Checklist for Lasting Joy, Part 2

In America, the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right practice inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, but the human longing for happiness isn't unique to Americans pursuit of happiness belongs to our human condition matter which country we call home today on Insight for living trucks went all this teaching from Matthew chapter 5 eloquent list of blessings Jesus bestows by following these time-tested principles. Jesus promised we would find genuine peace in yes even happiness, titled his message checklist for lasting joy begins with prayer. God, in light of accessible from our you are God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. You lead us like a shepherd you, her fears as you flood our minds with truth, and then take charge gently take us through the tough times. Hungry for father. We can live our lives free of fear that we on this earth who are so distant from you because of our sinfulness can have a relationship with you because of your grace. Thank you for bridging this massive gap that exists between our depravity in your purity between our sinfulness and your holiness. Thank you father thank you for understanding us without condemning us for forgiving us without lecturing us for taking us beyond our faults without shaming us. Thank you for giving us a reason to go on and pray for those today facing overwhelming odds. Their hearts beat faster and their minds are flooded with all kinds of uneasiness as the week is yet to run its course, not knowing what to expect commerce preparers for the week through the things we will learn and may we be able through your spirit to read between the lines and see how all of this relates to where we are today, we would have nothing without you we would not have her occupation. We would make no living. We would all be homeless fruitless lost by your grace you've given us a reason to go on.

You provided us with our work. You brought us, and in common. From that we have the pleasure to give to you in your work me every dime that's given be used with integrity and for your glory. We commit the offering to you now in the name of Jesus pray everybody sent to study the book of Matthew Chuck Swindoll.

Be sure to download searching the Scriptures by going to Insight world.or/studies. Another message title checklist for lasting joy you travel to Israel you will certainly go to the mall. The Beatitudes, and there you sit and you will feel the breezes as they blow in the beautiful spring flowers as they bloom, and you'll remember what it must've been like. You'll think of what it must've been like to accept their for he said he opens his mouth.

Verse two begins to teach them blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, what does that mean if the word appears two or three times in the Scriptures is worth searching out but now I am times in a row versus three through 11. Each of the verses beginning with that term. What is it me, the best definition I came across is a brief one and I offer an inward contentment on affected by our circumstances. Once again, an inner peace and inner contentment that is unaffected by anything else. Think of the Beatitudes as inner attitudes that prevail over all external situation. This is a new way of life based on a new way of thinking that Christ enables and may I add this when these things are modeled in our lives the world cannot believe it. It will be drawn to us like a magnet. I don't think because the church is like the world becomes of interest to the people of the world. I think when the church is different from the world. Suddenly the curiosity is aroused. See that's why think the theme of this sermon about his chapter 6 verse eight do not be like. Do not be be different. God loves difference and when we live a life it's different. We live a life that Christ lived. He was so different they drove to the cross. So are these Beatitudes for now offer later differ both. Don't relegate them to the kingdom age and leave them there as if all of it will wait for us in the millennial kingdom. They'll be there for us but they're here for now. These can be applied now and I hope to do that is best I can. These are the things that started the world and make them insatiably curious, which is part of the role there to fill. So the Lord says I congratulate you for having the courage to live my life and I'll give you all the enablement you need to do it. So what does that include all right, let's work through the must give account of a brief examination to each one of the eight Beatitudes number one poor in spirit. Verse three Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All the lasting joy over the lasting peace of one who realizes his or her own helplessness. That's poor in spirit or the lasting joy of the one who understands the absence of spiritual merit and the essential need of dependence on the Lord.

That's poor in spirit. Oh the joy lasting joy of one who lives her life without pride or arrogance who comes before the Lord empty-handed. The hope of the poor in spirit. Read it for yourself at the end of verse three. You truly enter into the kingdom living even though you're on this earth, you experience the blessing of living like a kingdom person you give up your own kingdom to live in the realm of his kingdom. It is no longer about you and you're not insulted by that your relieved you see the poor in spirit has no place for the narcissist and we are filled with narcissism. Every situation is all about me and here he says no. Blessed are the poor in spirit who come with no expectation willing to depend on the Lord you are poor in spirit. You live your life depended on the Lord, and you don't call attention to that. When you're humble you are not self-effacing, you simply set aside yourself or others that you do so as a habit of life and the result you will know what kingdom living like people.

