Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
First B Jackson
2022-01-02

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Hey

there.

Good morning, church. How are you? You made it this morning. Few and fervent. Hey.

Happy New

Year to you. Happy New Year. Happy 2022. I've got a verse here from John fourteen twenty seven to lead us into worship, and it's Jesus saying, my peace I leave to you. My peace I give to you.

I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.

How's that for a good word for 2022?

By the way, Judy, who is normally our piano player, and this is a traditional service even though this is two fifths of the 09:00 band. Judy is typically here playing the piano. She is out right now ill at home. Florine, her backup is at home, ill. We've got another backup, ill at home.

So, we have a a lot of folks within the church family who are sick and that explains some of the sparseness in here this morning for you visitors but there are probably piano players among us but we're gonna do traditional hymns this way and Carl will probably lead and if Nick leaves my microphone on, I'll sing with him but if y'all would stand with us, we'll sing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Alright, what a fellowship. Amen. Here's a good word from John fourteen nineteen. Because I live, you also will live. Short but profound.

Amen.

God sent his son, and they call him Jesus. He came to love and heal them for you. Because he lives because he lives I can face tomorrow because he lives because he lives all fear is gone because I know he holds the future and life the living just because he lives and life is worth and life is worth the living just because

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. A few announcements this morning. First of all, well, there was no children's church this morning. Like I said, we're down a few volunteers except for miss Crystal's class was in this morning.

So, she, did you have a big group this morning? Both classes. Okay. I gave em a choice up here. I said that if you're second through fifth grade, you don't have a teacher or you can go to miss Crystal's class and I think they overwhelmed you probably but thank you.

Thank you. You're ready for em. Monday nights at first B.

Yep. We're on tomorrow mule. Music message. Felix and Guadalupe are going to be cooking. We start at 06:00, and we're in John 15, the vine and the branches.

A Mexican feast and then the upper room discourse from John. Fifteen seventeen. Fifteen one through seventeen, I think, from John. Awana is gonna be starting off right here in this room tomorrow night. Awana, kids matter to God.

We pour scripture into their minds and let them run around too. That's part of it too but we have council time, they have game time, and they have scripture time. It's pouring scripture into their minds to reach their hearts. If you would like to sign up for our weekly Email, you may do that yourself. You can just sign up at First B Jackson dot org.

You can go in and click on it and just put in all your information, your Email, the whatever information you want to give and it'll Email you our bulletin. So, you can do that yourself rather than having to call in the office and letting us do it. Congregational meeting is happening two weeks from today. That's January 16. It's an annual meeting.

We do this every year, usually the third weekend in January. We'll do the financial review for 2021. We'll do budget, hopefully, approval for 2022. We've got an educated guess we've been working on since October. Jim Reed is up for election as a member of the board of trustees and financial secretary.

And Steve Landis is election for a three year term for the elders, not for the board of trustees, but for the elders. That slide is slightly wrong but that is happening. If you want a copy of that budget, it should be available. Nick can get you one. It's out here out front right now.

Phil could bring you one if you wanted it or you went till afterwards and grab one on your way out. This morning, there's a gal who sits right over here with her parents named Julieta Anaya and Julieta has asked for members of the congregation if they would like to be speech and debate listeners or judges. If you think, hey, I'd kinda like to do that. High school debate team, speech and debate listeners or judges are needed, and that's next Saturday. There's sort of a session where I think they're both training you and letting you know how this is gonna go.

You don't have to have any previous experience whatsoever. But if you want to be a listener or a judge for speech and debate for high school, Juliet, I ask that you contact her. If you you're not gonna have her number probably, but if you contact me, I'll put you in touch with her. Alright? Anything else?

Nursery helpers are always needed. That's that's pretty constant no matter where you go, but Kristen Galloway is in charge of that here. So if you'd like to get in touch with Kristen or even Grant, he's right there in the back door. Yeah. Waving.

Please, if you would, get in touch with them. There is a snowmobile retreat twenty twenty two. Wow. 2022. Men's snowmobile retreat is happening January 28 through the thirtieth.

It's at Old Faithful Christian Ranch. $100 for an adult, 75 for kids. That doesn't include the cost of a snowmobile rental. If you wanna do that, you're welcome to, but other people go to snowshoe or to cross country ski or we have one guy who snowboards on a tow rope behind a snowmobile. So whatever it is that you want to do, that is available up there.

