Sermon notes for February 1, 2026
Matthew 5:1-12
The teaching of Christ: Beatitudes
5:1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
5:2And he began to speak and taught them, saying:
5:3″Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:4″Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5:5″Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
5:6″Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
5:7″Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
5:8″Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
5:9″Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
5:10″Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:11″Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
5:12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Call to Worship (Inspired by Matthew 5:1-12)
Leader: Come, all who are weary and heavy-laden; come to the mountainside of the Lord.
People: We come with open hearts, seeking the wisdom of Christ.
Leader: Blessed are those who know their need for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
People: We bring our spiritual poverty; we ask to be filled by His grace.
Leader: Blessed are the peacemakers and the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
People: We come to be transformed by the “Upside-Down” way of Jesus.
Leader: Let us rejoice and be glad! For our reward is not found in the things of this earth, but in the presence of our King.
All: Let us worship God together!
Opening Prayer
Gracious and Holy God, We gather today just as the disciples gathered on that mountainside long ago—hungry for a word that is true, a hope that is real, and a life that matters.
Lord, we admit that we often live by the rules of a different kingdom. We strive to be first, we hide our weaknesses, and we chase after comforts that do not satisfy. We ask that You would quiet the noise of the world around us so that we might hear the “blessed” whisper of Your Spirit.
As we look into the Beatitudes today, open our eyes to see the beauty of Your way. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours, soften our spirits where we have grown proud, and ignite in us a fierce hunger for Your righteousness.
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight. We don’t just want to study Your teaching; we want to be shaped by it. Transform us today, from the inside out, that we might leave this place as bearers of Your light and agents of Your peace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Savior,
Amen
Sermon: A Reflection on Blessed and a Mirror on Ourselves
. Introduction: The Setting of the Sermon.
I’ve never been to the Holy Land and seen the supposed mount from which Jesus delivered his sermon on the Beatitudes. But even if I had been there, the event took place nearly two thousand years ago. I’m sure it has changed considerably over time.
So we are free to use our imagination. In my mind’s eye I picture a gentle rise up from the sea. The sun sparkling on the ever shifting waters and the tall grasses imitating the waves on the sea.
Jesus arrives and immediately a crowd gathers around him. His fame as a healer and a dynamic speaker have brought the people out to see what he will do next.
He ascended the hill not like Moses who left the people behind when he went up the mountain to talk to God. No, Jesus brings the people with him to meet God.
He took a seat on a bit of higher ground so that he could be more easily seen. He invited his disciples to come near and began to speak.
In his sermon you’ll hear the word “blessed” a lot so it’s important to understand what it means. It comes from the Greek, “ma-CAR-ee-os,” makarios, meaning more than just “happy.” It describes a state of spiritual well-being and divine favor that exists regardless of outward circumstances.
My friends, if we are to understand the mind of Christ, we must sit with Him on that mountainside. What He said was not a new law to crush us, but a divine revelation of the soul.
But let us be honest: we often prefer our own “versions” of these virtues—versions that at times look more like a comedy of errors than a life of holiness.
I. The Poverty of Spirit vs. The “Humble-Brag”
”Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
To be poor in spirit is to admit you are spiritually bankrupt. To be lower than a whale’s bellybutton. That means being down so far that you have to look up to see the bottom.
Yet, how often do we treat humility like a badge of honor? I’m humble and proud of it!
We are like the man who wrote a book titled Humility and How I Attained It, and then complained when people didn’t flock to him at a book signing.!
True poverty of spirit isn’t saying, “I’m the worst sinner in the room,” while secretly peeking to see if everyone is impressed by your modesty.
It is the end of self-importance. It is realizing that standing before a Holy God and boasting of your “good deeds” is like a man standing in a hurricane and boasting that he brought a fan to help the wind along.
II. The Holy Sorrow vs. The Grumpy Saint
”Blessed are those who mourn…”
There is a holy grief for sin, and then there is what I call “sour-milk Christianity.” Some think they are “mourning” for the world when they are really just annoyed at the way things are going.
I once heard of a man who thought he was being “spiritual” by wearing a perpetual scowl at every event he attended. My friends, that is not the mourning Christ speaks of!
Holy mourning isn’t being miserable because you can’t have your way; it is weeping because we have strayed from the Heart of Love.
If your “sorrow” just makes you difficult to live with, it isn’t from the Holy Spirit—it’s likely just your indigestion.
III. The Strength of Meekness vs. The Doormat
”Blessed are the meek…”
Meekness is power under control. It is not being a “moral doormat” that everyone wipes their muddy boots on.
I have seen people who act “meek” only because they are too afraid to speak up, yet they harbor a secret list of grievances long enough to paper the walls of this worship center.
That isn’t meekness; that’s just a slow-boiling pot with the lid tied down!
