A Gospel for Disciples

Call to Worship: Habakkuk 3:17-19 // Prayer

Adoration: Lord, you are our strength—the God of our salvation. You give us joy and strength when the way is dark, and you will bring us safely home to glory.

Confession: But though you have been faithful to us, we have been selfish. We have acted as though the world revolves around us. We have harbored resentment when we don’t get what we want. We have failed to honor you as holy. Father, forgive us, for we have sinned against you.

Thanksgiving: But you do not deal with us according to our sins, or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you; as far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed our guilt from us.

Supplication: So we pray: give us hearts tender toward your law, quick to repent when our sin is exposed to us, and filled with faith to remember you mercy, that we might together grow more like your Son in every part of our lives // we pray for Bethany Bible Church, that their love might overflow, with knowledge and discernment, so that they might approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless on the last day // we beg you for the American Church: may we turn away from the prosperity gospel; may the teachers in our country who teach it repent, and turn to the true gospel; and we pray for the church in Uganda: may many pastors in that country repent, and turn away from preaching health and wealth, and instead preach Jesus Christ our only hope, crucified and resurrected for us // and now, as we turn to Your Word… we ask, drive your truth deep down into the center of our souls; challenge and change us; point our eyes toward the glory of your Son, and equip us to speak his gospel to one another.

Family Matters

New 2024 Schedule: small groups + potluck

Hand out curriculum

Bonuses

Carrie’s gift + prayer?

Benediction

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:5b–6

Sermon

Read: Matthew 4:17-5:6

Intro

“Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What does that mean for us, at Scholls? Every church is called to walk in the gospel. Every believer is called to be poor in spirit. But how are we, in this congregation, pursuing that kind of life?

Or you could ask, “How are disciples growing more like Jesus—how is discipleship happening—at Scholls?”

We have, as a church, a great history of discipleship. Within this congregation, disciples have been made and nurtured for over a century, by countless faithful believers, all the way up through the last few years. But the hard times that we’ve recently passed through have placed us in a position where we need to prayerfully re-lay the bricks of our life together.

When you first called me to pastor here, the first brick we re-laid was the gospel, which you had already been trained to love, and which I was eager to preach to you. And may this gospel always be at the center of our lives together.

And the third brick we will soon re-lay together is evangelism: taking that gospel to the world.

But before we get there, we have a second brick to lay: discipleship. And discipleship means the way in which we help each other grow in the gospel—grow in the likeness of Jesus. And we are focusing on discipleship, to lay this brick, in three ways:

First, we’re starting ‘small groups’ as a way of helping each other apply God’s Word to our lives. Small groups are not a magical way to make discipleship happen. They are not a secret key. But they are a great way to put discipleship into practice. And by the way, if you haven’t signed up for one of those yet, but it might possibly work for you, talk to me or shoot me a message. You’re always welcome to visit one of the groups to see if it could work for you—a way for you to serve others and be served by others by helping each other to apply the Word to your life.

Second, as many of us as possible will be going to an upcoming “Membership” conference, March 1st and 2nd, in Portland. More information on that in the next couple of weeks.

But the second thing we’re doing as a congregation, to build up a culture of discipleship among us, is going through the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve talked a number of times about speaking Christ into each other’s lives. But what does that actually mean? What kinds of things do you actually say to your brother or sister in Christ?

The Sermon on the Mount is gold for this. And we’ll start to see that this morning, as we look at how Matthew introduces the sermon.

You know, the funny thing is, before you even get to the sermon, you have a summary of the sermon in chapter 4 verse 17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In fact, that’s not just a summary of the Sermon on the Mount… it’s a summary of Jesus’ main message, in everything that he taught. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” If you asked Jesus, “How can I become a true disciple?” His reply would be, “Repent.” That’s how you enter the kingdom. And if you asked Jesus, “How should I live my life, since I am your disciple?” His reply would be, “Repent. A heart attitude of repentance is where discipleship gets its power.” And so, repentance is also what life in the kingdom looks like.