Men's snowmobile retreat. I think that's the last of the announcements. Have I forgotten anything or anybody? No. Anybody else have anything you want to add?

No. Good. Alright. Would you stand with us? We're going to sing in the sweet by and by.

We will offer our tribute of praise for the glory of the gift of his love and the blessings that hallow our days

Amen. It's a sweet song. It offers a whole lot of encouragement, doesn't it?

Yeah. It does.

John 11, Jesus said, on the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me will live even though they die. The promise of eternal life through belief. John is the gospel believer. That's why I love John so much. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.

And so sweet to trust in Jesus and to take him at his word just to rest upon his promise and to know the sith. Precious Jesus. Oh, for grace to trust in all. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to trust his cleansing blood, and in simple faith to plunge you beneath the precious Jesus, oh, for praise to trust in all.

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus. Thus from sin and self to cease. Thus from Jesus' simplicity by fairness and joy and peace. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him. How I prove him over and over.

Jesus, Jesus. Precious Jesus, oh, for grace to trust in him. And I'm so glad. I'm so glad I learned to trust him. Precious Jesus, friend.

And I know that I'm with Jesus, precious Jesus, oh, for grace to trust him.

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I will invite the ushers to come forward and we'll pass around the plates as traditional to do so, but there are also other ways that you can give if you'd like to. And I don't mean just like online or Venmo or PayPal and that sort of stuff. There are other ways to give.

You can give up your time. You can give up your resources of your talents. I know so many of you are concerned for other people and you're constantly pouring out that which God has given you. Would you pray with me that God would bless and extend that and to extend the kingdom. In Jesus name, lord, we wanna be doing everything that it is that we do But right now, when we come and we place in these plates, literally place financial resources or metaphorically place our talents and our time.

God, I pray that you'd bless those. The gift and the giver that, Lord, just by returning some of what you have given us that you would advance your good gospel. You say that you'll do it. You'll say that we're plan a. You also say there's no plan b.

Lord God Almighty, may we be giving you the praise and the glory that you deserve. May we be living out a transformed life that causes any citizen of any kingdom on this celestial ball, this earth, Lord, that causes them to recognize that this citizenship that we carry as most dear is our heavenly citizenship. Lord, may the kingdom of heaven pervade everything that we do on this earth. Would you take what we're given right now, Lord, in advance your good gospel? I ask you to bless it, to extend it to the very uttermost parts.

Amen. Amen. Alright. Thank you, Carl. Appreciate you filling in.

So, we took a break from our chronological study and our harmony of the gospel study. We took a little break for Christmas and went back and picked up the Christmas story and last week, I picked up the childhood boyhood story. The only boyhood story we have from Luke two about Jesus but we're going forward as promised into the sermon on the mount in Matthew. So, we covered the Sermon on the Mount in Luke in three and it we could've done it in one. It's pretty short but in Luke, the Sermon on the Mount was just three sermons.

It's probably going take me a while to get through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew because it's three chapters long. We're going to start right where Jesus starts with the beatitudes but before I get to that, I think the next slide is going to be a reminder slide. I I just sent this to Jane Crannenberg and I'm asking y'all if you would be praying with me and with my family. I have a cousin named Jerry Padgett, her husband, Bruce. They just had a baby on 12/3021.

So, that's just four days ago, right? And the baby last night was crying and was not feeling good and has a collapsed lung. They took the baby to the hospital last night. Praise God, there was space in the hospital for them. They're there and going through whatever therapies are necessary to reinflate that lung and to, bring the baby along.

But would you pray with me right now? God, we, are thankful for the privilege of prayer. You said to cast all our cares on you because you care for us, and we know, Lord, that you care for Camden Padgett, and for Jerry, and for Bruce, and her and their whole family, my whole family. Lord, I pray that you would strengthen this baby and that she would grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Would you, strengthen Jerry and Bruce, to be able, lord, to, to face this difficult situation, with faith and, to earnestly, call out to you.

In Jesus name, lord, I'm for your divine healing. Amen. Oh, amen. Thank you. I talked to my mom last night on the phone while I was finishing up the slides, tweaking them one last go and she said, would you make sure that you remember this?

