The Happy Disciple | Elder Ang Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

I'm simply entitled the message the Happy Disciples. Again. We

are on the series of disciple first and you're going

to be hearing a lot about discipleship, what it is

all about, what it means, how it's done. Everything is

going to be lumped in together. And I pray that

we will understand that the church is a disciple making place.

It's a place where people are trained, not just trained,

but people are led to follow Jesus because we're all

followers of Jesus, as believers of Jesus Christ. So it's very,

very important that we keep learning and understanding what it

means to be a disciple, what it takes to be

a disciple, how do we get there, what do we

need to do? This are all actually revealed in God's Word. Amen, Okay,

don't be solemn again. It's the Happy Disciples, and I

pray we are all happy. As I teach today from

Matthew chapter five, verses one to thirteen. It's known as

the Beatitudes. And we have gone through many, many series.

Especially if you are in long enough in church, you

probably heard this preach time and time and time and

over and over and over and over again. It's okay,

let me give you another take on it, so that

I pray that we will go back more enlightened, more already,

more prepared, to believe more and to do more for

the lorn Amen. Okay, So I'm going to read verses

one to thirteen, and then after that we will break

it down. We will break it down, and prayer fully

we won't break down. At the end of it. We'll

all be all right. Okay, we'll all be all right.

And everyone says it's going to be all right. Okay,

let's go the be attitudes. I'm reading from the NLT

Chapter five, Verse one says this and seeing the multitudes, Okay,

this is all Jesus he went up on a mountain,

and when he was seated, his disciples came to him.

Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed

are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom

of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall

be comforted. Blessed that the make, for they shall inherit

the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and tirst for righteousness,

for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for

they shall obtained mercy. Blessed that the peo in heart,

for they shall see God. Blessed that the peacemakers, for

they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those

who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the

Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed at 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 they for so they

persecure the prophets who were before you. You are the

salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for

nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

The Lord bless the reading of his words. Okay, so

some people know this as the Sermon on the Mound.

It's not really a short sermon. Actually doesn't end here because,

like I said, all the raid words if you read

I think at least all the way to chapter seven

of the Book of Matthew, maybe even I'm not sure.

I can't remember, but this is Jesus' teachings, and I

believe what Jesus is doing, at least at the front

portion of the sermon, is he is prescribing for disciples

what it needs to be happy and therefore what it

means to see discipleship work. Okay, very important for us

to take a note of that, because we start first

and foremost by looking at the place, and then we

look at the people in which he was talking to,

and then we look at the purpose as to why

this sermon is preach and then I pray that we

get a clearer and a better understanding. Everyone stay with me. Okay,

he needs a little bit of thinking, but we are

all thinking people as well, and I pray that we

will be able to not just think about it thereafter

also apply this into our daily practice. And so the place,

Why did Jesus go up into a mountain? Again, I

don't have all the answers, but I think it's good

for us to reflect. I think it's good for us

to think about it. Actually, why did Jesus bring them

out to the mountain? There could be different possibilities. Maybe

he wanted to get away from the crowds because Jesus

was his ministry involved healing, and people wanted Sometimes people

just want the signs and wonders and the miracles, and

so the whole messes were following him, and it probably

wasn't easy to be able to teach and impart when

everyone just wants him for particular reason. And so maybe

he went up to the mountain. Maybe that would siphon

some people of maybe it was to separate those who

are just curious to see what's happening to those who

are seriously seeking him, willing to climb up the mountain

with him to listen to what this teacher has to teach.

I think, yeah, it could possibly be dead. No, maybe

Jesus was just led to use one of his father

in Heaven's earthly pulpits. I don't know. Maybe the mountain

is a nice, great big pulpit whereas high enough where

enough people can be there. But I think we can

also draw some comparisons to the Old Testament where we

have seen where Moses, especially who went up to Mount

Sinai where he received the revelation, and there was a powerful,

amazing revelation where the ten commandments were actually not just divulge.

He was given to Moses, and we know Moses went

on to do wonderful, wonderful things that the Lord has

purpose for him. In fact, it was Moses, according to

X chapter three, that predicted Jesus will be coming, because

he actually says no. And if you read X chapter three,

it's alluded to the fact that Moses said that one

day there will be a man, and that man we

know is Jesus, will be greater than him, so great

that whoever who does not listen to that prophet will

be destroyed among the people. There was Moses talking and

saying and preparing the people of Jesus's coming. And I

think it's quite add for us to take notre of that,

because right now is Jesus actually talking and preaching? And

whether are we listening to this prophet now? Because if

we don't listen to this prophet, you stand to lead

to I mean, it will lead you to a life

of destruction, to a certain extent, so bad than in

mind the mountains. Okay, who were the people to whom

this sermon was addressed. It's the next question that we

have to ask, who is it addressed to? Is this

for disciples or for everyone. And the answer is he

begins with the disciples, but he did end up finishing

with the multitudes, because more and more people came. And

therefore this sermon is primarily for those committed to Christ.

