0:01 So, we continue our study in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 6 and 7. I like to do a little revision each time because 0:18 we shouldn't forget the things we have already heard. You know, basically, we're all very forgetful creatures, all of us. We remember so many things in our profession because that's where we earn money. 0:37 But, many things in God's word we tend to forget. And we got to take it more seriously. So, very often it comes by repetition. So, we saw here that the Sermon on the Mount basically consists of nine right attitudes 0:55 in verses 3 to 12, and then the rest of the three chapters are nine wrong attitudes. So, if you've got the right attitudes and the wrong attitudes, all of them, then we read at the end of the Sermon on the Mount you have built your house on 1:08 the rock. And if you have not taken any of these seriously, and you only heard it, and you're not applied it to your life, then you build your house on sand. We must never forget that. That these are not This is not for 1:22 information, but for obedience. So, we saw poverty of spirit. And that's basically, I would say, a constant sense of our own spiritual need. Sometimes we listen to a powerful message, 1:41 and we have a sense of need. Oh boy, I really need that. That's convicted me. That's not poverty of spirit. That's just a conviction at that particular time. But, to be poor in spirit means I have a constant, every day, 1:55 a sense of my need. The reason is I'm looking unto Jesus. How do you know you're looking unto Jesus? I believe that if we keep looking unto Jesus, we'll be so aware of areas in our life where we are not like him. That's why we're going to be 2:12 in a constant sense of need. So, if there's not a constant sense of need, I for myself say if I don't have a constant sense of need, even though I've been a believer for 66 years, if I don't have a sense of need in my life today, I'm not looking unto Jesus. 2:28 Then, I'm almost saying that I've already become like him, so I don't have any need. But, if you're passionate in your life to become like Jesus Christ, and that's how every Christian should be, then there will be a sense of need in us 2:39 all the time if we are looking unto Christ. But, if you're looking at other things and people and all, of course, we won't have a sense of need. Then it says here, the next step from there will be that we begin to mourn. 2:51 We mourn because we are not more Christ-like. So, blessed are those who mourn, they'll be strengthened. I told you, comforted means strengthened. And then, blessed are the meek. Those I look at it meek as those who don't fight for their own rights. 3:07 The world is full of people fighting for their rights. All the wars in the world are people fighting their rights. This property is mine, and the one country says, "No, it is ours." And the entire all of humanity is like that. 3:19 These are my rights. And God is raising up a group of people who do not fight for their rights. And the worldly person will say, "In that case, I'll never get anything." You will get everything because almighty God is on your side, 3:35 and he'll give you exactly what you need, and he will not give you what will ruin you or spoil you. And I believe when we come to the end of our life, we should have that testimony. I have that testimony. That God has always given me in all 3:50 these 66 years of my Christian life what I needed. And he's withheld from me things that would have ruined me. So, they shall inherit the earth. Not by fighting for it, but because God will provide for them. The next is hungering and thirsting for 4:08 righteousness. It's one thing to ask God to make me holy. It's quite another thing to hunger and thirst for it. I look at it like a man who's been in the desert for number of days, and what a tremendous thirst he left for 4:23 water. To have I say, "Lord, give me a hunger for righteousness like that." Why is it that we are not more righteous and all, more holy? You know, everybody likes to be holy, but why is it we are not more holy? The answer is here. 4:39 All those who hunger and thirst for it will be satisfied. That means they'll their request will be granted. For example, if there's a particular sin in your life that you're constantly being defeated by. I don't know what it is in your 4:55 life. I know in my life at different times there were different sins I was constantly defeated by. Now, because I had a hunger and thirst for it, it didn't go overnight, but I determined this is something must not This is dishonoring God in my life. 5:12 It may be a thought pattern. It may be a way of speech. It may be the way you speak to your husband or wife. And if you say, "Lord, that's not the way Jesus would speak. That's not the way Jesus would think." And if you're passionate about it, that 5:27 is hungering and thirsting. You will be satisfied. You'll be satisfied means God will grant you your request. So, if there is some request for holiness in your life which has not been granted, any particular area where you're 5:40 constantly defeated, and you don't seem to be overcome. Maybe it's a bad pattern of speech or the way you conduct yourself or the thought pattern that you can't seem to overcome, I'll tell you the answer is you are not hungering and thirsting to 5:55 be freed from it. You just have a weak desire, "Lord, if possible to remove it." But, if you don't remove it, the world's not going to collapse. I got to still carry