And that's the only way I remember. If it's on the screen, I'll remember it. So, the sermon on the mount begins with the beatitudes. Now, the beatitude for me growing up are the beatitudes. This is what your attitude ought to be.

Right? That's that's what I thought about. That's why I thought that's what was named that. It's the Latin beatitude is the Latin word for blessing. So, these are the blessings.

It's the beginning of the sermon on the mount in Matthew. Now, Jesus, let me back up just a second. Jesus gives at the very beginning and some people see it as an outline for the whole sermon. It's like he's telling them what he's gonna tell them and then over the next three chapters, he tells them and then he kinda closes it off with a summary. I I kinda see that but not completely.

Matthew has included in this eight blessings or eight beatitudes at the beginning and then a summary at the end which kind of covers most of em. Luke only had four. So, some people argue that this is not the same sermon but I think the circumstances are close enough. I believe it is the same sermon. I know in preaching and in hearing back some feedback about preaching that some of y'all take away different important points than others.

Does that make sense to you? So Luke has four blessings and four corresponding woes, and we covered those pretty thoroughly a few weeks back. Matthew covers eight blessings with their corresponding well, the the blessings are corresponding to the the attitude of the heart and so there are eight of em in Matthew. There are four of em in Luke. Matthew doesn't give the inverse or the woe.

Luke does but we're in Matthew right now. So, we'll cover these just as they are and honestly, there's not a whole lot of explication this morning. I have been dealing with these for weeks now and I have been studying through em. If I thought you needed the Greek words, I'd bring you the Greek words. Y'all know that.

If I thought you needed the grammar, I'd bring you the grammar but these are, I believe, Jesus' opening volley here is to say, these are kingdom values. These kingdom values are different than the values of any other nation or any other people on earth. These kingdom values are not worldly values. And so it's like we're strained as Christians, as believers, having been saved by belief. We are strangers and exiles in every land.

Okay? Strangers and exiles in every nation on earth. Jesus is saying, take all that you know and realign to kingdom values and he's already doing that. By this point in Matthew and by this point in Luke and Matt and Mark by that way too, he had already been ministering in Galilee for quite some time and he had been, it says, healing them all and he had been teaching a message and authenticating it with miracles and he's a pretty good ways along. If you go with Luke's timeline and this is the same sermon and I think that it is, Luke says that when, let me get to this, when Jesus saw the crowds, there were crowds.

There were crowds because he had been doing miracles and giving messages and speaking like no one had ever spoken with great authority. So, when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, sermon on the mount. That's why it's called that. He went up on the mountain. Now, Luke goes into more detail.

It says, he went up on the mountain the night before and he spent all night in prayer and then he called his disciples to him, not just the crowds but those who were consciously, conscientiously following him, the disciples, the learners. He called them all to him and then he chose 12 and made it official. So, when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain and Matthew was, he went up and spent all night in prayer and then he called his disciples and then he appointed 12 of them to be officially his disciples. This says, now when Jesus saw the crowds, there's more people there than just his 12 or the extended party, but there were others. He went up on the mountain and after he sat down, that's a traditional posture for teaching in the culture.

After he sat down, his disciples came to him, the ones who were the learners. And so he frames Matthew frames this as primarily being a sermon that is given to people who are seeking to be his followers, his learners. So if you try to put this on a nation or if you try to put this on a people group or if you try to just put this on your unbelieving friends, it's not gonna line up at all. And honestly, if we're honest about putting it on ourselves, only because God allows it and only because God transforms us is it possible for us. After he sat down, his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and began to teach them.

Now, in Matthew, we've seen little pericopes, little stories along the way where Jesus says things but there are five extended discourses in Matthew. This is the first one. So, the sermon on the mount in Matthew is the very first. There are four others before the end of Matthew's gospel. He opened his mouth and he began to teach them saying, so Matthew's quoting here and Matthew's beatitudes are a little more ample than Luke's.

