Kingdom Influence Part 6
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Our series is called Kingdom Influence, and this week we begin a journey into the Beatitudes. These familiar words from Jesus are often quoted, cross-stitched, and memorized, but they are rarely understood as He intended them. The Beatitudes are not a checklist for spiritual achievement. They are a portrait of the kind of life that emerges when God’s Kingdom is truly at work in a person.
Matthew 5:3–8 (NIV)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount by describing what a blessed life looks like, but not in the way we might expect. He does not say, “Try harder to be poor in spirit,” or “Work on becoming more merciful,” or “Figure out how to manufacture humility.” Instead, He simply says, “Blessed are…” He is not issuing commands. He is naming realities. This is what life looks like when the Kingdom of heaven takes root in a human heart.
That distinction matters. The Beatitudes are not about behavior modification. They are about heart formation. They describe the inner life that God shapes before any outward influence is seen. Think about fruit on a tree. Fruit does not strain or struggle. It does not grit its teeth and try harder. Fruit appears when the tree is healthy and well-rooted. Later, Jesus will say, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” Fruit is the result of life, not effort. That is why Paul can say, “God gave the increase.” Kingdom character grows from God’s work, not human striving.
As Jesus speaks the Beatitudes, He also redefines what “blessed” means. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. These are not traits our culture celebrates. They do not look impressive. They do not signal power, achievement, or control. Yet Jesus is not describing weakness. He is describing dependence, humility, tenderness, and trust.
Kingdom character often looks unimpressive before it looks influential. The Beatitudes describe people with deep roots, not flashy appearances. God is more interested in who we are becoming than how quickly we appear successful.
This is why the Beatitudes matter for Kingdom Influence. Influence always flows from character. We do not influence the world by overpowering it. We influence it by reflecting the heart of the King. When God shapes our hearts, our lives quietly but powerfully begin to bear fruit that points others to Him.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
