The Beatitudes: 2015 Summer Sermon Series
Pride: The Kyrptonite of The Poor in Spirit (Blessed Are The Poor)
6/14/15 CFBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A “Blessed” is mentioned nine times in the Beatitudes.
1 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (NASB)
a Blessed does not mean “happy” although some modern versions of the Bible does translate makarios as “happy.”
aa Matthew 5:3 (NCV) 3 Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
bb Happiness is 1) subjective (a feeling), 2) a temporary state, 3) and is dependant upon circumstances.
cc Being blessed is 1) objective, 2) permanent state, 3) dependant on God’s grace & our choice; not upon fortune or chance.
b The Beatitudes not only come from Jesus, but also leads us to Jesus.
aa The sermon is the arrow and Jesus is the bull’s-eye.
bb The Beatitudes are God’s answers to our greatest questions . . . they describe the attitudes that we are to have as Believers.
2 Being blessed is our summa bonum, “the greatest good.”
a Everybody wants, looks for, in search of blessedness, but not everyone knows where it is.
b The reason is not everyone has the map . . . but in these verses, Jesus is giving us the map of our lives.
aa This is the greatest of all treasure maps to the greatest of all treasures, and it is given to us absolutely free as a gift.
bb Ethics professors can give us instructions on how to live on earth w/ a human heart . . . The Man from Heaven tells us what “eye has not see, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart of man”
1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)
B Jesus didn’t demand us to be successful, but to be obedient.
1 He didn’t demand us to sell the Gospel, but to proclaim the good news.
a He didn’t demand us to accept the world, but to be different than the world.
b We aren’t called to convert the world or fill churches; that’s God’s job.
2 Our job is to sow the seeds, w/o sugar coating it; God’s job is to make it take root & grow.
a Our job is to be obedient and it starts with a “poor spirit”.
b God will do all the rest . . . apart from God we can do nothing; without us, God will do nothing.
3 The Psalmist wrote, “ . . . I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10 (KJV)
a We see in the Beatitudes our job description for “doorkeepers” in the House of God; the other job is “dwelling in the tents of wickedness”
b The shocking thing is that these are the only two jobs in town.
aa Jason Aldean sings a song “Church Pew or Bar Stool” (btw, the theology in this song is awful), but describes not wanting to be labeled as either one of these kinds of people.
bb The truth is . . . your either a doorkeeper in the house of God (church pew) or your dwelling in the tents of wickedness [bar stool] in the Kingdom.
c Matt. 5.3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
I Being Poor in Spirit shapes us.
(Too often we’ve been shaped by the world around us—squeezed into molds of the worlds choosing (marriage, divorce, materialism, sexuality, dress, morals, etc.,), But God wants us live differently and it begins by being poor in our spirit.)
A All throughout Scripture, God’s most effective & most used servants exemplified being “poor in spirit.”
1 Moses showed he was poor in spirit when God called him lead Israel out of Egypt by his response, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons Israel out of Egypt?” Ex. 3:11 (NASB)
a Gideon proved he was poor in spirit when God asked him to deliver Israel from the Midianites when he said, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house” Jud. 6:15 (NASB)
aa Young David demonstrated his poor spirit when God promised him his own forever kingdom when he said, “Who am I , O Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou has brought me this far?” 2 Sam. 7:18 (KJV)
bb Isaiah verified his poor spirit after God gave him a glimpse of the throne of the Lord Most High when he said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory . . .woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, and the Lord of hosts’ (Isa. 6.3b, 5)
cc This is the spirit of Jeremiah when God appointed him prophet to the nations, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” (Jer. 1.6).
dd Peter showed his poor spirit when for the first time the true divinity of Jesus pressed into his own spirit, cried out and said, “depart from me for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5.8).
b Nowhere in Scripture do we see the demonstration of a poor spirit more clearly than in the Apostle Paul.
aa “I know that nothing good dwells in” (Rom. 7.18)
bb “for I am the least of all the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle” (1 Cor. 15.9); He identifies himself as “the chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1.15) & “the very least of all saints” (Eph. 3.8), and a “nobody” (2 Cor. 12.11).
cc It sounds like Paul had a low self-esteem, poor self-image (Call Dr. Oz quick!), how could one with such a poor image of themselves be used effectively by God?
c It was Paul’s “poor” self-image that made him effective/useful by God!
aa Because he saw himself as weak/inadequate, Paul looked to God for help—enabling him to do what he couldn’t have done otherwise (2 Cor. 12.9,10).
9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB)
bb This same poor spirit was also manifested by the prodigal son, who said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” (Luke 15.21).
B God is dealing with our inner person (spirit), but that doesn’t mean our outside person (lives lived in the visible realm) is free to do as we please with. (If our inside is right, the outside is sure to follow.)
1 The first step in becoming a Christian is being poor in spirit.
a No one ever entered the Kingdom because of their pride, works, ministry, moral . . .they entered because they were empty, humble, realize the depth of their depravity and the seriousness of their sin.
b Until we see our true and helpless selves we’ll never see how precious Jesus is.
2 What is “poor (poverty] in spirit”? The word describes a person w/o worldly goods, beggar, ashamed of their identity to be known . . . not just poor, but the begging poor.
a Not the poor guy breaking his back to eke out a living, just making enough to get by;
aa This is the guy living under the bridge . . . totally dependant upon some else to live.
bb In my mind, I see a quadriplegic . . . dependant on someone else for everything in their life.
cc That doesn’t sound like “blessed” to me!
b Jesus is saying that not about our bodies, but our spirits.
aa He’s NOT telling us to be beggars on street corner, we can’t make a living, or have nice things.
bb David said, “ . . . I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. Psalm 37:25 (NASB); Paul had tough times (no food/water) but he never had to beg;
cc Jesus & His disciples never went around begging for food. They were accused of being crazy, ignorant, heretics . . . but never accused of begging.