Luke seems to have simplified some of them. Matthew gives them expansion expansion, but he does not include the corresponding woes. This is where I've said, I'm just gonna sit these in your lap and let you think about them. We're gonna do communion at the end of this service, and if you think about these, I think it puts you in a humble place to be able to accept the remembrance of Christ's body and blood. So here we go.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Now that one, it means poor in spirit. No no necessary not necessary to go to the Greek, but I wanna read something Blomberg, Craig Blomberg said about this one. Poor in spirit, as a virtue, because it's listed as a virtue here.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Poor in spirit, as a virtue, must refer not to a poor quality of faith but to the acknowledgment of one's own spiritual powerlessness and bankruptcy apart from Christ. We have to realize that we are lacking and in need of a savior. The savior who was able to submit to the spirit of God throughout his whole life. Tempted in every way just as we're tempted yet without sin.

If we recognize our utter lack and we call out because we need God, we are poor in spirit. Once spiritual powerlessness and bankruptcy apart from Christ, those who feel their spiritual need, blessing the spiritually poor provides an important qualification of Luke's more absolute use of poor. So Luke just says, blessed are the poor. Right? But Matthew says, blessed are the poor in spirit.

We recognize that all that we have is not enough. But when we call out to God, he can give us what we need. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Why? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I'm gonna hit this several times today. There's is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is already and as evidenced by the next seven of these beatitudes, it's not yet. It's not fully completed but it's already at work. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Those who recognize their lack and their need of God. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven in the present and the right now. Now, that that contrast by the next few of these, they say, like this one, blessed are those who mourn. No need to go to the Greek here either. Mourn means mourn.

Mourning is experiencing a deep sense of loss. Oftentimes, it is because of the death of dear loved one and when I look out from, I cry every Sunday. I can't even help it but when I look out a lot of times when I mention a word like mourn, I see y'all who are mourning. I see and I know the situations and when I was looking around the first service this morning, I was overcome by It says, blessed are those. You could translate that happy the man, right?

Happy the man or joyful the one who mourns and it seems to be at such a contradiction but this is blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. The kingdom of heaven is already, but they will be comforted saying it's not yet. It's not completed yet. Even at the end of a year, how many top 10 lists have we seen this year of the people that we've lost? A lot of us have seen that over and over.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. There's comfort in knowing that it will subside. Blessed are the gentle or meek. You might have heard it meek, gentle. Same thing.

Blessed are the meek or the gentle. Now, how blessed are the meek in any nation in the world? When you're going for it, when you're going for the gusto, how blessed are the meek in on in this world, in this nation, in this life? That meekness is not a a quality that is sought out in people very often. And if you're going for it, the gusto I I actually watched a football game this week.

I hardly ever do that, but I did watch one. It was Georgia playing Michigan. You know, I'm from Georgia. Went to UGA for a while. And so I I watched that.

And it's a metaphor. Right? Football is a metaphor for war. It's about land acquisition. They have our yardage, and we want their yardage.

You know? We're we're going for it. And how do how do meek football players make any yardage? They don't. Right?

But this it's interesting because all of the wrangling and all of the imperial hubris and all of the conquering that was going on. And considering that this is during the Roman times where they're just taking over land after land with their sword and with their army. Blessed are the gentle, the meek. And what is their recompense? They'll inherit the earth.

Fight about it all you want to, powers that be, because the meek are gonna inherit it. It's gonna be given to the last, to the least of these. Blessed are the gentle, for they'll inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. They will.

It's not saying they're doing it now. Right? It's already kingdom of heaven is ours, and their citizenship is somewhere else, and they've got a home in heaven above. And this land below, it's not reflecting exactly as it will. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is about truly being able to walk out, to walk uprightly, circumspectly, and to walk by kingdom values. Is the Greek word for this. Is about the righteousness of God. That's God is described as being righteous.

All of his ways are good. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They want to walk out a personal righteousness and humility. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and it says, for they will be satisfied. They will achieve a righteousness.

It will be a derived righteousness. It won't be human, and it won't be just natural. It will be supernaturally given and transformed by the spirit of God. And it is a will be because it's not gonna be absolutely done until that great mighty day when the great reversal happens. But righteousness and being right in an argument are not the same thing.

Okay? If you win a Twitter battle does anybody really ever win a Twitter battle? To be right on the right side of a political issue or to be right in an argument to have to have your way be the right way is not the same thing as hungering and thirsting after actual righteousness. Lord God, make us righteous and not just right in an argument. Give us what we need.

It says, they will be satisfied and that's starting now but continuing on into the future, it will be absolute when we know just as we are known. When we have no tears, they will be satisfied with a righteousness. It'll be derived still. Following after the lamb that was slain is the method. Matthew five seven says, blessed are the merciful.

