Checklist for Lasting Joy, Part 3

Stop and think for a moment. What are the things that bring you the greatest measure of joy. What is it that delivers lasting happiness in genuine contentment. At the beginning of his renowned sermon on the Mount, Jesus presented a list of blessings with spiritual rewards over the generations that come to be known as the Beatitudes built into these time-tested statements are promises of rich rewards what you're about to hear today on Insight for living is the third and final program based on the statements as found in Matthew chapter 5 Chuck Swindoll titled this message checklist for lasting joy good to remember the Beatitudes or pronouncements, the probability commands their celebrations.

This is a new way of life based on a new way of thinking that Christ enables 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 second lesson of those who mourn, you think the first stuff 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 ache of the soul.

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 carrying very deeply about our continuation in the same sin.

Psalm 32 verse five refers to binding up the brokenhearted, there's great heartache here, but followed by great renewal.

See you will be comforted. You will be given comfort. Blessed are the morning. Now the gentle verse five blessed religion. The old King James, I think, renders this meek is it are the witch to the world. Sounds like week numbers 12 verse three says Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth, but I don't know anyone that would called Moses.

We 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 that he who captures a 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 will use you in ways you never would expect 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. Also, lasting joy awaiting those souls who long for righteousness to 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're 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 dream deeply enough 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. The Lord said to the disciples, when they began to hear the exacting requirements of discipleship and begin the 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 could be compassionate and understand starving for that. Jesus look for followers 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 would 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 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. Here's 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, whose life never is marked by hypocrisy, you find a person like that hook up with nowhere. Like the way John Stott writes some people weave around themselves at the tissue of lies that they can no longer tell which part of them is real, which is make-believe. The opposite of this.

The pure in heart never has a hidden motive, the pure in heart never set you up to fail the pure in heart never takes advantage of you in your weakness.

The pure in heart never do something so that they might get the credit they live such a transparent life that they know think they know nothing of deceit when I travel in Australia. I hear a word used for men who are like this and I love the way they refer to men like they called him a lovely man in America. Lovely is more effeminate, or he often used for for the feminine way but not over.

There is a lovely lovely man. I think the pure in heart are lovely men and women and what will happen. They will see God. They will witness how God is at work, they will feel his very presence and they'll model it is well the pure in heart, get glimpses of the Lord the living God, and you would swear at times that they bear the very image of Christ. I knew a man during my internship when I was out Northern California serving Ray Steadman is an intern he had us spend some time with a man who was truly a godly man.

In fact, he carried a Bible that he prayed with an open Bible and he ran his fingers over the text and some of the pages that eat rubbed off.

He didn't do it to show off. That wasn't his way pure motive pure heart. Genuine man a lovely man sincere before God that made me think this way. Jesus was, would you have loved to walk alongside Richard loved to watch him when he has his adulterous standing by sees the object of the Pharisees scorned as they stand there with the rocks in their hands to kill her and he says you are without sin cast the first stone.

Peter Marshall put said beautifully. He said at that moment you could hear the rocks hit the pavement as they fell on their hands. What a lovely man to say to this woman. When they're all gone ago. Don't do that anymore. No one is going to continue to go. I hope you do, that was some fall.

I hope you have the temerity hope you have the character to say that person you. My heart goes out to you. You recover from this. I want you to know I care about your future. I'm in your corner, I'm here for you pure in heart personnel and Blessed are the peacemakers. We hardly need much explanation here yet. I think we may need some a peacemaker releases tension doesn't feed it a peacemaker seek solutions not arguments a peacemaker works hard to keep offense from happening from festering. The peacemaker generates more light and less heat, peacemaker, calm situation doesn't stir the pot. Proverbs 15 one soft answer turns away wrath grievous words stir up anger. This is under reference to being passive and letting people walk all over you that's not what this is about his visits. Peace at any price. This is an enabling abuse in your home is not peacemaking that's enabling air were an sinfulness and brutality is not keeping the peace process to do with deliberately guarding against making offenses when that could easily happen. I'll tell you if you go to be a pastor. You need a good dose of this pastors know the best of the worst of most people around because they share that with and is his responsibility to keep the peace keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and what is it say about the peacemakers. We will be called sons of God means we will reflect his nature.

We will model his ways. Eighth and finally, here's the tough one. Blessed. Blessed are those who have been persecuted, don't stop reading their or you will miss read this and you will justify people picking on you for various reason you call yourself persecuted. Wait a minute, let us say what it says. Blessed are the persecuted for the sake of righteousness I had that circled in my Bible for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecuted you falsely say all kinds of evil against you don't stop reading because of me circle that because of me.

This is a persecution that happens because what is like Christ is modeling the life of Christ is walking on this earth as Messiah. Once did, and those who hate him hate us. That's why Isis will kill those who were Christians because they despise Messiah that makes all the sense in the world. We hated we should persecution comes because they see evidence of Messiah in them or the name Messiah in their race, and they resisted and resented and I will tell you that still goes on. In fact, you know that more persecution intense persecution is happened in the last 100 years than any other era in the history of Christianity. These last 100 years, I came across a very meaningful statement from a man named Polycarp. You may have never heard of him. He was one of the early church fathers love Christ intensely in an era when it wasn't popular with his and he was suffering persecution because of Jesus and his love for Christ. One of the most famous of all martyrs who was the bishop of Smyrna, Smyrna, the mob dragged him to the tribunal of the Roman magistrate. He was given the inevitable choice either sacrifice to the Godhead. Caesar or die. Here was his response. 80 and six years have I serve Christ, he has done me no wrong.

