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Welcome, guys, it’s great to have you here. We were taking a journey through the Beatitudes and knew we’ll get into the sermon, the major body of the sermon. But before we get to the body of the sermon, we have to and we talked about this every week, we have to go through the Beatitudes. It’s interesting in the chosen how Jesus, they kind of have a little backstory that they come up with in every episode, that Matthew is helping Jesus put together the Sermon on the Mount, it was going to be a manifesto, Jesus said that the kingdom it was going to be an explanation path to people finding him. And Matthew said, well, you’re starting with the salt of the earth. In the light of the world, I think it needs something before that. Jesus said, we’re what he says, I don’t know, why don’t you ask your problem. So Jesus came back the next day, and he says, I’ve got it. And then he gave him the Beatitudes. And it was interesting to see Matthew response, and I just kind of laughed, and now that’s what the Beatitudes are. They’re a pathway to find Jesus. And we’ve talked before about each one follows the other. It’s progressive. You’re never going to get to hunger and thirst for righteousness without first going to mourning over your sin. So what we’re doing is we’re trying to define those things and understand what they’re talking about. And Oswald Chambers had a devotional this week, I think it was on Wednesday. It’s a perfect introduction, though, talking about the importance spirit and what that means. And he’s taken it from verse 39, in Matthew five, in the Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew five, six and seven. Matthew 539, says, I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. It’s interesting, the first verse, that first comment that chambers makes this verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit that is because he’s a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it’s the very evidence of the Son of God in him. If he does not get back, when you’re insulted, you must not only not presented, that you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus. It is either in you
or it’s not.
A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus. Sometimes when you read these kinds of things, you just kind of think, you know, I bought a theology. I don’t have any problem with the Trinity. I don’t have any problem with theology of salvation, and all the other theologies out there. But what we bought is a theology but maybe not the lifestyle. God’s called us to live this kind of life, not just the by the theology and say Amen. And I agree to be these kinds of people. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not doing your duty, but is in effect, knew what is not your duty. It’s not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the
cheek.
But Jesus said that if you are his disciple, that’s always what you will do. We will not say, Oh, well, I just can’t do anymore. I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood. I’m under attack. Every time I insist on having my own rights, hurt the Son of God. While in fact, I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I’ll take the blow myself. That’s what it means in being, feel, feel feeling in my flesh, what
is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.
And the cycle realizes that it is his Lord’s honor this state. I think that’ll make a big difference in a man’s life when it gets to the point where he realizes it’s Jesus’s reputation at stake in my life. Now I live my life now responding, so humiliation. misunderstood how I respond, Jesus, his reputation is at stake. If it’s just my record, patients respond in a very different way now, it’s Jesus never looked for righteousness in
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the other person,
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but never cease to be righteous yourself. We’re always looking for justice. Yet in the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, it’s never looked for justice, and never cease to get in, they had a word, another quote, Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself, is never going to give me my right to myself. Because when I claim the right to myself, it just leads to depression. The one essential element in all of our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is to be abandoned, not calculating, and no trace of self interest. But this is an interesting passage and an interesting way
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to look at life.
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When Jesus called
you and I will come and follow Him and to be His disciple. If in fact, you put your hand in the cloud salvation and following Christ, if you consider yourself a disciple of Jesus, this is routine, everyday average ordinary living. Living of the kingdom of God, heavenly. And the reward for the poor in spirit is for years as a team.
As a reward for every one of these Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom.
Chamber said is the most. This verse reveals that humiliation of being a Christian humiliation means to reduce someone to a lower position in one’s own eyes, and in other signs. It means to make someone ashamed or embarrassed. The greatest
disgrace is on
shame.
I wonder if anybody explained that to you when you came to Christ. Because that in the small print and the contracting side, he didn’t know what you’re getting yourself into here. He didn’t know that you were going to have to take a position in your heart and in your
character, being reduced to a lower position, not only in your own eyes, but in others. That you would be embarrassed, disgrace dishonor, humbled shame. And if they treated Jesus like this, they’re going to treat us like that as well. He said that he’s the last beatitude less than or you when you’re persecuted for my name. So once we get through all the Beatitudes, blessed are the poor in spirit blessing to those who
humble and
listen to the merciful blessing, period, lesson of the peacemaker. And then finally, listen to you and your person. After living that kind of life. It’s exemplary life.