Now, mercy and grace go hand in hand. I talk a lot about grace. I talked a lot about grace last week. Grace is a leaning towards with unmerited favor. God is leaning towards us, holding out a blessing for us which we do not deserve.

But he is also withholding a punishment that we do deserve, and that is the mercy of God. God's mercy is when he does not give us something bad that we do deserve. His grace is when he does give us something good that we don't deserve. Blessed are the merciful. This one is very, very scriptural and hundreds of other places you could find this.

Blessed are the merciful. Is that a quality of this world that we're currently living in? No. Have you all heard of cancel culture? Somebody slips up and does something or says something somewhere and they're canceled all the way.

Nothing they can do to ever be brought back into the good graces. No way. Canceled forever. They're remembered by their worst moments. Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.

Oh, even in the Lord's prayer, Jesus says, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Right? Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgive us, Lord, our offenses as we forgive those who offend us. Mercy.

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. If you really get how forgiven you are and how you do not deserve it, it will make you into a more merciful person. You won't be looking to cancel or cut someone off. You'll be looking to forgiveness, and I think that leads into this. Blessed are the pure in heart.

Blessed are the pure in heart. Now, Paul talks a lot about purity, and he goes into his his audience is two different churches, but it's also the it's an evangelistic message that goes forward. And he starts off with the bad news often that none of us are pure, but any of the righteousness that we're talking about from any of these commands has to be derived from God anyway. So there is a possibility through humble reaching out to God for your heart to be made pure. And Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart.

What they desire is what God desires. Blessed are the pure in heart for they'll see God. That's really good. That's really, really good. Our benediction today is from chapter six, and it's seeking first the kingdom of God.

It's already here. It's the is. Right? It's already here, but seeking first the kingdom of God. And all these other things will be added to you.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Both of those set up this one. Blessed are the peacemakers. Now, peacemaking is a difficult position. Do you agree with me?

Have you ever tried to work anything out between peoples that were not getting along? I mean, I do marriage counseling, and I have had marriage counseling go well, and praise God, it went well. And I've had it go poorly. I've had people walk out the door where one of them said, you are a bleeding heart liberal. I don't know how you even stand it.

And then the next person says and the same same marriage now, same marriage. One of them says, I'm a bleeding heart liberal. The other one says, you're conservative and you're backwards antiquated ideas. I can't even believe that you're you're that that's ridiculous. You agree with him.

Sometimes that galvanizes people against me, and then they get together because they can't stand me, and I'm all for that. Whatever will make peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. If you think about peacemakers and you had to list some from the last hundred years or so, almost everybody bring up Martin Luther King. Right?

Martin Luther King Junior. Martin Luther King Junior, or Gandhi. Not Christian, but certainly was a peacemaker seeking to make peace. Saw something that was wrong with the society in which they were living and through nonviolent and meek means went forward in gentleness, speaking the truth in love and hoping to bring about social change. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Boy, that's an unpopular position, believe it or not. It should be something we lift up and we laud in the church. Blessed are the peacemakers. Christ was the ultimate peacemaker. He made peace between mankind and God almighty.

By his death, peacemakers are often murdered. They're often blasted. Blessed are the peacemakers. Why? For they'll be called the sons of God.

Amen. Amen. The son of God, capital s, Jesus, the son of God became a son of man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God. If you are a child of the king, peacemaking should be part of who you are. It's a part of your kingdom identity.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God. This goes back to I mentioned it for several weeks in a row, the adoption situation where Jesus Christ, son of God Almighty, put himself in the lowly and humble position of being an adopted son here on earth so that through his walking out in all the same ways, tried and tempted just as we are, but was without sin, he walked through it so that we might receive adoption as sons. It's good. Sons of God are peacemakers and blessed are they for making peace. And if I oh, go on.

Blessed are those who have been. This is a this is a it builds off that last one, but it's also the tense here is interesting. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. They're hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and they're doing everything that they can by what the word of God says, by the spirit of God stirring their hearts. They're seeking to live it out in truth in front of people and make peace between God and man or make peace between warring groups.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Christ martyrs death is the first of those. But if we were to go back, Martin Luther King Junior, I mentioned him as a peacemaker. Everybody would list him that way now. And would you say he's a son of God?

