Pursuing A Kingdom Lifestyle

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:3,10 The Sermon on the Mount begins with a series of “blessing” statements. These are often called the Beatitudes. Each statement begins with the Greek word ­macarios, which can be translated as “blessed” or “happy.” Some people wear #blessed t-Shirts. Some of us might say we are #blessed because we got a bonus or because we didn’t have to stop for a red light on the way to work. But being blessed is about more than just feeling good or making a gain on our bank account. True blessing is about living in line with God’s will, the way we are created to live. In the Bible, one who is blessed is described as whole and flourishing through a strong connection with God. Living in tune with God, or in step with the Spirit, may not bring us more money or an easier life, but it will lead to peace and wholeness as we walk with God. As we begin a new sermon series together this week, we will see what a kingdom lifestyle looks like; one that is truly “blessed.” However, what we will also see is how difficult this lifestyle pursuit is. Jesus makes some puzzling and provocative statements, and we may not always feel so happy about putting His commands into practice. Yet what we will also see is that the Sermon on the Mount is a picture of what it means to flourish in relationship with God and our relationships on earth. As we await the coming kingdom, we can seek to be kingdom builders here.   Grace & Peace, Pastor Aaron