It’s a
life of self sacrifice and being yourself out. Not thinking little of yourself, but not thinking of yourself at all. And self is the thing that keeps us from a vain this. The attitude to becoming that kind of self interest, self preservation, self honoring a lot of yourself. It’s all selfishness. It’s all about me. If there’s anything that Jesus was not to be all about him, or even the Son of Man, even the Son of God to come, not come to be served, but to serve. Came to verify, stand in the face of danger and verify the suffering and sacrifice. That’s the lifestyle you’ve been called. Cyber of Christ. The question is you enough of a man of God to live that lifestyle. If you’ve given up enough that you surrender your rights to yourself, be able to be this kind of man. You can carry your Bible around and go to church and quote verses and memorize scripture. If you’re not living it out in your own life if you’re too proud to turn the other cheek and go to the second person. me maybe that’s a reason Jesus said as he finished up his sermon in Matthew seven inner Bob in there So the gate is small and the way is narrow. That means that the way the paint is wide in the way is broad that leads to destruction and many go there. And the narrow way, he said, and few there be defined. So if you’re one of those guys that does as well, I’m just not sure that’s what I understood I was done. And that’s okay. too, there is an implied paid in a narrow or broad way over here. And you can go that way if you want to. It’s easier way you don’t have to put up with persecution. You don’t have to take a stand. You don’t have to be neglected, or missed, or made or embarrassed or ashamed. You can skip all that. You need to understand that that’s the way that leads to destruction. If you’re going to come to the small gate, and the reason it’s a small gate is Jesus Christ. He’s an entrance into the kingdom. Let’s say only gate areas, there is no other gate. It’s not a gate over here it says, register for all the good work you’ve done. And we’ll see if you get in. And then most guys, I don’t care if they’re professing Christian or not operating on that basis. They’re operating on the basis of works, because that’s what makes sense. It’s logical. It’s practical. It’s justice. You get what you deserve. But with Jesus, you get what you don’t deserve. You don’t deserve salvation and forgiveness and grace and mercy and loving kindness and compassion. You did nothing to earn it deserved, that you were given it by Jesus. That’s who he is.
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That’s what he does.
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And so, we come to this place of being poor in spirit. Jesus says it’s a map, this whole Beatitudes it’s about to be able to find. So in that map, you go to poor and spirit and then you go to morning repentance. You don’t hear a lot about repentance, we’re sharing the gospel. That’s what Jesus called me and john the baptist call man, and he was paving the way for the Messiah. And the way that is paid by repentance, mourning over your sin. finding yourself in center knowing that all had sinned and fall short before God, it’s my nature I was born. And there’ll be 1000s of senators born today. Everyone having a sin nature, everyone out of saying it’s mine, every one of them say that’s a fallen nature that started in the garden we still present seems that Most professing Christian men evolved with theology, but not the lives and their original language. There are two ways to define for one is a working man. So man, it works with his hands, he works hard all day, provides for his family. He’s not wealthy, and he’s not poor. He’s a working man. That’s one way to look at. There’s another way, absolutely than abject poverty. Poverty which speaks men to their names. man who has nothing at all. Unless it is a man who is absolutely destitute, they say Christianity that Jesus Christ came to say, desperate. Christianity leaves the rescue at the destitute, desperate man. Not my poverty. So poverty. If you’re going to be poor in spirit, you have to understand that nothing. I’ve heard often times during my Christian experience, people are looking at a guy that’s not a Christian. He’s gifted a lot of talents, and abilities. And people say if that guy came to Christ, think what a great Christian leader. That’s not what God’s looking for. There’s a lot of man with talent and gifts and abilities. As a matter of fact, I can recall watching a young preacher preach one time and one of his mentors was standing in the back of the church. I looked at him and I said, What do you think? He says, he operates a lot. See, as easy to do, if you’re 50 Beautiful. If you have a lot of talent. It’s easy to operate out of that and have no spirit you’re not preaching the gospel of Christ. The spirit of it if you don’t, what you do is you wear out on your gifts and gifts can only take you so far. But that’s as far as As the Holy Spirit in you, is going to take you through your trial, that was difficult because
you’re never gonna
get to the end of yourself. And that’s where the Holy Spirit kicks. Not always because men will humble themselves beforehand. But when you get to the end of yourself, when you’ve done all that you can do you put up with all you can, you’ve had as much patience as you can bear. You’ve had as much pain as you can. That’s where the Holy Spirit kicks in. That’s where he gives you strength, if it’s not your own wisdom, and it’s not your own patience, gentleness, kindness, self control. It all comes with the Holy Spirit. But it can’t come to you and won’t come to you until you’re desperate enough to ask. You have not caused you to ask.
But Jesus.