Yeah. I would say he's a son of God. He's a Baptist preacher. That that that is something that people might put him in that category, even people that disagree with it. But blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. There's is the kingdom of heaven. They were walking it out on this Earth and seeking it but man, they get blasted. Martin Luther King got shot. Had all kinds of other things said about him that were not kind, not true, not nice.

So they were looking to say all manner of evil things, but they will be called the sons of God, that future aspect. For living out the kingdom of heaven right here, you're not gonna receive a pat on the back, most likely. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteous for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That is is what stands out to me. And here, I'm looking at it and going, okay, there's is the kingdom of heaven.

That's a possibility in the right now for me to be a kingdom citizen. And I've already covered it throughout the text, but let's look back at it in backwards order. Five nine says, blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God. In the honest estimation of say Gandhi or Martin Luther King Junior, after the fact now during their life, they were called agitators and aggravators, and they were called all kinds of mean stuff. Where I'm from, they're still called all kinds of mean stuff.

But the was he walking out the righteousness he saw from God? I believe that he was. Was he a perfect human being at the time? No. But he will be called the son of God.

He's walking it out. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be not yet complete for us that are still alive and breathing right here, but will be complete in the great reversal. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Jesus says, no man has seen God at any time but they will. They will.

Faith, evidence, things hoped for, things not yet seen but they will see God. There's a purity of heart that his spirit brings, and they will see God. Seven, blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. God, make us merciful. I pray, Lord, that we would be merciful.

We'd be able to not hold an offense. I I pray that if we give an offense, it'd only be the offense of the gospel, of the grace of God. Pray we would never hold one. Make us merciful. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.

Isn't that good to know that one day, we won't just be bumping our heads against this, that, and the other thing over and over and over again. We'll actually be righteous. God, make us righteous. Allow us the the humility to see where we're lacking and allow you to transform and change it. Not stubbornly hold on to our rights, but voluntarily give them up for the sake of righteousness.

Blessed are the gentle for they will inherit the earth. In this dog eat dog world, Lord God, allow us to be gentle, meek. Give us the words to defend our faith, Lord, but may we do it because people are asking about the peace and the gentleness that we have. Blessed are those who mourn. We all know what it's like to mourn.

And we will know what it's like to be comforted. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now, theirs is the kingdom of heaven is the first thing we hear in verse three and it's the last thing we hear in verse 10 that the kingdom of heaven is now and you can have a part of the citizenship in the right now. It's already but it's also not yet fully realized. This is the setup for the rest of the sermon and some people say it's an outline for the rest of the sermon.

I I can kinda see that. I'll keep studying and see what I think. Y'all please read up by halfway through chapter seven and see what you think. This is the summary of all that has been said so far. In two verses, Jesus said, now blessed are you.

Oh, all the rest of them are blessed are the poor, blessed are me, blessed are the peacemakers. But this one is, blessed are you. He's looking in his disciples' eyes and he's saying, blessed are you. And I can look at if I were looking in your eyes, I don't know all of you. But if I'm looking in your eyes, I know some of you, and I know that you've been insulted and belittled and condescended upon because of your belief in Jesus.

This says believe blessed are you when people insult you and when they persecute you and when they this is important. Falsely falsely say, all kinds of evil things against you because of me. So the falsely and the because of me is important. Peter gives us a good corrective there. He says, let not any of you receive any sort of persecution for being a murderer, a thief, or an evildoer.

So if you do, that's on you. But if you have been falsely accused because of your belief in Jesus, this verse and many others say, blessed are you. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil things. You're just a narrow minded blah blah blah blah. People say that.

I I am I'm not that's an antiquated idea, and they're misogynistic, and it's all kinda there's a whole lot in our society right now that is trying to destroy biblical underpinnings and trying to destroy a lot of truth. Blessed are you when people insult you and what you believe and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, but it needs to be because of him. Okay? If you're a jerk, that's on you. But if you're following, hungering and thirsting after actual righteousness and not just trying to be right in an argument, Rejoice and be glad.

Now, that sounds kinda antithetical to mourn and some of those other things, but rejoice and be glad. Rejoice and be glad. We're strangers in a strange land no matter what the earthly land. We're looking forward to eternity knowing just as we're known. Rejoice and be glad because it's coming.

