Matthew 5:3-12

Who will be citizens of the kingdom?  The poor in spirit  Those that mourn for sin  The meek  Those hungering and thirsting for righteousness  The merciful  The pure in heart  The peacemakers  Persecuted ones

What benefits will kingdom citizens receive? Is the kingdom worth the effort? Benefits summarized in one word… “BLESSED” Great joy, gladness, “how very happy” 1.First word of the sermon 2.First word in the Psalms 3.Used early in the Revelation 4.Used here 9 times in 9 verses

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:12, ESV) Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:23, ESV)

What benefits will kingdom citizens receive? Poor in spirit? Theirs is the kingdom of heaven  Under the rule of God  In a spiritual kingdom  Presently in the church, Col. 1:13  In the future will involve a “new heavens and new earth”

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11, ESV) But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)

What benefits will kingdom citizens receive? Those that mourn? They shall be comforted. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, ESV)

Comforted in the future as well And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV)

Consider the character of kingdom citizens … The gentle/meek? They shall inherit the earth  Inherit it NOW, in one sense, Matthew 6:33 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, ESV)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13, ESV)

Consider the character of kingdom citizens … Those hungry/thirsty? They shall be filled.  With righteousness found only in Christ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—(Philippians 3:8-9, ESV)

Received fully when adorned in white linen Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Revelation 6:11, ESV)

Consider the character of kingdom citizens … The merciful? They shall obtain mercy  NOW, through the blood of Jesus …and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6, ESV)

IN THE FUTURE, by escaping the wrath of God Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9, ESV)

Consider the character of kingdom citizens … The pure in heart? They shall see God  NOW, see God through Jesus Christ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7, ESV)

IN THE FUTURE, We will see Him face to face No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:3-4, ESV)

Consider the character of kingdom citizens … The peacemakers? Shall be called sons of God  NOW, called sons of God See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be calledchildren of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appearswe shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2, ESV)

How much more so in the future And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:5-7, ESV)

Benefits of the kingdom outweigh anything the world has to offer or any persecution it might inflict  There are blessings NOW, in this life  And blessings “in the age to come