on with my life. You have that attitude, I tell you, in 50 years 6:06 you will not overcome it. You might as well realize it. You'll keep on coming, listening to meetings, but you'll never get anywhere. But, if you hunger and thirst, you'll be surprised how within a very short time you'll be free from it. I mean, some of 6:20 the things I found as a young man I was so defeated by, I'm amazed today that they don't even tempt me. You can come to that place. I want to tell you in Jesus' name, you can come to that place that things that bother you 6:32 and tempt you will even stop tempting me tempting you if you're faithful. It'll take time, but you got to hunger and thirst. The next thing is to be merciful, that is to forgive everyone. I've often emphasized this. That 6:48 there must not be at any time in my life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there must not be a single person whom I've not forgiven. Anytime, you wake me up in the middle of the night, middle of the day, "Brother Zach, have you forgiven everybody?" Yes. 7:04 Always. The what There are people in the world who will hurt us in our place of work, office in the office, relatives, all types of things, but we must live in a constant spirit of forgiveness. Cuz those are the only ones who will get 7:19 forgiveness from God. You see, a lot a lot of people preach that you ask God, he'll forgive you. If you confess our sins, he'll forgive us. No, that's not There's another condition to it. Where Jesus said, "If you don't forgive 7:31 others, you will not be forgiven." We confess our sins, but we don't forgive somebody, the blood of Jesus Christ will not cleanse you. You read a verse which says, "If we confess our sins, the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all sin." 7:46 I want to add in between that another thing Jesus said, "But, if you don't forgive somebody, the blood of Jesus will not cleanse you. You will not be forgiven." I can tell you that, my dear brothers and sisters. There are people who are going to, 7:59 believe me, there are people who when Christ comes again, they will discover that they are lost just because they wouldn't forgive somebody. And there's a law of God that he does not forgive those who don't forgive others. 8:17 And I have hardly ever heard a preacher who emphasizes that. I keep doing it I almost every meeting I tell people to forgive others. If there's a single soul anywhere on the face of the earth whom you have not forgiven, 8:32 I would urge you to forgive that person before you leave the meeting today. And to live in that forgiveness every single day. You know, there are husbands who haven't forgiven their wives for something. And wives who haven't forgiven their 8:44 husbands, who hold something in their mind of something that happened some days ago or some years ago. They keep it in their mind. Some of them even remember the date. This is how evil Christians can be. And they fool themselves that they just 8:57 confess it to God, and they'll be forgiven. You will not be forgiven. Let me tell you, this is probably the only church that'll tell you that, that you confess your sin and you will not be forgiven because you haven't forgiven 9:05 somebody else. The merciful will receive mercy. The others will not. You want to build on the rock? Be merciful. You'll never be wrong if you're merciful to others. The next one is purity of heart. Those who are pure in heart will see God. 9:24 Now, to be pure in heart to see God means I desire nothing but God. I desire only God in my life. That means I see God in every situation. That's the meaning of it. That means if I pure in heart, in every situation, I'll see God. 9:40 God is there. It may look as if that's against me. No, no, no, it's not. If there's a storm in the lake, Jesus was asleep because he said, "Okay, that's just an opportunity for God to manifest his power." That's what happened there. 9:54 And even when Judas Iscariot came to, us, I said the other day, Judas Iscariot comes to betray him. Jesus says, "My father has sent a cup to me to drink. I take it. And I said as I said last time, Judas was only the postman, the mailman, who 10:10 brought the letter, but the letter came from the father. You got to go to the cross. So, what does it matter if the mailman doesn't look very nice or the mailman's got a frown on his face? The letter came from my beloved husband. 10:24 Blessed are the pure in heart because they will see God. He's He's the one Jesus is their bridegroom. You know, uh >> [clears throat] >> I've often I mentioned this in some of the other meetings that many Christians are waiting for the time when they go to 10:42 heaven. They're looking forward They want to know what heaven is like. I've had people ask me, "Brother Zac, what do you think heaven is like?" And uh I I tell them, "I'm not even interested to find out. I know there are some references to it 10:55 in Revelation, but I don't waste my time interpreting it. In my younger days I did because I wanted to know what's heaven like, are there streets of gold and houses and all that. Now, I'll tell you why I'm not interested. And I take the illustration 11:09 of a a married couple or someone who's going to get married, a young girl who's going to get married. And you ask the young girl, "What are you looking forward to?" And she says, "My husband's a very rich man. And he's built a beautiful house. So, 11:26 I'm I'm looking forward to that house in which I'm going to live for the rest