Words From The Word Of God
A topical, and expositional study from the Word of God, in order to Glorify and Exalt our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; that we may reach the world with the Gospel, and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Him.. Grace and Peace to all, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(Isaiah 52:7) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"(Isaiah 55 10-11) 10) "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:"11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."(John 3:16)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 14:1-7) 1)"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."2)"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."3)"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."5)"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"6)"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."7)"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(Romans 10 :9-10;13) 9)"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."10)"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."13)"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
All Done For The Glory Of God and To Exalt Jesus Christ The Lord!!!
Words From The Word Of God
The Beatitudes: From Spiritual Poverty to Kingdom Inheritance
Two mountains stand in stark contrast across the pages of Scripture - Mount Sinai, where humanity trembled at God's thunderous voice, and the hillside where Jesus delivered His revolutionary Sermon on the Mount. This profound message upends the empty religiosity that dominated first-century Judaism and still ensnares many believers today.
Against the backdrop of Pharisaical tradition that emphasized outward conformity over inward transformation, Jesus introduces what the narrator calls "be attitudes" rather than "do attitudes." The Beatitudes offer not merely teachings but a revolutionary blueprint for hearts transformed through reconciliation with God the Father.
Beginning with spiritual poverty - the humbling recognition that we are completely bankrupt before God's holiness - Jesus maps a spiritual journey that flows naturally through mourning over sin, meekness in depending on God's strength, and hunger for true righteousness. These qualities stand in sharp contrast to the self-righteous posturing of religious leaders who knew Scripture but missed its heart.
The sermon powerfully illustrates how biblical figures embodied these qualities: Isaiah mourning "Woe is me, I am undone" when confronted with God's holiness; Daniel's strength turning to ashes before divine glory; and John falling as though dead before the glorified Christ. Each demonstrates the authentic heart response to God's presence that religious ritual alone can never produce.
Most powerfully, we see how the apostle Paul, facing execution for his faith, could confidently declare, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race." His testimony reveals that even persecution becomes a blessing when we're reconciled to God through Christ, who alone bridges the gap between our sinfulness and God's holiness.
Are you clinging to empty religious practices or experiencing the transforming power of Christ from the inside out? Your eternal destiny hinges on this question. The invitation to true reconciliation with God the Father through His Son remains open today.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
If you haven't received Jesus Christ by Faith, as your personal Lord and Savior; I strongly encourage you to do so before it is eternally too late!!!
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Hello and welcome to this another edition of Words from the Word of God. Thank you all so much for joining us today as we continue our study here through the Gospel of Matthew. We'll be looking at Matthew, chapter 5 today. As we begin, I want you to picture two mountains. Two mountains each identifying humanity's relationship with God, each identifying humanity's relationship with God. The first is Mount Sinai, where God's voice thundered, the earth trembled and the Israelites stood at a great distance, trembling in fear, as they pleaded with Moses. From their fear of the very sound of God's voice, they said Speak thou with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with us, lest we die. Mount Sinai revealed the unapproachable holiness of God and humanity's sinfulness through the law given there at Mount Sinai, as it mirrored then and mirrors today, showing us how far we have all fallen short of God's holiness. Now, if you will fast, forward, forward and come to the Sermon on the Mount, and I want you to contrast this Sermon on the Mount, where this same Jehovah, god, now incarnate in Jesus Christ, sits among the people. There is no, there is no trembling of the earth. There is only words of blessing and invitation. Face to face, here, with his disciples. Jesus speaks not to instill fear, but to draw hearts near and to reconcile them and us. Today, to the Heavenly Father, the Beatitudes, as they are so well known, are not merely teachings, and that is what we are here to show today. They are not merely teachings, they are the very foundation of a transformed heart and life, predictive, yes, in that day, of all who would accept christ by faith, but that most assuredly now in our day, eternally flows through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone, as by his sacrificial death and resurrection he bridges the great chasm between our sinfulness and God's holiness, opening the way for eternal life and opening the way to a transformed heart and life that opens the very way to fellowship and a relationship, personal relationship with God, the Father. Consider, if you will, his revolutionary message here on this spiritual transformation, against the backdrop of the empty religiosity of that day.
