Blessed Are Those Who Mourn Series

Good Morning to all of you today!… I am truly glad to see all of you here today.

I just want to take a moment and welcome everyone here today and those who are watching on line and those who watch in the future…

Today, we continue our journey through one of the most profound and transformative passages in the Bible—Jesus’ sermon on the Mount.

Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7… and specifically we are looking at “The Beatitudes”.

These teachings, offer us a blueprint for living a blessed and fulfilled life, no matter the circumstances we face.

The Beatitudes call us to embrace humility, mercy, and righteousness… they are to guide us to find true happiness and lasting peace.

As we explore these timeless truths, we need to reflect on how they can shape our lives and bring us closer to God's kingdom.

Review and Introduction:

Jesus embodied the Beatitudes, living each day fully in line with these principles and the fruit of the Spirit…

meaning he lived these to the degree it was tangible…and visible…

it was clearly evident that he had these qualities in His everyday actions.

He exemplified that by allowing God’s truth to take root in His heart, and by His example…we learn that we too can live out these principles.

Jesus’ life was not just to be admired but to be imitated.

He came to show us a new and better way to live, transforming us piece by piece into His image.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (TPT)

18 We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

This transformation process involves sanctification, spiritual growth, reflecting Christ’s character, overcoming sin and self-centeredness, and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit.

It requires a humble acknowledgment of our spiritual need and complete dependence on God…

this is not possible without God and the active participation of the Holy Spirit.

The Beatitudes teach us that true happiness is found not in worldly success but in spiritual richness and humility.

The term "blessed," as used in the Beatitudes, implies a deep, inner joy and happiness that is constant regardless of external circumstances.

Lets read through these again...

~Prayer~

Main Teaching:

Today our focus is going to be on Matthew 5:4

Understanding Mourning

Mourning is not just about grieving a loss… but recognizing our spiritual brokenness and the world's brokenness… and then having a sorrowful heartfelt response because of it.

Only those who recognize their spiritual poverty can truly mourn over their sinfulness and the brokenness of the world.

This mourning leads to repentance and comfort from God.

So yes it is about grieving a personal loss… but it is also much deeper than that.

It is when you are recognizing your own spiritual brokenness, responding with humility and a desire to be forgiven and a desire to be transformed…

It is also recognizing the world’s brokenness… an awareness of the brokenness in the world around us—sin, suffering, injustice, and all the ways humanity is estranged from God's original design.

Then having a sorrowful heartfelt response...

True mourning is a deep, heartfelt sorrow that comes from understanding the gravity of sin and its consequences.

This sorrow is not just an emotional reaction but a spiritual response... that leads to action—seeking God's comfort, pursuing righteousness, and then become agents of change and healing in the world.

One interesting point that needs to be understood about the beatitudes is… each one builds on the next one.

The beatitudes connect with each other, and they depend on each other.

One of the first things we need to do in order for us to understand mourning, is to understand what being poor in spirit is.

Being "poor in spirit" is the foundational Beatitude, emphasizes our recognition of spiritual poverty and dependence on God.

Without this foundational Beatitude, the rest of the beatitudes cannot be fully embraced or lived out.

This is to recognize your spiritual bankrupt without Jesus.

This goes beyond physical poverty … and into true spiritual poverty.

To be poor in spirit means to acknowledge our deepest human need for God’s deliverance.

It is understanding that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God.

It is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation.

Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers.