Kingdom Living (Part 3) Sermon on the Mount
Junior Level

This week we continue our series on Kingdom Living.  Previously we have learned that Kingdom living isn’t reserved for after life here on this earth.  The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand just as Jesus declared.  If you have made the decision to follow Christ, making Him LORD of your life, then He wants you to serve Him as LORD while you are here on the earth.  We have learned that doing that means ministering to a world, sharing the good news of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In order to do that we must first surrender to The LORD, allowing Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit to get us ready so that we can share His love with others.  This is Kingdom Living.  I pray you are all blessed as you read this lesson and GOD’S Word.

Handout:  Kingdom Living (Part 3) Sermon on the Mount

In Part 2 of this series we began looking at Matthew 5 and the lesson Jesus taught there on that hillside.  Let’s go back to the book of Matthew and review His words.
“Matthew 5:1-12 “And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him:  And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of GOD.  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.
Last week we looked at the first words, Blessed are the poor in spirit and understood that Jesus came for all and that He wants us just where we are, just as we are.  We learned that we who understand that we are poor in spirit and in need of Him is indeed blessed when we call out to Him.
The second thing Jesus said in His lesson was: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
This one I as well as my family can relate to very well in this season of life especially.  About 7 weeks ago, my mother went home to be with The LORD after MUCH suffering.  We rejoiced that GOD in HIS mercy took her home, but the sadness of our loss has been something that cannot be explained with words.  Many of you understand exactly what I’m writing to you here.  Grief is so painful, and when we are mourning, the devil will jump right on us and come at us with every evil force he has trying to get us to give up. However, we have a loving Savior, and His Holy Spirit dwells in us and feels what we feel, He understands and He ministers to us with grace that we need to get through it.
Psalm 57:1-2 “Be merciful unto me, O GOD, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.  I will cry unto GOD Most High; unto GOD that performeth all things for me.”
Wisdom is knowing that every heartache we go through, and every pain we endure is for a reason.  Somehow, someway through it, God is teaching us, protecting us, helping us for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). 
It may not be the death of a loved one, but something else that is causing grief to you, and you like Paul, with his thorn in the flesh, have asked GOD to remove it over and over, but He has not, then it is part of your purpose!  As I stated before, we can live with pain, much easier than we can live without purpose.  I understand this perfectly!  Sometimes we have to endure suffering and grief because it is for GOD’S glory and we were born for GOD’S Purpose! 
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.  For this thing I besought The LORD thrice, that it might depart from me.  And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Just as Paul, if you have a thorn in the flesh, and you have asked GOD to remove it and He has said no, rest assured that He is also saying to you…My grace is sufficient for you, and in your weakness, my strength will be manifest.  You can go on, because I will help you says The LORD Your GOD!  Look to The LORD.
Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help comes from The LORD, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. 
Sometimes GOD uses need, crisis and pain that He allows to come into our lives, to revive our desire for Him.
Crisis will bring forth the fruit harvest of the Spirit if we will trust and obey GOD through it!  Read that sentence over again and get that seed planted in your heart so that you remember it.  I’ll type it again.  Crisis will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit if we will trust GOD and obey Him through it. 
Psalm 126:6 “He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the GOD and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
He said Blessed are they that mourn, that doesn’t mean that mourning is a blessing.  It hurts, it’s so painful during the season of grief, the blessing is that He will comfort us in our mourning. 
The grief itself is not the blessing, it’s the fruit it bears.  When we are comforted by our Savior, The Lover of our souls.  It brings us nearer to our Savior’s heart, when we cry out to Him in our grief, in our mourning to receive the comfort that only He can give. 
The blessing is that in our pain, we humble ourselves before The LORD, when we are broken and we do not know what to do and He reaches out to us in His love and compassion that no other has like Him, and comforts our souls…that is blessing.  It is blessing when our lives are completely turned upside down, or someone is ripped from us and He reveals to us that He is still VERY much in control and that even when we are shocked and surprised by life…HE IS NOT!  He knows everything, from beginning to ending!  The blessing is in knowing that if He has allowed it in our lives, then it is for His good purpose and He will work it out.   The blessing is knowing that we can trust Him even when we don’t understand and know that He will always do the right thing!
Last week, I reached a stage in grief where I was just angry.  I didn’t really know at first who I was angry at or why.  It had been building up.  The Holy Spirit would urge me to pray but I avoided it because I didn’t want to think about it.  All week I was so rebellious.  I just did whatever I wanted and I didn’t take time to study GODS Word, and when GOD would try to talk to me I would just stiffen up and say that there was no point in talking about it because I was wrong and just needed to snap out of it.  Finally, Friday evening, alone in my room…I lay down on my bed and everything hit me all at once…I missed the intimacy with GOD and I had just not talked to HIM.  The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, not out loud, but that still small voice.  He said, I’m going to forgive you for being so rebellious this week and you don’t even have to ask me, because I know you acted out because you are hurting and you just wanted to feel better.  I’m going to do this if you turn around and stop this behavior and do what I have called you to do.  I just cried more.  I said LORD, You are GOD, You don’t bargain.  He replied, I’m not bargaining with you, I’m simply reminding you that I love you and that I forgive you and I want you to stop this and if you do not, you are going to get into trouble and have to suffer the consequences.  I’m giving you a chance to do the right thing.
