The Citizen of Heaven - pt. 2 (Pastor Christian Torres)

The Sermon on the Mount and the Meaning of the Beatitudes

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military. Right. Matthew chapter 5 the Beatitudes. So last week We went through the first four and for those of you that weren't here Let me go ahead and bring you guys up to speed.

In the book of Matthew Jesus taught five major sermons. Five times when he sat down and he delivered a sermon. Now towards the end of Matthew he delivered a sermon about the end times. Delivered a sermon about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

But you want to know the largest? Sermon that Jesus taught in the book of Matthew The Sermon on the Mount it's not interesting that he spent more time talking about the character of his followers than the end times.

He spent more time focusing on you than he did the world. You your character is more important. You should pay more attention to the way you behave the way you think the way you speak and whatever is going on in the world.

The word beatitude and some of y 'all's Bible. It'll have the Beatitudes as a title. It simply means blessed or happy. What does it mean to live a blessed life? What does it mean to be truly happy? As you begin to listen to Jesus a sermon on the Mount.

Something becomes painstakingly obvious. No, man can live up to Jesus words by their own efforts. Christ gave us his standard, but he also gave us his Holy Spirit in order to achieve it. So let's go to Matthew 5 and what we're gonna do is we're gonna read it through once not the entire chapter.

Just verse 1 through verse 12. Same as we did last week verse 1 chapter 5. Hear the word of the Lord seeing the crowds he went up to the mountain and When he sat down his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are 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 are you when others revile you and Persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Let us pray Father I just read your word. Even though I'm preaching and I say this every time but I really do mean it. I want you to speak to me. I got my pen and I'm ready to take notes. Lord convict me first.

Heal me first father. And allow the words of my mouth. To be pleasing to you for this is my act of worship to you. May I deliver a faithful sermon in Jesus name. Amen. We're gonna start here in verse 7 where we left off.

Mercy That Flows From God’s Mercy

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. Now what we see here as we go down each beatitude is that the first one leads to the next and then the next and then the next. When you begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness He's gonna fill you with mercy.

And notice that he fills you with his mercy and not your own. I used to think that this was one of the most difficult passages to follow. If I don't show mercy no mercy will be shown to me. But you don't know what they did.

You don't know how they offended me. Does anyone here struggle with showing mercy to others or am I just the only one? That's okay. I could be the only one that's cool, you know. But I used to struggle to show mercy.

Especially to those that didn't deserve it. But then the more the Holy Spirit worked in my lap I realized I didn't deserve it in the first place. And guess what? His mercies are new every Morning brothers, you know what's fascinating.

His mercies are new every morning lamentations chapter 3. What does that say about my mercies towards other people? My mercy should be new every morning to those that hurt me. To those that sin against me.

Whether they are worthy of forgiveness and world standards or not. You are required to show mercy. Now some of you including myself. We get burnt out. We know where this whole church thing. We get burnt out at loving each other.

We get burnt out at showing mercy. We get burnt out at showing forgiveness and you know why? Because you're trying to use your love. Not his your mercy not his. When Christ asked you to love your enemy, did he really mean to use your love your broken love your love that ends?

The Holy Spirit in us produces fruit. The love that I receive is the one I give to you. Because if I gave you my love it would end. My love is full of conditions. If I were to show you mercy, it's it would have a stopping point.

I assure you. But because his mercies are new every single morning. I am to show you and everyone else in the world new Mercy, it is written in Zechariah 4 6 not by might not by power. But by my spirit says the Lord of hosts.

By his power not mine.

So if you feel yourself today all burnt out all churched out. Maybe it's time to finally start using his love and not yours his patience and not yours. Because his love never ends. And so if your love for one another ends.

Guess where it didn't come from. It didn't come from God.

Mercy.

Sweet mercy. I remember the first time I felt mercy. The first time I looked at myself and God and I confessed my sins and he forgave me. Empty-handed I had nothing to offer Christ. The man that wrote this book the Apostle Matthew.

He knows a thing or two about mercy.

His.

His conversion is About four chapters down from the sermon. I'm in love with the way that Jesus called Matthew. Jesus was walking near his his booth because he was a tax collector. So on the front of your sheet let me not get ahead of myself is a small biography of Matthew and If you understand who Matthew is his book kind of starts making sense.

You know, he was a Jew and for you MIT students. You'll learn this in a little bit. It's interesting that Jesus taught five major sermons and then there's five major books in the old anyway, well, we'll get to that later but He was a tax collector.

Now I know we don't like the RS now, but back in the day right back over there. Tax collectors worked for the Roman occupation at this time in history. Israel was under the thumb of Rome. And what the Romans did is that they employed Jews to collect taxes?

