The Poor in Spirit

o Jesus is beginning the Sermon on the Mount (Chapter 5-7)

Show Right Now Mount of Beatitudes while introing

Sermon on the Mount

§ 5:1 – Disciples came to him

Jesus had just begun his ministry, and had called disciples from the sea of Galillee (Simon & Andrew)

says he was going throughout Galilee, teaching and ministering to great crowds

But seeing the great crowds one day, he went up on the mountain, sat down, and his disciples came to him

So the thought is his 12, or at least some of them (aren’t sure if he had called them all yet), and then a great crowd formed behind them, down the mountain

Jesus starts preaching this sermon from through , known as the Sermon on the Mount

· So he’s speaking to his disciples, does he have all 12 at this point? Maybe, but he’s gathered them to him

· But he’s also speaking to a large crowd (7:28)

Jesus kicks off His sermon with a section known as the Beatitudes, which are really translated as “Blessed Are”, hence the logo

o Picture them standing or sitting behind the disciples

So over the next few weeks we will be looking at 8 statements from Jesus that all start with the word “Blessed”

o Picture them standing or sitting behind the disciples

v The Beatitudes

But what does “Blessed” mean? We’ve talked about this before.....

v The Beatitudes

Blessed = supreme happiness, fortunate

o Jesus opens this sermon on the mount with the Beatitudes, 8 statements from Jesus that all start with the word “Blessed”

§ Blessed means (supreme happiness, fortunate)

So, what Jesus is saying is “Supremely happy” are the poor in spirit, “Supremely happy” are those who mourn, and so on

o Over the next ten weeks, we are going to look at these 8, plus verses 11 and 12 to see what we can learn from Jesus’ teaching

These statements are powerful for us, and there is a lot we can learn from them, because when you read them, there’s a good chance you’d be confused,

o Over the next ten weeks, we are going to look at these 8, plus verses 11 and 12 to see what we can learn from Jesus’ teaching

v Descriptions NOT Prescriptions

so we’re going to make these statement from Jesus as clear as we can.

o This is very important to catch, notice, and remember

o Jesus isn’t teaching “Do these things so you can receive”, but instead, he’s saying “You do these things, because you have received”

Now, in saying that, it’s very important that we don’t view this list of 8 + 2 statement from Jesus as prescriptions

o Jesus isn’t teaching “Do these things so you can receive”, but instead, he’s saying “You do these things, because you have received”

§ That’s the key to remember…and we’ll see that very clearly here as we get into the first beatitude

These are descriptions, not prescriptions

v Present & Future

If we view this list as prescriptions, we’re viewing them incorrectly.

o Notice….IS / SHALL

We’re basically looking at them as things we need to do in order to get better. But that is not the point Jesus is making, and that is not the truth that we see throughout the Bible

o Jesus didn’t make an error here, he’s pointing out something very significant to us

Jesus never teaches “Do these things so you can receive”

Instead, Jesus is saying, “You will do these things, or these things will define you, BECAUSE you have received”

§ The first and the last beatitude have a “present tense” to it

These are “descriptors” of someone who is a believer

This idea will be made clear to us as we look at the first beatitude today in

§ The 6 in between are future tense

o Meaning:

§ Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven to earth, and we can partake of it currently through faith in Jesus Christ

Notice the IS/SHALL difference

§ Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven to earth, and we can partake of it currently through faith in Jesus Christ

§ But also, the six promises are things we can ultimately look forward to as a result of our salvation, in eternity

Verse 1 & 10 - Present Tense

§ But also, the six promises are things we can ultimately look forward to as a result of our salvation, in eternity

· Eternal promises, with a foretaste now

Verses 4-9 - Future Tense

· Eternal promises, with a foretaste now

Anybody love English class in here?

Truth: I hated English class. Also truth: I wish I had paid more attention now that I’m a youth pastor

Now, this isn’t something we just chalk up to a translation error here. Jesus is reminding us of something very significant

o Our full comfort

o Our full satisfaction

Verse 1 & 10 say, “Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven”

o Our full satisfaction

o The full expression of mercy

Meaning - Jesus brought the kingdom of Heaven to earth through his ministry, and we can partake of it immediately through faith in Jesus Christ

o The full expression of mercy

§ Have we received mercy, yes

Eternal life, it’s ours, we can have it, we don’t have to wait. We don’t have to earn it

§ Have we received mercy, yes

Verses 4-9, “they shall”

o When we truly see God

These are things that we can ultimately look forward to in eternity

o When we are fully adopted

§ But it’s all wrapped up in the assurance of the kingdom of Heaven. That’s the ultimate blessing for us now, that we have assurance of the kingdom of Heaven

Can we experience moments of these things today? Yes

Comfort, mercy, satisfaction…sure we can

v , “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

v Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

o Poor in spirit – we know and fully understand that we are spiritually bankrupt

But the full expression of these things will be realized and experienced in eternity

o Poor in spirit – we know and fully understand that we are spiritually bankrupt

§ Example – Debt

But remember, Jesus also teaches that we will be persecuted, so we won’t always have comfort, satisfaction and so on.

