Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Reverend Bill Powell. Remember, Reverend Bill Powell? Taekwondo Powell is district superintendent. Back in 2000. When I wrote a letter of intention to become ordained in the United Methodist Church. I wrote to him and I still have his letter response.

Bill passed away. His wife. Sylvia asked me to stop by and look over his books to see what I had would want. And There was this series of books that I have actually envied our library for having it. It's called twenty centuries of great preaching. Now those who know, me know that I regularly try to do two things trying to listen to sermons of people who are alive, right, whether they're podcast in or what not. And then I try to read sermons of people who are dead and this 20th century into that second category, pretty great. It has sermons from the Apostle, Peter. It has sermons from Martin Luther. It has sermons from John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George, Whitefield, and in many, many others. Unfortunately, my sermons are not in here anywhere, I even looked in the index. But, you know, if you was such a peculiar name, you just not in here. Anyways, your volume one, and the very first sermon in volume. One is after the breakfast after the acknowledgements is getting their. You think it would be on page one, right? It's not there. It is a sermon that Jesus preached called The Sermon on the Mount, the very first sermon, not never realized that until this past week, that it was the first sermon, it was the first sermon that was in here. Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew chapters, five, and six and seven. If you were going to break down Matthew's gospel, you can you can break it down to these major teaching points and there's like five of these discourses in Matthew's gospel. The very first one is The Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. It is probably the best-known and probably the most extensively studied sermon in all history. It has been the subject of thousands of Journal articles and many books have been patterned after this Sermon on the Mount. In fact, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If you have ever read Dietrich, bonhoeffer's the cost of discipleship is based off of The Sermon, on the Mount, The Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount begins with the Beatitudes. Right? Blessed are in and they give us this characteristic of of what the kingdom of God is like when it comes to these different Beatitudes. The very the promises. If you weigh them all out here, there's eight of them, right? Blessed our and my eyes are horrible. Blessed are the poor in spirit. They that mourn the me. They not hungry and thirst. After righteousness, the merciful the pure in heart, the peacemakers those who are persecuted. The first four deal with our relationship with God. The first for the second, for deal with our relationship with other people. In each of the eight Beatitudes, they seem to build upon each other. That there is this amazing and beautiful and compelling progression. While at the same time, their Unity them all together. The first beatitude, and the last beatitude all have that. Same promise blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. And the last one blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness, sake, for theirs, is the kingdom of heaven. And in Hebrew culture, when there is this, this, this book ending is called inclusio when the first and last actually end the same way, would it means in Hebrew culture in Reading those, it means that the first last and everything in between has to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of heaven. They all deal with the same thing. I know before we get too far into these Sermon on the Mount, or these Beatitudes just kind of give you the lay of the land. Jesus begins his ministry and Matthew's gospel with this ministry in Galilee. There's been this snowballing effect in in Jesus's Ministry that where he goat more, people start to fall when they become the crowds. No, keep us in mind. There are these crowds of people that are just speaking to be with Jesus. And at the same time. There are these disciples that Jesus has specifically called to be a, his followers, his disciples of Jesus, the disciples, and these crowds, these crowds would gather and some of them are coming for healing other people or just wine to tweet him. That, hey, here's be a selfie and me and Jesus and he's teaching in the synagogues and all these do. Some things and then you get to this passage in the very first two verses of chapter 5 and in, this is from Eugene Peterson's, the message. I love it. When Jesus saw his ministry drawing, huge crowds, right? He climbed the Hillside and those who were apprenticed to him. Those are his disciples. Now, this Matthews described and you have the crowds and you have his disciples when the crowds were growing huge. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed climbed with him in arriving at a quiet place. He sat down in the typical posture of a rabbi, he would sit down, not that I'm a rabbi my legs hurt. He taught his climbing companions. Don't miss that. Cons of a mountain. His disciples is climbing. Companions are sitting there and the image that you are beginning to be aware of, is that Jesus is teaching his disciples and the crowds are looking in to see in to witness what Jesus is telling his disciples.

