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July 19, 2020 6:29 pm
Welcome to the voice of power broadcast with Gary Atkins and willingness of Christian thinking, thinking North Carolina in a postmodern culture pastor Atkins preaches an old-fashioned message under a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, pointing, meaning winning to the truth of Scripture and freedom found in Jesus Christ pastor Atkins police the body of Christ has a voice and when we declare Jesus is Lord, the voice of power is a recent message from the tabernacle of willing vessels Christian center job are far sure mom on the amount talk about the Beatitudes this morning was my first 17 do not like to abolish the law or the prophets who speak Jesus you have a red letter Bible you see that you don't.
I want you to know who's speaking did not come to abolish but to fulfill other words, he did come to do something different or to get rid of the wall, along with 10 Commandments the walls of the Old Testament of the old covenant to do away with it or get rid of the fulfillment something that nobody was ever able to do ever. And that's why the sacrificial system was put in place because nobody could keep the wall for truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke one job, one to shall pass from the wall until all is accomplished. You know what that means if we put it in English, not 1.above the not one cross on the T will he not fulfill a man the whole Bible, the whole counsel of God and man. Verse 19 whoever knows one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. So someone asked me before service about degrees of sin are the degrees will absolutely if I'm driving down the road and I speed on breaking the law by commit murder on breaking the law, North Carolina. But what's different about the consequences.
The consequences.
So with your Synvisc to carry different consequences. That's just the way it is to break the law of God, yes.
Are there different consequences that may be more harsh.
Yes, Jesus is saying one of the least of the commandments. The smallest neural mind must be fulfilled must be lived out perfectly.
We want to minimize sin. You can never minimize it and he says you shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven, but I say to you that unless your righteousness get this surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Now Jesus here folks. He speaking of impossibilities.
Nobody could do what he said you can't and I will reread for the Beatitudes are the moment you need to read it with the attitude that you cannot fulfill it. You can't do it if you read it any other way, you will fail. All right, I saw a few passages in the Bible are more misunderstood and misapplied sermon on the Mount all the people take single verses or phrases from Matthew 527 and disregard the context. One of the three rules of studying the Bible. Number one context number two context. And thirdly, you guessed it, context right if you will have context you can develop any doctrine you want.
Context is important to board.
Remember that the people look to the scribes and Pharisees as their models and teachers.
Christ gives the theme in the verses that we just read true righteousness as opposed to the false righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. They were righteous outwardly. They made a show of being righteous by what they did, sitting in the front of the synagogue, you know, giving more money or praying louder or more eloquently, they made a show of their righteousness they want, which is not righteousness at all, is the ironic part and that's what Jesus is saying here that our righteousness as Christians should surpass that, but it can't. If were doing it on our own. And that's the point. He wants to make your all right. He also exposes their shallowness, the scribes and Pharisees as we go through the sermon on the Mount.
There are three basic purposes for Christ giving the sermon number one to tell followers what true righteousness is as opposed to the false righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
Secondly, the two describe the laws of his kingdom, and spiritual principles he uses to govern the lives of men. And thirdly, to relate his message to the Old Testament law and the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus had a message that was motivated by love, not regulation and not tradition it was regulated by love, the love of God. He came to serve not to be served all of the church to just get that mentality to come here to serve and not be served. A man wanted for the transformation that would happen in our church three mistakes. People often make when studying the sermon on the Mount listen to me. Number one, they applied to nations what it is for individuals.
We go through the sermon. Chapters 5 through seven. It is for you and I as individual Christians.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's not for the nation of Israel.
Secondly, they applied to the unsaved what it is for believers all not been hearing news anchors say this for the past few months. Well, why don't we just do unto others as we want them to do us well that's in the sermon on the mount and they think they're doing something good by quoting the Bible, but I don't realize that people who are in sin never been born again.
Never had a transforming experience by God's power cannot do that because it's not within them to do that.
