Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 8/2/20

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is turning the world upside down – giving us a proper perspective on life and on the kingdom of heaven.

You can watch the worship service here.

The Beatitudes form a Benediction, of sorts….

You are blessed when you realize you have nothing before God and are completely dependent on his grace and mercy.

You are blessed when you struggle in your recognition of the evil of this world and it causes you to mourn. You’re seeing clearly, understanding that the only solution is God’s goodness.

You are blessed because you have stopped clamoring for your rights and you’ve begun trusting God – and you’re finding more than you would have hoped for.

You are blessed because you have a sincere hunger and desire to be a better person – to be “right” before God. And God has made that happen because the desire itself was a prerequisite.

You are blessed because you have been shown mercy. You’ve indicated that you understand that God’s mercy is what you must rely on. And it holds you and sustains you.

And you are blessed because you have been cleansed and refined by God himself, made pure in heart – finding meaning and purpose in life.

You are blessed because God has called you to join him in his mission of reconciling the world to himself. And you find happiness as a co-worker with Christ in the kingdom, helping others find what you have found: Peace with God

And you are blessed because you are willing to courageously stand in the gap, showing the kingdom of God to a world that needs this blessing.

Take this blessing as you go from here today, in Christ’s name, Amen