A Sermon of Attitudes (pt. 6)

As we continue through the Beatitudes, or the attitudes of which the man of approved of God will possess, we’ve learned how an individual is able to approach God and now how to continue to live faithfully before Him. The one described as “pure in heart,” would be the one who is pure, sincere and clean in heart; the one who thinks, feels and purposes to do that which is right.

The heart is at the very seat of our being, for example: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Jesus taught: “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mt. 12:34). Later, Jesus continued: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Mt. 15:18-19).  Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount teaching those “would be” disciples the kind of attitudes they should possess in their lives in order to be pleasing to God.

The idea here is that we should live pure lives, which begins with a pure heart; therefore, that which is seen in us is true, no hypocrisy. James wrote: “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (Jms. 1:8). Our hearts become “pure in obeying the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22) and should remain so as “we walk in the light” (1 Jn. 1:7). The great blessing: “they shall see God.”

-Wayne Rodgers

A Sermon of Attitudes (pt. 3)

As we look at each attitude or beatitude, we see an underlying theme focusing on the man in whom God approves. This is the man that is blessed. This is true happiness and joy in the life of the servant of God.

Only those who are humble before God will realize their inability to approach a holy God. It is because of our sin that we cannot approach.

Those who will “mourn” over their sins “will be comforted.” This attitude is one that encapsulates grief and sorrow over our sins. Isaiah was reminded of this as he saw the Lord in His holiness and majesty and it affected him in a most profound way. The Bible records: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).

The corresponding blessing given is comfort. The one who can truly comfort us is Jesus Christ. He is the one that when we hear His Gospel, we should mourn over our sins. It is that type sorrow which works repentance to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10).  True comfort is seen in the salvation of God.

~Wayne Rodgers

A Sermon of Attitudes (pt. 1)

The Beatitudes are a favorite study of many and rightly so, because they take us to the very heart of the type of people that we are to be as the kingdom of God. The beatitudes are set by placeholders seen in the word “blessed.” 

As a modern term, we see the idea of happiness; but, it is closer to the idea of those whom God approves. Of what kind of individual does God approve? Matthew 5:3-12 lays out the character traits that we should each desire. Verses 1-2 set the stage almost literally as Jesus “Seeing the crowds, went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…” [ESV]. Jesus sets forth the very foundation for which the rest of the Sermon on the Mount will teach by each of these attitudes that we should be. Therefore, we might call the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon of Attitudes.

- Wayne Rodgers

Worshipping God in Song

What a beautiful picture that is given in Revelation 5:11-14 of the worship in Heaven surrounding the throne of God with “myriads of myriads” of angels raising their voices together in songs of praise!

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever (Revelation 5:11-14 KJV).

Oh, those sweet songs of praise that garner emotional responses because of their scripture-based teaching (Col. 3:16-17; Eph. 5:18-19), that give us the avenue to give our thanks unto God for his “unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15), and that bring us so very close to that picture drawn in our minds as we read the verses above and imagine the day when we join in the throng.

We sing because:

• we are merry (James 5:13)
• we are thankful (Hebrews 13:15)
• we are teaching (Colossians 3:16)
• we are praising God (Ephesians 5:19)
• we are admonishing one another (Col. 3:16)
• we acknowledge the authority of God (Romans 15:9)
• we seek to express comfort, hope, trust, and encouragement (Psalm 23)

As per New Testament instruction, we follow the commands (John 14:15; Colossians 3:17) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28a) to sing. In so doing, we are blessed with encouragement and teaching from one another and from Sacred Scripture that helps in developing our faith and trust in the Creator. May we each take seriously our worship unto God and sing as if we are bowed down and prostrate before “Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).

~Wayne Rodgers