So the sermon on the Mount is not for people who are sinners. It's for Christ followers is for those who declare that Jesus Christ is Lord third mistake I made is that they turn it into a Christian all that must be obeyed when it is really a description of what a Christian looks like when he is empowered by the Holy Spirit right so when he talks about adultery, fornication, divorce when he talks about these things. He's not telling us this is what we need to do as Christians is saying this is what the Holy Spirit will do through you and in you. That's why I say, when we read these passages don't for a minute think that it's something that you can obey had something you can do it has to be done by the spirit of God abiding in you and you look at this a lot differently proximate all right with me. Matthew chapter 5 in verse one. Let's go there. Matthew five verse one when Jesus saw the crowds. Now this is one of the greatest sermons ever preached.
When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain after he said down that mountain I want you to get.
The context as relates to the Old Testament where was Moses called to the mountain right several times. He was called upon the mountain to get what the law of God. Jesus gets on the mountain and the covenant of grace. And he saying I've come to fulfill that law.
Plus help you live a Christian life is what he saying in essence, all right.
So you on the mountain with verse two he opened his mouth begin to teach them, saying, this is the beginning of the sermon on the Mount, let's lay the foundation for Beatitudes. What is a beatitude that we ported our whole lives at with you been a church.
The Beatitudes will what is a beatitude right.
In fact, the word beatitude is not found in your Bible.
But it simply means blessings. It means blessed the Latin word for blessed beatitude right blessed, happy, blessed is he happy is he. I want to remember to that. There is a definite progression in these verses as we go through verse one through 11.
It's a progression. They show how the person big games with his or her own sense of sin, and finally becomes a child of God and the results that didn't follow know that these verses deal with attitudes everybody say attitude. The attitude that you ought to be all right to have right the Beatitudes. It's what's in your heart how you think your outlook on life.
What is your attitude toward what you're facing what your attitude to what's going on in the world today. These are things that we have to look at. We talk about the beatitude and that this fruit or evidence if you will should be in our lives, but it can only happen by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, verse three. Let's begin.
This is the beginning of our relationship and commitment to Jesus. Verse three Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. All I love that poor in spirit. This means to be humble before God. Now remember, he's talking to believers and unbelievers. This is the beginning of your relationship with Jesus. The first thing that you have to do to make a commitment to God is make a commitment to God through Christ by placing faith in Jesus Christ and what he has performed and completed for you at Calvary's cross. But in order for that to happen.
A man or a woman has to come to the end of himself hit rock bottom so to speak, because when you get to the bottom.
The only thing you can do is look up when you look up to see Calvary you see the calls you see the Lord Jesus but a man must humble himself or he will be humble.
I promise you that if he's chosen you a picture out to be part of his flock. You cannot do deep enough into a valley of sin to where he will not your attention to listening you will get your attention, you can run from him, but you cannot hide from him the call of God is without pickets. You can't turn away from it.
You can't get away from it. That's how much you Peter said. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Dorian time he will exalt you proper time.
Listen to me.
There is a proper time for people to be saved to realize that nothing just happens by accident.
You don't just stumble into a church or a revival service and get saved.
That's the divine plan of God.
When you praying for your lost loved ones say Lord I just prayed that they would humble themselves and come to you and if not humble them for them so that they do not realize that they need Jesus Christ. This is the first step in and bring the kingdom of heaven. Realize you can't do it on your own. You can't live right unrighteously, or good enough or wholly enough to be in covenant with God. You must put faith in Jesus Christ you believe it shout a man verse four. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted about tomorrow. This means sorrow for sin, repentance, godly sorrow, David, the king of Israel, the mighty King David was peering off of his deck one evening. It looks and he sees this woman bathing and lust against her find itself buried in his heart and he fulfills this desire forever. Jesus said if you even look at a woman with lust in the sermon you committed adultery. Now that's an impossibility is unless you have the Holy Spirit abiding in your heart and helping you and strengthening you a man so David said this in Psalm 51 verses two and three, after he had committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba.