And so what we’ll hear from Jesus this morning, as we begin the sermon on the mount, is a message of: repentance both to enter the kingdom and to live as his disciples.

The Gospel of Repentance

**So, Jesus began his ministry, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That’s what verse 17 tells us. But what does that actually mean? Why is he saying that?**

To understand Jesus’ preaching, we need a little background. And this background comes from the verse right before verse 17—verse 16. You might remember this from when I preached that verse back in November... but here’s the cliff notes version: verse 16 explains that, in Jesus, light has dawned in the land of darkness:

The darkness was talking about Israel’s sin and God’s judgement against Israel for their sin.

Israel had continued to worship idols and to do evil—all in rebellion against their God.

And so, God had judged them. The kingdom God had given to them, he took away.

Because of this, when Jesus arrived on the scene centuries later, Israel was a land of darkness—God’s people were living in the darkness of their own sin, and of God’s judgement against their sin. They had lost their kingdom.

That’s the situation where Jesus showed up and said, “Repent! for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

The kingdom had been lost because of the sin of God’s people. But even as it was lost, God’s prophets had promised that God would someday remove both their sin and the judgement against them, and give them a better kingdom.

Now, here’s Jesus—God in human flesh—saying that the promised Kingdom has arrived! That’s what he means when he says: “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”—The kingdom promised long ago by God, now it’s here, in Jesus.

Look down in verse 23. What did Jesus do when the crowds began to gather around his ministry? He taught and proclaimed in various towns: the gospel of the kingdom.

Now, I want to stop here and note something for us. Teaching was Jesus’ top priority, not miracles.

You can see this in the fact that his whole ministry was summed up, in verse 17, as a preaching ministry

And what did he do when he saw that the crowds had massed around him? Chapter 5, vss. 1 and 2 say that he reacted by teaching them. Proclaiming the gospel was his top priority.

But that doesn’t mean that we can ignore the miracles:

vs. 23 says that he was, “healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

And the next verse says:

Matthew 4:24 ESV

So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.

That’s a lot of detail about Jesus’ healing ministry. And we’re going to see a lot more about Jesus healing people as we go through Matthew’s gospel. And can’t shy away from it. And so we’ll look at it in detail when we get there.

But, does this mean that the Kingdom of Heaven today should be filled with miracles of healing? That if we don’t see healing of every disease, that something’s wrong with our faith?

Well, the short answer is, NO.

When we look at the beatitudes in depth— “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and so on, you’ll notice that not one of those statements says that physical healing is part of the blessing of living in the kingdom in this age. Not a single one. And anyone who says differently is probably selling something.

But the miracles of Jesus are still connected to the kingdom: they are a window into both the spiritual healing from sin that we receive in this age, and into the physical healing of all creation in the age that is to come—the New Creation.

So: Jesus’ whole ministry is a ministry of announcing the Kingdom: In him, the long-awaited Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.

But now, the strange thing is how he announces the kingdom’s arrival: “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Is that what we would have expected?

Repent? Why not, “Rejoice, the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”—You see, we have this idea that, if God’s Kingdom shows up, we’ll automatically be part of it. But that’s not what Jesus taught. He taught that there was this barrier of our own personal sin—the darkness of our hearts—between us an citizenship in Heaven. That’s why he announced the kingdom with a command to, “Repent!”

Or, maybe you understand that, to some degree. But then you think the announcement is: “Better fix yourself, b/c the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Is that what Jesus is saying? You need to get on God’s level, and then maybe he’ll let you into his kingdom. No. That’s also wrong, because that’s not what the word repent means.

OK. So then, to understand Jesus’ announcement, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” we really need to understand what true repentance is.

Thomas Watson, a puritan pastor in the 17th century, said that there are three kinds of false repentance:

The first is Legal Terror. You are afraid of the consequences of your sin. Maybe God mercifully shows you where your life of sin is leading, and you get afraid, or you feel guilty. But true repentance is a matter of the heart: you can be afraid of consequences, or feel guilty, while you heart toward God remains unchanged.

