2020-01-19-LIVE OAKS - Blessed are they who mourn
Guess what we get to do. I get to open up the written word of God and prayerfully hear what the spirit might speak through the written word. So pray with me again.
Heavenly father let us not take this Pulpit lightly the pulpit exists not to give me a prompt upon which to lean. It is a platform from which to place you were written word. And say V. This is the highest for us. This is this is the highest truth and this is what we will Proclaim. If not this then nothing. So God preached through me if you will reach around me if you have to but treat your word and give us the ears to hear it in your name. We pray. Amen.
Matthew 5 starting in verse 2 and he opened his mouth and taught them saying blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and other all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you so we're in the Beatitudes. This is what we called the Beatitudes from the Latin word fetus which means happy happy. Are they and that's the word blessed. It's not a fancy way of saying bless its blessed. It's a word that means a state of abiding happiness. Like abiding happiness abiding happiness. Like Joy it doesn't is not fleeting it it doesn't leave us. Worldly Earthly happiness is fickle its base in the word happenstance. I get your things happen to go the way you want them to you or you'll be glad you'll be happy if they don't happen to go the way you want them to you'll be sad. I'm glad good sad that. Dr. Seuss action going on here, I think.
What are the Beatitudes be happy this is a this is odd section. It's it's a preamble to the Sermon on the Mount which covers all can I mean if you want to know how to be A child of God how to be a citizen of the Kingdom read The Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches us just about everything but this is the preamble for that. This this is this is as we talked last week. This is like this is the guest list of those who are will be seated around the banqueting table that is being laid out before us it's it's being served this this marriage supper of the Lamb is what Revelation 19:9 calls it and the angel said to me, right this blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb and we wonder who's going to be there or would it be like to be invited in and what's going to be served? That's the Beatitudes K. It's the announcement. It's the guest list and it's the menu. cake so what's on the menu?
Eternal presence of Christ we could just stop there couldn't we? but if you want more details about what the Eternal presence of Christ really means I can cut it cuz that flush out will that be really like comfort the Earth itself satisfaction Mercy seeing God being declared Sons and Daughters of God great reward as though all of that isn't already great reward. I don't know if maybe I'm unique But the bottle keeps talking about this reward and it doesn't really go into detail. I think it's just because like let's not be distracted by that we get Jesus Hallelujah. Turn up fringe benefits. If we have Jesus already what what in the world could there but it's been here. Great reward the kingdom in other words everything. Everything is served at the banqueting table of the Lamb. And we who are invited we draw near and are drawn near. to the head of that table disciples draw near to Jesus
disciples are drawing near to Jesus and everything will be laid before us will be very happy. It's not just an amazing understatement. Be happy like I'll be happy if the check clears. I'll be happy if I remember my peppermints. I know that sounds really random, but I did I kind of forgot my peppermint and then I asked your sister to go grab me some peppermint instead. I was happy happy about peppermint happy about the English language needs revision there needs to be more words. inadequate I say Matthew 5:4 blessed happy happy deeply abidingly happy are those who mourn?
Didn't seem like a contradiction. Happy are those who are sad? All right. It's just Jesus doing like I mean the word tricks or something. What would Jesus trying to do is just being clever blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted? Knock Nevis when all of the all of the scriptures especially the red letters and you know, Jesus has words they are they all should I mean they're all foundational for us. They're all important. Right? I mean that that's like that's like the the truth that beats through our veins right, but I'm here to tell you that as Live Oaks Bible Church Matthew 5:4 and and what is connected to it. Those are just like it. This is like a true that type of charger for us. It's a truth. That's like Play too deep in the DNA of who we are as a church blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted this truth? These red letters are part of our calling and Charter here at Live Oaks this truth from the mouth of Christ is part of the shade and shelter. We have been called to offer under this Oak that he planted Generations ago. I was talking to somebody about this oak tree right here in them in our Courtyard how long ago it was a 1/4. I mean to tell me exactly older than me.
right I think I was alive when I love it when Skylab deorbited. I was listen to podcast earlier about Nason. I'm not very old that tree it it was planted in this what I love about the sovereignty of God.
