Matthew 5 Beatitudes Part 1

I)       “Spiritual Poverty”

A)    File:  matthew 5 beatitudes part 1.doc

B)    Audio:  Spiritual Poverty

C)    Series:  Matthew

D)    Preached:  November 11, 2007

II)    Introduction:  Matthew: 

A)    Jesus as King:  Titles – anointed, savior, king; visit of Magi; his herald; his coronation; his testing;

B)    Place:  Here for everyone

C)    Proclamation:  Repent!  For the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

D)    People: 

E)     Power:

III) READ 5:1-6

IV) 3.  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

A)    First four:  Focused Godward, Second four:  overflows to others. 

B)    Blessed: 

1)      Happy or Fortunate

2)      History – took on divine tones eventually – something that the gods enjoyed or a happy state that was caused by divine favor.

3)      Occurring many times in Psalms:  Something always coming from God either material or otherwise.

4)      Here in New Testament, the meaning is actually determined by this passage:  “is that it refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man from his share in the salvation of the kingdom of God”[1] TDNT

C)    Poor – an interesting irony.  Greek tradition of beatitudes would not consider poor blessed.  Blessings in trad. Gk. were usually of a material nature.  (Parallel Luke 6:20-23)

1)      Other Uses in nt:  Just poor.  James, poor widow, Rich young man, - literal poverty.

2)      Here – spiritual sense – “Poor in spirit”

(a)    Spiritual Poverty.

3)      Other places used spiritually:  Laodicea

4)      Luke 4:18 – “18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

(a)    Poor is used with captive, blind, and oppressed – not literal meaning – it means spiritual poverty.

5)      What it means:  An attitude of spiritual poverty!  That we have nothing spiritual to offer – and in fact have a great need – lacking something necessary.

(a)    Jesus opens His sermon on the mount with it:  He is here to explain the Kingdom – how to become a citizen and how a citizen acts it it – beatitudes, lit. “beautiful attitudes” of those who follow Jesus.

6)      The first and primary attribute: An attitude of spiritual poverty:  the kingdom not entered by force, works, tricks, purchase, or anything else:  HUMILITY.

(a)    “Dr. Bonar once said that he could tell when a Christian was growing. In proportion to his growth in grace he would elevate his Master, talk less of what he himself was doing, and become smaller and smaller in his own esteem, until, like the morning star, he faded away before the rising sun.”  —D. L. Moody[2]

7)      He uses ‘poor’ because rich implies self-sufficiency and poor implies dependence – He ends the S.O.M. with having Christ as your sure foundation – anything else is sand.

8)      Luke 4:18-19 Ref. to Isa. 61:1-2

(a)    More tonight:  Prophetic fulfillment  see also Isa. 29:19

(b)   He came to preach to the poor, but not literally poor.

(i)     61:1 – Parallelism of “poor" and “brokenhearted”

D)    A useful paraphrase:  “Blessed are those who recognize their own spiritual poverty because it’s these people that are citizens of the kingdom of heaven.”

V)    4.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

A)    Again, Isa. 61:1-2 helps both poor and mourn.

B)    Mourn – to be sad.

C)    Mourn – just any mourning – Ohio State lost…that mourning?

D)    Context Isa. 61 shows us:  God pronouncing judgment and exile on Israel – Here in 61, He is promising to restore the glory of Israel – peace, world-wide recognition and supremacy – The glorious Messianic age.  Here is when He says “to comfort all who mourn” – to comfort by bringing back His presence and protection.

E)     Sin separated Israel from God – the caused the mourning.  He promised to return – this is the comfort.  But only for those who love the Lord

F)     Mourning over separation. 

G)    A New Testament use of the word in this way:  James 4:1-10.

1)      James 4:7-10, “7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

2)      James is saying – we must be broken-hearted over sin!

H)    Notice the connection – only the poor in spirit have any clue about mourning over sin – Recognizing our own spiritual poverty causes our humility and only then do we recognize our incredible need for God and see the sin that separates us!

I)       The poor in spirit see their own spiritual inadequacy and they mourn over the separation it causes between them and God.

J)       So far – seems negative:  an attitude of poverty and broken-heartedness.  But here begins the promise:

VI) 5.  Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

A)    Meek:  Broken like a horse.

