Matthew 5:4
Needed: Godly Sorrow
Series: The Beatitudes - Nov 6th, 2005

The true Christian life – is a paradox
• Its true principles don’t work in this life
• Give up your life to keep it, give to keep

Today…happy are the sad
• One way to render – blessed are those who mourn
• Yet here, really is a contradiction, not just seeming
• Requires God’s active work…that is what this is

How does Jesus make the mourning blessed
• Comforts, His comfort, His presence
• His walking alongside

This is true of the Christian
• Reminder Beatitudes – heart of the Christian, heart Christ works

I. What is this mourning?

1. Word notes
a. Intense sorrow – of nine Gk words – most
b. Continual sorrow – not one time

2. Not speaking of Natural sorrow
a. Life is filled with sorrow. All face it as a part of life
i) Death, sickness, disappointment
b. Is a true that helps us
i) All sunshine makes a desert
ii) Poem
c. Is true that God comforts us in
d. But that is not what it is speaking of here

3. Not speaking of sinful sorrow
a. Many are sad, for sinful reasons
b. Because their desires are not fulfilled
c. Not what it is speaking of

4. Is speaking of Spiritual Sorrow…sorrow over sin
a. Note the connection, progression of beatitudes
i) One flows or steps to the next
ii) Poor in Spirit – total need (w/o Him – nothing)
iii) Mourning is response to that
b. Sorrow over our sin, over poor in Spirit

5. This is so different
a. Different than the world –seek to be pain free
b. Different than false teaching
i) Positive message, gospel – peace, peace
ii) Put before you – fundamentally, continually, there is a mourning in true Christianity

II. Godly vs. Worldly sorrow
2 Cor 7

1. Two very different results of these sorrows
a. Godly sorrow leads to repentance
b. Worldly sorrow leads to death

2. Gives us seven descriptions of Godly sorrow
a. In a real way – these are steps as well

3. Godly sorrow produces Diligence
a. A stepping up, stepping in, a dealing with
b. Worldly sorrow – a pulling back, avoiding, ignoring
c. Wonder if it is hear that many are stopped
i) John 3:19-21 – Darkness hates light 
ii) Don’t’ want pain, avoid at all cost
iii) God convicts…pull back – don’t avoid
d. Understand – as grow…conviction exposes
i) Hurts, uncomfortable
ii) Picture of stepping into light
e. Promise – as you step in – God meats, comforts
i) Joy of the Lord is our strength
ii) I am almost “masochistic about this now”

4. Godly Sorrow produces a Clearing of ourselves
a. A reasoned response…our plea in court
b. Clearing…cleansing – how?
i) 1 John 1:9
ii) Only as we agree, homolego
iii) We say the same thing as Him
c. Worldly sorrow
i) Excuses, blames
ii) Ex of King Saul’s “repentance”

5. Godly Sorrow produces Indignation
a. Hate for the sin – thoughts change about it
i) Lit much grief – hate it, feel it
b. Key – much more than hate of consequences
i) Find sometimes my repentance falls short here
c. This indignation is more – hate of sin, all sin
i) One of the marks of a Christian–sighs, cries over
ii) Story of Angel going through to mark those who did this – would you be marked today?
d. God blesses such a life – anoints with joy
i) Heb 1:9 

6. Godly Sorrow produces Fear – fear of God
a. Interesting to me – in a way, if I were making the list, would have put this first.
i) True perhaps principally…not practically
b. Right sorrow, brings us before God, see it before Him
i) David – Ps 51
ii) Isaiah 6
iii) This is what really brings mourning
A. See on Him – on Cross
B. Amy Carmichael
iv) Devastate us with Your presence
c. Here that we are comforted, cleansed, sent out
d. Worldly sorrow – fear of man
i) Fear of what others thing
ii) Fear of ourselves
iii) Somewhere – Judas never came here

7. Godly sorrow produces Vehement Desire
a. Turning of desire, turning of our heart
b. Worldly desire – excuses, encourages
8. Godly sorrow produces Zeal
a. Pursing what is good, moving forward into and towards righteousness
9. Godly sorrow produces Vindication
a. Avenging, vengeance, taking back what lost
b. Doesn’t leave us undone, discouraged

III. Consider Picture

1. See the contrast – Godly vs worldly sorrow
a. Two very different things
b. Point two very different ways

2. See its flow…down and then up
a. This is what real mourning looks like
b. If let God work in you, this is what has happened, even though you did not see it

3. Blessed are those who mourn
a. Do you – are you – do you need to
b. True of real revivals
i) Yet, cannot imitate – becomes legalism
c. Is this the level of your Christianity?
i) God has brought you to end of self
ii) Not trying to bring you to feel it, see it before Him – an Isaiah 6


Conclusion

Godly sorrow leads to repentance…meekness

Mourning is not an emotional response – alone
• Some can cry at drop of a hat
• Some never cry
• Point is not tears…response to sin

Are you hear? True of you?
Is this the level of your Christian life