Guilty As Sin Series

The Jesus Manifesto: Guilty as Sin?

Matthew 5:4, Psalm 51

Rev. Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

07-08-18

Do You Know How Fast You Were Going?

I was cruising along on Route 17 and was about a mile from Dwight when I saw him. But as you know, if you have seen them, they’ve already seen you. And it’s too late.

He was driving the opposite way but decided he wanted to meet me so he did a U-Turn in the middle of the road. When I looked up in the mirror, I saw him turn on his lights and I knew I was a goner.

He walked up to the car and asked a simple question, “Do you know how fast you were going?” I said, “Well, somewhere around 65?” He responded politely, “Try again. It was more like 70 mph.”

At that moment, a million excuses popped into my brain:

* I was speeding because I was hungry and wanted to get home

* I was playing air guitar to 80s rock

* I was speeding because I had been behind a car for twenty miles going 45 in a 55.

But not one of those excuses would have made a difference. I couldn’t argue with him. I was guilty. There was no way out.

Have you ever had that feeling? When you know you are guilty, without an excuse, and without any hope of rescue?

Review from Last Week

As we continue our summer sermon series on the Sermon of the Mount, let’s do a short review from last week.

The first week, I challenged you to memorize this section of verses known as the Beatitudes. Let’s see how you are doing?

“Blessed are the p_________, for theirs is the Kingdom of h___________.” (Matthew 5:3)

Remember that there are eight beatitudes. The first four focus on our relationship with God. The second four focus on our relationship with others.

They are a package deal. You cannot pick and choose.

And they are not a “to-do” list. They are a “to-be” list. It is a list of virtues, given to His disciples about what it looks like when His followers live these out in a lost and dying world.

Last week, we learned that this first Beatitude, the first of Jesus’ to-be list, had to do with the posture of our hearts before God. He calls it being “poor in spirit.”

The Greek word that Jesus uses means to “crouch or stoop.” It has the idea of bending low, of absolute and abject destitution. He is describing a person that has nothing and is totally dependent on God. It is the complete absence of pride, self-assurance, and self-reliance. It is a deep humility that leads to authenticity.

We studied the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector in Luke 18 and discovered that God blesses us when we realize our spiritual bankruptcy before Him and live REAL lives before others:

* Relationship with God not rules made by men

* Expressing our need for forgiveness

* Admitting that we are a mess

* Living a life of freedom and grace

If we live this virtue out, individually and as a church, then we will extend grace to everyone, no matter what he or she has done, where he or she has been, or who they are.

This first beatitude is the foundation for the other eight. Once we learn that we can not hop high enough for God’s holiness, we can never be good enough, then the fact that God has extended us grace and mercy become reasons for worship and thankfulness.

But it also leads to an understanding of how much sin breaks the Father’s heart.

This morning, we will be looking at the second Beatitude, found in verse four. Let’s read it together:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Happy are the Sad?

At first glance, this seems like a strange paradox. Is Jesus really saying, “Happy are the sad?”

What does it mean to mourn and be comforted? Let’s look at what “mourning” doesn’t mean.

* The sorrow caused by death: Jesus is not talking about grieving over the loss of a loved one. The Bible is very honest about grief of this kind. Jesus wept loudly outside the tomb of his friend Lazarus in John 11. Paul told the believers in Thessalonica that it was normal and healthy to grieve but to do so with hope. (I Thess 4:13) David wrote in his journal about the comfort that God brings in times of deep sadness:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

But we know from the context that this kind of mourning is not what Jesus meant.