But Jesus did not mind those who were not committed

overhearing the conditions of discipleship. I think he didn't mind

that the masses came, but he had in mind really

teaching and imparting those who are committed to him, his followers,

his disciples, and even that was quite a size sizable

number RADI. And the sermon helps disciples to realize what

they ought to be. It also warns would be disciples

about the conditions under which they are called to follow

the Lord Jesus Christ. So it is for too prong. Okay,

it's to tell them what they ought to be, and

then it's to also reveal to them the conditions which

they are called to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, again,

let it settle in. Think about it. The purpose of

the sermon is actually a very serious one. What is

the purpose of the sermon? And we know this from

the fact that Jesus himself sat down, he opened his

mouth and he taught them. That's what the scripture says. No,

he didn't do anything just for fun. Jesus was very,

very intentional in everything that he did and the fact

that he brought himself up to the mountains, sat down,

opened his mouth and started talking and preaching. I think

we need to go deeper into what is it that

he's trying to tell us. And you know, there are

those who feel that in the Sermon of the Mound

was the Lord telling us how to work for our salvation. Science.

We look at all so many conditions that Jesus introduced

in this sermon sounds like these are conditions for discipleship,

and I think this is something that we've got to

correct our misunderstanding if that's how we look at it,

because this is not how to work for your salvation.

That's not what Jesus is essentially teaching. He is actually

teaching and showing us how to work out your salvation.

There is a difference. Again, this is not how to

work for your salvation. Science. We think that we need

to do everything to be saved. No, no, Jesus is

saying this is how you and you are safe. You

work out your salvation it is still working, agreed, but

it is not working for it is working out. It

is essentially working out what God has first worked in us.

And we know the work of salvation is God's work

in our lives when we put our faith in him.

It is Jesus who went to the cross. It wasn't

us who paid anything. It was Christ who paid it

all on behalf of us. Only he could exercise both

justice and mercy simultaneously on the cross, which is why

we today stand not condemned, but we stand as people

who are justified, which means we stand before Christ as

people who have been made right. And so again we

are essentially working out what God has first worked in

our lives. If you believe you're safe, if you put

your hope and trust in Jesus, you are saying that, yes,

Jesus has worked in my life. And because of that, now,

how do I work out my salvation? Because you'll know

and you'll realize this. Christianity is not just about belief,

It is about behavior as well. Christianity is not just

about the creeds that we hold on to. No, I

believe in you, all the apostles creed that we can

resite and we can memorize behind. But it's not just

about creed. It's also about our conduct. Christianity is not

just about us being called converted. Sometimes we think, hallelujah,

we're converted. That's it, end of story. No, it's also

about consecration. How is our life daily being consecrated being?

How are we being perfected now that we are safe?

How are we being perfected more and more into God's image?

And so it's how you go on as well as

how you start. Sometimes all we focus on about our

faith is how we start. But it's okay if you

start and then you're called back to be with the Lord,

no problem. That's like the guy who was the thief

who was by Jesus' side hanging on the cross. He

didn't have a whole life to live before him. Do

I believe that he has been saved? Yes, of course

I believe he has been saved because Jesus says, today

you'll be with me in paradies. But he did not

have a whole life hate to live. And all of us,

as long as we are still breath in our lives,

means that we have a whole life of consecration. God

is going to be doing the work of cleansing us,

purifying us, work helping us work out what He has

already worked in. And this is something that we got

to continue to remember that our Christian faith is really

not just about how you started. It's about how you

go on with it, go on believing in it. And

so the sermon is concerned with the things to be

believe of the Christian faith as well as what needs

to be done in the Christian faith. Makes sense so

that you get a better understanding. So let's examine how

we can work out what God has worked in us. Okay,

So as we approach the first section of the sermon,

we'll notice that the sermon begins with character before it

deals with conduct, and it does deal with conduct. If

you think the sermon doesn't deal with conduct, it deals

with conduct because you go on to see all all

the other verses following. Jesus is teaching about the law.

He's teaching about adultery, he's teaching about divorce. He's teaching

about how you manage anger. He's teaching about how you

give to the poor. He taught a whole lot of things.

Like I said, it's a pretty long sermon, even though actually,

if you think about it, if you read it true

and true, I think Jesus were finished teaching everything if

he just wrore everything out there, maybe twenty minutes. But

there's a whole lot of stuff in there. He teaches

about prayer and fast thing, so there's a lot of conduct.

But he starts off, I believe, quite deliberately with character first,

and the Christian life is first of all, what you

are before it ever becomes what you do. It makes sense,

and that is precisely the opposite understanding of how the

world views it. Because you ask an unbeliever what a

Christian is, and usually he will answer it in terms

of what they do. No, what's a Christian? A Christian

is someone who Bible, loving, mother, loving church going, love

his grandmother, love his cat. You know. Christian is someone

who tries not to do anybody any harm. A Christian

is someone who maybe leaves the world a better place

than he found it. But it's always in terms of

what they do. They're doing. But Christ teaches us that

Christianity is first of all what we are, and then

what we do is the fruit of what we are.

Very very important for us to understand that that means

conduct springs forth from character. It doesn't come from nowhere,

it doesn't come from it comes from somewhere, and it

usually comes from within the character in us. And therefore

this is opposite of the world's way of thinking at things,

because the world will always say, as long as you're

doing good, that's enough, that's enough, and you're doing good.

