways you can contribute to this mission in your own church community? [29:40]
5. Think about someone in your life who exemplifies the Beatitudes. What specific actions or attitudes do they display that align with Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5:1-12? [21:52]
6. The pastor mentioned that saints walk through the darkness, being a light themselves. How can you be a light in your community, especially in challenging or dark situations? [19:48]
7. Reflect on the idea of being blessed to be a blessing. How can you use your blessings to serve and support others in your daily life? [32:09]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Blessings of the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes, as taught by Jesus, are not dependent on our circumstances but rather on our relationship with God. These blessings come from the kingdom of heaven and can only come from God through Jesus. The world may put their trust in other people or things, but the blessedness that Jesus speaks of is not tied to circumstances. [49:33]
Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. How can you deepen your relationship with Him to better understand and receive the blessings of the Beatitudes?
Day 2: Contrasting Worldly Values with the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes contrast with the values of the world. The blessings that Jesus pronounces upon the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted because of righteousness are not things that can be earned, but rather gifts that God gives to His people. [52:45]
Luke 6:20-21 - "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."
Reflection: How do the values of the world contrast with the Beatitudes in your life? How can you align your values more closely with those of the Beatitudes?
Day 3: Experiencing the Markers of the Kingdom of Heaven
The markers of the Kingdom of Heaven include humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity in heart, peacemaking, and sometimes experiencing persecution. These markers are not always welcomed by the world, as seen in the experience of the Whiz Kids mentoring program. [55:12]
Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Reflection: Reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you are experiencing or could potentially experience persecution because of your faith? How can you respond in a way that reflects the markers of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Day 4: Investing in the Future of the Church
The future of the church lies in the hands of the children and youth. While the immediate results of our efforts may not be visible, it is our calling to reach out to everyone, especially those who do not know Jesus yet. We are encouraged to pledge and give generously to support the remodel for the kids and youth. [58:30]
Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Reflection: How can you personally invest in the future of the church, particularly in children and youth? What specific actions can you take this week to support them?
Day 5: Living Out the Beatitudes in Everyday Life
The Beatitudes are not just teachings to be studied, but values to be lived out in our everyday lives. Stories of individuals who embody the Beatitudes by showing love, compassion, and hope to those they encounter serve as powerful examples of how ordinary people can make a significant difference in the lives of others by living out their faith in practical ways. [61:15]
James 1:22 - "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Reflection: Reflect on the Beatitudes. How can you live out one of these values in a practical way in your life today?
Quotes
"The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of light for people to see by the saint is the one who walks through the dark." ([19:48])
"The good news today in these Beatitudes is that God has you, that God loves you, and that he gifts you, that he works through you even if some days you're feeling like he's not." [32:46]
"Well in life I think God often flips life upside down so as if God has uh has turned that ship uh upside down and the only way for us to find life is to choose what doesn't make sense to the world to lay our lives down to serve to support to sacrifice for others and so God has a way all through scripture of turning things upside down and what the world thinks is important God says no here let me tell you what really is important." [07:01]
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... our faith is the source of this desire to see things righted in this world... it's really the Christian faith and the church that's been the source of many of the greatest reforms in the world." [14:58]
"Blessed are the pure in heart... our actions come out of what is in our heart... that's a work that God does in us... the way of the Kingdom of Heaven rather than the way of the world." [15:35]
"God works in those big ways and sometimes God works in those what feels like smaller ways in our everyday life but as we live as his Saints he works through us and shows these Beatitudes these ideas of being Meek and humble and merciful and all of those things to shine his light in this world." [27:06]
"Today we do celebrate the saints who have gone before us, those people who have invested in us with their time with their energy with their love with their prayers with their finances and all sorts of different ways who have shaped our faith to bring us to where we are today." [27:45]
"Kids bring joy to our congregation, they bring life, they bring insight, they teach us, and they are a very important part of the kingdom of God." #!!29:40!!#
"Growing Saints takes time... Dates have to be planted and tended by people who will not live to harvest them. Dates are for future generations." #!!30:18!!#
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