SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN (BEATITUDES): THOSE WHO MOURN

 I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5

            -- this morning, we are going to be continuing in our sermon series on the Beatitudes that I have titled, “The Measure of a Christian” -- as we said last time, the Beatitudes are a list of eight things that Jesus gave us in this passage in Matthew that we consider the measure of a Christian -- the character standards that all Christians should be striving for and that mark our progress and growth in the Kingdom of God

            -- I’m going to go ahead and read the entire passage from verses 1 through 12 so that we have the verses in context, but our focus this morning is on the second Beatitude that we find in verse 4 -- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”

            -- so, if you would, follow along as I read Matthew 5:1-12

 

Matthew 5:1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

            -- every so often I have to travel with my job -- if I’m given an option, I usually like to drive wherever I’m going, so I’ve got my vehicle with me and I can go and do whatever I want to do and leave whenever I choose -- but, unfortunately, you just can’t drive all over the country in a reasonable time, so I have to fly from time to time, which is something I really don’t like to do

            -- I’m not necessarily scared of flying, but I don’t really like it a lot -- I know a lot of people say, “Faith over fear,” and I understand that -- but I also know that Jesus said, “Lo, I will be with you always” -- He didn’t say “High, I will be with you always,” so I always feel safer on the ground -- other people say, “Well, if it’s your time, there’s nothing you can do about it” -- and, I know that, too -- but I get worried that it might be the guy up there in Row 15F whose time it is and I just happen to be on the plane with him when God decides to take him

            -- so, when I do fly, I get a little nervous -- a little anxious -- and you can tell a big difference between someone like me and the people that fly all the time and are used to it -- for instance, when the flight attendants come out and start giving their safety presentation as the plane is taxiing to the runway, I always pay attention -- the people that fly all the time aren’t paying them any attention at all, but I’m sitting there listening to every word and taking notes and getting ready because I want to know what I should do in case of an emergency

            -- if you’ve flown, you’ve heard these safety messages before -- the attendant tells you how to buckle your seatbelt -- how to find the exits -- and how to use your seat cushion as a flotation device -- and then they always end with this one safety instruction that always seems to me to be the most important

            -- they point to a compartment over your head and say, "If the cabin loses air pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the compartment over your head -- if you are seated next to a child or someone who is having trouble putting on their mask, put yours on first, and then help them put on their mask”

            -- in my mind, this just goes against all common sense and wisdom -- if you’re like most people in an emergency situation where there are children present, your first thought is going to be to take care of the children first -- isn’t that the way we’ve always been taught? -- to take care of the most vulnerable first?

            -- think about the Titanic and when it started to sink -- what was it they said about the life rafts -- let the women and children go first -- take care of those who are most vulnerable first before you take care of yourself -- it’s what we’re taught to do

            -- so, the instructions of the flight attendant seem to go against the norm -- they tell you to take care of yourself first, and then help someone else -- this isn’t the way we would normally do things -- this isn’t what common sense would dictate -- our first instinct is to protect the weak and the young and the vulnerable -- of course, with the pandemic and the way some people have reacted, I have to wonder how many people think this way any more

            -- but this instruction to go against your instincts and to take care of yourself of first in an aircraft emergency makes sense if you sit down and think about it -- hypoxia -- the lack of oxygen -- can affect your ability to react and to think -- and that’s the last thing you want going on in an emergency situation -- if you’re going to help someone else -- if you’re truly going to help the vulnerable and those around you that need help -- you need to be thinking and reacting normally and not impaired by a lack of oxygen-- so, the attendant tells us to put our own masks on first so that we will not be impaired and so that we can help those around us better

 

II.  Blessed are those who mourn

            -- that’s the same reasoning that Jesus uses here in this second Beatitude -- you can’t help someone else with their sin, until you first face your own sins -- when it comes to sin, you have to take care of yourself before you can begin to take care of others -- and we do this through holy mourning

            -- let’s look Beatitude a little closer and I’ll show you what I mean

            -- here in verse 4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn”

 

            -- there’s that word again that we find in all the Beatitudes -- “blessed” -- if you remember, we said that to be blessed was to be favored by God -- to be experiencing His presence and His power and His grace in our lives

            -- when we use the word, “blessed,” we are saying that we have had a supernatural, spiritual encounter with the living God -- God has reached down and touched our life in a real and personal way through His presence and His grace -- the Gaithers summed it up quite well what this looks like in their classic hymn when they simply sang, “He touched me”

 

            -- and, as we can see from the context of this verse, to be blessed doesn’t mean that the things around us are necessarily going good -- it doesn’t mean that our finances and our homes and our relationships are all perfect -- it doesn’t mean that we’re not suffering or walking in trials and tribulations -- in this verse, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” -- and mourning usually doesn’t indicate something good has happened but that we are walking through something that has profoundly impacted our lives in a negative way