The second false repentance is Resolution Against Sin. So maybe that fear or guilt gets to you so strongly that you resolve to do better, to stop sinning. Maybe you even vow to stop some pattern of sin in your life. But you only hate sin because it is painful, not because it is sinful. Or, you are afraid of death and hell. But fear of hell is not the same thing as turning away from sin in your heart. It’s ultimate foundation is self-love. And so, when the fear passes you by, your love of sin will pop right back up. This is not true repentance.

The third false repentance is To Gain Some Victory Over a Particular Sin Habit. There is a true and very sad story of a man who was an alcoholic. He went to AA meetings and got dry. And he never went back to alcohol. But he was such a terrible person that, even after he got away from alcohol, he still drove his wife and kids away from him. Why? He only ever changed an external behavior. He only ever got rid of the sin which was inconvenient for him. He never repented in his heart.

OK. So if all of that is false repentance, then what is true repentance?

This may be very freeing for some of you: true repentance is not success in changing your behavior.

Rather, true repentance is what happens when God’s grace changes your heart.

What does that look like? Thomas Watson again: First, Christ opens your spiritual eyes, so that you can see that your sin truly is ugly and evil. And what does this lead to? Sorrow for your sin. Heavy sadness over the sin in your heart. That’s the first part.

Look at how Jesus begins his sermon in chapter 5 verse 3:

Matthew 5:3–4 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

So, how does this repentance look, that gains kingdom citizenship? Poverty in spirit—meaning, a condition of the heart that understands its own spiritual bankruptcy. A heart that mourns over its own sin, and says to God, “I am a wretch. I am filthy in my sins. I have nothing to bring to you or to give you.” But the surprising part is this: it is exactly the person who says, “I am a wretched sinner! God have mercy on me!” that instantly receives citizenship in heaven. That’s what verse 3 says. What grace from God!

And not only that, but what is the destiny of those who mourn over sin? To receive comfort. Again, what grace from God! And Jesus could pronounce this blessing because he, himself, would be nailed to the cross to bear our guilt so that we could be forgiven.

So then, repentance begins by seeing sin in yourself, and weeping for it. And then the repentant heart turns to God, and confesses sin. Such a heart feels shame for its own sin, because of the dirtiness of the sin. And it feels hatred for the sin, because of the evilness of the sin.

And it doesn’t matter what sin, by the way. Sexual sin, like adultery or pornography? Yes. Physical violence? Yes. “Respectable” sins like selfisness or pride or prioritizing something other than God in your life and heart? Yes. True repentance recognizes the evil of sin, and feels shame for the sin and hatred of the sin.

And so then what does such a heart do? It turns from the sin and casts itself, by faith, on the mercy of Christ, who was crucified for us. And such a heart receives citizenship in heaven, and divine comfort, and so much more.

And so Jesus came, announcing a gospel of what? Repentance, so that evil people like me and you can be forgiven, and brought into the Kingdom of Heaven. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”—that’s still the basic message of the gospel.

Repentance: Jesus’ Instruction for Kingdom Living

**OK, so by repentance, you turn from sin and throw yourself on the mercy of Jesus. And he forgives you and makes you a citizen of heaven.**

**But, right after that, are you done with repentance? Maybe, it got you into the kingdom, but, now that you’re in, you don’t need it anymore?**

Well, what did Jesus say? Chapter 5 verse 3:

Matthew 5:3 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Not, “Blessed are those who were poor in spirit—that is, who repented—long enough to get in the doors.” The Kingdom doesn’t work like that.

Jesus said, “Blessed ARE the poor in spirit”—Brothers and Sisters: poverty of spirit—a heart that is broken over sin—that is the basic posture of the Christian life, from conversion to glory.

Now, maybe that seems like an exaggeration to you. So let me make it clear, what I’m saying: If you don’t live a life that is poor in spirit—a life defined by a repentant heart—then you are excluded from the blessings of God’s kingdom.

Now, there are three possible objections to this:

First, is “poverty in spirit” really that important?

Jesus gives you no wiggle room here. What is the first line of the first and greatest of Jesus’ sermons in the Book of Matthew? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Of all the many good things Jesus could have said, he started with that.

