(Series on the Mount #2)
Let’s Pray…
REVIEW: Last week we began a series on the Sermon on the Mount and we said that, by looking at the end (Matthew 7:24-29) we can see that the teachings are a “new house” for us to live in, and that if we are to run our race well here in this life, we must build our house on a solid faith in Jesus Christ, and no longer build only on relationships that might fail, careers that might end abruptly, or anything else that is of this world.
We said that the Sermon on the Mount was a Spiritual building process that would produce tangible results, which would be visible to those around us and to us.
We also said that if we study the Sermon on the Mount without faith, we will be amazed by aspects of the teaching, but we won’t know the joy and understanding that is there for the believer who hears the words of Jesus “and puts them into practice” (Matthew 7:24).
Now we will begin digging in.
Jesus goes into the Beatitudes after setting down to teach and after the disciples came ready to hear {Matthew 5:1-2}, (by the way, this is a great position to take when we come to the Word. We should quiet our minds of all the rubbish of the day and the distractions that we entertain while we are idle).
In our NIV translation the word blessed is used to introduce 8 concepts, which make up the Beatitudes. We’re going to read and explore the first Beatitude tonight. Please read it with me in Matthew 5:3.
Now the word blessed is often translated to “happy,” but as the English Standard Version study Bible explains, this is not the way we think of happy today. It’s not that kind of happy that can seem wonderful until some little thing comes by and knocks us off our rhythm. No this is the kind of lasting well being that is reserved for those in a savior/saved relationship with Christ.
So that’s the deal with the word blessed.
Now, remember what we said last week — I’ll try to point this out each week of the series. The Sermon on the Mount is counter to most of the things we are taught in society today.
For example, the world tells us to pursue happiness as the ultimate goal and the beatitudes show us that true happiness springs out of things that seem like anything but happy-motivators.
Like, how does being “poor of spirit” make us happy or blessed?
Being “poor of spirit” simply means that we see and acknowledge the brokenness and wickedness of our soul. The darkness of our hearts and the evil that creeps around in our minds behind the curtain.
This subdued darkness points to our emptiness that can only be filled by the Spirit of God.
Now, our culture is hyped up on building self-esteem. On the talk shows and even in our own families, they would often look at the ‘poor in spirit” piece and decry it as self-abuse.
But, there are multiple examples in Scripture where God was okay with letting us shed all of that self-confidence in order that He might be glorified.
Old Testament:
Moses: Born an Israelite, raised as royalty, grew up and found himself on the outside of both cultures, ran away and became a shepherd for something like 40 years. Then one day God comes to Moses and tells Him that he is to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Beaten down by time and trials and bad choices, Moses asks, why Me? In other words, "I'm not sure if I'm qualified or even a worthy choice for this task." (my interpretation)
Does God Answer: “Now Moses, you stop talking like that, you are good enough and smart enough and dog gone it, people like you.”
No, He says, rely on Me, I am good enough for both of us. (Exodus 3:11 & 4: 10-12)
Isaiah: was a mouthpiece for God to communicate to His people. He was God’s guy among the people. But, when He came face to face with the Lord, Isaiah knew exactly the state of His spirit: Poor and wretched — unclean. (Isaiah 6:1-5).
Does God tell Isaiah to stop being so hard on him self when he expresses his low self image? No, it is that point where true transformation takes place. (Isaiah 6:6-8)
A good friend of mine preached on loving one another and he chided people for praying for pain to come on people if that is what it takes to bring them to a point where they can turn to the Lord.
I say if we are to take this passage, this Beatitude, seriously, we have to pray that God’s Will would be done whether the lowering of self comes easy or hard, so long as it happens.
Our prayers should be a petition for God to grace our brothers and sisters with faith, so that once they “hit bottom” — if that is what it takes, that they would then turn to Christ instead of succumbing to the ultimate darkness that is the alternative.
The beauty is, that once we come to terms with our impoverished Spirit, we can then begin to serve the Lord with the humility that He asks of us. It is in that Humility that we find our Blessing and it is on the narrow road of faith, paved with humility and a right understanding of who God is, that we will travel to the Kingdom of Heaven that is promised at the end of the verse.
So, what’s the status of our spirits tonight? While preparing for this sermon, God showed me in stark terms where I am still a double minded man. And it’s amazing how much it hurts to admit that, “Yes God, I am still holding back from you. I trust you with everything else, but this part is MY life. I am living in rebellion here and I’m not ready to let go.”
When we know — not just how powerful God is — but how much He sacrificed to restore a relationship with us, it is heartbreaking to realize our sin.
But again, once we see our own brokenness. Once we see that we are completely broke spiritually, bankrupt in our hearts, that is when we see the undeniable need for God’s grace, love, strength and guidance. Our pride is smashed and we can lay down the paving stones of humility.
The challenge that we face as we build this wall is to BEG God to reveal where we are poor in spirit so that we may begin to grow in His light and by His might.
Another challenge that I have seen a need for in my own life is to stop hindering my brothers and sisters in Christ as they build their walls of humility. How many times in church world do we attempt to comfort and maybe even fix a problem by telling a person that they were in the right and that they need to believe in themselves when really they might be just at that edge of finally giving it up to God and follow him without the chains of “self”.
Let’s comfort the poor in spirit, not by enabling self, but by leading them back to Christ and the real happiness that is found in complete dependence on Him.
Let’s pray…
