Teaching From the Master

 Jesus Teaches on Important Issues

 Book of Luke Chapter 12

 

Our lesson today spends some time on "fear".

 In the Scriptures, there is but one creature of God that is said to be void of fear.

 Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. 

 This is the Leviathan, king of the sinners, and He only fears the God of Heaven and Earth.

 God is very blunt here when He says that if no man will approach the Leviathan, which is a creation of God, how is it that any man can say they have no fear of God?

 Psa 76:7  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 

 There is Natural Fear, there is Sinful Fear, and there is Holy Fear.

 Every person upon this earth has to deal with natural fear and sinful fear.

 Only the “Born Again” child of God deals with Holy Fear!

 Natural fear entered our world with the fall of Adam when Adam tried to hide himself from the presence of the Lord.

 Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

 Once Adam felt the fear of sin and the death of sin, he began to understand that perfect love casts out that fear!

 1Jn_4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

 Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 

 Our greatest blessing comes when the Love of God rids us of the fears of this world.

 Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 

Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 

Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 

Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 

Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 

Luk 1:75  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

 *****Luk 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 

Luk 12:9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 We should not forget that God is "omniscient".

 God knows every little detail of everything that is happening in our lives.

 God is also "omnipotent".

 God can control any event that is happening to each believer, no matter how large or how small.

 This is why there are normally good things that come out of every bad thing that happens to every believer.

 Every characteristic of God is so wonderful that we have doubts about the reality of them until we come to know God in a personal way.

 It is the love of God that brings us to reality.

 Nothing can separate us from the love of God: Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 When we are not loyal to our loving God as He is to us, the Lord Jesus reminds us of the consequences.

 1) We will be judged before angels. The angels who are totally loyal to their Creator will witness our acceptance or our rejection by God.

2) This judgment will come from the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, so the door of Heaven is opened for us. In all His time upon this earth, the Lord Jesus never sinned. He is the only One who can judge our actions of disloyalty or our steadfastness as a Christian.

 Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 

Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 

Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 God has given His Son, Jesus, the right to judge us because He died in our place.

 Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 

Joh 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

 The basis of our judgment is our attitude toward our Savior!

 Have we confessed our love and our loyalty to Jesus Christ before the world?

 This does not mean every time we stumble, we can be forgiven, but it does mean do we love the Lord enough to be loyal to Him.

 Jesus will confess us before Heaven's Angels and tell all angels that we belong to Him and are true witnesses of Him.

 If we deny Jesus Christ, we shall be denied before our Holy God and the Angels of God.

 Angels do exactly what God says for them to do.

 *****Luk 12:10  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 

 Because the Lord Jesus is so full of "GRACE," He will forgive anyone who has spoken against Him. He knows we are born with a rebellious spirit. If we repent, Jesus will forgive us.

 Look at the Apostle Paul as an example.

 1Ti 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

 BUT if we blaspheme the Holy Spirit will not receive forgiveness!

 We cannot attribute the work of Jesus Christ to Satan.

 When we deny the Lord Jesus over and over again till the day we die, we are showing hatred for the work the Lord Jesus Christ did for our salvation. Remembering that Our Lord Jesus worked with the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

 It is the Holy Spirit from which we draw our strength as Christians.

 Our prayer life depends on the Holy Spirit.

Our relationship with God depends on the Holy Spirit.

Our strength to be a usable servant to the Lord depends on the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the One who called us.

The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us.

The Holy Spirit is the One who guides us through life.

The Holy Spirit will teach us what to say when we do not know what to say.

 The Lord Jesus is not saying all these things to cause us to fear. He is telling us all these things to give us encouragement.

 We will suffer persecution as Christians, and we need to be encouraged.

 *****Luk 12:11  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 

Luk 12:12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 

 When we are called out for our faith in Jesus Christ, we should not be concerned.

 In fact, we should be proud that someone can see Jesus in us.

 The Lord Jesus would not include this in the Scriptures if it was not going to happen.

 This includes all persecution, mild or just ridicule, or just physical abuse, but it also includes becoming a martyr.

 The greatest power on this earth, the Holy Spirit, will decide then how we should answer our accusers.

 He will give us the strength to bear and the words to speak, and even then, He will not allow us to deny the Lord.

 We need to just trust God because we know that He is in charge, and He knows what is best for us at all times.