of my life. I was a poor person, but I got a wonderful house coming up for me. My lovely husband has made And then she goes there and she's taken 11:38 up with the house. Do you think that girl loves her husband? What if What if he could only provide a hut? She'd be disappointed. So, that's how when people say, "I'm looking forward to go to heaven." I'll tell you that was my condition for 11:54 many years. Not today. I'm not looking forward to go to heaven. I'm looking forward to see my bridegroom. A real bride will say, "I don't care what house my husband has built for me. It doesn't matter to me. I'm going to be with my 12:13 husband. That's the main thing. And it doesn't matter one bit whether it's a palace or a hut. I'm going to be with my husband." And I want to ask you, my brothers and sisters, supposing the time has come, you you know, a day will come when we'll have to 12:28 leave this earth. What are you looking forward to? Heaven? I can raise my hand and say, "I no longer look forward to heaven. I'm looking forward to be with Jesus. Wherever he is. I don't care if it's the wilderness or even in hell, I would like 12:41 to be with Jesus." This is the mark of a person who's got the attitude of the bride. And that is the person who's ready to meet the the Lord when he comes. And if you if you don't have that attitude, my brother, you ask yourself, "Aren't you grateful 12:59 for all that Jesus did for you? All that he suffered for you to make you his own and wants you to be like him. And at the end of it all, you're only interested in the type of house he's going to give you to live in, heaven? 13:13 No, that's not a bride. Your attitude should be, "Lord, I don't care where we live. I don't care if we're going to spend all eternity in a wilderness. I can honestly say I'd be happy to live all eternity in a wilderness if Jesus is there." 13:28 >> [clears throat] >> Is that your relationship with Christ? That's what I want to ask you. Blessed are the pure in heart. What will they see? What do they see? God. Not heaven. The pure in heart will see God. >> [clears throat] 13:43 >> That's the meaning of seeing God, desiring God more than anything nothing else. The next thing is blessed are the peacemakers. This is very important. I mentioned the other day how the angels The very sound that people heard when Jesus was born as 13:58 peace on earth towards those whom with whom God is pleased. That's the real way it is. Peace on earth towards those with whom God is pleased. God is pleased with those He gives his peace to those with whom he's pleased. 14:17 So, if I don't have the peace of God in my life at all times, if my heart is not always at rest, there's no peace in my heart, it means in some area of my life God is not pleased with me. Let me show you that verse because 14:32 sometimes, I know in my early days, I used to read it in a slightly different way. That's in Luke's Gospel chapter 2. Uh The angel of the Lord suddenly stood 14:55 before them, these shepherds who were watching their flocks at night. And we read the angels suddenly appeared, a great multitude of them. Luke chapter 2, verse 13. A heavenly host suddenly praising God saying, "Glory to God in the highest 15:14 and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased." Now, this is the King James version. It was slightly different. But this I believe is the correct translation. Peace among people with whom God is pleased. 15:33 So, I understand that to mean that if God is pleased with me, he will give me peace. I will not be this anxious, fretting person. Upset about this and worried about that and anxious about peace with those with whom God is 15:49 pleased. So, if I'm anxious and fretting and worried, there's some area in my life God is not pleased with. That's how I look at it. So, whenever I get all anxious and worried and fretting about something, I got to just go to God and say, "Lord, 16:02 what is the area in my life you're not happy with? Why am I Why I'm not having peace in my heart? Why am I all restless and upset? Is there something in my life you're not happy with? Please show me. I want to know it." 16:17 This is a great word. Anyway, it has blessed me so much to see this translation. Peace among those men with whom God is pleased. Blessed are the peacemakers. And they are called the sons of God. What's the difference between that and 16:33 John 1:12? As many as received him, to them he gave the authority to be children of God. In the New Testament, you need to distinguish between children and sons. Children are babies who you are you you need to do 101 things 16:52 for them, the mother has to do. Sons are mature. They can take care of themselves. They're not always hankering after toys and things like that. They A son is someone who's got a sense of responsibility towards his father's 17:06 business. You remember what Jesus said? "Don't you know that I must be about my father's business?" That's the mark of a son. Blessed are the peacemakers because they shall be called the sons of God. So, let me connect that with what Jesus 17:19 said in Luke's Gospel chapter 2. We were there just now. Luke's Gospel chapter 2, about the time when he was in the temple talking to the scholars there and Joseph and Mary found him. And uh 17:37 we were looking for you. And he replied in Where Where were you? They were We were anxiously looking for you. He said in verse 48, Luke 2:48. And Jesus replied, "Why is it you were looking for me? Did you not know