Week 1/Day 1 of "A Life Worth Following"

Justin’s Excerpt: Be open to all advice. There is always room for improvement. The greatest obstacle for growth is not ignorance, it is knowledge. Don’t think you know it all. Be teachable. Potential is limitless to the teachable. Quit being a know-it-all. Justin Sullivan 2/02/02

Sermon on the Mount

Are you happy? Matthew 5:1-12

Welcome to the journey of building a life that is worth following. Over this eight week period, you will be working to build six spiritual disciplines into your life that will help you hear God’s voice and follow His plan. The development of spiritual disciplines always results in a total transformation of your life; moreover, the ultimate goal of these disciplines is to replace old destructive habits with new habits that will give you the ability to interact with God on a daily basis. As you walk through this journal over the next forty days, God will reveal to you what it takes to live out what He requires of you which will enable you to build a life that is worth following.

Today, you are going to begin the first of twelve experiences developing the spiritual discipline of Bible study. So many followers of Christ live in fear and spiritual insecurity because they have not developed the discipline of studying the word of God. Listen to the words of Jesus as He addressed a group of His followers:

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free’.” John 8:31-32
It is certain that God’s truth is incredibly powerful, and holding to its teaching will set you free to experience Him moving in your life. To experience this, it is important that you learn how to effectively study His Word. There are many followers of Christ who love to sing, love to spend time with Christians, and love to go to church, but because of the fact they neglect studying God’s Word, they miss God’s voice and God’s truth in their life. If you are going to develop a life worth following, developing the discipline of studying His word is critical.

Over the next eight weeks, you will be going step by step through a section of Scripture entitled the Sermon on the Mount. This is a sermon preached by Jesus and recorded in its entirety by Matthew, one of Christ’s twelve disciples. The major theme of this sermon revolves around the kingdom of heaven and what that looks like here on earth. When it comes to God’s kingdom, many people think they will only experience it when this life is over. Though every person who hears God’s voice, repents of their sins and experiences God’s forgiveness will go to heaven when they die, Jesus revealed in this sermon that human beings can also experience a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven here on earth. This sermon reveals the way God intends for His people to live their lives.

There are several reasons this sermon is important to study. First of all, this sermon had an obvious impact in the lives of the early disciples. Just the fact that Matthew included the entire sermon in his gospel speaks of the importance of this event. The second reason is that its core message goes against keeping religious rules, and leads us to understand how to practically walk with God. The third reason this sermon should be studied is because applying its teachings will produce effective and influential servants of Christ in a world that desperately needs to see individuals living out their faith in unapologetic and uncompromising ways.

Now, open your Bible to Matthew 5:1-12 and get ready to move step by step through this sermon’s first section, which is called the Beatitudes. It begins like this:

When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying: (Matthew 5:1-2, HCSB)

From the very beginning of His life, people were drawn to Jesus. In this passage, Jesus has begun His earthly ministry and multitudes of people have started to flock to Him. It was a common custom of most rabbis to sit down when they were getting ready to teach. On this occasion, Jesus had positioned himself on a mountainside and His disciples tuned in to hear what He had to say. Though the exact location of this sermon is unknown, it’s likely that this took place somewhere in Galilee. Keep in mind as Jesus is teaching here that the term “disciples” does not necessarily refer to the twelve closest disciples but to all of the people who were following Christ at the time. At this point in Christ’s ministry, many people were following Him because of His teaching and His amazing miracles.

On this mountainside, Jesus started teaching on the Beatitudes. He begins each statement by using the term “Blessed”. It is important to note that in the original language, this term actually means “happy”. This not only caught the attention of people during the time of Christ, but it catches people’s attention today because the pursuit of happiness is one of the greatest quests of mankind. In this section of the sermon Jesus reveals the secret to living a happy life.

It is amazing to consider the many sacrifices mankind has made all throughout history in search of this thing called happiness. The Beatitudes reveal that the secret of being genuinely happy is only found when a person is properly connected to God. When it comes to true happiness, most people focus on the wrong things. Many choose to count on stuff or status to bring happiness to their life. Jesus, however, makes statements in this part of the sermon like “Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, “Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” and “Happy are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. At first glance, these so called “happy” statements made by Christ don’t seem like they would make the normal person want to jump up and down and sing a merry tune. However, when you take the time to study and meditate on the words of Christ, the internal qualities that His instructions reveal hold the key to a true life of happiness. At first glance, these attitudes may not appear to produce real happiness. However, when you take the time to really think about them, God’s plan for happiness will become clear to you. Follow the breakdown of each of these attitudes.