 The fear of any man is a terrible thing.

 Fear can cost a person their eternal destiny even if they claim the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 Jesus was preaching to His disciples, friends, and those who followed Him.

 Fear is the opposite of peace with God.

Fear means we are not as committed as we say we are.

Fear can take us out of the Will of God.

 2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,

 We must understand that some people just do not want to be reached with the salvation of God!

 This is sad but also very true!

 These are the same ones who will be our persecutors.

 They still need to be told or at least warned of the truth of God.

 Persecution is not such a high cost for being a servant of God.

 Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. 

 Our fear of God should be enough to convince us not to fear what mankind can do to us.

 God's terror is forever!

 1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 

 If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, then we should realize the effort God is making to bring us to our final goal.

 In the midst of all our trials, He continues His work in us.

 He guards against our falling away and from sliding back into the world.

 He purifies our faith, so that we can continue to respond to Who He is.

 God will not make judicial decisions in our lives; He has given us the tools to make those decisions ourselves when He said to live righteously before Him.

 There is a great danger in seeking God to help us with materialism!

 *****Luk 12:13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 

Luk 12:14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 

 We should understand that this sermon that the Lord Jesus Christ had just preached was a serious lesson about the teaching of the Pharisees, the committing of the unforgivable sin, and the persecution of His followers.

 It was a foolish thought that the Lord Jesus would interfere in a family dispute.

 He expects us to act like Christians in any dispute.

 No telling how many people have prayed for God to help them win the lottery when He will never do this.

 Salvation is not about material things!

 These things may have been stolen from the man.

These things may have rightfully been his to begin with.

This could even be seen as an act of justice by those who followed Christ.

 The Lord Jesus treats this man as if he were not a believer.

 The Lord Jesus preached trusting God for our necessities, not our riches, except for the riches of Heaven.

 This man, like many others, was not paying attention to what the Lord had said.

 Just listening to the Word of God preached does not mean we hear what God says.

 Just hearing what God says does not mean we will apply it to our lives.

 Spiritual maturity is not about a worldly life!

 The Lord Jesus did not die on Calvary's Cross to give us property.

The Lord Jesus died on Calvary's Cross to give us life, and that life eternal!

 *****Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

 The world hates the Ten Commandments of God when they are things that are good to live by.

 Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet

 Covetousness is a crime.

 Covetousness ranks right next to murder, adultery, theft, and slander.

 Every time we see this word in the Old Testament, it is connected with a prohibition or a curse.

 In the New Testament, we usually see covetousness classed together with adultery.

 We should get a feeling for what God thinks about covetousness.

 Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

 Covetousness is a craving or a desire for more.

 It is greediness, a dissatisfaction with what is enough.

It is a craving as much for material things as fleshy indulgence.

 Then the Lord Jesus gives us an example.

 *****Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 

Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 

Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 

 There is great danger in worldliness.

There is great danger in greediness.

 Jas 4:1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

 Covetousness has been the start of many wars.

No matter what we think about this war with Iran, Iran was coveting the destruction of God’s people. To Iran, America is the Great Satan, and this is not far from the truth because of the wickedness we see in our own nation. 

When our happiness is more about our possessions rather than God, we are in serious trouble.

 In reality, our possessions cannot bring us true power. Only God can do this.

 Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 This rich man was greatly blessed, but he did not thank God for such a blessing.

 Those were his fruits and his goods, and he was not about to share them.

 Notice he also said his soul, when all souls belong to God, to do as He so chooses.

 His pride in his possessions made him think of bigger and better things.

 Our greatest mistakes stem from selfishness, self-indulgence, and extravagant living.

 We are always trying to keep up with the Joneses.

 What is our duty?

 Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

 As Christians, we may live with peace in our hearts, but we may never live at ease in this world.

 This rich man thought only of himself and never gave a thought to helping those who did not have.

 He forgot that he was living in a wicked world that was slowly dying.

 Instead of helping others, he decided to build new storage for his abundance.

 He worked hard to get the things he wanted and was not about to share them.

 We will see that this man only got to think about his greed, his new barns, and his great excess because he did not live long enough to do these things.

 Deu 8:11  Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 

Deu 8:12  Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 

Deu 8:13  And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 

Deu 8:14  Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God,

 An intense appetite for gain and more gain is just a passion for pleasure that we may never see.

