The Beauty of Poverty
Matthew 5:3
The Sermon on the Mount: a new way of viewing how
one has a right relationship with God.
blessed=makarious (Greek)=supremely happy.
OUR secrets keep us from discovering THE secrets Jesus is revealing about how to gain supreme happiness.
Secret #1: Poverty is beautiful!
* What secret is Jesus revealing? There is wealth in humility
* What secret keeps me from being poor in spirit? Denial of my condition
“All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment.” Isaiah 64:6 HCSB
Denial is the #1 enemy of supreme happiness
“God—I can’t.”
The Beauty of Poverty
opener of someone who was desperate to find the secret of something; or a key to unlock
Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 5. Now, beginning this morning, we are going to move away from using the NIV translation in the services and begin to use the Holman Christian Standard Bible (PIC). There are a lot of reasons why we are doing this and you will become aware of them throughout this year. But the primary reason is that it is a better translation, more exact than the New International Version, yet still very readable. If you’re looking for a good study Bible, the Holman Christian Study Bible is excellent. Now, if you have an iPad, (let’s have mine hooked up on my teaching table for them to see my screen), it has a great app for $?? That a links the study notes with the text like this….
This past May, 18 of us flew to Israel for an 11 day tour of the Holy Land. On the 3rd day there, we came to what is called the Mount of Beatitudes (PIC). This is where many believe that Jesus preached the greatest sermon of all time. MATTHEW 5:1 SAYS, “WHEN HE SAW THE CROWDS, HE WENT UP ON THE MOUNTAIN, AND AFTER HE SAT DOWN, HIS DISCIPLES CAME TO HIM. THEN HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM.”
That word mountain is notable. MOUNTAIN: HIGHER PLACE. When we think of mountains, we think of the Rockies. But in biblical time, a mountain was a higher place; most of the time what we would call a hill. Rising up off the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus gathered the crowds together on a high place. The word DISCIPLE: FOLLOWERS. Sometimes the word refers to the twelve disciples, but many times it refers to those who were following. Here it refers to the crowds that were following Him.
And in what follows, Jesus lays out the principles and the values and His vision for a new kingdom & a new existence. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: A NEW WAY OF VIEWING HOW ONE HAS A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
In His audience would have been people desperate to discover the secrets of kingdom living; of freedom living; of supreme happiness. They were poor, needy, disenfranchised, powerless, diseased, and trapped. But most importantly, they would have been people hungry to know how they could be right with God. Because the Pharisees did all they could to keep them in doubt about the issue. If the Pharisees could keep them in doubt about their relationship with God, then they had power over them.
In THIS audience today there are those who are desperate to discover the secrets of kingdom living; of freedom living; of supreme happiness. But there is someone who does NOT want you to discover those secrets. Yes, Virginia, there is a Satan, and he wants to keep you in doubt about your relationship with God; he wants to keep you from discovering the secrets of supreme happiness. Why? Because that gives him power over you.
When I was very young, my brother and I had bb guns and we’d go shooting birds in the woods at the edge of our house. On Saturdays we’d walk about ½ mile to an Army Surplus store and buy more bbs. One time my brother stole some bbs and I threatened to tell my parents. I promised not to reveal his secret if he would do some of my chores. If he ever balked, I’d just go get a pack of bbs and jingle the pack (need a pack of bbs), and he’d get the clue, do my chore for me, and I’d keep his secret. I had power over him as long as he wasn’t willing to come clean about his secret. When we hold on to our secrets, they have power over us.
Obviously, Jesus knows this. So He begins this great sermon with what is called the Beatitudes. Why the name The Beatitudes? Well, the earliest translation of the Bible was in Latin, called the VULGATE (4TH CENTURY A.D.) A man name Jerome took the Hebrew text and the Greek text and translated them into the official language of the day: Latin. So BEATITUDE=BEATUS (LATIN)=HAPPY, FORTUNATE, BLISSFUL That’s how it came to be known as the Beatitudes.
Now the Greek word in our text, BLESSED=MAKARIOUS (GREEK)=SUPREMELY HAPPY.
So here is the context: Jesus comes on the scene and begins to teach and reveal what has been hidden in times past about what it really means to be supremely happy; to live a live that is pleasing to God and pleasing to the one who lives it.
Now let’s talk a minute about hidden things. Some realities are obvious to everyone: FUNNY PIC #1, PIC #2 #3, #4, #5, #6, #7
But some realities are not obvious to everyone and those realities are revealed to those God chooses. “AT THAT TIME JESUS SAID, “I PRAISE YOU, FATHER, LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE HIDDEN THESE THINGS FROM THE WISE AND LEARNED AND REVEALED THEM TO INFANTS.” MATTHEW 11:25 “6 HOWEVER, WE DO SPEAK A WISDOM AMONG THE MATURE, BUT NOT A WISDOM OF THIS AGE, OR OF THE RULERS OF THIS AGE, WHO ARE COMING TO NOTHING. 7 ON THE CONTRARY, WE SPEAK GOD’S HIDDEN WISDOM IN A MYSTERY, A WISDOM GOD PREDESTINED BEFORE THE AGES FOR OUR GLORY.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:6-7 “THE MYSTERY HIDDEN FOR AGES AND GENERATIONS BUT NOW REVEALED TO HIS SAINTS. 27 GOD WANTED TO MAKE KNOWN AMONG THE GENTILES THE GLORIOUS WEALTH OF THIS MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.” COLOSSIANS 1:26-27
So Jesus comes revealing secrets; the secrets to a life of supreme happiness. The problem is that we have our own secrets that keep us from discovering THOSE secrets.
