Archive for the ‘ Jesus ’ Category
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11, ESV
We faithfully share the Gospel. God uses it in ways we may never know to change hearts and minds to His glory.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15, ESV
Do we interpret the Bible and the Gospel to benefit our lives now, or do we see the need to faithfully interpret for the benefit and salvation of others?
Do we read it merely as about how great we are or as about how great God is and the world’s need for His truth?
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:8, ESV
God is first and foremost concerned with His glory and the salvation of our souls. Therefore, may not grant every request we make. He gives salvation, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and wisdom in abundance (and He does like to give us other things, as well.)
I have started a small group series on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). I am sharing my notes in case anyone else wants to use them with their group.
Matthew 5:1-2:
Jesus wants to teach the crowds: Who are they? Jewish disciples: People who understand the
Scriptures (at least to a point). Notice from 7:28 the crowds still came along, but this teaching is for His disciples.
What does “blessed” mean? How do you understand it?
The word “blessed” appears 306 times in the ESV Bible (in 288 verses; 302x in 287 vv. in KJV)
Happy (definitely deeper than this), Revered, Content, Worshiped, Made holy, Fortunate, Well-off
Matthew 5:3-6
We see the coming of repentance: people who know their wretchedness (poor in spirit), lament their sin (those who mourn), and realize their need to someone to save them (meek).
Matthew 5:6-9:
• v. 6: Hunger and thirst for righteousness = Seeking out God’s strength and righteousness as only
found in and through Christ by the power of the Spirit.
• Psalm 42:1-6a; 2 Timothy 2:20-21
• v. 7: Mercy = not giving what is deserved. Merciful people withhold anger and refuse to retaliate
when wronged.
• Luke 6:36; Proverbs 19:17; 2 Timothy 1:16; Hebrews 6:10
• v. 8: Pure in heart = cleansed of sin and looking on this world as if through God’s eyes. The pure do
not see others as objects (thus, not to be lusted after or “discarded” based on shifting desires nor to
break promises flippantly. Love overflows.
• Psalm 24:3-6; 2 Timothy 2:20-22; James 4:7-10; Titus 2:11-14
• v. 9: Peacemakers = foster order, love, and compassion around them.
• (2 Timothy 2:22-26; Matthew 10:34-36) James 3:13-18
What does it look like to live out this blessing?
We see salvation. We come to faith in Christ. We also become voracious consumers and seekers of God’s Word and
presence. (Bible reading, sermons, Bible studies, Prayer)
We also become ambassadors of Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 5:1-6:1
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16, ESV
It is one thing to be shy, but to deny the truth of the Gospel is to deny the God who loves us enough to become one of us and suffer and die for us.
I have started a small group series on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). I am sharing my notes in case anyone else wants to use them with their group.
Matthew 5:1-2:
Jesus wants to teach the crowds: Who are they? Jewish disciples: People who understand the
Scriptures (at least to a point). Notice from 7:28 the crowds still came along, but this teaching is for His disciples.
What does “blessed” mean? How do you understand it?
The word “blessed” appears 306 times in the ESV Bible (in 288 verses; 302x in 287 vv. in KJV)
Happy (definitely deeper than this), Revered, Content, Worshiped, Made holy, Fortunate, Well-off
Matthew 5:3-12: The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-5
• v. 3: The Poor in spirit = those who realize their own depravity and therefore need for God.
• Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 61:1-2; 66:2
• v. 4: Who mourn = Mourning the sin that separates us from God.
• Psalm 51:3-5; James 4:9
• v. 5: The Meek = Meekness is realizing we can do nothing apart from God.
• Mark 10:23-27
What does it look like to live out this blessing?
We see the beginning of repentance. We find contentment in this life knowing that though we are wretched, we find peace in Christ with the hope of eternal life in the age to come.
• Isaiah 61:1-2, 66:2; 2 Corinthians 7:10 – God’s Word reveals The Word, Jesus, who came to show us
He is the Truth. The truth is we are guilty of sin, and it should make us realize our poorness and feel
shame for our sin. Therefore …
• John 16:20-24; Romans 3:10-12 – Because of our sin, we do not seek God. He helps us, and in our
meekness, we see that we need His help to be saved from our sin. Only when we trust Him do we
find our mourning turn to joy.
• Revelation 21:4 – And one glorious day, He will remove all need of mourning when He renews all
things.
• Psalm 35:9-14 – We also lament the sin of others, even when they don’t deserve our love and pity.
(Grace. And a Segway into the next few verses!)
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33, ESV
With all that can happen in this world, we can expect persecution and problems. But out hope and strength is in Christ, who defeated the grave and the devil.
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19, ESV
We know how to and that we can love because of Christ’s love put on display through His life, death and resurrection.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:13, ESV
The greatest gift God gives us is Himself. The greatest gift we can give others is the Gospel, the good news that they can be saved from their sins and receive God Himself.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8:35, ESV
Our only hope of salvation and eternal life is Jesus Christ. We can not earn it or find another way. Faith in His life, death, and resurrection is all there is.
a simple man of God 