Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5. I am titling this Bible study,
How to be Happy, Part 3. We had a Part 1 and a Part 2
in these verses right here that begin with blessed or blessed,
where our Lord is teaching us what the blessed state is. And, uh, we, we brought messages
on a couple of verses. Uh, we had a part one and a part
two, and then we had messages on a couple of verses and I didn't
give the title of how to be happy because those messages were more
of a declarative message than an instructive Sunday school
lesson. But, uh, this morning I want
to recap and I want to hopefully finish the instruction of our
Lord on these verses specifically where he begins with blessed. And, uh, this will more than
likely be the last title I give of how to be happy. So picking
up with verse nine, let's first see Christ in this. And then
let's see Christ's instruction to us in this. Matthew five,
verse nine, it says, blessed are the peacemakers for they
shall be called the children of God. When we hear peacemaker,
when a child of God hears the word peacemaker, one name comes
to our mind. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
the peacemaker, the peacemaker. That's who he is. That's who
we can and ought to see him to be. That's what he did for his
people. He made peace. Turn with me,
if you would, over to Isaiah chapter nine. Isaiah nine, the heading at the
top of my page says the church's joy in Christ's birth and kingdom. So this is speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ in verse six, Isaiah nine, verse six, it says unto
us, a child is born unto us. A son is given and the government
shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called
wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father,
the Prince of peace. That's who he is. That's what
he came to do. He came to make peace for a particular
people. He came to make peace for a select
chosen people. He did not come to make peace
for everybody. This is so important. We're gonna
see this here and we're gonna see this again in a moment in
our message. But our Lord did not come to
make peace for every soul on this earth. He came to make peace
for every soul that his father gave to him. It's people who
were naturally at war with him. And you think about this, who
did he make peace for? He made peace for people who
were at war with him, but he overcame them. That's what he
did. He got the victory over them. When we talk about him getting
the victory, we need to understand he got the victory over us. We
were at enmity against him and he got the victory over his
people. So making peace. Now let me prove
that he only came to make peace for his people. Turn with me
over to Matthew chapter 10. Matthew 10 verse 34 says, this
is our Lord speaking, and he said, think not that I am come
to send peace on earth. Don't think that I have come
to send peace on earth. When he was born, the angels
cried, glory to God in the highest. peace on earth. That's what they
cried, peace on earth. But he's saying right here, that
doesn't mean the entire earth. That doesn't mean the entire
world. God's love and God's peace has been given to every location
in the world. If it was only in Israel, then
we'd all need to get on a plane and head to Israel. but it has
gone to the whole world. It's gone all over the entire
world, but that doesn't mean it has gone to every person in
the world. He said, it's a people out of
every nation, tribe, kindred, and tongue. Verse 34, he said,
think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to
send peace, but a sword. For I'm come to set a man at
variance against his father and the daughter against her mother
and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." And he goes
on and continues with that. He said, I've come to send a
sword. It's the sword of truth. That's what it is. It's the sword
of truth concerning God's sovereignty. Had Christ not come, we would
not know anything of God's absolute sovereignty and Christ's absolute
finished work. We wouldn't know anything of
it. And he said, I came to send the sword of this truth. It's the sword that man naturally
tries to fight against. That's what man wants to go to
war with is God's truth. But Hebrews 4 says the Word of
God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And it's the sword of truth that
makes men and women bow the knee to the finished work of Christ.
That's the problem for man. We will not bow the knee to the
finished work of Christ. That's the problem for man. No
man or woman will bow the knee to the finished work of Christ
unless God makes us bow to the finished work of Christ. Man
does not want a peacemaker with God. Man wants to be his own
peacemaker with God. Man says, well, I've made my
peace with God. You don't want to do that. You
want Christ to make peace with God for you. But man doesn't want that naturally.
And outside of that, there's no peace. Man cries, peace, peace,
when there is no peace. All right now, but in Christ,
in Christ, turn with me to John 17. I'm sorry, did I say John 17?
Go to John 14. John 14, verse 27, our Lord said,
peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not
as the world giveth, He's saying, I'm gonna give you,
I'm gonna give my people a peace that the world knows nothing
about. It's an eternal peace with God. Peace in spite of your
sin against him. Peace in spite of all your enmity
against him. And he said, I'm gonna accomplish
that peace for you in myself, by the sacrifice of myself. In
my body, in my blood, in my death, for you. He said in another place,
he said, in the world, you're going to have tribulation. But
he said, in me, you're going to have peace. Romans five says,
therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1 says, it pleased
the Father that in Christ all fullness should dwell, having
made peace through the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile
all things to Himself. Turn with me to Ephesians 2.
