The Beatitudes (Part 1 - "Blesed Are The Poor In Spirit")

Title: (Sermon Series) - The Beatitudes (Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit)

Text: Matt 5:1-12 - (Key Verse 3)

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Introduction:

- We are starting a new and exciting sermon series on the Beatitudes contained in Jesus Sermon on the Mount. (Matt 5-7)

- It was the beginning of His Sermon that drew thousands of people that day.

- Christ Sermon On the Mount contain a revelation of God’s righteous standards by which all Christians are to live by, through faith in the Son of God and through the power of the indwelling Spirit.

- All who belong to the Kingdom of God are to have an intense hunger and thirst for the righteous standards taught in Christ’s sermon.

- And it’s with this understanding that we look at the Beatitudes, Christ’s introduction to this great sermon that lasted for 3 chapters.

- From verse 3-12, Jesus refers to the word “Blessed” in each sentence.

- What does that word mean and what was Jesus trying to say?

- The word “blessed” means, happy or fortunate.

- The qualities that we are going to look at over the next few Sundays were qualities that were not external but rather internal. And if one lived to grow the internal part of life they would be “blessed”.

- But the Pharisees were all about the external or the outward appearance, and not the inward appearance.

- So Jesus taught using the Beatitudes, that one must focus and strive for inner qualities to shine and not just the outside qualities.

- And that would only happen by having a right relationship with God through faith.

- The beatitudes are inner qualities Jesus wanted the Pharisees, the common people, and us to be focusing on, in order to be called blessed or happy.

- Now lets look at the first Beatitude Jesus mentions. It’s found in verse 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

- Before I explain what this Beatitude means, lets first establish what it doesn’t mean.

- To be poor in Spirit does not mean accepting a standard of life that is below what God has intended for the believer.

- A classic example of what I am trying to say is the story of Job.

- His wife encouraged Job to curse God and die. Job’s friends encouraged him that it had to be something he did wrong and he needed to repent.

- They were all trying to convince him to accept a standard below what is found in God’s word.

- We no that testing comes to the believer, but we need to stand our ground and claim the promises that are found in God’s word. Remember we have the victory in Christ Jesus.

- But we accept lack, like it’s God’s will for our lives, when God wants us to live in prosperity.

- In everything, our finances, health, emotions and past.

- The Christian today will live with baggage in there life from the past, and as a result will not soar like eagles but will scratch around like chickens, believing this is God’s will for my life.

- We accept a standard of living that is not entertained in God’s Word, but we embrace it and think we are living in the best that God has for us.

- Now let me tell you what it is...

- To be poor in Spirit is to be empty of all spiritual pride.

- To be poor in Spirit is to have a contrite and humble Spirit (Isa 57:15)

- To be conscious of your unworthiness. - Peter demonstrated this quality in Luke 5:1-11.

Let me explain with this story:

A recent news release told of a Charlotte, North Carolina, woman who set a world record while playing a convenience store video game. After standing in front of the game for fourteen hours and scoring an unprecedented seven and a half million points on the game called "Tapper," the woman was pleased to see a TV crew arriving to record her efforts for posterity. She continued to play while the crew, alerted by her fiancé, prepared to shoot. However, she was appalled to see the video screen suddenly go blank. While setting up their lights, the camera team had accidentally unplugged the game, thus bringing her bid for ten million points to an untimely end! The effort to publicize her achievement became the agent of her ultimate failure.

- There’s some truth in that last statement, it’s not wrong to tell your family and friends your achievement, but understand that if they take on certain attitudes, they can be our failure.

- Many people miss out in knowing God as there personal Savior because of pride. They won’t humble themselves and accept there unworthiness and need for a Savior.