Speaker 1:But as we go into that, I want to begin by reading the scriptures, therefore setting forth the authority of God's word here, if you will read with me again the Gospel of God's word, here, if you will read with me again in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 5,. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying when Jesus opens his mouth, when we see the red letters written on the pages of God's word, we need to listen. We need to open our ears and not our mouth. We need to listen. Listen with not only our ears but with an open heart, opened up by the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus here opens his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 1:And I want you to notice these all flow from the first blessed here, and we'll cover that in just a moment. Blessed here, and we'll cover that in just a moment. But as we look at these, I want you to think about the empty religiosity of the day of jesus's, day that was ruled mainly the religious system ruled by the Pharisees, sadducees and Scribes. It is upon this backdrop that Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven the second time that is mentioned for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. May the Lord bless the reading of his word to our hearts. You May the Lord bless the reading of his word to our hearts as we listen to this revolutionary message and I would say revolutionary because in Jesus' day it was a revolutionary message because he is coming into the backdrop of the empty religious system, the empty religiosity of that day.
Speaker 1:In his time, the Pharisees, sadducees and scribes dominated the religious landscape. They emphasized and I want you to pay particular attention to this they emphasized external adherence, the outward show to the law, rituals, traditions and public displays of piety. But as scripture will tell us and the Lord tells us, their lips and their mouths were honoring and praising him, but their hearts were far from God. In fact, jesus rebuked them. If you will read with me in Matthew, chapter 23, verse 27,. He says Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto, white as sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead man's bones. Their religiosity, empty religiosity, lacked the power to say they knew the word of God, they knew the holy scriptures, they knew that many had memorized the five books of Moses, yet Jesus would tell them they did not know the word, they were not abiding by the word of God, for they had a religious system that ignored the need of heart transformation and reconciliation unto God. Transformation and reconciliation unto God. You have to understand.
Speaker 1:There was 400 silent years from the prophecy of Malachi until John the Baptist came out of the wilderness preaching and proclaiming repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 400 silent years since, or ages of ages upon ages, from Mount Sinai when the Israelites were first given the law of Moses. These Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes especially knew the law of Moses, yet Jesus accuses them of an outward show of religion, with no transformed heart, with no desire to be close to God with no desire to do what it takes to be close to God, the Father. This same religious crowd that I'm speaking of are the very ones that cried at the cross, crucify him, crucify him, crucify him as they blasphemed the Savior and they lied against the Savior, accused him of blasphemy when he said he was the Son of God, the king of the Jews. This same religious crowd with their empty religious system, their empty religious outward show. It is against this backdrop that Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, a gospel which would tell us, by faith and repentance. And faith in him is a gospel of internal transformation, not external conformity. His message calls people to turn from self-righteousness and self-dependence. Through this sets the stage for the Beatitudes, as a revolutionary blueprint for the heart and life redeemed in Christ.
Speaker 1:As we have already read the scripture and in context, let's look at the context here for a moment, the biblical context of where this scripture finds us. This begins, this teaching kind of begins, back in Matthew, chapter 4, verse 23 for us, where Jesus goes about teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and affliction among the people. His fame has spread across the region, drawing multitudes, not multitude. Singular drawing multitudes, not multitudes, singular multitudes of people of humanity, from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judea, judea and beyond Jordan.
Speaker 1:These crowds, many came, multitudes come. Some for healing, yes, physical healing. They brought their loved ones and their friends that were demon-possessed, that were tormented, that had the palsy, that had leprosy, that were blind, that were deaf, that were dumb, that could not talk, to be healed. Yes, they came for that physical healing. But others, hearing his revolutionary message, must have come because they went uphill as he went up upon that mountain. They went up and surrounded him that they might hear more of his teaching, that they may be closer to the Savior. They were seeking truth that they had never heard before and that's exactly what they would receive through this message Not one of an outward show of righteousness, but an inward change of the heart that would draw them closer to the Lord and closer to God the Father, something greatly different than the do attitudes of the Pharisees and scribes and the empty religious system that they were so used to Jesus.
