Matthew 5:3
The Blessing of Spiritual Poverty
Series: The Beatitudes - Oct 30, 2005

Today – begin a new, short series in Beatitudes
• Thought I would begin by telling you part of why we are here
• Doing something a little different - in that we normally work through a whole book
• Further, did Sermon on Mount five years ago

Six months ago – I was standing on Mt Beatitudes
• Pictures
• Taught on this section – overview
• Sent people of to consider, apply, pray
• I did as well – honestly, almost overwhelmed. Just the beauty of what saw – God’s ways
• Wanted them, prayed, surrendered
• Not a one time thing…but process, beginning
• Struggled with beginning this study Wondered if just for me

Look at this study as a journey – invite you w/ me
• An invitation to encounter God
• An invitation to walk God’s path, road He has
• An invitation to discover His ways, and His heart
• Maybe only a few go with me…but I invite you all

I. Beatitudes: Description of Christianity

1. The Sermon on the Mount
a. First and in a sense one of most profound messages of Jesus
b. Kind of a “Declaration of the Kingdom”
c. Telling why He came, what came to accomplish

2. The Beatitudes – the core, the heart of it
a. Heart is right word – what He is after
b. Much of message shows not pleased with external performance – never was
c. Shows that what God wants – is inside, heart
d. This shows the heart He wants to form

II. Beatitudes: Opposite the world’s ways

1.
A real Christian is an odd number, anyway.
He feels supreme love for One who he has never seen;
talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see;
expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another;
empties himself in order to be full;
admits he is wrong so he can be declared right;
goes down in order to get up;
is strongest when he is weakest;
richest when he is poorest and
happiest when he feels the worst.
He dies so he can live;
forsakes in order to have;
gives away so he can keep;
sees theinvisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that
which passeth knowledge. --A. W. Tozer

2. Point – great danger
a. Believe many have packaged worldliness as Christianity
b. Taking worldly principles, stuck Christian titles on
3. World’s beatitudes are different
a. Blessed are the self confident
b. Blessed are the strong
c. Blessed are the independent
d. Blessed
e. Blessed are the elite
f. Blessed are Flexible
g. Blessed are the conquerors
h. Blessed are the Amicable

The Valley of Vision
LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.

from The Valley of Vision a Collection of Puritan
Prayers and Devotions

III. Beatitudes: Pattern for Growth

IV. Beatitudes: Mark of Growth
.
V. Beatitudes: The Blessed life

Our culture is obsessed with being whole and feeling good
We want a painless Pentecost
We want a laughing revival
We want gain without pain
We want a resurrection without a cross
The way up is the way down
2.


Conclusion

Romans 12
Resist world
Surrender to God, His ways

Odd message – in a sense – initiation for this series
More – invitation to this process, life God has
Not a one time solution, a growing, His way

Questions
1. Does this message connect?
A. Am I answering questions no one is asking
B. Does this reach the people I am talking to?
2. Is this message faithful to the Word?
A. Could I see it just from the text
3. Is Christ Presented? - The Cross?
A. Does this message help them see Jesus?
4. Does this Message tell them “Why” “How”?
A. Does it really work?
B. Is it true? Do I really tell them how to do it?
5. Am I trying to say to much? - Is it simple
A. Am I using Christian words or big words
B. Do I illustrate it enough? Too much?
6. Am I being the one, the pastor God has of me?
A. Am I loving the People thru this?
B. Am I teaching them or a message
C. Am I feeding them? – as a Pastor
7. Is the Purpose of this teaching love? (1 Tim1:5)
A. Drawn to love God – 1st command?
B. Drawn to love others as self?
C. Love from pure heart? Single, one?
D. Love from a good conscience?
E. Love from a sincere faith? Real?