This is exactly how it happened. Ephesians 2 verse 11 says, wherefore remember that you being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands. He's
saying, make no doubt about it. You were not called God's people. Verse 12, remember that at that
time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus,
you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ, for He is our peace. who hath made both one. That means he joined himself
to us and he joined us to him. He made both one and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished
in his flesh the enmity. That means the hatred, the war,
the enemy. even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one
new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby,
and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to
them that were nigh for through him we both have access by one
spirit unto the father now therefore you are no more strangers and
foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household
of God, and are built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,
in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are builded together
for a habitation of God through the Spirit." That's what he did
for us as his people. All right, now let's consider
what he has to say to us because of that. All right, let's consider
now what he is physically saying to us because of that right there.
Go with me back to Matthew chapter five. And I want to just throw in a
side note here. This has really affected me. Um, this is honestly, I just
feel like I've had my eyes open to this and I hope we all will
have that. Matthew five verse nine, it says,
blessed are the peacemakers. for they shall be called the
children of God. Seeing what Christ did for us,
that's where you start. That's where you start. You know,
man in religion gets the cart before the horse. That's the whole problem with
religion. There's nothing wrong with us seeing these things and
desiring to do these and desiring good works and such on and so
forth, but that's not salvation. Christ is salvation. And there's
nothing wrong with putting a cart behind a horse. The problem is
when we get the cart in front of the horse. But seeing what
Christ did for us, this is what he now has to say to us. He's
saying, learn of me. Isn't that what he said? Learn
of me. He said, this is the blessed state. This is happiness. Being a peacemaker. I want to
be happy. I really do. I tell you all the
time that it just really hit me that at the end of Brother
Henry's life, he didn't want to hear any more bad news. But
it's good, right? You know, it's what he used to
say. You'd say, well, but it's good, right? He just wanted to
be happy. And that's what I want to be.
And our Lord said, this is happiness. And it is. It is being a peacemaker. We're going to find out that
this is so this really is. So our Lord said that it would
be this way and it will be this way. If we live by the sword,
we're going to die by the sword. This is so. If we live this life
ready to slay and ready to cut and ready to attack, and that's
what this flesh does. It's just so full of pride. It's
so full of self-righteousness. And if we do that, if we live
this life in that way, we are going to die, meaning we're going
to live out the rest of this life being slain and being cut
and being attacked. This applies to all of us. This
applies to God's people. It truly does. Our Lord said,
whatever you meet people with, the same thing will be met with
you. Whatever you deal to people,
the same thing will be dealt to you. It is so important that
we understand this. If we deal sharply, and that's
what I love about the fellowship I believe the Lord has given
us. I believe the Lord's put a sweet spirit here and I don't
want it to go away. I really don't. If we deal sharply
and if we deal harshly and if we deal unmercifully, then we
need to expect to be dealt with sharply and harshly and unmercifully. We just need to expect it. And
that's not a blessed state. That is not happiness. That's not happiness. Sometimes
people wonder, and I will put my name on the top of that list.
And this is why I say this is just, I've read this a long time
now, but I believe the Lord has just let me really get a hold
of it. And I hope he lets me apply it. Just getting a hold
of it's not enough for me. I hope he lets me apply it. But
sometimes we wonder, why do things always happen this way for me?
Why is it that it seems like everything's the hard way for
me? Why does it always have to go
like this for me? People say that, not realizing
that they're only receiving what they're dishing out. Really. This is how to be happy as a
sojourning child of God. And that's what we are. We are
sojourning. We're passing through. We live
in intense. We're just passing through as
a sojourning child of God through this difficult world that we
live in. This is how to be happy. Turn with me to Luke chapter
six. Luke chapter six, verse 31, it
says, as you would that men should
do to you, do you also to them likewise. If you want as peaceful
a life as possible, be a peacemaker. Ask yourself that question. What
is the fastest way I could make peace right here? Be a peacemaker. Our Lord said, learn of me, do
to others as I have done to you. It's a true lesson for life here. Verse 37 in Luke six, he said,
judge not and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you
shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto
you. Good measure pressed down and
shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that
you meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. And he said, blessed are the
peacemakers. Whatever you dish out, that's
what's coming to you. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Turn with me to Romans chapter 12. Romans 12 verse 10, it says, be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love in honor, preferring one another,
not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant
in prayer, distributing to the necessity of saints, given to
hospitality. Bless them which persecute you,
bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice
and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward
another. Mind not high things, but condescend
to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for
evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of all men. Now watch verse 18. If it be
possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all
men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, vengeance
is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine
enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drink.
