The Beatitudes & Attitudes
Matthew 5:3-12
April 4, 2026
The Beatitudes & Attitudes. Matthew 5:3-12.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. . . Humility
2. Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted . . . Repentance
3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth . . . Gentleness
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled . . . Obedience
5. Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy . . . Compassion
6. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God . . . Holiness
7. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Children of God . . Disruption
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted . . . Conviction
1. Introduction – Overview
“Because of Christ we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by
those on the way of salvation – an aroma redolent with life.”
2 Corinthians 2:15
Love – Believes
Beatitude #8
Peacemaker – Grieves
Beatitude #7
Mercy – Relieves Grace – Retrieves
Beatitude #5 Beatitude #6
We continue our journey through the greatest sermon ever given, the Sermon on the Mount and The Beatitudes. The first four Beatitudes of Humility, Repentance, Gentleness and Obedience are all inward in nature. God takes our Old Self and replace it with Himself, a reflection of which mirrors the likeness of His son Jesus Christ. Once the internal hardware is replaced, God asks us to display the Beatitudes of Mercy and Grace to those around us. Mercy relieves the suffering of mankind. Grace retrieves the holiness for mankind.
Peacemaking is final outward Beatitude that God calls us toward in restoring our world back to it’s original order and design. Peacemaking first resolves the conflict between God and man and then secondly the conflicts between man and man. It may sound easy on the onset, but when you get down to it, this is harder than it looks. Here’s why.
2. Beatitude #7 – A Peacemaker . . . Disrupts! What?
“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
“There is no peace now for two reasons: the opposition of Satan and the disobedience of man. The fall of the angels and the fall of man established a world without peace. Satan and man are engaged with the God of peace in a a battle for sovereignty . . . The peace of which Christ speaks in this beatitude, and about which the rest of Scripture speaks, is unlike that which the world knows and strives for. God’s peace has nothing to do with politics, armies and navies, forums of nations, or even councils of churches . . . God’s peace, the peace of which the Bible speaks, never evades issues; it knows nothing of peace at any price. It does not gloss or hide, rationalize or excuse. It confronts problems and seeks to solve them, and after the problems are solved it builds a bridge between those who were separated by the problems . . . (Peace starts with) the inner personal peace that only He can give to the soul of man and that only His children can exemplify . . . The person who is not willing to disrupt and disturb in God’s name cannot be a peacemaker . . . Being a peacemaker is essentially the result of a holy life and the call to others to embrace the gospel of holiness.” John MacArthur, Matthew Commentary, page 210 – 213.
3. Trucemaker or Peacemaker? What are you?
“The essential fact to comprehend is that the peace about which Jesus speaks is more than the absence of conflict and strife; it is the presence of righteousness. Only righteousness can produce the relationship that brings two people together. Men can stop fighting without righteousness, but they cannot live peaceably without righteousness. Righteousness not only puts an end to harm, but it administers the healing of love . . . the most that man’s peace can offer is a truce . . . God’s peace not only stops the hostilities but settles the issue and brings the parties together in mutual love and harmony . . . the peace He came to bring us is not peace at any price . . . When believers bring truth to bear on a world that loves falsehood, there will be strife. When believers set God’s standards of righteousness before a world that loves wickedness, there is an inevitable potential for conflict. Yet that is the only way.” John MacArthur, Matthew Commentary, page 211.
What mode do you naturally tend to gravitate towards? Are you just looking for people to stop hurting you or those you care about? Or are you wanting to not just stop the fighting but take the time to dive into the mess to create healing? As an EMT, stopping a blood flow is simple, apply pressure and then hold it. Do you have the courage to hold a messy situation to stop the blood flow long enough to facilitate healing and redemption? As leaders we are called to deal with “messy”. Are you ready?
4. No God? No Peace. Know God? Know Peace.
No God? No peace. Know God? Know peace. That is where true peace starts. Do you want to know God and are you wanting to be known by God? If you have surrendered to his sovereignty and your sin to his redemption, your heart will be transformed and his peace can live inside you. Without God’s redemptive work, it’s all just smoke and mirrors.
“The great enemy of peace is sin . . . Peace cannot reign where wickedness reigns. Wicked hearts cannot produce a peaceful society. “There is no peace for the wicked”, says the Lord. Isaiah 48:22 . . . To talk of peace without talking of repentance of sin is to talk foolishly and vainly . . . “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:16-18 . . . The bad news of the gospel comes before the good news. Until a person confronts his sin, it makes no sense to offer him a Savior. Until a person faces his false notions, it makes no sense to offer him the truth. Until a person acknowledges his enmity with God, it makes no sense to offer him peace with God.” John MacArthur, Matthew Commentary, page 212-213.
That is the bad news. We can’t have peace on our terms, we need peace on God’s terms. But here is where the good news begins to step in and make a profound change in our lives. And we see it start with an Old Testament prophetic proclamation.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” Isaiah 9:6-7b
“But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace.” Ephesians 2:13-14.
“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:19-20 . . . “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 . . . “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
“God can work peace through us only if He has worked peace in us.”
John MacArthur
“Out the of heart the mouth speaks. Through the eyes the soul peeks.”
D. Mike Collins