The Secret of Blessings
Beatitudes • Sermon • Submitted
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· 1,651 viewsThe key to being poor in spirit is to have a greater desire for God than for the things of this world. Then and only then do we find full contentment.
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Attitudes are important because they set our course. Our attitude can build us up or it can tear us down. Consider the hummingbird and the vulture.
10,000 Sermon Illustrations What Are We Looking For?
Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.
Steve Goodier, Quote Magazine, in May, 1990 R.D.
As we journey through this season of Lent, I am going to be preaching on the Beatitudes as taught by Jesus. Beatitude actually means, “blessed attitude.” The beatitudes were taught by Jesus giving us an example of the life we should aspire to. Jesus was a living example of these blessed attitudes. How fitting that we would follow a sermon series about who Jesus was with a series on what kind of people He would have us be as those who are His followers.
Stand with me as we read through these blessed attitudes found in .
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them. He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Pray
The beatitudes are more than just attitudes. I really believe they are the key to contentment. We live in a world of people that strive for things; money, possessions, influence, power, success, etc… Unfortunately, those things only seem to bring temporary happiness, but not necessarily contentment.
Someone once asked financier John D. Rockefeller how much money was enough to which he responded, “Just a little more.”
Have you ever asked a financial planner how much money you need to retire on and received a flat answer? I haven’t. They always have all these “if” statements that go with it and you never really get a firm answer that makes you feel satisfied you are covered.
The Call to Contentment: Life Lessons from the Beatitudes It’s Never Enough
Sigmund Freud said that the chief duty of a human being is to endure life, and many are doing just that. They grit their teeth and hold on like passengers on an endless subway ride. One weary day drags into the next, and the night offers no relief.
When my son was first born, I was living for a time in low income housing. I worked full-time, however, most of those around me lived on welfare. All day long they sat around smoking, talking on the phone with friends and watching MTV (at full volume I might add).
At night they would congregate at one persons house and drink until late. Day in and day out it seemed their life was always the same. It was depressing to me to even watch them.
My life was not easy, but it seemed so full. I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment when I received my paycheck. I enjoyed going to ball games with me family. We enjoyed being together and laughed a lot. We spent a lot of time at church, learning and encouraging others.
My life was not easy. I worked a full-time job, picked up my son from childcare after work, made dinner and enjoyed time with my son. My house was clean and smelled fresh while most of my neighbors houses were dingy from cigarette smoke and filthy despite the fact that they were home all day. I felt good about what I had achieved each day at work. My son and I spent time with my family doing fun relational things from time to time. On Sundays we went to church and were encouraged.
When I was with my family we spent a lot of time laughing. What I heard from my neighbors was complaints and arguments.
So
When I think of what Sigmund Freud said, I think of those people.
Some people seem happy when you see them, but if you spend more time with them you see the other half of the story. When I first met my boyfriend, his family seemed a lot of fun. They worked hard during the week, but on the weekend they all got together and drank. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. As I spent more time with them, I saw a fuller picture. By the end of the weekend, they were at each others throats. The drinking would turn ugly and out would spill all the dissatisfaction with their lives and their relationships.
Other people cover up their insecurities by becoming so busy they do not have to face the inner emptiness. This is a lot easier to do if you have money. You work hard, you go to different “classy” parties, you take luxurious vacations, go to exotic places, and try to cover up the discontent with luxuries.
With all of these scenarios there is one glaring question that causes discontentment. “What happens when I die?”
For the true believer in Jesus Christ, this question is answered. The answer to that question brings peace and contentment and it is evident in the attitude.
Over these next few weeks, we will be looking at one beatitude at a time. Today we are looking at the first one found in .
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2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Each of these attitudes begins with blessed, so let us look first at this word. We use it freely enough, but do we really understand what it means?
What does it mean to be “blessed?”
What does it mean to be “blessed?”
Blessed is the Latin word “Beatus.” You got it! That is the same word where we get Beatitude. Blessed means “divine joy and perfect happiness.”
Blessed implies an inner satisfaction and sufficiency that does not depend on outward circumstances for happiness.
In days of old it was believed to only apply to the gods or those who were dead.
However, the scriptures have a lot to say about being blessed in this life. Look with me first at the Old Testament:
Who is pronounced blessed in the OT? The person who by discretion prevents an impulsive person from vengeance ( RSV); the wives and servants of a wise king (; ); people who take refuge in God (; ) and whose sins are forgiven (); the nation whose God is the Lord (; ); people who consider the poor (; ), who worship God in the temple (; ), who keep God’s commands () and who have many children ().
In the New Testament we find these descriptions of blessings here and now.