So he was seen as a traitor by his own people and he was a Jew to the Romans so he's not really liked by anybody. He he wasn't allowed to go into the synagogue because he's unclean. He's a sinner. He's evil.

What does Jesus do? Does he wait for Matthew to come into a synagogue? Jesus goes up to his booth and says Matthew follow me. What does that say about our evangelism about our strategies about us waiting for them to come here?

But I find it really cool if you continue on in Matthew chapter 9 Matthew hosts this huge banquet invites all of his friends his tax collectors that other people of the city and then the Pharisees the religious elites come by because they hear the commotion, you know, they're always against parties and They look inside and they see tax collectors and sinners and then they see Jesus at the center ministering the Pharisees, of course all self-righteous and whatnot decide to go in and Ask a couple questions.

So instead of directing their questions towards Jesus they direct the questions to the disciples. Hey, why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners? What's super cool is that Jesus actually answers the question wasn't directed at Christ.

It was directed at disciples. But he stood in between the accused and the accuser. He stepped in he said, ah Talk to me. What are you doing talking to them? I'm their Lord. I'm their master. You talk to me.

You have a problem with my disciples. Come talk to me. Come here Pharisees people who think that you can get into heaven all by yourself. Matthew chapter 9 verse 13. Go learn what this means. I Desire mercy and not sacrifice for I came not to call the righteous but sinners.

Brothers, let me tell you something. I know it's gonna sound weird, but I'll prove it with Scripture. All of God's commands are important, but there are some that are more important than others. Uh-oh, here comes the heresy.

Don't worry. Matthew 23 20 yeah, 23 23, that's easy to remember. Jesus is having a conversation with the Pharisees again. And he says woe to you scribes and Pharisees you hypocrites for you tithe Mint and dill and cumin but have neglected the weightier matters of the law justice and mercy and faithfulness.

These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. So brothers, let me tell you something. It's amazing that you're here. I'm glad that you're here. It's good that you tithe. We can't function if you don't.

It's cool that you read the Bible. It's cool that you pray. Wonderful, if you show no mercy. Where are you at? You are no better than the Pharisees. Showing mercy is more important than praying Mercy you showing mercy is more important than your prayers.

You want me to prove it to you in the book of Amos? God tells his people to shut up get your songs away from me for you neglect justice and mercy. I don't want your sacrifice. I Stinks but when you begin to show mercy when you begin to forgive those That don't deserve forgiveness.

Then you really understand my grace then you really understand how I got you out of the place that you were in. Brothers, don't forget where you were don't become like the Pharisees. I Know that it's hard to show mercy.

But the promise still remains that if you show it you shall receive it. Moving on to verse 8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. The word pure here in the Greek is cathars meaning without admixture clean and purified.

But I got a problem. I can't fit that description. There is at no point in my life where I could fit that description where my heart can be 100 pure. Even post-conversion, I can't be pure. I still have sinful thoughts people.

It doesn't go away once you become a Christian. I used to think that way. I used to think that. You know the more I read the more I prayed the less I would sin. Oh the stronger the temptations got. If it hasn't been obvious to you You cannot meet this standard.

So who can? Jeremiah 17 9 Unfortunately for me says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it? Do you know where you are in your life today? You don't need a doctor if you are well, you don't need a forgiver if you don't know that you are a sinner you have violated God's law and Breaking just one of God's law is Enough to send you to hell for all of eternity.

Well, that's not fair. Why would one temporary sin, you know lead to an eternity in hell? Because you sinned against an eternal God so his actions will be eternal. So that is an issue. Luckily for you.

We got King Jesus coming here giving us the sermon. He said blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. He knows that you can't make it on your own. He knows your struggles. He knows mine. What baffles my mind people and I'm gonna be super honest with you is that when I first became a Christian I Couldn't comprehend the amount of sins I would continue to do.

Like wow, Jesus Christ saved me. Including the sins that I was gonna commit tomorrow. He forgave past present and future this radical grace. But Lord, what are you gonna do about my heart like I really want to be different.

I really want to be sanctified. In the book of Ezekiel. He gave us a promise Ezekiel 36 26 as It is written. I will give you a new heart. I will put within you a new spirit and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you.

Yeah, let me see if I read that right and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh he promises to give you a new heart and The Hebrew heart was the place of Emotion your thoughts.

So whenever you read heart in the Old Testament, it's your emotions your thoughts your feelings. Christ will give you new thoughts. Christ will give you a new desire as I mentioned last week. You are a new creature if you are a Christian.