            -- when Jesus tells us in this context that we are blessed, it means that even in the midst of our situation -- no matter how bad it is -- God is with us and He has touched our lives and we can rest in His sustaining presence no matter what it is that we are going through -- that’s what it means to be blessed -- it means He has touched us and we are in the palm of His hand

 

            -- listen to this Beatitude again -- “Blessed are those who mourn” -- think for a moment about what causes you to mourn -- we mourn when we have lost someone or something in our lives -- we mourn when someone we love has passed away -- we mourn because there has been a death

            -- we hear this verse recited a lot at funerals, because of the promise from Christ in the second part of this Beatitude that those who mourn will be comforted -- and while this is true, this is not the type of mourning that Jesus has in mind here

            -- remember the context of the Beatitudes -- Jesus is teaching about spiritual things -- He is speaking about spiritual character and spiritual growth -- not about being comforted because of a worldly loss

            -- so, think about this Beatitude from that perspective -- what is it that causes us to mourn spiritually? -- what death or what loss are we grieved about?

            -- we mourn because we have become aware of the spiritual death that follows a sinful life -- we mourn for our sins -- we grieve for what we have done to God -- as David says in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned,” as he points out that all our sins are sins against God

 

            -- there’s a song by the contemporary Christian group, Sidewalk Prophets, called, “You Love Me Anyway,” which talks about this very thing -- which points out that all of us have sinned against God and wounded Him with our actions

            -- the chorus of the song says, “I am the thorn in your crown -- I am the sweat from your brow -- I am the nail in your wrist -- I am Judas’ kiss -- but You love me anyway

            -- “I am the man who yelled out from the crowd, for your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking ground -- then I turned away with a smile on my face -- with this sin in my heart I tried to bury your grace -- and then alone in the night, I still call out for You -- so ashamed of my life…but you love me anyway”

 

            -- when Jesus speaks of the mourners in this passage, He is referring to those who have become aware of the depth of their own sin -- who know that their sin is not just a passing thing -- just something lightly done with no true consequence -- He’s talking about those who realize that their sins were against the very throne of heaven and cast darkness against the light and purity and holiness of God

            -- this Beatitude is for Christians -- for people who have already taken their first step towards spiritual holiness by accepting the first Beatitude -- who have come to Jesus poor in spirit, recognizing their need for a Savior, and receiving salvation at the cross

 

            -- this second Beatitude speaks of a deepening realization of just what Christ has done -- of just what Christ has suffered on the cross for us

            -- as we come face-to-face with the true reality and impact of our sin to God -- as we realize the price that Jesus paid to forgive us -- we begin to mourn and grieve for our part of the cross -- for the thorns in the crown -- for the sweat from His brow -- for the nails in His wrist -- for the blood that He shed for us

            -- it is at this point that true repentance begins -- it is relatively easy to come to Christ at first -- to believe that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day -- to put our faith and trust in His atonement for our sins

            -- but it is another step altogether to truly understand what that means -- this is what the second Beatitude is all about -- truly acknowledging and repenting of our sins so that we might walk with Christ in holiness and righteousness

            -- this is what Jesus means when He says elsewhere in the Bible that we have to pick up our cross and follow Him -- we have to acknowledge our sins and put them to death through repentance so that we might rise with Christ to new life

 

III.  For they shall be comforted

            -- this leads us to the second part of this Beatitude -- to the promise of Christ for those who mourn

 

            -- Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted”

            -- one thing that I learned early on in ministry is the value of a comforting spirit -- there were many times when I sat with a friend at the hospital as someone they loved passed away -- and there were no words that could be said -- there was nothing I could do but sit there and hold them and be with them -- but I found out, that was enough -- that was what was needed

            -- when Jesus tells us here that those who mourn will be comforted, this is a promise of presence -- this is a promise that He will be there to sit with us and to hold us and to be with us as we grieve over what we have done and as we mourn the depths of our sin

            -- the presence of Jesus is the promise of a new day -- it is like the sun breaking over the horizon after a really bad storm has passed -- it is like a light shining in the darkness when you are lost and all hope is gone

            -- Jesus says that after we mourn, He will comfort us -- there are three ways that the comfort of God comes to us in the midst of our grief over sin

 

            -- first, we are comforted through His word -- through the Scriptures -- as we read of the promises that He has given us -- we stand on these promises -- we believe in what He has said -- and we know that they will all come to pass

            -- Jesus promised us forgiveness from our sins -- He promised us eternal life with Him -- He promised to never leave us or forsake us -- He promised to always be with us and that He would make a place for us

            -- when we are gripped in the depths of mourning over our sins, these promises are the light that lead us forth into new life with Him

 

            -- secondly, we are comforted through His church -- through the presence of other believers

            -- I had a conversation this week with someone about the church and what the church really was -- the church is not a building -- it’s not a denomination -- it’s not a name on a sign

            -- the church is a community of faith -- a group of believers who come together in grief and in mourning over sin and in celebration of the risen Christ -- believers who come together to form a family of faith for the express purpose of lifting each other up -- of being there with them -- of holding each other accountable and helping them turn away from sin -- and who encourage each other to continue on in their faith

