Kingdom Attitudes Mt 5:1-12 WBC 14/3/4am
Mention: the Passion of the Christ. Be praying about who to invite. Video Clips next Sunday. Our Easter Services will focus on it
INTRODUCTION:
Interesting introduction: Jesus went up… sat down… opened His mouth (NIV ‘began to teach’)
- us: ‘well, yeah… AND!”
But it’s really like a 3 fold rum roll to get your attention:
- are you ready for this? Don’t miss this!
- Are you sitting comfortably (Rabbi’s sat to teach).
- Then I’ll begin: the Word of God is about to speak into your life
It’s a message to ALL (crowd, 7:28)- not just the 12… about the attitudes of the Kingdom of God (heaven)
= the rule of God, where things are done His way
- these are His attitudes
BLESSED?
This is the toughest stuff, ever!
- Xianity is not for wimps. The sermon on the Mount is not for wimps
o (many love it but don’t KNOW it!)
1st things you realise is: “I can’t do this!”
- at all… on own
= part of its purpose
- can only attempt it with God
- it builds reliance on God
- shows God’s standards- perfection
o so even the ‘law perfect Pharisees’ aren’t good enough- and, like us, need God’s grace
2nd things is- this is a topsy-turvy kingdom
- not like… opposite to… the kingdom of this world
o has us acting differently
o sees things differently
the key thing it wants you to see differently is ‘blessing’
- now, unfortunately, we’ve got the wrong handle… used the wrong handle… for centuries here
- traditionally called the Beatitudes – from Latin Beatus- which means blessed/blessing
o “yeah, that’s right, blessed are the…!”
eeeeh-aaaah
would be okay if the word here MEANT blessed!
- if it were blessed, then the Gk word would be eulogetus (like Eulogy- to bless, praise, make happy. Equiv of Hebrew barak)
o which- if it were would cause me a problem in this context because it just aint true:
“happy are the poor in spirit?”
• “those who are martyred, persecuted?”
Nope- it’s not eulogeo/eulogetus- blessed/happy
- it’s macarios (“I thought so!”, I hear you say)
- no, seriously- this is important. THIS word means fortunate, well off, approved, to be envied
get your heads around this one… this topsy-turvy principle of God’s Kingdom:
- if something… anything… happens in your life to make you realise you need God… to draw you to God
o you are fortunate. Well off. To be envied
- because- your eternal destination, wellbeing and blessing has been secured
o whereas others … who have had so much… only have the rewards of THIS life
that’s nothing to be sneered at- but infinity is infinitely better
Illustr: remember realising this at UKC. Who’s the fortunate ones, then?
Do you understand? OUR kingdom… THIS kingdom… puts priorities the wrong way around- as though this is all there is!
- God’s kingdom, God’s ways, are different. Eternity is prioritised. What WE think a curse can often be a blessing
ISA 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
ISA 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
And here’s the first group of fortunate people in Jesus’ eyes… the KOG
FORTUNATE ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
Not the financially destitute, materially poor, poor-spirited (those who lack courage), poor self-image (these things need healing, not affirming)…
… or external piety ‘I’m ever so humble’
ISA 57:15 For this is what the high and lofty One says--
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
= fortunate are those who are humble enough to know they need God
- that they are spiritually poor without Him
- that they need saving!
If you like= stage one of finding faith
‘Apart from me you can do nothing’
- certainly not save yourself
- certainly not keep these kingdom attitudes
(Sermon on Mt removes all self-grandeur, self-delusions. Grounds us in our need for God)
Yeah! Fortunate! Theirs IS the KOG/H
FORTUNATE ARE THOSE WHO MOURN
Not those who mope, moan, are morose.
- that horse has such a long face it must be a Christian!”
- Nothing fortunate about such attitudes, or the grief that comes from self-pity
What do kingdom people mourn about?
