Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:3
#1 of 8 in series
During a children’s sermon the preacher asked his little listeners, “What must you do to receive God’s forgiveness of your sins?” A child quickly declared, “First of all, you have to sin.” From the mouth of a child comes, almost, the key to becoming Poor in Spirit.
Until a person realizes they are in sin they will never turn to God for forgiveness. As we look at our society today we see many lines getting blurred. What is the difference between Christians and the rest of the world? How has Jesus changed your life?
The ability to answer that question without hesitation exhibits the moment when you decided to become Poor in Sprit.
I. Blessed
A. To be blessed means supremely blessed, fortunate or well off.
B. The promise to the Poor in Spirit is that they will be blessed by God with the Kingdom of Heaven.
II. Poor in Spirit
A. A worldly view of being Poor in Spirit is being weak, timid and passive.
B. What Poor in Spirit is NOT:
1. Financial destitution
2. A lack of courage
3. A false humility designed to gain the sympathy of others
4. Has nothing to do with suppressing our personality
C. What Poor in Spirit IS:
1. Acknowledging our total spiritual poverty before God
2. Personal acknowledgment of our own spiritual bankruptcy
3. Realizing "I am nothing; I have nothing; I can do nothing; I stand in need of all things."
D. Examples of being "Poor in Spirit"
1. Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5)
2. Peter (Luke 5:8)
III. Poor in Spirit but Rich in God’s Kingdom
A. Poorness of Spirit is Fundamental to Salvation (Luke 18:9—14)
1. Poorness of Spirit means we empty our lives of "spiritual clutter"
2. Poorness of Spirit allows God to fill us.
B. Poorness of Spirit is the Foundation to Maturation
1. Humility is the foundation of all other graces.
2. We cannot be filled until we are empty, we cannot be made worthy until we recognize our unworthiness; we cannot live until we admit we are dead.
3. Luke 14:11
Mitchell Skelton, Minister
Midway church of Christ
http://www.TheLordsWay.com/Midway