            -- who better to comfort those who mourn than someone who has already mourned -- who better to walk with down unknown paths than someone who knows the way

            -- the Bible tells us that we need each other to live out this Christian life -- it speaks of the importance of the church -- and how, through the church, the presence of God comforts our souls as we grow in grace and truly mourn and repent of our sins and pick up our cross and follow Christ together

 

            -- the third way we are comforted is through God’s very presence -- through the Holy Spirit who lives in us and through us

            -- the Bible tells us in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit helps us in our weakness -- when we don’t know what to pray -- when we don’t know how to pray -- the Spirit prays for us -- He intercedes on our behalf -- He comforts our souls and He carries our needs to the Father

            -- there is a reason that one name for the Holy Spirit is Comforter -- just as this verse says, when we mourn, we are comforted -- when we mourn, we are blessed by the very presence of God falling upon us and taking away our pain and our grief so that we might rise up and carry on to new life

 

IV.  Closing

            -- holy mourning over sin is a good thing -- it may not be pleasant -- it is not something that we like to go through -- but it is necessary -- it is a vital part of the Christian life -- it is something that we have to do if we are truly going to walk with Christ in this life -- if we truly want to live holy and righteous lives in His name

            -- the mourning that Jesus is talking about in this Beatitude comes about when we honestly recognize the sin in our life and decide to do something about it -- it leads to true repentance -- not just to the initial stages of faith and belief at the cross -- but to a deepening faith and love that grows from a realization of just what Christ has done for us and what the Holy Spirit continues to do within us as we seek to walk with Jesus daily

            -- mourning and repentance proceeds to comfort as we begin to experience the new life that Jesus promised -- a life characterized by holiness and obedience to God’s word instead of a life bound up by sin or the consequences of sin

 

            -- I want to close by sharing with you a story I once read about Robert Murray McCheyne, a pastor in Dundee, Scotland -- even though he died at the young age of 30, his life and his ministry had a profound impact on the people in that community -- many, many people had come to Christ because of his influence -- many, many people had changed their lives because of his presence in their pulpit

            -- the impact that McCheyne had did not go unnoticed outside of Dundee -- one day, a young pastor who had just graduated from seminary and who was beginning his first pastorate visited McCheyne’s former church to see what he could learn about ministry from those McCheyne had touched

            -- he went to the old sexton of McCheyne’s church and asked him what McCheyne’s secret was -- the sexton led the pastor into McCheyne’s study and showed him a table with some of McCheyne’s books on it sitting next to a chair -- he told him, "Sit down and put your elbows on the table." The visitor obeyed. "Now put your head in your hands." He complied. "Now let the tears flow; that's what McCheyne did."

            -- Next he led the pastor into the church and said, "Put your elbows on the pulpit." The visitor did. "Now put your face in your hands." He obeyed. "Now let the tears flow; that's what McCheyne used to do."

            -- the sexton’s point was clear -- Robert Murray McCheyne cried freely over his sins and over those of his people -- and his holy mourning led to repentance and to transformed lives and the comfort of Christ

            -- we need to be more sensitive to the convicting voice of God's Spirit and more determined to live a separated and holy life.

            -- We may rejoice in God's forgiveness, but we should never be afraid to mourn for our sins, because Jesus tells us that those who mourn will be comforted and blessed¹

 

            -- as we close in prayer now, let me remind you of one of the wonderful promises that we find in God’s word -- in 1 John 1:8-9 we read, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. -- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify [or cleanse] us from all unrighteousness.”

            -- as we close this morning, let us confess and mourn over our sins in prayer -- let us pray that we might be comforted and that we might be purified from all unrighteousness and that we might leave here transformed by the very presence of God as He touches us and touches our hearts

            -- let us pray

 

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1 Modified from D. C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN (BEATITUDES): POOR IN SPIRIT

 I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5:1-12

 

Matthew 5:1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

            -- Several years ago, Popular Mechanics published an article called, “25 Skills Every Man Should Know”¹ -- it was a list of things that Popular Mechanics felt defined a real man -- a man who knew his place in the world -- a man whose life and whose skill demonstrated that that they were capable and able to fulfill their roles and responsibilities as husbands and fathers in this world today -- the article made the case that if men were not able to do these things, then they needed to learn how to do them -- they needed to grow in these areas in order to be who they were called to be

            -- the list was quite interesting, and I’m not going to say how many of these I can or can’t do -- but let me read a few of the items from that list this morning

 

            1.  Patch a Radiator Hose

            2.  Rescue a Boater Who has Capsized

            3.  Frame a Wall

            4.  Back up a Trailer

            5.  Fix a Dead Outlet

            6.  Build a Campfire

            7.  Get a Car Unstuck

            8.  Paint a Room

 

            -- so, that’s just a few of the skills that Popular Mechanics said were the measure of a man -- a real man, they said, should be able to do all of those things

 

