Beatitudes Week 1; Poor in Spirit

Introduction

Introduce Series

Matthew 5:1-3 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

PRAY!

Understanding the writer - Matthew

showing the kingship of Jesus

Understanding who is speaking

when in his ministry

Matthew 4:23-25 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them. 25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Understanding who he is speaking to...

Great crowd following him…

disciples come and sit…

an attitude of the disciples and people of this time

promises of the coming messiah in the OT, 400 years of silence from God, and occupation of the promised land

these are desperate people

we know many were thinking of a coming military messiah that would free them from the Romans

All are spiritually bankrupt

Poor -

we think that we have an idea of poor…

even those of us who have been to lesser places

beggarly poor, worthless (from adjective meaning to crouch or cower)

I remember on a recent trip to Niger, seeing cattle grazing in a pile of garbage, seeing then again child using that pile of garbage as a restroom, then again, children later going through that pile of garbage looking for anything that of value.

Everyone is spiritually poor… the difference is some know it and others do not

Some will come to the Lord understanding that without him, we are nothing, have nothing and are and will be utterly worthless

while others will only find out while standing before the judgement seat of Christ after their life on this earth is done

John Piper - “The reason I say a sense of powerlessness and a sense of bankruptcy and s sense of uncleanness and a sense of unworthiness is that, objectively speaking, everybody is poor in spirit. Everybody, whether they sense it or not, is powerless without God and bankrupt and helpless and unclean and unworthy before God. But not everybody is “blessed”.”

we understand this in view of the cross...

understanding that our sin put him there, the wrath due us poured out on him

they were hearing this a little different, the new law giver, coming to free them from the Roman occupation of their land

we have the luxury of understanding that Jesus is referring to an eternal kingdom, not a earthly one

are you bankrupt…

What does this look like...

Prodigal son - tell the first half of the story

Luke 15:17-19 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’

worthy - axios - deserving or valuable

understanding that he has nothing to offer the father

that is the brokenness, the bankruptcy that we are talking about

I am coming to you… I have nothing to offer

i am asking you to take me and I understand that the benefit is all mine, you gain nothing

What do you have to offer the Lord…

there are so many who come to the Lord with a promise

if you give me this I will do this for you

the Lord needs nothing from you… You have nothing to offer him that he does not already have

yes you can praise and honor him… but if we do not even the rocks will cry out!

all of creation cries out to the glory of God!

Every Person must take an account of their own spiritual level

You cannot rely on mine and I cannot rely on yours

Revelation 20:15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

our lists do not matter…

The prodigal son is a story that we all relate to

we can relate to squandered chances…

we can relate to working to take care of ourselves

talk about where he worked… feeding pigs

an unclean animal, he still wanted their food

maybe you felt this since of poverty in your spirit… but you just kind of got over it

If you have never been there, or if you got passed this with anything other than turning to God through Jesus Christ, you are not saved, you are simply putting off an inevitable outcome

Living in This Spiritual Understanding

Remove pride

Two types of pride

boastful - God saved me because this is what I have to offer,

look at all of the great things that I have done

how do we know if we suffer from this… if your spirituality is only for show

meaning you wear the t-shirts have the fish on your car and post a lot about God on facebook

but you do not spend time alone with him… in prayer, in word

you are nothing more than a pharisee judging others and condemning yourself

passive

you have an act in front of everyone that is the opposite of the boastful because you cannot stand that type of attitude

but everything is about how poor and pitiful you are, how you deserve better and why would God allow all of this to happen to you

you still have an elevated view of yourself, that you are not getting what you deserve

How do we remove this… we go to the Lord understanding our worthlessness

our head down and our hand out just begging him to take us by the hand and heal our brokenness

Acknowledge Him

That he is all you have that is worth anything

that you deserve the punishment that Jesus received, that you deserve hell

what is unfair is that we are able to be here at all after we sin…

that the only thing of value you have is Christ…

I once argued with a man over laws that we have or he thought we needed…

he felt that if we did not pass certain laws, and he had a reason based on scripture, though I thought it was a misinterpretation, he could lose his business. God wanted him to have this business and needed him to have this business so that he could do things for God

oh the arrogance… we must understand that God can accomplish anything through anyone

he does not need me… if I died tomorrow the word of God would still be preached to you next week. I have no doubt about that.

Don’t think too highly of yourself just because God is using you, has used you, or will use you. He spoke through a donkey in the OT.

Walk in that understanding

what I mean by that is that we can walk with the understanding that we are a part of the kingdom of God

Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “

the beatitudes bookended with “is”

blessed are those… they will be…

Here and the last one, blessed are those theirs IS

when you come to this understanding of your bankruptcy of your poverty apart from God

that is when we are part of the kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of God

look at the prodigal

Luke 15:20-24 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

The father did not wait… make him live a life proving that he meant it, as soon as the father saw, he ran to him, celebrated his return and called him son.

when we turn to the father, we are written in the Lamb’s book of life and all of heaven rejoices over our return.