GOOD MORNING.

OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY THE TAKEN FROM THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, THE FIFTH CHAPTER, 1 THROUGH 3, IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG ON YOUR PEW BIBLE IT IS ON PAGE 836.

I WILL BE READING TODAY FROM THE TOUCHPOINT BIBLE AND IT COMES FROM THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND PART OF THE BEATITUDES.

ONE DAY AS THE CROWDS WERE GATHERING JESUS WENT UP TO MOUNTAINSIDE WITH HIS DISCIPLES  AND SAT DOWN TO TEACH THEM.

THIS IS WHAT HE TAUGHT THEM.

GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO REALIZE THEY HAVE NEED FOR HIM, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS GIVEN TO THEM.

THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS.

PRAISE BE TO GOD.

I AM WONDERING HOW THE SERMON WILL GO SINCE WE ALLOWED A RED SOX FAN TO READ THE SCRIPTURE AND A NEW YORK YANKEE  TO PREACH IT.

I THINK I AM IN MORE TROUBLE.

LET US PRAY: 

GRACIOUS GOD AS WE BREAK TOGETHER THE BREAD OF HEAVEN, AT THESE GRACIOUS WORDS OF YOURS, HELP THEM TO INSPIRE US, TO MOVE US, TO TRANSFORM US, SO THAT WE MIGHT GROW IN CLOSENESS  WITH YOU AND IN TRUE COMMUNION.

IN CHRIST'S NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN.

I HAVE BEEN THINKING A LOT LATELY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLESSED AND WHO IS BLESSED.

I MEAN WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE BLESSED OR TRULY HAPPY?

WE SEE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND WE SAY THAT PERSON IS TRULY BLESSED.

I MEAN REALLY BLESSED, REALLY HAPPY.

WHAT DOES THE WORLD SEE AS REALLY BLESSED?

I THINK THAT THE WORLD SEES WEALTH, THE WEALTHY AS PERSONS WHO ARE REALLY BLESSED.

LOOK WHAT THEY HAVE, THEY ARE REALLY BLESSED.

WE DO IT WITH SPORTS PERSONALTIES AND THEIR ABILITIES AND THEIR WEALTH.

LOOK AT HOW GREAT THEY ARE, THEY ARE REALLY GOD BLESSED.

WE DO IT TO ROCK STARS, WOW, LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE, LOOK WHERE THEY ARE PLAYING, LOOK AT ALL THE ADORING FANS, THEY ARE TRULY BLESSED.

YOU KNOW ONCE AND AWHILE I HAVE INSOMNIA AND AS YOU KNOW I AM ADDICTED TO REALITY TV SHOWS, I KNOW I HAVE TO PRAY MORE. 

AND ONE NIGHT I WAS FLIPPING THROUGH THE CHANNELS AND THERE WAS THIS REALITY SHOW CALLED ROCK OF LOVE AND IT IS BASED ON THIS FORMER ROCK STAR, BRENT MCDANIEL, I FORGET WHAT ROCK GROUP HE WAS WITH ‑‑ IT IS THE GROUP POISON.

RIGHT THERE THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING.

HE STARTS OFF WITH THESE 20 GIRLS, KIND OF LIKE THE BACHELOR THEME, AND  HE GETS DOWN TO TWO AND THEN TO ONE, AND THEY HAD THIS MARATHON AND I WAS WATCHING  IT AND THE THINGS PEOPLE WERE OBSESSED WITH,  THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING HE OR SHE WAS REALLY BLESSED AND TO TOP IT OFF,  THE END GOAL WAS THE GIRL THAT WON, SHE GETS TO CLAIM ‑‑ I GET TO BE A ROCK AND ROLL GIRLFRIEND.    THERE IS A LOT OF  COMMITMENT THERE.

HE IS NO DUMMY.

THAT IS WHAT THE WORLD ADMIRES.

THAT IS WHAT WE THINK IS REALLY BLESSED.

I MEAN THE WORLD ADMIRES PROUD AND THE  STRONG, BUT WE GET A DIFFERENT SCENARIO HERE WITH JESUS.

HE TURNS IT UPSIDE DOWN AND ALL AROUND BECAUSE THE BEATITUDES ARE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE PROUD, THE STRONG, THE WEALTHY AND WISE EVEN. 

AND THEY CHARACTERIZE  ALL FOLLOWERS.

THESE ARE VIRTUES THAT ARE DESPISED BY OUR WORLD  AND OUR CALLING IS TO  SEE THINGS AS GOD SEES THEM.

BUT DOESN'T IT SEEM AT TIMES THAT THE OPPOSITE HAVE RECEIVED GOD'S BLESSING?

