Happy are the Humble

* Every principle in the Sermon on the Mount is found elsewhere in the New Testament.

Happy Are the Humble

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

* Jesus came to earth to bring men happiness.

* The key to experiencing the happiness (or blessedness) spoken of in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12) is in following a new standard of living.

* That standard is set forth in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).

* Our Lord didn't tell people how to live step by step, but about the kinds of attitudes that would bring about proper behavior.

* He showed that a person's inner life is the key to true happiness.

* Every principle in the Sermon on the Mount is found elsewhere in the New Testament.

* Jesus expects His people to apply His standard of living to their lives. If they do so, Jesus says they will find true happiness.

* Only obedience to the teaching of Jesus will result in true happiness.

* If you apply the principles of the Sermon on the Mount you will be a different person.

* Christians in our day have lost their distinctiveness because they've allowed themselves to be molded by the world.

* The church in America has adopted the world's approach to music, sex, marriage, divorce, materialism, food, alcoholic beverages, dance, entertainment, sports, and other things.

* In so doing we have corrupted ourselves and the world no longer has a true witness of what spirit controlled Christian looks like.

* God wants us to live as a people distinct from the value systems of the world. It grieves God to see corruption among His people.

* The manufacturer of a product knows more about it than anyone else.

* When you buy a car you need to read the owner's manual so you know how to operate and maintain that car properly.

*God manufactured everyone who lives in this world, but few people turn to Him to find out how they can know happiness.

* Jesus tells us how in the sermon we are about to study for the next several weeks.

* Although Jesus’ focus was on our attitudes and thinking patterns, that doesn't mean we neglect our external behavior.

* When we are right with God on the inside, we will also be right with God on the outside.

* James preaches that Faith without works is dead (James 2:17).

James 2:17–18 (KJV 1900)

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

* James here, Like Jesus, is also teaching that faith being on the inside, will transform the outside of a man.

* (Eph. 2:10) says that Believers are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works"

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV 1900)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

* What a person is on the outside depends on what he is on the inside.

* Speaking of the condition of a man’s heart on the inside, Proverbs 23:7 says:

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV 1900)

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

* Jesus said to a group of religious people that what they were on the inside would come out on the outside:

Luke 11:39 (KJV 1900)

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Matthew 23:25–26 (KJV 1900)

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

* A hypocrite tries to clean up the outside, and nothing happens on the inside.

* The Sermon on the Mount, or the Beatitudes, taught that a true Christian cleans up what is on the inside first, then what is on the outside will follow.

The Paradox of the Beatitudes

* As I preached to you last Sunday, the Beatitudes can seem to be sacred paradoxes.

*Their value system is in contrast to everything the world values.

* Now I want you to notice that there is a progression in the Beatitudes:

* Matthew 5:3 speaks of "the poor in spirit."

Matthew 5:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

* A person who is poor in spirit has the right attitude about sin, which leads to mourning (v. 4).

Matthew 5:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

* When someone recognizes his sinfulness and mourns over it he develops meekness (v. 5).

Matthew 5:5 (KJV 1900)

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

* That leads him to hunger and thirst for righteousness (v. 6).

Matthew 5:6 (KJV 1900)

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

* Such a hunger manifests itself in mercy (v. 7),

Matthew 5:7 (KJV 1900)

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

* Then it produces purity of heart (v. 8),

Matthew 5:8 (KJV 1900)

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

* Then it produces a peaceable spirit (v. 9).

Matthew 5:9 (KJV 1900)

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

* The Beatitudes are a picture of how cleaning the heart on the inside, which starts with a humble attitude, being poor in spirit, then step by setp, produces a man that is also clean on the outside.

* A person who displays the attitudes spoken of in the Beatitudes, can expect to be reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused (vv. 10-11).

Matthew 5:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

* That's because that kind of life-style is an irritant to worldly people.

* When a person lives according to the Word of God it produces the light, and light produces hatred.

John 3:19–21 (KJV 1900)

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,

neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

* But in the end believers will be able to "rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is [their] reward in heaven" (v. 12).

Matthew 5:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

* He who lives in accordance with the Beatitudes will be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (vv. 13-14).

Matthew 5:13–16 (KJV 1900)

13 Ye are the salt of the earth:

but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

* Psalm 34:18 says:

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

* David noted in Psalm 51:17:

“the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.

* I want you to know and understand when we are finished with this sermon this morning that God identifies with those who beg on the inside.

* Or text, Matthew 5:3 says:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

* Isaiah 66:2 says:

“But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.”

* Psalm 138:6 says:

“Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: But the proud he knoweth afar off.”

* Proverbs 29:23 says:

“A man’s pride shall bring him low: But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

* In Matthew 23:12 we read:

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

* Proverbs 16:5 says:

"Every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord."

* Isaiah 57:15 says:

"Thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

* James said, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (4:10).

* I want you to know and understand when we are finished with this sermon this morning that God identifies with those who beg on the inside.

* By using the phrase in out text in Matthew 5:3 "happy are the poor in spirit," Christ was teaching that the man who is begging on the inside is the one who is happy.

* The word translated "poor" (Gk., ptokos) in Matthew 5:3 speaks of "cowering like a beggar."

* In classical Greek the word referred to someone reduced to begging in a dark corner for alms.

* A beggar would cower because he didn't want to be seen--he would be too ashamed to allow his identity to be known.

* Beggars would wear their clothes in such a way as to be unrecognizable and hold out an outstretched hand for alms.

* The word for "poor" in Matthew 5:3 is the same word used to describe Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16:20.

* The Greek word penes was used when talking about a person who was so poor he could barely maintain a living from his wages.

* But Ptokos, the word used in our text for “poor in spirit,” refers to a person totally dependent on the gifts of others.

* Such people were often crippled, blind, or deaf. Because they couldn't function normally in society, they had to plead for grace and mercy from others. They had no personal resources.

* Jesus said that those who are beggars in spirit are happy.

* He wasn't talking about physical poverty but spiritual poverty.

* Spiritually man is empty, poor, and helpless.

* He has no resources that will get him into heaven. He is Spiritually incapable and therefore totally dependent on God's grace.

* Happy are those with destitute, cowering spirits--only they know their need!

* That is a sharp contrast to what the world thinks. The world says, "Happy are the rich, famous, self-sufficient, and proud."

* God identifies with people who are spiritual beggars, not with those who are self-sufficient.

* Being poor in spirit is not being lazy or indifferent. A person who is poor in spirit has no sense of self-sufficiency and recognizes he is spiritually bankrupt.

* If you want to be poor in spirit, become a beggar on the inside this morning- learn to stop depending on yourself ask for God's help.

* A beggar always asks for help. The tax collector in Luke 18 said, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said That man went home justified!

* Happy is the man who knows he is a spiritual beggar and asks for God's help—Jesus says the “poor in spirit” possesses the kingdom of heaven.

* As a matter of fact, is that not exactly what the beggar Lazarus did?

From the Old Testament

* Judges 6 records the Lord's call of Gideon to deliver Israel.

* Gideon, aware of his limitations, said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v. 15).

* In effect Gideon told the Lord that He was speaking to the wrong man.

* God's reply to Gideon was, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor" (v. 12).

* The mightiest man is the one who recognizes that of himself he is nothing.

* Moses had that kind of attitude. He thought himself incapable of the task God gave him--and by himself he was!

* The Lord used Moses because he recognized his own insufficiency.

* David said, "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?" (2 Sam. 7:18).

* Jacob wrestled all night with God demanding God to bless him. But God had to wound him and take away his strength before he could bless him.

* When Jacob had no more strength, then God have him a new name and promised to bless him.

