THE “BE”ATTITUDES
SERMON ON THE MOUNT SERIES, 03
MATTHEW 5:1-3 (NIV)
1 NOW WHEN HE SAW THE CROWDS, HE WENT UP ON A MOUNTAINSIDE AND SAT DOWN. HIS DISCIPLES CAME TO HIM,
2 AND HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM, SAYING:
3 "BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE WANT TO CONTINUE OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT BY FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION ON THE SECOND BEATITUDE. AS WE HAVE SHARED ALREADY, THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WAS A MULTI DAY EVENT WHERE JESUS TAUGHT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT KINGDOM LIVING.
WE SHOULD BE LOOING AT THIS SERMON AS AN OUTLINE FOR OUR LIVING AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IN THIS WORLD. IN LIVING “KINGDOMLIKE” WE GIVE THE WORLD SOMETHING TO PONDER AS OUR LIVE RADIATE AS A TESTIMONY OF OUR WALK WITH THE LORD.
I. REVIEW AND PROCEED
a. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED
i. TO EXPERIENCE HAPPINESS AND JOY
ii. CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD
iii. CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
b. POOR IN SPIRIT
i. TO CROUCH OR CRINGE
ii. TO BE BANKRUPT
iii. TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE NOTHING OF VALUE TO BRING TO GOD
iv. WE CAN ONLY REST ON HIS MERCY AND GRACE
c. PRESENT TENSE BEATITUDE
i. WHEN WE RELY ON THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD ALONE WE ARE KINGDOM PEOPLE
d. KINGDOM LIVING TODAY
i. LOOKED AT 10 THINGS WE CAN DO NOW TO LIVE “KINGDOMLIKE”
ii. HAD THE BONUS OF TRUSTING WHAT COMES NEXT BECAUSE WE KNOW THE AUTHOR
II. MOVING INTO THE A SECOND BEATITUDE
MATTHEW 5:4 BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED.
a. ONCE AGAIN JESUS IS SAYING THAT THERE IS HAPPINESS AND JOY IN MOURNING
b. HARD TO COMPREHEND AS THIS IS FOREIGN TO US
i. WE ASSOCIATE MOURNING WITH LOSS
ii. WE ASSOCIATE MOURNING WITH DEATH
iii. WE ASSOCIATE MOURNING WITH A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE
ILLUSTRATION: IN THE BOOK, “TEAR SOUP” WRITTEN BY PAT SCHWIEBERT, WE FOLLOW THE LIFE OF GRANNY WHO HAS SUFFERED A TERRIBLE LOSS AND FINDS RELIEF FROM HER GRIEF AND MOURNING BY MAKING A RECIPE OF “TEAR SOUP”
WHAT WE DISCOVER IN THIS BOOK IS THAT LOSS IS PERSONAL, AND IS NOT THE SAME FOR OTHERS.
“THERE WERE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE PAN SHE WAS FEELING. WHAT’S MORE, WHEN SHE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW IT SURPRISED HER TO SEE HOW THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS GOING ON AS USUAL WHILE HER WORLD HAD STOPPED.”
c. THE MOURNING SPOKEN OF HERE IS DIFFERENT
i. THIS IS A MOURNING THAT PRODUCES COMFORT
ISAIAH 61:1-4 THE SPIRIT OF THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS ON ME, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO BIND UP THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM FREEDOM FOR THE CAPTIVES AND RELEASE FROM DARKNESS FOR THE PRISONERS,
2 TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD, TO COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN,
3 AND PROVIDE FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE IN ZION-- TO BESTOW ON THEM A CROWN OF BEAUTY INSTEAD OF ASHES, THE OIL OF GLADNESS INSTEAD OF MOURNING, AND A GARMENT OF PRAISE INSTEAD OF A SPIRIT OF DESPAIR. THEY WILL BE CALLED OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, A PLANTING OF THE LORD FOR THE DISPLAY OF HIS SPLENDOR.