For in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be
not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. That's happiness. That is happiness. Christ did
that for us. That's describing the Lord Jesus
Christ. He did that for us, and us doing that for each other
is true happiness. Now go with me back to Matthew
5. As a recap, verse 3 says, blessed
are the poor in spirit. If we want to be happy, We need
to go through this life realizing something of our emptiness before
God. Emptiness. If we want to be happy,
we need to be aware of that. That's when we see our fullness
to be in Christ. And that'll bring happiness.
Verse four says, blessed are they that mourn. If we want to
be happy, we need to go through this life acquainted with the
sorrow of our continual sin. We need to be aware of our own
continual sin, because that will be a reminder of the sorrow that
Christ bore for us to put away that sin. Verse five says, blessed
are the meek. If we want to be happy in this
life, we need to be humble. We truly need to be humble. Scripture
says pride comes before a fall. And as Christ humbled himself
for us, we need to humble ourselves for each other. Verse six says,
blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. If we want to be happy, we need
to desire things that are good. Paul told the Philippians, he
said, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
we need to go for the truth. We need to go for honesty. Whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report. He said, if there
be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.
We've already established that salvation's of the Lord. Salvation's
of the Lord, but shall we sin? Shall we just willingly, purposefully,
with no conscience toward it, shall we sin, just revel in sin
that grace may abound? God forbid, there's no happiness
in that. Verse seven says, blessed are the merciful. If we want
to be happy, we need to show mercy to people. We sure are happy that God showed
mercy to us in Christ, aren't we? And because of that, we need
to show mercy to each other. We need to show mercy. We need
to find somebody who doesn't deserve it and show it to them.
That's who we need to show it to. Verse eight says, blessed
are the pure in heart. If we want to be happy, we need
to get honest with God. Pure in heart. honest before
God. We need to confess what we are
to him and we need to beg him for the mercy in his blood that
we so desperately need. All who do find it, receive it,
hear about it, know of it. The song says, tell it to Jesus,
tell it to the Lord Jesus. He is a friend that's well known.
You've no other such a friend or brother. tell it to the Lord
Jesus alone. Another song says, Oh, what peace
we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. That's where happiness is. Verse
nine says, blessed are the peacemakers. If we want to be happy, As much
as lieth in us, we need to make peace. We need to live peaceably
with all men. We need to be peacemakers. And
we'll close the Bible study with this, okay? Verse 10, blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad
for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Our Lord said, if you have the
truth of Christ revealed to you. And I want us to get ahold of
this more than all of it. He said, if you have the truth
of Christ revealed to you, that is going to happen to you. He
said, it's going to happen to you. Turn with me over to John
chapter 15. John chapter 15. Verse 17, he said, these things
I command you that you love one another. If the world hate you,
you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of
the world, the world would love his own, but because you are
not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore
the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have
kept my saying, they will keep yours also. That means if they've
taken issue with my word, my saying, they'll take issue with
yours too. Now, if it becomes known that
a person believes and is clinging to the truth and the glory of
Christ, if that gets out, and it will, If God has revealed the truth
and the glory of Christ to a person, not the glory of man, but the
glory of Christ and what that really means. Not the glory of
man's works, which is what all religion is based on, man's works. Do this and live, don't do this
and die, man's works. Once God reveals the glory of
Christ's work and not man's work, When it becomes known that God
has revealed that to a person and that the person believes
it and that the person is clinging to it as all of his or her hope
for salvation, Christ's work, that person will be persecuted
for the truth's sake. That person will be, all right
now. But if we want to be happy, oh,
may God teach me this. I pray for the sake of Kingsport,
for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of this ministry, for
the sake of eternity, because of what Christ did, may God teach
us this. If we want to be happy, we're
going to be persecuted for the truth's sake. Once it gets out,
the flesh doesn't love this like we do. But if we want to be happy,
we need to tell men and women the truth. You know how you just
keep it inside and you just let them all pass on by. If we want
to be happy, we need to tell men and women the truth. Hide
it under a bushel? No. It's the next few verses
in Matthew 5. No. Our Lord said, rejoice in
this truth right here. They persecuted every prophet
before you, every preacher, every witness, or every teller of truth. They persecuted all of them.
But he said, it means you're clinging to the right thing.
It means you're in good company. And if we tell the truth to the
ones we love, the reason we don't is because we fear being persecuted. We fear ending a relationship. We think, well, this might sever
our relationship, but maybe it won't. If we tell the truth to
the people that we love, they may end up loving it just like
we do. And they may end up clinging to it just like we do. And they
may end up believing it and hoping in it just like we do. And if
they do, that'll make us happy. If God saves our family and saves
our friends and saves our neighbors and saves our coworkers, I'm
telling you, that'll make us happy. It will make us happy. Lord, teach us to do these things. Teach us to do these things.
Let us know the blessed state right now, I pray. Okay, you're
dismissed.