Lucky Are The Unlucky 6.5.22

Lucky Are the Unlucky June 5, 2022 Good morning LEC! Congratulations to our Seniors! * Emily Coach * Kenny Iglesias * Wesley Kimble * Rachel Shaw Today we begin a new series of messages for the Summer. I pray God will... Open our eyes and hearts to fresh revelation about who He has called us to be as people and as a church. I hope we can look at the Sermon on the Mount discourse as a direct message of hope and teaching for our individual lives and corporately as a church. A good prayer to pray is -teach me everything I need to know-show me what you want for me and help me to see the things you have prepared for me. PRAYER Today we have called my assignment - Lucky Are The Unlucky...and we are reading from- (Matthew 5:1-12) One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. --God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. --God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. --God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. --God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. --God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. --God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. --God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. --God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. --God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. This passage is the first of 5 unique blocks of Jesus' teaching in Matthew and like all of Scripture How is it to be applied? 1)-The early church favored a LITERAL INTERPRETATION but only to special classes of Christians. 2)-Some attempt to APPLY IT LITERALLY to every Christian. 3)-Still others view it as LEGALISTIC, provoking repentance in the hearer. 4)-Some argue the demands of the sermon are not to be understood literally, that JESUS WAS CONCERNED WITH INWARD DISPOSITION rather than outward conduct. When you read 5:48 it's clear these legitimate demands are so strict that no one can completely obey them, so we are driven to the grace and mercy of God. It reminds of the time Jesus taught in Matthew 19 that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven-prompting the disciples to ask "then who then can be saved?" The words contained in Matthew 5-7 are the heart of the message Jesus brought to earth-and if you don't understand these, then you don't understand Jesus! As one example...take a look at Matthew 7:21-23... Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws. Do you understand? That's why I say if you don't understand what Jesus is saying in this discourse, then you don't understand who He is, what HE came to do and while I know that sounds harsh-it is a wake up call for you and me-we must ALWAYS pursue Jesus-above everything...not things, not position, not careers-Jesus should and must be our ultimate pursuit. Jesus is not the pathway to your destination-He is the destination! When you give your heart to Jesus He does not just compliment your "already" life-He is your life. I'm hungry for LEC to know Jesus and to value knowing Him. I worry that for the most part, we PRESUME Jesus and we don't embrace Him! In today's society, the message of Jesus is completely COUNTERCULTURAL... in fact that's the theme of these weeks-we are called to live countercultural lives, contrasted with the way the world lives, or thinks. Here's an example... (Matthew 5:43-48) You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren (church folk) only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors (the most wicked and despicable people you know) do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Ours is a world of * self-assertiveness * self-confidence * personal agendas The way of the cross is * submission * surrender Jesus speaks from a position that no other person on the planet can speak-He's come from the other side and He knows that what is over there overcomes anything that we might encounter here on earth. So he promises... * Those who mourn will be comforted * Those who are pure will see God * Those who are meek will inherit the earth Jesus had the authority to make such promises. It Would Be A Mistake To Assume That Everything Jesus Is Talking About Here Is Future... * The teachings neatly contrast how to succeed in the kingdom of Heaven as opposed to the kingdom of this world. * While much of the world is chasing the dream of having more, doing less and enjoying the good life, Jesus brings a sobering reminder that in God's kingdom * last is first * first is last * giving is better than receiving * to save your life you have to give it up. * One way to look at this is to notice who impressed Jesus? * A widow who placed her last two coins in the offering * A dishonest tax collector so riddled with anxiety he climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus * A woman with a string of five (5) unhappy marriages * A man with leprosy * A woman caught in the act of adultery Not exactly church folk! In today's world... * Fame * Money * Success are the "desirables" to be happy In the kingdom of God... * Dependance * Sorrow * Repentance * A longing to change are the doorways to heaven. * Jesus is saying that the poor in spirit, the mourner, those persecuted, hungry or thirsty have a particular advantage over others in this world... because they are DESPERATE... * Those who are DESPERATE are postured to fit the grace of God. o They welcome God's free gift of love-they don't PRETEND to be holy or virtuous, desperate people don't disguise their needs and problems with self-righteousness. * Jesus turns the tables upside down- o the poor, the hungry, the mourner and oppressed are blessed-not because they are so...(Jesus spent a lot of time healing and restoring their state of life)- * their "blessing" is that they don't depend on themselves, * they don't rely on their natural gifts or advantages- * they simply live dependent and God loves that. The Call Of Christ Is The Call To The Better Way To Live * These words of Jesus reveal that what succeeds in the kingdom of heaven also benefits us most in this life and world. Take for example--Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. * The window to see God, to know Him is through purity. o The world and it's siren calls deceives us to think that personal choice/freedom is the pathway to enlightenment but it only leaves us empty and broken. o One need only look at the idols of this world-people who push the limits of morality and want to create the lustful temptations of sinful life-yet their own lives are broken, relationships are surface-God wants so much more for you.. * The woman in John 8-caught in the act of adultery o she had tried the traps of this life- o now broken she hears in the words of Jesus "I want so much more for you"...you are not condemned-you are free. * Such teaching is COUNTER CULTURAL in this world-because the way to success is supposed to be fame, wealth and notoriety. Yet the icons of this world are broken. * God's way is better. * Jesus came to give us life and that life abundantly.-but what does that mean? o It's the better life-better than the one we lay down at his feet when we cry to be healed from the brokenness of our lives. * How do we get to this life? o By investing in others o By taking courageous stands for justice o By ministering to the hurting and needy o By pursuing God and not ourselves Conclusion: It's all about choices-Jesus came to offer you and me the life we were supposed to live until sin entered the Garden and since that time we have been in a battle of choices-to choose to act/live on our own or choose God's better way? So what are we supposed to do with this message today? * If you don't know Jesus as savior-start there. * If you are a believer, then begin prayerful investigation of your life and heart-don't assume-sincerely ask God-"search my heart" 1. Perhaps we need to walk back the goals we set for our lives and ask God "what do you want?" 2. Perhaps we need to quit trying to promote our agendas and start representing Jesus 3. Perhaps we need to look to the needs of others (find someone today who needs a helping hand) before we complain about our own. What if... 1. We stood as a shining light to this world so dark 2. We became the true representation of Jesus Christ to those who have been burned by religion and "church"... 3. We live FOR Jesus instead of WITH Jesus. God I'm a sinner I'm sorry for my sins I believe Jesus died for my sins I believe you will forgive me of my sins I choose Jesus