He says wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleans me from my sin, and he said, for I know my transgression and my sin is ever the formic notice. He said iniquity, transgression and sin. What's the difference all a big difference. Sin is fulfilling a lawful desire in an unlawful manner. Transgression is when you see in and you know you're sitting you know what you're about to do is wrong, David. What he was doing was wrong, just as you know and you can comprehend and realize this is a sin was actually a transgression, and he said mine iniquity what's in iniquity. Iniquity is something that you're prone to what is your lust that David's was women evidently some people it's anger some people it's drugs and alcohol.
Some people it's quitting.
They just quit everything they start to send music. That's an iniquity, but he's covering all the same wash make me because it was so powerful he was convicted by the sin that was in his life.
Jesus said blessed happy is the person that mourns for he shall be comforted. What's the comfort listed. Isaiah 4325 that I am the one who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sin but I don't want daughter anybody going to the memory bank of my sin.
But I'm glad that he's given me comfort and promising me that he would my sin and throw them into the depths of the sea. Notice what he said I am doing it for my sake. Not sure why because he loves you much this will never see God's way have to be sorrowful you must mourn and only the Holy Spirit can bring you to that place.
Glad your sins are going to bring for his sake, illusion to which people could love you like that sometime but it was five Blessed are the meek or the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Maintenance is the opposite of being out of control maintenance is not weakness but rather supreme self-control empowered by the Holy Spirit. You can't control your temper you can control your your the way that you perceive things it has to be the help of the Holy Spirit. A man only he can do that verse six. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be one satisfied and field.
I love that you see the progression as you grow in grace as you grow in your relationship with God.
Here's what happened. All right. You go from humility. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God a man to repentance, to conviction, getting rid of sin, transgression and iniquity growing in the faith being sanctified. A man set apart so that God can use you and then you come to a place where you are hungry and thirsty for righteous here.
Our attitude toward God is expressed would receive his righteousness by faith, he calls you ask for it, but may we also hunger and thirst for his presence. I tell you, the more of his presence that you get and feel the more you want you want to talk about an addictive substance just get in the middle of God's anointing all hallelujah and the good thing about his anointing is when you experience wants. It's always greater than next time is to sing a song to get sweeter as the days go by and that's exactly right when you presence is wonderful but the good news is that when you get back into his presence even better.
Every time you experience that's not like alcohol and drug safety. Just take you further and further away darker and deeper than you ever want to go you eventually lose that sensation, but feeling that you get it leads you in an empty place but with the presence of God. They just get better and better and better the more you get what you want, but the good news is if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you shall be for you to lose you all right, John seven 3738 and the last day Jesus stood and cried, saying every man for coming to me and drink for he that believes on me, as the Scripture said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. If you're thirsty you can be feel now. The rest of the Beatitudes show the fruit or the results of a new life in the believer led by 5% of Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Notice something about this passage as you grow in your relationship with Christ. You will find that you become more and more merciful toward other people. You will find that you tolerate things a lot easier you find more understanding in your own life. Anybody that would point a finger and judgment displeased on it right back themselves.
But in a pocket, but as you grow and mature in the faith you make exceptions for people based on where they're at in their walk with God.
I don't handle you guys the same people in this church that I'm harder on than others in certain areas, something blessed, get your butt in church. Some people are more sympathetic with based on where they are and their commitment right, but there comes a time when you need to be pushed and prodded just a little bit and hopefully you want that from a pastor I would hope all right. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy in our Lord's kingdom.
The merciful are blessed, for they shall obtain mercy. To be merciful means to be actively compassionate in one sense it means to withhold punishment from offenders who deserve it and in a wider sense it makes to help others in need who cannot help them selves and that's grace, mercy and grace always go together God should mercy in sparing us from the judgment which are sins deserved, and it demonstrated kindness to us through the saving work of Christ, we imitate God when we have compassion. A man that's how we imitate God, the merciful, shall one obtain mercy. Here Jesus is not referring to the mercy of salvation which God gives to a believing sinner that mercy is not dependent on a person being merciful and standing. That's a free gift hallelujah that's given freely by the hand of God, mercy holding back what you deserve what you deserve is hail what you deserve is death. What you desire is separation from God, but it is is withheld at all, and he's given your life by the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Amen.