Speaker 1:Here we pick up perceiving, in verse 1 of chapter 5, perceiving the multitudes ascends the mountain not to escape the crowds, but to reveal the principles of the kingdom of heaven, principles that would then and now flow through repentance and faith in him and him alone. His teachings address the deepest of humanity, the deepest need of humanity to be reconciled to God, the Father, and restored in a right relationship with him forever, forever and eternally, having your heart and life transformed by the rebirth, by the new birth that would come through repentance and faith in Christ and Christ alone. He begins the Beatitudes with the word blessed, which is a unique Greek word, is Markarios meaning divinely favored or spiritually prosperous. We should know and we should understand that this blessedness that he speaks of here is only found in him. It is not tied to material wealth or worldly success, but to the deep joy and satisfaction of being reconciled to God, being at peace with God through none other than Jesus Christ. At peace with God through none other than Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, whom he loved us enough to send to die on Calvary's cross. He is the one that is teaching us here, he is the one that is instructing us here as to the spiritual principles of the kingdom of heaven. He is the one that's directing us into what it truly means to have a transformed heart and live a transformed life, he says.
Speaker 1:He begins here in verse one excuse me, verse three. Let's read from verse one down to verse three. And seeing the multitude, he went up into the mountain. Now that seeing is not just looking upon, that is actually perceiving. And we know jesus is the divine son of god had an understanding of the multitudes a whole lot more than we see because we only see the outward.
Speaker 1:He saw the hearts of the people, no doubt seeing the great need for spiritual transformation in each of their hearts, knowing what the Pharisees and the Sadducees had been doing for all those many years as they formed, through those 400 silent years where there wasn't a word from God for 400 years, those religious sects formed and the Pharisees had actually formed to keep the integrity of God's Word given at Mount Sinai and the prophets in the Old Testament. However, they had added to the Word of God with their religious traditions and their keep the Sabbath. You must do this or you must do that. You must keep the dietary laws. You must do this or do that. It was the do attitudes, not the be attitudes. Jesus is giving us the be attitudes because the Sadducees, they would take away from the word of God as they only believe certain books of the Old Testament. They only believe certain books of the old testament. They only accepted certain books of the old testament, not the whole of scripture. They did not believe in angels and spirits and, as we will find out going through the gospels, they did not believe in the resurrection.
Speaker 1:Jesus says here as he comes into this blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Poor in spirit? Now, I want you to know something here these blessings that we have here are objective. They're not subjective. In other words, he's not telling us blessed it is to be poor. That's not what he's talking about. What he's talking about is we're blessed because we're poor in spirit, because ours is the kingdom of God, because, you see, to be poor in spirit is to recognize our spiritual bankruptcy, that, apart from Christ, we are lost and unable to reconcile ourselves to God's holiness. Yet Jesus, our mediator, restores the relationship broken by sin. It would be through his sacrifice, and we know it is through his sacrifice on the cross, that all this was made possible. You see, jesus is telling you, he's telling them and he's telling us what it truly, what a heart transformed, how for a heart that is transformed should react to the holiness of God. That we do not measure up according to the word of God. We are poor in spirit, and recognizing that is the first step in taking the right path to the rest of these blessings.
Speaker 1:Today, it's as the Apostle Paul said, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man, christ Jesus. This spiritual poverty opens the way for us to repent and to place all of our trust, all of our faith, all of everything that we have, every fiber of our heart, in him, allowing us to receive the blessings of reconciliation and eternal life in him. All these other blessings described here in the Beatitudes naturally flow from this foundational posture of humility and spiritual poverty. In our surrender to God, the Father, understand that we can never live up to his holiness and, apart from Christ, we are completely spiritually destitute. As we look at the Beatitudes, we must understand in that day they are predictive. They are a predictive roadmap in that day, but they are still a predictive roadmap for all those who would then, at that day, and have now, in this day, in our day, repented and placed their faith in Jesus Christ, living in the reality of his reconciliation with God the Father, as he has brought us back into that right, peaceful relationship. Then he says here in verse five excuse me, verse four he says blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.