He teaches them. Start The Sermon on the Mount underscores that need that expectation of a life that is being trans. And I really pushed back when people talk about transformation happening in the past and it's a Once in done, finished transformation is an ongoing thing. As long as we're on this side of Heaven, We will always be transforming. We will always be growing and so the Sermon on the Mount, it underscores the transforming, that's the transformation that's taking place in the live of people, men and women, boys and girls that are coming to God. I just came out here for a second. Look, when you look at the culture of Christianity in our world today, weather is just in our Western culture or over in Western Europe or what not. what you start to see is that people look at Christianity as a, a

option. And the reason I say that is because there is no intended transformation, that's expected. No repentance. You can remain self-sufficient. If your prideful, you can remain prideful. And so here comes the Beatitudes and and and what they do is they exposed to the people who are within earshot to them both the disciples and the crowds. Of the expectation of spiritual surgery that needs to happen in our lives. Everything the Jesus is about to say, in the Beatitudes rests upon the foundation of the Beatitudes was Jesus going to preach in the sermon, on my rest, on the foundation of the Beatitudes, and do understand the sermon, you've got to understand the attitude. And if you're going to understand the Beatitudes, you've got to not go too quickly. Passed the very first one. Blessed is the poor in spirit. Each. One of the the the Beatitudes begins with this word blessed. And despite contrary opinion over despite popular opinion, blessed does not mean happy. See happiness is circumstantial isn't a true based on the surroundings. The circumstances that people find themselves and let's make his personal, depending on the circumstances that you find yourself in right now. He needs is your happiness. Happiness is subjective. Happiness, is is is a feeling that's based upon current circumstances. In Jesus is not declaring how people should feel. He's not making an objective statement about what God thinks about his people here. That's what he's doing. He's not mean, he's not basing happiness, on something is subjective. C blessed is a positive judgment upon us. and if that means, Those who are blessed are approved. Those two are approved by God. Who, who fine God's approval are blessed. He is dead. He is when God blesses us. He approved. He is declaring his acceptance for us. It's not based upon what we do. It's based upon the sacred value that God sees in each and everyone of us. Such sacred value that deemed the worth of Christ death on the cross. and this secret worth came along for your First breath that you took for Paul, says, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And this is a demonstration of God's love for us is a rude idea of being blessed. Is this this idea or this this perspective of being aware that God sees you differently. Then what other people see you and even differently than the way you see yourself.

It's like you could say it is the smile of God. Or as Max Lucado says the Applause of Heaven.

That's the approval. That's what it means. Bless me. Then we have Twisted disapproval of God as something that is earned. I love this. The way Brennan Manning says it's that the bending of the Mind. By powers of this world has Twisted the gospel of grace into religious bondage, and distorted the image of God. Into this, eternal small-minded bookkeeper. He continues. Our huffing and puffing to impress. God are scrambling for brownie points are thrashing about trying to fix ourselves. Well hiding, our pettiness and wallowing in our Guild are nauseating to God and are a flat denial of the gospel of grace.

Yet, we find are so still trying to earn God's approval.

It's a Grace that shouts from the mountains, you are blessed. And if you hear nothing else this morning, forget about poor in spirit, if you hear nothing else this morning here, the fact that you are blessed and that's what I want you to do is I want you to look to the person next to you and look and do this. You are blessed. You are loved by God. And I see a few folks not doing that. You Are blessed.

You are approved.

It's not something we want and earn it.

It's something we have. And are unaware of it.

Tell us something that we once and we earn it. Something that we have, and we are unaware of it and because we are unaware of it. We can continue to strive for God's approval. We find it at this results, in remaining always an arm's length distance from ever embracing the fact that just because you breathe, God loves you. Just because you breathe.

God, approves and has given you stay. Value. And the first beatitude set this stage of how were most likely to be able to be aware of God's approval approval. And it starts with these three words, blessed are the poor in spirit blessed are the poor in spirit. The only tell you what, the poor in spirit is not. Poor in spirit is not the conviction that you are of no value whatsoever.

Being poor in spirit does not mean the absence of self self worth. Being poor in spirit, does not mean you are shy. It does not require that. You should believe that you are a 0 and nothing. Quenched. You can find in 1st Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 20, and 7 verse 23, that you are of Great War if you have such value, right? So what is poor in spirit? Leave the Greek word that that is used for poor has this. It has a verbal root. That means one who is poor has his verbal that they give this image of someone who is cowering, who is. And I don't really like that words. My many cringing in the corner like a beggar. In classical Greek, not would be like in Homer's Odyssey or Plato or Socrates. Something. That was not in first-century ad, but classical Greek. You meant someone who crouches about wretchedly begging and in the New Testament. It Bears. This idea of something of this idea because it describes poverty. So deep that the person must obtain a living by begging. Okay. This person is fully dependent upon the giving of others. Kate, try to Imagine This. This person cannot survive without help from the outside. So the excellent translation of this poor is to the extent of meaning to the point that you make your living by begging other folks. Or someone outside of, you know, if we combined this idea of begging or poor and we put it with Spirit, we come up with this idea that blessedness are those able to recognize God's approval or the beggarly poor in spirit. Now, I don't know if I do like the way that sounds But here is another way of saying it. Those who are so desperately poor in their spiritual resources that they realize they must have help from outside of themselves. Poverty and spirit than just means that there's this personal recognition or acknowledgement that that you and I are spiritually bankrupt.