- the brokenness of the world… others
- Madrid
- “Oh God, how long?!” Their cry goes up
- those we’ve lost
- our own failings
Yes! Fortunate… but pained
- because we’ll see loved ones again
o there’s comfort in that. Ultimate comfort when it happens
- because- I may not be perfect… am a sinner… BUT
o my sin IS taken away
o I’m getting there! Come a long way!
o Will be made perfect (when I go to Jesus)
- Because- a recognition of our failings is a sign of life
o (so don’t let it become death. “There is now no condemnation”)
- because Jesus will come back, wipe out evil, and make all things new
Blessed are those who mourn because- they will be comforted
- evil does Not get the last say.. nor death… nor sin… or anything else I morn about
I guess you could say this is stage 2 in Xian maturity- feeling pain of sin in self and world
FORTUNATE ARE THE MEEK
“For they will inherit the earth- if the others don’t mind”
Nope! Meek =X weak!
Meek is- those who don’t throw their weight around… fight as the world fights… push themselves forward..
- say “grab all you can- the strong man comes first. The devil take the hindmost!”
Fortunate are the meek- as they are living as God wants. They consider OTHERS above themselves
- and that is great strength
It’s true that, for me, these first 3 came (are coming!) in succession of growing maturity
- 1- needed God > 2- mourned over my sin and sin of world > 3- realised that it affected how I should live wrt others
And fortunate are the meek- because GOD will lift them up
FORTUNATE ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST
But it doesn’t stop there…
Soon you realise- there’s more of God to be got- and I’ve gotta have it, Him!
- “take the world but give me Jesus!”
- and above all I’ve gotta be right with Him. Close to Him.
=X neurotic obsession
- = dawning realisation that so much of the world is good- but lets down
o and so, I’ve gotta have God, Jesus, the bread of life
Jn 4:14 whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
JN 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
ISA 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
ISA 55:2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
People hunger for all kind of things. What do YOU hunger for? Listen to Paul’s words:
Phil 3:8 , I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Chris
Can you echo these words?
Fortunate are those who hunger…s eek- because they will find/filled
FORTUNATE ARE THE MERCIFUL
Not least because you get what you give- mercy
Probably my trying to fit this into a ‘maturity line’ to help you fails, here- but me continue to try and force it!
- we grow to hungering to be right with God… live right by Him..
- but then we grow to realise that you can be legalistically, theologically & relationally perfect with God
o but if you don’t have love- it’s a waste of time
And ‘mercy’ is the showing of love to someone in a ‘downer’ situation
- (actually- this speaks volumes more than ‘right theology’- cf Abundant life, Bradford)
Mercy: It’s the next step of kingdom Attitudes, maturity
- and the only way to get it is to give it
I need to cut short, now
FORTUNATE ARE THE PURE IN HEART
But it doesn’t stop there! You recognise your need to be merciful to others- but keep your heart pure, childlike, clean with God
- doesn’t mean ‘perfect’!
- = like David “ a man after God’s own heart”
- loving the Lord God with all your heart deut 6:5
PS 24:3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
PS 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
PS 24:5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
Get rid of the blocks, to meet God
- Illustr: Idea magazine this week- the trap of pornography. Particularly PCs. Need to renounce it, get rid of it, & ask some others to help you
And, in brief summary
- fortunate are the peacemakers
o not peacemakers, peace lovers
o but those who make peace.
o – how we need these tough people
- those who are persecuted
o not because they are fanatical or self-righteous
o but YOU – when you are passed over fir a job because you have the strength of character not to lie
yours IS the KOG/H
o the young boy in Indonesia hacked to death for his faith
theirs IS the KOH… the company rule of God… NOW
I figure He must be there next to them (like Stephen)- how else could they do it
Richard Wurmbrand, imprisoned & often tortured for his faith “Alone in my cell, cold, hungry and in rags, I danced for joy every night... sometimes I was so filled with joy that I felt I would burst if I did not give it expression”
Fortunate are those who are persecuted because of righteousness… even if they’re NOT happy… for theirs is the KOH