Why I need Jesus, Why need to have the character

of Christ, Why I need to embrace Christianity? But the

scripture teaches us that we are to first be Christians,

we are to be first little Christ. Then the doing

will be the outcome of the being. We got to

get that straight first, because if we don't catch that,

then we will end up doing to be safe. And

that is exactly what Paul teaches against. If you study

the Book of Relatians, that's what he was trying to

want to just be careful that you don't go into

this whole mode where you think that you can work

for your salvation because nothing you have done, nothing that

we have done on our end that will allow us

to be saved. But it is true the grace and

mercy of God in our lives. And that's why Billy

Graham calls the be attitudes the beautiful attitudes. Basically, it's

about our being from start and then continuing till the end.

How we start where we are and we begin Okay,

now only we go into the beattitudes. Okay, does it

make sense? So far we're all on the same page. Again,

I want to encourage you. You've got to think and

you've got to see how you're going to apply this

in your life, because it's powerful when we understand this.

And we begin by looking at the meaning of the

word blessed or blessed, however you want to pronounce it,

no problems, okay, bless blessed. One of the other translations

is actually happy. Okay, and that's why I think I

don't know when there's a good News Bible or one

of the Bibles. He says, happy are those who know.

I like that. That's why I chose the Happy Disciples. Okay.

More accurately, what it actually means is to be in

a happy place or be in a happy position. Okay,

So your place and your position is very very important.

So let's ask this question first. First question, ask what

is the life that is most worth living? Ever asked yourself? Again,

nothing philosophical about this question. You can ask it from

a very practical point of view. What is the life

that is most worth living? And some say the answer

is to be found in what you have. Right, some

words about Oh, you'll be in a really happy position

according to what you have, whether it's wealth or riches

or health. If we have that, then, really know, if

I have got friends, I'll be in a happy position.

If I have all my faculties working in my body,

then I'll be in a happy position. And so some

people look at it from the angle of what you have.

And then there is a second category to this question,

and these are the people who find happiness in terms

of the things that they do, what you do. And

some people, yeah, you ask now are you happy? Oh,

I'm happy. I know I get to do whatever I want.

I get to travel around the world. I know I've

got this job. No. Nine to five is so awesome.

You know, I can go off whenever I want. I

can make as much money as I want. You know,

I can participate in all sorts of social activities, cultural activities, everything. No, again,

for some of us, the happy position is in what

we do. But you see, the Lord's answer to this

question is really when you ask yourself what makes life

most worth living, it is not in terms of what

you have, and it is not in terms of what

you do, But a lot answers it in terms of

what we are? What am I? What I am? Does

it make sense? So it is nothing to do with

what you do or nothing to do with what you have,

But it's all in terms of what I am. Our

identity in Christ is so important. Here is the secret

of life. The emphasis is not on the world outside

but in the person insight. It's very, very important that

we catch this and we understand this because the first

beautiful attitude is the key to the rest, and in

a sense, it's a fundamental first step of the Christian life.

And the first beautiful attitude is this, Blessed are the

poor in spirit? For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

How many of y'all can say amen to that? Huh? Actually?

Ours like? Oh serious? Because most of us we actually say,

there's nothing really blessed about being poor? Right, there's nothing

blessed about being spiritually poor, physically poor, any form of

poverty is no, is it really blessed? But what does

it really mean, because the word poor means not only

someone who is deficient or someone who is lacking who

or someone who has not gotten everything they need, but

it's actually someone who is in destitute. Destitute that means

a someone who has nothing. That is what poor means.

But actually, you can take it even a step lower.

It's not just someone who has got nothing, but it's

worse than nothing. No, worse than nothing means a This

is someone who is already has nothing, but he's drowning

in debt. Okay, try try to imagine this. You already

have nothing, but yeah, you're drowning in debt and you're

drowning and you're drowning and you got no way of

getting yourself out of it. And that is the meaning

of poor. Here. You have actually not just nothing, you

have less than nothing. And you think about it, Oh,

what does that really mean? You know, when someone is

physically poor, their pride is really broken down because they

have no choice at that point of time but to

rely on others. You realize that. So the same applies

when we are being poor in spirit. It means recognizing

that you are completely dependent upon God. That's what being

poor in spirit before God means. It means admitting that

I don't have what I truly need. In fact, I

have nothing at all. It's like being buried in debt

with no way to repay, accept by relying completely on

God's mercy and grace. And how many of you realize

that that is really what salvation is to us. That's

why if at all we think that we can earn

our salvation to the things that we are doing, we

are wrong, because it is what Christ did for us.

That's why it's a debt that we will never be

able to pay. It's a debt that we will never

be able to support, no matter how much good you do.

Paul says that my righteousness is counted as filthy rags.

It's counted as things that do not matter. Both Paul

and Isaiah say the same thing. And so it's a

reminder that we are completely dependent on God. And so

it's either you come before God as a beggar or

you don't come before Him at all. You realize that.

That's why when we come to God and we try

to begain with him, that's not how it works in

our faith. If you come before Him and you say, Lord,

I am nothing in fact, I am less than nothing.

If it wasn't for you, I'm finished. And that is

the truth. And you come before God in that manner,

then you understand what blessed are the poor in spirit?

Then you will understand why is it written in that

amazing hymn called Amazing Grace because it says, amazing grace,

how sweet the sound that saved earth? Wretch like me?