Genesis 32:24–32 (KJV 1900)

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

From the New Testament

* Peter was an aggressive and confident man.

* Yet he said to Jesus, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).

* The apostle Paul knew that in his flesh nothing good dwelled (Rom. 7:18).

* He named himself a persecutor, a blasphemer, and the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:13, 15).

* He counted everything he had done apart from Christ to be rubbish (Phil. 3:8).

* Paul saw the things that once he counted as gain were loss in the light of Christ (Phil. 3:7).

* He realized that God's "strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

* Admitting your weaknesses is the beginning of happiness-- but that's the hardest thing you will ever do.

* To know true happiness you must first be poor in spirit and acknowledge you can do nothing on your own.

* There must be an emptying of self before you can be filled with the Spirit of God.

* As a matter of fact, without that attitude, you cannot be saved!

Humility Leads to a Right Knowledge of Self

* To be right with God we must empty ourselves of ourselves.

* In the Beatitudes Christ spoke of a new standard of living. Being poor in spirit is a fundamental characteristic of a Christian.

* No one will enter Christ's kingdom on the basis of pride--the doorway into the kingdom is very low and must be crawled through.

* In Luke chapter 18, Jesus told three stories back to back, that illustrated the principle of “being poor in spirit.”

* The first was a story of a Publican that illustrated that to think right about ourselves, we must empty ourselves of trusting in ourselves.

Luke 18:9–27 (KJV 1900)

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,

but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

* The second story that illustrated being “poor in spirit” taught that we must have a humble spirit, like that of a child when we approach God.

The Children come to Jesus

15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

* In the third story, Jesus taught that trusting in our selves will keep us out of the Kingdom of God.

The Rich man fails to enter the Kingdom of God

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast,

Remember now how Jesus introduced these three stories:

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves…

This man was trusting in himself because he did the commandments, and because he had great riches. Remember, he came to Jesus asking what he could Do to enter the Kingdom of God.

and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

* The self-sufficiency of the rich causes them to be complacent about searching for God.

*That is why "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God"

* A rich person is likely to trust in his riches while a poor man has nothing to put his trust in.

* Jesus was saying to the people hearing these stories, you must be “poor in spirit.”

* In other word He was saying "You can't be filled with the Spirit of God, until you are empty of yourselves.”

* Jesus was teaching life can't be worthwhile until you realize your life is worthless apart from Christ."

* In the church today there is little emphasis on self- emptying.

* There are many books on how to be filled with joy and other things, but I don't think I've ever seen a book on how to empty yourself of self.

* Too much of contemporary Christianity feeds on pride.

* A person without poverty of spirit fails to understand the grace of God-

* A person who doesn’t not empty himself and become “poor in spirit,” cannot be a Christian since salvation is by grace through faith.

* Also, the graces of the Christian life can't grow without humility.

Humility Leads to a Right Knowledge of Christ

* Christ doesn't become precious to us until we are humble.

* When we preoccupy ourselves with our own wants and needs we can't see the matchless worth of Christ.

* Until we comprehend how lost we are we can't understand Christ's wondrous and redeeming love.

* Until we see our poverty we can't see His riches.

* Jesus taught that no man enters the kingdom of God without understanding his own sinfulness and realizing his need to repent.

* Proverbs 16:5 says, "Every one who is proud in heart is an bomination to the Lord."

* The only way a right relationship to Christ is established is when we confess our unrighteousness and inability to meet God's standard.

* We must then no longer trust in ourselves to meet God’s standard of holiness, but like a humble beggar, place all of our trust on the ability of The precious blood of Jesus to make us able to stand before a holy God.

* In (Phil. 3:6) Paul thought he was blameless until he became a Christian Then he realized he had no basis for "confidence in the flesh"(Phil. 3:3).

* A person enters God's kingdom with a sense of helplessness and desperation.

* Do you remember how helpless Paul was as he had to be lead by the hand after that Jesus smote him with blindness on the Damascus road.

* The apostate church at Laodicea had lost the meaning of being “poor in spirit.”

* That church, that represents the condition the church will be in in the last days, thought it was rich, but Christ said it really "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17).

* The average person in the world today thinks they have no spiritual needs, yet in reality are in desperate need of Jesus.

* The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount was the same as the giving of the law at Mount Sinai:

* The Lord wanted people to see that they had to become poor in spirit and depend totally on Him (cf. Gal. 3:19- 25).

* God's standards can't be presented to unregenerate men as something to live by--they don’t have the power!

* Obedience to the law requires a new nature that begins with becoming poor in spirit.

* Jesus clarified God's standard of Holiness when He said, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).

* He also said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20).

* Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount affirms a life-style that promises eternal happiness.

* However it can't be followed through one's own resources.

* That reality is nothing new. It was illustrated when God gave His law on Mount Sinai.

* God said there was to be no idolatry, adultery, stealing, murdering, bearing false witness, or similar activity among the Israelites (Ex. 20:1-17).

* Yet even while He was giving the law to Moses the Israelites were engaging in an orgy at the foot of the mountain (Ex. 32:1-6).

* Right from the beginning Scripture shows that God's standards are not within the realm of human achievement.

* When the Jewish rabbis saw the law couldn't be kept they added traditions that were easier to keep.

* Talmudic law, the system of Jewish interpretation and tradition that developed around God's law, is nothing more than a diluted system of standards that the Jews devised so that mankind can have some sense of satisfaction regarding God's requirements.

* This is what all religion in the world is:

Religion is:

“A set of man-made standards that are easier to keep than the law of God devised so mankind can have some sense of self-satisfaction that they are good enough for Heaven, without meeting the requirements of the Law of God.

* The reason Jesus said that we must be “poor in spirit” is that we will longer trust in ourselves to meet God’s standard of holiness, but like a humble beggar, place all of our trust on the ability of The precious blood of Jesus to make us able to stand before a holy God.

1. It does not refer to physical poverty

Some say Christ was referring to material poverty in Matthew 5:3. They point to Luke 6:20, which says, "Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God." But according to those standards of interpretation Jesus might have been speaking of poverty in education, friends, or many other things.

Luke 6:20 is a part of Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:3 and Luke 6:20 should be compared and studied together. Matthew 5:3 defines the kind of poverty Luke was referring to. Also, if we must be without money to receive blessing, then the worst thing a Christian could do would be to give money to those in need. Instead we should be trying to con people out of their money to get them into the kingdom! But that interpretation runs counter to the teaching of the New Testament and would require the closing of orphanages, hospitals, and missions that reach out to the needy. Our Lord wasn't speaking about material poverty in Matthew 5:3.

The Riches of Poverty

Riches often trip up people. Often a poor person's circumstances give him a running start in the spiritual realm. His desperate circumstances will often led him to seek a source beyond himself. The self-sufficiency of the rich causes them to be complacent about searching for God. That is why "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24). A rich person is likely to trust in his riches while a poor man may own nothing to put his trust in.

King David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Ps. 37:25). Paul had times when he was hungry and thirsty but never resorted to begging. The Lord and His disciples were accused of being crazy, ignorant, and turning the world upside down. Thought materially poor they were never accused of being beggars because they relied on what God supplied. They enjoyed the riches of God in the midst of their physical poverty.

2. It does refer to spiritual poverty

The word translated "poor" (Gk., ptokos) in Matthew 5:3 speaks of "cowering like a beggar." In classical Greek the word referred to someone reduced to begging in a dark corner for alms. A beggar would cower because he didn't want to be seen--he would be too ashamed to allow his identity to be known. Beggars would wear their clothes in such a way as to be unrecognizable and hold out an outstretched hand for alms. The word for "poor" in Matthew 5:3 is the same word used to describe Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16:20.