How can I blaspheme my King who saved me.

So they dragged him to the stake, and he uttered his final prayer, O Lord God Almighty, the father of I will beloved and ever blessed son by whom we have received the knowledge of the I thank thee that thou has graciously thought me worthy of this day and this hour in the flames carried him into eternity final words. I think the old Lord Christ for the privilege of representing you. This statement found in Matthew five has nothing to do with politics get that straight. Someone may not agree with you politically and they turn on you, you're not being persecuted in the sense of Matthew chapter 5 is not about politics is not about philosophy is about Christ. It is about righteousness over the deep, deep joy that comes to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake who are so linked to me that the people despise him, because they are like me, Jesus taught.

Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward ahead of you. Can you imagine Polycarp's reward for the reward of someone you know who is not for the faith or suffered for rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Tradition has it that they sought Isaiah the prophet into read the end of Hebrews 11, the time would fail me to tell of Gideon Brock Sampson Jephthah David also in Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms are brought righteousness and stopped the mouths of lions includes the violence of fire out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life. Others were tortured.

These were people who hid in dens and caves of the earth, people of the world is not this is talking.

The day may come when you and I for our love for Christ will be taken to the state they got the status and deepness in such a way that we live through it. Confident in our Savior now got a couple of practical suggestions not on through you thought the end would never come. But now it's come very simple, very simple words. Here's the first apply one beatitude to each day of the week Monday start with poor in spirit tomorrow begin to think of yourself as defendant rather than independent begin to think of yourself as the person about whom life does not revolve. You live your life for others dependent on Christ on Tuesday turned a morning and think of the sinfulness of your own sin and the heartbreak of the Salem one is walking in chronology and remember them and remember yourself before God was a contrite heart, the Lord is not despise some 51 assures us think it's for 70 and then Wednesday try gentleness and kindness, tenderhearted nests just be a gentle person through the day Lord make your gentleness flow through me. May I respond gently may be a person of true strength under control, and then Thursday and Fridays is a will there are eight of them is only seven days in a week will go figure. You can handle it. Just turn around and keep rolling keep rolling through the year you will be a different person than you began this year you be different, and I will assure you there will be those who see you was more weird than ever senior their life and that's okay.

I learned in the Marine Corps that when they're all happy there something wrong with my testimony live for Christ. Let the chips fall. Don't be ugly about Adobe offensive and it just live for Christ and I'll tell you they will hate you for not everybody. Thank goodness there's a second pay closer attention to the contrast between the world system and Christ teaching pay closer attention.

Listen better to the TV commercials pay closer attention to the media and look and listen for the things of this world you will not hear one word about any of the beatitude because it is not valued by the world. JB Phillips had the audacity to come up with his own Beatitudes from the world system. Listen to this. Happy are the pushers for they get on the world have here the hard-boiled, for they never let life hurt them. Happy are they who complain for the get the wrong way in the happy are the blasé, for they never worry over there sin have here the slave drivers they get results happy are the knowledgeable men and women of the world. They know their way around.

Happy are the troublemakers. They make people take notice of them on and on, is a counterculture night invite you to move to the counter for some of you.

It's the first time thought, but it would be so beautiful to have your testimony work its way out in such a way that when you die, they say what a lovely person on a fine woman when it got its prey may never come a time in your life when you turn to Jesus, now's the time here at our church. We don't beg you, we don't ask you to walk down an aisle will even ask you to stand up, you can if you want to. We don't ask that all we do is say this is your moment to trust in Christ you never have before.

You need to know what you're in for urine for a life of grace, the enablement of the spirit of God that will teach you how to carry out your life in this countercultural matter so that you are truly different from the way you've ever been before. I invite you to turn to Christ. Now, Lord, help us as we get a hold of what your son taught give us the ability to turn off what we have learned all through our lives that work against the very things Jesus told us to do and to be like Petrus father to do so in such a way that it's authentic, not fully. We will live in such a way that Christ is seen modeled and ultimately followed. And for those who can't stand him give us the courage to stand up against their attacks. Give us strength with with meekness give us wisdom with knowledge of the skirt, which check this, may we be like Christ. His name said a man Chuck Swindoll's closing prayer, we conclude a message that started Monday.

Over the last three programs we been talking about the Beatitudes. Chuck refers to these blessings from Jesus as a checklist for lasting joy. To learn more about this ministry or Chuck Swindoll.

We invite you to go online and explore all the details can be found@insightworld.org over the last year.

Many of our listeners have resolved to study the Bible on a deeper level with the extra time that the pandemic is afforded while working at home or becoming quarantined. Many people are leveraging this time to read and study as never before.

Along those lines.

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