2. Matthew 5:1-12 True Happiness

3. The Sermon on the Mount - 3 Chapters Chapter 7:28 = It was amazing teaching! It was not Evangelical It was instructional 2 Main areas 1.Character 2.Conduct

4. Blessed = Makarios = Happiness Not superficial Real contentment This looks like non-sense! How can someone be Happy under any of these conditions The pursuit of happiness for most = money! Purely physical

5. True Happiness = Eternal reality with Immediate effect 1 Thess. 5:23 = Humans are 3 parts Body - Physical Soul - Mind Spirit - Designed for ultimate satisfaction IN GOD Most people cannot see the separation of soul and spirit Therefore, most seek happiness by deciding to gratify the physical

6. Happy are the poor in spirit - kingdom of Heaven Psalm 16:2 - “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing’” Rom. 7:18 - “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature” Rom. 7:18 There may be some good as Paul could boast (Phil. 3) But it’s all for nothing without Christ IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY Superficially things might be good, while Spiritually we are absolutely POOR The realization of this poverty is the 1st step to Makarios

7. Happy are those who mourn - comforted How do we respond to the Spiritual poverty? Cover it up? Repent? - Which is to mourn our position! Sin is the symptom of our poor condition. Later we will see that we murder because we ARE angry, and we commit adultery because we are lustful. “We do what we do because we are what we are, and if the measure in which we seek God’s help is to change what we do, rather than attending to what we are, we will find ourselves continually doing the same things again and again, despite the sincerity of our repentance.”

8. Those who mourn will be COMFORTED, not condemned! By The Comforter - Parakaleo (noun: Parakletos) To draw alongside and plead as a substitute A substitute for all that He is in place of all we are The Holy Spirit’s role is not to repair, but replace our poverty with His riches. This is the next step to real Makarios!

9. Happy are the meek - inherit the earth The natural progression from understanding our poor position & mourning it. Meekness is NOT weakness It is to be submissive & humble to Christ Jesus as Lord Saviour (~ 25) Lord (> 600) His saving cannot be detached from His Lordship!

10. Inherit the earth - discover what life is about Psalm 139:15-16 = God has a plan in mind It’s implementation is not automatic We can live in disregard of it and we will know nothing of what life is really about However, if we recognize our need (poverty), mourn that need (repent), and meekly submit to God’s plan in Jesus, then we begin to understand what true Makarios is!