 When we focus so much on this life, we begin not to focus on eternal life.

 We forget about the rewards of Heaven. In fact, we forget to work for those rewards.

 Pro 23:4  Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 

Pro 23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 

 In our world today, the richer we are, the greater the chance that there will be people who will take away those riches.

 For example, California will vote soon on a measure to just reach in and grab five percent away from those who are rich.

 Our government cannot face the fact that they continuously spend more than they take in and robs the people who support it.

 This is government greed!

 All such people are no more than fools.

 They build and build up riches only to give those riches to someone who may not even appreciate the hard work they did.

 Ecc 2:18  Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 

Ecc 2:19  And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

 Why would we even want to live a vain life, a life that meant nothing?

 While this man could only think of his riches, he received a message from God that his time was over on this earth.

 God knows exactly when our time is over, and He is the only one who knows this.

 Eze 18:23  Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 

Eze 18:24  But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 

 *****Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

Wealth is not a permanent possession!

There is always someone else who will get your wealth after your death.

In fact, the greedy government you support will reach in to try to get a share of your wealth.

When we die, the only portion of our life that lives is our spirit, and spirits cannot have any material possessions.

That spirit will live somewhere forever.

Wealth cannot buy off death.

It is a fool who lives simply and only for the sake of accumulation.

Rom_8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

God requires our souls to return to Him when our life is over, but it is the way we lived that life that determines what God will do with that soul.

Amen

Jesus the Master Teacher

 Jesus Taught Like a King

Book of Matthew Chapter 5 verses 1 through 16

What happened immediately after Jesus was baptized? Jesus tempted of the Devil.

What happened immediately after Jesus was tempted of the Devil? Jesus began His ministry.

Jesus began His ministry with what is now called the Sermon on the Mount also called the "Beatitudes".

We can understand the "beatitudes" as the blessedness of the saved soul.

We are nothing unless we have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Psa 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 

You are not forgiven by our Holy God until you have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is just that simple!

We can also understand this sermon of the Lord Jesus Christ as the "qualities" of all those who will be found in the Kingdom of God.

We must begin these qualities once we have accepted the salvation of the Lord, "we must be Born Again"!

Remember John the Baptist preached "repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand".

Jesus begins by preaching the qualities of those who will be found in the Kingdom of God.

If we consider that blessedness is happiness, then we can understand the preaching of the Apostle Peter:

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: "on their part he is evil spoken of", but on your part he is glorified. 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, "let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf". 

Or James the half-brother of our Lord and Savior:

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: "for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him". 

We can consider blessedness and happiness to be almost equal in this first sermon of our Lord Jesus.

*****Mat 5:1  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 

We first see the compassion Jesus had for the people.

His disciples came to Him. As disciples we should always be seeking Jesus!

These Jews were seeking King Jesus!

The Lord Jesus chose this place on a mount because it was big enough to accommodate those multitudes who were following Him.

It was also a place His voice would carry. We can just imagine these people being quiet because they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

If you are a human being then it behooves you to hear what the Lord Jesus Christ has to say!

The Lord Jesus Christ was a great preacher who was always full of the Holy Spirit:

Joh 3:33  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 

Joh 3:34  "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him". 

Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

We can understand these words of Christ Jesus as a proclamation of the Kingdom of God "by the King of His coming Kingdom".

Jesus is teaching His disciples.

Jesus is showing His authority over the Scriptures. His authority was within Himself.

Jesus taught as the Jewish Messiah. The Messiah who would be King of His Kingdom.

Mat 7:28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 

Mat 7:29  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (A scribe could only read the Word of God)

We will see that the way to be saved is not given in this Sermon!

But we should not forget all Scripture is written for us to learn!

2Ti 3:16  "All scripture" is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

This includes all the Old Testament and all the New Testament. (This does not include the acrophobia books not inspired by the Holy Spirit)

So let us begin:

*****Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What will we be like as "Subjects" in God's Kingdom?

Notice Jesus did not start by passing out copies of the Old Testament. Jesus sat down and taught with the Words of His mouth.

Jesus teaches us as the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. Jesus taught with authority!

To be blessed is to be "happy".

To be blessed is a spiritual joy and satisfaction regardless of the conditions we face.

