Jesus' Pocket Guide to Life

         Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes How to Life a Life God will Bless - Matthew 5:1-12 

1. "The effect of this tightly controlled structure is to produce an easily memorable unit of teaching, a pocket guide to life in the kingdom of heaven." The Gospel of Matthew by France
2. "The Beatitudes all begin with “Blessed are …” They are called “beatitudes” from Latin beatus, “blessed, happy”. More than a temporary or circumstantial feeling of happiness, this is a state of well-being in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus’ ministry. These short statements summarize the essence of the Sermon on the Mount."  The ESV Study Bible: 
3. "The first portion of the Sermon on the Mount is known as the Beatitudes, which means “The Blessings” but can also be understood as giving the believer his “be – attitudes” – the attitudes he should “be.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus sets forth both the nature and the aspirations of citizens of His kingdom. They have and are learning these character traits."  David Guzik Bible Commentary:
4.  "They do not show a man how to be saved, but describe the characteristics manifested by one who is born again". Wycliffe Bible Commentary
5. Jesus starts off his sermon with the 8 beatitudes (verses 3-10) which are his pocket guide to life. This pocket guide is SO important that Jesus made them very easy to memorize.  

5:1 Who is a True Disciple of Jesus? - When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. [2] Then he began to teach them, saying:  CSB

1. Jesus primarily addressed the Sermon on the Mount to his disciples (committed followers) and not to the crowds (un committed followers).
2. The Three Marks of a True Disciple - Matthew 16:24-26  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you MUST give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [25] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [26] And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?  NLT
   1. In v24 Jesus says the 3 things a true disciple must do. In v25 he summaries v24. In v26 he makes clear what is at stake.

5:3 Depend on God for Everything- Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  CSB

1. "The poor in spirit are those who recognize they are in need of God’s help." The ESV Study Bible

2. "The opposite of self-sufficiency".  The MacArthur Bible Commentary

3. "The call to be poor in spirit is placed first for a reason, because it puts the following commands into perspective. They cannot be fulfilled by one’s own strength, but only by a beggar’s reliance on God’s power. No one mourns until they are poor in spirit; no one is meek (humble) towards others until he has a humble view of himself. If you don’t sense your own need and poverty, you will never hunger and thirst after righteousness; and if you have too high a view of yourself, you will find it difficult to be merciful to others."  Guzik
4. For Salvation
   1. How to be Justified - Luke 18:9-14  He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: 'God, I thank you that I'm not like other people-greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.' [13] "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' [14] I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.  CSB
      1. Only the tax collector asked God for mercy.
   2. How to be Saved - Romans 10:9  If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  NLT
   3. Concise Gospel Presentation - The Good News of Jesus 
5. For Everything Else
   1. All and All - Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on [rely on, lean on] your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  NLT
      1. In v 6 what does God promise?
      2. In v5-6 what are his three requirements?
      3. What does it mean to trust in the Lord with ALL instead of just part of your heart?
   2. Everything We Need - Matthew 6:33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. NLT 
      1. God wants to give us everything we need. We just need to do our part.

   3. ***2 Corinthians 1.9,10,12 we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, ... (10) We have placed our confidence in him, ... (12) We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. NLT

   4. Philippians 4:6-7  Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  CSB
      1. Instead of worrying what are we commanded to do?
      2. Is this how one depends on God?
   5. God's Part and Our Part - 1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me-and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.  NLT
      
      1. Paul knew what God's part was and what his part is.

5:4 Mourn & Repent Over Sin - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  CSB

1. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. [10] For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  NLT
2. maybe use translation that has godly sorrow 
3. James 4:7-10  So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [9] Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 
4. See also Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:9

5:5 Consider Others More Important - Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.  CSB

1. Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. [4] Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.  CSB
2. Ephesians 4:2  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  NLT
3. Matthew 7:12  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  NIV

5:6 Careful to Obey Everything - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  CSB

1. Joshua 1:8  Keep this Book of the Law (book of instruction CSB) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  NIV
2. Matthew 28:19-20
3. Matt 6:33,  Matt 4:4 (best sign), John 4:34, 1 Peter 4:2 (live for God's Will) -- Ja 1:22,25 (blessed)
4. Job 23:12  I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have TREASURED the words of his mouth MORE than my daily bread. NIV
5. A longing to live the life God requires results in a life that is careful to obey everything God has instructed. This is the only longing that fully satisfies. 