Speaker 1:Mourning over our sin and the sin of the world, but mainly our sin, follows naturally from spiritual poverty. As we repent for those sins that we know that we have and make us spiritually bankrupt before a holy and righteous God, jesus comforts us with forgiveness, as Psalms 34, 18 and 19 affirms this morning. Turn to blessedness this morning. Turn to blessedness 8. Verse 18 of Psalm 34 says the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and save us such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. There is nothing greater, there is no other blessedness than to know that you are in a right relationship with the lord, that you are walking every day being sorry, being spiritually poor, being sorry for the sins that we commit. And how dare we walk the faces and say, oh, we don't ever sin. Well, that's hogwash and that's a lie straight from the devil. He is a deceiver and the greatest form of deception is self-deception. We must recognize that we can never live up to God's holiness, but it is through Christ that we can come into that right relationship with us, that he can mold us and make us and conform us into the image of his dear son. And being spiritually bankrupt, understanding that and mourning over that, being sorry for that, bringing us to repentance, keeps us confessing those sins to God, that we are in a stand in a right relationship with him. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. You know the prophet Isaiah exemplifies this morning when he finds himself in the presence of the thrice holy Lord, jehovah, god and Christ. Woe is me, for I am undone Because I am a man of unclean lips In the midst of a people with unclean lips. If you will turn there with me right quick, isaiah, isaiah, chapter 6. Let's go there right quick. I'll try to get there as quick as I can, but you turn there with me. It says right here in isaiah, chapter six, he says let me turn now, I'll get there in a moment. My pages are sticking together here. Just bear with me.
Speaker 1:In the year, verse one in the year that king josiah died, I I, this is Isaiah saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings With twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto the another and said Holy, holy, holy Christ, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his. What His glory, holiness, his holiness and his righteousness is his glory. And the post of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke which represents the kind of glory of the lord. Then said I, this is isaiah. Woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips. And this is Isaiah, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar, and he laid it upon my mouth and said Lo, this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged. I also heard a voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I here, here am I send me.
Speaker 1:Isaiah exemplifies mourning, mourning over sin. Woe is me. I am undone. Why? Because he sees himself in the holiness of God. Brokenness led, if you notice, his brokenness led to cleansing, a foreshadowing of the forgiveness and reconciliation found in Christ, a picture of how he restores our souls and reconciles us to God, the Father. Folks, how wonderful that is. Then he says blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Speaker 1:Meekness flows from a heart humbled by the right relationship with God, the Father. In Christ we are freed from pride. Notice, I said we are freed from pride and control, trusting fully in his sovereignty and his strength. Meekness, understanding and understand this meekness in the believer is not weakness, because if we were just meek and he was telling us to go through this world meek, brothers and sisters, we would be run over and we would be flattened. But meekness is understanding that God is in control and that he is the one that fights our battles. And if we depend on him, we are meek enough to depend on him and cast our burdens upon him. He is strong enough to fight for us and to carry us through. Whatever the trials, whatever the mountains we have to climb, whatever valleys we have to trudge through, he carries us through to victory.
Speaker 1:Daniel demonstrates meekness perfectly when, before the glory of God, he declares Daniel, chapter 10, verse 8, if you wonder where I'm reading from. Therefore, I was left alone and I saw this great vision and there remained no strength in me for my comeliness, my beauty, my self-reliance, my pride was turned in in me into corruption, which means ashes, and I retained no strength, meaning he could not go on as he recognized his weakness in the presence of Almighty God, all of his beauty and acceptance, his self-acceptance turned into corruption before God's glory. This type of humility exemplifies the reverence that leads us to Christ in the first place and continues to keep us reverencing God, the Father, as we should, and glorifying our Savior by the way we live, allowing His light to shine through us, allowing His love to shine through us as we walk through this world neat, not weak. We depend on him to fight our battles. We depend on him to take care of our cares. He said cast your cares upon me, for I care for you. In Christ, in whom we are reconciled to the Father and we as we reflect the posture we must have. Daniel reflects this posture that we must have if we are reconciled to him and completely dependent and depend upon him. Entirely, we depend on him and him alone. Meekness. Then he says blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Speaker 1:Verse 6 of Matthew, chapter 5. Reconciliation, reconciliation. Let's read that again. He says Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Reconciliation with God transforms our hearts, igniting a deep hunger, or it should ignite a deep hunger and thirst for his righteousness.