Second, Blessed are those who mourn, you think the first one was tough about this. Blessed are those who mourn all the lasting joy of those who mourn, this is the strongest word in the Greek language for a passionate lament is the sorrow of a broken heart. The eighth of sold mental anguish morning over the wrongs of our world grieved grieved over one's own carnality certainly would include morning over those we have lost but it's deeper than that. It's caring very deeply about our continuation in the same sin or loved ones who are ruining their lives because of the Paulette it right wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of flesh. Romans seven world on the say this, the world says your troubles a old kitbag smile smile smile where he lives a big show laughing all really.

Is that really what you want to do to become a deep person know this is over the lasting joy of those who care intensely for the sorrows and the failure of oneself and others. Life isn't a joke. Read Psalm 51 after the adultery after the deceptive murder of Uriah day because before the Lord and pleads for mercy, have mercy on me. Oh God, have mercy on me.

That's morning I come before your Lord, I have done that which is heinous in your eyes hybrid. The woman's reputation, I have taken the life of her husband. I have lived in sin, though I claim to be your king and I'm bored over the deep, deep, lasting joy of one who can honestly say I need the forgiveness of God for my many many failures. Psalm 32 verse five refers to binding up the brokenhearted, there's great heartache here, but followed by great renewal see it you will be comforted. You will be given comfort. You will sense forgiveness is David ultimately did you be able to go on.

Blessed are the boarding now. The gentle verse five Blessed are the ship the old King James, I think, renders this week is that are the width of the world.

Sounds like week the world has words for this weapon. Doormat Casper milquetoast spineless week the biblical turn represents none of the above get this in the first century this term was translated gentle represented several things, not one of which is one week represented a horse that had been broken and was now under control and could be written by the writer at horses and week its strength under control is a word used this for a soothing strong emotion with gentleness. It was used for an appointment that took the sting out of the wound brought a gentle relief a child, ask a physician to be tender with him using the word gentle those who are polite and courteous and tactful and treat others with dignity are called in the Scripture gentle numbers 12 verse three says Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth, but I don't know of anyone I've met we called Moses week a man of enormous strength that could lead the people through the wilderness still be in fact if you would look at Proverbs 1632 may correlate this with a good verse of Scripture 1632 I think it's the end of the verse yes, 32, says he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty look at the next part. And he who rules his spirit than he who captures the city that that's that's gentle ruling the city with grace and what we promised shall inherit the earth. God will in larger influence. God would use you in ways you never would expect gentle people are still in great demand in the future will be judging angels and judging this earth but not under the Lord's headship and we will do so with gentleness that will be our reward great peace within great joy is the fourth following the first four are God's word. The last four or for this earth. Look at the last of the four to start with. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, all the lasting joy awaiting those souls who long for righteousness who have an insatiable appetite for spiritual truth.

This has reference to a passionate desire to know and walk intimately with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is true for the Christian.

If you are without Christ. This doesn't make any sense at all. I understand Jesus is speaking now to his followers, and I speak now to you know that the Lord Jesus, you can't get enough of his word. You can't drink deeply and up at the fountain of truth. You can't stay away from that which feeds your soul prayer to you is a relief not an obligation. You find great joy in reading the Scriptures in applying the Scriptures. In fact, the result is you will be satisfied look at this. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied 80. Robertson, the great Baptist scholar says that the term comes commonly used for feeding and fattening cattle since it's derived from the term for father satisfied would be like Hefty well fed livestock. Hey, I'm looking at some satisfied people right now in your hearing from this calls for personal testimony from David evening morning and noon.

Will I pray and cry aloud and he will hear my voice that's hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Not gonna pray because this morning, or a modern-day Dupree at noon every day know it's evening morning and noon. I pray and cry aloud. It is my delight to: he hears my voice, you become hunger that thirsty want to give your personal testimony than I want to tell you something about yourself. When I went to seminary I went**I got a taste of it at a church and I learned some things of it from parents who love the Lord not begun to dig into the Scriptures as best I could with the help of an organization called the navigators but when I got the Dallas seminary I heard truth like I've never ever heard plumbed before and the deaths of it were magnificent.

I couldn't get there early enough to get Ron in the front row right in front of the prophet and I I often long for the class to go on and on why I hungered, I was thirsty, and to this day. I'll tell you 19 steps in my home. Lead from the first floor to the second floor in my studies in the second floor.