So the diet you used to have as the as an old Christian. You no longer have you no longer appetite after those things that used to it. It hurts you to sin. It hurts you. It's so it's fascinating. It's such a quick change.

I can't describe it. It is this conviction that I immediately felt once the Holy Spirit took up residence in my life. And he slowly does it. I Want to reiterate again. He slowly does it. If the Holy Spirit were to convict you of every sin you are committing you would be overwhelmed and you would crumble.

But he does it in the in the process called sanctification. Slowly showing you as you live your life. Yeah, we're gonna get rid of this. Who that little white lie they used to tell and you're still telling that mouth of yours.

Slowly and thank God he does because that is an act of mercy because conviction can hurt. Conviction can be painful. But let me tell you conviction also gives me comfort. Conviction is so beautiful because then I know if I have his conviction to have his peace if I have his rod I'll also have a staff.

Conviction is a sweet gift. And so this promise here I find it. Okay, if I have a pure heart, of course not myself, but the Holy Spirit giving me one how then can I see God? Because I want to see God.

Have has anyone ever here prayed like me the lesser Christian in the room. God. Just show yourself to me. Oh my goodness, who doesn't want to see Jesus? Come on I read all these times and and in the history of the Bible where God just appears and I'm like, oh Come on, what do I need to do?

Don't need to kill an Egyptian to get your attention. Come on show yourself to me and This is what he spoke to me. When I became a Christian I realized That Christ is not now present in my life. He has always been present in my life.

I look back and I go. I saw you leading me there. I saw you leading me towards you when I wasn't a Christian. Before I became a Christian. I was convicted by a Holy Spirit. I didn't even know he was present the entire time.

He's always been my father. My conversion it's just when the adoption papers went through. But he's always been with me and you begin to see that with your new heart. You now open the scriptures and you go.

Whoa. I've read this a million times, but now I can actually see God through the ink the words come alive. I see Jesus now for the first time. And although my friends you don't see him now you will because the temporary blessing for this promise is We see him in our lives.

We see him in the church, but there will come a day Where he comes and you will see him and unlike the rest of the world that shies away at the sheer horror and terror. That'll befall them. We will look at him and just want to hug him and kiss him.

See, it's gonna be weird because he's gonna be coming. You know as a knight a sword coming out of his mouth his robes dipped in blood and we're gonna be in love. The rest of the world will be terrified.

My Savior is coming. Oh Oh, no, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is coming. But to you my friends the pure in heart you will see him and not be afraid. All knees will bow 100 My knee will start bowing now guys now before he comes.

I already swore loyalty that promise. I'm already doing it. And so heaven is just gonna be another day here. Just you know with no sin and tears, which is fantastic. Moving on to verse 9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

Peacemakers, Not Peacekeepers

Now remember last week when I said that we need to slow down when reading our Bibles that you know reading the Bible. In a year is all cool and all but there's got to be some times where you slow down and actually Study the scriptures not just read them.

This is one of them.

The scriptures say.

Blessed are the peacemakers not the peace keepers. The world thinks that we Christians should be peace keepers. We shouldn't be stirring the waters. You should accept the people as they are. You shouldn't judge.

That's not very peaceful. Be like Jesus. Let me tell you right now when the world says be like Jesus not like your Jesus not like the islet you have set up. Because mine did not come to bring peace mine came to bring.

Division you want me to prove it to you? Okay. Well Matthew chapter 10. Five chapters after Jesus taught this he said don't think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I Have not come to bring peace but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and. A person's enemies will be those of his own household, you know.

Peace keepers like to keep peace temporarily, but what they fail to see is that doesn't. That doesn't lead to eternal peace. Peace makers stir the waters in order to create eternal peace. I am willing to To break the tension to make it awkward and evangelize in an effort for eternal peace.

Brothers Christ was a peacemaker. Every knee will bow. Well, that's not very tolerant. Well, you're not God.

Christ came.

To rule the world.

This first time he came to die for our sins. But I assure you he will come again and he will set up shop and every knee will bow. As a peacemaker the world will see you as a threat, you know I don't want to get ahead of myself, but the next the very next verses you will be persecuted.

Look, I.

I'm a very chill guy. All right, I don't like to get involved in other people's stuff, but. When Christ says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. You know, I want to be called the Son of God.

I.

Am willing.

To confront a brother on their sin as Painful as it is. I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to tell you the truth. When I could really lie to you and you can like me more. But I'm not here to be like church.

Nowhere in the job description of a pastor does it say I have to be liked. You know, I I'm accountable to you all of you members of wooden. But I don't report to you. He's my boss. He's the one that I seek approval from.

