Matthew 5:4 - Kingdom Flourishing Through Spiritual Mourning

Introduction: I’m a pretty good dude.

I fear that we evangelical Christians, by making much of grace, sometimes thereby make light of sin - Stott, John R. W.,

Jesus the Wise One has called learners (disciples) to literally follow him and he has lead them up a mountain and sat down to teach them.

He begins to speak spiritually and in logical order

Bringing them both truth and a promise only to those who follow Him.

First Those who come to a place of spiritual bankruptcy will flourish in this life and inherit the kingdom of heaven

Second, Those who mourn with be comforted in this life and the next.

But what does he mean by mourning?

Don’t miss the flow and the necessity to be humbly emptied so you might be comforted

Main idea: Kingdom flourishing comes through mourning over the high cost of sin and embracing the spiritual comfort given through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Illustration:

The ink pens - Our small sins and failures against God and each other can add up just like these pens.

How can I empty this bag?

How can we free ourselves of the burden we have grown accustom to carrying?

The Truth About Flourishing

What Spiritual Mourning Is NOT

Spiritual apathy - Rev 3:14-17 - Laodacian apathy

Natural sorrow

God comfort the grieving. Those who lose their health, their loves ones.. Those who go thru trauma but this text is not about mourning over a physical loss of some kind.

There are three kinds of “mourning” referred to in the Scriptures: a natural, such as we have just referred to above; a sinful, which is a disconsolate and inordinate grief, refusing to be comforted, or a hopeless remorse like that of Judas; and a gracious, a “godly sorrow,” of which the Holy Spirit is the Author.

Feeling guilty -

Judas knew Jesus was innocent, he was remorseful but he never came to a place of broken repentance. He simply sought escape from the guilt thru himself.

What was the difference between Judas and Peter? - guilt without a broken repentance does not lead to comfort. It may well lead to hopelessness. (Luke 22:62; Matt 27:4)

Feeling remorse

Distress of soul is by no means always the same thing as evangelical repentance, as is clear from the case of Cain (Gen. 4:13).

Remorse is a strong feeling of guilt and regret about something you have done, often associated with a sense of sadness for causing harm or wrongdoing.

Jesus calls us to an apology but to repentance so we might be forgiven and reconciled.

What spiritual mourning IS

Jesus the mourner?

Matthew 23:37 - What is Jesus doing?

Jesus wept over the sins of others, over their bitter consequences in judgment and death, and over the impenitent city which would not receive him. We too should weep more over the evil in the world, as did the godly men of biblical times. ‘My eyes shed streams of tears,’ the psalmist could say to God, ‘because men do not keep thy law.’

Though not the primary meaning of this passage. It is important that we

Mourning in the face of Evil

Ps. 119:136; Ezk. 9:4. Phil. 3:18.

Ezekiel heard God’s faithful people described as those ‘who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in (Jerusalem)’.

And Paul wrote of the false teachers troubling the churches of his day: ‘Many, of whom I … now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.’4 12

When’s the last time I mourned over the sin of our children, family, and country

Wept for we no sins wages, it cost is too high for it will promise things it doesnt deliver and take them place they never thought they’d go

Ill: porn - Images enslaved - turns us into predators, those who abuse the weak, prey on the vulnerable.

Porn will promise you costless secret pleasure but will rob you of your marriage and cost you your family.

As important as this type of mourning is, the primary meaning of v.4 is

Mourning in the face of sin

Both personal and corporate

This is a mourning for sin. And if this is the primary interpretation of the verse, then it is a promise that God himself will comfort the one who sees his own unworthiness before him.

Jesus did not set about to overthrow the slavery of the Roman Empire; he never preached against it. The deliverance he proclaimed was a deliverance from the tyranny of sin

The Gospels tell us that Jesus wept twice in his ministry, once for the unbelief of the Jews at the grave of Lazarus and once over the sin and hardness of heart of Jerusalem. Sin was the great problem. And, thus, he asked men to weep for it.

Jesus simply doesn’t agree that our problems are economic and all we need is someone different in political control

Jesus simply doesn’t agree that all people needs is a better environment and more education

Jesus is saying flourishing, blessing and peace flow thru a spiritual brokenness leading to a grieving over ones sin.

We must seek a tender conscious

This tenderness produces a sickness of the heart over ones sins

This “mourning” springs from a sense of sin, from a tender conscience, from a broken heart. It is a godly sorrow over rebellion against God and hostility to His will

This “mourning” is the agonizing realization that it was my sins which nailed to the Cross the Lord of glory.

Zechariah 12:10 ESV

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Luke 7:36–39 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

Luke 7:44–50 ESV

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

We must receive a repentant heart -

Mourning must lead us to repent but repentance is a gift -

Acts 11:18 “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

2 Corinthians 7:9 “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.”

The Prodigal heart not the older sons hard heartedness -

Luke 15:17–19 “ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’”

We must realize this mourning is a present ongoing reality -

No mourning - no repentance - no repentance no reconciliation - no reconciliation no comfort

The Christian himself has much to mourn over. The sins which he now commits—both of omission and commission—are a sense of daily grief to him, or should be, and will be, if his conscience is kept tender.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Jonah 3:10 “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

The Promise To The Flourishing

The Promise of Comfort

“If you mourn you are blessed because you will be comforted.” - Pennington

Jesus’ Comforts

John 14:1–3 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Comfort is proximity to our Father and His Son. To be promise you will be with me is the only comfort kingdom children need.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

there is no comfort to compare with the comfort given to a man by God.

The Spirit’s Comfort

But where the Spirit produces in the heart a godly sorrow for sin, He does not leave him there, but brings him to look away from sin to the Lamb of God, and then he is “comforted.”

The Gospel promises no mercy except to those who forsake sin and close with Christ.

This “comfort” issues in a sense of a free and full forgiveness through the merits of the atoning blood of Christ.

Comfort = strength

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Psalm 30:5 ESV

5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

The ministry of comfort

Present comfort

Isaiah 61:2 ESV

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

They will be comforted = An expectation of God will do

1 Thessalonians 1:2–10 ESV

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Beloved - He chose - You turned - to serve - we wait in confidence!

Future comfort

Revelation 7:17 ESV

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

This is our present and future hope - a place of no sin so no brokenness, no need of repentance, no shame, no guilt, no pain, no sorrow

So What?

Where Have I set my hope?

1 Peter 1:13–21 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

In what area do we need to repent?

We must Mourn and Repent for our unforgivenness

Luke 17:3-4

We must hate our sin more than the sins of others

God is responsible for those who sin against us but we are responsible on how we deal with that sin.

Psalm 51