Here’s an example of what I mean: Here’s a box that has quite a bit of treasure in it, but the key to the box is in that alcove. To get the treasure, all I’ve got to do is climb up on the ladder and get the key. But I’ve got a secret that keeps me from getting the key. What is it? I’m afraid of heights. To get the key, I’ve got to get honest about the secret and deal with it because my secret keeps me from opening the treasure. (Need ladder & box)
Listen: OUR SECRETS KEEP US FROM DISCOVERING THE SECRETS JESUS IS REVEALING ABOUT HOW TO GAIN SUPREME HAPPINESS.
And what was the 1st secret Jesus revealed in the Beatitudes? SECRET #1: POVERTY IS BEAUTIFUL! Sounds odd, doesn’t it? We don’t normally think of poverty being desired, but something to be avoided. But Jesus isn’t talking about material poverty—He’s talking about another kind of poverty.
Look at what He says in v.3, “THE POOR IN SPIRIT ARE BLESSED, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS THEIRS.” MATTHEW 5:3 HCSB
We’re going to discover that each beatitude builds on the previous ones, and this one is foundational: “The poor in spirit are supremely happy.” This secret is key and foundational for all the other secrets about a supremely happy life.
So what does He mean when He says ‘poor in spirit’? As you might suspect, there are different kinds of poverty:
physical: poor health
material: little if any comforts of this world, food, clothing, shelter
relational: few if any meaningful, loving, satisfying relationships
But if you’re spiritually poor, what does that mean?
To be poor spiritually: “TO REALIZE IN YOUR DEEPEST CONSCIOUSNESS, YOUR ENTIRE NEED” It is the self-emptying conviction that “IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WE ARE VOID OF EVERYTHING.” To put it plainly, GOD, I AIN’T GOT NOTHIN’!
Without it we have no access to the riches of Christ; with it we begin to unlock the secrets of living a life of supreme happiness. So,
WHAT SECRET IS JESUS REVEALING?(BUILD THE SLIDE) THERE IS WEALTH IN HUMILITY
When I am poor in spirit, I admit to God I’m not good enough to receive His grace. When I am poor in spirit, I admit to God that I am morally bankrupt. When I am poor in spirit, I admit to God that I am a wretched sinner. When I am poor in spirit, I admit to God that apart from Him I could never amount to anything or do anything worthwhile. When I am poor in spirit, I admit to God that I am helplessly and hopelessly chained and enslaved to my fleshly thoughts, desires, and actions.
Jesus says, If you’re poor in spirit, you can begin to unlock the wealth that He wants you to have. In fact, the whole kingdom can be yours. That’s good stuff. But there’s a problem: I’ve got my own secrets that get in the way of that happening for me and to me. So the next question is:
WHAT SECRET KEEPS ME FROM BEING POOR IN SPIRIT? DENIAL OF MY CONDITION
My allusion that I can do it myself; my self-sufficiency. If you’re not a Christ-follower, this denial will make you think that God is ok with you the way you are. That you’re morality is sufficient to make you right with Him. But you could never be good enough to be right with Him. “ALL OF US HAVE BECOME LIKE SOMETHING UNCLEAN,
AND ALL OUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS ARE LIKE A POLLUTED GARMENT.” ISAIAH 64:6 HCSB
If you are a Christ-follower, this denial will make you think that you can handle your problems and clean yourself up or that they really don’t affect you and those around you that much. “Oh, my temper’s not that bad: I can handle it. Every man has a problem with lust, it’s not that big a deal. I know I’m a bit overweight, but it’s really my body type; some folks are small framed and some of us are not. Yeah, I suffer from depression and maybe a little anxiety, but it runs in my family; I just deal with it.”
WATCH THIS (VIDEO) (David/band come out)
Jesus reveals the secret that there is a wealth in humility. But guarding our secrets keeps us from coming clean with God, and as long as we do that, the secret has power over our lives.
DENIAL IS THE #1 ENEMY OF SUPREME HAPPINESS
Denial is an awful enemy. And it denies you of discovering the secret of living a life of supreme happiness. It keeps you from saying, “GOD—I CAN’T.”
What is your secret? Are you in denial about it? I find that very few people have a clear picture of reality; a clear picture of their spiritual bankruptcy. Are you living a life of supreme happiness? Is there anything that hinders that in a great—or small way?
It’s time to get honest. Now I want you to bow your heads, and draw a circle around yourself. You’re in the cone of silence. Just you and God. Talk to Him. What secrets are you trying to hide from Him? What form of denial are you in at this stage in your life? Call on the Spirit of God to reveal them to you right now…
And tell God, right now, “God—I can’t. I’m powerless over this. I ain’t got nothin’!”
And then ask Him to show you the depth of your denial. Ask Him to let you see the wealth and the supreme happiness that can be yours and ask Him to begin to bring it into your life as you get honest in your innermost being.
But there are some of you here this morning that are in complete denial about your relationship with God. You think you and God are ok. That you’re not really that bad of a person and so God ought to accept you the way you are. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God will only accept you if you are in Christ and if Christ is in you…
