Series: Matthew
The Beatitudes, Pt. 4
November 08, 2020 | Jeff Crotts
Passage: Matthew 5:7-9
Jesus wants you to be blessed.
This may be hard to believe considering present circumstances.
- Let me say again, Jesus wants you to be happy or joyful.
- The Sermon on the Mount has been misunderstood.
- Taken as a list of do’s and don’ts not meshing with faith and grace.
- This misconstrual misses the point of grace.
- Jesus’ teaching is essential to the church right now.
- Blessed living is grace!
- By the Spirit.
- “How does this sermon apply?”
- You have a stair step toward heaven.
1. Poverty promises heaven (vv. 1-3)
2. Mourning promises comfort (v. 4)
3. Meekness promises the earth (v. 5)
4. Hunger and thirst promise satisfaction (v. 6)
Now take the next three steps.
My title is, The world needs Peacemakers.
- If ever there was a time to stand out as “sons of God” (cf. v. 9) it is right now.
- Three attributes: Mercy, Purity, and being a Peacemaker are on any scale are rare.
- Not normal, and odd to our culture.
5. Mercy promises mercy (v. 7)
On the face, you could interpret this verse as a legalist.
- If you “do” this, then God will “do” that!
- Sort of a quid pro quo
- Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive…your heavenly Father will also forgive you” could be taken that way.
- This interpretation ignores the issue of the heart.
- Jesus always targets the heart.
- Mercy is never earned as a right or entitlement.
- Mercy is a gift.
- Mercy is like grace but not synonymous.
- Grace is unmerited favor focusing on forgiving sin.
- Mercy is also undeserved focusing on the consequences of sin.
- Sympathy.
- Meeting people in misery.
Christians show mercy by nature and the opposite is also true.
ESV James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
ESV James 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
ESV James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
- Mercy is demonstrated in acts of compassion.
- Jesus’ point of the parable of the good Samaritan:
ESV Luke 10:33-34 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
- Jesus encounter with Bartimaeus exudes mercy.
ESV Mark 10:46-47 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Bartimaeus’ heart cry is not a demand. He put himself in the way of mercy.
6. Purity promises God’s presence (v. 8)
Happiness is the result of having a pure heart.
- The Bible describes the heart as man’s central control center.
- Mind, will, and emotions.
- In direct contrast with the externalism of the Pharisees.
ESV Matthew 15:8 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; (Mat 15:8 ESV)
ESV Matthew 23:26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
- Purity of heart is an undivided devotion to God.
- A single-focus without hypocrisy.
ESV Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
ESV Psalm 24:3-4 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
- Undivided devotion promises God’s presence.
- The Christian experience.
- God’s hand in your daily life and circumstances.
- Providence on display as God meets your needs.
- Where God aligns your will with his.
- Your prayers and study of Scripture make sense out of how life is playing out.
- You sense God through a clean conscience.
ESV Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
At the same time, Scripture defines the heart as the basis of all our trouble.
- Murder, adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, and blasphemy flow from the heart (cff. Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:15).
ESV Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
ESV Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
“So how do you answer this dilemma?” - “An undivided heart that is desperately wicked?”
Focusing on God through what our own admission is contaminated with sin.
“Accept how dark and black our heart truly is!”
Paul:
ESV Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
David:
ESV Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Relying on God moves you from outward purity to inward purity.
Luther made this point by comparing sin to physical dirt.
“Christ…wants to have the heart pure, though outwardly the person may be a drudge in the kitchen, black, sooty, and grimy, doing all sorts of dirty work.
Again, ‘Though a common laborer, a shoemaker or a blacksmith may be dirty and sooty and may smell because he is covered with dirt and pitch…and though he stinks outwardly,
inwardly he is pure incense before God; because he ponders the word of God in his heart and obeys it.”
ESV Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
Opening yourself up to interrogating the work of the Spirit, opens up sightedness – you see God!
ESV 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Also the promise of heaven.
ESV 1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1Jo 3:3 ESV)
7. Peacemaking promises sonship (v. 9)
Back to where we began:
Peacemakers are rare in the world.
There was never a time when our world needs peacemakers more.
A peacemaker is neither a pacifist nor a conciliator.
