John K. Jenkins Sr - The Be Attitudes - Part 1

I want to start off today with this first section of Chapter 5, and in verses 3 through 12, they are listed here as part of this Sermon on the Mount. He starts off by talking about something that has been tagged the Beatitudes. The term Beatitudes means "the blessed ones," the ones who are blessed, favored, and happy-however you want to phrase it. It means to be blessed , happy, victorious, and I want to talk about these Beatitudes. However, I want to title my message "The B Attitudes." Now, I know I have to explain that to y'all; I can tell by your rousing amens that you really got it when I said it. The Beatitudes mean "the blessed ones," but I want to discuss the attitudes that we should embody. Now, let me explain so we can be on the same page; I know that people can exhibit an attitude, but there's a difference between doing attitude and being that attitude. Let me see if I can clarify. You can do giving , but that doesn't mean you will be a giver . So, I want to talk about attitudes that we should be-not just what you do, not just the behavior-but I want to focus on being . Have y'all ever met someone with an attitude ? I said , have y'all ever met anybody with an attitude? Someone who is sucking their teeth, rolling their eyes, upset about this and that? If you've never met anyone with an attitude, chances are you are the person with the attitude! Amen? Preach on, Pastor Jenkins!

Jesus says in these verses that here are attitudes. In fact , he lists eight attitudes that ought to be at the core of who a person is and what a person does, and I want to challenge us to become people who embody these attitudes as part of who we are. Look at your neighbor and say, "You need to be a bearer, not just a doer, but to have the attitude." Tell your neighbor, "Have the attitude! Have the attitude! Get rid of the attitude that you have , and let's get the right attitude." Y'all didn't tell them. Try it again: say, "Get rid of the attitude that you have , and let's get the right attitude," because we've got people with a lot of attitudes. And let me tell you who has the worst attitude: church people! Church people have the worst attitude, church people got to [Applause].

So, open your Bible and look up and down your row. If they don 't have their Bible open, they've got an attitude! Go ahead, look up and down. Open your Bible and let's look at the attitudes. Now, there are eight of them, and I don't think I'm going to get through all eight today. I only got through three this morning, so I' m going to take my time because I need to drive these attitudes into you. I need us to have these things as part of who we become. Somebody say, "Become! Become!" Say it one more time: "Become! Become!"

Here 's what he says: he lists these attitudes and starts off - matter of fact, let me tell you this real quick-this is important. In verse one, look at verse one. It says, "And seeing the multitudes , He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them." Now there's a whole bunch of information right there. Let me just slow down and break it down for you. He saw the multitudes and went up to a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came. Notice the distinction: there's the multitude and then there are the disciples. There 's a whole crowd of folks who started off, and He separated Himself from the crowd. There was a multitude, and He went up, climbed to a higher level, and the disciples came up to Him to where He was.

See, see, see-[Applause] - help me, Holy Ghost! There 's a distinction between people who want the things of God and want God in their lives; they're willing to climb higher, they're willing to go from where they are. Only disciples do that. The distinction is the multitude; the people in the multitude like church, they like gospel singing , they like to feel good, they enjoy comfortable seats. But it takes a disciple to transition from mere church attendance to learning what it means to be a doer of the Word. Do I have an amen anywhere in this camp? That 's the distinction! We've got 10,000 people who come on Sunday mornings at this church-10,000 folks who press the parking lot! 10,000 of y'all make your way here week after week. But it's not 10,000 at Bible study, it's not 10,000 at prayer meetings, and it's not 10,000 in ministry. Preacher or Pastor-[Applause]! Jacob, amen, say "Amen" or "Ouch." Yes, I'm talking to you to your face.

The disciples came up-the people who are serious about implementing the teachings of Jesus into their lives and being like Him. They came up to where He was, they sat down , and then He opened His mouth . He does not cast pearls before swine, nor does He give the deep revelations and profound understanding . So as I go through this Sermon on the Mount, some of y'all are going to have issues with a whole lot of stuff.