What does God really want from us?

1. What does God really want from us? • We noted last lessons that the beatitudes describe the component parts of the Christian's heart. (Mt 5:1-12)

2. What does God really want from us? • We noted last lessons that the beatitudes describe the component parts of the Christian's heart. (Mt 5:1-12) • These are not mere random thoughts but rather a description of the kind of heart that pleases God.

3. What does God really want from us? • We noted last lessons that the beatitudes describe the component parts of the Christian's heart. (Mt 5:1-12) • These are not mere random thoughts but rather a description of the kind of heart that pleases God. • Too often we think God will be pleased with things and accomplishments alone. In this we are greatly mistaken! (Micah 6:6-8)

4. What does God really want from us? • (Micah 6:8) - He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

5. What does God really want from us? • We are now seeing the fruits of the character of God manifested in our lives. (Rom 8:29)

6. What does God really want from us? • (Romans 8:29 NKJV) - “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

7. What does God really want from us? • "The first four beatitudes look toward God, the next three toward men. Mercifulness, purity in heart, and peacemaking are virtues which mark the godly as blessed." --- Jimmy Tuten

8. What does God really want from us? • The world will scoff at these things. But remember, the world will never have this blessedness, or happiness that can only come from God.

9. What does God really want from us? • "Up to this point in our discussion we have seen stress on man's need and his consciousness of that need. Now Jesus lays stress on the disposition that comes out of that fulfilled need." --- Jimmy Tuten

10. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • What is mercy? (Mt 5:7)

11. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Matthew 5:7 NKJV) - “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”

12. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Merciful is from Gr. "eleemon, eleos," meaning "mercy, pity, especially on account of misery" (Berry). "...good will towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them" (Thayer).

13. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Merciful is from Gr. "eleemon, eleos," meaning "mercy, pity, especially on account of misery" (Berry). "...good will towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them" (Thayer). • Mercy denotes both an attitude and an action.

14. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • What is mercy? (Mt 5:7) • "It is not enough just to feel for another. (Jas 2:15-18)

15. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (James 2:15-18 NKJV) - “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, {16} and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? {17} Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

16. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • {18} But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

17. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Consider some Bible examples of mercy.

18. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Consider some Bible examples of mercy. • The Good Samaritan showed mercy. (Lk 10:30-37)

19. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Luke 10:30-37 NKJV) “Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. {31} “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. {32} “Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

20. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • {33} “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. {34} “So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. {35} “On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

21. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • {36} “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” {37} And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””

22. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • The publican wanted mercy. (Lk 18:13)

23. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Luke 18:13 NKJV) - “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”

24. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • The ten lepers received mercy from Jesus. (Lk 17:13)

25. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Luke 17:13 NKJV) “And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!””

26. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Mercy works with other fruits of the Spirit.

27. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Mercy works with other fruits of the Spirit. • Mercy and love: "Love has man as its object because of humanity, whatever the state. Mercy is extended specifically because suffering and affliction. Love is toward mankind per se, where mercy is toward men because of imperfections, with a desire to bring relief." --- Jimmy Tuten

28. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Mercy works with other fruits of the Spirit.

29. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Mercy works with other fruits of the Spirit. • Mercy and grace:"The noun "eleos" and its derivatives always deal with what we see of pain, misery, and distress, the results of sin; and "charis," 'grace,' always deals with the sin and guilt itself. The one extends relief, the other pardon ... With God charis (grace) is always first and eleos (mercy) second." - R.C.H. Lenski

30. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • How do you view the weaknesses of others?

31. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • How do you view the weaknesses of others? • Brethren may say: "I do not have to like you," "I have no patience for him," Often this is a sure sign of having no mercy.

32. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • How do you view the weaknesses of others? • Brethren may say: "I do not have to like you," "I have no patience for him," Often this is a sure sign of having no mercy. • Mercy will go a long way in keeping the tongue from falsely attacking brethren! (Mt 12:7)

33. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Matthew 12:7 NKJV) “”But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”

34. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Even the world talks about mercy. What they have does not come from God!

35. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • Even the world talks about mercy. What they have does not come from God! • "Mercy is a quality not wholly unknown even in a world of basically self‑seeking men. But it is a selective, capricious mercy that does not move from principle and is not a settled disposition of the heart and character. The same man who is capable of occasional compassion still finds the sorrows of others too burdensome and revenge too sweet." - Paul Earnhart

36. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • God pleads with us to have mercy. (Col 3:12; Hos 6:6, 12:6)

37. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Colossians 3:12 NKJV) “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;”

38. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Hosea 6:6 NKJV) “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

39. The sign of God's Character in us --- Mercifulness(Mt 5:6) • (Hosea 12:6 NKJV) - “So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.”

40. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • The word "Pure" is from the Greek word katharos, used twenty‑eight times In the New Testament.It is translated by such terms as "pure," "clean'' and "clear.“

41. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • "Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely unmixed, whose minds are utterly sincere, who are completely and totally single-minded." - J.B. Phillips

42. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • We must have a single focus in this life. When we have this everything will come from pure motives! (Mt 6:22-24; 2 Cor 11:2)

43. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • (Matthew 6:22-24 NKJV) “”The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. {23} “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! {24} “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

44. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • (2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV)“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

45. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • We must have a single focus in this life. When we have this everything will come from pure motives! (Mt 6:22-24; 2 Cor 11:2) • The fruits of an impure heart.

46. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • We must have a single focus in this life. When we have this everything will come from pure motives! (Mt 6:22-24; 2 Cor 11:2) • The fruits of an impure heart. • You will depend upon your own guile and "wisdom" rather than trust God. (2 Cor 4:2)

47. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • (2 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV) - “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

48. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • You will lack the resolve and courage that comes by faith. (Jas 1:7-8, 4:8)

49. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • (James 1:7-8 NKJV) “For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; {8} he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

50. The Christian's unwavering focus -- those who are pure in heart. (Mt 5:8) • (James 4:8 NKJV) - “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”