He wanted that tree to cover the sanctuary. right So he caused a corn to fall where it would. And he kept the squirrels from eating it. He probably called somebody to step on it to just press it down into the Earth. He gave it just the right amount of water and there is shade that covers this. Holy place.
It's from where we got our name? You wouldn't you wouldn't have wanted been present with the elders all we were just like fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out what the name this joint. I mean, it was like cross truth life Place Community Fellowship Tabernacle.
In in in true Holy Spirit fashion. None of us can remember exactly who suggested it but it's like the way I have. Decided it went looking at the one we just saw the Oak. And what about Live Oaks Bible Church? And then in an awesome bit of confirmation brother Ken called the the former Pastor hear Alan. He was such a godsend for us at just the right time for just the right season and consider think about changing the name of the church to Live Oaks in San Jose 61.
Isaiah 61 starting in verse 1. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me. This is prophecy about Christ himself. The prophet is speaking about Christ himself. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the Brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of Vengeance for our God to comfort all who mourn. To Grant to those who mourn in Zion to give them a beautiful headdress instead of Ashes the oil of gladness instead of mourning the Garment of Praise instead of a faint spirit that they may be called Oaks of righteousness. The planting of the Lord that he may be glorified.
This prophecy tells us. dead in Christ Liberty is now because our land is conquered and comfort is coming because our lion will return.
We have a liberty now in a promise of comfort to come. and in his returning in Christ returning our mourning will turn to dancing.
Moment. Are mourning will turn to dancing.
Good morning is Jesus referring here when he says blessed are those who mourn morning? What way what morning? Essentially two different meanings In this passage. Good morning from within and there's morning from without. within means two things that are in US without means two things that are outside of us. And they both will bring us morning. We will mourn over what is in us and we will mourn over what is outside of us both within and without. We have grief over the work of our hands and our heart and we have a grief over the work of all the hands and all the hearts.
We see the falling into ways and see the fall in the mirror. We see the fall through the window.
We see evidence of it. We see the fruit of the Fall. in our own hearts
and outside of our own homes.
The Jesus is promising. The comforter will come for both.
Comfort will come for the morning that is in US Comfort will come from the morning for the morning outside of us. Godly grief No, we don't we don't think naturally we don't think that we should put both of those things together. God is good grief is bad. So how could grief be Godly? How can sorrow be sanctified?
How can weeping beat me worship like right. How can there be such a thing as Godly grief? Here it is. It's grieving over sin.
We grieve over our own sin.
Does your sin cause you grief?
The grief comes from a change set of desires. When you were born again your new heart desires something different than it used to. You're you're born again heart desires righteous. You ain't going to say that hungers and thirsts for righteousness will get there.
What happened? A new heart happened and now that new heart wants what's new? The life in you once more life. It desires of life and not death and when your flesh smears death all over the life that you've been given it it it it's not right. And it expresses itself in grief.
I have Dishonored my savior.
I have I've muddied the new heart that he gave me. I've harmed the people around me. This is not right. This is not good. This brings me grief. I am grieved by this. Or how about the first time the very first time that that grief weld up in you.
When you first learn how lost you really were when you first learn how dead you really works. Maybe you were in a church service like this that you got dragged to her or collapsed inside of her or you know, where dropped off a turkey have to be there or you were at an event right at a crusade or something weirdly for some reason and the stuff that you sharing sounds real and sounds true. When you go home you went home and you thought about it every sat there in that Pew or that seat and it stirred in you and then all of a sudden for the first time it's like your eyes were opened and you stick a mirror was placed in front of you and you didn't see pride you saw Heartache you saw grief. You saw morning?
ruin
And you found yourself calling out to God God. What do I do? I see who I am now, and I don't want to be this. What do I do? And you heard a call come you her to call repent you her call fall to your knees.
And you did.