It is the awareness in the admission that we are utterly sinful that we do not have the adequate moral ability or virtue to earn approval on our own merits. And yes, it is the confidence. We we believe that we can't earn we are utterly simple. We can earn God's approve. There's nothing we can do to earn the get a place at God's table yet. At the same time. We are confident that even though we don't have the ability to reach God, on our own. We none. The less believe we have his approval.

That we have sacred worth.

The poor in spirit. See themselves as a spiritually needy. This.

Blessed are those who realize that they have nothing with themselves in the within themselves to give the god? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It's like this is not too far away from Way Eugene Peterson writes it in verse 3. You're blessed. When you're at the end of your rope. because, with less of you, There is more of God in his rule.

How can you admit you and I need God, if we don't need anything else in the world according to our own hearts?

The world rejects this.

This is, they believe that their idea of blessedness is what we see in our hearts were born with this nature to make a fist to grab to pull towards ourselves.

Happiness or blessed this. Is one who's always right? According to the world, right? Is the one blessed is the one who is always strong. Blessed is the one who rules blesses. The one who is satisfied, blessed is the one who is popular. Today people think that the answer to life is found in themselves. And because of this Christianity takes, I hit because people like you and me are being watched by people outside of us. And what they see for the most part is people who are self-sufficient, prideful strong in their own eyes.

And have no. Idea what it's like to be aware of their own sacred worth.

They embrace. Their own self-sufficiency rather than that gospel, of grace, that Manning talks about.

David Wells in a book that this way theology becomes therapy. Just stop right there, right? Christianity becomes therapy. The biblical interest in righteousness is replaced. We happiness. Holiness is replaced by holness. Truth is replaced by feeling. Ethics is replaced by feeling good about oneself. So what happens is the past goes away? The church goes away, the world goes away and All That Remains is self. Now, listen.

Look at the newspaper. Watch the current shows on television. Watch the news and tell me if this is not what's happening.

It's not truth. It's what I see is truth. It's what I believe. And because you don't believe the way I believe you are canceled.

Because people are looking at Christianity and therapy. And they would rather try to earn it on themselves. Then go through the surgery of the first beatitude that says be poor in spirit. B-beg in need of spiritual resources given to you by a God who sees in you a sacred worth.

Stop trying to do it on your own.

We never. We never outgrow this first beatitude.

Never. Even though it is the doorway, or the entry point to the others, because if we outgrow this first beatitude, then we have outgrown Christianity. We have outgrown our faith. We must approach. The throne room of mercy of God, with boldness and confidence. In a god. Who offers you? And I and approval. That's outside of ourselves?

It's essential for spiritual growth.

Jesus. Tells John in the Book of Revelation. What was so wrong with one of the churches there seven churches that he writes a letter to one of the churches is laodicea. This is what he writes.

Sounds a lot like today you say, I am rich. I have prospered and I need nothing. Jesus says, if you don't realize that you are wretched pitiable. Poor blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me, gold refined by fire so that you may be rich and white garment with white garments so that you may be, you may close yourselves and the shame of your nakedness, may not be seen in Salve to anoint your eyes. So, you may see

This is the message.

The poor. In spirit.

Eugene Peterson says once again, you are blessed.

You are at the end of your rope. because, with less of you, There's more of God and his rule.

Call picks up on this.

Is letter to the Corinthians 2nd Corinthians, chapter 12.

Paul picks up his Gods phone and start spraying. Okay, you know if anyone had a god phone or a phone direct connection to God, I thought it would be Paul. He good. He probably got all his prayers answered, right? But that's not true in his side. He prayed 3 times. Finally. Here's Christ. Say

my grace is sufficient.

Play me, Jesus. You didn't even address, Paul's complaint, didn't you did you?

My grace is sufficient. For my power is made complete.

In. Your? Weakness.

It's not an easy word. The very next thing Paul says, is there for I am all the more ready. Two in my vernacular, say walk through the valley. Stand in the fire. Lost in the woods.

Demean. laughed at

because the more less of me. Please do more.

This is what I want you to do this week and I'll join you along. Every morning this week. Visualize pray. These this beatitude of your life praying everyday. The next 5 days. Visualize. As you see, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. As you pray, that over yourself. I want you to visualize for that day. The difference. It would make in your life. If you actually lived in two more of God, and less of you.

So may it be gracious. God. Thank you for the kindness. Thank you. God for your love. Thank you. God for your continued presence. And we pray that you owe. God would allow. the reading, speaking of your word, the singing of these pray songs to be To be instruments. That Usher in your grace that we here. Oh God, the sacred worth. That we have in your kingdom. It's All For Your Glory? Oh God, we pray. I meant.

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