The Apostle Paul understood this to mean:

Php_4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

This is the thing carries us through times of pain, and sorrow, and loss and grief.

Everyone wants to be blessed, but most of the world seeks that blessedness in the things of this world and it cannot be found in the things of this world!

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

Those who are blessed are those who choose the Lord because He first chose them!

Psa 65:4  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

We cannot associate these poor in Spirit with those who are poor in worldly things.

We cannot associate those who are mean spirited with those who are poor in Spirit.

We should not understand that the poor in Spirit are poor in spirituality.

Poorness of spirit, in a godly sense, is true humility or true contrition of heart, because we acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

We are poor in spirit when we acknowledge we are nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ and then Jesus Christ will take us into His Kingdom!

*****Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

To mourn is the condition of all those who are brokenhearted because of their own sin or of the sin of others or the sin of this world.

It can be somewhat compared to mourning over the death of a loved one.

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

It can be that brokenness when we read the things Christ Jesus went through on the cross, while realizing it was our sin that put Him there!

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who can only provide that comfort!

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 

You know, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will wipe away all those tears of mourning!

*****Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

It is all those who have humbled themselves before Christ who can enjoy the remainder of their days upon this earth!

They are teachable in the ways of the Lord.

They have nothing to prove to this world.

They have a renewed purpose and meaning and a significance in this life knowing it will end in the glory world, in the Father's House!

As Christians we learn to control our circumstances by not allowing our circumstances to control us!

We know we are on the winning side and we act like it!

*****Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

When we hunger for righteousness it means we have put to death the sin in our lives!

Rom_8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of

the body, ye shall live.

Jesus Christ died to remove sin and the control that sin had over our lives.

It is righteousness that will fill that gap where the sin is gone forever!

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

Being filled with our Righteous Savior!

*****Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

To be merciful is to be compassionate!

Fourteen times in the Gospels, the word compassion is used where 10 of those times Jesus used the word compassion Himself. 

The other 4 times it said Jesus had compassion or that Jesus was moved with compassion.

This verse states emphatically, that if we are merciful to all others showing compassion, then God will show mercy to us and He proved this on the cross!

The modern Church have removed the importance of the cross because they would rather cling to their sin calling it the modernization of the Word of God. God is not old fashioned!

The Lord gives us an example.

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Mat 18:23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 

Mat 18:24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 

Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 

Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 

Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 

Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 

Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 

Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 

Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 

Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Every believer can be merciful and therefore "must be merciful"!

When we understand the blessings of God, then we should understand that it is certainly more important to give than to receive!

The Lord will deal with us just as we deal with other people. We had better keep this in mind!

So, whatever mercy we desire from God, then we had better show that mercy to our brothers and sisters in Christ!

A merciful heart is a pure heart!

*****Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

A pure heart is "clean", it is unsoiled from the things of this world. It is unpolluted, "a pure heart is Holy"!

Remember no one can see God and live, yet here we read that those with a Holy heart shall see God, in fact they are the only ones who will ever see God face to face!

Of all the other traits of the Christian, none of those traits can be true if our heart is not pure and like the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How do we see God now?

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

Perfect charity comes from a pure heart! Charity is a "giving love"!

Our pure heart will become a reality when we meet the Lord in the air!

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is". 

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him "purifieth himself", even as he is pure. 

All the qualities of the true Christian come together with a pure heart which leads us to righteousness!

Psa 17:15  As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. 

Only then can we become a true peacemaker, a true child of God.

*****Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

The Lord has left us upon this earth after our salvation "to become peacemakers".

It is our job to prepare the highway to the Lord for individuals who are lost, just as did John the Baptist begin preparations for Jesus to build the "Highway to Heaven"!

It is our job to make peace between the lost and the Lord!

We are to solve disputes and never be the cause of them!

We must find ways to explain the truth of God to those who do not understand it, without compromising the Word of God.

We must take our faith, with a pure heart, full of mercy and love, and show these things to the unbeliever.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We must remember we can only get close to Christ Jesus because of the blood He shed for us. 

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

We are reconciled to God by His "grace" and we must show "that same grace" to all we meet, even to our enemies.

When we do these things, we will be persecuted by those who are sold out to Satan.

*****Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

There are many people in this world who are persecuted for one evil reason or another, only the Church is persecuted for doing good.