            -- Jesus also gave us a list that He said are things that all Christians should possess -- that all Christians should be striving to live out in their daily lives -- the standard or measure by which someone could see how they are progressing and maturing in the Kingdom of God

            -- we call this list of eight things that Jesus gave us here in Matthew Chapter 5, the Beatitudes -- now, the word “Beatitude” is not in the Bible --it is derived from a Latin word “Beatus” which means “happy” or “blessed” because each of these eight measures of our Christian life that Jesus gave us begins with the words, “Blessed”

            -- so, this morning, we’re going to begin a new sermon series on the Beatitudes because this list of eight things that Jesus gives us here are foundational to our faith -- they are things that we need to know and that we need to live out in our lives if we are truly going to be the men and women of faith that Christ has called us to be -- if we are truly going to be His church in this world today

 

II.  The Beatitudes

            -- before we look at the first Beatitude in detail, let’s spend a few moments talking about the Beatitudes in general, as a whole

 

            -- these are the eight Beatitudes -- the eight measures of a Christian -- that Jesus gives us in this passage:

 

            -- Blessed are the poor in Spirit

            -- Blessed are those who mourn

            -- Blessed are the meek

            -- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

            -- Blessed are the merciful

            -- Blessed are the pure in heart

            -- Blessed are the peacemakers

            -- Blessed are those who are persecuted

 

            -- some Bibles translate the word “Blessed” as “Happy” -- so, depending on your translation, you might see these in your Bible as “Happy are the poor in Spirit” or “Happy are those who mourn”

            -- I am not a big fan of this rendering of the Beatitudes because I don’t believe the word, “Happy,” really portrays the true meaning of what Jesus is trying to get across in this passage and I don’t believe it fits with the original manuscripts -- I think it changes the focus and intent of what Jesus is telling us here

 

            -- let me explain what I’m talking about -- the focus of the word “happy” is self -- happiness is an emotion based on external things -- happiness come from outside you, so you don’t have a lot of control over it -- when you’re happy, you have pleasure in your life -- it’s a good feeling

            -- that’s why people in this world today run around and spend all their time and energy and money and resources seeking happiness -- going from one high to another just so that they will have pleasure in their own personal lives

            -- and when we do this, the overall focus is on self -- it’s all about our feelings and our emotions and no one else -- and when our conditions change -- when things aren’t going good for us -- happiness flees

            -- on the other hand, the focus of the word “blessed” is God-oriented -- the word literally means, “favored by God” or “experiencing spiritual prosperity” -- it is more closely related to the biblical concept of “joy” which is not an emotion driven by eternal things, but the sense of fulfillment and peace that comes from inside -- that comes from being in complete and total fellowship with God -- you can be going through the worst trials in the world, and still be joyful and still consider yourself blessed because of the presence of God with you

            -- in 2020, there were a lot of Christians that weren’t happy -- the things going on around us were not good -- they did not add pleasure to our lives -- but a lot of Christians were still joyful -- because they knew, regardless of what was going on around them, that they were safe and secure in the presence of God -- they were anchored to Him and nothing that happened to them could change that -- and it gave them a sense of peace and security in a world gone mad

 

            -- that’s why the rendering, “Happy are those who mourn,” makes no sense -- because there is no happiness in mourning -- by definition, you are grieving a loss -- your happiness is gone -- but, yet, we see all the time those men and women who, in times of mourning, still exhibit the character of joy and blessedness in their lives because they know that God is with them even in the midst of their sorrow and grief

            -- so, I think we need to stick with the term “blessed” in the Beatitudes rather than the term “happy” -- if you want to say “joyful,” I’m good with that -- but let’s not try to substitute “happy” for blessed in this passage

 

            -- now, as I have said, the Beatitudes can be considered our standard of conduct -- our standard of living -- in the Kingdom of God -- one writer has said that these are the attitudes that Christians should be striving for in our daily lives -- so, when you’re faced with issues in your life and don’t know how to respond, you can look to the Beatitudes to see what your attitude or your response should be

            -- one way to think of the Beatitudes is that they are like a ladder, leading to our ultimate goal of purity in heart -- each Beatitude builds on the one before it -- and you must pass through each one on your way to spiritual maturity and perfection

            -- we start with poverty of spirit -- with humility and humbleness of heart -- next, we mourn for our sins and for the sins of others and the corruption of this world -- we strive to become meek, refusing to exalt ourselves or compare ourselves with others

            -- “we hunger and thirst for righteousness as if it were bread and water, the righteousness of Christ that justifies us so that we may act justly in the world.”

            -- “We extend mercy to everyone for everything, not judging anyone for anything and in so doing we feed the hungry and visit the prisoner and give to the poor.”

            -- “We extend mercy and hospitality to whoever is put before us at any moment.”