THE BEATITUDES ARE THE CHARACTER QUALITIES THAT PLEASE GOD BUT IT SEEMS IN OUR WORLD IT SEEMS THE OPPOSITE.

I AM READING A BOOK WITH OUR BOOK GROUP ON TUESDAY MORNING, AND THE NAME OF THE BOOK IS WHEN THE GAME IS OVER IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

AND IN THE SECOND CHAPTER THERE IS THIS SECTION THAT  LISTS 3 OR 4 THINGS THAT  ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE ‑‑ THINGS THAT ARE ETERNAL ‑‑ AND THEN 12 THINGS THAT ARE TEMPORAL, THINGS WE SHOULD NOT BE OBSESSED WITH, THINGS THAT ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.  AND YOU KNOW ON THE LIST OF ETERNAL GOD,  RELATIONSHIPS, LOVE,  AND I CAN NEVER REMEMBER THE LAST TWO, BUT ON THE SIDE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPORAL OR NOT AS IMPORTANT, THINGS THAT WE ARE NOT TO BE OVERLY OBSESSED WITH, OUR JOB, RESUME, OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS OF US, ATTRACTIVENESS, HEALTH.

AS I LOOK AT THOSE LISTS I THINK TO MYSELF, WELL THIS IS WHAT WE ARE REALLY OBSESSED WITH.

THIS IS HOW WE JUDGE BLESSEDNESS AND HAPPINESS IN OUR LIVES, IT IS THESE DOZEN THINGS NOT THESE FOUR LITTLE THINGS.

BUT JESUS SAYS IT IS DIFFERENT, IT IS NOT THOSE THINGS.

HE SAYS POOR IN SPIRIT WHICH IN LUKE  BY THE WAY HE SAYS THE POOR BUT IT MEANS THE  SAME THING.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO READ LUKE AND THEN GET CONFUSED.

IT IS THE SAME THING.

THOSE WHO KNOW THEY HAVE NO SPIRITUAL RESOURCES AND ARE AWARE OF THEIR NEED.

THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

THOSE ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT ‑‑  THE POOR.

OVER AND OVER THE BIBLE IDENTIFIES POVERTY OF SPIRIT AS A CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD MOST EFFECTIVE AND USED SERVANTS.

MOSES ‑‑ IF YOU GO TO EXODUS IN THE THIRD CHAPTER, MOSES, YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS. 

YOU WILL LEAD MY PEOPLE TO FREEDOM. 

AND MOSES SAYS, I CAN'T DO THAT, I AM A STUTTERER, I HAVE PROBLEMS, I HAVE KILLED SOMEONE, I AM A NOBODY.

I CANNOT DO THAT, I DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITIES.

AND GOD SAYS YES, EXACTLY, THAT IS WHY YOU ARE THE PERSON FOR THE JOB.

OR GIDEON IN JUDGES IN THE FIFTH  CHAPTER.

GOD WANTS HIM TO DEAL WITH THE MENNONITES AND OTHER PEOPLE AND GIDEON SAYS, I AM THE YOUNGEST IN MY FAMILY I AM NOT EVEN THE LEADER IN MY FAMILY AND I AM SMALL AND I AM YOUNG I CAN'T DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO, I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITIES.

AND GOD SAYS RIGHT,  YOU ARE EXACTLY THE PERSON I WANT.

OR EVEN ISAIAH.  

GOD IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO SPEAK FOR HIM AND HE SAYS I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, I AM A SINNER, I CANNOT DO THIS. 

GOD SAYS RIGHT, YOU ARE EXACTLY THE PERSON I NEED.

OR EVEN JEREMIAH IN THE BIBLE.

HE SAYS I DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKING ABILITIES, I AM A YOUNG MAN, I CANNOT DO THIS, I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT AND SAY THESE THINGS FOR YOU.

I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITIES,  THE GIFTS. 

EVEN  I AM SCARED AND GOD SAYS RIGHT, EXACTLY, YOU ARE THE PERSON I WANT.

YOU SEE, IN EACH SERVANT THERE IS THIS PROFOUND WEAKNESS, PROFOUND INABILITY AND THAT IS WHAT GOD IS LOOKING FOR. 

AND THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE WORLD WANTS AND WHAT THE WORLD SAYS AND WE ARE PART OF THAT WORLD, BY THE WAY.

IT IS IN HERE AND OUT THERE.

THE WORLD SAYS YOU CAN DO IT, YOU HAVE ALL OF THE ABILITIES, YOU HAVE ALL THE GIFTS, YOU CAN DO IT.  BUT THE SERVANTS OF GOD WE READ ABOUT IN THE SCRIPTURE SAY I AM TOO YOUNG, TOO INARTICULATE, TOO ORDINARY. 

