Blessed re the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heven. Blessed re those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed re the meek, for they will inherit the erth. Blessed re those who hunger nd thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed re the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed re the pure in hert, for they will see God. Blessed re the pecemkers, for they will be clled children of God. Blessed re those who re persecuted becuse of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heven. Mtthew 5:3-10 1
TOP TEN... TOP TEN REASONS TO STUDY THE BEATITUDES 10. There re only eight of them! 9. Wht else cn you study tht promises heven nd erth? 8. There's not single "Thou shlt not" in the lot! 7. Lern to impress religious friends with public pryers nd personl Piety. No, wit! Tht's one of the reson for studying the Phrisees. Sorry! 6. Lern enough bout the subject of mercy tht you cn destroy nyone in discussion of the topic. 5. They're more interesting thn Leviticus. 4. Consider it wy of crmming for the rel finl exm. 3. They're something to think bout while brushing your teeth. 2. They re gurnteed to chnge your life or your money bck. And the #1 reson to study the Betitudes: It bets memorizing the Ten Commndments! 2
THINKING IT THROUGH MONDAY I suggest in this chpter tht the Betitudes my be the first words Jesus spoke to the whole group of disciples. Let's look t the evidence for this. Red Mtthew 4: 18-5:3 nd Luke 5: 1-6:20. Ech of these begins with the cll of Peter nd Andrew nd ends with the first Betitude. Between these two events, does Jesus sy nything to the entire group? Who does Jesus spek with in this intervl? Mke list. Wht re the first words in Mrk nd John ddressed to the disciples s group? Wht significnce do these sttements hve for discipleship? Bck to the Betitudes. Write out your responses to the following questions: If these re the first words Jesus spoke to his disciples, does tht lend ny specil importnce to them? If Jesus is describing the kind of people he wnts them to become, should tht serve s guide for us s we try to follow Jesus tody? TUESDAY I cll the Betitudes Christ's instruction mnul on discipleship. Finding such thing in the Bible is not uncommon. In fct, severl other instruction mnuls ddressing different issues nd serving different purposes re scttered throughout Scripture. Red the following pssges nd write down: (1) Wht the instructions were bout, nd (2) the circumstnces the instructions were given in. Exodus 12:1-20 Skim through Exodus 25:8-31:18 Leviticus 16: 1-34 Red Proverbs 1: 1-6 nd consider the possibility tht the entire book of Proverbs is relly n extended instruction mnul. Red 1 Timothy 3:14-15. Aren't both Pul's letters to Timothy simply instructions given by n older precher to younger one? WEDNESDAY Review the study you did yesterdy, then think bout the following sttements. This list identifies trits found in instructions. How re these demonstrted by the instructions you red yesterdy? 1. Good instructions usully dd up to "one thing," something you cn write on n index crd. 2. Instructions re given by people who know wht they're tlking bout. 3. Instructions re given to people who hve need to know. 4. Instructions re clled for by the circumstnces people find themselves in. 5. Instructions re often given in lists nd re sequenced. Now think bout the Betitudes. How do these ides pply to this group of syings? Who gives nd who receives the instructions? Wht were the circumstnces when the Betitudes were given? Wht ws their purpose? Given wht you've just studied, do you think it's resonble to cll the Betitudes n "instruction mnul for discipleship"? 3
THINKING IT THROUGH THURSDAY Bd dvice bout discipleship hs never been in short supply. Not everything people sy bout discipleship is helpful. Red the following pssges nd write out the bd dvice you find there. How is tht dvice countered? Acts 15:5 Romns 3:7-8 1 Corinthins 1:12; 15:12-14,32 2 Corinthins 1 O: 1 O Gltins 6:12-13 Colossins 2:21 1 timothy 4: 1-3 Jude 4 FRIDAY Ech of the Betitudes begins with the word "blessed." (In fct, "betitude" comes from the Ltin word for "blessed.") Some writers believe this word mens "hppy". In certin sense, it does. But the "blessedness" Jesus speks of here goes deeper thn good giggle or n emotionl high. Red the following pssges nd think bout wht this word mens. Genesis 1:22; 9:1; 24:35-36; 35:9-12 Exodus 20: 11 Deuteronomy 7:12-15 Job 5:17 Pslm 1 : 1-3 Mtthew 11:3-6; 13:14-17; 16:15-19 John 20:29 Ephesins 1 :3 Wht's the most importnt lesson you lened this week through your study? (l 4
