1  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
2  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3  Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4  Blessed are those who mourn,  For they shall be comforted.
5  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7  Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8  Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9  Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12, NKJV)

It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I’m not sure how that statement fits in with posting the notes from a recently concluded three-part sermon that I heard. I’m not plagiarizing — as I’m crediting Jeff Rudd with the sermon — rather I’m sharing with you seven points he made about the Beatitudes that I think you’d be interesting hearing about.

Jeff Rudd, Free In Christ Prison Ministry

First, a little background information: our church’s pastor has been away on and off throughout the year, making several trips to India as part of organizing and holding a national pastor’s conference. The conference ended this past Sunday, but while he was gone several guest preachers were welcomed into the pulpit. Jeff Rudd, who found the Free In Christ Prison Ministry, had the pulpit for the last three weeks, thus the series on the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes, which appears in Matthew (while also getting a partial write up in Luke) is often cited as the central theme for exhorting Christians to godly behavior. Mostly everyone has heard the Beatitudes in one form or another, though I’m certain that we’ve heard it misapplied often too.

Beatitude Observations

So, what did Jeff have to say about the beatitudes? Much, but I’m only going to share with you his seven observations as compacting three messages into one article isn’t something I’m about to do. Rudd’s observations about the beatitudes were as follows:

1. Jesus was speaking to His followers, namely his disciples. I’ve heard plenty of people ascribe the beatitudes to specific groups of people who may or may not be followers of Jesus Christ.
2. The sermon on the mount does not tell us to live a certain way and you’ll become a Christian. Instead, it says that since we are already following Jesus Christ, that we’re to live like this.
3. The beatitudes stresses spiritual qualities, not natural tendencies. We are called to this responsibility which will also lead us to the way of true happiness.
4. The beatitudes are both a privilege and a responsibility.
5. The person described in this passage is only type of person who is truly blessed. This is the character of a happy man!
6. Every single one of the beatitudes apply to each Christian. We are not called to specialize.
7. All Christians are called to live like this, not just the pastor or church leaders.

In concluding his message, Rudd mentioned that God blesses our likeness to Christ, more than any talent we might have. Clearly, using our talents wisely is important, but our attitude — or beatitude — toward God is what He honors the most.

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