Can Humility bring Happiness?

Introduction: Last week we talked about how Kingdom Living Makes God Famous. What does that Kingdom Living look like? What are the Qualities of Kingdom People? What are the qualities of a disciple of Jesus?

Jesus tells us through the Beatitudes.

7-Happiness in the Beatitudes.

Blessed - Happy are....

What is a Beatitude: R.T. France. - We are Right where we need to be to receive a happy outcome. We may not be Happy in the moment, but we can be filled with joy in the moment that Jesus promises a Happy Outcome for those who live according to the Kingdom.

I. The Beatitudes are the qualities of Kingdom-Minded people. Contrast to the World’s Qualities.

A. Jesus’ Kingdom Charter – Parallels to Giving of Law - This is the Spirit to the Letter of the Law.

A. The end result – is peacemaking, being the light of the world, and the salt of the earth.

B. The beatitudes are powerful - Ghandi

"They contain a message that would save the world. What a pity that Christians have been listening to the message for two thousand years, but they [the Christians] are like stones lying in the water for centuries, never soaking up a single drop.

C. They build both on each other, and are simultaneous.

D. Kingdom living will bring us greater joy.

-So what are these qualities

8-The Beatitudes of Humility.

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

II. Poor in Spirit – emptying of our spirit, being filled w/ H.S.

A. It brings joy, because we receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

B. Salvation, Ten Commandments, Spirit for daily living - foundation

C. Discernment Process – Indifferent to all but God’s will.

D. Pitcher Illustration - First with Food die, and then pure water.

-After that foundation we are freed to mourn

10 - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

I. Mourning – Not anger or blame, but genuine grief.

A. It brings joy, because we receive comfort.

B. Anger and blame push people away, mourning draws comfort.

C. Jesus wept – Lazarus, triumphal entry.

D. Split at New Hope.

-Juno Smalley’s quote about grief and gratitude

11 - Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

I. Meeked – Power under control - learning posture

A. Joy, they inherit the earth.

12 - B: Taming Wild Horses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHwGWBJyMSg

C. Jesus – Overturning the tables – Healings, etc. – Learned obedience by what he suffered.

Dick Katte - “The Person who is in most Control, is the one who knows when to give up control.”

D. Story of not fighting with the ref.

- When we are teachable we are able to seek the right path.

13 - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

IV. Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness – Doing what is right, Godly – The Kingdom thing to do.

A. It brings Joy, because they will be filled with justice.

1. The fourth attitude is hungering and thirsting for righteousness (v. 6). This is the solution to our spiritual bankruptcy. The need has already been created with the first three attitudes. Now we come to a believer’s desperate moment. Most Americans don’t understand the desperation of hunger and thirst. Tony Hall, a former ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, undertook a three-week fast in order to better understand and bring awareness to what the hungry experience. He discovered that his worst hunger occurred in his first week of the fast. Later, his body grew ambivalent to food; this suggests we must regularly expose ourselves to God’s righteousness if we don’t want our hunger to grow numb (“What Does Long Term Hunger Feel Like?,” Hunger Notes, accessed December 15, 2018, https://www.worldhunger.org/hunger-quiz/what-does-long-term-hunger-feel-like/). True hunger and thirst gnaws at a person. It is an all-consuming passion and desire for God’s righteousness. Not a righteousness to save, but a righteousness in doing God’s will and trying to please him in our hearts.

In Reconciliation after it is about finding the right way forward.

C. Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” yet ultimately he did God’s will.

How do these four Qualities of Humility help contribute to SALT and LIGHT?

14 - The Salt and Light of Humility.

I. Biblical Humility is necessary for reconciliation.

A. Some say this is weakness - Nietchze

B. Some say it is the opiate of the people – Freud

C. Some say that it’s a way to keep people in subjection – Marx

D. When we empty our spirit and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

- We do receive the strength and guidance

- We are less dependent on other people to find our strength

- And we are empowered not kept down.

A. We show the world that our source is God, our strength comes from him.

B. We show can be a comfort to others who are mourning, because the source of our comfort in grief is Jesus.

C. We can be taught - Those who stop learning, stop leading. - And so Christians become leaders in our culture not by taking power, but by our courageous willingness to Learn more from God. And that we have power under control.

D. That we have convictions and are willing to be creative to offer Grace and Truth, and work towards right ways of living.

Conclusion:

How can you incorporate these qualities in your life? Where are you to full of yourself, and you need more of the Spirit? Where is it hard for you to not get angry, but rather need to move towards sadness? Where is God training you, where do you need to learn and grow? What conversations do you need to have to set a right path forward?