And now as the days and weeks in the months in the Years went on the things that used to bring you pleasure. Bring you sorrow bring you morning. Why have I failed again? You used to not struggle. with that how to sing But the grief over that thing. Godly grief and it brings you to repentance and that is a beautiful thing because through repentance comes life. Godly grief Grief over sin leads to repentance and repentance leads to life 2nd Corinthians 7:4 through 10. I am acting with great boldness toward you. I have great pride in you. He's talking to the Corinthian Christian. This is a letter don't don't don't hear it all the way up here here in from the heart of one Apostle to his flock. He knows them. He loves him and he's writing to them. I'm still with comfort in all our Affliction. I'm overflowing with Joy or if he even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were Afflicted at every turn fighting without and fear within but God who comforts the downcast comforted Us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you as he told us of your longing your morning. Your Zeal for me so that I Rejoice still more for even if I made you grieve with my letter cuz check it out the Christians in Corinth in Corinth. I was at Corinthia. The Christians in Corinth if you think you're messed up if you think our church has problems just read read it just read what's going on there. And Paul rebuked them Paul corrected them. Erase all that does not that's gross that is detestable. stop and it made the Corinthian sad. We don't like we don't like being told that what we're doing and what we want is bad. makes her sad
Even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it. Oh, I did regret it. I love you, and I don't like to see you sad. I'm reading that into it for I see that this letter grieved you the only for a while. As it is I Rejoice not because you were grieved but because you were grieved into repenting.
God has no pleasure in your sorrow.
He gets pleasure in your repentance and he gets pleasure and pouring life into you. If we have to go to the grease to get there then so be it Hallelujah for you felt a Godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us for Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to Salvation without regret. Whereas worldly grief produces death Godly grief brings life worldly grief brings death, right we've ruined this again by deciding that sadness is death and happiness is life. So we don't tolerate anyone that's going to tell us anything that makes us feel anything, but happy and thrilled to be who we are thrilled what we want thrilled to practice what we've practiced thrilled to pursue what we've decided to pursue and if you tell me otherwise you do not love me. You do not want the best for me unless you absolutely 100% whole hog, shoot up the Six Guns, whack the pinata and throw the party for absolutely everything I want. That's what loving is. Do not correct me. Love me. And what all saying with the holy spirit says I'm going to correct you because I love you what you are doing will bring you death and God wants you to have life repent.
Godly grief that brings us to repentance
It is profoundly sad when we find out that we are sinful by nature and outside of Christ will be contend to Eternal death. Just like it's sad when you find out that you have cancer and it's going to kill you.
Unless we act now.
Unless the surgeon with his scalpel.
Unless we unless we give you what will taste and feel like poison. preseason then you may have life.
What would we rather do the doctor who finds out about the disease finds out about the tumor? Would you rather him just stay quiet to save our feelings? I would you rather. Would you rather look at you right in the eye and say if this does not change you are going to die.
Knowledge of our deadness and desperate poverty is what brings us to the joy that is only found in Christ and the free gift of eternal life in his presence. You could almost say the rich is the richest are those who know how poor they are and those who grieve over there poverty are the happiness are the happiest or maybe we'll go with the first version blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted? Don't you know that the work of their hands and Heart have produced death and pain and separation and judgment upon themselves and are grieved by that truth will be comforted.
But what are we comforted by?
Right sore grieved by the work of our hands and our heart were comforted by the work of Christ hands. in the security of his heart Isaiah 53 starting a verse 3. He was despised and rejected by Men A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him. Not surely. He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet. We esteemed him stricken Smitten by God and afflicted.
He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds. We are healed all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every every every one of us to his own way and the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us. All Christ's hands and his heart. We're Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ Our Lord or 2nd Corinthians. 5:21 for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God or Romans 5:17 for it because of one man's trespass Adam death reigned through that one man and much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness rain in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Ever ever heard that you can't be saved by works not true. You are saved by works his works. Christ's works You can't be saved by your Works your Works grieve you his Works breathe life into you.
friends That moment I was describing a few minutes ago when your eyes were opened. That is not the moment that you accepted Jesus into your heart. That's the moment that Jesus accepted you into his
In in his heart you are safe in his heart. You are secure.
in grief Greece open your eyes to that heart.
praise God for Godly grief
no matter how successfully we have numbed and distracted and lied to ourselves and deceived ourselves and our world that I'm okay and you're okay outside of Christ. We are not
If you really want good news, that's that's what the word gospel means. If you really want good news. It's not found in a mirror chanting. I'm good enough. I'm smart enough and doggone it people like me.
It's found in James for 9 and 10 be wretched and mourn and weep.