I once was lost, but now I'm foul. Only those

who realize that God's kingdom is open to spiritual beggars,

those who admit their need for him, can truly say

they belong to His kingdom. And that is why it's

so important for us to grasp this very first beautiful attitude,

because it's really understanding our salvation. And if your salvation,

you understand it. It has got nothing to do with me.

It has got all that God has done for me.

It's either we can be ungrateful, we can take it

for granted, or we can be totally totally indebted to

the Lord and live our lives in accordance to His

plan and his purpose. What does it mean to you?

That's first attitude? Again, there's no I'm not going to

be able to prescribe things or how you're going to

do it, but you need to understand it first. Amen,

Let's go to the second beautiful attitude, and he says this,

blessed are those who mourn for or they shall be comforted.

And you see the word mon means to be overcome

with grief, to organize, to ache in your heart. But

there's always sometimes this mistaken view that people take on. No, No,

the first mistaken view is this, some people always think

Christians must never be happy. Ever heard of that before? No,

if you're a Christian, you must never be happy. And

then there's the opposite view, which is equally mistaken, is

that Christians must always be happy. I don't know which

of you, as believers, would say that I'm never happy

or I'm always happy, because the truth is this. The

truth is, as believers of Jesus Christ, we follow a

man of sorrows. We follow a man who is acquainted

with grief. And there are times when a Christian will moan,

and then the scripture says those times are blessed. Blessed

are those who moan. And now moaning here doesn't mean bereavement,

because sometimes people think, oh, this is the best scripture

to use at a funeral. No, it's not so much there,

because the word moan is essentially the godly grief that

produces repentance towards God, and it carries no regret. That

is what the word mon here means. Does it lead

you to repentance? Does it cost you so much grief

that you want to turn away from your sins? Because

the world tries to make a joke about sin, and

he tries to laugh it off, and though it is

such as though it is like a red trivial matter.

But godly grief does not try to laugh it off,

but instead it faces seriously the sin of our own heart,

and he moans over that sin. You know, sometimes we

make the mistake of when we share about Christianity. We're

always talking to people. Look, here's your insurance policy for life.

If you do want to go to hell, better believe

in Jesus. No, that's how we can go sharing. Nor

believe in Jesus' not you're going to be condemned to

you see, not going to hell. It's true, it's taught

in the Bible, but it's an outcome of what Jesus

came to do first and foremost, primarily, what did Jesus

come to do? First? And foremost primarily he came to

save us, not from hell. He came to save us

from our sins. And so really, sometimes we think, okay,

let me give you the insurance policy means you can

do whatever you want while you are here on earth,

and you will still have the insurance policy. You can

claim it at the end of your term. It's not

how it works, really, it's about how we live our

lives now because Jesus is essentially saving us from our sins.

So if someone is saying that I believe in Jesus great,

I will sometimes ask them, what do you believe? Why

do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe Jesus came

to save your sins? And most of them will say yes,

I believe Jesus came to save me from my sins. Hallelujah,

Praise God. And I'm going to ask them the next question,

what sin do you believe that Jesus came to save

you from? Because I think it's important that we are

able to say I need Jesus to save me from this,

I need Jesus to save me from this. I need

then we will be dependent on him, because if we

think that at the end of the day, Jesus is

alians or prudential, or it doesn't work that way. We've

got to be able to say, Jesus, you came primarily

first and foremost to save us from sins. That is

your purpose. And if you forgive us of our sins,

then forgive me of this sin. If I've coveted my

neighbor's wife, if I've lasted, say and allow Jesus to

work his work in you. Amen. And so that's what

mourning means. It means that we look at sin and

we know that this is wrong because this is not

how God wants us to live our lives. And godly

grief never laughs off sin, because it knows how serious

sin is in our lives. Amen. And that's why when

our heart begins to moan over that sin, we know

that in us is the development of the character of

God in our lives. And you know, sometimes I've noticed

when someone is safe and at the point of salvation again,

there's a start to everything. You know, Remember the journey begins.

You know, when people first really knew and understand what

Jesus has done for them and they start weeping and

they start crying and they start tearing. You know, sometimes

I look at that as there is really that mourning,

the organizing that is going on in their hearts, genuine

weeping over a sin, because it's almost like those tears

act as cleansing agents in their lives, saying that this

sin I've wronged against God. And I don't know how

many years of my life I've lived like that. And

so I'm coming here and I'm saying, thank you God

for doing what you have done. And you're weeping, and

I'm not saying you must go and cry during when

you're embracing Jesus. Okay, not saying that, but if you

really really understand what it means to say, Jesus, thank

you for saving me from my sins, because you see,

the promise to those who moan for their sins is

that they will be comforted, comforted. And I love the

word frt in comfort because it's the word for it,

which means that it's a place of being fortified. It's

a place of being strengthened, and so it means to

be able to put strength into you. That's what comfort

me inscience. We think comfort is all someone coddling over you,

someone Siah pat your head. It's not that it's really

someone strengthening you. Amen. And so people's ideas of what

comfort is can be different. But the truth of it

is when a person is agonizing and struggling earnestly to

overcome sin in their lives, then they are being comforted.

Ever found yourself in that position, Lord, I don't want

to do this. I don't want to do what wrongs you.