45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
Mary had faith and confidence in God’s promise and now acknowledged the work of God in her life.
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.
8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.
8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
Romans 4:
We are blessed when we have the peace that our sin has been eradicated. We no longer have to suffer a guilty conscience as we are made free by God’s forgiveness.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Galatians
Galatians 3
When we are forgiven God justifies us. He declares us righteous and able to be in relationship with Him. This gives us inner peace and contentment.
An Old Testament counterpart to the beatitudes is found in .
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1:1
Now that we have an understanding of what it means to be blessed, let us look at what it means to be “poor in spirit.”
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?”
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?”
It is to acknowledge who God is, giving Him proper respect and acknowledging our dependence on Him.
I have always been proud of my U.S. heritage because it seems to have been based on a desire to worship and follow God. The story of the pilgrims is a story of courage and a heart to follow God, not allow men to dictate over them a religion. However, there are some very weak points in our American upbringing also. We are proud of our independence and I fear that pride of independence carries over into a desire to be independent of God also. It is one thing to be independent of tyrants and dictators, but quite another to be independent of the God who created us.
Being poor in spirit is having proper humility before our God and others.
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
When Jesus came teaching this, He was setting the record straight after quite a long time of false teaching. The Pharisees were a prideful lot and they lorded their wealth and knowledge over the people declaring they were rich due to God’s blessings upon them.
Later in this chapter, Jesus says five times, “You have heard it said...”. As He begins correcting the poor teachings they have been receiving. You wonder why the Pharisees hated Him so? Well this didn’t help their attitude any. But let us look at their attitude. What was Jesus objecting to when He said, “blessed are the poor in spirit?”
11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Rev
In & 10 which I have been preaching these past few weeks, we find that Jesus declares that the blind man had sight while the Pharisees were blind. Why? Because the blind man was humble enough to acknowledge He needed God’s help while the Pharisees only wanted God’s stamp of approval on who they were. They were not poor in spirit but haughty in spirit. Spirit meaning, our nature. Our inner most being. The attitude of our heart.
In comparison to the Pharisees, let us look at others who demonstrated proper humility before God.
8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
The first thing we need to understand about being poor in spirit is...
1. It is having a right attitude
1. It is having a right attitude
The Pharisees did everything they could think of to make themselves righteous, but everything they did was for outward appearance. What they needed to adjust was not outward appearances, but inward attitudes.
The Pharisees shouted, “Look at me!” But what God wanted from them was for them to “Look at Him.” There are a lot of people in our world today saying, God, Look at me and all the wonderful things I do for you; I do not drink, smoke, chew or go with girls who do...” :-)
I give cash to the poor when asked.
I participate in my community.
I am a very good person! Maybe if I wasn’t so busy doing all these good things for you, I could make it to church!
You would be amazed how many times I hear that (perhaps not in so many words, but it is the same even in less words).
God is not interested in the deeds we cloth ourselves in. Those deeds do not get us a relationship with him.
I have known many a man and woman who have worked hard earning money for their family. They come home and work hard to clean the house, yard, and car. They commit themselves to events at church and community. They say they do all these things to provide for their spouse and make their spouse proud of them. Then they are shocked when one day their spouse walks out on them. They say, “But I did all of this for you!” only to have their spouse say, “You neglected me! You did everything but spend time with me. You didn’t do those things for me, you did them for YOU!”.
I guarantee you God often feels the same way about people. You can do good deeds and still have no real relationship with God.
The second we need to understand about being “poor in spirit” is...
2. It is having a proper self-image.
2. It is having a proper self-image.
It is so easy to be totally self-absorbed. In fact, I personally think that a lot of depression is due to being too self-focused. If a person has a poor self-image and they focus on themselves, they become depressed. If a person has a healthy self-image and they focus on themselves, they become intolerably boastful.
I read about a man named...
The Call to Contentment: Life Lessons from the Beatitudes It’s a Proper Self-Image
Herbert B. Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerendorff
who complained to a newspaper in Philadelphia when they left a “u” out of his name. Talk about self-focus! If I had a name like that, I would probably have it changed to “Wolf” and leave it at that. But this man’s pride was bent out of shape because of the little letter “u”.
The Call to Contentment: Life Lessons from the Beatitudes It’s a Proper Self-Image
The beginning of contentment is not self-abasement, but it’s not self-aggrandizement either.
We acknowledge that we are sinners before God who need His help. But we also acknowledge that He made us and that makes us special. David said it well in .
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
The Call to Contentment: Life Lessons from the Beatitudes It’s a Proper Self-Image
Being poor in spirit means seeing yourself clearly, as God does. It means being humble before Him, yet confident, as one of His prized possessions.