A second objection is, “Well, can’t I be somewhat blessed anyway? Poverty of spirit—having repentance as such a regular feature of my life—that sounds unpleasant. Can’t I be blessed in some other way?”

Nope. Again, look at where Jesus put this in his sermon. It’s the first line. It’s the gateway to the whole rest of the sermon. It’s the one line that is necessary to understand the rest. So if you refuse to live in poverty of spirit, it’s the spiritual equivalent of the Monopoly jail card: do not pass go, do not collect $200.

There is absolutely no way to glorify God apart from a life of repentance. And so, there is absolutely no way to make spiritual progress apart from poverty of spirit.

A third objection goes like this: “Won’t a heart like that—a heart that continually sees and confesses its own spiritual poverty—won’t that person lead a miserable life?

Absolutely not. In fact, poverty of spirit is the one thing that makes way for the joy of the Lord in your life. Those who feel that their own righteous works are sufficient in God’s sight are excluded from his joy. But those who continually see their own sinfulness and confess it to God—only they are able to receive the Lord’s joy.

As a minister of the Gospel, let me say it one more time: I am totally confident in the truth of this: if you will not live in poverty of spirit, you will not experience one millimeter of true spiritual growth, nor will your life be pleasing to God.

But here’s the crazy thing. Jesus said, “the poor in spirit ARE BLESSED.” Think about what that means: there you are, believer. Sitting there. Crushed in your heart over your sin, pleading with God for mercy. What does Jesus have to say about you? “Look at her poverty of spirit. Listen to his humble confession of sin. These are the citizens of my Kingdom. And they are blessed.” That’s what verse 3 says.

This is a wonderful paradox of the Christian faith: That when your heart is broken over your own sin, precisely because of your broken heartedness, Jesus pronounces you “Blessed.” Jesus, in the wonder of his love, delights in declaring blessing over broken-hearted sinners

So then, repentance is not just for entry into the Kingdom, but also for living in the Kingdom, and enjoying its blessings.

And in our passage this morning, Matthew has made this very practical for us.

What does he say to Peter and Andrew in chapter 4 verse 19? “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In other words, “I’m going to teach you how to catch citizens for the Kingdom of Heaven.” And if you are a disciple—a true believer—he has said the same thing to you: “Follow me, and I’ll teach you how to catch citizens for the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Now, we probably shouldn’t think of this purely in terms of evangelism. It also includes discipleship. It doesn’t just mean “getting people to convert”—but it also means “helping people grow.” It means the whole Christian life, from conversion to glory. And you can see this at the end of Matthew’s gospel, where he gives them the same task again, and calls it, “making disciples, teaching them to do all that I have commanded you.”

So what that means is that, in one way or another, each true believer is a spiritual fishermen—each believer is responsible to speak the gospel, both to those who haven’t believed yet, and to fellow believers, who need to be reminded of the gospel in order to grow more like Jesus.

So, Jesus calls them, in verse 19, and he calls us. And then what does he do? They follow him, and he gives them an example of how to preach the kingdom. And that example is the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What does that mean for us, as Scholls Community Church, as we seek to build up a culture of discipleship? As we strive to learn how to build each other up in Christ? Well, here’s our basic material:

Do you desire to grow as a disciple? This is step one, and there is no other option, no other path: humble yourself before God and confess your sins, and learn to do this as a way of life. If you do, the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven will open up for you in ways you could never have imagined. And we’ll get into that more next week, as we dive into the beatitudes.

Are you trying to help someone grow as a disciple? This is step one: they will not grow until they pass through this valley of humiliation, this place of the contrite heart, this place where true spiritual blessing beings. But if they find a lowly heart, and learn to trust only in the mercy of God, more and more as each year goes by—then you will see them grow in Christ, and live in the blessing of his gospel.

You know, the truth of this doesn’t depend on my own experiences. But can I testify something to you? I used to run away from God after I knew that I’d sinned…

And this is how we are to live: by the gospel our king proclaimed—a message of repentance both to enter the kingdom and to live as his disciples