I don't want to do what is not right in

your eyes. And then we are praying God give me

strength because through his comfort, the strength will be injected

into your life. And those who have learned to moan

will always come out stronger. Amen. And not just moan

about something that is God. Moan about the sins that

we use to commit and say, God, help me to

overcome the Amen. Okay, let's move on number three. You're

still in me again. I want to make all of

us think because it's important for us to know and

understand the characteristics. Number three says this, blessed are the meek,

for they shell in Harry Dar Okay, and let us

say straight away, no way we think of the word meek.

We think it's weak, But the word doesn't mean weak

or feeble or frail, uh, someone who is easily pushed

around because we think or means that it's actually it

has a very strong connotation to it. It is actually

use of our strength being held back, our strength being

kept in check. You see. The Greeks uses the word

to actually show the example of what happens when a

wild horse is broken in. See if you catch let's

just say you you you have a wild horse not

running around this big stallion, and then you get hold

of this horse, and then you've got to break the

horse in. Once you have broken the horse in means,

does the horse become weak after that? Does it become

a pony from a stallion? Then sally he becomes I

don't know, a pony, or it becomes something a bit

soft and feeble. No, you still want the strength in

the horse, and that's true the cause the horse remains strong,

but its strength is now under control and now can

be channeled for useful purpose. And this horse that has

been trained and brought under control is not weakened or

made useless. In fact, the horse is now disciplined. The

horse is now obedient, and the horse is now responsive

to its rider. You know, in numbers twelve, verse three,

we read that Moses is the most humble and the

meekest person around. Now would you have ever thought that

about Moses? Not really mean something? We think? Okay, Moses

the one that you know, they didn't have the most

confidence in some areas, But actually he wasn't he was

he was, Hey, watch the prince of Egypt. No, Moses

pretty cool and okay, uh, prince of egyp. He's a

prince man. He's not some small time person. Or he's

actually someone who is strong. Uh, And it was you know,

really the scripture reminds us what God had to do

in Moses' life, because his character had to be molded

by God. Then only could God use him for the

good purposes. That is what meekness is. God had to

sort of put him really down, put him to his place,

and then work in him that caused him to be mixed.

So someone who is meek is someone under control, and

therefore is someone who doesn't react by instinct to what

happens to him. So a man who is injured doesn't

think about the man who has suffered injustice doesn't just

think about his rights. The man who has been insulted

doesn't just think about his own reputation. That is essentially

what is happening when we allow God to work in us,

because it requires strength of character to be meet. It

requires a lot of strength for us to not hit back.

And that's why it says Blessed are the meek, for

they shall inherit the earth. And it is literally true

that one day God is going to give the whole

earth to those who don't just go out grabbing it,

because He will give it to those who are fit

to have it. That is the reality of it. And

that's why the apostle Paul was able to say, as

having nothing and year possessing all things, we have nothing,

but yet we have all things because all things are yours,

because you are Christ. And this will one day be

true reality for those who believe. That is what. Blessed

are those who are meet, for they shall inherit the

earth means. And so don't look at it as a

weak thing. Look at it as I am someone who

is submitted. I'm weak in God's side, in God's presence,

because it is true my weakness that I am made

strong Amen. Number four. Blessed are those who hunger and

thirst for righteousness. Wow, I know hunger and thirsts. None

of us have ever gone through proper hunger and proper

being thirsty. And we are like after playing a game

of admintery thirsty. But this is really, you know, you

got to put yourself in a context of the middle

is two thousand years ago. I think when they say

hunger and thirst is really probably haven't eaten for days,

haven't had a sip of water for maybe days. You

can have not you cannot have a sep or water

for too many days, because I guarantee you will, you'll

see Jesus. But the truth is probably many days and

they're hungry and they're thirsting, and some almost some of us,

you know, sometimes we had to identify because we eat

well and we drink well. But in the context of

the scripture, it's something that puts you in a place

where you're so desperate for something that everything else is

excluded from your desire. Ever have you ever come to

that place where you're so hungry that you you're not

even thinking about your ones and your sometimes even some

needs in your life. You're like, you're not you're just

you're excluding all desiredly. And that's why sometimes when we

go into a time of prayer and fasting, I encourage

people that if you really want to experience what Jesus

went through, try try the Jesus fast forty days in

the wilderness kind of fast, and then you understand what

it means to really be deprived of food, be deprived

of all the simple needs in your life, and then

you realize all your other desires will also go. You

won't be like, oh, when you're so hungry, you're thinking, oh,

I want to have fun, I want to chill. You

know that you'll be so desperate, trust me. And so

you see, the world usually has a hunger for happiness

a lot of times. No, we want happiness now and

then holiness later, and that's always been the world's priority.

But the Christian's approach is actually in the opposite. The

Christians approach is, you know, you should have holiness here

and happiness there after, and that has always been God's

plan because happiness is actually a byproduct of holiness. So

the question now is what is holiness Because a lot

of people don't like the word holiness. Whah holy, What

does that mean, if I call you holy, you're like, oh, yes,

thank you very much. I'm no. A lot of us

like holy. I don't like the word. But holiness just

means to be like Jesus. It's as simple as that.

And sometimes we refer to the word holy life as

though as a bad thing. But yet we call him

the Holy God, the Holy One of Israel. We give

him that identity. But yet at the same time we

don't want to be like him. There's a contradiction in terms.

