The Beatitudes: The Only Way to Happiness and Greatness
I. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: CORE VALUES OF THE KINGDOM
A. The Sermon on the Mount is the “constitution of God’s Kingdom.” It is the litmus test to measure spiritual development
and ministry impact. We measure our ministry impact by how much people seek to walk out the Sermon on the Mount
values (not by the size of our ministry). These values are to be the themes that we are to emphasize most in our ministries.
B. A wise man builds his life and ministry on the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Why do we want God to
anoint our ministry with power? What would we do with more influence?
24 Whoever hears these sayings of Mine (Sermon on the Mount), and does them, I will liken him to a wise
man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house; and it did not fall… (Matthew 7:24-25)
II. OUR PRIMARY LIFE CALLING: TO PURSUE 100-FOLD OBEDIENCE (MATTHEW 5:48)
A. Jesus called us to be perfect or complete in our obedience by seeking to walk in all the light that the Holy Spirit
gives us. Obedience is relative in this age and absolute in the age-to-come. In this age, we never attain perfection in the
absolute sense. We are to walk in the fullness of the light that we receive from the Spirit. This includes declaring war on
all our lust that the Spirit reveals.
48 You shall be perfect (walk in all the light you receive) as your Father…is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)
B. The Scripture presents two aspects of being complete before God. First, the moment we are born again, we are
instantly made complete in Christ in our legal position (justification) because of Jesus’ work on the cross (2 Corinthians
5:17-21). Second, we progressively become “complete in our obedience” in our living condition before God (sanctification).
Both are foundational truths.
10 You are complete in Him... (Colossians 2:10)
C. Scripture uses different terms for the same truth: it exhorts us to be complete in our obedience (2 Corinthians
13:9, 11; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:17; Hebrews 13:20-21; James 1:4); perfect (Matthew 5:48; 19:21;
John 17:23; Galatians 3:3; Ephesians 4:13. Colossians 1:28; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; James 2:22; 3:2; 1 Peter 5:10;
Revelation 3:2); mature (Philippians 3:15); blameless (Luke 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:6-8; Philippians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians
3:13; 5:23; 1 Timothy 3:2, 10; 5:5-7; 6:14; 2 Peter 3:14; without spot (Ephesians 5:27); Worthy (2 Thessalonians 1:5-12;
Luke 21:34-36; 20:35-36; Colossians 1:9-10 Matthew 10:37-38; 22:8; Revelation 3:4-5; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27;
1 Thessalonians 2:12); Stand (Luke 21:36; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 16:13; Ephesians 6:10-14; Philippians 4:1; Colossians
4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:8; Revelation 6:17).
9 This also we pray, that you may be made complete. (2 Corinthians 13:9)
12 Epaphras…always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all
the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)
28 We preach warning every man and teaching every man…that we may present every man perfect (mature)
in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor… (Colossians 1:28-29)
D. Our primary objective and challenge in this life is become complete in our obedience.
3 The testing of your faith produces patience (endurance). 4 Let patience have its perfect work, that you may
be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (in our obedience)… (James 1:3-4)
10 Praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith…12 May the Lord
make you increase and abound in love…13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness
before God…at the coming of Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 3:10-13)
10 May God…after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish…and settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)
E. God’s requirement that we walk in all the light that He gives us expresses His zeal for deep relationship with us.
Only in a lifestyle that seeks full obedience can we know the glory of being connected to God’s heart and feeling His presence.
F. There are powerful dynamics that occur in us when we pursue 100-fold obedience. Pursuing obedience in 98% of
your life has limited blessing. It is in the last 2% that we receive “double” grace. We rob people by “lowering the standard
of grace.” The cost of non-discipleship is high.
G. The pursuit of full obedience is different than attaining it. Those with sincere faith and true repentance quickly
renew their resolve to war against the sin they just stumbled in.
III. BEING PERFECT: TO WALK OUT THE 8 BEATITUDES
A. Jesus defined being “perfect” or being complete in obedience as walking out the 8 beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
as we pursue 100-fold obedience (Matthew 5:48). This is our foundational call in life.
B. The beatitudes are like 8 beautiful flowers in the “garden in our heart” that God wants to fully blossom. They define
love, godliness and spiritual maturity that pleases God. They describe the lifestyle that is the core reality of God’s Kingdom.
C. These 8 flowers need to be carefully and continually cultivated as we “weed our garden” by resisting the 6 negative
influences (toxins/poisons) related to our natural lusts (Matthew 5:21-48) and as we “water our garden” by pursuing the 5
positive nutrients (prayer, fasting, giving, serving and blessing enemies, Matthew 6:1-18) that position us to receive a
greater impartation of grace.
D. Spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, meditation, etc) are ordained by God as a necessary way to posture our heart
to freely receive more grace. These activities do not earn us God’s favor. The power is in the “bonfire of God’s presence”
not in the cold flesh positioned in front of it.
