The "be" Attitudes 02

THE “BE”ATTITUDES

SERMON ON THE MOUNT SERIES, 02

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:

LAST WEEK WE INTRODUCED THE BEATITUDES AS PART OF OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

THIS SERMON IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. THEY ENCOMPASS A MULTI DAY TEACHING EVENT OF JESUS. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME HE SPOKE OPENLY AND CANDIDLY ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HOW IT SHOULD AFFECT OUR LIVING

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS ONE OF THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD MESSAGES THAT JESUS EVER GAVE. ONE GROUP SAYS IT IS GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION, THAT IF WE EVER HOPE TO GO TO HEAVEN, WE MUST OBEY THESE RULES. THIS SERMON, HOWEVER, DOES NOT TELL US HOW TO BE SAVED, IT TELLS SAVED PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE. IT IS A SERMON FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY AND TOMORROW. IT TEACHES US HOW TO BEHAVE DAY BY DAY.

CONDUCT FLOWS OUT OF THE CHARACTER OF A PERSON. WHEN A PERSON IS BORN AGAIN, THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER AND BEHAVIOR OF THE PERSON. IF THERE IS NO CHANGE AND IF THERE IS NOT A HATRED FOR SIN IN YOUR LIFE, PERHAPS YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN BORN AGAIN. WE MUST REALIZE THAT WHEN WE DO NOT LIVE LIKE CHRISTIANS WE CREATE CONFUSION IN THE MINDS OF OTHERS THAT WATCH OUR LIVES.

ILLUSTRATION: AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION CREATED ON THE BATTLEFIELD BY THE UNIFORMS OF THE SOLDIERS. THE GRAY UNIFORMS, KNOWN AS THE "REBEL COLOR" WERE NOT WORN ONLY BY SOLDIERS OF THE SOUTH. UNITS FROM THE FIRST WISCONSIN, FIRST IOWA, FIFTH MAINE, 21ST NEW YORK, AND THE TWELFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY DRILLED IN GRAY UNIFORMS WHICH WERE NOT WELL RECEIVED. AT THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS, THE UNIFORMS CREATED CONFUSION AND A CATASTROPHE AS MEN ACCIDENTALLY FIRED AT THEIR OWN TROOPS. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO TELL WHO WAS ON WHAT SIDE.

BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF CLOTH, THE SECOND TEXAS INFANTRY WENT INTO BATTLE WITH PURE WHITE UNIFORMS WHICH INVITED SHOTS FROM BOTH SIDES NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS INFANTRY. A SOUTHERN UNIT KNOWN AS THE ORLEANS GUARD HAD STYLISH BLUE UNIFORMS WHICH CAUSED THEM TO BE MISTAKEN FOR YANKEES. THEY WERE FIRED UPON BY THEIR OWN ARMY. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS WERE CREATED BY A FAILURE TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE SIDE THE SOLDIERS REPRESENTED. THE LACK OF A CLEAR-CUT MESSAGE IN THEIR OUTWARD APPEARANCE CREATED CONFUSION.

TODAY, ARE WE IDENTIFIABLE AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD AROUND US? AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MISSION FIELD, RATHER I AM SPEAKING ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. ARE WE IDENTIFIED AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IN OUR HOME, WIH OUR FRIENDS, AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES

THE SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN WE CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS, BUT LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL. PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED AND WONDER WHERE WE REALLY STAND, WHAT WE REALLY BELIEVE, AND WHOSE SIDE WE ARE REALLY ON. WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON AND CAN PEOPLE TELL IT? ARE YOU A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST?

TRANSITION: THIS FIRST BEATITUDE SPEAKS TO US AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, AND AT THE SAME TIME GIVES A BACK DOOR QUESTION OF WHAT SHOULD KINGDOM OF HEAVEN LIVING LOOK LIKE

I. BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD

a. THE TENSION OF THE KINGDOM

i. THE KINGDOM HAS BEEN IN INAUGURATED – STARTED

ii. THE KINGDOM HAS NOT YET BEEN REALIZED – COMPLETED

iii. WE ALREADY HAVE THE BLESSING OF KNOWING CHRIST AND EXPERIENCING THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN HEIR WITH CHRIST

iv. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LIVE OUT THE KINGDOM AS WE WAIT FOR IT TO GET HERE

1. WE SHOULD SEEK TO LIVE A STANDARD OF CONDUCT BEFITTING A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

2. WE SHOULD SEEK TO LIVE A STANDARD OF CONDUCT THAT CONTRASTS THE VALUES OF GOD AGAINST THE VALUES OF THE WORLD – ETERNAL AGAINST THE TEMPORARY

b. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED

i. TO EXPERIENCE HAPPINESS

ii. TO EXPERIENCE JOY

iii. TO EXPERIENCE HOPE

iv. BLESSEDNESS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD

1. BLESSEDNESS IS NOT A HUMAN CONDITION

2. BLESSEDNESS IS A CONDITION WHICH ONLY COME FROM A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

3. 2 PETER 1:4 THROUGH THESE HE HAS GIVEN US HIS VERY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, SO THAT THROUGH THEM YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE AND ESCAPE THE CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD CAUSED BY EVIL DESIRES.

c. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “POOR IN SPIRIT”

i. THE IMAGE OF THE WORD MEANS TO CROUCH OR CRING