The Sermon on the Mount
Blessed are those who mourn; Matthew 5:4
Background
- The Sermon on the Mount and Repentance
- “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
- “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom.” Matthew 4:23
- Meaning of Beatitudes: Latin beatus meaning “happiness” or “blessedness”
- Structure of the Beatitudes
Exposition of Matthew 5:4
- Blessed: Happiness or inward joy that comes from God
- Those who mourn
- Mourning – Brokenness, Devastation, Heartbreak
o Mourning over spiritual poverty (beggar in India and in Mexico)
o Mourning over the broken relationships due to our spiritual poverty
o Mourning over the physical ramifications due to our spiritual poverty
- They shall be comforted
The Sermon on the Mount
Blessed are those who mourn; Matthew 5:4
- New Series Briefly Introduced (Header slide)
- Background
- The Sermon on the Mount and Repentance
o “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (Slide 2)
o “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom.” Matthew 4:23 (Slide 3)
o The first beatitude, Matthew 5:3 (Slide 4)
- Structure of the Beatitudes
o The first five pronouncements (Slide 5)
o The next four pronouncements (Slide 6)
o Progression of thought as we move through the beatitudes
o The first five blessings, causal statements as to why the condition that seems to be trouble is a blessing (Slide 7)
o The next four blessings or causal statements (Slide 8)
- Scripture Reading and Prayer
- We will read all twelve of these verses every week
- Goal is for us to become extremely familiar with these verses
- Read Matthew 5:3-12 (slides)
- Exposition of Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn” (Header slide)
- Question: Isn’t Christianity just a crutch?
- Answer: Yes and what is the problem with that
- If a person has a broken leg, do we speak in derogatory terms that they need crutches
- This is a strange criticism because the individual leveling such a charge assumes that Christians will be troubled by the accusation
- The beatitudes present a blessed life for those who are relying completely on God and following God in every aspect of their life
- In other words, God is the crutch for their life that keeps them standing, God’s Word and His promises keeps the individual upright
- Jesus says it this way, the wise man built his house on the rock
- We come now to the second beatitude
- Meaning of Beatitudes: Latin beatus meaning “happiness” or “blessedness”
- Read Matthew 5:4 (Slide 2)
- Blessed
o Blessed: Happiness or inward joy that comes from God
o Jesus Christ truly wants you to be happy and He gives you the keys to this happiness, He gives us the keys to everlasting joy – a lasting happiness
o Trying to achieve happiness through other means will fail miserably
o Trying to make yourself happy apart from these divine principles will fail
- Those who mourn
- Too many illustrations for my liking this week
- This week I have stood beside several individuals who were mourning for sins devastation in the physical health of their loved ones
- I have been with much illness, death and weeping this week
- I have spent countless hours beside hospital beds and at funeral homes
- Yesterday Kim said to me that she was sorry for the difficult week
- I told her that I was glad in some ways because I am preaching on something that goes beyond some theoretical application
- Imagine my trepidation with the last beatitude in a few weeks, pronouncing a blessing on those of you who are persecuted for My name’s sake
- Mourning – Brokenness, Devastation, Heartbreak
o What type of mourning receives this blessing?
o Any kind of tears? There are examples of tears that receive rebukes in Scripture
o Esau and King David both wept in inappropriate or ineffective ways
o How about from the ministry and life of Christ? Can we determine the type of weeping that might justify blessing
o Read Luke 7:37-38 (Slide 3)
o Mourning over spiritual poverty
o Read Luke 18:13-14 (Slide 4)
o Mourning over spiritual poverty
o How about the times Jesus wept?
o Read Matthew 26:38-39 (Slide 5)
o Mourning over the broken relationships due to our spiritual poverty
o Read Luke 19:41-42 (Slide 6)
o Mourning over the rejection of God’s plan in our lives and the lives of others due to our spiritual poverty
o Read John 11:33-35 (Slide 7)
o Mourning over the emotional and physical ramifications due to the impact of our spiritual poverty
- This verse says that those who mourn at to be happy or to be filled with joy
- Why? Because of what they know about the outcome
- They shall be comforted
o Read Matthew 5:4 (Slide 8)
o What we know drives how we feel and not the other way around
o We regulate our emotions, our feelings, our hurts and our pains by what we know – we know that God will set all these things right, we know that He will bring comfort where there is pain
o Read Revelation 21:4 (Slide 9)
o Jesus will make all things right, He will remove the sorrow for all eternity, He will bring comfort to us forever
- Closing – Read Matthew 5:4 (Slide 10)
- How do I become a proper mourner?
- A soft heart because of my sin
- A soft heart because of the devastation in others
- Ultimately, having my heart broken by the things that break the heart of God