Feb 24 - Blessings and Woes

An interesting song especially when I came for Eastern Shore Maryland. So basically you're at sea level already been any time it rains for like even appreciable amount of the day. You're going to have the water come up in the streets. And that's just kind of how it is. Unfortunately with the last hurricane. It took out a considerable portion of the town and they lost or Less grocery store in the last time that happened I said, we're sending service team even here in the in this district and in the North District 2, they're sending out teams to go down there to help out people still trying to recover some things because it was a depressed economy you before that hurricane happen there. So so that that that song has great meaning for them. This morning. I want to talk about Luke 6:17 226 and this is the blessings and woes some people say it's a a summary of The Sermon on the Mount but The Sermon on the Mount was that a different occasion that happened before this passage. And so if there is a longer discourse that Jesus had on The Sermon on the Mount and this is as Jesus is come down from the mountain and he's talking with other people. Maybe these other people didn't come with with the group that was there on The Sermon on the Mount maybe they came afterwards and I I can see people saying you don't tempt Jesus, you know, we just trying to get here we knew something was going on and we just couldn't make it in time to see this. It's like people showing up after the service right after I've I've done the sermon and people want to come in then and then talk about the you know, what I did for the sermon well and then you wanted summarize I want to make it a little bit more concise button. So Jesus talks to different people groups and it differently and in this circumstance. Maybe it was the same number of people. I didn't seem like it was by there is a different quality to these people night. So we heard that in this passage, which is this group of people. They were particularly looking for a message saying they were coming for the message. They wanted to hear from Jesus. They want to hear what he had to say because they had heard about what Jesus has done so far has been going around all through Galilee. They're healing the hearing about Jesus healing people and a delivering people from the from the Demonic and there lies the people that again Awards seem to be been oppressed in their sins and an inn sing people freed from their sin being freed being healed and made whole before Jesus and they were When to know we would it was the Jesus was about that put him in the position of being able to do this for people and so they come they came for his message. They also came for healing and hope deliverance from their sins. Now this morning I thought I said the title for this pack passageways blessings. And what was underneath there that he said a tale of two kingdoms. One of the books that I read in in high school was A Tale of Two Cities that all right in there and then there's a cheap two cities are under political turmoil their things happening there. You know, people are are are starving in there fighting because because they don't have the bread they don't have things to eat their their welfare for their lives have what they're dealing with daily is a problem. And so and in that example that they're going after those who have the power who have the wealth who have the say-so in and they're in in their nation and Their Kingdoms. So I did this little thing with Becky. My wife is a writer so we often come up with these being some sort of world that she writes in right now and we ask questions like okay, if you want your fantasy world to work like this then some other things have to work in the middle of different way to make that happen. So I'm going to just go through a quick Narrative of a two different kinds of Kingdoms. The first Kingdom is called Evermore and Evermore is a place of peace and prosperity for every individual through the guidance of the one I could see all the possible outcomes of each individual Choice before and after a person has made a choice and advise each person on the best course of the their actions. How did not lack anything that was necessary when they were necessary and everyone felt valued by the one in their work and with each other their happiness was found in knowing that each were cared for individually by the one in each other. salaries of second Kingdom who is very close to the first Kingdom, but different this is the kingdom of give me now give me now saw prosperity and structure by establishing certain ground rules for every person that ever everyone agreed to at the very beginning of things and would most likely resulting in everyone's happiness. There was no one who could tell them what would make them happy? Anyone who did not abide by the ground rules would have would have to force quit everything. including their lives everyone saw their own happiness until they became unhappy with their initial are the first things that they had and happiness. Then everyone saw other things that they thought that would keep them happy. Discontinued until some had more things more food more power and more like ability. Until those who got no no more or less of those things became envious and even angry at those who had more things to waste.

They're no longer made them happy. So what better way to stop too many things going to less people and creating new rules to remove those people from giving give me now.

but those with more thing as directed some things to go to other people they like So it seems like they did not have have that much making them more like a like a woman preventing new rules against themselves.

Everything came a continual struggle the struggle between those who had more than enough. And those who had just enough. To make him happy without being too envious.

To hear you have a few have two different kingdoms. two different ways of going about things We don't know the outcomes, but we don't know where we don't even know where own past. Sometimes we forget our past.