E. Spiritual disciplines do not earn us God’s favor but give us the opportunity to show our value of the relationship. God
gives to our heart on the basis of how much we hunger for relationship with Him. God sees our hunger for Him as our love
for Him. God gives more to our heart but does not love us more when we live in spiritual disciplines.
IV. BEATITUDES: THE WAY TO BLESSEDNESS (HAPPINESS, GREATNESS AND FREEDOM)
A. True spiritual reality is defined by the 8 beatitudes. They describe what pleases God and how He wants to bless us
and what He wants to duplicate in the nations through ministry.
B. Jesus revealed 8 beatitudes or 8 attitudes that release blessedness on our lives. To be blessed is to walk in our
God ordained happiness, greatness and freedom. This defines the essence of abundant life. God created us for
abundant life and Jesus came that we might experience it.
10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
C. In the beatitudes, Jesus graciously revealed the secret to the only way to abundant life (happiness, greatness and
freedom). They are the best description of life in the Spirit (true discipleship and/or spiritual maturity). Our natural mind
would never think to pursue happiness in this way. This path is surprising, even shocking. Our natural thinking sees that
those who are blessed are those with blessed circumstances (much money, honor, influence and ability, etc.). He
confronted the lie that happiness comes by good circumstances and pointed to the truth that it only comes by receiving
supernatural grace in our heart.
D. By the spirit of revelation, we conclude that the only pathway to abundant life is the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. In
fact all other approaches will diminish our experience of life. Our pursuit of abundant life will always be frustrated unless it
follows this path. The “upside down Kingdom” offers abundant life only by embracing death.
E. The Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is spiritual violence (Mt. 11:12). It caused those who refused it to act in physical
violence. This message is what caused Israel to kill Jesus. Even today, some Christians will warn you against taking these
things too far. They lack revelation of value of this message. No one has ever suffered loss because they died too much
to self in the grace of God.
F. The beatitudes are not merely character traits that a person can attain to in their strength but are graces that
are supernaturally imparted. They are the work of the Spirit. It takes God’s power to walk in these from the heart. Our
best efforts cannot cause spiritual life to flow in our hearts.
G. Implied in all of God’s commands is the promise of the enabling (wisdom, desire and power) to walk them out.
Thus, all eight beatitudes are a part of our inheritance. We are totally unable to deliver our hearts from spiritual
barrenness and dullness but only by resisting the six negatives and pursuing the five positives can we position our
heart to receive grace in these.
H. We must ask the Lord for more grace to walk in each of these 8 beatitudes.
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find… (Matthew 7:7)
I. The qualities of the Beatitudes have a 2-fold application. They are the way into the kingdom and the way of the
kingdom. They are our entrance into the kingdom then our on-going walk in it. The promises of the Beatitudes have a
2-fold fulfillment in this life and the age-to-come
V. BEATITUDES: BRIEF DEFINITIONS (MATTHEW 5:3–12)
A. Being poor in spirit (theirs is the kingdom, Matthew 5:3) – to acknowledge that we are in great need of help to
sustain wholeheartedness (Matthew 5:48). This is to understand, that we are in a serious dilemma in needing a
breakthrough in our heart (insight/power) and ministry in godliness.
B. Mourning for breakthrough (for they shall be comforted, Matthew 5:4) – to be desperate enough to be “extreme”
in pursuit of a progressive breakthrough in our heart (insight/power) and ministry.
C. Walking in meekness (shall inherit the earth, Mt. 5:5) – to walk in the fasted lifestyle or to have a servant spirit in
the use of our natural strengths (time, money, energy, reputation, authority, etc.). Humility or meekness speaks of using
our resources with a servant spirit, as we lay down personal rights in serving without regard for receiving the reward
(honor, money) from people.
D. Hungering for righteousness (for they shall be filled, Matthew 5:6) – sustained faithfulness in seeking God with
wholeheartedness through the changing seasons of our life instead of being burned out by our disappointments with
God or by our offense at the way people treat us.
E. Relating to others with mercy (for they shall obtain mercy, Matthew 5:7) – having a tender spirit in how we treat
others who fail spiritually as well as those who attack, resist or disappoint us. Mercy is based on gratitude for God’s
goodness and mercy in our life.
F. Being pure in heart (they shall see God, Matthew 5:8) – breakthrough of purity in our thoughts (bitterness,
immorality) and motives (helping people for their benefit without any personal gain). To “see God” even in a small
measure causes our spirit to be bright (i.e., fascinated with God).
G. Becoming an anointed peacemaker (called sons of God, Matthew 5:9) – anointing to bring peace (healing,
restoration) to that which is out of God’s will (broken relationships, sick bodies, etc.)
H. Enduring persecution (theirs is the kingdom, Matthew 5:10-12) – bearing the counterattack for plundering Satan’s
Kingdom because we operate in power and/or stand for righteousness. We rejoice for the glory of knowing Jesus and the
privilege of suffering for His name. (Acts 5:41).