Somewhere something is not working somewhere right. This is where

we have to ask ourselves why why? Because if our

desire and our passion is to be more like Jesus,

if we hunger for him, and if we hunger and

turnst for this to happen, I believe Jesus will satisfy you.

And that means that you and I can be holy.

When we make the choice to be holy, it's a choice,

no more, no less. Do I really want to be

like Jesus? That is the question that we have to

ask ourselves. That is the same question. If we are

going to ask ourselves do we want to be holy?

Then we just got to be more like Jesus because

all of us. Sometimes we look at the saints, you know,

Mother Teresa all the different says no, I'm not saying

that I believe in the beatification of the Catholic saints

and all. But no, when we look at their lives,

we're like, oh, so good the life. I want that

right away. But we don't want to do all that

is needed required of the saints. You know, Mother Teresa

didn't just become a saint because something she did over

the No, she lived among the poorest of the poor.

How many of us can say goodbye to all our

physical possessions and our physical wealth and just live for

others completely and wholeheartedly. So a lot of times, no,

we like the concept of holiness, but we don't realize

that there are things that you need to do. It's

a choice that you need to make to be like Jesus.

But remember this, if that is your heart's desire, if

you hunger and thirst for it, I believe God will

satisfy you. Jesus will satisfy you because He will fill

those up who are desperate to be like him. How

desperate are we to be like Jesus? Is the question

that we have to ask ourselves, Amen, are we still thinking?

Let's think some more. Number five Blessed are the merciful,

for day shall obtain mercy? Well, what does it mean?

And we know what showing mercy means when we especially

when we read the Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke

chapter ten. You can go back, you can read it,

but it's quite a clear definition when it comes to

mercy because you realize the first of all things about

mercy is something to do with the heart. It's basically

to feel compassion for another person's need. Okay, so it

starts off there, and then it's also something to do

with the will. It is to do something about the

need that you have noticed, and then you express compassion

after that. That's why what did they do? The Good

Samaritan took the person was not well, and then he

bound his wounds, nursed him to good health, put him

on an ass a donkey, led the donkey to the inn,

and then paid the innkeeper to take care of the person.

So really it takes a lot of will to do that,

but it is primarily a thing of the mind. Because

the whole point about the Good Samaritan was it was

a Samaritan that served this person. And you've got to

understand that there is this big gulf between Samaritans and

the Jews. And do you know, actually, if you study

the scriptures, you realize that the journey that this person

was taking to go back to where he came from

is actually the longer journey because he was trying to

bypass Samaria, the land in which I don't even want

to step foot in. So I'd rather go through a

long route just to avoid this place called Samaria, where

it's filled with Samaritans, people that I don't like. And

so the Jews and the Samaritans never got along. But

you see what was the irony of it all? Well,

the two Jews walk past him, the Levite and priests,

and it was eventually the Samaritan traveler who stopped. Wow,

food for thought, right, the irony behind it. For the

very word of mercy means this. It is to do

something that is not deserved. That's what mercy is. It

is not just doing good deeds. It is doing good deeds,

particularly to the enemy, particularly to the one who is undeserving.

And all of us know there are people in our

minds who are undeserving don't deserve, don't deserve heard, the

command is be mercyful. Blessed is he that shows mercy?

Why because he himself shall obtain mercy. What does that mean?

I believe that our fellowship with God and our forgiveness

is linked. That's why in the Lord's prayer we pray

forgive us our trespassers, as we forgive those who tryst

pass against us. Other translations say forgive us our death,

as we forgive our death does But this is for

the purpose of daily fellowship with the Lord, and that's

why we need forgiveness daily, just like we need break daily.

Our Father in heaven, Hello, be your name, your kingdom. Come,

Your will be done on heavenness it is in earth.

Give us this day our daily break. Then forgive us

our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Our daily forgiveness from God is actually conditioned on earth,

passing it to others, the mercy that we have first received.

If we are not forgiving, then in that daily sense,

we cannot be forgiven, because the two goes hand in hand.

If my heart refuses mercy to another, how can I

then come before God for daily forgiveness, which is needed

for daily communion and daily fellowship with God. And that

is why forgiveness is such a powerful, powerful thing, and

that's why forgiveness always affects us and our relationships with

not just God, but also to one another. It's very

important because God greatly values mercy, and those who show

it will receive and undeserve award. Because sometimes we think

it's all the good that I've done, and I've done

this good thing, and therefore I receive. No, we are

still whatever we receive from God is still unwarranted. Again,

nothing you can do to receive God's grace, nothing we

can do to deserve God's saving us. But yet He's

still saved us, and he doesn't want us to keep

the fact that we are safe, and then we don't

extend mercy out to others. That's why there's a parable.

Remember the the this this guy with a dad came

to the king and then uh back the king place

forgive my dad, forgive my dad, and then the king

forgave his dead. And then after that there was someone

who owed him a smaller amount, but yet he chose

not to forgive that person off that dead, and then

he demanded in and then you read the last words

and the lines that it's actually very strong, strongly worded

because the king was furious after that, or the or

the previous boss or employer, and he came and he said, no,

I'll take everything from you and then condemn you. So

it's so important for us to value mercy because really

there is a reward that comes. Those who are merciful

will experience themselves God's mercy. It is of the Lord's

mercy that we are not consumed. Really, think about it.