Taking those 19 steps I find myself more motivated and excited as the years pass and here's the reason because in every ministry I've ever served there been people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and some of you are here right now right now listening to what I have to say you have no idea how you fueled my fire, no awareness, I'm sure of how you motivate me to take that flight of stairs every day of my life to date the Scriptures because I know you want to know what is this saying and how can I use this in my life you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness and I want to say two words. Thank you, thank you thank you is more than two of the same words. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for hungering thank you for staying first my sister gave me a book years ago was in the Marine Corps.

She said to me overseas and I got it right in the front. She had written the poet whom I will Lord with the soul. First, to satisfy exhaust the spring the waters free all of the streams are dry. The Lord said to the disciples, when they begin to hear the exacting requirements of discipleship began to leave he said to you also want to go away. And Peter said no Lord, Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life that's hungering and thirsting for righteousness. I want to know more and more what God says I want to know more and more. What this means.

I want to live it out more and more in my life as I get older I wanted to lean into the way I respond to people I wanted to sharpen my thinking wanted to soften the blows of my words of correction I wanted to be compassionate and understand starving for that and I know that his word if you're in that category. I want to tell you it is. It is a great place to be. You will have an depth of joy that would just go on and on and on. You just yet to say to yourself I cannot get enough. What a wonderful way to live your life. Jesus look for father was like that.

O the blessedness many times over the one who hungers and thirsts you and is thirsty for right you will be satisfied that we go to the last, for which have to do with one another.

Blessed are the merciful, all the lasting joy to you who were merciful, this means those whose hearts are moved over others in need. You have the ability as a merciful person to get inside the skin of someone who is hurting you identify with.

You have a desire to step in and assist them, and if possible to relieve their pain as called merciful is not just feeling pity or sympathy for someone it's getting inside their lives as you rub your hand along the rough edges of their trial. You heard to you identify with that. The good news is that as a result, look at the end of it you will receive mercy, the mercy you give will be mercy shown back to you what goes around comes around with a lady in our church who has a wonderful ministry is without announcement. You never see their name written up in the worship folder she would be embarrassed if I called her name right now but I want to tell you when someone in our family and I know others who told me the same in their family hurt your were going through a tough time or in my case when I hurt my my leg recently in that accident and she's there with the meal she done call and say you not been thinking you might get hungry once in a while she says I got a meal prepared on like to leave it at your door using a meal we've invited our family members to come. It's such a spread. Invariably we getting three or four meals off of it wants to do that merciful.

She's moved over someone in the never wants attention. Everyone wants a thank you.

We always tell her that Michelle was not on the ice want you to know I care what the meal to do what it can do, which means it makes us so we go ahead and we needed and we enjoyed.

We give thanks for what a wonderful person hears the pure in heart. That's number six look at it. Blessed are the pure in heart you know what I think it means you simply utterly sincere. No deception, no phony baloney, no lying to themselves or others. One whose motive is right, never deceitful life never smart by hypocrisy, you find a person like that hook up with their moving our way through all of the blessings Jesus commonly known as the Beatitudes, Chuck Swindoll calls the statements the checklist for lasting joy.

This is insight for living and in the event you'd like to learn more about any of the programs in this brand-new study of Matthew. Remember, you can go directly to our website and explore. You'll find all the details that insight world.org with much of our world in turmoil over the global pandemic of fragile economy and political unrest. Nothing seems more timely than a study about Jesus, the King of Kings.

This comprehensive series, which is a celebration of Israel's long-awaited King will take us through the entire book of Matthew and in the coming weeks and months, Chuck will guide our audience through Matthew's account of Jesus entire ministry on earth right through his parting words commonly known as the great commission along with the daily program insight for living ministries has prepared a number of additional resources for you and each one is designed to help you fall more in love with Jesus.

For example, checks written a very popular devotional book called perfect trust matter what fears are standing in your way right now.

Chuck's insightful book will help you overcome those barriers to knowing God's best for you to purchase a copy of perfect trust, go to insight.org/offer.

And finally, along with the release of this brand-new series on the daily program. Chuck is completed a verse by verse commentary on the book of Matthew was well comes into hardbound volumes alongside the verses in Matthew also gain access to charts, maps, photos, of course, Chuck's practical observations. So to purchase windows living inside commentary on Matthew, listening in the US, 1-800-772-8888 and that's 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/offer necklace for lasting joy right here insight for living. The preceding message checklist for lasting joy was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles Carson Dalton.

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