Then we just kind of work at life life kind of just happens to us. All right. We don't know the future so we can plan for those things necessarily. We forget our past. So would try to win. can people head home come to Jesus to hear from Jesus and they knew that there was something different about Jesus and

Wasn't necessarily just that when Jesus could heal.

Turn Jesus can deliver them from their sins? Because they had a place for that. They had an opportunity to go to the temple to sacrifice to bring forgiveness in their life. And even in in placing themselves under the priesthood pray for them and they would receive healing from time to time in these things.

But there is a difference between those things that Jesus said and did and those things that the priesthood said ended the way they act and

Jesus had moral Authority moral Authority. We we have the Commandments. Yes, we do. We have the Commandments from God and his word and his laws his moral law for us guidance for our lives in even to the extent of giving us a Content we and when we are not yet before guide to know what is good. God still gives us a conscious a measure of knowing something about good.

Jesus was head head kingly Authority by Jesus was given authority over all things all all who would believe I saw Jesus has his miraculous ability to deliver not just because he petitioned God to make that happen. He was God himself to Jesus had that kingly a sorority in himself and ability to be able to heal people. They have that kingly Authority. He also had that does Spiritual Authority Spiritual Authority as as Priests of their lives. So in Jesus, Jesus was speaking to them teaching to them about righteousness, right that moral authority. Jesus was delivering them from from evil spirits said that Spiritual Authority the power over Spiritual Beings and negativity the negative feelings the negative animus of Indiana demonization that happens in US The Jesus had Authority in the miraculous over our bodies to be able to heal.

So this is what Jesus was teaching about him teaching the moral law, but also using his kingly authority to heal and to deliver people. People were coming becoming hungry of the understanding righteousness. Why because they would see the their leaders they would they would see the Pharisee they would see the the Sadducees and I were at the temple they would be saying one thing and in their lives they would be doing something completely different. Had a double life. I never put this mask on as soon as they got in front of people to show people that know I'm good on perfect. There's nothing wrong here for a good idea to do all the things that did God want us to do actually I do more than that. This is what the Pharisees and say I do more than what the law commands. I washed like my entire body even when it's not not necessary right now and I make everybody who I know why and the same way. But it wasn't necessary. Sometimes we get tired of the religious oppression and apocracy that comes from the religious.

So this is where the people were they were tired of seeing the hypocrisy. They were tired of this being a religious oppression of the commas with this order of hierarchy and gets billed into place with the religious. I do things more like God wants me to therefore. I am better than you. this attitude

do some people were actually hungry and actually poor when they came to Jesus and sometimes this is the scripture gets interpreted like so it's more of a spiritual thing is more just the spiritual hunger. It's more just the, you know, actually not having money to pay for things. But at the same time if it's both It's both Jesus implies both a spiritual hunger bosso a physical hunger and eating food, but Jesus addresses both. This is the address of both. He does not simply ignore. The physical hunger but he doesn't ignore the spiritual hunger when they're hungry. Turn Jesus was talking to these people about the spiritual values of spiritual values of the kingdom. And at the same time showing them the errors of the kingdom of this world.

So let's go back to the scripture.

To hear Jesus is saying blessed are the poor. Blessed are those who hunger? Blessed are those who weep? Blessed are you when people hate you when they exclude you insult you reject you. because of the son of man

and what does it say right after this? Prince Royce, she says rejoice in the day rejoice in that day when you were being hated when you're being excluded when you're being rejected. He says rejoice in that day. It doesn't say Huawei. He doesn't say complain about it. It doesn't say try to tell other people to fix themselves. When this is happening. Cousin told people to go back to to the scriptures and and fix yourself. Jesus says go and rejoice in that day the day that you were persecuted.

How do you do that? I have to ask you this. How do you do that? Isn't that that's ridiculous to me? Ridiculous and said, that's the opposite of what we're ever thought, isn't it?

Blessed are you who are poor?

Are you? Are you made poor? Are you made are you made? Holy because you're poor. I don't think that's fair.

It says woe to you who are rich. Are wealthy willing to you who are well-fed a fool will see you who laugh now. We're happy. What was he you when everyone speaks well of you and you are honored you given place on Earth place of status. mariculture That's not that's ridiculous. Why? Why aren't are we supposed to be looking after our own happiness? Don't we have the right to be happy don't we right have the right to be fool. Don't we have the right to be wealthy and we have the right to be honored before people.