 

            -- And, as we follow these steps, we learn to overcome conflict and persecution -- to be peacemakers and peacebringers -- men and women who usher in the Kingdom of God and the presence of Christ wherever we are ²

 

III.  Poor in Spirit

            -- so, let’s look at the first Beatitude -- if you would, look back at verse 1 and let’s start there

 

Matthew 5:1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

            -- to give you the context of this passage, this chapter opens in the early days of Jesus’ ministry -- He has gone to the Jordan River, where He was baptized by John the Baptist -- He spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness being tempted by Satan -- He came back to Galilee, and called His 12 disciples to come and follow Him -- and for the past few weeks and months, Jesus has been traveling throughout the regions of Judea and Galilee, ministering to the people -- healing and preaching and teaching

            -- Matthew tells us that one day in the midst of this time of ministry, Jesus was being followed by a large crowd of people -- He goes up on a mountainside and sits down facing them so that His voice would carry throughout the crowd -- it was like a natural amphitheater -- and once all the people get settled, Jesus begins to teach

            -- this message that is recorded here is known as the Sermon on the Mount -- it covers three chapters here in Matthew -- and parts of it are recorded in each of the other three gospels -- as Jesus begins this lengthy message, the very first thing He shares are the eight Beatitudes that we have been discussing because, as we have said, these are foundational -- these are things that all Christians should have and should be striving for in their lives -- this is the path to maturity in Christ

 

            -- so, the first Beatitude Jesus gives is “Blessed are the poor in spirit”

            -- the first thing that we see here in this Beatitude is the phrase, “blessed” -- now, we talked about that some earlier, but the important thing to note here is that the use of this word implies the action of God in our lives -- the Bible tells us that apart from God, we can do nothing -- and by using the word “Blessed” here, Jesus is telling us that apart from God, we cannot take up these Beatitudes and make them a part of us

            -- this is an act of God in our lives -- an act of grace -- God’s free gift that is given to us and that draws us to Him and makes us into His likeness and image

            -- when God moves in our lives -- when God pours out His grace in our lives like this -- our call is to respond to Him -- to open ourselves to Him -- to receive what He is giving and to act on it -- God’s grace always demands a response on our part

 

            -- Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” -- Luke simplifies this in his gospel as “Blessed are the poor”

            -- which obviously begs the question, “what does Jesus mean by ‘poor?’

            -- in Luke 18, we read the story of the time a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he must do to gain eternal life -- after discussing what it meant to follow God and to live for Him, Jesus told the young man "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

            -- when Jesus tells us here in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” is He telling us to do the same thing that He told the rich young ruler? -- to give away all that we become financially destitute?

            -- no -- here in the Beatitudes, Jesus is focused on the virtues of the heart -- on the character of a person -- the measure of who they are spiritually

            -- Jesus is calling for us to be poor -- not in worldly terms -- not in financial terms -- but in spiritual terms -- poor in spirit

            -- in this Beatitude, Jesus is calling for us to acknowledge our spiritual condition before God and respond by turning to Him, and Him alone, for salvation

            -- before we can begin our journey with God -- before we can grow in grace and start climbing the ladder to spiritual maturity and purity of heart -- the first thing we have to do is put our foot on the bottom rung of the ladder -- the rung of spiritual poverty

            -- that means we have to get real before God -- to be poor in spirit means that we’re acknowledging our condition before a holy and righteous God -- that we realize who we truly are and how we fail to measure up to God’s standards in our lives

            -- to be poor in spirit means that we take that realization and confess it to God -- and ask Him to save us and to forgive us of our sins because we can’t save ourselves -- only He can

 

            -- the Bible describes for us what we were like before Christ -- in Romans 3:10-12 we read, “"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

            -- and over in Romans 3:23 it says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

            -- the problem continues to be that we fool ourselves and we don’t admit our true nature to ourselves or to God -- we go through life thinking that we can get to heaven because we’re really not bad people -- we may stumble here and there, but overall, we’re pretty good

            -- the truth is that we are not aware of who we really are -- that is, we are not aware of the depth of our sinfulness until the prevenient grace of God puts a mirror before our spirit -- until God speaks to our hearts and convicts of our sin and shows us our true nature

            -- to be poor in spirit is to know who we are in the depths of our heart -- to know our true state before a holy God -- to stand before God and cry out as Isaiah did as he stood before God’s throne, “Woe unto me, I am ruined”

            -- to be poor in spirit is to come before God with nothing -- with empty hands -- not depending on works -- not depending on tradition or heritage or anything else -- not depending on our perceived goodness or self-righteousness -- but coming as we truly are -- naked before Him in our spirits -- revealing all to Him and trusting Him to make us rich in Christ

            -- Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed, because they have recognized their spiritual state and have come to the only source that can bring restoration and healing and value to their lives

            -- they are also blessed because of what they receive -- “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” -- in other words, once you are poor in spirit and turn to God for salvation, you enter into the kingdom of heaven and receive eternal life with the Father       

            -- to be poor in spirit, then, means that you have acknowledged your sin -- that you have confessed to God who you are -- and that you have asked Him to forgive you of all that you have done