The truly meek person is like a Great Dane being barked at by a Chihuahua: he has the power to snap, but the grace to simply yawn and go back to sleep. He does not need to defend his “honor” because God is his shield.
IV. The Great Hunger (and the Spiritual Junk Food)
”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”
We all hunger for something. The tragedy is that we often try to satisfy a God-sized hunger with “spiritual junk food.”
Let me explain. “Spiritual junk food” refers to easy, instant-gratification spiritual inputs (like shallow lip-service praise, self-aware positivity) that feel good temporarily but don’t provide real nourishment, leading to spiritual emptiness, anxiety, or a focus on self rather than God,
unlike true spiritual food (like deep scripture study, genuine service, and real Christian fellowship) which fosters deep growth and connection. Junk food clogs the soul, leaving one hungry and dissatisfied, preventing deeper spiritual understanding and connection to Christ.
We spend six days a week gorging ourselves on the gossip of the town, the pursuit of a few extra dollars, and the latest fashions — and then we wonder why, on Sunday morning, we have no appetite for the Word of God!
You cannot feast on junk food all week and expect to have a gourmet soul.
If you don’t hunger for holiness, ask God to give you a holy appetite. Stop snacking on the world’s trifles, and you will find yourself famished for the Bread of Life.
V. Mercy And Vengeance
In a world that often demands “an eye for an eye” or prizes getting even, Jesus offers a radical alternative: mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Mercy is more than just feeling sorry for someone; it is a deliberate choice to withhold punishment and extend kindness to those who may not deserve it. It is the bridge between our brokenness and God’s restoration.
The beauty of this Beatitude lies in its give-and-take. It suggests that our hearts act like a valve:
When we open our hearts to forgive others and show compassion, we create space within ourselves.
In that open space, we become capable of receiving the vast, unending mercy of God.
To be “blessed” here means to experience a deep, spiritual joy that comes from being in alignment with God’s character. We are never more like our Creator than when we are being merciful.
When you choose to let go of a grudge, to help someone who can’t pay you back, or to offer a second chance, you aren’t just being “nice.” You are participating in the very rhythm of heaven.
VI. The Final Proof: Persecution
”Blessed are you when people insult you…”
Now, a word of caution: if people dislike you because you are rude, impatient, or just plain difficult, that is not persecution! That is simply the natural harvest of being a nuisance.
I have met some who claim they are “suffering for the Gospel” when they are actually just suffering the consequences of having a sharp tongue.
To be persecuted “for righteousness’ sake” means you were so much like Jesus that people found it uncomfortable.
If the world is throwing stones at you, make sure it’s because you look like the Savior, not because you were throwing stones at them first!
Here is a call to action. Do not settle for a “Sunday-Christianity” that is all talk and no heart. Do not be an “almost Christian” who has the vocabulary of a saint but the temper of a wet hen. Seek his inward holiness.
Lord, we come to You as a people who often care more about looking healthy than actually being cured.
We confess that we’ve frequently mistaken our own stubbornness for “standing firm” and our own complaining for “holy sorrow.”
Lord, give us a clear and honest look at ourselves.
Strip away our pretenses and our “humble-brags,” so we can be truly poor in spirit and ready to receive Your grace.
Melt the coldness in our hearts, so that we stop chasing things that don’t satisfy and start hungering for You alone.
Quiet our need to be right, so we can trade our defensive tempers for the quiet strength of the meek.
Lord, Write Your Way of Life— deep within our very character. Let Your love be the only source of our moods, our words, and our choices.
Lord, we aren’t asking for an easy life, but for a holy one. Whether we are enjoying the sunshine of Your peace or facing the heat of a world that doesn’t understand us, keep us anchored in You.
May we never settle for “good enough” until our entire lives are filled with Your love and our every thought reflects Your goodness.
In the name of the Father, the Sd the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank You that Your Kingdom is not reserved for the elite, the powerful, or the perfect, but is opened wide for the broken, the mourning, and the humble.
Lord, we confess that our hearts often hunger for the wrong things. We chase after the world’s version of “blessing”—status, security, and the praise of others—only to find ourselves thirsty again. Today, we return to the mountain. We sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His voice.
Give us the courage to be poor in spirit, depending entirely on You.
Give us the strength to be meek, using our influence to lift others up.
Give us the vision of a pure heart, so we may see You moving in our lives.
For those here today who are being persecuted or reviled for doing what is right, remind them of their great reward. Let them feel the “great gladness” that comes from being counted among Your children.
As we leave this place, transform us into a “City on a Hill.” May our lives reflect the beauty of Your upside-down Kingdom, bringing light to the dark places and peace to the broken spaces.
In the name of Jesus, our Teacher and King,
Amen
Armchair Sermons 