Welcome to our sermon series, “The Blessed Life: A Journey through the Beatitudes.” This series is designed to deepen your understanding of these profound teachings from Jesus and enrich your walk with God.

The journey begins with an explanation of what blessed really means and continues with an exploration of the Beatitudes as they were delivered by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. We will examine what Jesus truly meant when He spoke these words and how we can apply them in our lives. We’ll explore the challenges each Beatitude presents and discuss practical ways to overcome barriers that may prevent us from experiencing God’s blessings. Jesus’ words offer a blueprint for living a truly blessed life.

The Beatitudes are not merely poetic phrases but a vivid portrait of what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom. These blessings are for those who embody humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity, and peace-making—the very character traits of Christ Himself.

Consider the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). To be ‘poor in spirit’ is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty, our utter dependence on God’s grace. This humble posture of faith is crucial to experiencing the ongoing spiritual blessings that God promises. Here we find HUMILITY’S RICHES: THE PARADOX OF SPIRITUAL POVERTY.

Outline

• Jesus sees the crowds but calls for

  Reveal Answer
  .

• The Beatitudes are a holistic portrait, describing the character of every

  Reveal Answer
  Reveal Answer
  .

• Poverty of spirit is the

  Reveal Answer
  of
  Reveal Answer
  —you never outgrow the first Beatitude.

• Being blessed means having God’s

  Reveal Answer
  and his
  Reveal Answer
  . A continual sense of our spiritual
  Reveal Answer
  is the basis for ongoing spiritual blessing.

• A perpetual

  Reveal Answer
  of our spiritual poverty opens us to continually receiving spiritual riches.

• We live in a

  Reveal Answer
  Reveal Answer
  —the reward of the kingdom is both now and in the future.

Application

Do you believe you are spiritually bankrupt and need a savior?

Can people identify you as a citizen of the kingdom?

Are you living with a keen awareness that you desperately need his grace?

Questions

1. Define in your own words what it means to be “poor in spirit.”
2. In what ways does your life demonstrate a failure to be poor in spirit?
3. How does remembering the example of Jesus show us what it means to be poor in spirit? Why is it important that Jesus has been poor in spirit in your place?
4. What Christians do you know who have shown you more clearly how to be poor in spirit?
5. How does focusing on God’s heavenly kingdom help us to be poor in spirit?