The Greek word penes was used when talking about a person who was so poor he could barely maintain a living from his wages. But Ptokos refers to a person totally dependent on the gifts of others. Such people were often crippled, blind, or deaf. Because they couldn't function normally in society, they had to plead for grace and mercy from others. They had no personal resources.

Christ said that those who are beggars in spirit are happy. He wasn't talking about physical poverty but spiritual poverty. Spiritually man is empty, poor, and helpless. He has no resources that will get him into heaven. He is Spiritually incapable and therefore totally dependent on God's grace. Happy are those with destitute, cowering spirits--only they know their need! That is a sharp contrast to what the world thinks. The world says, "Happy are the rich, famous, self-sufficient, and proud."

The spirit is the inner part of man and the body the outer part. By using the phrase "happy are the poor in spirit" Christ was teaching that the man who is begging on the inside is the one who is happy.

1. Isaiah 66:2--God said, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

2. Psalm 34:18--"The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

3. Psalm 51:17--David said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

4. Isaiah 57:15--"Thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

God identifies with people who are spiritual beggars, not with those who are self-sufficient.

Being poor in spirit is not being lazy or indifferent. A person who is poor in spirit has no sense of self-sufficiency and recognizes he is spiritually bankrupt. Christ described the attitude of one who was poor in spirit in Luke 18:10-13: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (vv. 9-13). Of the two men Jesus said, "I tell you, [the tax collector] went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (v. 14). God receives those who recognize they are spiritually destitute and who cry out to God for mercy. They are the only ones who ever come to know God.

James said, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (4:10). That kind of poverty represents deep submission to God. In many churches that is an unpopular doctrine because of the current emphasis on celebrities, experts, and rich Christians. Yet all of Scripture affirms the need for humility.

1. In the Old Testament

Judges 6 records the Lord's call of Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon, aware of his limitations, said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v. 15). In effect he told the Lord that He was speaking to the wrong man. God's reply, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor" (v. 12). The mightiest man is the one who recognizes that of himself he is nothing. Moses had that kind of attitude. He thought himself incapable of the task God gave him--and by himself he was! The Lord used Moses because he recognized his own insufficiency. David said, "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?" (2 Sam. 7:18).

2. In the New Testament

Peter was an aggressive and confident man. Yet he said to Jesus, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). The apostle Paul knew that in his flesh nothing good dwelled (Rom. 7:18). He named himself a persecutor, a blasphemer, and the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:13, 15). He counted everything he had done apart from Christ to be rubbish (Phil. 3:8). Paul saw the things that once he counted as gain were loss in the light of Christ (Phil. 3:7). He realized that God's "strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

Admitting your weaknesses is the beginning of happiness-- but that's the hardest thing you will ever do.

To know true happiness you must first be poor in spirit and acknowledge you can do nothing on your own.

There must be an emptying of self before you can be filled.

And not only is that the attitude you must have to become saved-

-it's also the way to live.

What Is Impossible with Man Is Possible with God

Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount affirms a life-style that promises eternal happiness. However it can't be followed through one's own resources. That reality is nothing new. It was illustrated when God gave His law on Mount Sinai. He said there was to be no idolatry, adultery, stealing, murdering, bearing false witness, or similar activity among the Israelites (Ex. 20:1-17). Yet even while He was giving the law to Moses the Israelites were engaging in an orgy at the foot of the mountain (Ex. 32:1-6). Right from the beginning Scripture shows that God's standards are not within the realm of human achievement.

Some of the people of Israel knew they couldn't keep God's standards. They offered sacrifices to Him, confessed their sins, and God mercifully forgave them. However, there were others who thought they could keep God's law and they boasted in their self-righteousness. When the rabbis saw the law couldn't be kept they added traditions that were easier to keep. Talmudic law, the system of Jewish interpretation and tradition that developed around God's law, is nothing more than a diluted system of standards devised so that mankind can have some sense of satisfaction regarding God's requirements. While the rabbis said they were trying to protect the law of God, in reality they simply lowered its standards in an attempt to make it attainable. By the time of Christ the Jewish religious leaders were keeping their traditions while God's law itself was being violated daily.

Those who penitently acknowledge that they can't keep God's law and confess their sins are the ones the Lord says are justified (see Luke 18:10-14). The Sermon on the Mount defines God's law in such a way that we must recognize we can't keep it. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit and dependence on Christ are we able to obey God.

Jesus clarified God's standard when He said, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). He also said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). The Scribes and Pharisees had substituted the commandments of God with the traditions of men (Matt. 15:9). The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount was the same as the giving of the law at Mount Sinai: the Lord wanted people to see that they had to become poor in spirit and depend totally on Him (cf. Gal. 3:19- 25). God's standards can't be presented to unregenerate men as something to live by--they haven't the power. Obedience to the law requires a new nature that begins with becoming poor in spirit.

Those who recognize they are spiritually destitute will go to heaven. "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3) is a factual announcement, not a wish. The word translated "theirs" is emphatic in the Greek text: the kingdom of heaven definitely belongs to those who are poor in spirit. That describes all who are Christians.

In saying "theirs is the kingdom of heaven," Jesus was stating that reality in the present tense. While the kingdom of heaven will be fully realized in the future, the reign of Christ and true blessedness can be experienced now- -you don't have to wait until the Millennium. We are now a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 1:6). We are now subjects of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:6-7 says we have already been seated together in heavenly places and are recipients of God's grace. We have the grace of the kingdom now and will have the glory later (1 John 3:1-2).

IV. WHAT MARKS THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT?

We don't become poor in spirit by trying to keep God's standards in our own power. That is the folly of monasticism. Some people think they will become poor in spirit by selling all their possessions, putting on a robe, and sitting in a monastery. Some have even thought that by cutting off bodily parts they will become less sinful. But those are practices that rely on either you or someone else setting man-made standards for becoming poor in spirit. God has His own way for a person to become poor in spirit.

A person who is poor in spirit focuses on God and reads His Word. As a person dwells on the excellencies of Jesus Christ he will stop focusing on himself.

Many ministries today seek to feed our pride. But we must seek those things that deny the pride of the flesh. It's easy for us to accept compliments and accolades about what we do as though we had some worth of our own. But those things very often only feed the flesh.

A while ago I was confronted with some things I had done that hurt some people deeply. I was defensive at first because I hadn't meant to be in error. But God began to speak to my heart, reminding me that I am nothing apart from Him and that everything I've ever desired to do for God could be taken away from me in one short breath. God doesn't need me to accomplish His work. By being confronted with what I had done wrong and the self-examination that resulted, I gained a greater measure of comfort than I had ever gained from compliments. I was driven to see who I am in light of who my Savior is. When we understand our dependency on God, we see that our own resources and accomplishments are worthless and we seek to starve the pride of the flesh.

If you want to be poor in spirit, ask for God's help. A beggar always asks for help. The tax collector in Luke 18 said, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (v. 13). That man went home justified (v. 14). Happy is the man who knows he is a spiritual beggar and asks for God's help--he possesses the kingdom of heaven.

Thomas Watson gives seven principles we may apply in determining whether we are poor in spirit (The Beatitudes [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1971], pp. 45-48).

Psalm 131:2 says, "Like a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even like a weaned child." A person who is poor in spirit will be weaned from his self- centeredness. All he thinks about is glorifying God and meeting the needs of others.

When you are poor in spirit, you will focus on the wonder of Christ. Second Corinthians 3:18 implies that believers are focused on Christ, seeing in themselves a reflection of Him. Philip showed that kind of focus when he said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us" (John 14:8). The psalmist said, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" (Ps. 17:15).