Speaker 1:Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21,. For he, speaking of God, made him, speaking of Christ, to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. It does not come through works of self-righteousness, it does not come through works of self-righteousness. It does not come through works, it comes through complete dependence upon him. And when we prayerfully search his word, when we prayerfully seek his spirit to guide us, it ignites that deep hunger for his righteousness. We want more, we want more and we want more, just like when we were in the world. The more we experienced, the more we wanted. Well, the more we experienced of God, our Father in Jesus Christ, and we have his spirit dwelling inside of us, the more of him we will want, the more of his righteousness we will desire fully in our heart.
Speaker 1:If our heart is truly where it needs to be, truly where it needs to be, if we are showing that we are poor in spirit by every word, deed and actions we're saying Lord, I can only depend on you, because without you I cannot make it through this day. Show me in your word, guide me by your spirit and, lord Jesus, may your person and presence be in my heart and the Father abode in my heart. As you told us, if you love me, keep my words and my Father will love you and we will come and find our abode with you, the triune Godhead, in our hearts. Can you imagine how remarkable that is? That that would ignite that little bitty ember that's been flickering in our hearts and create a flame, a burning flame, for the righteousness of God in Christ, and create that in us by his spirit, as the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, confesses that he is the chief of sinners In his confession. If you read there in chapter 1 of 1 Timothy, we see that in his confession of his great sinfulness he points us to the remarkable grace of Jesus Christ who, in mercy, reconciled him to the Father and transformed him for his purposes. And then we read in Philippians, chapter 3, verse 10,. Paul captures this hunger and thirst for righteousness where he says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, fully demonstrating that a reconciled heart hungers deeply for intimacy with Christ and the righteousness that comes directly from our relationship with him. That's what brings that hunger. He is who brings that hunger into our heart, his spirit. As we read the word and we learn more, we want to know more. As we know more, we want to hear more. And as we hear more, our faith increases. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Then he goes on here.
Speaker 1:Read with me in verse 7 through 9 of Matthew, chapter 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Did you hear that? It's worth repeating? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Verse 9, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Can I repeat that? Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. These virtues mercy, purity and peacemaking are all fruits of a reconciled heart to the Father. In Christ we receive his mercy, purified by his holiness, purified by his holiness, and become peacemakers, drawing all others to the Lord and Savior, jesus Christ, that they too might be reconciled unto the Father and experience the peace that we have, that inner peace of a purified heart. John, the apostle John, exemplifies purity of heart and the awe of reconciliation when he falls, as though dead, before the glorified Christ.
Speaker 1:Read with me, if you will Revelation, right, quick, revelation, chapter 1. I know we've taken a little bit of time, but bear with me. Folks, this is worth knowing, this is worth hearing. These blessedness, remember, remember spiritual prosperity, being spiritually satisfied in every way. The Word of God tells us here in Revelation chapter 1, we're going to focus on verse 17, but we're going to read the whole chapter, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant, john, who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth and he that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein.
Speaker 1:For the time is at hand, john, to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is, which was and which is to come, and from the Verse 2. That loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen, he says. Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall well because of him. Even so, amen, he says. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. Saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come.
Speaker 1:The Almighty I, john, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom of patience and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle which is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the voice of the Lord Pergamos unto Thyatira, unto Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea, and I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, which are lamps, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the son of man, clothed with a garment down to his foot and gird about with paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, and his white and as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters, and he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth was a sharp, two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell down. Listen, I fell down at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen, and have the keys to hell and of death. Write these things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter, the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. But blessed are they blessed? Are they blessed? Are the merciful? John demonstrates this. He demonstrates the merciful, the pure at heart and the peacemaker. He demonstrates the power that is in Christ as he falls as dead before him.
Speaker 1:John exemplifies purity of heart and the awe Can you imagine, the awe of being at peace, so much peace that you are in the presence of the Savior. Oh, how powerful that is. How pure we must be in heart, how pure we must be in spirit to be in his very presence. If you don't believe me, just continue in a life of sin and continue your separated life from him, because you cannot walk the same road going in different directions. My friend, there is no gray area directions. My friend, there is no gray area. You're either walking to him, falling down dead, asking that he would purify your heart or that he would bring you into right peace with the Lord, god, whom you have separated yourself from. Notice I said you move, not God. He doesn't change, he doesn't move, but we move ourself away and sin is that dividing rod that divides us from our Lord. So when we seek to be pure in heart, peace comes. When we seek to be pure in heart, we experience his mercy. And when we experience his mercy it makes us want to show mercy to those around us.