The Church is persecuted simply because most of the leadership of the world hates the Lord Jesus Christ and the principles that He teaches through His disciples!

The teachings of Jesus Christ reveal the wickedness and immorality that is approved by the world, even though the queer movement represents only a small fraction of the world's people, less than ten percent.

The teachings of Christ Jesus go against abortion, when it is those two people who decide to commit a sinful act, neglecting the responsibility of their actions!

Why is the everyday taxpayer held responsible for the acts of two people who should be held accountable?

It is not the child who is at fault, so why is the child punished with death?

Abortion is now used, not just to murder an innocent living child, but also to choose the sex of the baby, to check for traits that are unwanted, and many other reasons and then aborted child is not treated with any respect but is sold for its body parts. "True wickedness".

When we are persecuted for doing what is right, it shows how low our world has become!

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

I accept the fact that I may be persecuted just because I love the Lord Jesus Christ, but it does not make it easier, it is just like all the other Word of God, I just accept it as the truth and move on.

It just shows that I serve an all-knowing God!

Whoever thought people would be treated so bad just because they were trying to do good for all people.

Our government has already decided that we are too ignorant to know right from wrong!

Today you can do all manner of evil and much of the world will stand up in your defense, even come to your rescue, but if you try to do the things the Lord Jesus Christ did or try to live your life according to the Word of God, you are treated as less than a human being.

In fact the world will say you are mentally unfit.

But it does not matter because we have a Savior and if you reject that Savior you are only causing harm to yourself and to those you love.

Just because you persecute God's people, you cannot rob them of God's blessings!

Jesus speaking here just says, I can be happy that I am seen to be like Him.

In fact Jesus says to rejoice! Be exceeding glad! For our rewards are just piling up in Heaven!

Persecution is just a test of true discipleship!

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

The world may try to protect the murderer, and the thief, and the evildoer, and all those who are busybodies in other people's matters, but "Heaven is not open to the world".

Jesus is not preparing a home for the world He is preparing a home only for those who love Him!

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

I will not worry about what this world can do to me, because I have a Living Savior who cannot be touched by the ways of the world and I want to be like Him!

The Church exists for the sake of the world to try to change the evil ways of the world, but most of the world have sold their souls to the Devil and they are not looking to change!

*****Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

At one time salt was so valuable in this world that Roman soldiers were paid with salt because it could be used to meet their needs in any nation they traveled and was more valuable than gold.

Salt makes many foods acceptable because it changes the flavor of the food.

Job 6:6  Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 

Salt was a preservative especially for edible meats and fishes and is still used today for this reason.

Salt can also be used for destruction of the land not allowing it ever again to produce life, such as the land that was once Sodom and Gomorrah.

Zep 2:9  Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 

Psa 107:34  A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 

Salt is also used in blessings.

Lev 2:13  And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

It is the Christian life that can change the evil ways of Sodom and Gomorrah in our world today.

It is the Christian life that can show the world the beauty of living for Christ Jesus before it is too late.

It is the quality of Christian salt and not the quantity of Christian salt, that can make a difference in this world!

The flavor of evil can be changed by salt of God's people!

Remember God's people are salted and preserved forever more!

But much of the Church has lost its saltiness and it has no more value than the soil we walk upon.

In fact, as the false church gains in popularity, the world becomes a barren wilderness of sin!

The true Church is also the Light of this world.

*****Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

The Christian who stays true to the Word of God cannot be hidden any more than the Sun can be blocked from its light.

God is Light, darkness is sin:

1Jn 1:5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

Every Christian being filled with the Holy Spirit has the Light of God living within them, glowing with the Light of Life.

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 

Now that our Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven, then the Church is the Light of the World.

Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 

Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 

Light is clear and pure.

Light penetrates darkness.

Light enlightens, it enlarges our vision.

Light reveals, it opens up the truth of darkness.

Light guides us down the right path.

Light strips away darkness.

Light protects us from the ways of darkness.

Our own Christian Light will grow dim if it is not used!

The more we confess the Lord Jesus Christ, the brighter we will shine, and no amount of persecution can change that.

There is no other light in this world that can benefit this world, we cannot allow our Christian Light to become dim and go out!

Light only has one purpose and that purpose is "to shine"!

After God created Heaven and the void of Earth, He next made "Light"!

Amen