. Space breathe let your laughter be turned to Mourning.
And your joy to Gloom?
Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you. In other words, stop exalting in yourself. It leads to death.
Mourn over death right now and you will be raised to life.
You reach down deep inside. Take a good long. Look at your Stoney coldheart and You Weep over the work of your hands. and then you ask the father Daddy Fix It And when I type that line daddy fix it, I immediately remembered this book when I was a kid. This is one of my favorite books published in 1947. I like old things. Fix it, please. I couldn't remember the name of the book Thank you, Google. It is good for some things. I just Googled children's book Daddy Fix It.
And there it is called fix it, please. I just hope there's another page and I want to read to you what it says. You can't read it all. Did I not bring that page?
See if my eyes are good enough.
So Daddy got a nut and some pliers and as I'm reading this morning, it just came back to me instantly came back to me. I remember all of it. I remember every day. He put a part of the wagon through the hole in the wheel and turned and turn the nut till the wheel was tight on the wagon again. It's all fixed and Polly it runs again.
Take a broken heart with a daddy fix it in the father sends the son. In the sun takes your broken heart in his hands. He washes it and he washes it and the Holy Spirit brings to freeze life into it. And places it back in your chest and it's beating again. your allies
he can fix. He can fix. We can't. Blessed are they that weep over their Brokenness for they won't stay broken?
And the two mornings morning over morning from within in morning from without. Grief over the work of your hand. grief over the work of your heart
That's one kind of grief and there's a grief over the work of all the hands and all the hearts. The grief that you see out of the window the grief that you see through your TV, maybe maybe take a week off of that. Just you can just turn it off you can. It's possible. Morning over the Brokenness of our culture our country our world Howell this morning.
Turn into comfort.
What juices are inside is set free and Unbound through Christ life death and Resurrection. Our outside will be also.
And that of the world is well as well. You do not me Christ is coming back, right? That's not lit. That's not just Fairy Tail. That's not just something that we say to ourselves because you know that makes us feel better. I guess back I bet that is going to happen Christ. He's going to come back. Why why is Christ returning?
Well, we're back in Isaiah 61. back in Isaiah 61 I need a I need a read a little bit of it first here. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has appointed me anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the Brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. That's Christ first coming. The prophet did not know that he was prophesying about the first and second coming of Christ.
Didn't know. The prophet just knew that Christ was coming and he was going to do these things but verses 1 through 2 a is his first coming. And the rest of the passage are his second coming. How do I know this? I know this because of Luke Chapter 4 verses 16 through 19. Listen to this. And he came to Nazareth Jesus where he had been brought up and as was his custom he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has appointed me to Proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set at Liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Jesus did not keep reading. Here's the deal. There were no first in chapter numbers. Jesus simply proclaimed the prophecy that was true about what he came to do right now. The rest is coming. The rest is coming. But not yet here. What's the rest listen?
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor for the living in the year of the Lord's favor right now and the day of Vengeance of our God. That sounds negative.
To comfort all who mourn at the same time in his coming is a day of Vengeance and a day of comfort. How can both of those exist at the same time to Grant those who mourn in Zion?
Those in the Kingdom those who are seated around the banqueting table. Those who have been welcomed and drawn and sometimes straight-up dragged. to the banqueting table
We will mourn in Zion and we giving Comfort to give them a beautiful headdress instead of Ashes the oil of gladness instead of mourning the Garment of Praise instead of a faint spirit that they may be called Oaks of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified. We are waiting for his second coming. Jesus come today. If you would just come today. I wouldn't even have to land the plane of the sermon you could just return right now and bring the comfort. To all those who have held their hearts up to you.
Christ came the first time to pay the penalty of all the sin of those who would Place faith in him be covered by his blood abide in him and live in his kingdom.
He is returning to pour out the penalty of sin for all those who would not Place faith in him be covered by his blood abide in him and in his kingdom. The return of Jesus is called the Great and Dreadful day of the Lord. The great and Dreadful day of the Lord why? Because it will be a day of great rejoicing for those who wept.
and a day of great weeping for those who didn't we week now.
We weep now.