If he says well done good and faithful servant, I have everything I need. The world can hate me if he loves me. That's all that I need. Something really cool has anyone here ever read the book of Acts the first 30 years of the church.

Look, if you haven't it's super cool. Because they look like us. They act like us they mess up like us. It's literally us. We haven't changed a bit, right? But I want you to know as a peacemaker. Man, Paul was a hated guy, especially since he was in a Pharisee much like Matthew.

He took a radical change. He was part of the religious elite that hated Jesus that wanted him crucified one of them buried. But the Apostle Paul had a conversion but it wasn't his own. The Holy Jesus Christ met him at the road to Damascus.

Just like he met Matthew. You're getting a theme here that Jesus is the one that does the saving. He's the one that goes to you and His life changed forever. I want to read something to you super funny.

Acts 17 starting in verse 5 but the Jews were jealous and Taking some wicked men of the rabble the rabble the rabble they formed a mob. Set the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason. Jason was the guy that was hosting the Apostle Paul.

Seeking to bring them out to the crowd and when they could not find them. They dragged Jason and some of the brothers from the city authorities shouting check this out. These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.

We turn the world upside down.

Why?

Because Jesus did he came to bring his upside-down kingdom. Where the least is more important or the one that serves is more important. Or instead of curses and and lies we give blessings. When we get slapped on one cheek.

We turn the other one also in this kingdom. Christ gives us a whole new set of rules. When someone forces you to go one. Go two miles with them. If someone attempts to sue you for your shirt, give him your cloak.

For your reward will be great in heaven. Be peacemakers in your lives in your families. Guys, we're approaching Christmas and we're approaching Thanksgiving. We're about to have a lot of family over. Okay in your own house.

If you're like me, I got some Jehovah's Witness in my family. All right. There's bound to be some some conflict. Hey, I'm not saying, you know start the fight, but if it's already happening be a peacemaker.

Go ahead and get in there son. But of course in all things show love. What does it matter that you have all the answers? What does it matter that you have great theology. If you show no mercy, uh-oh notice how each of these go into the other a Peacemaker with no mercy.

You're just cruel and Christ doesn't want you. Mercy in your peacemaking and the last beatitude and this one right here is. It's a tough one guys, I'm gonna be honest with you it's a tough one. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

And this isn't the way Jesus finishes his sermon. This is like point one of his sermon. He has two more chapters to go. But this section of a sermon he ends with this. You will be persecuted if you follow the first seven.

Logically speaking they will try to hunt you down. Notice the promise here is the same as the first blessing in verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 10 blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Christ wanted to remind you of the promise. He gave you at first. You remember how certain you were when you became a Christian. How on fire you were man. Christ will never leave me nor forsake me. I'm good and then life happened.

You know things happened. You realize that this process of sanctification is a lot harder than you thought it was gonna be. His promise to you then is still his promise to you now. Because Christ doesn't change he's not like a man who changes his mind.

He doesn't begin projects that he can't finish. If God called you he will sanctify you. If God called you he will beautify you. He will call you and he will never leave you because he's a good shepherd.

And he's got a reputation to maintain as the best shepherd in the world and not one of his sheep will be lost. Not a single one as we read before. Your biggest enemies your biggest apps will be your family members.

The people who know you best.

Your neighbors.

You know, we live in America. All right. America has its share of problems. Sure. And if you actually believe that America has its share of problems go and vote, please.

But the rest of the world.

Especially in places like Africa or the Middle East. If you become a Christian, that's your life. Yeah, there's no going to church next Sunday. There's a there's the gallows over there. Let's go ahead and.

Stone you.

If you become a Christian in your family, they have to disown you In North Korea. Okay, this one's even this one is horrible. If you even have a sliver of a verse then they will take you prisoner and Your family and your extended family.

That's if they don't kill you for the for some people for those that are being truly persecuted It does cost them a lot. It does cost them their lives. You know for us to be Christians Will applaud you will baptize you we might even give you a certificate that luxury isn't found anywhere else in the world and That what we see in the world will one day happen here.

I. But let me tell you something America will fall Because it will cease if it hasn't already to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow and that includes Washington. I know the government stinks.

I.

Know that.

You know abortion is a real issue. I don't know what the the percentage is but maybe like 40 50 percent of Americans agree with it. Look the people we elected. That's the people America elected. Look at politics you see the American people.

Don't think we're any better. We're the ones that put them in Voting blindly. Oh, all I see is are I'm gonna check this here. Oh, all I see is Democrat. I'm gonna check over here. Have we prayed. Have you prayed for Kamala Harris?