The Call to Contentment: Life Lessons from the Beatitudes It’s a Royal Birth
It means to be personally destitute of any plans to impress God or sneak into His heaven. It means to depend totally on Him for holiness, wholeness, and happiness. It means to be born again into God’s royal family.
We often equate poorness of spirit with a lack of confidence, but it is just the opposite. When we are poor in spirit our confidence should soar because it is based on the best possible source. Our self-confidence should not be based on who we are, but who God is in us! That is where our peace and contentment come from.
Before we move on, let us look at some other scriptures that address proper humility.
Best of al
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
We can have confidence no matter how much or how little money we have that God loves us. The Pharisees told the people that God gave riches to those who He was pleased with. But that is not true. God is not concerned with our wealth, because God knows He can provide for us in any situation. He provides for our needs and even sometimes our wants but never to a level that takes our eyes off Him.
12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
We do not need to be comparing ourselves to others. When we try to exalt ourselves it is due to a lack of confidence and contentment. When we are content, we have no need to exalt ourselves and can feel satisfied with life.
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
When you think about all this, it takes a lot of pressure off of us. When we can let go and let God do the work, we can live free! Now do we do all this perfectly? Absolutely not! We are a work in progress, but it can give us encouragement for the finished product we will be later on.
But there is a third thing we need to understand about being poor in spirit is...
The third thing we need to understand about being poor in spirit is...
3. Our final destination is known!
3. Our final destination is known!
I shared earlier that the greatest destroyer of people’s confidence is the lack of understanding what will happen when they die. However, we know our destination.
When I was a children’s pastor, our youth group used to have a weekend they called “Destination Unknown!” It was an initiation of the newly promoted preteens that came into the teen group. They would show up one Saturday morning and each of the “new” teen’s homes and kidnap them. The parents were briefed ahead of time and would have a bag packed for these kids. The teens would show up early before they were out of bed and surprise them. They would then take them on a trip and they had no idea of where they were going. It made them really nervous, but in the end they had a great time and would come home really excited about being in the teen group.
However, many people are living their whole lives under the darkness of their final unknown destination. The fears are founded as this is no fun trip. As followers of Jesus Christ, our destination is known and like these teens, we know that God has our best interest at heart and He offers us something wonderful. We can live in a relaxed state about our final destination.
Well I hope we have a good idea now of what being “poor in spirit” is and even some of what it isn’t. But now lets look at the final part of our verse.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Being poor in spirit opens the door for all the other beatitudes to follow.
What is the “kingdom of God?”
What is the “kingdom of God?”
What is the “kingdom of God?”
I bet you expected this to come under our final destination, but the kingdom of God is much more than that. The kingdom of God is the place of “God’s gracious rule.” It is the place “where God’s will is done.” It is both here and now, but it is also not quite fully here yet. Last week, I spoke of the here and the not yet of the kingdom. For those of us who have received Jesus as our personal savior, we are living in the kingdom of God even now. We see this per Jesus teaching:
20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
20 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed;
21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Even now, we have the peace and contentment that comes from being part of God’s kingdom. However, the fullness of it will not be revealed until later on as evidenced in Ephesians.
We have the peace and contentment that comes from being part of God’s kingdom. However, the fullness of it will not be revealed until later on.
Even now, we have the peace and contentment that comes from being part of God’s kingdom. However, the fullness of it will not be revealed until later on as evidenced in Ephesians.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
We have the peace and contentment that comes from being part of God’s kingdom. However, the fullness of it will not be revealed until later on.
The greatest thing we need to understand about the kingdom of God is that it is not all external, but the internal spirit within and around us. Look again at what Jesus says in .
20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Jesus not only calls us to be poor in spirit, but Jesus Himself was poor in spirit. In all things He is our living example.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
In conclusion, look with me at the effects being poor in spirit has upon our daily lives.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Cor
We understand that wealth is not something to be achieved in this world, but is found in eternity giving us a proper respect for wealth here and now.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
We have peace and trust that God has our backs so we need not worry. In time, our reward will come.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.
We have comfort and freedom knowing we are saved from our sins.
17 Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.
I can only do so much to deliver myself in times of distress, yet the God of all the universe is here to deliver me.
32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:
In the following weeks we will find that being poor in spirit opens the door for all the other beatitudes to follow.
In the following weeks we will find that being poor in spirit opens the door for all the other beatitudes to follow.
The poor in spirit have that hope, expressed in a classic gospel song:
O Lord, you know,
I have no friend like you,
If heaven’s not my home
then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me
from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home
in this world anymore
Pray
Allow me to close with this final promise from Jesus our savior and blessing.
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.