Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Reading of Scripture

This is God’s Word, Amen.

Pray

II.

Introduction

Sometime around the year 1873, Fanny Crosby wrote these words to a well known hymn:

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine

Heir of salvation purchase of God

Born of His Spirit washed in His blood

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

It is a hymn that anticipates what is to come, some day in the future, but one that also celebrates what is now — a foretaste of glory, an assurance of salvation in Jesus, my Savior.

The words of the third verse of that hymn encompass so well the theme of today’s teaching of Jesus from on high.

Here is what Fanny Crosby wrote:

Perfect submission all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blest

Watching and waiting looking above

Filled with His goodness lost in His love

Fanny Crosby summarizes in these words what Jesus teaches about the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is for all who enjoy perfect submission to Heaven’s king!

Who submit themselves to His rule and righteous reign!

Who find happiness, and blessing not from without, but IN the Savior, from within.

Who watch and wait looking above, for His promised return, for His coming kingdom.

But also for those who the kingdom belongs to now! Who are filled with His goodness and lost in His love.

A. Introduction to Theme

And here is the first word Jesus spoke in his teaching.

“Blessed” (v.3)

Blessed!

First words matter.

First words and last words are remembered the most.

The first word Jesus spoke in his teaching about the kingdom is not a pronouncement of condemnation.

The first word Jesus spoke in his teaching about the kingdom is not a statement of command.

Jesus is not giving another set of commandments.

This is not a list of “do’s” and “dont’s,” because the kingdom of heaven is not based on works or merit.

There is nothing that we can do to earn a place in God’s kingdom.

These are not conditional statements, incentives, quid pro quo — this for that.

For if God were to give sinners what we rightly deserve, it would be the opposite of happiness and blessing.

Instead we would receive (and justly so!) anguish, cursing, judgment and eternal hell.

But instead of condemnation, or unattainable commands, in his mercy,

The first word Jesus spoke is not a command.

It is an adjective.

“Blessed.”

It is not a command for what ought to be.

It is an adjective describing what already is, for a person in a particular state or circumstance in life.

In this way,

The first word of Jesus is not a pronouncement of condemnation, it is not a statement of command, but it is instead, an assurance of contentment.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, if you are with the Savior, rest assured — you are blessed.

This is a promise.

A present reality.

It is a gift of grace.

Church, How are you doing today?

Are you just making it?

Would you say that you are “good” or “fine”?

Are you having a bad day?

Or are you “blessed”?

I want you to hear from Jesus, that in Him you are in reality, “blessed” — and blessed in every sense of that word.

You are happy, you are favored, in whatever circumstances you are in.

You don’t need to get out of your circumstances to find happiness or blessing.

You can stay right where you are, in them, and be happy and blessed, because Jesus is right where you are.

The kingdom is near.

And your blessing is not found in outside circumstances — your blessing, your happiness, is the presence of Heaven’s King — Jesus!

Nine times — Jesus repeats this word “Blessed” as the first word.

So that in whatever situation we are, we may be content (Phil 4:11).

III.

Exposition

Jesus begins his teaching with these words:

A. Blessed are the poor in spirit (5:3)

The “poor in spirit” are “blessed.”

This pertains to the spiritual nature.

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

To be poor means to be lacking.

Someone who is poor is dependent upon others for whatever is needed, because they do not have the sufficient means of supplying what is needed on their own.

They are poor!

To be “poor in spirit” means that the spirit is poor.

The spirit is dependent, not having the sufficient means of supplying what is needed on its own.

"Poor in spirit” is “perfect submission.”

Humility.

A total dependence upon Jesus, the King, to supply whatever we need from his limitless resources in the Kingdom.

Someone took me out to lunch and reminded me of this many months ago —

If we have faith in God, we don’t need to worry or be anxious about anything else, because what need is there that God is not able to supply, and to supply abundantly?

Lord, how will our church grow?

How will we pass on the faith to the next generation?

How will we survive financially in the future?

How will we reach the lost for Jesus?

And one answer is sure — we will not do any of these things.

God will do all of these things!

And God will use us, and work through us, if we by faith will humble ourselves before Him and submit to His will and His ways, and pray to Him, and be dependent upon Him and the power of His Holy Spirit, as a people who are poor in spirit.

Notice the text does not say “theirs will be the kingdom” — future, but “theirs IS the kingdom” — present.

The future is brought into the present for the poor in spirit, so they are happy and blessed in whatever circumstances they are in materially.

This poorness has nothing to do with earthly riches.

A rich person will be very unhappy in life if they are not poor in spirit before God.

Whether we are rich or poor doesn’t matter.

Our circumstances do not matter.

What matters is that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are poor in spirit, and those who are poor in spirit are blessed.

“Theirs is the kingdom” — this means that the kingdom is a gift.

The kingdom is something that is given.

And being a gift from God it is a gift of grace that cannot be earned.