If you are poor in spirit you will never complain about your circumstances because you know you don't deserve anything anyway. You have nothing to offer to God, yet the greater your needs the more abundantly He provides. So when you lack everything you are in the greatest position from which to receive and recognize God's grace.

A person who is poor in spirit will see the excellencies of others and recognize his own weaknesses. A truly humble person looks up to everyone else.

A beggar is always begging. He knocks at heaven's gate all the time and doesn't stop until he is blessed.

The proud sinner adds Christ to his pleasures, covetousness, and immorality.

One who is poor in spirit is so desperate that he will give up everything to obtain Christ.

Thomas Watson said, "A castle that has long been besieged and is ready to be taken will deliver up on any terms to save their lives. He whose heart has been a garrison for the devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has brought him to poverty of spirit and he sees himself damned without Christ, let God propound what articles he will, he will readily subscribe to them: 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'" (p. 47).

When you are poor in spirit, you will praise and thank God for His grace in the knowledge that everything you have is a gift from Him. The apostle Paul displayed that attitude in 1 Timothy 1:14: "The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant." Those who are poor in spirit are filled with thanks.

Conclusion

If you want to know true happiness you must be poor in spirit. That means you must understand your spiritual helplessness. If you recognize your spiritual poverty you will possess the kingdom of heaven now. Augustus Toplady summed all that up in the hymn "Rock of Ages":

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What was the emphasis of Christ' teaching in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount? Explain.

2. What have some said about the standard of conduct given in the Sermon on the Mount? Are they right? Why or why not?

3. Discuss the relationship between our internal attitudes and external behavior.

4. Describe the flow of thought of the Beatitudes.

5. What is a fundamental characteristic of a Christian? Explain.

6. Was Christ talking about the materially impoverished in Matthew 5:3? Explain.

7. Why do poor people often have a running start in the spiritual realm?

8. Explain the meaning of the Greek words ptokos and penes. Why did Jesus use the word ptokos in Matthew 5:3?

9. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

10. Give some examples from the Bible of people who were poor in spirit.

11. God's standard for living cannot be attained by man's efforts. Give an illustration of that from the book of Exodus.

12. What did the Jewish religious leaders do when they saw they couldn't keep the law? Why did they do it? In reality, what had they done?

13. What do the poor in spirit receive? When does that take place?

14. How can you know if you are poor in spirit?

15. Why does a person who is poor in spirit not complain about his circumstances?

17. What does a proud sinner do with Christ? What are the poor in spirit willing to do to obtain Christ?

Pondering the Principles

1. People often balk at the idea of humility toward God, as if there was something in them worthy of praise from Him. Yet the apostle Paul did not share that estimate of mankind (Rom. 3:10-18). The Puritan pastor John Owen wrote that believers find that sin "fills them with shame, self- abhorrence, and deep abasement of soul. They discern in ... themselves on account of it, an unsuitableness to the holiness of God, and an unfitness for communion with him. Nothing do they more earnestly seek in prayer than a cleansing from it by the blood of Christ; not are any promises more precious to them, than those of purification from it" (The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power, [Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1954], p. 255). When a person understands who they are in light of who God is, only humility toward God can result. That's what starts the walk of holiness. Does humility of spirit mark your life?

2. Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Love for Christ requires a humility that will serve Him. Thomas Watson wrote, "Love is a humble grace; it does not walk abroad in state; it will creep upon its hands; it will stoop and submit to anything whereby it may be serviceable to Christ" (All Things for Good [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1986 reprint], p. 87). By His death on the cross Christ stooped far lower than any human could ever stoop (Phil. 2:6-8). How low has your love for Christ enabled you to stoop for Him?

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Luke 18:14 14 I tell you, this man zwent down to his house ajustified rather than the other: for bevery one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Judges 16:20 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and oshake myself. And he wist not that pthe Lord was departed from him.

Luke 12:16–21 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he xthought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to ybestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my zbarns, and build greater; and there will I ybestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, aSoul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and bbe merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, cthis night †dthy soul shall be required of thee: then ewhose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that flayeth up treasure for himself, and gis not rich toward God.

Psalm 31:9–14 9 rHave mercy upon me, O Lord, for rrI am in trouble: sMine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: My strength faileth because of mine tiniquity, and umy bones are consumed. 11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, But wespecially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine xacquaintance: yThey that did see me without fled from me. 12 I zam forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like †a broken vessel. 13 aFor I have heard the slander of many: abFear was on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life. 14 But cI trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.

Proverbs 11:2 2 bWhen pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the clowly is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18 18 lPride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.

Luke 18:10–14 10 Two men owent up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a ppublican. 11 The Pharisee qstood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, rextortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I sfast twice in the week, I tgive tithes of all that I upossess. 13 And the publican, qstanding afar off, xwould not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but ysmote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man zwent down to his house ajustified rather than the other: for bevery one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he scolded them for being so proud of their spiritual gifts. They went around full of pride, talking about all the good qualities they had, but Paul’s question was simple: “Who gave you those gifts?” God did. Why walk around acting proud, as though your spiritual gifts were somehow earned, when they were simply given by the grace of God?

The Laodcian church was also lifted up in pride and rebuked by Jesus Himself.

The self-sufficiency of the rich causes them to be complacent about searching for God. That is why "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24). A rich person is likely to trust in his riches while a poor man may own nothing to put his trust in.

1. Isaiah 66:2--God said, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

2. Psalm 34:18--"The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

3. Psalm 51:17--David said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Judges 6 records the Lord's call of Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon, aware of his limitations, said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v. 15).

Happy are the Humble

Verse List:

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” David noted that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). God identifies with those who beg on the inside.

Jesus once told a story of two men praying in the temple. One, a Pharisee, proudly told God all the wonderful things he had done.

Matthew 5:3 3 cBlessed are dthe poor in spirit: for etheirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 34:18 18 dThe Lord is nigh †unto them that are of a ebroken heart; And saveth such as be †of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17 17 The sacrifices of God are a cbroken spirit: A cbroken and a dcontrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Luke 18:14 14 I tell you, this man zwent down to his house ajustified rather than the other: for bevery one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Judges 16:20 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and oshake myself. And he wist not that pthe Lord was departed from him.

Luke 12:16–21 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he xthought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to ybestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my zbarns, and build greater; and there will I ybestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, aSoul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and bbe merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, cthis night †dthy soul shall be required of thee: then ewhose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that flayeth up treasure for himself, and gis not rich toward God.

Psalm 31:9–14 9 rHave mercy upon me, O Lord, for rrI am in trouble: sMine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: My strength faileth because of mine tiniquity, and umy bones are consumed. 11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, But wespecially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine xacquaintance: yThey that did see me without fled from me. 12 I zam forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like †a broken vessel. 13 aFor I have heard the slander of many: abFear was on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life. 14 But cI trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.

Isaiah 66:2 2 For call those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But dto this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and eof a contrite spirit, And ftrembleth at my word.

Proverbs 11:2 2 bWhen pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the clowly is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18 18 lPride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23 23 A wman’s pride shall bring him low: But honour shall uphold the xhumble in spirit.

Psalm 138:6 6 hThough the Lord be high, yet hihath he respect unto the lowly: But ithe proud he knoweth afar off.

Matthew 23:12 12 And rwhosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luke 18:10–14 10 Two men owent up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a ppublican. 11 The Pharisee qstood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, rextortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I sfast twice in the week, I tgive tithes of all that I upossess. 13 And the publican, qstanding afar off, xwould not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but ysmote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man zwent down to his house ajustified rather than the other: for bevery one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he scolded them for being so proud of their spiritual gifts. They went around full of pride, talking about all the good qualities they had, but Paul’s question was simple: “Who gave you those gifts?” God did. Why walk around acting proud, as though your spiritual gifts were somehow earned, when they were simply given by the grace of God?

