Blessed Beyond Measure

How blessed are you?

Blessed-Definition

Happy, made prosperous, enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God.

Who does the bible say are blessed?

Whom God calls Isa_51:2;

Who know Christ Mat_16:17;

Who know the gospel Psa_89:15;

Who are not offended at Christ Mat_11:6;

Who believe Luk_1:45

Whose sins are forgiven Rom_4:7;

To whom God imputes righteousness Rom_4:6-9;

Whom God chastens Psa_94:12;

Who suffer for Christ Luk_6:22;

Who have the Lord for their God Psa_144:15;

Who trust in God Psa_84:12

Who fear God Psa_128:4

Who hear and keep the word of God Luke 1:28

Who delight in the commandments of God Psa_112:1;

Who wait for the Lord Isa_30:18;

Whose strength is in the Lord Psa_84:5;

Who frequent the house of God Psa_65:4

Who avoid the wicked Psa_1:1;

Who endure temptation Jam_1:12;

The righteous Psa_5:12

The faithful Pro_28:20;

Being blessed of God has more of a spiritual implication than it does in a natural or physical sense.

How blessed are you?

If you are a Christian you have already been blessed above measure.

Sometimes we equated our blessed status by how many material things we have.

The only real motivation to want to be more blessed is to be happier.

More money in the bank doesn’t make you happy.

How blessed are we?

How much is your physical health worth. (What if you were bed fast?)

How much money would you take in exchange for being in bed the rest of your life?

How much money would you take for your arm?

How much money would you take for five years of your life?

Some things cannot be valued. (((Is that true?)))

If so then we are blessed beyond measure.

How much value would you place on your salvation?

The question still remains---is there something I can do or should be doing to be more blessed?

The first step is to recognize the extreme measure of the blessing you have already received.

We have already been made happy and prosperous in Him.

Certainly God looks at certain things in us before an outpouring of blessings.

Beatitude--- means supreme blessedness, exalted happiness.

Let’s recap Matthew Chapter five verses 5-11

Beatitudes----Blessed are

Matthew 5:3-11

The poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

The meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

The merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

The pure in heart, For they shall see God.

The peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

You when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Some of these verses call for action on our behalf.

When Jesus spoke these beatitudes He stated requirements or states of being in order to be blessed.

Poor in spirit

Meek

Hunger and thirst for righteousness

Merciful

Pure in heart

Peacemaker

What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

The Greek word for poor means to be destitute, one whose has nothing, completely empty

Was Jesus saying the economically poor are blessed?

Is poor in spirit referring to my total reliance in God alone.

The poor in spirit are not

Self-assertive

Self-reliant

Self-confident

Self-centered

Self-sufficient

If we are more poor in spirit---we are more blessed!

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.(NKJV)

The Greek word for meek means

Mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness

We accept His dealings with us as good.

Meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness or self interest

The verse says the meek shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.(NKJV)Hunger and thirst for righteousness

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.(NKJV)

It’s really a matter of getting first things first.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.(NKJV)

Some might say I need some mercy in this situation. Are you merciful?

Remember the spiritual law of giving and receiving.

Luke 6:38

Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.(AMP)

The measure you use when you confer benefits on others-----that’s the measure that comes back to you.

Blessed are merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

But you don’t understand I just want to be blessed. (((Are you blessing others))

Bless the waitress at lunch.

Bless someone that can’t repay you

Bless someone with a kind deed

Bless someone with a kind word.

God gives us capability to sew seeds. God gives seed to the sower.

(We don’t ever want to eat the seed)

(((Yes I could have blessed that person but I needed it myself))) eating the seed

Is God watching over how merciful and benevolent we are with other people?

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.(NKJV)

Pureness of motives

Pureness of intent

Indicating our heart condition before the Lord

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.(NKJV)

This verse doesn’t say peace lovers but peace makers

As Christians we are to be peacemakers---never adding to strife.

A peacemaker endeavors to establish a right relationship between estranged parties.

God’s blessings to us are already abounding.

Jesus Christ paid the price for us that we might be blessed beyond measure.

To receive something----there has to be a capacity to receive it.

What can I empty out of myself to receive more from Him?

My own sufficiency

My lack of trust

My impure motives

My stinginess

My self-centeredness

Loving the Lord and my neighbor as myself.

What if I do this?--------------I create a capacity to receive.

With a capacity to receive I can have an expectancy to receive.

Elisha told the widow women go and borrow vessels-----not a few

Do you see that God’s blessings don’t poor upon my fullness but my surrendered emptiness?

Matthew 5:3-9

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for 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 sons of God.(NKJV)

I want to change my attitude of what it means to be blessed.

To empty myself of what is displeasing to Him.

And in that emptiness receive the fullness of His blessings.

Never discounting the blessing that I have received.

Realizing that blessed just doesn’t mean financially but spiritually as well.

The best blessings are spiritual, recognizing this opens up the door to the rest.