God Bless You

A. What's it really mean to be Blessed?

"Blessed" is one of those Bible words we all know and are familiar with. Sometimes, though, our familiarity with certain ideas leads us to take them for granted. There's may be more to it than we usually think about.

When someone sneezes we say "Bless you!" In jest, we may say "Bless you, my child." We sing "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord", but do we really think through what that means?

1.                  Definitions from Hebrew & Greek include:

a)                  To be happy

b)                  Favored or guided of God

c)                  A state of peace and tranquility, especially in death

d)                  Fullness of life

e)                  Spiritual well-being and prosperity

2.                  Two Biblical uses:

a)                  Acknowledged State of being

(1)                 I'm blessed, he's blessed, we're blessed

(2)                 A recognition that our happy condition is of God

b)                  Intended Pronouncement

(1)                 Specifically used to confer goodness or well-being onto someone

(2)                 Also used as a curse to confer the opposite

B. Where do blessings come from?

1.                  Man

a)                  Jacob blessing his children (Gen 49)

b)                  Moses blessing the tribes (Deut 33)

2.                  Angels

a)                  Luke 1:28 -- And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

b)                  Gen 32:26 -- And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

3.                  God

a)                  Gen 1:22, 1:28, 2:3 -- And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

b)                  Matt 16:17 -- And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

c)                  Rev 22:7, 22:14 -- Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

C. What must I do to be blessed?

The selection of blessings that Jesus pronounced in Matthew 5 are striking, especially when compared to the nine "beatitudes of Psalms". Jesus undoubtedly was familiar with the psalmists' verses -- they were recited back then just like we recite "blessed are the meek" today. Note how Jesus' update on the ideas mesh with the originals, and add to the 'heart meaning.'

1.                  You ARE blessed if you Trust & Obey

a)                  Psalms 1:1, 32:2, 34:8, 40:4, 65:4, 84:5, 84:12, 94:12, 112:1

2.                  You WILL BE blessed if you adopt a Christ-like attitude

a)                  Matthew 5: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

God Bless You

A. What's it really mean to be Blessed?

1. Definitions from Hebrew & Greek include:

a) To be happy

b) Favored or guided of God

c) A state of peace and tranquility, especially in death

d) Fullness of life

e) Spiritual well-being and prosperity

2. Two Biblical uses:

a) Acknowledged State of being

(1) I'm blessed, he's blessed, we're blessed

(2) A recognition that our happy condition is of God

b) Intended Pronouncement

(1) Specifically used to confer goodness or well-being onto someone

(2) Also used as a curse to confer the opposite

B. Where do blessings come from?

1. Man

a) Jacob blessing his children (Gen 49)

b) Moses blessing the tribes (Deut 33)

2. Angels

a) Luke 1:28 -- And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

b) Gen 32:26 -- And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

3. God

a) Gen 1:22, 1:28, 2:3 -- And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

b) Matt 16:17 -- And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

c) Rev 22:7, 22:14 -- Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

C. What must I do to be blessed?

1. You ARE blessed if you Trust & Obey

a) Psalms 1:1, 32:2, 34:8, 40:4, 65:4, 84:5, 84:12, 94:12, 112:1

2. You WILL BE blessed if you adopt a Christ-like attitude

a) Matthew 5: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11