Introduction:
We know the type of life that God blesses because Jesus tells us point-blank in the Beatitudes; this is the type of life that God is going to bless. Nine times in the ten verses that we have read each week for the past four weeks, He tells us if you live this way, then you will be blessed.
Our problem is that yes, we want to be blessed by God, but we don’t want to follow that way to receive the blessing. We want to cut our own path in this world, we want to do it our way, and we want God to bless our path. Let me tell you in no uncertain terms; blessings don’t work that way. If you don’t follow God’s path, then you don’t receive the blessing.
And so, the very first Beatitude that Jesus announces to those gathered on the mount sets the foundation as to what is needed to live the life that God blesses. “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of God.”
So the key is to understand what poor in spirit means is the key to laying the foundation God blesses. Why do I say that? Jesus says if you don’t have this “poor in spirit,” then you don’t get in the kingdom. And if you are not in the kingdom of heaven, you are not going to be able to possess the other characteristics that Jesus says that God blesses.
So what is “poor in spirit”? To be poor in spirit is to recognize your utter spiritual bankruptcy without God. It understands that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God. Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation. It is humility before God.
So today, we want to look at the obstacles that stand in the way of our being humble before our God. Let’s begin by reading our Scripture.
Scripture
Matthew 5:2-11 (NKJV)
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Point #1
WE DON’T WANT JESUS TO DEFINE FOR US WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO RECEIVE TRUE BLESSINGS. WE WANT TO SET OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS FOR TRUE BLESSINGS AND GET JESUS TO RUBBER STAMP HIS APPROVAL ON OUR WAY.
My question is: who or what gives us the right to set the requirements of a true blessing.
In 1 Timothy 1:11, Paul tells Timothy the glorious gospel of the blessed God was committed to my trust.
That word “blessed” there describing God is the same word used for the nine blessings described in the Beatitudes. In the Greek, it is the exact same word used in both places. Do you know what that tells me: the blessings come from the Blesser and so he sets the rules. If it is my game, I set the rules. God is the author of all life; He tells us what the ways to receive blessings are and what are the ways to receive judgment.
Listen, it is not in our hands, and Jesus is never going to rubber-stamping our ways to be blessed because our ways are terribly flawed. Isaiah 64:6 says all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. And that is true because God Word tells us that, then how could we even think God who is holy could bless our ways.
God wants to bless you; Jesus wants to bless you, but it can only happen by doing it God’s way.
You cut your own path; do things your own way, you are going to be sorely disappointed in this life and the life to come. But those who did things God’s way this is what Paul says: Titus 2:13 (KJV)
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
When that day comes that we leave this world either by death or the rapture for us who did it God’s way, there is that word “blessed “ again. And that is the ultimate fulfillment of the blessings that God describes in the Beatitudes.
Point #2
WE DON’T WANT JESUS TO TELL US THAT WE NEED TO BE “POOR IN SPIRIT” BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO LOOK DEEP INTO OUR SOULS. AND THE TRUTH BE TOLD, WE MUCH RATHER LOOK AT OTHERS AND COMPARE OURSELVES TO THEM RATHER THAN LOOKING INWARD AT OURSELVES.
There is an excellent example of this exact thing in the Bible.
Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The tax collector knew who he was because he looked inward at himself; the Pharisees did not have a clue who he was in the eyes of God because he did not look inward. The Pharisee only looked outwardly at others.
And in another spot Jesus said this:
Matthew 7:5 (NIV)
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
It is a toss-up. I could compare myself to Dale or Ronnie and I come out looking like a great guy. I can even ask God to bless me because I am better than those two. But what I am doing is trying to set a new path rather than God’s path to be blessed. There is me setting a new path to be blessed. But if I look at God’s way to be blessed, to look at my own insides, I discover very quickly that I am a spiritual bankrupt individual, and I need Jesus in my life to be blessed.
And that is good to recognize that I am a spiritually bankrupt person because by knowing that, I am helpless to do anything about my life but God can do something and He can turn this spiritual bankrupt person into a citizen of the kingdom of heaven if I say “I surrender; I am spiritual bankrupt without you. I need you in my life.”
I wonder how many miss the blessing because of pride.
Point #3
WE DON’T WANT JESUS TO TELL US THAT WE NEED TO BE “POOR IN SPIRIT” BECAUSE THAT IMPLIES THAT YOU AND I ARE DESPERATE FOR GOD. WE WOULD RATHER HAVE PEOPLE THINK WE GOT IT TOGETHER.
And that is a lie from the devil. Colossians 1:17 (NIV)
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
If something is being held together in your life, I promise it is not you; it is God.
You know what we don’t see in churches anymore- desperate people. I cannot remember the last time I saw a man with tears in his eyes walking up to the front altar and telling God; I am desperate for you. I am not going to make it; if you are not all over me.
There have been a few desperate women who come to the altar, and bear their soul to God, but not as many as I would expect.
And young people, with trouble out of control in their life, don’t think that they are desperate enough to make their way to the altar.
You know why? We don’t want people to think we are not holding it together. If it is being held together even if it is just a string holding it, it is God. You aren’t doing it.
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Let us pray!