AND GOD SAYS YES. 

TRY GETTING A JOB SAYING THOSE THINGS.

THEY ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON THEIR ABILITIES TO PLEASE GOD, THEY ARE NOT RELYING ON THEIR FAMILY BACKGROUND TO GET THEM INTO A SPECIFIC SCHOOL OR A SPECIFIC JOB. 

THEY ARE NOT RELYING ON THEIR CHARM OR THEIR MONEY OR THEIR EDUCATION OR EVEN THEIR GOOD BEHAVIOR.

YOU KNOW THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS NOT A GROUP OF ETHICAL DEMANDS THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE  ON OUR OWN.

I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT LIKE THAT FOR MANY YEARS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS WHAT JESUS WANTS OUT OF THESE BEATITUDES. 

AND FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE WILL BE STUDYING THE BEATITUDES AND THE POOR IN SPIRIT SETS THE WHOLE TONE FOR HIS SERMON.

WE START OFF KNOWING THAT WE CAN'T ACHIEVE ANYTHING BY OURSELVES.

OPPOSITE MESSAGE THAT WE RECEIVE EVERY DAY.

BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU I FIND THAT AS A BIG RELIEF.

NO MORE GUILT.

NO MORE UNREALIZED EXPECTATIONS.

I DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT ALL ON MYSELF.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT ALL ON YOURSELF.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR ABILITIES OR YOUR GIFTS ARE.

I FIND IT A BIG RELIEF BECAUSE I CAN BE REAL AND I CAN LET GO OF ‑‑ IN THIS CASE ‑‑ TRYING TO BE OVERLY RELIGIOUS OR SELF‑RIGHTEOUS.

BECAUSE THOSE THINGS MEAN NOTHING TO GOD.

HE WANTS THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

SO HOW DO WE BECOME THIS HUMBLE PERSON THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD?

WELL IT IS NOT ABOUT PERSONALITY.

SOMETIMES I HEAR THAT PERSON IS  REALLY QUIET AND SHY AND REALLY HUMBLE.

WELL I HAVE KNOWN SOME SELF‑RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE THAT ARE QUIET AND SHY.

THE BEATITUDES ARE SPIRIT GIVEN QUALITIES.

THERE ARE NO GODFEARING PERSONALITIES.

AND TWO, NOT BY FALSE MODESTY.

OH, I HAVE NOTHING.

I THINK PEOPLE DO THAT SO PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH NO YOU ARE REALLY GREAT.

NOTICE THE SERVANTS THAT I MENTIONED STARTED OFF WITH GOD SAYING,  YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THIS IN ME AND GOD WILL SAY OH YES YOU DO.  

I HAVE IN IT ME AND I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU AND THEY WILL THINK ‑‑ OH IT IS NOT ALL ON ME, IT IS ON YOU AND YOU ARE GIVING IT TO ME.

HOW DO WE BECOME POOR IN SPIRIT?

ONE, WE UNDERSTAND THE GREATNESS OF GOD.

WE DIDN'T CREATE OURSELVES.

WHATEVER ABILITIES WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US BY GOD AND THAT IS ALL ABOUT GOD'S GOODNESS AND GREATNESS.

AND TWO, WE UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD.

GOD HAS OFFERED HIS GRACE TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN UP BEING PRETENTIOUS AND SELF‑RIGHTEOUS AND ARE ONLY LOOKING TO JESUS.

GOD ISN'T LOOKING TO PEOPLE OF GREAT ACHIEVEMENT OR AS MY OLDEST SON PUTS IT, GOD ISN'T LOOKING TO SOMEONE WITH MAD SKILLS.

BUT GOD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR WEAKNESS AND KNOW THEIR INABILITY. 

AND JESUS SAYS THAT THE  KINGDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD.

THAT'S A RADICAL MESSAGE, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BECAUSE WE HEAR THE OPPOSITE EVERY DAY, WE HEAR YOU CAN DO IT, DO IT ON YOUR OWN. 

AND THERE IS A LITTLE TO THAT, BUT WHEN IT FILLS YOU UP AND YOU ARE OBSESSED BY IT, THEN THERE IS NO ROOM FOR GOD.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR GOD TO FILL YOU WITH GOD'S SPIRIT AND THE GIFTS AND THE ABILITIES THAT GOD NEEDS YOU TO HAVE TO BE AND PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

THAT IS WHO JESUS SAYS ARE MEMBERS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT ALL?

DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

JESUS SAYS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOD, THEN YOU DON'T.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOD, THEN YOU DON'T.

AND ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN SAID, AMEN.