1)      A horse is only useful when broken.

2)      Not disabled – but abled.

3)      Tamed.

4)      Ever coach a child?  Sometimes they need to lose a game real bad before they will listen to advice.  The obedience and open-mindedness that comes from humility puts us in a position to follow the King – and only then will we enter into His Kingdom – and those that enter the Kingdom, enter into the inheritance.

B)    Those that have these attitudes literally inherit the earth.

C)    Reigning with Christ:  Dan. 7:18; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10, 20:4, 6, 22:5;  (Inherit:  Eph. 1:11-14; Acts 26:18; Isa. 42:1-4, 53:7; Rom. 8:17Matt. 5:38-42, 11:29;)

VII)          6.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

A)    Not just any righteousness.  Matt. 6:33 “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”

B)    Worth chasing.  2 Tim. 2:22 “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness”

C)    The Kingdom is for those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only Jesus Christ can provide:

1)      Not those who seek their own righteousness.

2)      Not those who try to become righteous on their own.

3)      Not those who do not want to please God.

D)    A promise from God that those who truly want the righteousness of God that they will be satisfied.

1)      You want to be holy and pleasing to God?

(a)    Recognize your spiritual poverty.

(b)   Examine the separation from God that you have until you are mourning over it.

(c)    Let it make you meek.

(d)   Then you will hunger and thirst righteousness – to be pleasing to Him.

VIII)       Are we indeed ready for the Kingdom of Heaven?

A)    Do we look like citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven?

B)    Other Uses of the word poor:  James 2:5

(a)    Jesus came to preach to the poor, same word?  Matt. 11:5, Luke 7:22. 

(b)   Luke 14:12-12, the poor invited to the feast that was refused to those who made excuses.

(i)     Was this ref. in Old Testament to the poor in spirit?

(c)    poor widow

(d)   sell all you have and give to the poor

(e)    rev 3:17 Laodicea poor

2)      Luke 4:18 – Ref. to Isa. 61:1-2 both poor and mourn.

(a)    Prophetic fulfillment  see also Isa. 29:19

(b)   61:1 – Parallelism of “poor" and “brokenhearted”

3)      An attitude of spiritual poverty!  That we have nothing spiritual to offer – and in fact have a great need – lacking something necessary.

C)    Kingdom of Heaven:  as earlier – citizens of heaven:  God is their King – they are under His authority and also His protection.

1)      Jesus is saying – this is the character required for entry into the Kingdom.

2)      Those that are poor in spirit have as

D)    Mourn:

1)      to be sad – those who are sad

2)      Taking a clue from Isa. 61 – this is clearly mourning over sin. 

E)     Comforted:

1)      James 4:1-10 a must-read.

IX) Book ideas:

A)    Your Best Humility Now – How Humility Made Me Great!

B)    Perfectly Humble – How Much You Can Learn from Me.

C)    Victory Through Humility – Let Me Show You How to Have It All and Still Be Humble.

November 11, 2007,  “Spiritual Poverty”

Matthew 5:1-6:

1)      Blessed: _______________ “it refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man from his share in the salvation of the kingdom of God”[3] TDNT  (See also Luke 6:20-23)

2)      Poor in Spirit:  ___________________ Poverty.  (Isa. 61:1-2, 66:1-2; Ps. 51:16-17; Luke 4:18-19; Rev. 3:17)

3)      Mourning over ________________________. (Isa. 61:2; James 4:1-10;)

4)      Meek:  ___________________________. (Matt. 5:38-42, 11:29; Reigning with Christ:  Dan. 7:18; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10, 20:4, 6, 22:5;  Inherit:  Eph. 1:11-14; Acts 26:18; Isa. 42:1-4, 53:7; Rom. 8:17)

5)      Hunger and Thirst for ________ Righteousness. (Matt. 6:33) [4]

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November 11, 2007,  “Spiritual Poverty”

Word Find:

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[1]Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vols. 5-9 Edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 Compiled by Ronald Pitkin., ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 4:367.

[2]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).

[3]Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vols. 5-9 Edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 Compiled by Ronald Pitkin., ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 4:367.

[4]1) Happy; 2) Spiritual; 3) separation; 4) Tamed; 5) His;