Gracious Jesus 3 – Kingdom Lifestyle Part 1 Sample

Winning Attitudes Jesus starts one of His famous discourses by introducing revolutionary values of soul happiness or blessedness. Surrendering our life to Him ushers us virtually into the Kingdom of Heaven with a new set of ideals. Matthew 5:3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Poverty of spirit represents complete dependence on God. It ushers in the riches of the kingdom of heaven. The early Church apostles were very poor, yet very rich. They are the foundations of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 5:4 “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus looks for a different type of ‘mourning’ than loss or grief. The root meaning of ‘mourn’ refers to ‘lament over sin’. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:10 that “ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death .” Matthew 5:5 “ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The ‘meekness’ Christ talks about is ‘fortitude’ – strength under control. It is hard to demonstrate true meekness without the power of Christ leading us from within. Matthew 5:6 “ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” ‘Hunger and thirst’ demand instant gratification. When desire for righteousness is our deepest craving, it will be satisfied. Matthew 5:7 “ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Shakespeare touts the benefits of mercy which “droppeth as the gentle rain from heav’n” and is “twice blest”, blessing the giver and receiver. Jesus elevates mercy to cater not only to the body but also to the soul. Matthew 5:8 “ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Purity can only be attained and retained by surrendering to Jesus with no tolerance for the smallest sin in our life. A pure life is blessed with a deep connection with God and facilitates others to see God through it. Matthew 5:9 “ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (children) of God. ” ‘Peace’ is hard won. It represents far more than reconciliation of one person to another, one country to another. It represents reconciliation with God. Jesus died to enable this reconciliation. Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” In the journey of reconciliation, we will encounter persecution. The apostles prayed for boldness. May the Lord prepare us with boldness and joy in the midst of persecution.