4 THEY WILL REBUILD THE ANCIENT RUINS AND RESTORE THE PLACES LONG DEVASTATED; THEY WILL RENEW THE RUINED CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED FOR GENERATIONS.
ii. THE STARTING POINT OF OUR CHRISTIAN WALK COMES WHEN WE EMBRACE THAT FIRST BEATITUDE – I HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE TO GOD, AND CAN ONLY LEAN IN ON HIS MERCY.
iii. JESUS WHEN HE WAS IN IS HOME TOWN AND ASKED TO SPEAK, CHOSE THIS PORTION OF ISAIAH
1. BRING GOOD NEWS
2. BIND UP
3. RELEASE TO CAPTIVES
4. COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN
d. WE FIRST UNDERSTAND HOW SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT WE ARE, AND THEN WE NEED TO NOT BE HAPPY ABOUT OUR STATE
i. OUR RESPONSE TO BEING SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT IS TO BE SORRY THAT IS THE WAY WE ARE
ii. IN JESUS’ DAY, A WOMAN CAME AND WASHED JESUS’ FEET WITH HER TEARS. SHE WAS MOURNING, GRIEVING OVER HER SIN.
iii. JESUS TOLD ABOUT A TAX COLLECTOR. HE WAS UNWILLING TO EVEN RAISE HIS EYES TOWARD HEAVEN BUT BEAT HIS CHEST. HE WAS GRIEVING OVER HIS SIN.
e. WHEN YOU LOOK AT VERSES 3 AND 4 OF THIS ISAIAH PASSAGE YOU SE THE BLESSING OF THE LORD WHEN WE GET HONEST ABOUT OUR CONDITION
i. GARLAND
ii. GLADNESS
iii. PRAISE
f. GETTING REAL ABOUT OUR SIN BRINGS RELIEF AND REFRESHMENT FROM GOD
g. THE ROOTS OF OUR SIN ARE DEEP
i. GO BACK TO THE GARDEN AND WE CAN MOURN WHAT WE LOST
ii. 24/7 ACCESS TO GOD
iii. INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
iv. NO SEPARATION, SIN, GUILT OR PAIN
v. AFTER THE FALL THE QUESTION OF GOD, ADAM, WHERE ARE YOU?” WAS MEANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO SEPARATION THAT NOW EXISTED BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.
III. TURNING MOURNING INTO BLESSING
a. AS EASY AS IT IS TO MOURN WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD, THIS IS NOT THE MOURNING THIS VERSE IS DESCRIBING
b. WE NEED TO MOURN OUR OWN SIN
c. THERE ARE NINE GREEK WORDS TO DESCRIBE MOURNING
d. THE WORD USED HERE – “PENTHEO” IS THE STRONGEST OF THOSE NINE WORDS
i. SPEAKS OF DEEP AND HEARTFELT GRIEF – LIKE WHEN JACOB THOUGHT JOSEPH HAD BEEN KILLED BY ANIMALS AND WHAT THE DISCIPLES FELT AT THE DEATH OF JESUS BEFORE THEY KNEW HE HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD.
ii. DEEP INNER AGONY.
e. BLESSING COMES NOT FROM THE MOURNING ITSELF, BUT FROM WHAT GOD DOES IN RESPONSE TO OUR MOURNING.
i. GODLY MOURNING BRINGS GOD’S FORGIVENESS
ii. GODLY MOURNING BRINGS GOD’S HAPPINESS
iii. WHEN I MOURN OVER MY SIN I RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FOR MY SIN
IV. THE PROCESS OF MOURNING OVER MY SIN IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS.
a. I HAVE TO BE WILLING TO CALL SIN SIN. TO CALL SIN ANYTHING ELSE ONLY GIVES US AN OUT. IT IS NOT A SICKNESS, OR A CONDITION, IT IS SIN
b. JUST AS THE BEATITUDES HAVE REMINDED US, I CANNOT IN ANY WAY DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF SIN BY MYSELF. AS LONG AS I TRY TO DEAL WITH SIN IN MY OWN STRENGTH I WILL NEVER RECEIVE THE COMFORT GOD GIVES WITH FORGIVENESS
c. I NEED TO REALIZE THAT I NEED GOD TO KEEP SIN IN CHECK. THAT IS WHY HE GAVE US HIS SPIRIT, OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE REASONS.
d. RENOUNCE WHAT IS SINFUL IN MY LIFE
IF I AM WILLING TO DO THESE TINGS WITH MY SIN, I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE A DEEP SEATED GRIEF OVER WHAT I HAVE DONE AND A DEEP SEATED RESOLVE TO KEEP MYSELF FROM DOING IT AGAIN.
SIN COST THE SON OF GOD HIS RESIDENCE, HIS AUTHORITY, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER, SPIRITUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL DEATH.
WHEN SIN IS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY IN MY LIFE, THE CROSSWORK OF CHRIST IS CHEAPENED.