that I 17:55 had to be in my father's business?" That's how I look at it. My father's The word is not just my father's house. And the word house is not is in italics in in the NASB, which means it's not in the original. In the margin of my Bible it says, 18:15 "Didn't you know that I had to be involved with my father's affairs or my father's business?" "Didn't you know that I have to be occupied with my father's business?" And what age was he? 12. That's a wonderful attitude to have. In 18:31 the midst of all our other work, Lord, your business is uppermost in my life. All other things find secondary place. And I'll tell you something. This is what it means to seek the kingdom of God first. A son 18:49 will seek God's kingdom first. A child will see what can I get from God. A person who's always going to God and say, "Lord, give me this, give me that, give me the other thing. I want this, I want that." He's a child. A son is involved in his father's 19:05 business. Concerned about Think of Think of a home. Think of a father who's a businessman. And he's gone on a trip and come back. The child will say, "What's in our bag, Daddy? Any chocolates for me? What have you got for me? Some toys? 19:22 Some chocolates?" That's a child. The son will say, "Dad, how did our business go? Did you get some business when you went out out there? We wanted to get some more business for our for our business here so that we can prosper." 19:34 That's the difference between a child and a son. It's exactly the same in God's work. Children are the one who go to the father, "Lord, I want this, give me this, give me that, give me the other thing." A son says, "Lord, I'm concerned about 19:45 the spread of your gospel. I'm concerned that the word of God is going should be going forth. I'll be concerned about how is God's word spreading? How is the church progressing? How are things going with the brothers and sisters in that church? Is there 20:00 greater fellowship? How are the families in the church? Are they becoming united and uh is there peace in the home? That's what a son is concerned about. And I believe God wants more sons. And God wants children to grow up to be 20:14 sons. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Then we go on to number 10. Verse 10, rather. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. So, that is you won't be persecuted if 20:33 you don't stand up for righteousness. In 2 Timothy in chapter 3, there's an amazing verse. 2 Timothy in chapter 3, I want to ask you whether you believe 20:55 this verse. It's in your Bible. I'm sure you read it many times. 2 Timothy 3, verse 12. There's only one word in this which I want to ask you whether you believe in. 21:14 Do you believe in the word all, A L L? All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Is that the Holy Spirit who knows 21:32 everything saying it? Or is it might be persecuted, perhaps, or will? I understand it that if we are really serious about doing the whole will of God in our 21:52 life in every area, there'll be some area in which you will offend people. Maybe your relatives, maybe somebody in your office, maybe some of your close friends, that they will be a little disturbed with you. You may not be so successful 22:15 in your office or your business or your work or with your family members because you're an out-and-out Christian who really want to live a godly life because a lot of things you say, "I won't do that. I won't go along with you 22:30 while doing that." And that's going to make you a bit unpopular. I found that regularly in the years I was in the Navy. All the time people thought I was a very peculiar person. I wouldn't get involved in this and I wouldn't get involved in 22:44 that because I said, "That is not righteous. That's not godly." And I believe that it's going to be even worse in the days to come. But I'll tell you something, you will not suffer in the long run. 23:02 You'll suffer from human beings, but the way God makes up for it will be absolutely amazing. And that's what I found through the years. There are many situations, you know, you probably find it in your place of work also where you're asked to 23:19 do something unrighteous. And I had to say, "Sorry, sir, I'm a Christian. I can't do that." And you can get into trouble when you do that. Blessed are those who are persecuted. But what is the result? It didn't It didn't I mean, I probably suffered loss 23:36 and I wouldn't get a promotion. I couldn't care less for promotion. I said, "I want to honor God. I want a promotion in heaven. I don't want a promotion here on the earth." Even though before I was converted, that was my goal to be promoted, promoted, 23:48 promoted in the Navy. But once I became a Christian, I gave it up. If you're seeking for some promotion on earth and that's your primary goal and not to be an out-and-out witness for Christ, I tell you you will compromise. You 24:03 know, in your office you'll compromise, in your work you'll compromise. And you may gain something earthly, but what you lose heavenly will be far worse. Be willing to be persecuted because you stand up for righteousness. 24:17 And I'll tell you you won't suffer in the long run cuz I certainly have not suffered in the long run. God has give rewarded me with many other things. He's rewarded me with health and strength and provision of all my needs and with so 24:30 many brothers and sisters in different places whom I've come to know and to have fellowship with. It's made me a very rich man spiritually. So, that's your goal, don't hesitate to stand up for the Lord even if it means persecution. 