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3, HCSB)

To be a person who is poor in spirit is to be someone who consciously and intentionally depends on God. So many people try to depend on their own strength and abilities. Jesus reveals that the truly happy person is one who completely depends on Him. If you are going to be happy, you must realize that apart from God, you can’t make it. Real happiness begins when you surrender your life completely to God.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4, HCSB)

To be a person who mourns is to be a person who honestly recognizes and admits to his needs in life. Many people choose to ignore their problems and struggles, and refuse to bring their real issues to the only One who can help them. Happiness is found when you willingly admit to your sinful nature and genuinely repent of your sin.

5 Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5, HCSB)

To be a person who is gentle or meek is often mistaken with being a person who is weak. Don’t misunderstand Christ when He says, “Happy are those who are gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” A good definition of gentleness is tamed power. To be meek or gentle is to live under God’s authority in your life. Happiness comes to those who humbly and gently submit to their position as a follower of Christ.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6, HCSB)
To be a person who hungers and thirsts for righteousness involves having a spiritual appetite and satisfying that appetite by living a life that pleases God. Happiness is found in seeking not after your own satisfaction, but living a life choosing to satisfy God.

7 Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7, HCSB)
To be a person who is merciful is to show mercy to others, whether they deserve it or not. Being merciful reveals the peace and happiness God brings to your life. You are called to be merciful with others because God has been incredibly merciful with you. Mercy will produce genuine happiness in your life, because it is of God. Grace and mercy are two important terms that need to be understood as you evaluate Scripture. Grace is a gift you are given that you do not deserve; mercy is the act of overlooking the punishment that you do deserve. God has freely given you the gift of grace and has chosen to show you mercy. Therefore, happiness comes when you choose to be merciful toward others.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. (Matthew. 5:8, HCSB)
To be a person who is pure in heart means that you are someone who is consistently asking God to clean up your life. A happy person is internally clean from sin. Many people struggle with sins that are secret. Happy people consistently own up to all sins in life, because those who do experience God’s forgiveness firsthand.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9, HCSB)
To be a peacemaker is to always try to make resolution in conflicts, which helps to build solid relationships, and also models for others how to have inner peace in life. So many people are living at odds with others, with no inner peace. Peace and happiness are only found in a real relationship with Jesus Christ; this is all possible because Jesus paid the price for you. He brought peace to you, and every time you bring peace to a relationship, you represent Jesus to the world. It is for this reason peacemakers are called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Matthew 5:10-12, HCSB)
Finally, Jesus said that persecution for His sake will cause you to truly be happy. Jesus wants you to know that you can actually be happy when you suffer because of Him, not because it is fun, but because the suffering itself will bring you closer to God. The eternal value of being ridiculed for Christ’s sake far outweighs the temporary discomfort or pain. When you pursue a life of becoming like Jesus, you cannot help but stand out from the crowd. When this happens, bank on it, persecution will come. If you are not facing persecution on a regular basis, it is likely that you are not living the way God intended for you to live. The honor of persecution puts you on the same team as many giants of the faith who have gone before you and faced ridicule, suffering, and even death, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Though it is strange and ironic, persecution produces happiness.

Those are the Beatitudes. They came straight from the heart and life of Jesus, and they are meant to be studied and examined. Here are some key truths that are important to understand and apply to your life. First of all, the Beatitudes are leading you to realize that being is more important that doing. Who you are is much more important than what you do. Secondly, the Beatitudes describe the way all Christ-followers are supposed to live. God really wants you to be happy, and this is why He made His word so clear. Thirdly, every Christ-follower is meant to possess all of these attitudes. Sometimes people read the Bible to pick and choose what they want to hear. In regard to the Beatitudes, you are supposed to possess all or them. And fourthly, none of these attitudes are natural, they are all supernatural. Only God can bring these attitudes into your life. Will you allow Him to do that? Recognize the fact that the pursuit of happiness is a journey every human being will have to face. Real happiness begins with a life that intentionally turns to God.

How is this working for you?




Are you intentionally turning your life to God? In the space below, write out how you have turned your life to God.






Re-read all the Beatitudes; do you think they are written randomly or do you see a progression?









The Beatitudes are leading you to focus on being, not doing. What does this mean to you?