Matthew 5:5b
Blessed Brokenness
Series: The Beatitudes - Nov 3rd, 2005

Let me read someone’s personal journal to you
I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I keep doing the very things I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong …. But I can’t seem to help myself… I know I am rotten through and through … No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.

Perhaps you recognize what I just read
• is a paraphrase of Paul’s words in Rom 7:15-20
• Question – could that have been your journal?
• Could those have been your words? Struggle?
• If so – you in the right place today – going to talk about how we overcome, how we can do right


I. Context-Beatitudes

1. Doing a study on the Beatitudes
a. 8 statements describe work of Christ in the heart
b. This is Jesus declaring to us what Christianity is

2. Key to see that these beatitudes are connected
a. See that there is a flow, one to the other
b. Can’t have one, without the previous ones

3. Picture the Work so far this way
a. To get where we are – filled
b. First need Poor in Spirit – picture empty cup, filled with other junk, needs first empty
i) To seek to fill, inadequate, taint
c. Second – need to mourn – picture a clean cup
i) Cleansing from sin, see sin against Him
ii) Picture an empty cup, with filth on the sides, need to clean it
d. Third – Need to be Meek –picture a placed cup
i) Is a place of surrender, of submission
ii) Again see cup, need to be where filling is happening – picture a soft drink machine
iii) Can’t fill, if left in car, in room – must be here
e. Fourth – Hunger and Thirst – picture a filled cup
i) when in right place – cry out for filling

II. What is Righteousness

1. Simple and difficult question at the same time

2. Righteousness – is what is right
a. Rightness – what is right in a situation, heart
b. State of being right – with God, with man

3. Biblically – true righteousness – 3 states
a. Justification, Sanctification, Glorification
b. Justification - declared right, just-if-id-never-sinned. From penalty of sin- positional
c. Sanctification – working out of righteousness, practical, from power of sin - Practical
d. Glorification – total state of righteousness, from the presence of sin - Promise

4. Need to understand – not an optional package
a. Can’t have 1 or 2 – package deal, all together
b. If you are a Christian here today – real
i) Been justified, being sanctified, will be glorified
c. If not a Christian – can’t fix self
i) Can’t start with sanctification
ii) Need forgiveness (justifies), then He sanctifies
d. Know odd – how do I know?
i) Sanctification is the present process
ii) Know justified and will be glorified, because being sanctified – part of the proof
iii) True for you in your heart
iv) True for others watching – know by their fruits

5. This beatitude is a picture of salvation

6. Also, more – a picture of sanctification, growth

III. Hunger and Thirst

1. These are intense Greek words – not just a little hungry or thirsty – but desperate
a. Most likely, we know little of that
b. Imagine it -This desire – is a consuming one

2. Perhaps one of the main keys – this desire is a desire for something outside ourselves
a. This is not a commitment to try harder
b. Not a striving to find it in ourselves
c. It is a longing for something outside ourselves
d. Honestly believe it is one of the main keys

IV. See in Romans 7-8

1. Terribly comforting passage and it should be.
a. But in another sense, I fear it is comforting people in a way – that it is not meant to. Follow with me

2. v.7 – Is law bad? No, calls to righteousness produce sin
a. Not bad or wrong to call for righteousness
i) True in from God, in home, etc
b. But – causes my flesh to rebel – is natural

3. v.15 – what I am doing, don’t understand
a. What I want to do…I don’t’ do
b. What I don’t want to do…that I do – AGGG
c. Notice in the present tense

4. v.18 – learning in flesh – no good thing. Seeing that in me, I cannot be good – flesh is rebellious
a. See in this passage that your struggle is normal
b. Yet, fear that for some – comfort to stay that way

5. v.24 – who will deliver me? v.25 – Jesus does!

6. 8:1-2 – Justification, no condemnation

7. 8:3-17 – Sanctification – walk according to the Spirit – live according to the Spirit – gives life to our mortal bodies – by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, led by the Spirit

8. 8:18-25 – glorification – what we are waiting for – redemption of our body

9. 8:28-39 – whole package deal

V. See In Philippians 3

1. v.7 – what gain, counted loss (poor in Spirit…)
a. For excellence of knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord
b. Count all as rubbish – empty, pale and poor

2. v.8-9 - Gain Christ, Found in Him - Justification

3. v.9- Found…not having own righteousness– Sanctification
a. Which righteousness – justification, sanctification?
b. Yes – this is how you are saved – through faith
c. Yes – this is how you do right – through faith
i) Walking in Him, led by Spirit, Abiding in Christ
ii) Not a striving…but abiding, a faith

4. It is all Jesus, it is all Christ
a. Excellence of the knowledge of Christ
b. That I might know Him – fellowship and power

5. v.12-14 – Not Perfect, Pressing – Sanctification
a. Important – this is not a state of perfection
b. Some wrongly teach perfectionism
c. No place you get, where in this life, perfect
d. Yet – can walk, live perfect – as much as abide
e. Is a real righteousness attainable through faith
f. Not perfect…I am not. Confess my weakness

6. v.15-16 – This is real, mature Christianity
a. As many as are mature – have this mind
b. If think otherwise - God will reveal this to you
c. Whatever degree attained, walk there…but press higher

7. v.17-20 – Warning false teaching, examples
a. One of the goals of whole beatitudes – expose false teaching, show true work of God in heart
b. There are those who walk – Christians – their lives and their teaching – contrary to this
c. Enemies of the Cross – fighting God’s work
d. End is destruction – not hell, but emptiness, waste, ruin
e. God is their belly – serve flesh, not God
f. Glory – boast, but really shame
g. Set their mind on earthly things (opposite what Rom 8 says – mind set on Spirit, heavenly things)

8. v.20-21 – Waiting for transformation – Glorification
a. He is going to totally subdue us – able!


Conclusion

Ultimately this is a longing for Christ - Christ in us
• John 6:35
• John 4:13-14
• John 7:37-38
• Galatians 2:20

Hudson Taylor called it the Exchanged life

Want you to know that it is real – righteousness
• Those who hunger and thirst for it – satisfied
• Takes poor in Spirit
• Takes mourning
• Takes meekness – surrender
• Then as in faith – look to Him

Do you have it? Are you walking in it?
Avoid the counterfeit – the excuse for lack of this

O God, I have tasted thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, I want to want thee: I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me thy glory, I pray thee, that so I may know thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' name, Amen. A. W. Tozer

Gospel
In a sense – as we reach this place in the beatitudes a perfect picture of salvation
• Begins with knowing need for God– poor in Spirit
• Then shows you your sin against God– mourning
• Then calls you to surrender to Him – Meek
• Then calls you to cry out for His salvation - gives you His righteousness – hunger and thirst

Do you have this?
• Have a great fear – that we have exchanged “decision” for “salvation”
• Salvation in the Bible is real – it is righteousness
• Today, dumbed it down to knowing facts…and is not salvation

How do you know if you are saved
• It is real – Spirit in You – working
• In one sense – know you are justified, because sanctification working in you, Sprit in You
• I cannot save you, cannot pray w/you & tell you because you have prayed that you are saved.
• You will know you are saved – because it is real.
• How works in each life – wonderfully different.
• But wonderfully real. Some emotional, rational
• Cry out till you are “satisfied”