That's why we can say that His mercies are new

every morning, every day. Every morning. You know, when the

sun is shining in the morning on your face, you

are saying, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. When there's food on

your table, you're saying Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. When the

shelter over your head. You can say, really, this is

God's mercy upon our life, because think about it. Do

you deserve all this? No, we don't. But yet his

mercy has set us free. And so God be merciful

to me, a sinner, so that I can show mercy

to others. Amen, I want to encourage us again. Number

six is this Blessed are the pill in heart, for

they shall see God what makes a man dirty or

a woman. And you realize it's not so much what

you put into your mouth, but actually what proceeds from

your heart. All evil thoughts actually come out of a

person's heart. And after all, the heart is the part

of earth, which actually God judges, because it says that

man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at

the heart, and so the Lord does not see men

as we see ourselves. The Lord looks to our heart.

And it is the heart that first responds to the Gospel,

because it says that if you believe in your heart

and then confess with your mouth, you shall be saved.

When it starts off with the heart. So it is

in the heart that true worship takes place. And that's

why I met you. Chapter fifteen, verse eight says, these

people draw near to me with their mouth and honor

me with their lips, but their heart is far away

from me. And the word heard in the Bible means

quite simply the inside of a man, the inside of

a person. It is what we will cover as heart,

mind and will, our emotions, our thoughts, our motives, and

So another thing about the heart is we need to

take note of is in terms of purity, the purity

of our hearts. That is what is meant by a

clean heart. And what does a clean heart mean? Well,

I believe a clean heart is a heart that is

free from mixed motives. It is a heart that is

single focused. It's not a heart that is double minded,

is not a it's not half hearted, it is whole.

It has pure motives. It has a desire for God

and the desire of God for his own sake. And

it also means this a heart that is free from

evil desires that spoil even the holiest things that we do.

That is what purity means. And the scripture says, bless

the pure in heart for days shall see God, and

one day they will have a vision of God direct,

face to face. Amen. We will see more of God

if we have been pure in our hearts. So we've

got to always have this heart check and keep our

hearts at bay and aligned to God. Very very very

very important. Amen. Number seven. I know it's a lot,

but again, when you go back and read it, I

pray that you will realize that these are the characteristics

that is needed in our lives. Blessed are the peace makers,

for they shall be called sons of God. And there

is this tremendous need for peace in this world. You

all know that, whether it's international peace, racial peace, industrial piece,

domestic piece, personal peace, everyone is yearning and desiring for peace.

Peace Makers are not just people who stop fights or

help others leave peacefully. They are those who bring reconciliation.

And the reconciliation that they're bringing is actually rooted in

the work of atonement. What that means is the reconciliation

that they are bringing is essentially what Jesus has already

done on the cross. Because what Jesus did on the

cross reconciles man and God because for once God doesn't

look at us as evil because he sees Christ, his

son in us. And that is the reconciliation that is

so important to take place. And so the first peace

maker are those who share the gospel. Actually, if you

share the gospel, what are you doing? You are literally

pleading with men on behalf of God. You know that's

what you're doing. You're saying, this is the gospel of

Jesus Christ, and I have been sent here to share

this good news. To you on behalf of God, so

that you can be reconsult to Him. Thrue Christ. That

is why every evangelist is a peacemaker, because he helps

God be reconciled with men. Those who help men be

reconsult to men are also peacemakers. And that's why I

told this morning service the pastors in the church, the

leaders in the church, you are peacemakers because you are

helping each other reconcile. It's so important because whenever there

is any more city, or whenever there is something against

one another, whether it's against God or against one another,

that's where relationships break down. And so God wants us

first and foremost to be recognized as sons and daughters

of God, and then he wants us to also be

recognized as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That is

why it is so important for us to remember this

beautiful attitude. Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall

be called sons of God. Amen. And finally he says this,

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for

theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. So we wrap it up.

And the thing is, some people don't realize how honest

Jesus is. You know, Jesus, he is straight up. He

doesn't beat around the bush. He says it as it is.

A lot of times we just try to filter it

out in our minds. Not Jesus is not like that.

He doesn't say things like this. He doesn't say. You know,

Jesus never promised any of us a bit or roses.

He actually said that you will be more a crown

of thorns that you'll be wearing, and Christ say in

the world you will have tribulation. That's in John chapter sixteen.

And then he promised them across before he even promised

them the final crown. That means we have to first

bear the cross. And I'm grateful that Jesus he didn't

lie to us. He didn't try to come. Come. Cority

is gonna be nice, fine dandy. No, just believe, and

all your sorrows and all your pains will go away. No,

even if you are a sin, you'll be persecuted for

two reasons, and I'll tell you why. Firstly, because you

are a peacemaker, and people don't like peacemakers. How many

of you all like peacemakers? The one who's trying to

help you reconcile when you want to genuinely be angry

with someone you don't like it. Then secondly, because you know,

if you read all those beautiful attitudes from one to seven,

whoever would leave a godly life in Christ Jesus will

be persecuted. Why because they are different. That is the

truth of it. We leave different lives. We don't live

in accordance to the world's standards. We don't live in

accordance to the ways of this world. And as follower

of Jesus, you will stand out and you will challenge

the world's ways because your values are not these world's values.