For your reward in heaven is great. I don't think that that's a proportional reward to persecution. I don't think that it is. I think it's saying your reward in heaven is great being there present with almighty God. Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great.

For in this same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. He ends it just like Luke ended his Sermon on the Mount. He's saying saying that this is not the way of the world, and whenever anybody speaks up for God, even in a interpersonal relationship, they're likely to receive a backlash on this side. That's just the way it is. The same way they persecute the prophets who are before you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Lord God, we acknowledge our lack before you. I personally acknowledge my lack before you. All the study that I can do, lord, does nothing if your spirit does not accompany it and illumine your word and if I don't apply it into my daily walk. So, God almighty, I pray that the kingdom of heaven would be something I'm I'm conscious of living my citizenship in that kingdom even amongst this land.

And Lord, blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for ours is the kingdom of heaven, Lord God Almighty. May we pray for those who persecute us. May we pray for those who say all those evil things, Lord, that the dramatic reversal that you have made in our lives would be also something that would be made in theirs. We want to bring more into the kingdom, Lord, not to exclude any, but to bring as many as we'll humbly submit, Lord. And that's what you're about in Jesus' name.

Amen. We're gonna go right now straight into a time of communion, and I'll invite Carl if you would come back up, and we're gonna play through a song as the ushers kinda distribute from a little basket. We have these little plastic cups. They have a cellophane top over the bread, and they have a little tinfoil top over the over the juice. I'm a pray before we sing something but we'll distribute that.

We'll sing the whole song and then we'll come back and we'll do both bread and cup altogether. God almighty, I pray that if we're sitting here, Lord, at the very beginning of the year, first Sunday of the year, and we're seeking to realign our values with kingdom values. Lord God almighty, whatever you have given us in this life to do, I pray that we would hand it right back to you if it be business or if it be peacemaking, if it is counseling, if it's time, if it's talent, if it's enthusiasm, Lord. Whatever it is that you have gifted us with, I pray that we'd be laying it before you right now, that we would recognize your sacrifice and your blood and should we'd recognize your walk, the way that you walked out in perfection, Lord, sinlessness. May we, Lord, be counted as blameless, and then would you transform us day by day.

In Jesus' name, we ask your blessing as we come to this time of communion. We also, Lord, admit that we have fallen short in the face of this list. Lord, I don't know anyone who couldn't see themselves falling short just like Moses went up that mountain, Lord, and came back with the law which shows us our lack and our need of a savior. Jesus walked up this mountain, and as he spoke, his word showed us our need for a savior. Lord God, we're acknowledging right now in this communion.

We'll be acknowledging our savior. In Jesus name, I pray that we would do all that we do. Amen. God. Amen.

And on the same night that Jesus was betrayed and actually, it's the same night that Carl will be talking about tomorrow in the upper room discourse from John. On the same night that he was betrayed, he took bread after supper, and that's represented by this little wafer here. And he said to them that this represents or this is my body, which is given for you. Take this and eat and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Scripture say that after he had taken the bread, he also took the cup and he said to his disciples who were there with him and still speaks today through his word to you.

He says, this is the new covenant in my blood. This new covenant is offered in Jesus' blood. The old covenant is all on you, and you found only lack. But the new covenant says, I've made provision for you. Jesus, on that same night he was betrayed, said, this is the new covenant in my blood.

Take and drink and do with it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Paul says that with each time that we do this, we celebrate the Lord's death, which is an end to sin. It celebrates the Lord death until he comes again. I look forward to that not yet but the the already is the kingdom of heaven is ours because he walked it out for us. So, what we're to sing?

What are going sing, Carl?

I'm going sing. I know I.

I know whom I have believed. Alright. Would you stand with us and we're going to sing that kind of I'll give a quick benediction afterwards but we're going to sing this.

Know not why God's wondrous grace to me he have made known nor why unworthy to Christ and love me for his own

Amen. And the benediction this morning is from Matthew six thirty three. It's still part of the sermon on the mount. I think it's a thesis statement from that and it reflects everything that we just covered in this beatitude section. Y'all be seeking.

That's the grammar there. Y'all be seeking first God's kingdom and God's righteousness and all of these other things will be given to you as well. Be hungering and thirsting after the righteousness that comes from God. In Jesus name, I pray that it will be just that way. Amen.