            -- it means that you have repented of your sins -- you’ve done a u-turn and are now following God rather than the path you used to be on -- and that you are now living in faith in the kingdom of heaven -- trusting and believing in the atoning death of Jesus Christ for your salvation

            -- blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God -- this is the first step on the journey of faith with Christ

 

IV.  Closing

            -- let me close today by leaving you with a story that really demonstrates the poverty of spirit that Jesus is calling us to in this first Beatitude

 

            -- it’s the story of a girl named Jenny -- Jenny was 13 and she was wild -- Everyone agreed that she got wilder and more out of control with each passing day -- she was taller and more physically mature than many of her friends, and she found it was easy to attract older guys by merely tossing back her long, strawberry blonde hair and giving a faint smile -- Before she was 14 years old, she was experienced in all the vices the world could dangle before her -- Jenny got caught up in an endless cycle of sex, drugs, and alcohol abuse, and appeared to be heading down a long, dark road with no way out.

            -- If you asked Jenny, she would tell you she was happy -- she was having a good time -- but, in her heart, she was lying -- she knew her lifestyle wasn't right -- she knew her life wasn’t what it should be

            -- Maybe that's why she agreed to go with a friend to an event put on by a local church --  Even though Jenny didn't return in the following weeks, something in the youth pastor's short message found its way into her heart -- He told the story from the Bible about a prostitute who was so sorry about the way she was living that she cried at the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet dry with her hair.

            -- Several years passed, and Jenny grew more out of control, "raging" night after night -- One night, as a very stoned Jenny and a group of her friends roamed around town after yet another party, God began to break through to Jenny -- His voice filled her ears -- His grace reached out to her

            -- Suddenly, the guilt, self-loathing, and despair that Jenny had tried to cover up with sex, drugs, and alcohol for so long, exploded in her mind.  She was sick of her life, sick of her behavior, and sick of who she was.  For the first time in her life, Jenny desperately wanted to be clean and to feel love -- true love.

 

            -- Remembering the youth pastor's message from so long ago, Jenny thought, "Maybe God can help," and she tried to find a church -- she left her friends in the streets and made her way to the nearest church -- She opened the gate to the garden leading to the back of the church, and then she saw him -- It was Jesus -- He was standing on top of a concrete pad in the middle of the garden.  His arms were out-stretched like He was waiting for her.

            -- Jenny went to him.  She dropped on her knees in front of this life-sized statue of Jesus and began to weep -- And just like the prostitute in the story heard so many years ago, Jenny's tears fell on the feet of the statue of Jesus and she dried the feet of the statue with her hair. 

            -- While Jenny was there at the feet of the statue, the grace of the living God poured out on her, wiping away all the years of sex and drugs and alcohol and gently removing the obstacles that had been built up between her and the one person who could truly love her and fulfill the longings in her soul -- Jesus

 

            -- that is what Jesus is talking about when He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God”

            -- this is the first step for all of us -- the first rung on the ladder of spiritual maturity -- before anything else, we have to come to Him in poverty of spirit -- acknowledging who we are on the inside -- how far we have fallen from His standard -- and seeking His grace and mercy for forgiveness and healing and restoration

            -- and even as we mature in our faith, we need to continually revisit this step -- to look at our hearts and our actions and our behavior -- to get real before God and repent of our sins and ask Him to cleanse us from our unrighteousness

            -- you can do that here -- this morning -- right there in your heart -- no matter where you are -- just admit to God where you have failed -- where you have fallen -- and repent of your sin -- turn away from it -- and turn to Him -- and ask for His grace and healing in your life

            -- if you do that, Jesus tells you that you will be blessed

 

            -- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God

            -- let us pray

 

 

 

 

¹ 25 Skills Every Man Should Know, Popular Mechanics, http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/skills/4223337?page=1&all

² The Pure in Heart Shall See God, Eric Simpson, Associate Editor, "In Communion: The Journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship"  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-simpson/the-pure-in-heart-shall-s_b_854738.html

 

CHRISTIAN CANCEL CULTURE?

 

It was with a sad heart that I took in the recent revelations about Ravi Zacharias and his sexual sins.  Over the years, I had learned a great deal from Ravi, through his daily radio show, “Let My People Think,” and the various publications he had authored or coauthored.  Ravi’s insights, his knowledge and his wisdom in speaking against the wisdom of this age, had informed my own Christianity and my own walk with Christ.  And while a lot of his philosophical arguments were certainly over my head and beyond my grasp, I appreciated how he was able to speak at that level to students and academia throughout the world.  In my mind, he was a true defender of the faith, an apologist of the highest order.

Glimpses of potential moral overreaches by Ravi began to surface several years ago, when his oft-mentioned credentials began to be questioned.  Some researchers of his life, including atheist and secular opponents, discovered that Ravi’s academic degrees were overstated, and that his doctorate was not earned, but bestowed as a recognized honor.  His claims of teaching and leading seminars at various universities abroad were not supported as these institutions reported he had not been part of their faculty, as adjunct or as a guest lecturer.  And, I noticed, no long after these reports surfaced, Ravi’s daily radio show stopped referring to him as “Dr. Ravi Zacharias,” simply calling him, “Ravi Zacharias.”  A lapse of character and integrity in this highly respected and regarded individual, but one which had been acknowledged and corrected.