24:47 That is persecution for the sake of righteousness where you say, "I will not do that, sir." Why can't you do it? Because I'm a Christian, sir. I can't do it. I remember I don't know whether I mentioned the story before about 25:01 somebody who was a secretary. He's sitting with the boss in the office and the phone rang. And uh in the He said, "If he's asking for me," the boss said, 25:20 "tell him I'm not here." And this Christian person said, "Sir, I can't tell a lie. I'm sorry." "He will ring again. Please ask somebody else to pick up the 25:38 phone. I'm not going to answer it." Do you think that boy is that man is going to get promoted in his office? No. He'll get He'll be promoted by God, but not in his office because he refused to tell a lie to please his boss. Even a simple like 25:55 simple lie like pick up the phone and tell him boss is not here even though he's sitting right there. This is what I mean by being upright, refusing to tell any lie because it'll be dishonoring to God, and willing to risk even losing the job. 26:13 I tell you those are the people who will really count for God and what a reward they'll have in eternity. I I want to be in that number. I want to be in the company of such people and I pray that every single person in this 26:26 church will have that spirit. Then we'll be a really strong church. Not just because we sing nice songs and hear nice messages. And that's being persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Then he goes on to say about being 26:42 persecuted for his name's sake. That means because stand up for Jesus Christ, which is more than Right, righteousness is because saying, "I'm sorry, sir, I won't do that because it's not right." Or I won't tell a lie. I won't sign that false statement. 26:57 But persecuted for righteousness' sake is one thing. Now, the next thing is persecuted because because of me. The Lord says, "Those who speak all kinds of evil against you because of me." That means because you stand up for the 27:13 Lord, you got unconverted relatives who will say all types saying this guy is a crazy guy. He's gone nuts and something wrong with him because you're standing up for Christ. Cuz there are many things we stand for. For example, we don't stand for this 27:26 transgender stuff. We don't believe that there are three sexes or four sexes. There are only two. God only made male and female. This is so clear in the Bible. And you stand up for that and stand up for God's word says the days are coming when it's going to 27:40 be more and more difficult. The you're going to be considered a crazy guy. You don't go along with the way the world is moving. Well, it's I agree. I'm not going along with the world. So, it's not going to be easy. It's not 27:50 going to be easy for a Christian. It's not going to be easy for a church that stands up for principles like that in many, many areas because it's going to be more and more difficult for Christians if they stand up for Jesus Christ. 28:03 That's where our loyalty is going to be tested. You remember how somebody who had walked with Jesus for 3 and 1/2 years, Peter, who had seen miracles, who had seen Jesus raising the dead, who was absolutely convinced this is the son of 28:16 God. Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Peter, because your flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, my father in heaven." Yet when a ordinary servant girl said, "Aren't you a follower of Jesus?" he got scared. He thought he'd lose his life. He said, 28:32 "No, no, no, no, I'm not." And remember, Peter was a very brave man, but he was very different on the day of Pentecost when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. That's the answer. If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you can not only face serving women 28:50 asking you, even if soldiers come to kill you, you'll That's how it was the early Christians. They were persecuted. They were killed. Sometimes the wife would be killed or sometimes the husband would be killed because they 29:04 stood stood for the Lord. There are some amazing stories if you read about the persecution of the early Christians. And they've challenged me. I would encourage all of you to read stories of the persecutions of the early Christians 29:16 because that's will strengthen you to stand for the Lord in the days to come. This is what it means to build our house on the rock. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we don't want to just hear these things 29:35 because you said if you hear and don't do it, we are building on sand. And I don't want a single person here to build their house on sand. And want a single person here just to get a reputation that I belong to a good church that's preaching preaching 29:52 radical stuff. And yet in our personal life, we're not living up to that. Help us, Lord, we pray. Help each one of us. We don't have that boldness naturally. But you can fill us with the Holy Spirit, everybody here. So that we stand for you unashamed 30:09 without compromise. We know it's going to be more difficult in the days to come, but your grace will be sufficient. However difficult the situation in a person's office or in some other situation with relatives or anything, 30:22 we believe that you will give us wisdom to stand for you. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.
