“The Finish: The Proof of The Blessed”

Series Title: #Blessed

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 03/22/26 (4th Sunday Message)

hashtags:

#guidinglight #pastorjim

#Faith #heart

#believer #surrender

#love #showinglove

#loveofGod #loveofChrist

#repentance #serving

#forgiveness #Godworks

#savedtoserve #overflow

#protector #Expectation

#worry #Favor

#deliverance #listeningears

#Godspeaks #blessings

#servingGod #heartafterGod

#treasure #complaining

#God’speace #blessed

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

 

Message Title:

“The Finish: The Proof of The Blessed”

We’re finishing up today!

We are talking about one of the greatest sermons from the greatest.

We’ve spent the month talking about the beatitudes. From the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5.

We’ve talked about how each sentence opens with “blessed are.”

Meaning that there are people who have access to the blessings… but they have certain attitudes.

certain postures of the heart.

Today we’ll cover the last few.

remember that because we’re covering 3 today… there is always more we could say for each.

This is why your bible studies are so important.

Like last week…blessed are those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” these things happen to those who CONTINUE to work at it.

those who continue to study.

those who continue to learn more about these things.

Each one could last a month on it’s own.

we’d love to see you where we could grow more together.

So let’s look at the last few.

Matthew 5:8

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Those who are pure in heart.

Pure means focused, clean, sincere

not perfect (same as in thirsting for righteousness) but your heart is for him and his desire for you to want him

no mixed motives

this is what shapes your integrity and it’s an internal thing…

not based on action…but by what’s on the inside.

 

God Isn’t Fooled By What We Do - He Looks At Who We Are!

In Matthew 19:16-22

there was a rich young man who asked Jesus the key to eternal life. he knew Jesus was someone who could teach him

he said all the right things

he told Jesus he had followed all the commandments since childhood…

 

You Can Look Right On The Outside And Still Have A Divided Heart!

Because Jesus said that if you truly want what you’re asking… then sell what you have and give to the poor

and follow HIM.

well the man went home sad…

cause what was on the inside didn’t match his outside.

Even Daniel in Daniel 6.

Daniel would pray to the Lord 3 times a day.

but when the other rulers wanted to trap him…

he was forced to choose between the Lions den (death) and praying like before.

He remained the same regardless…

even if he did die…God would not had been compromised for feelings

 

The Pure Are Those Who Choose God Over Themselves!

Psalm 24:3-4

3 Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.

Who can stand before the Lord?

the one who has a pure heart.

This is why we see Psalm 51:10

Psalm 51:10-11

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

A pure heart is a heart that is not focused on self…but focused on him. Let’s get to the next one:

Matthew 5:9

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

We talked about this a little bit on Wednesday.

The bible says that the peace MAKERS are blessed. (KJV, NKJV ESV) (NCV, NLT) - Those who WORK for peace

(AMP) - the makers AND maintainers of peace. Using Strongs to look at the greek word:

Strong’s Greek #1518 - Peacemaker “Eirenopoios” an adjective signifying peace

making (eirene, and poieo, “to make”), is used in Matt. 5:9, “peacemakers.”

that literally means the action of peace

This word is saying that peace MAKER - peace has to be made.

We have some good examples of Peacemakers in the bible.

last July we talked about a story about man named Nabal.

In 1 Samuel 25

David is being hunted by Saul.

David was in hiding.

but WHILE in hiding…David would protect others from Philistine raiders.

David would offer protection for them.

He was already a liked person…and then protected the people. David earned many supporters because of this.

There was a man named Nabal who was very wealthy.

David sent some men to him and VERY nicely asked for supplies while they continue their work.

Nabal disrespected David HEAVILY..

Disrespected his name…his family….his protection. Nabal was being proud, boastful rude…all that.

So David got so angry…he led his people to Nabal’s home to kill him. The conflict is now violent.

Abigal steps in.

She takes responsibility for a problem she didn’t create.

She speaks to him with wisdom and humility. She effectively changes David’s heart.

She ENTERED the conflict…she didn’t avoid it. She de-escalated the potentially deadly situation

She brought peace to all when David was going to bring destruction. That’s a peaceMAKER.

This is in contrast to being a peaceKEEPER. A peacekeeper is what many people are.

“Peacekeepers don’t make peace" they attempt to keep peace…

or really whatever things already are.

 

PeaceKeepers:

• avoid situations they feel might disrupt comfort

• stay passive to keep things from escalating

• avoid hard conversations to maintain false peace

• protect the appearance of harmony instead of pursuing it

• tolerate brokenness rather than addressing it

• they KEEP things where they are, even when it’s unhealthy

they can be in a room with a friend/co-worker/spouse they aren’t getting along with and not say anything to “keep the peace”

but there’s already not peace

and we don’t want to deal with it to make it worse.

A PeaceMAKER is not that.

as we saw with Abigail:

 

PeaceMakers:

• step into tension with wisdom and grace

• address issues instead of avoiding it

• have hard conversations with a heart for restoration

• go after real reconciliation, and not surface - level peace

• work to restore what is broken instead of trying to manage it

These are the differences…

Many times we are peace keepers…

when the Lord is really trying to get us to be peace MAKERS!

 

Peacemaking Isn’t About Avoiding Conflict - It’s About Restoring Needed Peace!

Here are a few other examples before we go on.

 

Other Examples of Peacemakers:

Abraham (Genesis 13)

Barnabas (Acts 9)

Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Let’s group the last two together:

Matthew 5:10-11

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

I’m grouping these because this is where the attack comes. This is why I titled the message the Proof of the Blessed

If you are living the standard Jesus set… even just some of these

if you’re being: pure, peace driven and righteous the world will eventually test you…

and eventually push back.

 

Living Right Will Eventually Cost You Something - It Will Be Worth It Every Time

We will lose things like friends….

family… relationships… opportunities…

favor with certain people…

all because we’re trying to live according to God’s standard. But the bible says it will be worth it.

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Many people might look at you different…

not because you SAY you’re a Christian…

but because you LIVE like you have a relationship and for some reason it bothers others.

to a point where they want to insult you… and lie on you…

because of YOUR relationship with God.

2 Timothy 3:12

12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

This is saying that we all will go through it at one time or another.

We live in a world now where people can be killed because of their faith.

It may not have happened to you yet…

but at the least people will talk about you… mistreat you…

hate on you…

try and silence you…

all because you are living the way the Lord said. It might cost you…

but you will be blessed as a result.

Let’s sum it all up with our text again:

Matthew 5:3-11

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will  inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your  reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus gave one of the greatest sermons. The Sermon on the Mount. He told them about the beatitudes.

He told them about being blessed. Here is the summary:

The Blessed Life Is Built In The Heart, Shaped By God, And Proven In How We Live

It’s proven because it’s not just a word… it stands up under pressure.

it endures under stress.

it’s not perfect…but it’s a process.

{closing}

Some of us need to go back to the foundation and admit we need God again.

Some of us are in the middle — and God is still shaping us.

And some of us know…

it’s time to live this out boldly, even if it costs us. But wherever you are, don’t stay there.

Take the next step.

Because the blessed life isn’t something you admire — it’s something you grow into.”