But following his death, multiple sources have confirmed Ravi had greater moral failings, in the form of sexual sin and even systematic sexual abuse.  The organization and legacy Ravi left behind is reeling, trying to deal with the aftermath of a charismatic leader who has proven to not be what he purported to be.  And, as can be seen in the screenshot above, Ravi’s publisher has taken the drastic step of stopping the publishing of any of Ravi’s books and manuscripts.  It appears that, in very short order, the name and ministry of Ravi Zacharias will cease to be mentioned any longer.

This bothers me, and I know I may be the lone voice in this regard.  We are living in an era here in the United States that has been dubbed, “Cancel Culture,” the systematic purging of any part of our history, society, or culture that is offensive to others.  Over the last several years, Cancel Culture has removed statues of historic leaders, renamed or reframed traditional holidays, and pushed sweeping changes in education to purge mention of anyone who may have had questionable issues in their past.  For the most part, Cancel Culture has been associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, but it is expanding now into other areas of our daily lives.

For instance, when country singer Morgan Wallen was recorded on video shouting a racial slur in the aftermath of a drunken argument, Cancel Culture immediately descended on him.  His songs were removed from radio stations, and his music label has placed him on indefinite suspension, all but guaranteeing a quick end to his emerging career.  In short order, I expect Morgan Wallen to disappear from the public eye forever, for one word spoken in anger.

 And while I certainly can’t condone what Wallen said, the move of Cancel Culture has left him with no avenues for restoration.  Although he has publicly apologized for his actions, his words fell on deaf ears, and no one is allowing him to repent and return to the fold of the corporate country music industry.  But I understand that.  That is our secular culture.  That is not the church.  Repentance and restoration are not part of who they are.  Just ask the Dixie Chicks or any of the others singers or groups that have fallen from the good graces of Nashville over the past decades.

 But what about Ravi?  What about the response from the Christian community to the revelations of Ravi as a flawed and sinful individual? 

 Ravi’s situation is unique.  I’ll agree with that.  Since he is deceased, there is no avenue for public apology, repentance, or restoration.  He and his ministry -- his words and his works -- will disappear in the annals of time, cancelled because of his sin.  But does sin in the life of a Christian leader negate what God has done through them?  Should we discount all of the ministry and the works of fallen Christian leaders because they have been revealed to be what we all are:  sinful humans?

 I don’t know the answer to that, but I did want to open the discussion.

 In the case of someone who has not passed, I believe there should be an avenue of restoration made available.  The Bible clearly teaches how discipline and correction of sinful actions should be handled in the church.  In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus tells us what to do is someone sins against us, with the goal of leading that person to acceptance of their wrong, confession and repentance, and eventual restoration.  But if that person refuses to repent, even when the issue is brought up before one or two others or eventually the entire church community, then that person is to be treated as a pagan or tax collector, one outside the faith community.

 And we have seen the church do just that in several high-profile cases, including that of Ted Haggard, the rising pastor from Colorado whose sexual sins were made public.  After a time of counsel, confession, and repentance, Ted Haggard returned to ministry, albeit in a lesser capacity.  That is the biblical principle Jesus gives us here.

 But what about leaders like Zacharias who have passed away?  In this case, confession and repentance are not possible.  The sin remains like a dark blot on the works of their ministries and their legacies, both personally and professionally.  What is to be done in these cases?  Are the actions of the Christian Cancel Culture correct?  Should all of their words and their written works be erased because of the exposure of their sins?

 My heart says no.  All of us are sinners.  Even though washed in the blood of Jesus and living in the light of His grace and mercy, we all continue to sin.  We all continue to struggle with those things that hinder our walk with Christ.  But our sins don’t detract from what God is doing in us and through us.  If, after our death, the true depth of our sins is exposed and the struggles we faced with temptation come to light, should that discount anything we have done or said in our Christian lives?

 Perhaps the issue with Ravi is that we don’t know the state of his heart in terms of his sins, whether he struggled with them and sought repentance and restoration privately with the Lord or whether this was just a hidden part of his nature in which he was unrepentant and unwilling to change.

 But the question remains:  Should Ravi’s works and words be purged from our collective Christian consciousness because he was shown to be a sinner?

 I don’t think so, because I have personally been enriched in my own Christian life through his teachings, and I believe others can continue to be enriched, as well.  If we were to remove the teachings of everyone whose sins were exposed after their death, whose works would remain?  Even the Apostle Paul described himself as the “chief of sinners,” but none would argue that Paul’s words should be cancelled.  Certainly, other great historical leaders in the church struggled with sin, as well.

 While well-meaning, Cancel Culture threatens to remove all vestiges of admirable contributions by secular leaders because of actions or thoughts that are currently offensive.  Are we going to follow suit in the Christian community by ushering in a Christian Cancel Culture, as well?