Speaker 1:John was a perfect example of this. If you remember, he called himself in his own gospel. He said the disciple, of whom Christ loved, he knew, and he teaches us about love in his epistle, his first epistle, I believe, chapter four. Well, actually, throughout that first epistle, with John demonstrating fully the purity, the peace and the mercy that we should have. Then Jesus says in verse 10 through 12 of Matthew turn back, be, with me, to Matthew, chapter 5 again. Turn back over there, and I'll close here in just a moment, verse 10, down through verse 12.
Speaker 1:Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they, the prophets which were before you, you say well, I don't believe that. Well, every apostle except the apostle John, was martyred for the cause of Christ.
Speaker 1:The apostle Paul, you know. Faith in Christ, yes, it reconciles us to the Father and secures our eternal reward. But we must understand that persecution comes along with that, and the persecution that we suffer here for his sake affirms our allegiance to him. Paul's life is as a living testimony of enduring persecution for righteousness sake. His ministry, fueled by reconciliation through Christ, shows the eternal hope believers cling to, even in suffering, and in his case, in his second epistle to Timothy, even in death, even in death, he would say. Writing to Timothy, in this second epistle, he says but watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions plural. Endure a affliction Afflictions plural. Endure a affliction. Endure afflictions plural. Do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of thy ministry.
Speaker 1:Listen closely to verse 6, because this is right. Before his head he's decapitated by Nero. He loses his head for the cause of Christ. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I want you to listen to the language he uses here. I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Well, if you and we go all the way back to the first blessing, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. What does it say here? Basically, paul sums it up right here Henceforth, there is laid up for me, even in persecution, even in death, he says this it's a victory cry.
Speaker 1:Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which is the Lord, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only. Did you hear that? Not to Paul only, but unto all them also. That love his appearing For us to be poor in spirit, real, aligns our heart, so much so with our lord and our savior and our great god, the father, our father in heaven, and according to living according to his will, that we love to see his appearing, we desire, we long for his appearing. That's what Paul's talking about. We are so, so heavenly minded, although we are still some earthly good. We are so heavenly minded because we feel so in line with his will. We are ready at any moment, any moment for his return, so we too can have that crown of righteousness, all blessedness and closing, all blessedness, all spiritual prosperity and all reconciliation.
Speaker 1:If one thing has been proven through this message, come through repentance and faith in who, jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. He is the one mediator who has bridged the gap, the great chasm between our sin and God's holiness, reconciling us to the Father forever For believers. Let this truth drive you to a deeper faith and humility. And I ask myself this question are we surrounding and are we surrounding ourselves and surrendering ourselves daily to God, the Father in Christ, allowing him to conform us to the image of his dear Son? Remember, it is only in him that we are made whole, no other way, only in him and by the power of his Spirit To those who are lost. Hear his call today. Won't you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit drawing you to the cross?
Speaker 1:Today, jesus can reconcile you to God the Father. He can bring you into a right relationship with the Father. He can bring all of these spiritual blessings into your life, all this spiritual prosperity into your heart and life. Today, all you have to do is accept him by faith and repent, turn from the world turn from the sin that you're in right now, turn from it permanently, turning to God, placing your faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary's cross.
Speaker 1:Remember, the same God who thundered at Sinai and sat on the Mount of Beatitudes here on the Sermon on the Mount, calls to you today and my question is will you answer him? Will you respond? But remember this in closing your eternal destiny hinges on your answer to his call right now. Now is the time, today is the day of salvation. Don't let this moment pass you by. If you're being called, drawn to God and drawn to faith in Christ, drawn to the saving knowledge of his gospel, drawn to be saved and washed and cleansed of your sins by his precious blood, don't let this moment pass you by. Thank you all so much for joining me and I look so forward to the next time we can share a word from the word of God. God bless you all.