Your values are tied to God's values, and God's values

are always higher. Amen. And so if people have clearly

said that they are against God, and they are against

his values, and they are against His standards, what makes

you think they will not be against you who uphold

the values and the standards of God. And so our

lives are not going to be all nice and fine

and dandy. But you are blessed when people insult or

speak against you. Why because it confirms that you belong

to God. And I pray that you understand this. Because

the two things shows this your love for fellow and

the world's opposition to you, you still love them, You

still love your brothers and sisters, and you still love

those who do not believe, those who continue sinning. Because

the scripture never tells us to hate the sinner. It

just says, be against the sin and pray that this

person comes to the realization that Jesus has come to

save him from his sin. Amen. Persecution strengthens and refines you.

And the Church has always been strongest in hardships, and

the Christian is also closest to God in those times.

So I want you to remember this. The attitude, the

be attitude here is not only reassuring, is not only

refining us, but it's also saying that there is a reward.

It is rewarding us because finally, it says that there

is a special crown for those who will continue to

hang on because there is the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

And so I know it's a lot to take in,

but I pray that as you see from the scriptures,

as you understand it, as God is speaking to you,

remember that these are important characters for us to have.

You know, when we come to Verse thirteen. It says

the influence of this kind of character within a Christian

is actually described when we use soul as an analogy.

That's why verse thirteen talks about saul. Okay, you see

the last beattitude, say that the world what the world

will do to you when you hang on to all

these things. The world is going to be against you.

The world is going to persecute you. Now, Jesus tells

us what we will do to the world because he

says that we shall be soul. Amen. And jesus Us

salt as a metaphor for the Christian's role in the world,

not for its flavor or mere preservative qualities. But I

believe it's two other functions that sometimes we don't realize.

But salt is also used as a disinfectant, disinfectant to

prevent the spread of evil. And salt is also used

as a fertilizer. There are some compounds in salt that

is used to fertilize and to encourage growth, growth of

good things. Amen. And so, just as salt was used

in Jesus's time to purify ways and to enrich the soil,

Christians are called to resist corruption and promote righteousness. That

is what salt is for. But salt can lose its

effectiveness not by changing its nature, because you can never

change the nature of salt. It is salt if its

nature and chloridelorid. But it can be adulterated with impurities.

And just as a Christian can lose his or her influence,

if we become more compromised in our standards and in

the way we live our lives, and then that will

affect how effective we are as influences in this world.

And so I know, I know it's a lot to

take in, a lot to digest, but I'm going to

invite the band. I'm done. You know, if a believer

remains this thing in character, the truth is, you will

be both persecuted and you'll be respected. That is what

the beatitudes tell us. And in times of need, I

believe the world will still turn to those who really

truly believe in God because we carry with us the truth,

and this world is seeking for or the truth. And

true influence comes not from the quantity of how many

people there are and things like that. It comes from

the quality and the character of one's faith. That's where

truth comes from. And I pray that in us. It's

the understanding of this characters that have been talked about

right here in the Beautiful Attitudes, because the happy disciple

is derived from the disciple who makes holiness his choice.

All this that I've talked about is a choice. Are

we willing to take on the character of Christ in

our lives? It's not the easiest thing to be done.

But yet again, if we go back right to the

very first beautiful attitude, when we realize that we were

once nothing. In fact, we had less than nothing. But

it was Jesus that new work and that miracle in

my life that has given me something to hope for

and something to look forward to. Am I now able

to live for him? Am I now able to choose

him and to walk in accordance to his path that

He has laid before us. It's not going to be

a wide path. It's going to be straight and narrow,

and sometimes we don't like the straight and narrow. But

I pray that God will give you strength and may

His joy be your strength. Let's stand, and I'm going

to pray for us. I pray that we are all

happy disciples, because if you realize what God has done

for you, in your life. Truly, it can only bring

about one response, and that response is thanksgiving, joy and

the desire to want go and tell more people about

this joy that you have experienced, the fact that now

you are found, because once you were lost. Amen, Father,

in the name of Jesus, Lord, I thank you for

your word, and your word, lordd reminds us of all

these beautiful attitudes and attributes of you that we have

to take after. Lord. I pray that you will work

in those characters and those attitudes, work it into our lives,

Lord God, and I know it only happens when we say, Lord,

have your way. We trust in your ways, because your

ways are always higher beyond what we can ever imagine

or hope for, or fully comprehend and understand. The magnitude

of what you have done for us, Lord God is

incomparable and sometimes even incomprehensible. But yet, Father will look

to you and we say, Lord, we are grateful for

what you have done for us. Nothing we have done

to deserve your mercies and to deserve your saving grace,

But year the Lord God, you have offered it to

us when we put our hope and our trust in you.

And now Lord I pray that we will always be

in this happy position. And I believe the happiest position

is a position where as a child receiving a gift

is a child that extends his or her hands and say, Lord,

I receive your gift. Because when we receive this gift,

that the Lord is giving us the gift of his character,

the gift of who he is, into our lives. Ultimately,

we are allowing for that change and transformation to take place.

And so Father, steal this gift in the lives of

those who believe in you, those who say I choose

to follow Jesus, and I choose to follow him all

the days of my life. Lord, I pray that your

people will continue to experience your goodness and your mercies,

which are new every day and every morning. In Jesus name,

we ask and we pray, and all God's people say,

we hope.

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