C Poor in Spirit are those who acknowledge they have nothing & are nothing spiritually.
1 We have nothing to offer, nothing to bargain God with, nothing to “buy” or “earn” heaven with.
a It means we cry like the publican, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.
aa John Calvin, “He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit.”
bb C.H. Spurgeon, “The way to rise in the kingdom is to sink in ourselves.”
cc Jesus isn’t telling us what we want hear, He’s telling us what we need to hear.
b Poor in spirit means to be “empty.”
aa There are hundreds of books for Christians to filled with the Spirit, filled with joy, this & that, but I’ve never seen a book entitled, “How To Be Nothing”, “How To Be Nobody” or “How To Be Empty.”
bb The reason, I believe that being “poor in spirit” is first among the Beatitudes is that being poor in spirit is the soil that the Christian life grows out of.
c None has ever entered the Kingdom unless they’ve crawled in.
aa You can’t be filled until your empty/worthwhile until you’re worthless.
bb Until we know we’re damned, we can’t appreciate how glorious He is; Until we see our poverty, we can’t understand His riches.
cc Out of carcase comes the hone—in our deadness we come alive.
dd “ . . .God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 (HCSB)
D Matt. 5.3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
1 Poor in Spirit doesn’t mean your shy, even temperament, or introverted.
a A person can be shy & proud or gregarious & humble.
b Poor in Spirit is not a personality type, poor/low self-esteem, poor sense of self-image.
2 Poor in Spirit is not mock humility.
a Andrew Murray said, “When you know your humble . . .you’re not.
aa Peter Kreft, in his book Back to Virtue said, “If you think you are not in serious danger from your sin of pride, then you certainly are. If you are even a little proud of your humility, you are terribly proud indeed.”
bb He goes on to say: There are only two kinds of people: fools, who think they are wise and the wise who know they are fools
b In ministry I’ve complimented people for their singing, teaching, preaching, service to only be told, “Oh, I can’t do anything.” or some kind of bad mouthing of ones self.
aa This kind of phoney modesty only draws attention to the one giving it & fails to appreciate the gifts that God has given.
bb Anything designed to attract praise to oneself has nothing to do with being poor in spirit.
cc To hear a beautiful woman say she’s plain, a great athlete speak of his clumsiness, a thin person complain of how heavy he/she is, . . .on & on.
E The person who is self-satisfied, self-sufficient, who feels no need for God . . . is not poor in spirit.
1 The believer who argues with God’s Will, complains about circumstances . . . is not poor in spirit.
2 The person who fishes for compliments & inflates when their complimented . . . is not poor in spirit.
3 Leaders who are harder on others than they are on themselves . . . is not poor in spirit.
Conclusion:
A The Kingdom of God ONLY belongs to the poor in spirit.
1 Salvation is absolutely free, absolutely undeserved, absolutely unmerited.
a 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." Mark 10:14-15 (NASB)
24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Mark 10:24-25 (NASB)
aa The Kingdom (which is both a gift to be received & a realm to enter) is not gained by the innocence/humility of a child, but rather the fact that children are unselfconscious, receptive, & content to be dependant on others’ care & resources.
bb Salvation must be received with the dependent helplessness & humility of a little child. (Matt. 18.2-4)
b Jesus told us it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for us to try & get into the Kingdom with our own works, goodness, stuff (Mk. 10.25, NASB).
aa He’s not saying only children inherit the kingdom, He is saying that childlike trust and humility are essential for entrance.
bb He is saying that the Kingdom ONLY belongs to the poor in spirit.
cc The Kingdom is for the poor, not the rich; the weak, not the mighty; to little children–humble enough to accept it, not to the soldier who brags they have grit enough to take it by their own prowess & power.
2 Preacher, I’m offended by you saying that I’m nothing, nobody and I don’t accept what you say.
a You I’ve not offended you then I’m not giving Jesus.
b Jesus wasn’t accepted, He was nailed to the cross.
aa My job was sow this message to you and if you allow Him to . . . this message will take root and spring forth in its proper season by God’s power.
bb The Beatitudes are apart of the Gospel, because they are good news - - - to the poor, meek, those who mourn . . . bad news to the arrogant & comfortable.
B Way to often when we say we’re Christians we are really saying, “I don’t drink, smoke, don’t dance, I don’t approve of this political agenda or I don’t approve of that lifestyle.”
1 That really takes all the focus off Jesus and places it upon ourselves.
a When I say... "I am a Christian" (Carol Wimmer, Assemblies of God periodical Hi-Call Gospel Magazine, 1988)
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow.”
b Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven . . . right now.
2 We are better than no one, we are nothing, we are nobody.
a When we can accept that about ourselves, we’ll begin to accept others . . . faults & all, stop criticizing the faults of others, stop getting mad when someone doesn’t agree with us.
b IL. Reporter interviewing a woman walking waist high in water on a New Orleans street. How are you doing? I’ve got my life and I’ve got my Jesus. The rest doesn’t matter.”
aa Circumstances don’t matter, criticism doesn’t matter, We’ve got Jesus.
bb Are you proud today?
3 Invitation
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