 

 

What is Lent?

 

            When we think of the church’s liturgical season of Lent, two specific days usually come to mind.  The first is Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” which clues us in on what happens on this day.  Since Lent is a period of fasting and penitence and reflection on our sins, the day before Lent has turned into a holiday of indulgence.  Originally, the Christian church would celebrate Mardi Gras by indulging in extravagant banquets and eating rich delicacies prior to the start of Lent.  It was not originally the decadence that we associate with Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 

            You may see some people refer to Mardi Gras as Shrove Tuesday.  This is because Mardi Gras is the last day in the Shrovetide liturgical season and ushers in the liturgical season of Lent, which continues until Easter.  Traditionally, the palms that were waved on last year’s Palm Sunday are brought back to the church and burned on Shrove Tuesday, with the ashes being used on Ash Wednesday.

            Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent.  Traditionally on this day, a special service is held where people are marked with the sign of a cross on their forehead in ashes that they are to wear the whole day as a reminder of who they are and of what Christ has done for us.

            There are several reasons why we use ashes: first, they are a reminder of who and what we are.  The Bible tells us that we came from dust and that we will return to dust.  If you remember, in the Book of Genesis it says that Adam was created from the dust of the ground and that he only became alive when God breathed the breath of life into him.  So, the ashes remind us that without God in our lives, we are just like dust, without life and without worth.

            Second, the ashes also remind us that anything we do in our own power apart from God is worthless.  The Bible tells us that there is nothing that we can do on our own that has any value to God.  That’s why we can’t work our way to heaven.  Our lives and our actions only have value if God works through us and gives us meaning and purpose, so the ashes remind us that we have to depend on God throughout our whole lives

            The third reason we use ashes is that ashes have traditionally been a sign of repentance and mourning in the Bible.  Back in the Bible days, it was common for those who were sorry for their sins and who wanted to make a new beginning with God to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes.  That’s why it says in Job 42:6, "I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."  Ashes are a symbol of our repentance and a sign that we seek forgiveness through God's grace

            The ashes are placed on the foreheads in the sign of a cross as a reminder that after we have mourned and repented of our sins and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.  Traditionally, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday would be mixed with oil to symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit who works to keep us holy and who intercedes on our behalf.

            One more thing about the ashes: the ashes used on Ash Wednesday usually come from palm fronds.  Palms are symbols of victory and were waved before Christ as He entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  By making the ashes from palms we are reminded of how we have victory through Christ's death and resurrection.

            So, the overall purpose of putting the ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday at the start of Lent is to remind us that we belong to Jesus and to celebrate what He has done in our lives.

            Lent is a 40-day liturgical season of penitence, reflection, prayer and worship.  It is a time when we reflect on our mortality, our sinfulness, and our need for the Savior who suffered and died so that we might be forgiven of our sins and gain eternal life with Him.

            Lent was started in the early days of the church as a remembrance of Christ's time in the wilderness and as a time for Christian converts to be prepared for baptism, which traditionally took place on Easter morning.  During this time, they would be instructed in the faith.  They would undergo catechism and would receive intensive lessons on who Christ was, what it meant to follow Christ and on the ultimate sacrifice that He made for us on the cross of Calvary.

            For those who were already Christians, Lent was a time of reflection on their lives and their Christian walks in preparation for the rededication of their lives to Christ on Easter morning.

            The word "Lent" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word, "lencten," meaning spring, the time of the year when the days grow long.  As we noted above, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days, not counting Sundays, and ends on the Saturday before Easter

            The season of Lent is not in the Bible.  It was started in the early days of the church as a remembrance of two events in the life of our Lord where He took time out from the world to spend a moment with the Father and to prepare for what the Father was about to do through Him.

            Following the example of Christ, the early church developed the season of Lent as a time of reflection, prayer, and strengthening to help Christians get ready to celebrate Easter.

            Lent was developed to be a special moment for us -- a time when we could take a break from our normal routines, to stop the world for just a moment, so we could spend time with God and prepare ourselves for Easter.

            It is also a time for us to look honestly at who we are to see if we are truly walking with God or if we have sin in our lives that we need to repent of and it is a time when we try to share in the sorrows and sufferings of Christ so we can better appreciate what He has done for us and who we are in Him.

            Typically, on Lent, Christians are encouraged to fast in some fashion by giving up something and to use the time we would normally spend doing that with the Lord.  A lot of people participate in a typical fast by giving up food for a meal or for a day during this period and spending the time in prayer.  Others abstain from television or the internet or something else that is a constant distraction from their walk with God.  If you don’t want to give something up, you could always try adding a spiritual discipline during this 40-day period, such as reading through the New Testament or starting a quiet time with the Lord.

            What you do during Lent is up to you.  You don’t have to do anything.  But you will reap the benefits of taking this season seriously and using this time to reflect on who you are in the Lord and on your relationship with Him.