The Final Beatitudes

The Final Beatitudes TheSeven Beatitudes Given in Revelation Do you know what a beatitude is? A beatitude is the sure and certain promise of immortal bliss, eternal happiness, and supreme delight.

1. Our Lord Jesus pronounced nine beatitudes in his sermon on the mount (Matt. 5:3-12).

1. The apostle Paul gave us what some have called "the last beatitude" in Acts 20:35 - "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Everyone knows that it is more blessed, in this world, to be rich and have the means to give than it is to be poor and have nothing to give. It does not take a great deal of brilliance to understand that! But the words of our Lord mean that "It is more blessed to give to others than it is to receive from them. It is more blessed to give what we have, be it little or much, for the good of others, than it is to increase what we have."

Many give for the hope of gain, to get more. God’s people give according to their ability, to do good, hoping for nothing in return. It is more blessed to give our labor to those who need it than it is to be paid for our labor from those who do not need it. It is blessed to give and labor for those who are grateful and appreciative. But it is more blessed and honorable to give and labor for those who are ungrateful and unappreciative, for then our gifts and our labors are to God alone.

Look at the text, Acts 20:35, it tells us three things about the children of God in this world.

First, God’s saints are honest, hardworking men and women. They work for their living. They work hard. And they work for God (Eph. 6:5-8; I Thess. 4:11; II Thess. 3:10; I Tim. 5:8).

Second, God’s people work, not to enrich themselves, but to support the weak, the poor, the needy, and the work of the gospel (Eph. 4:28).

• We work to support our families.

• We work to support the gospel.

• We work to support those who are not able to support themselves.

Thirdly, God’s saints in this world, who give with willing and cheerful hearts, are blessed of God.

• The fact that they give with willing hearts, freely and cheerfully is proof that they are loved of God. Our giving does not cause God to love us and bless us with his grace. But it is a proof that he does love us and has blessed us (II Cor. 9:7).

• Giving men and women shall be constantly supplied by God with the ability to give (II Cor 9:8; Phil. 4:19; Lk. 6:38).

• Generous, open-hearted and open-handed men and women, those who give willingly, cheerfully, because they love Christ are blessed with God’s unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, and everlasting glory in him (II Cor. 8:9; 9:15).

"Blessed!" - Our text says, giving men and women are "blessed."

Proposition:

These are the beatitudes of our Lord, his sure, unconditional promises of supreme happiness and eternal bliss to his people. These beatitudes, the blessedness they promise, are not conditioned upon the character and conduct of those to whom the promises are made. Rather, their character and conduct is the result of the blessing bestowed (Eph. 1:3). The Final Beatitudes. Turn with me to the Book of Revelation; and I will show you the last seven beatitudes given to God’s elect in the Word of God. Here are seven sure and certain promises of immortal bliss, eternal happiness, and supreme delight given to all who believe in the last Book of the Bible.

I. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss are connected with the public ministry of the Word (Rev. 1:3).

A. They that read...The faithful gospel preacher reads God’s word to the church and explains the meaning of the words. That is what it is to preach the scriptures. And the man who does so is blessed of God.

1. With grace

1. With gifts - knowledge, understanding

1. In preparation

1. In preaching

B. They that hear...

Those who hear the Word of God faithfully read and proclaimed are blessed in the providence of God, for this is the means of grace (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:14-17).

Those who hear in faith with understanding hearts are blessed with divine grace and eternal life (John 3:5-7; I Cor. 2:9-14).

C. They that keep...

Those who keep the word in their hearts are the children of God. Their hearts have been prepared by grace. The word has been sown in their hearts by grace. And they keep the word by grace.

• Wayside hearers

• Stony ground hearers

• Thorny ground hearers

• Good ground hearers

II. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who die in the Lord (Rev. 14:13).

There is a great, indescribable blessedness connected with death for the believer. "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints." (See II Cor. 5:1-9).

A. They rest from their labors (See Heb. 4:9-11).

• Rest in His purchase!

• Rest in His providence!

• Rest in His presence!

B. Their works do follow them.

• Our works do not go before us.

• We do not carry our works with us.

• Our works follow us to heaven for the praise, honor, and glory of Christ.

III. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to those who persevere in the faith of Christ (Rev. 16:15).

• He that watcheth for his Lord.

• He that keepeth his garments, the garments of salvation (Matt. 10:22; I Cor. 15:1-3; Heb. 3:14; 10:23).

IV. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

The effectual call (Psa. 65:4; I Cor. 1:26-31).V. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to those who are born of God (Rev. 20:6).

The new birth is a resurrection from the dead!

• I have been resurrected representatively (Eph. 2:4-5).

• I have been resurrected spiritually (John 5:25).

• I shall be resurrected personally (Job 19:25-27).

VI. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who keep, or obey, the words of Christ (Rev. 22:7).

• Buy of me (3:18).

• Open the door (3:20).

• Come out of her (18:4).

• Whosoever will, let him come (22:17).

VII. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who obey the commandments of God (Rev. 22:14).

A. His commandments are very simple (I John 3:23).

B. All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ have the right to live forever.

• It is the gift of God.

• It is the purchase of Christ.

C. All who believe shall enter into everlasting glory!

The Bottom Line:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!"

catcmo2006

The Beatitudes

THE BEATITUDES : Matthew 5:3-12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Christ's sermon on the mount.

None will find happiness in this world or the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. He taught them what was the evil they should abhor, and what the good they should seek and abound in. (Mt 5:3-12)

Who are blessed.

Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance,

watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God. 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their

patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all

desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. 6. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness

and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. 7. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken.

If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and

admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances. (Mt 5:13-16) catcmo2006