Matthew 5:7-8 (NKJV)

7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT:MERCIFUL & PUREMatthew 5:7-8

SOM: Merciful & Pure Tonight we continue our Sunday Night

Series on the Sermon on the Mount We began in Matthew 5 and are in the

midst of studying together the Beatitudes

Beatitude is simply a word that reflects those who are blessed, happy or fortunate

SOM: Merciful & Pure Jesus is giving us a formula for living

a blessed or happy life It may seem like the opposite of

what the world touts as a happy person

We know that in any situation, God certainly knows best, so we follow His formula for true contentment

SOM: Merciful Jesus says in verse 7, “Blessed

are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”

We all understand the meaning behind mercy, but let’s properly define it

Merciful (Greek word – eleemon) – actively compassionate (not just possessed of pity)

SOM: Merciful Mercy is kindness or goodwill towards

the miserable & afflicted, joined with a desire to help them

Mercy is often times depicted as being for those who perhaps do not deserve it

Certainly we think of Jesus, who was called a merciful High Priest (Heb. 2:17)

SOM: Merciful What made Jesus merciful? It was because He would “make

propitiation for the sins of the people”

We obviously didn’t deserve His mercy because we were sinners (Rom. 3:23; 5:8)

The mercy of Christ was showing good will to the undeserving afflicted w/sin

SOM: Merciful Jesus here calls upon you and I to be

merciful That mercy we show to others will lead

us to a blessed and happy life God has always required us to be a

merciful people (Mic. 6:8); which derives from the 2nd greatest command(Matt. 22:36)

SOM: Merciful Look at the wisdom of the words of

Solomon in Proverbs 11:17 & 14:21 God promised to bless His people if

they would become a merciful people (Is. 58:6-12)

Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar to stop sinning by being righteous & showing mercy to the poor (Dan. 4:27)

SOM: Merciful Paul said when we belong to

Christ that we put off our old sins and put on tender mercies (Col. 3:12)

James said that the wisdom that comes from God is “full of mercy” (Js. 3:17)

Jesus goes on in the SOM to tells us 2 ways that we often don’t show mercy

SOM: Merciful The first is when we do not forgive

others (Matt. 6:14-15; Matt. 18:33-35) The second is when we judge others

harshly and unfairly (Matt. 7:1) If we are willing to be kind and

compassionate towards those who need it, the blessing we receive is mercy in return

SOM: Merciful “For judgment is without mercy

to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Js. 2:13)

It’s a simple illustration of the game mercy that can help us understand this

Onesiphorus received mercy because he showed mercy to others (II Tim. 1:16-18)

SOM: Pure In Heart Jesus then said in verse 8,

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”

Pure (Greek word katharos) simply means “clean”

It means free from corrupt desire, sin and guilt

It is a heart blameless and innocent

SOM: Pure In Heart Jesus here refers to the pure or

clean of heart The Pharisees were obsessed with

how clean the outside was (Matt. 23:25, 28)

Jesus stressed that defilement came from the inside, not the outside (Matt. 15:17-20)

SOM: Pure In Heart The heart is the root of all that

we do in this life There should be much emphasis

placed upon protecting our hearts

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23)

SOM: Pure In Heart David understood the importance of

the heart He asked God to give him a clean

heart following his sin with Bathsheba

(Ps. 51:10) David was concerned about the heart

of his son Solomon (I Chron. 29:17-19)

SOM: Pure In Heart Following their sin, God wanted to

give the COI a new heart (Ezek. 36:25-27)

James urged the double-minded to purify their hearts (Js. 4:8)

Those who are the pure in heart will certainly receive a reward (Ps. 24:4-5)

SOM: Pure In Heart Jesus says the reward is that they

shall see God The pure in heart will be able to see

God in this life (through those around them)

The pure in heart will also be able to see God in the next life (living in His presence in heaven)