So what mercy is he referring to here.
He's referring to the mercy that you show toward other people.
Other believers, other Christians, other family members focus allows the Holy Spirit to help you be merciful to other people because you will need it eventually you will be mercy at some point in your life, and that all hinges on the fact if you show mercy yourself man actively being compassionate are you learning anything this morning. All right, the divorce, Blessed be sure and heart for they shall walk see God the pure in heart are given the assurance that they shall see God. A pure hearted person is one who move whose motives are unmixed if you will, whose thoughts are holy, whose conscience is clean.
The expression, they shall see God may be understood in several ways. I believe it's the process of sanctification number one you see God when you read his word. When you fellowship when you come to God's house. Secondly, you might have a supernatural vision or an appearance, a dream of some sort certainly you might see the person of Jesus Christ when he comes again.
If you're in right relationship. Fourthly, we will see God in eternity so Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are those who are sanctified who are being sanctified. A man don't ever get comfortable in one place. Ladies and gentlemen, a man comfort is the enemy of progress, you realize that comfort is the enemy of progress was in the Psalm 24 verses three and four, who shall ascend into the heel of the Lord, who shall stand in his holy place, he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who have not lifted up his soul and the vanity were sworn deceitfully. Matthew five verse nine Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called want both sons of God. A blessing is pronounced on the peacemakers, they shall be called the sons of God. Notice, the Lord is not speaking about people with a peaceful disposition. He is talking about those who actively intervene to make peace with the Romans chapter 12 verses 18 to 21.
If it be possible as much as live in you to live peaceably with all men love it avenge not yourselves, but rather to place undue wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay sales. The Lord therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. When doing so, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head and then he said be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good for that stuff is as hard to do in your flesh, but I promise you, you can accomplish it in the spirit, because if you walk in the spirit you will not fulfill the lust of your flesh. All right, let's finish Matthew five verse 10. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness for affairs is the kingdom of heaven. People hate a righteous life. You know why because it exposes their unrighteousness exposes them.
Matthew 511. The close Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad verse 12 for your reward in heaven is great for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Now these verses are different because he said Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, and then he said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for Christ's sake because he said they persecuted me, and they hated me so they're going to hate you look with the Romans eight verses 1 to 4 now this might make you shout a little bit ready. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has said euphoria show I'm free all of sin. The law could not do was wait for me. The law told you the standard you have to keep but the law had no power to help you keep it, but what Jesus Christ did when he walked The standard along the law could not. It was with God sending his own son is a likeness of sinful flesh sin said in the requirement of all my people do not walk according to the flash, but according to the spirit you overcome via dwelling Holy Spirit yourself to a place of prevention talking about your mode of being the only before God is Jesus and the Holy Spirit will vested in your life. If you have your logic well is your day to the field with you say how simply confess your sin and give your heart to Jesus and believe in your heart confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, if you do that.just say have been doing.
You can be born again in Jesus and God blessed a man I sure hope you prayed that prayer, believing that Jesus is just transforming your life forward and I'm so glad that you decided to listen to the voice of power broadcast. We pray that it has been a blessing to you. If so we would encourage consider giving a financial help the horsepower stay on the air. Give three ways. The simplest way to give would be text message by simply texting a dollar amount 336-747-3336 and following the instructions. Also, you can go to the website and force of power.org and click on the give link will take you step-by-step on how to give financially to the horsepower and certainly you can get by mail, PO Box 243 9T NC 27021. Once again were delighted that you decided to listen to the voice of power broadcast to the next week at the same time, and I pray that the words of your mouth the meditations of your heart be acceptable in his sight, for he is your strength and your Redeemer