The Laodcian church was also lifted up in pride and rebuked by Jesus Himself.

Proverbs 16:5 says, "Every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord."

The self-sufficiency of the rich causes them to be complacent about searching for God. That is why "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24). A rich person is likely to trust in his riches while a poor man may own nothing to put his trust in.

1. Isaiah 66:2--God said, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

2. Psalm 34:18--"The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

3. Psalm 51:17--David said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

4. Isaiah 57:15--"Thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

James said, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (4:10).

Judges 6 records the Lord's call of Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon, aware of his limitations, said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v. 15).

Happy Are the Humble

Matthew 5:3 Code: 2198

INTRODUCTION

Jesus came to earth to bring men happiness. The key to experiencing the happiness (or blessedness) spoken of in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12) is in following a new standard of living. That standard is set forth in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). Our Lord didn't tell people how to live step by step but about the kinds of attitudes that would bring about proper behavior. He showed that a person's inner life is the key to true happiness.

A. The Applicability of the Sermon on the Mount

Some have said that the Sermon on the Mount sets a standard that is impossible to apply. They point to Matthew 5:48, which says, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect." They say that standard obviously can't be applied today and can only be applied to life in the coming millennial kingdom.

But Jesus never said the Sermon on the Mount was intended to apply to the millennial age and He didn't preach to people living in the Millennium. Also, Matthew 5:10-11 says, "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.... Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Believers won't be persecuted in the millennial age because the Lord will rule with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:15). Finally, Matthew 5:44 would be meaningless in the Millennium: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you."

Every principle in the Sermon on the Mount is found elsewhere in the New Testament. For that reason as well as the reasons given above, Christ's message must be for us now. He expects His people to apply His standard of living right now. Only that kind of obedience will result in true happiness.

B. The Life-Changing Nature of the Sermon on the Mount

If you apply the principles of the Sermon on the Mount you will be a different person. Many Christians in our day have lost their distinctiveness because they've allowed themselves to be molded by the world's approach to music, sex, marriage, divorce, materialism, food, alcoholic beverages, dance, entertainment, sports, and other things. God wants us to live as a people distinct from the value systems of the world. It grieves God to see corruption among His people.

The manufacturer of a product knows more about it than anyone else. When you buy a car you need to read the owner's manual so you know how to operate and maintain that car properly. God manufactured everyone who lives in this world, but few people turn to Him to find out how they can know happiness. Jesus tells us how in His sermon.

Although His focus was on our attitudes and thinking patterns, that doesn't mean we neglect our external behavior. When we are right internally, we will also be right externally. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Believers are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 2:10). What a person is on the outside depends on what he is on the inside.

C. The Paradox of the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes can seem to be sacred paradoxes. Their value system is in contrast to everything the world values.

Note the progression of thought: Matthew 5:3 speaks of "the poor in spirit." A person who is poor in spirit has the right attitude about sin, which leads to mourning (v. 4). When someone recognizes his sinfulness and mourns over it he develops meekness (v. 5). That leads him to hunger and thirst for righteousness (v. 6). Such a hunger manifests itself in mercy (v. 7), purity of heart (v. 8), and a peaceable spirit (v. 9). A person who displays those attitudes can expect to be reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused (vv. 10-11). That's because that kind of life-style is an irritant to worldly people. But in the end believers will be able to "rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is [their] reward in heaven" (v. 12). He who lives in accordance with the Beatitudes will be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (vv. 13-14).

LESSON

Matthew 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I. WHY MUST A CHRISTIAN BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. Humility Leads to a Right Knowledge of Self

In the Beatitudes Christ spoke of a new standard of living. Being poor in spirit is a fundamental characteristic of a Christian. No one will enter Christ's kingdom on the basis of pride--the doorway into the kingdom is very low and must be crawled through. The sooner we realize we are incapable of attaining the standard Christ calls us to (Matt. 5:48), the closer we are to finding the One who can help us attain that standard. That calls for humility. Jesus was saying, "You can't be filled until you are empty. You can't be worthwhile until you realize you are worthless apart from Christ."

In the church today there is little emphasis on self- emptying. I've seen many books on how to be filled with joy and other things, but I don't think I've ever seen a book on how to empty yourself of self. Too much of contemporary Christianity feeds on pride. But a person without poverty of spirit fails to understand the grace of God and cannot be a Christian since salvation is by grace through faith. Also, the graces of the Christian life can't grow without humility.

B. Humility Leads to a Right Knowledge of Christ

Christ doesn't become precious to us until we are humble. When we preoccupy ourselves with our own wants and needs we can't see the matchless worth of Christ. Also, until we comprehend how lost we are we can't understand Christ's wondrous and redeeming love. Until we see our poverty we can't see His riches. No man enters the kingdom without understanding his own sinfulness and realizing his need to repent. Proverbs 16:5 says, "Every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord."

The only way a right relationship to Christ is established is when we confess our unrighteousness and inability to meet God's standard. Paul thought he was blameless until he became a Christian (Phil. 3:6). Then he realized he had no basis for "confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). A person enters God's kingdom with a sense of helplessness and desperation. The church at Laodicea thought it was rich, but Christ said it really "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17). There are people in the world today who think they have no spiritual needs, yet in reality are in desperate need of Christ.

II. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. Jesus' Meaning

1. It does not refer to physical poverty

Some say Christ was referring to material poverty in Matthew 5:3. They point to Luke 6:20, which says, "Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God." But according to those standards of interpretation Jesus might have been speaking of poverty in education, friends, or many other things.

Luke 6:20 is a part of Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:3 and Luke 6:20 should be compared and studied together. Matthew 5:3 defines the kind of poverty Luke was referring to. Also, if we must be without money to receive blessing, then the worst thing a Christian could do would be to give money to those in need. Instead we should be trying to con people out of their money to get them into the kingdom! But that interpretation runs counter to the teaching of the New Testament and would require the closing of orphanages, hospitals, and missions that reach out to the needy. Our Lord wasn't speaking about material poverty in Matthew 5:3.

The Riches of Poverty

Riches often trip up people. Often a poor person's circumstances give him a running start in the spiritual realm. His desperate circumstances will often led him to seek a source beyond himself. The self-sufficiency of the rich causes them to be complacent about searching for God. That is why "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24). A rich person is likely to trust in his riches while a poor man may own nothing to put his trust in.

King David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Ps. 37:25). Paul had times when he was hungry and thirsty but never resorted to begging. The Lord and His disciples were accused of being crazy, ignorant, and turning the world upside down. Thought materially poor they were never accused of being beggars because they relied on what God supplied. They enjoyed the riches of God in the midst of their physical poverty.

2. It does refer to spiritual poverty

The word translated "poor" (Gk., ptokos) in Matthew 5:3 speaks of "cowering like a beggar." In classical Greek the word referred to someone reduced to begging in a dark corner for alms. A beggar would cower because he didn't want to be seen--he would be too ashamed to allow his identity to be known. Beggars would wear their clothes in such a way as to be unrecognizable and hold out an outstretched hand for alms. The word for "poor" in Matthew 5:3 is the same word used to describe Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16:20.

The Greek word penes was used when talking about a person who was so poor he could barely maintain a living from his wages. But Ptokos refers to a person totally dependent on the gifts of others. Such people were often crippled, blind, or deaf. Because they couldn't function normally in society, they had to plead for grace and mercy from others. They had no personal resources.