Sure.

you have the right to

Who speaks this way? I mean Jesus spoke this way look at the prophets and Prophets throughout the Old Testament spoke this way. I mean you have At least 1/3 of the Bible here. Where the Prophet speak. Why do we continually reject the prophets Jesus? Is it even saying look at the prophets? Look at the way your treat the prophets?

to do things this way Jesus again the prophets

so who didn't who didn't and that was the religious authorities?

They were the ones who thought they had it all together.

They were the ones he thought okay, I'll do good, but I don't even do better than that. I'll do better than what God told us to do.

Who benefits with this kind of Kingdom thinking the sinking of Christ that this is the mind of Christ to who benefits hear the benefits of my right here the poor the hungry those who are Mourning. Write those who are persecuted.

And when you can summarize all of these into one word one word. all these people humble

if you are humble.

If you can understand.

Your place before God.

understanding your limitations

Is it is well? Is being full. Is being happy all the time.

Is being honored all the time?

beneficial

Ask a question. Because sometimes when we're over and over lyrics religious we become repetitive in our faith and and sometimes legalistic in our faith. We set all these rules around it for people to pass through this mess and Maze of things to somehow get to the center. Where God would have us and we have people pass through these mazes. of legalism

like it's up to us who gets blessed by God. Like it's up to us. Who goes to heaven it will surprise many of us and probably mostly all of us of who is going to enter the heaven when we get there. It's going to surprise us. sometimes compassion gets left behind

When were too much about the religion of thing and we're not about the heart and mind of Christ?

Prosperity is one of those things physical Prosperity those things that in our life is often a sweet poison.

And it tastes good and it tastes great man, but there's something in there that isn't immediately tasted that corrupts our heart. I corrupt our minds.

Can I trap their soul?

2

If Prosperity was always a good thing and God is a good God and he wants all people to be within heaven with him shouldn't every single person person in this world be prosperous. Shouldn't we be all wealthy shouldn't we be awful shouldn't we be honored? Can we always be happy?

Life doesn't really work. That way does it?

So there's nothing wrong with welfare as long as it's being used to love your neighbor.

There's nothing wrong with food.

But do we need to be full when others have none?

There's nothing wrong with being happy. But happiness only lasts for a moment. in this world happiness last for eternity with God there's nothing wrong with being honorable. But no one is like all the time.

Even so much so that people want to kill us.

So it's not the goodness of humanity for which we are to be praised in a firm. But the goodness of God in our lives. It's a graciousness of God in our lives. His love is overflowing in overfilling and we'll fill you his happiness that comes into our lives when we know we're living a Godly life. Is full to overflowing such that it flows out into eternity.

Is it better to be honored by people or is it better to be honored by God?

It's all these questions need to come into play in our faith. We need to consider. Whether or not weird weird, we are thinking about the kingdoms of God and the kingdom of God or whether or not we are taking on the kingdom of van and there is no straddle.

Why because what I said, what did it say in Revelations right in the gun case? the lukewarm

sucks that he spits and this is what I said spits it out of his mouth.

When you spit on something and I don't know about where you're from, but where I'm from when you spend on something that dishonoring it. If you are going to spit on something at someone else that is dishonouring it. Tell her we to be about the honor of God and the kingdom of heaven or are we about to be done about the honor of man?

Do we one man's approval do we want God's approval and I know it's not and they always it is never an easy choice. Is never an easy choice is always a difficult choice.

10 James 1:27. It says religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this to look at orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. How do you keep this from happening? The only way that you can keep it from happening is being humble before God acknowledging who you are your physical and spiritual inside of your entire being and saying to God, I do not know the future. I barely even know my past. I have no control over God God take control.

Create a new change me fix my heart and fix my mind cuz I can't do it.

only you can

the kingdom of God is about righteousness before God. Doing right things being about right things of God not about a kingdom of Rights.

It's about a kingdom of righteousness. Not a kingdom of rights cuz we have no rights. We failed for the beginning. We are sinful to the utmost degree without the grace of God Holy Spirit within our lives. We cannot do it.

Only by God, can we do it?

Start about right this about righteousness. Turn the kingdom comes only through the grace of God to the humble and following the things of Christ.

when God's Authority is recognized when God's values are known and we are obedient to his calling and