Blessed are the Persecuted

The War Against God's Design

In Matthew 5:27–32, Jesus shows us that lust is adultery at the heart level and that His people must take temptation seriously. In a culture that treats sexuality, purity, and marriage casually, Jesus calls us to guard the heart, cut off what leads us...

Anger, Murder, and the Heart

In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus takes the sixth commandment beyond the act of murder and exposes the anger, bitterness, contempt, and destructive words that dwell in the human heart. In this sermon, we see Jesus’ authority and righteousness, the danger of...

Setting the Record Straight

In Matthew 5:17–20, Jesus sets the record straight: He did not come to abolish the Scriptures, but to fulfill them. He also exposes the emptiness of external religion and shows that entrance into the kingdom requires a righteousness greater than our...

Shiny, Salty People

In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus tells His disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Because Christ has made His people distinct and visible, we are called to live holy, Godward lives that preserve what is good, expose...

Blessed are the Persecuted

In the final Beatitude, Jesus says something that shatters many false ideas about the Christian life: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.” In this sermon from Matthew 5:10–12 and Acts 5:17–42, we see that faithful obedience...