Have you prayed for her? Scripture says to pray for all those who are in authority. Or scripture says to pray for enemies whatever she is in your book. You should still be praying.

Look.

Pray for Trump. Look I do like Trump. But I struggle to say he's a Christian. Oh, oh, oh, oh, man. And you know why I say I struggle to believe he is because if you were in this room as a member We would all agree.

Oh, he's not. Where's the love? Where's the peace? I'm not electing him because he's a Christian. Don't be so ignorant. I like them because I think he's the man for the job and he can get whatever done done.

But I don't look to him for any spiritual advice. Y 'all remember when he when he was talking about two Corinthians, okay, come on. Oh, come on. But you my friends will be persecuted the same way the rest of the world is.

The world will hate you and then it will finally cost you. Jesus many times in Scripture will turn around and go can I help you? What do you what are you here for? What can I do for you walking up to blind people saying?

How can I help you? Seriously, how can he help you? This world your friends your family will see you as an enemy simply because you are of the light and.

They're of the dark.

Do not make this world your home. For the world will naturally reject and condemn you but don't be afraid. The king of the kingdom of heaven will accept and justify you. What are you seeking? Are you seeking glory in this life?

Or are you seeking the eternal kingdom of God? That he came to bring and we're living at it. We're living it out some here. It's a little bit tainted, right? Because we're still fallen we're still sinful we still Have hate in our heart towards each other.

But through the process of sanctification we are slowly Becoming what we will be. And Christ wants you to remember. Hey, I Told you in the beginning when you started following me the kingdom of heaven will be yours and when they persecute you When they put a gun to your head, don't think I'm exaggerating.

I Want you to remember the same promise. I told you at first the kingdom of heaven will be yours. A.

A.

Couple of months ago. I thought I preached on this. I had the book of martyrs and There's a particular passage in there where they found this underground church and they pulled them out and Like the evil men they are they started with the kids before they went to the parents and When the gun was placed, I don't know if it was a gun or a noose either way despicable in front of the kid.

The executioner looked at the Christian at the pastor and said where can't Jesus and he will live. And The man looked at his child and said I'm gonna see you in heaven. It'll just be a moment of pain it will be.

But I will see you in heaven in a little bit. What does it cost you to follow Christ? What is the cost that you are paying right now? Are you preparing for what is gonna come? Because Jesus did spend a long time preaching about if they came after me They will come after you if they called me the prince of demons.

What on earth do you think they'll call you my followers? I'm gonna go ahead and call the music minister up. Do you know why he left this beatitude to be the last one? Obviously because if you follow the first seven they will follow but It is a privilege to suffer for Christ.

It is actually a privilege and that is also another backwards thing first Peter 5 10 Says and after you have suffered a little while The God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore.

Confirm.

Strengthen and establish you. The Christ will not leave you by yourself. One of my biggest fears as a kid was being forgotten. I Wanted to be famous. Okay. Okay. Hold up. I'm being vulnerable guys. I'm being vulnerable.

Relax. When I was a kid, I wanted to start a band. I couldn't sing and I couldn't play. But I really wanted to be but I really wanted to be known, right? I hated the idea of me being forgotten and I kind of relate now more towards the thief on the cross.

Who looked at Christ and said remember me? The thief on the cross didn't say save me Accept me into your kingdom. In his mind the most he could have. It's just a simple memory in his reality. He just thought of Jesus sitting on his throne thinking.

I remember that's the poor soul.

Hmm.

Such a pity.

But that wasn't where Jesus stopped. Remember you. Remember, I can't forget you because you'll be with me in paradise. You'll be with him in paradise and I know that this. This part of the sermon doesn't resonate with a whole lot of us because we're not facing life-or-death situations.

But I assure you there are other people in the world. Who would be mourning at this? Who would have brothers and sisters mothers and fathers killed just a day before and they still meet and congregate?

Because it costs something to follow Christ. It isn't just a religious checkbox. One day we'll come and mark my words and mark the words of Scripture. It'll be painful to follow Christ, but the kingdom of heaven is your reward.

The Blessed Community at the Foot of the Cross

Having reached the end of the Beatitudes We begin to ask ourselves if there is any place on earth that will accept the blessed community Christ just described. There is only one place that will accept us.

And that is the place where the poorest meekest most tried man is found. At the feet of the cross like Golgotha. There you will find his kingdom. And brothers his kingdom is a place where we are afflicted in every way but never crushed.

Perplexed but not driven to despair. Persecuted but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed. Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

You want to live with Christ? You will suffer with Christ. But I don't know. I don't feel like I have the strength. There you go trying to use your own strength again. Hey, he will provide you the words.

He will provide you the strength.