The Attitude We Have
Notes
Transcript
This is immediately after coming down from the top of the mountain. Jesus had just appointed the 12 as Apostles. If you recall from last Sunday, there were 3 groups of people present for this sermon on the level place of the mountain.
The 12 Apostles. A large crowd of His disciples. And a great number of people from all over Israel.
Then looking up at his disciples, he said:
Blessed are you who are poor,
because the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
because you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
because you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you, insult you,
and slander your name as evil
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
Then looking up at his disciples, he said:
Blessed are you who are poor,
because the kingdom of God is yours.
Who does Jesus speak to?
His Disciples. This would include WHOM? The Apostles and the large crowd of Disciples.
Jesus is speaking to those who have made the decision to be committed followers, or students, or Jesus.
These beatitudes are addressed to followers, to believers, not to humanity in general.
These words are encouragement for YOU AND ME!
Blessed are you.
Blessed are you.
Some translations read; Happy are you, but this misses the point of what Jesus is teaching. Happiness is an emotional response to a situation. Jesus is not teaching emotional health here. Instead Jesus is teaching the Disciples their STATUS. Their SITUATION.
It does not matter their emotional feeling - THEY ARE BLESSED.
Blessed are you who are poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours.
Jesus is saying that you may be poor HERE, but the KINGDOM of God is your True home: IT IS YOURS.
You are the OBJECT OF GOD’S FAVOR!
That is what it means to be BLESSED.
Being Blessed means having the Favor of the Lord!
The Creator of heaven and earth FAVORS YOU!
Blessed are you WHO ARE POOR…
Blessed are you WHO ARE POOR…
Is Jesus implying that all of the disciples that follow Him are poor economically? What about the Disciples that were actually financially well off? Are they not blessed?
The words POOR here have little to do with finances or economic status.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Matthew sheds a little light on this one: poor in spirit.
See the Israelites would have understood the wording of POOR to mean just this: poor in spirit. Why? Because King David wrote the Psalms and he often wrote about being poor in spirit, needy in spirit. About having his heart broken through affliction.
Even in Proverbs the Word of God uses the wording of POOR against those who are proud.
So as Jesus begins His teaching here, the words would echo the Psalmist, and the Proverbial teachings. Blessings and Warnings, TRUTHS for God’s people in difficult times.
And that is exactly what the nation of Israel was experiencing, and had experienced. Israel and the people were suffering and humiliated at the hands of the nations.
Jesus says to Believers: God’s favor is upon you, you who are suffering and humiliated; because the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are poor, Because the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are poor, Because the kingdom of God is yours.
The Kingdom that is to come, is given to those who accept the Gospel!
Brothers and Sisters let us not forget that our citizenship is not here on earth!
Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our citizenship is in heaven; the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
because you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
because you will laugh.
Notice the opposites: hunger vs full; weeping vs laughing
blessed are you who are HUNGRY now, because you will be filled.
In other words: Blessed are you who desire more than just earthly food, BUT HUNGER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
The Word of God tells us that we must pursue righteousness!
But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
HUNGER for Righteousness! Pursue it!
The amazing thing is that when we purse the righteousness that we hunger for, God says we will be filled!
The more we hunger for righteousness the more satisfied we become.
Doing things HIS way.
Focusing on HIS commands.
putting HIS movements in us.
Learning to LIVE by the life of another: Jesus in us!
Learn how to view life from God’s perspective.
Blessed are you who WEEP now, because you will laugh.
In other words: Blessed are those who are saddened by what saddens God.
That which makes God sad, makes you sad.
What makes God sad?
SIN and it’s consequences.
Blessed are those who mourn sin and it’s consequences. Those who have a heart that breaks when people laugh at what makes God sad.
Blessed are those who WEEP.
Jesus wept.
Jesus wept when HE arrived and saw the consequences of sin - DEATH! And the Sorrow that SIN brings to those who lose loved ones.
We live in a time when we get so emotionally unattached, emotionally drained and damaged. We become distant emotionally to the things of this world.
To the LOST who are dying every day without knowing Jesus!
IT BREAKS GOD’S HEART!
Jesus says Blessed are those whose heart breaks when the Father’s heart breaks.
Brothers and Sisters we must PRAY:
LORD WRECK MY HEART FOR THE LOST AROUND ME!
Open my eyes to what breaks your heart Father!
Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you, insult you,
and slander your name as evil
because of the Son of Man.
Notice this: the word Blessed is used to describe 4 kinds of people: those who are poor now, those who hunger now, those who weep now, and those who are hated, excluded, insulted and slandered.
Those who are poor in spirit, broken when we look into this world. Witnessing the spiritual depravity.
Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness.
Blessed are those who weep over the spiritual condition of our world, watching as people turn their backs toward God; and mock Him.
Blessed are those who are hated, excluded, insulted and slandered because we stand on the name of Jesus and live our life doing His will.
Brothers and sisters: when our mind is desiring the Kingdom of God and we find ourselves in those conditions because we are following Jesus, we are BLESSED! The Lord’s FAVOR is upon us.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
CAST YOUR EYES UPON JESUS!
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT EARTHLY THINGS!
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
REJOICE - because this kingdom may reject us and break our hearts, BUT OUR REWARD IS IN HEAVEN!
AND NOTICE THE WORD THAT JESUS USES:
Luke 6:23 (CSB)
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is GREAT in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
God does not use words without reason. How does the Lord define Great? I can tell you that When God created the heavens and earth he said these things were GOOD, and we cannot fathom the perfection of that GOODNESS.
So when Jesus tells me that HEAVEN is going to be GREAT I cannot fathom, even in the slightest, splendor of the streets on which my feet will trod, let alone the majesty of laying eyes upon anything higher!
Heaven, filled with glory belongs to those who follow Jesus!
The kingdoms of this earth pass away, but the Kingdom of God remains forever!