5:7 Kind, Compassionate & Forgiving - Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  CSB

1. Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  NIV

2. See also Matthew 6:14-15, Luke 10:30-37, Matthew 7:12 
3. Mercy includes kindness, Compassion and forgiveness. If we want God and hopefully others to be merciful to us we MUST be merciful to everyone.

5:8 Sinless Thought Life - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  CSB

1. Psalm 19:14 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.  NET 
2. John 14:21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him. CSB
3. Internal 5:22, 5:29 causes you to sin (any type of sin - Matthew 18:3)
4. sin comes from within. Mark ??
5. Why - Hebrews 12:14b  work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.  NLT
6. Mt 5:3-10 - 5:11-7:27 (God's way), Psalm 119:9-11 (how), James 1:25 (how) -- John 14:21 (reveal myself), Heb 12:14b
7. CBC on Rev 21 - Holiness, however, is primarily a matter of being, not doing. The holiness movement has often gone astray in placing its focus upon behavior. When holiness is defined only by behavior, the most destructive forms of legalism and works-righteousness can result. A person can be in perfect obedience to some holiness code, but their spirit can remain selfish, bitter, judgmental, and hard. If holy deeds are not the outer manifestation of holiness of being, they are empty and meaningless. 
8. The pure in heart are those whose pursuit of purity and uprightness (5:3-7:27)affects every internal and external area of life. Only comes from single-minded commitment to God (Matt 22:37, 5:6, 6:33). Only those will know and delight in God.

5:9 Live in Peace with Everyone - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.  CSB

1. Romans 12:18  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  NLT
2. Matt 5:23-24 (reconciled), Matt 5:43-48 (how), Matt 18:21-35 (seventy times seven)
3. We are to make every effort to live in peace with friends, family, and even enemies.

5:10 Rejoice in Persecution - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. [11] "You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. [12] Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  CSB

1. Put Matt 5:11-12 here, Matt 10:32-39
2. Fear God not man for only God determines where we go.
3. Peter ask Jesus in the of the Rich ruler. What will we get for giving  up everything
4. Don't fear but rejoice in persecution because the kingdom of heaven is ours and there is a great reward for enduring persecution with joy, patience and faith.

Summary

1. Jesus' pocket guide to life (the 8 Beatitudes) are a package deal. You need to be working on all 8 with an all out effort to live a life that God can fully bless.

• A Life God Can Bless - Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" is his most famous sermon. In it Jesus describes how to live a life that God can bless and that ends spending eternity with him. At the end of this sermon Jesus says only those who follow it will enter heaven (Matthew 7:21-27).
• How to Live - "The Sermon on the Mount does not deal with salvation as such, but it lays out for the disciple and the potential disciple how regarding Jesus as King translates into ethics and daily living." Guzik 

• His "Standard" Sermon -  "The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ “standard” sermon. It was the core of His itinerant message: a simple proclamation of how God expects us to live, ... It may be that when Jesus preached to a new audience, He often preached this sermon or used the themes from it."  Guzik

• What We Are to Pass On - "This is Jesus training the disciples in the message He wanted them to carry to others. It was His message, meant to be passed onto and through them."  Guzik 

• Cross References - In this study, for each of Jesus' teachings there are several other verses (called cross references) used to help explain the verse. Always use scripture to explain scripture.
• How to Retain What You Learned - It's highly recommended that you purchase the $6 CSB Scripture Notebook: Matthew (or ESV Scripture Journal: Matthew or The Jesus Bible Journal: Matthew NIV). They have large print, thick paper, and the right side pages are blank to take notes. Use these to write down your key thoughts so that you can easily review and do them instead of forgetting them and only fooling yourself by doing this study (James 1:22-25).