And that sorrow will be turned to gladness. upon his return
What if what if like the day of your great sorrow has already happened and your heart has been made new and you are abiding in him and in his kingdom. What about the other morning? What about the morning? Because your children are prodigals in your waiting on the front porch for them to return? What do you do when your your your morning because your body is failing and you know that you're the end of your days is soon an end and you don't feel and they're people around you that loves you and don't want to live without you. What do you do when your loved ones have already left you behind? We do when you see people that are dear and near to you just just believe abandoned. What do you do with that more? What do you do? When when you do watch TV when you read the news and you see the sorrow and pain and the anguish and in a fallen is what do you do with that grief? Does God give any comfort for that grief now, is there any comfort now for that dries?
You want truth?
Maybe not.
He might he might not right now.
He told Paul my grace is sufficient for you. Closest Lord this really hurts. please God said my grace is sufficient for you.
but listen for those in the Kingdom but those who live in in in the palm of Jesus for those who are already seated around the table waiting for the feast to begin. The pain and sorrow English that you feel now.
This is as bad as it gets. It won't get worse.
when I was there praise God for all of the births of all of my babies and My wife is for the monitor on and it would measure, you know the contractions and you could see him up on the thing.
McKinney Falls And I remember I told her hand and she would say just just tell me when it's the worst tell me when it's the worst then we would not yet babe. Not yet. Not yet here. This is the worst. It doesn't get worse than this and then a little bit country little bit of brass and then I know it's coming coming come. It's not the worst. The worst way wait, here's the worst right now brothers and sisters. This is the worst.
Endure this just didn't just enjoy this. I mean we had one baby then another one and then another one another one another one another one. We lost some in the middle of those immigrants over them. Why did we keep having babies? Obviously, it was painful.
Is that woman knew the joy that comes after?
endure the pain for right now because of the joy that comes after are we willing to endure this pain now for the joy that comes after
Hold on.
Romans 8 starting 18 it will end with a verse that you know. Let the truth that precedes it to soak into your bones.
Paul says for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation Waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
for the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him who subjected it God is the one who subjected the worlds of utility in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God for we know that the whole creation has been growing together in the Pains of childbirth until now,
not only the creation but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as Sons and Daughters the Redemption of our body for in this hope we were saved now hope that is seen is not hope For who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience. Likewise the spirit helps us in our weakness, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and he who searches Hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit? Because the spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God and we know for those who love God all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose for those who were seated around the banqueting table for those who are waiting for it and knife and napkin for the feast to begin.
The weight and grief that the fall brings now will melt away and you will see how all things work together for your good. Sinclair Ferguson said the child of the Kingdom knows higher joy as well as deeper Soros. More sensitive morning, but also more profound Comfort now that he is the Lord's.
So whether it's grief over one's own sin grief over the sin of mankind. Or grief that comes from the realities of a fallen world. It is those in the Kingdom who will come to no grief not as poison. But as an ingredient. in Christ's sweet remaking of all things Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted was prey?
Got there is great morning in this place. There is great morning outside of this place. And I pray that you would use that morning for our good that you would use that morning to bring a life that you would use the morning and not waste at the world wastes it. The world of Revels in it and offers nothing. But numbness to it.
And you you declare this morning, we'll do something in you this morning will accomplish something in you endure it with patience and I will bring you gladness Joy and yes even happiness that can't even be measured. Hang on. Hold on.
Got there are people in this room right now that are asking. Is it the worse yet? It's the worst yet is the worst yet?
Is there any that need comfort right now? If any need the Assurance of the Comfort to come if anybody our greed right now because of their sin and have never placed that in your nail pierced hands. I pray that they would do that now. Even right now, they would confess their need of you that they would confess their poverty. Confess their desperation confessed their Brokenness and that you would use their morning right now to bring them a down payment on the comfort that you're returning will bring.
Lord Jesus thank you. This is your church. I I keep wondering maybe this is the Sunday where? You won't show up.
Found my make maybe this Sunday is the 10 day that you show up.
with trumpets
and we will celebrate.
Thank you for our morning. Thank you for our weeping. It is brought us as such a beautiful place.
You with us abide with us. You're precious and holy name we pray I'm in it. If you do need to talk to someone or pray with someone, please come forward. We will pray over you.