09/21/2005 - 10:23 pm
my mood ring says I'm: calm
MATTHEW 5:8-9 � Pure in heart, Peacemakers...
I. Pure in heart...will see God (5:8):
A. Tonight, in the 6th beatitude we are going to be addressing this idea of holiness, of purity in the
lives of Christians
B. Let's start in the middle with the words IN HEART
1) Humans are at a disadvantage because our vision is limited. We don't have x-ray vision. So we make our judgments
about one another based on the external appearances: dress, fitness, beauty, walk/talk
2) The Bible says that though man looks on the outward appearances, but God judges the motive, the attitudes, the
intents of our hearts, the purity of our hearts. So when Jesus spoke to the most religious men of his day, the most
externally righteous, he called them whitewashed tombs
3) We can be pure in action (we don't sin externally); we can be pure in other people's eyes (they don't see our sin); or
pure in our own eyes (we overlook and make excuses for our sin)
4) Sin in the heart is the issue:
(a) For out of the overflow of the hearts, the mouth speaks, all kinds of sin spring forth
(b) Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
5) But Jesus says that those on whom God's favor rests, those whom God approves of, those whom experience true
joy and happiness are the pure IN HEART, thoughts, motives, attitudes, intents, etc.
E. So that brings us to the word PURE. What is this purity we are talking about? In one sense, the
Bible says that no one is pure except Jesus, so does that mean that none of us will see God? What
is purity?
1) Sacrificial purity - Christ's death and sacrifice - for my sin
(a) Romans 3 - none is righteous, we are all corrupt; we have all turned away. We cannot save ourselves; we
cannot make ourselves right with God; we cannot repay our debt of sin
(b) 2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God
(c) Isaiah 53:5 - But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that
brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed
2) Moral purity -
(a) Many times, sadly, that is where the Christian life and growth is stunted for people. They know they need a
Savior. They know they don't measure up to God's standard.
(b) But they can't comprehend or they just don't believe that God calls us to a moral purity; God's desire is to
make us more like Christ
(c) But listen to these Scriptures on God's desire for us to become practically pure:
i. Titus 2:11-14 - For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say �No� to ungodliness and
worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope � the
glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to
purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good
ii. Colossians 3:5-8 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires
and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once
lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips
iii. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 - It is God�s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you
should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know
God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins,
as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
iv. Galatians 5:1, 13 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by
a yoke of slavery...You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather,
serve one another in love
v. Ephesians 4:17-24, - So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of
their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them
due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in
every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him
and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put
off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
vi. Romans 6:6-7 - For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we
should no longer be slaves to sin � because anyone who has died has been freed from sin
(d) Hebrews 10:14 - because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy
3) Purity of vision - unmixed wine; not diluted; sincere; honest, open, vulnerable, without wax; unmixed motives. Pure
devotion to God, w/o distractions, single-mindedness as opposed to divided allegiance
(a) Jesus said that you cannot serve two masters; you can't serve two gods
(b) James 4:8 - Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded
(c) That why in Matthew 6 Jesus says that it is important that you seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness rather than running after clothes, food, drink, money (all of those things that the rest of the world
runs after and spends all of their time consumed with)
(d) Philippians 1:21 - For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain
(e) Hebrews 10:22 - let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith...
(f) You are dead to this world and the world is dead to you
i. Galatians 6:14 - May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world
ii. Colossians 3:1-3 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in
God
iii. 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal...we live by faith, not by sight
(g) Psalm 86:11 - Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I
may fear your name
(h) Romans 16:19 - I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil
(i) Titus 1:15 - To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure
(j) John 17 - Cleanse them by your truth, your word is truth
F. See God - Stars become clearer when you remove the distractions of lights of the city; so with our
single-minded devotion, we literally can see God in everything
1) ultimately see God
2) spiritually see God
3) in the details of life, in the lives around us, and in our own life
4) in his word
5) in prayer
G. Pursue holiness, without which, no one will see the Lord
H. Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God�s mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God � this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what God�s will is � his good, pleasing and perfect will
II. Peacemakers...Sons of God (5:9):
A. When you say the word "peace," we may all think of something slightly different (quiet, rest, lack of
violence); and they are all related, but just what does this mean by blessed are the peacemakers
B. What does this world mean by peace? Is that what this is talking about?
C. Jesus said I did not come to bring peace but a sword - what does that mean in regards to being a
peacemaker? He also said that because of our faith people would kill us, despise us and hate us
D. The place where to start is this: we all know what a lack of peace looks like - war, arguments,
restlessness, anxiety and fear, violence, conflict
E. And to get at the answer, maybe we should come around the back door and ask this question first:
why is there a lack of peace in our hearts, lives, families, relationships and in this world?
1) James 4:1-2 - What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don�t they come from your desires that battle within
you? You want something but don�t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and
fight.
2) Ultimately the answer is sin and the curse of sin:
(a) Between man and God
(b) Between man and himself
(c) Between man and nature
(d) Between man and man
(e) Between ourselves and man
F. If you have ever had an attic, you have probably had the problem of cobwebs. But really the
problem isn't the cobwebs, you have a spider problem. So to focus all of your efforts and attention
on fighting the cobwebs, you are fighting a losing battle that you can't win. You must get to the heart
of the matter
G. As far as it is possible for you, be at peace with all men
1) There will be conflict - we live in a fallen world with the curse hanging over it as a result
2) It may not be possible - some people do not want peace; they thrive on division, on drama, on conflict; and peace
may be out of your control
3) But God says, if it depends on you, then make peace happen; I can't tell you exactly what that looks like in your life,
with the conflicts that arise in your situation; you know when there is a lack of peace; allow God to reveal to you
what it means to be a peacemaker in your world of influence
4) I can tell you that a lot of it is going to be related to mercy (what we talked about last week)
H. So if we as Christians are called to be sons of God, where do we start?
1) Peace with God - the Bible says that at one point all of us were enemies of God; we were rebellious against God,
at odds with God; that because of our sin and God's holiness (consuming fire), there can be no peace between us
(a) Ephesians 2:14-18 - For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier,
the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His
purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to
reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and
preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have
access to the Father by one Spirit
2) Healing of guilt, shame, pain, hurt of life - again this is a work that God performs through the cross
3) Mercy, forgiveness, humility/meekness - not fighting for our rights, our privileges, our revenge and justice; leaving
that up to God
4) Advocate for the weak, helpless, hurting, imprisoned - fighting for those who can't fight for themselves
5) Death
(a) Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in
the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me
I. Sons of God -
1) God will call us sons
2) People of this world will call us sons of God
(a) 1 Peter 2:11-12 - Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing
wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us
verse of the week: Acts 1:15
1 days since my latest church event
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