Christ said that those who are beggars in spirit are happy. He wasn't talking about physical poverty but spiritual poverty. Spiritually man is empty, poor, and helpless. He has no resources that will get him into heaven. He is Spiritually incapable and therefore totally dependent on God's grace. Happy are those with destitute, cowering spirits--only they know their need! That is a sharp contrast to what the world thinks. The world says, "Happy are the rich, famous, self-sufficient, and proud."

B. Jesus' Emphasis

The spirit is the inner part of man and the body the outer part. By using the phrase "happy are the poor in spirit" Christ was teaching that the man who is begging on the inside is the one who is happy.

1. Isaiah 66:2--God said, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

2. Psalm 34:18--"The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

3. Psalm 51:17--David said, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

4. Isaiah 57:15--"Thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

God identifies with people who are spiritual beggars, not with those who are self-sufficient.

Being poor in spirit is not being lazy or indifferent. A person who is poor in spirit has no sense of self-sufficiency and recognizes he is spiritually bankrupt. Christ described the attitude of one who was poor in spirit in Luke 18:10-13: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (vv. 9-13). Of the two men Jesus said, "I tell you, [the tax collector] went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (v. 14). God receives those who recognize they are spiritually destitute and who cry out to God for mercy. They are the only ones who ever come to know God.

C. Scripture's Confirmation

James said, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (4:10). That kind of poverty represents deep submission to God. In many churches that is an unpopular doctrine because of the current emphasis on celebrities, experts, and rich Christians. Yet all of Scripture affirms the need for humility.

1. In the Old Testament

Judges 6 records the Lord's call of Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon, aware of his limitations, said, "O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v. 15). In effect he told the Lord that He was speaking to the wrong man. God's reply, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor" (v. 12). The mightiest man is the one who recognizes that of himself he is nothing. Moses had that kind of attitude. He thought himself incapable of the task God gave him--and by himself he was! The Lord used Moses because he recognized his own insufficiency. David said, "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?" (2 Sam. 7:18).

2. In the New Testament

Peter was an aggressive and confident man. Yet he said to Jesus, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). The apostle Paul knew that in his flesh nothing good dwelled (Rom. 7:18). He named himself a persecutor, a blasphemer, and the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:13, 15). He counted everything he had done apart from Christ to be rubbish (Phil. 3:8). Paul saw the things that once he counted as gain were loss in the light of Christ (Phil. 3:7). He realized that God's "strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

Admitting your weaknesses is the beginning of happiness-- but that's the hardest thing you will ever do.

To know true happiness you must first be poor in spirit and acknowledge you can do nothing on your own.

There must be an emptying of self before you can be filled.

And not only is that the attitude you must have to become saved-

-it's also the way to live.

What Is Impossible with Man Is Possible with God

Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount affirms a life-style that promises eternal happiness. However it can't be followed through one's own resources. That reality is nothing new. It was illustrated when God gave His law on Mount Sinai. He said there was to be no idolatry, adultery, stealing, murdering, bearing false witness, or similar activity among the Israelites (Ex. 20:1-17). Yet even while He was giving the law to Moses the Israelites were engaging in an orgy at the foot of the mountain (Ex. 32:1-6). Right from the beginning Scripture shows that God's standards are not within the realm of human achievement.

Some of the people of Israel knew they couldn't keep God's standards. They offered sacrifices to Him, confessed their sins, and God mercifully forgave them. However, there were others who thought they could keep God's law and they boasted in their self-righteousness. When the rabbis saw the law couldn't be kept they added traditions that were easier to keep. Talmudic law, the system of Jewish interpretation and tradition that developed around God's law, is nothing more than a diluted system of standards devised so that mankind can have some sense of satisfaction regarding God's requirements. While the rabbis said they were trying to protect the law of God, in reality they simply lowered its standards in an attempt to make it attainable. By the time of Christ the Jewish religious leaders were keeping their traditions while God's law itself was being violated daily.

Those who penitently acknowledge that they can't keep God's law and confess their sins are the ones the Lord says are justified (see Luke 18:10-14). The Sermon on the Mount defines God's law in such a way that we must recognize we can't keep it. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit and dependence on Christ are we able to obey God.

Jesus clarified God's standard when He said, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). He also said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). The Scribes and Pharisees had substituted the commandments of God with the traditions of men (Matt. 15:9). The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount was the same as the giving of the law at Mount Sinai: the Lord wanted people to see that they had to become poor in spirit and depend totally on Him (cf. Gal. 3:19- 25). God's standards can't be presented to unregenerate men as something to live by--they haven't the power. Obedience to the law requires a new nature that begins with becoming poor in spirit.

III. WHAT IS THE RESULT OF BEING POOR IN SPIRIT?

Those who recognize they are spiritually destitute will go to heaven. "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3) is a factual announcement, not a wish. The word translated "theirs" is emphatic in the Greek text: the kingdom of heaven definitely belongs to those who are poor in spirit. That describes all who are Christians.

In saying "theirs is the kingdom of heaven," Jesus was stating that reality in the present tense. While the kingdom of heaven will be fully realized in the future, the reign of Christ and true blessedness can be experienced now- -you don't have to wait until the Millennium. We are now a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 1:6). We are now subjects of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:6-7 says we have already been seated together in heavenly places and are recipients of God's grace. We have the grace of the kingdom now and will have the glory later (1 John 3:1-2).

IV. WHAT MARKS THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT?

We don't become poor in spirit by trying to keep God's standards in our own power. That is the folly of monasticism. Some people think they will become poor in spirit by selling all their possessions, putting on a robe, and sitting in a monastery. Some have even thought that by cutting off bodily parts they will become less sinful. But those are practices that rely on either you or someone else setting man-made standards for becoming poor in spirit. God has His own way for a person to become poor in spirit.

A. A Focus on God

A person who is poor in spirit focuses on God and reads His Word. As a person dwells on the excellencies of Jesus Christ he will stop focusing on himself.

B. Starvation of the Flesh

Many ministries today seek to feed our pride. But we must seek those things that deny the pride of the flesh. It's easy for us to accept compliments and accolades about what we do as though we had some worth of our own. But those things very often only feed the flesh.

A while ago I was confronted with some things I had done that hurt some people deeply. I was defensive at first because I hadn't meant to be in error. But God began to speak to my heart, reminding me that I am nothing apart from Him and that everything I've ever desired to do for God could be taken away from me in one short breath. God doesn't need me to accomplish His work. By being confronted with what I had done wrong and the self-examination that resulted, I gained a greater measure of comfort than I had ever gained from compliments. I was driven to see who I am in light of who my Savior is. When we understand our dependency on God, we see that our own resources and accomplishments are worthless and we seek to starve the pride of the flesh.

C. A Prayerful Attitude Towards God

If you want to be poor in spirit, ask for God's help. A beggar always asks for help. The tax collector in Luke 18 said, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (v. 13). That man went home justified (v. 14). Happy is the man who knows he is a spiritual beggar and asks for God's help--he possesses the kingdom of heaven.

V. HOW CAN I KNOW IF I AM POOR IN SPIRIT?

Thomas Watson gives seven principles we may apply in determining whether we are poor in spirit (The Beatitudes [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1971], pp. 45-48).

A. You Will Be Weaned from Self

Psalm 131:2 says, "Like a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even like a weaned child." A person who is poor in spirit will be weaned from his self- centeredness. All he thinks about is glorifying God and meeting the needs of others.

B. You Will Focus on Christ

When you are poor in spirit, you will focus on the wonder of Christ. Second Corinthians 3:18 implies that believers are focused on Christ, seeing in themselves a reflection of Him. Philip showed that kind of focus when he said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us" (John 14:8). The psalmist said, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" (Ps. 17:15).