So if you want more patients, if you want more influence, if you want to learn the lessons of character, then God is trying to build into you. It’s not about you. It’s about the character of his nature, he wants to believe in you. And that’s not about you, it’s for others, for your wife, your children, your grandchildren, for your friends, colleagues who were down the freeway, that’s what it’s about, it’s for them. God didn’t give you gifts to glorify
God and you can make your life easier. Although your life will be more bearable. If you have to prove this, if you found come to the end of yourself, if you realize you have nothing to offer is a forge to four stage development for that word, original language. It began by meaning you’re simply Korea, it’s the absence of having any money or possessions, next stages and being cool. You’re then having no influence, power, or prestige. So that’s the way the world is, you have no money you have no Well, your name is not in mind. So then men will disparage you will have no influence or power. And therefore you will be done downtrodden and oppressed by a man because he has no earthly resources puts its own trust in God. So if you’re going to get to that place of putting your whole trust in God, you have to come to the state or province come through those stages of being simply poor or the absence of money or possessions. And you’re gonna have a lot of money in the bank and a great RA and stocks and bonds and all the other stuff that you can have
you can still be
poor in the way that really matters, who are in the richness of God wants to get so even though we’re rich we can pour for this. Anybody can become there are a lot of beings that have no money, they have no wealth, they have no position you have no status.
And then don’t look at them is very valuable, where they can be the richest guys and that’s what Jesus was came to came to make.
And how do you get to experience? Well as a fine, he came face to face with the year of kingdoms eyes, death, I saw the Lord sitting in the train of his road doing the temple. There were sarahfey stood above each having six weeks, the two he covered his face, to he covered his feet and with two and one called out to another instead of Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thread shows trembled at the course of him while the temple is filling with smoke, and then as I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined. Because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among the people. From my eyes have seen the Lord. And then one of the serapeum the burning coal is taken from the author. Touch my mouth with the hope this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away. As it came in the presence of God he saw himself as he really is. He saw what he was really by. One reason men stay out of the Bible and resistance groups and small groups Because they don’t want to see themselves, the reflection of themselves and the holiness and righteousness of others. One reason that we resist people that seem to have their act together, we’re living the lives of character. And they discipline themselves for godliness. Sometimes we’re intimidated by those guys, because they show us what we’re really like, their reflection of Christ. And they’re showing us, we’re falling short of the mark. So we resist, if you really want with Christ in your life is disciplined accordingly to his standard. And you’re going to have these, you’ll be persecuted in some ways, and people not wanting to be around.
And all you’re doing
is having a strong family resistance when you’re having a thought. It was truly aggrieved God’s heart that so many want to serve. When I say I came into the presence of God is able to see and we’ve been preaching for years. Now he saw himself in the
presence of God.
The closer you get to the light, he said, You’re the light of the world. Jesus was the light that came in. And the closer you get to the light, the darker your shadow. That’s why we resisted. That’s why we resist the prayer meetings,
the Bible studies
are afraid to get into His presence because he shows us what we’re really like. But until we find out what we’re really like, we can’t get to know the lesson of those who mourn. We can mourn over our sin and repent. If we’re not making peace with the reality that I’m a sinner.
And I think grace lesson
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for the poor.
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This is where the blessing of God begins, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God not of meaning the future, but being right now, in the present tense. It’s not that you will be or that it is, I can have a taste of heaven right now. When I received the Holy Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit is a taste of any man that’s enjoyed the love of God, joy that comes through SSL comprehension, the goodness, gentleness and kindness, self control a little bit. Anytime you’ve been set free from sin and forgiven when you give them grace, and your self control is controlling that. Now you’re going to send this but you’re sending less. That’s anytime you get forgiven, that God will stop. And you’ll agree with God that Sam shouldn’t have thought that I shouldn’t have said that I shouldn’t have done that sin and every time that you confess your sin, He said He’s faithful and righteous to forgive your sin. Every time you’re able to forgive others who don’t deserve it, or say, No, that’s what grace is. You’re giving a guy something he does not deserve. And you didn’t have to give. But you’re compelled to give it because you’ve been forgiven. You’ve been compelled to give grace because he perceived grace. Jesus says, if you don’t forgive those who have sinned against you, I want for you. And it said that the unforgiving heart is forgiven. So when you give grace and you forgive others, and you go the second mile and you turn the other cheek and you’re mourning and repenting
over your sense of taste of heaven, blesses approach.
You’re entered into
it now, not later, not some time not in prophecy. Right now this very moment. You could be sitting in your chair right now and forgiving someone guts but on
their mind.
They hurt you. They want you to do they don’t deserve it. You’ve spent many sleepless nights it’s gotten in the way of you reading the scriptures and praying fellowship with
God said, I want you to forgive them. When you forgive, he said, that’s a truth that will set you free you will know the truth. And the truth
is there’s power in the Holy Spirit. There’s power to change your life. There’s power to be a different person. Anyway As in Christ is a new creature, old things have passed away and new things have come. He’s not the same old god he used to be. He’s a new man in Christ. And he acts like he has the power to act like it. And that’s a taste of that lesson. But they’re hard to find. There are a lot of men that profess to know Jesus Christ, but it’s hard to find a guy that is given up his right to so he doesn’t think of himself at all, it’s not thinking little of yourself, it’s not thinking of yourself at all. How could you possibly live the Sermon on the mound and consider yourself Jesus caused us to have this attitude that Christ, who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God is something to be grasped or held on to, that he emptied Himself taking the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of a man. being found in the likeness of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient,
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even when he wanted to
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have this attitude in you, which is also in Christ.