§ Example – Debt

· Erin covering my speeding ticket

But Jesus bookends the Beatitudes with the reminder that those who are His have recieved the kingdom of Heaven.

· Erin covering my speeding ticket

· Savannah school loans

We have that assurance

· Savannah school loans

o Payoff date of November 2029

We have the promise that great joy awaits us in eternity

o Payoff date of November 2029

o But we started it in 2006!!!!

§ I should say “she”

Jesus opens up his sermon with verse 3, and he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”

§ I should say “she”

§ Remember what I said though, this list is a “descriptive” list, not a “prescriptive”

What in the world does that mean? How would you define “poor in spirit”?

§ Remember what I said though, this list is a “descriptive” list, not a “prescriptive”

Does Jesus mean we are to be moaning or moping around?

Does Jesus mean humble?

Does Jesus mean spiritually dead?

Poor in Spirit = knowing and fully understanding that you are spiritually bankrupt and totally powerless apart from Christ

§ Meaning, to be poor in spirit is to come to the understanding that we come to God empty-handed, unable to offer anything, we come spiritually bankrupt

· Salvation in Christ is not belief in Him, plus I need to do all these things.

Example - Debt

· Salvation in Christ is not belief in Him, plus I need to do all these things.

Erin covering my speeding ticket

· Salvation in Christ comes from a humble spirit that comes before Him realizing that only He can save.

o The Perfect Picture

Savannah school loans

o The Perfect Picture

§ Luke 18:9-14

We started these school loans in 2006

§

I should say “she”

v Application

Payoff date of 2029!!!

v Application

The thing with debt though is we can pay it off, unless we are bankrupt and have zero money and zero way to pay it off

o To be “poor in spirit” is to come before God totally, utterly dependent on Him

§ Is that you, or do you think that by going to church, by serving, by doing something, you are earning or appeasing God?

That’s what Jesus is referring to, being spiritually bankrupt and having no way to do anything about it

§ Is that you, or do you think that by going to church, by serving, by doing something, you are earning or appeasing God?

We are all debtors to Him because we are all sinners

And so to be “poor in spirit” means We come before God empty-handed, unable to offer anything, we come spiritually bankrupt and fully dependent on who?

o The truth is, only when you do that will you inherit the kingdom of Heaven

On Him!

§ Only then do you realize your true need

§ Only then will you fall on the arms of your Savior like a little child falls on the arms of their father

Salvation in Christ is not belief in Him PLUS the things I bring to the table

§ Only then will you fall on the arms of your Savior like a little child falls on the arms of their father

Like church attendance, or serving others, or anything like that

o William Carey Tombstone:

Salvation in Christ IS utter and total dependance on Him because we know only He can save

§ William Carey

So who’s is the kingdom of Heaven? Those who have come before Him and given their entire lives to Him because they know they have nothing to offer

§ Born August 17th, 1761

That is a desciptor of those who have realized their spiritual bankruptcy before God

Perfect Picture -

§ Died June 9th, 1834

§ A wretched, poor, and helpless worm,

§ On Thy kind arms I fall

To be “poor in spirit” is to come before God totally, utterly dependent on Him

§ On Thy kind arms I fall

· Those last two lines are a perfect example

So let me ask you: Is that you?

· Those last two lines are a perfect example

Or…do you think that you can “earn” the kingdom of Heaven by doing certain things to pay off your debt?

o BUT…..

§ Never forget what blessed means.

The truth is only when you are poor in spirit will you inherit the kingdom of God

§ Never forget what blessed means.

· SUPREME HAPPINESS

Because only then do you realize your true need

· SUPREME HAPPINESS

Only then will you fall on the arms of a Savior like a little child falls on the arms of their father when they don’t know what else to do

o Don’t mope, we have hope

o And we have joy

There was a man named William Carey, known as the “father of modern missions” totally understood this concept

He left England in 1793 and never came home, working 40 years straight in India.

One night a fire broke out and destroyed years of work that he had done:

A dictionary of a tribal language

Grammar of the Sikh and Telugu peoples

Ten versions of the Bible in other languages

Translation of the Ramayana people that was a six year project

A terrible terrible and disheartening tragedy

He said this, “In one short evening the labours of years are consumed. How unsearchable are the ways of God! I had…contemplated the missionary establishment with perhaps too much self-congratulation. The Lord has laid me low, that I may look more simply to Him.”

Carey understood that everything is dependent on God

When he died, he had arranged for his tombstone to say this:

Born August 17th, 1761

Died June 9th, 1834

A wretched, poor, and helpless worm,

On Thy kind arms I fall

Those last two lines are true of all of us

But don’t just take from today that we are helpless and hopeless. Yes it’s true, but the great news is that “On his arms we can fall”

What a great truth. Blessed are the poor in spirit

Finally, don’t ever forget, blessed means supreme happiness

Don’t mope, you have hope

And that’s why verse 3 is a joyful verse in my opinion, because though we are poor in spirit, ours is the kingdom of Heaven, if on His arms we fall

The Poor in Spirit

Show Beatitudes Clip

Framing It Up

The Beatitudes

Descriptions NOT Prescriptions

Present & Future

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven

Application