THE BEATITUDES
(Blessed are the Poor in Spirit - July 3, 2022)
Series Big Idea: "People in God's Kingdom will be known by several characteristics"
Sermon Big Idea: "Realizing your spiritual bankruptcy is the first step in following Jesus"
Key Scripture (Matthew 5:1-12)
I'm beginning a new series of sermons today built on the sermon that Jesus preached in the book of Matthew. We call it the sermon on the mount which involves chapters 5 through 7. He is discussing the Kingdom of God in this sermon, its requirements, and how we as followers of Christ are to live our daily lives in light of being in this Kingdom.
My plan is to unpack what Jesus said in these 12 verses so you will understand what it really means to be a follower of Christ. We will do this by studying each of these “beatitudes” individually. I believe there are eight of them.
(Matthew 5:1-12)
When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying: 3 “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. 5 The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. 7 The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. 8 The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. 9 The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus’ challenge to His disciples in this passage is to live counter-culturally to the values of the current day. Jesus says that people who are blessed are those who live the exact opposite of the world. We can all see that the culture today sets a standard of how we should act. But Jesus turned the cultural thinking upside down and said if you live your life according to His Father's standards you will be happy.
Jesus' first blessing was that the “poor in spirit” are to be blessed and then the Kingdom of heaven would be theirs. You must understand that when Jesus came into this world, He died and rose from the dead. He was beginning this new Kingdom. Although it is not an earthly kingdom, the people who are a part of it reap the benefits of this Kingdom. Think of it as an “already but not yet” Kingdom. It has begun, but one day Jesus will come back and consummate this, Kingdom.
So, what does it mean or what did Jesus mean by “poor in spirit” in verse 3? How do we live this life that is lived poor in spirit?
1. Admit your need for God
(Matthew 11:25) At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.
This is a part of a prayer that Jesus prayed once in which He thanked His Father for revealing the Kingdom of God to people. In this prayer, He mentioned two kinds of people. First the wise and learn; these are the people who are arrogant in their own knowledge. Secondly, He mentioned infants or children; These are the people who are humbly open to receiving the truth of His word.
The wise and learned are not people who were academically superior to anyone else. He was saying that these people were stubborn and refused to repent and learn from Jesus the true way of God. The infants or children in this verse are the people who innocently but not naively received Jesus' revelation from the Father. The contrast here is between people whose pride and self-sufficiency cause them to reject Jesus' message and those who are “poor in spirit” who humbly recognize their own neediness. This kind of person is open to Jesus' announcement of the Kingdom.
In certain places, Jesus often teaches in parables or stories as a way to teach to the hearts of people. Those who are spiritually open to hearing Him will learn more but those who refuse to repent will have their hearts and ears closed (Matthew 13:10-16).
2. Refuse to Compromise God’s standards of living
(2 Corinthians 6:3-4) We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed. But as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything. The apostle Paul was saying in these verses that it does matter how he lived his life in front of other people because it was revealing not only something about himself but also about his Savior Jesus. So, it really does make a difference to know Jesus. Jesus cares for us despite what the world thinks. As Christians, we don't have to give in to the pressures of public opinion.
Paul was saying here that he stood firm whether people were praising him or slandering him. He remained joyous and content with his trials. The same is true of us who follow Christ, we can't let our circumstances or even people's expectations of us control us.
Conclusion:
Are you open to hearing Christ's message or are you self-sufficient and think you don't need him? What Christ is saying in this first part of His sermon is that you will never be in His Kingdom until you admit you need His help.
In the Kingdom of heaven, wealth, power, and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are your attitudes reflective of the world's selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus?
Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:
Holman Christian Standard Bible
English Standard Version Bible
King James Version Bible
Christian Standard Bible
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