C. You Will Never Complain

If you are poor in spirit you will never complain about your circumstances because you know you don't deserve anything anyway. You have nothing to offer to God, yet the greater your needs the more abundantly He provides. So when you lack everything you are in the greatest position from which to receive and recognize God's grace.

D. You Will See Good in Others

A person who is poor in spirit will see the excellencies of others and recognize his own weaknesses. A truly humble person looks up to everyone else.

E. You Will Spend Time in Prayer

A beggar is always begging. He knocks at heaven's gate all the time and doesn't stop until he is blessed.

F. You Will Take Christ on His Terms

The proud sinner adds Christ to his pleasures, covetousness, and immorality.

One who is poor in spirit is so desperate that he will give up everything to obtain Christ.

Thomas Watson said, "A castle that has long been besieged and is ready to be taken will deliver up on any terms to save their lives. He whose heart has been a garrison for the devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has brought him to poverty of spirit and he sees himself damned without Christ, let God propound what articles he will, he will readily subscribe to them: 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'" (p. 47).

G. You Will Praise and Thank God

When you are poor in spirit, you will praise and thank God for His grace in the knowledge that everything you have is a gift from Him. The apostle Paul displayed that attitude in 1 Timothy 1:14: "The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant." Those who are poor in spirit are filled with thanks.

Conclusion

If you want to know true happiness you must be poor in spirit. That means you must understand your spiritual helplessness. If you recognize your spiritual poverty you will possess the kingdom of heaven now. Augustus Toplady summed all that up in the hymn "Rock of Ages":

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What was the emphasis of Christ' teaching in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount? Explain.

2. What have some said about the standard of conduct given in the Sermon on the Mount? Are they right? Why or why not?

3. Discuss the relationship between our internal attitudes and external behavior.

4. Describe the flow of thought of the Beatitudes.

5. What is a fundamental characteristic of a Christian? Explain.

6. Was Christ talking about the materially impoverished in Matthew 5:3? Explain.

7. Why do poor people often have a running start in the spiritual realm?

8. Explain the meaning of the Greek words ptokos and penes. Why did Jesus use the word ptokos in Matthew 5:3?

9. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

10. Give some examples from the Bible of people who were poor in spirit.

11. God's standard for living cannot be attained by man's efforts. Give an illustration of that from the book of Exodus.

12. What did the Jewish religious leaders do when they saw they couldn't keep the law? Why did they do it? In reality, what had they done?

13. What do the poor in spirit receive? When does that take place?

14. How can you know if you are poor in spirit?

15. Why does a person who is poor in spirit not complain about his circumstances?

17. What does a proud sinner do with Christ? What are the poor in spirit willing to do to obtain Christ?

Pondering the Principles

1. People often balk at the idea of humility toward God, as if there was something in them worthy of praise from Him. Yet the apostle Paul did not share that estimate of mankind (Rom. 3:10-18). The Puritan pastor John Owen wrote that believers find that sin "fills them with shame, self- abhorrence, and deep abasement of soul. They discern in ... themselves on account of it, an unsuitableness to the holiness of God, and an unfitness for communion with him. Nothing do they more earnestly seek in prayer than a cleansing from it by the blood of Christ; not are any promises more precious to them, than those of purification from it" (The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power, [Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1954], p. 255). When a person understands who they are in light of who God is, only humility toward God can result. That's what starts the walk of holiness. Does humility of spirit mark your life?

2. Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Love for Christ requires a humility that will serve Him. Thomas Watson wrote, "Love is a humble grace; it does not walk abroad in state; it will creep upon its hands; it will stoop and submit to anything whereby it may be serviceable to Christ" (All Things for Good [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1986 reprint], p. 87). By His death on the cross Christ stooped far lower than any human could ever stoop (Phil. 2:6-8). How low has your love for Christ enabled you to stoop for Him?

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Happy Are the Humble

Matthew 5:3

In this chapter, we will look at what it really means to be “poor in spirit.”

OUTLINE

Our culture says that pride and selfishness lead to happiness. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that happiness is a result of humility.

I. Happy Are the Poor in Spirit, for Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven

A. Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Recognize That They Are Out of Step with the World

B. Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Realize Their Emptiness Apart from God

C. Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Reach Out to Others with a Spirit of Love and Cooperation

D. Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Respond to Life with a Spirit of Gratitude

E. Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Reach Their Highest Joy in Serving

OVERVIEW

Have you ever noticed how many unhappy people there are in this world? With all the comforts and gadgets of our modern world, we don’t seem to have found the key to happiness. Even among Christians, with all the God-given gifts at their disposal, there seems to be a lack of happiness. Peggy Noonan, speechwriter for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, wrote about our national lack of happiness in her book, What I Saw at the Revolution. She mentioned that it is embarrassing to live in the most comfortable time in the history of man and still not be happy. In the 1950’s, we all watched Ralph and Alice Kramden get by in a small rented apartment with a table, two chairs, and one bureau standing in front of a faded wall. By the 1990’s, the set on “Family Ties” consisted of couches, lamps, VCRs, color TVs, and fancy art on the wall. We have more things than our parents did, but we aren’t happy, and we feel defensive about it. The dad in the 1950’s worked hard to make ends meet. He might not have been happy, but he wasn’t put here to be happy, so the knowledge of his unhappiness didn’t weigh on him. In the words of Peggy Noonan, “He looks perhaps to other, more eternal forms of comfort.”

But somewhere in the sixties or seventies we started living with the expectation of happiness. People started moving, changing jobs or changing partners in a quest for happiness. As Noonan describes it, “We … lost the old knowledge that happiness is overrated.” You see, our forebears understood that this is a short, brutal existence we live here on earth, to be followed by an eternity with the Lord. But our generation has decided that this time on earth is the only existence we’ll have, the only chance at happiness. So if we search and don’t find happiness, we are left only with despair. Many people have pitted their hopes on what this world can provide, and when things start to go bad they have nothing left to bring them joy and peace.

Jesus, in His greatest sermon, spoke to people brutalized and conquered by the Roman armies. They were subdued, poor, and without hope or expectation, yet the Lord said to them, “Happy are the poor in spirit.” How could their miserable lives be described as happy?

Happy Are the Poor in Spirit, for Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven

In the first words of this great sermon, Jesus begins to describe a new kingdom. It is not the outward kingdom where most people seek happiness but the inward kingdom of the heart. When He speaks of the “poor in spirit,” Jesus is not talking about material poverty but about spiritual pride. He is speaking of the inward attitude of the heart. With nowhere else to turn, the desperate may turn to Jesus, the only One who can offer the deliverance they seek. The poor in spirit have the advantage of being able to cry out to God for help.

A person who is poor in spirit goes begging on the inside. His heart is destitute, and he is begging for God to get to the bottom of his problem. When a person comes to this sense of emptiness, he is on the threshold of happiness through the kingdom of God. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” David noted that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). God identifies with those who beg on the inside.

Jesus once told a story of two men praying in the temple. One, a Pharisee, proudly told God all the wonderful things he had done. The other, a tax collector, humbly beat his breast and muttered, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” The Lord told this story to a crowd of people who thought themselves righteous, and He noted that it was the tax collector who went home justified. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). That tax collector had money, but in spite of his outward wealth, he had a sense of the bankruptcy of his heart. In his emptiness, he cried out to God for mercy. He was blessed because he found God. The Pharisee couldn’t get over his self-righteousness and pride to find God. It was the tax collector who came away joyful and at peace, because he had found the Lord. Happiness is an inward thing, not an outward thing. Blessed are the poor in spirit. I wrestle with that concept, since our culture tries to equate happiness with material wealth, but there are at least five things that are outward signs of the inward heart.

Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Recognize That They Are Out of Step with the Ways of the World

When a famous basketball player retired at the peak of his career, the owner of the team spoke of him “living the American Dream. The dream is to reach a point in your life where you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and can do everything that you want to do.” After he retired, the man found he wasn’t so great at other things. So now he’s back playing basketball again. Whatever he’s searching for, he hasn’t found it.

In our culture, we have a tendency to think that when we finally have enough money to do anything we want, we’ll be happy. But that’s not where happiness is found. J.B. Phillips has said that our modern world has created its own beatitudes:

Happy are the pushers, for they get on in the world.

Happy are the hard-boiled, for they never let life hurt them.

Happy are they who complain, for they get their own way in the end.

Happy are the slave-drivers, for they get results.

Happy are the knowledgeable, for they know their way around.

Happy are the troublemakers, for they make people take notice of them.

The person who is poor in spirit is simply out of touch with the ways of the world. There is a tension between walking Christ’s way and walking in the way of the world.

Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Realize Their Emptiness Apart from God

The person who is poor in spirit doesn’t boast of his talents or attainments, because he knows he has nothing except from God. If he is gifted, it’s because God gave him much. He is humble about his character, knowing he has nothing for which to be conceited. In his soul are the sins that put Christ on the cross. Those who are poor in spirit are the antithesis of the proud; they recognize their spiritual need. We are empty without God. We are impoverished without His blessing. We do not control our own destiny. If we build our dreams on the material world, at any moment they can be dashed.

When mighty Samson had his hair cut off, his strength was gone. Judges 16:20 tells us that Samson “did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” He thought he could defeat the foe as he always had done, but now he was without the strength of the Lord. How sad is a man without power, and sadder still the man without power who doesn’t know it. No man is so ignorant as he who knows nothing and knows not that he knows nothing! Perhaps you have had a chance to talk to someone like that recently. They try out their ignorance on you, and their utter lack of knowledge is sad. Samson thought he knew what he was doing, but he was utterly mistaken. He didn’t know how poor he really was.

In Luke 12:16–21, the Lord Jesus told the story of a man with mistaken ideas of poverty and riches. In a self-centered soliloquy, the man says, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” Then God said, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.” Thinking his earthly riches made him righteous, the man was lost due to his own ignorance. “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God,” added Jesus. If we lay up treasure in the outward kingdom, and never give attention to the inward kingdom, we’ll never find happiness. Happiness is not an outward thing, but an inward thing. That’s why Jesus said it’s so hard for a rich man to get into heaven. He can’t push away the things he owns and learn to depend upon the Lord.

The church at Laodicea was like that. Revelation chapter three tells us that the believers thought they were wealthy and in need of nothing, but God saw that they were actually poor, miserable, wretched, blind, and naked. The tragedy isn’t that a person will be without what he needs. The tragedy is that a person will never recognize what he truly needs. No man can buy inner happiness. God alone grants happiness to those who seek Him. A person who doesn’t understand that is to be pitied.

Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Reach Out to Others with a Spirit of Love and Cooperation

The world tells us to develop a thick skin. “Don’t let others get close to you, because if they’re close, they can hurt you. Keep people away; emotion is a weakness.” That’s the spirit of this world. But if you read the New Testament, you’ll find the spirit of the Lord says the exact opposite. Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. He took compassion on the lost crowds. He invested in close friendships with the disciples.

The kingdom of God is completely different from the kingdom of this world. A self-centered person won’t notice anyone else; his concern is only for himself. He cannot be sensitive to those around him, for fear their pain may ruin his happiness. But a person who is poor in spirit will look to minister. He will seek out those who are hurting, so that he can heal the lives of others. A person filled up with himself is unable to reach out to others, for he loves only himself. A person who is poor in spirit will reach out to others in love.

Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Respond to Life with a Spirit of Gratitude

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he scolded them for being so proud of their spiritual gifts. They went around full of pride, talking about all the good qualities they had, but Paul’s question was simple: “Who gave you those gifts?” God did. Why walk around acting proud, as though your spiritual gifts were somehow earned, when they were simply given by the grace of God? The poor-in-spirit person is humble, thanking God for all things because he recognizes that gifts are given by God out of grace and mercy, not because they are earned. Show me a man who is ungrateful, and I’ll show you a man who isn’t poor in spirit. Show me a woman who is unthankful, and I’ll show you a woman who doesn’t understand the first Beatitude.

Those Who Are Poor in Spirit Will Reach Their Highest Joy in Serving

Everybody wanted to lift Jesus up as king, but He simply said, “I did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister.” A person who truly wants to be happy will find great joy in serving others. Phillip Yancey, a journalist who has had many opportunities to interview sports and entertainment stars, found that those with the highest profiles never seemed to be happy. They were nearly always unfulfilled, self-doubting, and unhappy. But those who had chosen to give their lives to service had a depth and richness that Yancey envied. The doctors working with outcasts, the missionaries translating the Bible into new languages, and the relief workers who had left high-paying jobs for obscurity and service were the ones who had found fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives. Some would argue that they were “wasting” their talents, but these people had discovered that true happiness is found not in getting what you want, but in giving to others what they need.

Don’t search for happiness in the outward kingdom; you won’t find it. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The person who is poor in spirit will experience a joy found only in heaven. He will understand what true happiness is—an inward happiness that God gives to those who call on Him.

APPLICATION

1. How do most people seek happiness in our world?

How has that changed in America during the last forty years?

Why has this search for happiness led so many to despair?

2. As you look over Matthew chapter five, does Christ seem to be speaking about the future kingdom or the here and now?

How is it possible to put Christ’s words into practice?

What would your response have been if you had been in the crowd and heard Jesus say these words?

3. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

In what ways does the world emphasize pride over humility?

Why is pride so destructive?

How does the world respond to a person poor in spirit?

4. What do the following verses have to say about being poor in spirit?

Psalm 31:9–14

Psalm 34:18

Psalm 51:17

Isaiah 66:2

5. How does that compare with the teaching on pride in the following passages?

Proverbs 11:2

Proverbs 16:18

Proverbs 29:23

Psalm 138:6

Matthew 23:12

6. Who is the happiest person you know?

What makes that person so happy?

Who is the most unhappy person you know?

What has made that person so unhappy?

7. What lessons regarding pride and humility do you glean from Luke 18:10–14?

How does pride separate us from God?

8. In your experience, do you get more long-lasting happiness from giving or from getting? Why is that?

How can service create happiness?

DID YOU KNOW?

The place from which Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount is now called “The Mount of Beatitudes.” From its rocky sides, you can see the flat plains of farmers’ fields spreading out for miles, eventually giving way to the Sea of Galilee. It could have easily held the great multitudes that followed Jesus in His early ministry.

L

Happy are the Humble

Text: Matthew 5:3

Introduction:

Body:

I. God loves the “poor in spirit.”

II. Examples of people who were “poor in spirit.”

III. Why do we need to be poor in spirit?

II. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. Jesus' Meaning

B. Jesus' Emphasis

C. Scripture's Confirmation

III. WHAT IS THE RESULT OF BEING POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. A Focus on God

B. Starvation of the Flesh

C. A Prayerful Attitude Towards God

V. HOW CAN I KNOW IF I AM POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. You Will Be Weaned from Self

B. You Will Focus on Christ

C. You Will Never Complain

D. You Will See Good in Others

E. You Will Spend Time in Prayer

F. You Will Take Christ on His Terms

G. You Will Praise and Thank God