PATH TO SERENITY
MATTHEW 5:3–12 Beatitudes
6th Beatitude:
We seek to keep our hearts pure that we might see God in our lives today[2]
Blessed are the pushers, for they get their way. Blessed.. are the hard-boiled, hard core, the hard hearted – for they never get hurt. Blessed… are those who complain, for they get all the attention. Blessed… are the blasé’, for they never worry about sin. Blessed. are the slave-drivers, for they get results. Blesse are the greedy, for they get what they want”
This is an edited version of the Sarcastic Beatitudes by JB Phillips.
What do these beatitudes have in common? They all come from a selfish heart.. What do you think of when you hear the word servant? Someone who’s pathetic, without will or purpose? Our false definition of the word servant can affect every relationship we have and how we live our lives. It affects how we feel and how we LOVE!!
How did Jesus introduce Himself? “The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life” MK 10:45 – and he practiced what he preached..
Jesus in John 21 – beach – after his resurrection – 3rd appearance
It was about HIM serving US, rather than the other way around. His love for us that allows Him to just sit around on the beach with nothing better to do than prepare and personally serve a nice bread & fish breakfast for the disciples, simply because He loves them (and us). --- IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE…
It was about HIM serving US, rather than the other way around. His love for us that allows Him to just sit around on the beach with nothing better to do than prepare and personally serve a nice bread & fish breakfast for the disciples, simply because He loves them (and us). --- IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE…
This will be a kind of emotional/ relational inventory…
IF we are not improving in the ‘love area’, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE SOME ISSUES that are unresolved in our past relationships – there may be hurt, resentments, anger….
B #6 is - ‘BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART.. FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD..
Principle – Openly examine and confess MY faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.
We must make a searching and fearless moral inventory of our lives.
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:40
Inventory Part 1 - How to get started
Ephesians 4:31 tells us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. “
A 5 column inventory sheet may help you with this task.. Write the following:
C1 – “The Person” you resent or fear.. go as far back as you can
C2 – The Cause ‘hurt people, hurt people’ write down the specific actions that someone did to hurt you
C3 – The Effect write down how the specific hurtful action affected your life..
C4 – The Damage What basic needs were missed -- physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual
C5 – My Part -- Take responsibility for your part… maybe it is just the reaction to it… A small child – victim of abuse.. just simply write in big letters.. NOT GUILTY
Once we have moved through some of these negative experiences, it is important, as I mentioned last week, to keep our inventories balanced. So, the next section – our focus for tonight is going to be the opportunity to do just that as it relates to LOVE…
There are 2 ways that the emotion of love gets triggered in us – of course we know love is a verb –or should be – it creates action.. but it is also a God-given emotion.. 3 types of love: eros, phileo, agape.. EXPLAINED IN AUDIO…Anyway.. there are 2 ways the emotion gets triggered and I want you to think about these things and allow people to come to mind as I go through them. If you want to write down their names.. please do so.. then.. respond sometime this week by sending them a note, an e-mail, a card maybe… make a phone call, visit.. etc…
Here are the 2 Ways (Listen to audio):
The emotion of love comes from
1) External Triggers: Situations
2) Internal Triggers: Thoughts
1 Cor 13 exercise… "Listen to Audio"
PATH TO SERENITY
‘BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART’ – INVENTORY PART 1GROUP WORK
1) When you consider doing an inventory with these categories, what is your emotional response?
2) Why is it important to keep your inventory balanced? What exactly does that mean?
3) Who were some of the people that came to mind during the reading of the ‘love triggers’ and why?
4) How’s your love tank? Love inventory?