- Like all of the beatitude markers – being a peacemaker – is simply being a believer.
- Not merely an easygoing personality.
- Not a peace at all cost
- Not being a “peace faker.”
- Not someone who covers things over – unwilling to work it out.
- John Stott compares Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s cheap grace (The Cost of Discipleship) with what he calls cheap peace.
The false prophet who proclaims peace, peace, when there is no peace.
ESV Ezekiel 13:10-12 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out.12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the coating with which you smeared it?'
“True peace and true forgiveness are costly treasures…” When people take “forbidden shortcuts” it makes Christianity ‘a fraud.’” [Stott]
Peacemaking comes from the inevitability of conflict.
- Pacifism denies the battle that Christians are called to fight.
- Our world is cursed with sin.
- This means wars inevitable.
- People pray for world peace and our world creates peace treaties and coalitions.
- Nevertheless, war is inevitable.
Will and Ariel Durant in The Lessons of History says:
“War is one of the constants in history and had not diminished with civilization and democracy. In the last 3,421 years of recorded history 268 years have seen no war.”
Albert Einstein: “So long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable. That is not an attempt to say when it will come, but only that it is sure to come.”
British Politician Enoch Powell: “History is littered with wars which everybody knew would never happen.”
[Anonymous] “Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stops to reload.”
God’s Word tells us to expect war:
ESV Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
I do not romanticize war but be realistic that sin brings conflict.
- Peace comes at a tremendous cost.
- The world can only expect a truce.
- Christians can reach for reconciliation!
Jesus is called “Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6) but the peace was brought about by violence.
- The cross was not cheap peace.
“At the cross all man’s hatred and anger was vented against God. On the cross, the Son of God was mocked, cursed, spit upon, pierced, reviled, and killed. Jesus’ disciples fled in fear, that sky flashed lightening, the earth shook violently, and the veil of the Temple was torn in two. Yet through that violence God brought peace. God’s greatest righteousness confronted man’s greatest wickedness, and righteousness won. And because righteousness won, peace was won” [MacArthur]
- Making peace in a fallen world is costly.
- We are not called to serve as mere conciliators, like professional counselors.
We call out sin. Point to Christ. Appeal for grace. Trust grace alone. Own and repent of sins. Seek truth. Suffer wrongs. Suffer rejection. Rejoice when there is reconciliation.
- Peacemaking begins with a willingness to go into a warzone.
- Peacemaking is hard!
Sometimes peace is not possible.
ESV Matthew 10:34-36 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.
“How do you fight for peace?”
Replace unbelief with peace and courage.
- Fight idealism
- Fight resentment
- Fight pride
- Fight rationalizing issues away
ESV James 1:20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
ESV Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
[Carson] “Do not confuse issues with ego…learn to lower your voice and smile more broadly in proportion to the intensity an argument.”
ESV 1 Peter 2:23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Face unbelievers
ESV Romans 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
ESV John 4:16-18 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband';18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."
Face believers
ESV Matthew 5:23-26 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
ESV Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Embrace your sonship.
ESV Romans 14:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
ESV Ephesians 4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I have heard seen multimillionaires crushed and crumbled under the weighted pressure of having to confront sin. “This was the most difficult thing I have ever done.” It probably was!
“What is the benefit of being a peacemaker?” Sonship.
Verse 9 says, “for they shall be called sons of God” (v. 9).
- Sons [vios] connotes more than being saved from sin – the language of adoption or being owned by God as a son.
- Peacemakers move into a hostile arena.
- It takes extreme selflessness – but within this arena, you sense a Parent’s love.
- You are the “apple” [cornea] of God’s eye (cf. Zech. 2:8).
- You Peace make - Not for glory.
- But there is intimacy with God.
“How many of you felt the earthquakes night before last.”
An earthquake means unrest sometimes 17 miles beneath the surface.
The earth’s most violent weather occurs on the seas but the deeper one goes the more serene and tranquil the water becomes.
Oceanographers report that the deepest parts of the sea are absolutely still.
When those areas are dredged they produce remnants of plant and animal life that have remained undisturbed for thousands of years.
This is a picture of what we have in our hearts.
The Christian’s peace is described as the world around swirling in a tumult but in the deepest part of our being, we have peace that surpasses understanding.