TALKING IT OVER TEXT: EXODUS 19:20-20:20 WARM-UP: Are you one of those people who ctully reds instruction mnuls or would you rther "figure it out" s you go? (Go round the group nd hve everyone 'fess up.) One or two of you lso might shre your worst experience s result of not reding directions. Whether we like them or not, God seems to be fond of instruction mnuls. The most fmous set of instructions in the Bible hs to be the Ten Commndments, found in Exodus 20. Would one of you volunteer to red Exodus 20: 1-17? DISCUSSION: 1. First, some generl questions for you to nswer: Who is speking? Who is the intended udience? Why is this list given? Wht is its purpose? Wht re the circumstnces? (Red Exodus 19:3-6 for hint.) 2. Reding instructions nd following them re two different things. The Isrelites knew how God wnted them to behve. They just hd problem following God's directions. Mtch up the people with the prticulr commndment they ignored. (See the chrt on the next pge. You cn red the indicted pssges if you need hint.) 3. Tlk bout some of the similrities you see between the Ten Commndments nd the Betitudes: setting, purpose, speker, listeners, effect. 4. Does Mtthew wnt us to think bout Jesus s "nother Moses," delivering new "lw" from the mountin? If so, wht importnce does this give to the Betitudes? APPLICATION: 1. In your wlk with Jesus, hve you discovered ny instructions to guide you? Or re you just figuring it out s you go? Most of us don't get much specific direction for being disciples. How hve you found tht frustrting. 2. Hve you ever thought bout the Betitudes s n instruction mnul for disciples of Jesus? Hs this study chnged the wy you look t the Betitudes? 3. Like the Isrelites, we're fmilir with God's directions-we just don't follow them very well. Would it mke ny difference in your life if you begn ech dy with commitment to live by the Betitudes? How? 4. Which of the Betitudes is your undoing? Which one do you hve the hrdest time honoring? COOL DOWN: Hving instructions doesn't do much good if there's no commitment to following time. Cn you mke commitment to the other members of the group to red the Betitudes ech dy this week nd try to put them into prctice. The "Living It Out" section includes pryer. Pry this together s group s you conclude this session. 5
TALKING IT OVER BIBLE CHARACTER A mn gthering wood (Numbers 15:32-36) Some of Pul's enemies (romns 3:8) Dvid (2 Smuel 11 :1-4) Ahb (1 Kings 21 :1-4) Juds (John 12:6) The Isrelites (2 Kings 17:12-17) Sul (1 Smuel 19:6,k 10) Cin's trnsgression (Genesis 4:8) Solomon (1 Kings 11 :4-5) Abslom (2 Smuel 16:21-22) COMMANDMENT No other gods No idols Don't lie in God's nme Remember the Sbbth Honor fther nd mother No murder No dultery No steling No flse testimony No coveting 6
LIVING IT OUT Do you know how to et n elephnt? One bite t time. Do you know how to become disciple of Jesus? One step t time. But hving plce to strt, knowing where to begin, is vitl. Tht first step cn be doozy if you're not creful! Discipleship hs to strt somewhere. Why not begin your wlk with Jesus sked the Twelve to begin-with the Betitudes? If you wnt to do tht, memorize the Betitudes this week. Write them out on three-by-five index crds nd stick them round the house, in the cr, t work. Sy them to yourself over nd over. Recite them to the people you live or work with. As you commit these instructions to memory, perhps pryer like the following will help you mke the commitment to put memories into ction: Der God, I come to you tody relizing tht I know lot bout minor things nd very little bout wht's truly importnt. I don't know how to become the disciple you wnt me to be. Ever wht little I know I don't put into prctice s I should. Forgive me, Lord. Long go, Your son spoke the Betitudes to initite his followers. Tody, I listen to them new, sking you to initite me into your wys. Write these words on my hert. Give me n understnding of wht these words men. Most of ll, Fther, grnt me the grce to become the kind of person described here. I believe you when you sy: The poor in spirit re blessed. Those who mourn will find comfort. The meek will conquer. The hungry will be filled. The merciful will find mercy. The pure in hert will see you. The pecemkers will be like you. The persecuted will receive the kingdom. Thnk you for these trnsforming words. Let them hve their wy in my life. Amen. 7