 I said, but I’m so mad.  He said why are you mad at me.  I said Lord I’m not mad at You, and then I thought…I really am a little mad at God.  So I said, I know I’m wrong, but I’m mad because I don’t understand why my mom had to be in so much pain her whole life, and why she suffered so much before she died, and why is the pain in my back coming back when You healed me 3 years ago?  Why now when I was just trying to help take care of my mom.  Why is my dad’s knee giving him so much pain? Isn’t it enough that we just lost mom…isn’t that enough pain for one time?  I just don’t understand and I know I’m wrong but its how I feel.  (God wants us to be real with Him, and honest with Him and ourselves.) 
I didn’t want to talk because I thought of all the suffering in the world, people who have so much more pain than I and I said, LORD I feel like a brat for feeling this way when it could be worse and I am afraid You will be angry and make it worse for me to teach me a lesson.  The LORD said, Cindy, do you think I’m up here just ready to blast you?  Is that what you think of me?  (Remember now, when GOD asks us questions, it’s not because HE doesn’t know the answers, it’s because HE wants us to think and come to answers through His questions.)  I felt ashamed and said No LORD.  He said, every week, you teach people to never stop talking to Me even if they are mad, to just say it out loud, and now you haven’t talked to me all week about it.  He said you teach people that anything I allow to happen in their lives is for a good reason, have you forgotten that?  Are you going to only praise Me when things are good and be angry at Me when things seem bad?  The pain you go through is for a reason, I’m protecting you and using it for your good and My glory.  Are you going to trust Me, or give up?  The pain your family is going through, it is for their good and My glory.  Remember Romans 8:28?  I continued to cry harder.  It hurt to cry…it hurt my eyes, it hurt my chest, but I knew I needed to. 
Then GOD said, tell me all the things you are worried about.  I said, but LORD You already know and I don’t want to be complaining.  He said, I want You to just tell Me.  So I did.  Then He told me that it was going to be ok, that He will always supply my need and that His grace is sufficient.  He reminded me that I have to just trust HIM.  Then I told Him I was sorry for being angry and how I had acted.  He said, I have forgiven you, it’s over, just move forward.  Then I said but LORD how do I know that it’s you and not just me trying to make myself feel better.  He reminded me of some of the personal things He told me and said you cannot think this yourself, I see what you cannot see and YOU KNOW MY VOICE!  
He instructed me to go to sleep and then get up in the morning and begin writing my lesson for the week.  I said, but LORD, I haven’t studied at all, I don’t know what to teach.  He said, that’s how you will know I am talking to you.  Go to sleep and by faith just get up in the morning and begin to type and I will give you the words.  I went to sleep, and woke up the next morning.  Satan jumped right on me first thing!  He said you can’t teach you haven’t studied and you were horrible all week blah blah blah.  I ignored him and turned on my computer and started to type.  Just as The LORD said, the words came like flowing water.  He gave me every word.  He is so amazing.  I was so blessed and in the middle of the lesson, I stopped….and I thought…as tears poured yet again…I’m not angry anymore…I’m not angry!  GOD had forgiven me once again and let me start over and I accepted my loss and I was able to raise my hands and say LORD, You have gotten me through pain before, You will do it again.  I am going to praise You no matter what…In the sunshine, in the rain, in joy and in pain.  I will Praise The LORD!  Though HE slay me, yet will I trust Him! 
Dear One Reading, If you are going through something, a trial, a loss, pain, suffering, and you don’t understand why GOD is allowing it to happen.  Please know that it is for your good and HIS glory and if you will just trust and obey HIM, HE will bring you through it and you can shout the victory! 
Blessed are you who mourn, because Your Savior, Your kingdom husband, the Lover of your soul, will comfort you.  A comfort like no other, one that cannot be explained with words…let HIM wrap HIS arms around you, hide your face in His bosom and relish in the love that you feel.  No, mourning isn’t a blessing, oh but the comfort that comes from Jesus through it, that is Kingdom Living!  Living in His presence, in the present.
I’ll remind you again of this scripture, and I found myself praying it for myself this week.  You can do the same as you let Him hold you through the pain.
Psalm 57:1-2 “Be merciful unto me, O GOD, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.  I will cry unto GOD Most High; unto GOD that performeth all things for me.”
Blessed are they that mourn, for they SHALL be comforted.
Rest in Your LORD, it’s going to be ok, and this too shall pass.  :O)
GOD Bless you all :O)
Dear Righteous Heavenly Father…
Thank You so much for everything You are.  You fill every void in our lives and hearts.  You will be to us a Father, Mother, a Sister or Brother, and much more than that, a Savior who understands everything we are going through.  Thank You LORD for the comfort and love that You give, there is nothing like You.  I ask today that You comfort my family and all those suffering today.  Pull them in close to You as only You can and help them to draw closer to You.  Thank You for being who You are and for being merciful to my mom.  Thank you for being merciful to me and to all of us because of Your great love.  Thank You for the good and the sad times.  Thank you for the blessings and for the pain.  We know that all things work together, and that You will always do the right thing.  Give us strength, wisdom and more understanding to go on and trust and obey You every day that we live.  I love You LORD and I thank You for loving me.  In Your name I pray.


~*Cindygirl*~
May 27, 2018