That’s a case.
We’re born again to become like him, not conformed to the world but transformed into his image, to have a strong family resistance, no more pity parties. He never attends your pity party. Never attention. He say, I’ve had enough I can’t do anymore. He says, great. How about let me do it. Great. I’m glad you’ve come to the end. So he’s not talking about bless it, or those who don’t have money in the poor in that regard. He’s like, listen to those who are poor in spirit, you know, they have nothing to bring to the table. Nothing to offer to God. That’s no gift, no talent. No, well, he didn’t need it. He didn’t need your will. When we were moving to Eastern Europe, and I’ve been speaking at retreats and teaching couples classes and counseling people and doing all this stuff I was doing and now God was saying, we’re moving to Germany. We’re going to work in Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe by the work of translators, I wasn’t going to be speaking in any retreats, teaching couples classes, counseling guys. And so I was in Germany one day I said, God, what am I doing going to Eastern Europe? I’m not gonna be able to teach there. Like I teach here speaking retreats. Why am I going over there? What about mangers hidden say statement? He says, what about all major gifts? Guys? Never heard of. You don’t need my gifts. I don’t need your stinking. I need your stuff, not to your sacrifice that you’re saying let’s go. You got things to burn over there. And you can’t learn them while you’re teaching. And then the landline turn on when you’re over there, behind the curtain, people that are suffering. You won’t ever learn that here. Never heard it put like that. What did I have to give you?
My problem.
That’s all we want. And whatever you’re going through right now is to get you to the point of being less of yourself and more of him. john the baptist said I must decrease and he must increase. You’re not going through all your trials and hurt and disappointment.
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loss.
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God’s effort is always to bring us to a place we’re taking everything. It’s anything to us away. So all we have is Christ alone. Christ in
Christ around Christ, the book, Christ. Never get to the end of His love is trying to get you and me into that place of being poor in spirit. Because if you’re not poor in spirit, miles will not go to listen.
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So those who come
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to see us when you love
when you love to be at that place where you just hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ in your life. So you’re done with all that selfs stuff that leads to sand and depression and all the things you love them. Their supervisors wouldn’t have loved to be at that place. It’d be a nurse with the appearance of being the man that brings peace Wherever you go, he’s known as a son of God.
Children
Would you like to be
honored
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to be suffering for Christ in person?
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Not because you can get persecuted because you’re persecuted for my namesake said, because you’re living for me you’re standing for me represent. You’re living this like I got the scars to prove you guys that’s where we’re heading. That’s what God has called us. It’s called us to be men who are poor and spirit. I don’t know what you came in
here thinking you
got to offer God and you got nothing to offer guy. Remember the story about Mother Teresa? She
cheated on
Mother Teresa’s in Washington, DC, and she’s speaking to Congress. And she’s about this afterwards with a bunch of reporters and people around trying to get this one Congressman, so his opportunity for a photo walks up to her with a check for says Mother Teresa. But after my foundation, check and the sisters. Sir, I
appreciate your
assistance. But we have all that, to take this and go home and become
God workspace.
God wants
you to go home.
I don’t think most men like the idea of becoming good in Christ. If we don’t become nothing, we’ll never be anything.
Amen. Again, are out. I believe you. And that’s the kind of man that’s going to move the day and the days to come. It’s not going to be the men that have something to offer and be the man they have nothing to Christ. So I don’t know what your view is. You’re building your wealth or lack of wealth, and your problem. God seems to dissolve
after the course.
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Let’s pray.
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Father, that’s what we pray this morning. We need your help to be poor in spirit, we need your help, and we’ll never get there. We need to be poverty stricken so that we can be not proud of our poverty but proud of the guy who became poverty stricken himself, who emptied himself and gave himself and sacrificed himself. Not to be served but to serve. That’s, that’s a man we want to be. We want to do all that with joy not gritting our teeth, and certainly not gritting our teeth and forgiving our teeth and giving grace not gritting our teeth and bearing with his suffering. But doing it all with joy, because we’re serving the people that come into Christ living your life
that’s the mission that’s what we’re
committed to.
And that’s what you’re here
and we’ll give you the glory and the praise forever and ever in Jesus name And all God’s man said a hearty given heaven guys. Morning