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[0:00] Jesus saw in the Beatitudes and one of the things that he was doing, he was walking around teaching and he was just teaching folks about the kingdom, the kingdom, the kingdom.

[0:10] But the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is talking about God's rule. God's reigning. God's authority. God's power to do that which he wants to do.

[0:23] And that is to show people that we don't have to live the way we was living. We was created to worship our God. We was created to love upon each other.

[0:35] We was created in such a way that we would bring glory upon glory and upon glory for that which he has done in our lives. And so when I look at this and when I look at how Jesus felt about the people and how compassion, I mean compassion says that he had a feeling, a deep abiding feeling that he wanted to share with the folks.

[0:59] That says that I want to alleviate your problem. I don't want to fix it. I want to alleviate it forever. So I want to step into your shoes. And see, sometimes we call sympathy compassion, but it's not.

[1:15] So we can have sympathy upon someone that's sitting in a corner with a cup shaken and asking for arms. All we have to do is reach into our pocket and drop a few dollars in there and keep on going and never have a relationship.

[1:30] Christ has called us to have a relationship. How do we know this? Look what the scripture says. Blessed are the poor in spirit. That's what the word says. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

[1:42] Why? Because theirs are the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is God's rule. The kingdom of heaven is, it says that we need to learn some things now while we're on the earth is to detach from some things.

[2:01] The kingdom of heaven, we must learn the secret of totally depending upon God. Poor in spirit says that one day we was poor in spirit.

[2:11] You remember that. You didn't know who God was and you didn't understand what God was doing and you didn't understand how God was moving. But somehow, praise be to God, that God had enough grace for me and for you that he opened up our eyes and he drew us to us.

[2:31] And then he showed us some things, how lost we were, how empty we were, how bankrupt we were. And we said, oh precious God, help us.

[2:43] Let Jesus Christ be my savior. Why? Because I'm poor in spirit. So we have to receive forgiveness. We have to understand it only took divine grace.

[2:55] That's why John 5, 24 says, most surely I say to you, he hears my word and believes in him who sent me.

[3:08] Has eternal life. And shall not come under judgment. But has passed from death to life. From bankrupt to fullness.

[3:20] From lack to abundance. Why? Because I'm poor in spirit. And in that poor in spirit, in the world that we live in, we see that the whole world is poor in spirit.

[3:32] We see that the whole world is following something that they shouldn't be following. You see, the whole world forget how they are bankrupt in a lot of ways. And never ask, oh precious God, can you meet my need?

[3:49] Oh precious God, would you allow Jesus Christ to come into my life? Why? Because the kingdom of heaven are there. The rule of God.

[4:00] The protection of God. The assurance of God. The blessings of God. The guidance of God. And the keeping power of God. Poor in spirit. Lord, I can't solve my own problem.

[4:14] I can't understand the world I'm in. And that's why I need you. Then he says this. If you're poor in spirit then. Then he says, blessed are those who mourn.

[4:26] In verse 4. They shall be comforted. Now this is where I start shouting. Here's why. It is simply because.

[4:38] Because of my broken heart. Because of sin. Because I've experienced so much sorrow. In the last five months. Where there is 150,000 people has died.

[4:53] From a COVID-19 thing. We should be mourning. We should be mourning. We should be mourning. As the people of God. We should be down on our knees. Every night.

[5:04] Every opportunity that we can get. Crying out to God. Oh precious God. We need your help. We need your help in this situation. Because you said.

[5:15] That we go from death to life. If we understand. That we need you. The whole world. Right now need him. But the whole world.

[5:26] Think a vaccine. Is going to do the trick. The whole world. Is thinking that we can put on a mask. And wash our hands. And keep our distance. It's going to slow it down.

[5:37] But we need a cure Lord. We don't need a fix. We don't need a temporary patch. What we need is a savior. That can move. In such a way.

[5:48] To. How you say. To ratify this thing. To get rid of it. We should be mourning. The church. Should be standing together. And call sin. Sin. The church.

[5:59] Should be standing together. I don't care. White churches. Black churches. Red churches. I don't care what color church it is. We should all be coming together. Linking together. And united. To say.

[6:10] Oh precious God. We're poor in spirit. It gets me. That's a great reward of being comforted.

[6:21] He says. John 14 says. Peace I leave with you. And peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled. Now somebody should just take on to that.

[6:33] And just hold on to that. You see my heart is troubled Lord. But your word tells me. That I need the peace of God. My heart is troubled Lord. You need to come in like a flood Lord.

[6:45] With your peace. And the world that we live in. To set this thing straight. Here we can't meet in our own buildings. Because there is no understanding. There is no way that we understand how broken we are.

[6:58] And how helpless we are. To control some things. That we have to revise. We have to have an alternative. Where we sit on the lawn. Because we want to praise you anyway. And so then.

[7:09] That's we are mourning Lord. If my heart is broken Lord. If I'm grieving Lord. Then it's all due to the sin. That man has experienced it in this world.

[7:20] We've got to mourn about this stuff. And then it says this. If I'm poor in spirit. I'm lost Lord. I'm poor in spirit. I don't have no hope Lord.

[7:31] I'm poor in spirit. Because some of us need a savior Lord. We should be crying. Even when we have relatives. That's in our families. That don't know how. Don't know Jesus Christ.

[7:42] As their Lord and Savior. We should be saying. Lord have mercy. Lord fill them up with grace. Because that's what God has called us to do.

[7:53] Is to bring people into the right relationship with Jesus Christ. Because they're poor in spirit. And if we have the right attitude. That we're going to mourn about this stuff. Which means I'm not feeling too good.

[8:03] That means I'm grieving. That means that I have an attitude. That I'm paying attention to what's happening in the world. But God says wait a minute now. Poor in spirit and mourning.

[8:14] You also need to be meek. Meek says this. I need some power. Under control. You see some people believe that meek is weak.

[8:27] So some people think. That if I'm meek. Then I just let people roll over on me. And do nothing about it. But God is saying. When you're poor in spirit.

[8:37] And God rescues you. And when God hear you mourning. And God says that you have humbled yourself. You have. You have. You have. Let everything go. You have. Let me say it this way.

[8:50] Your agenda. Don't matter anymore. Let me put it this way. Your motives. Doesn't matter anymore. Because what's matter. Is what matters to God.

[9:01] And you are kind of. Connecting to that. And so this is what God is calling us all to do. Don't confuse meek with weakness.

[9:14] It is described. That if sin is reigning in your mortal bodies. That you should obey. It's lust. Then you're not meek.

[9:25] You're under control of something. That's outside. Of God's kingdom. And his rule. That's called sin. To have strength.

[9:36] But be tender and humble. To live life in such a way. That you're teachable. And being weak. And bound down. And spineless.

[9:47] Has nothing to do with a strong man. So we should be provoked. We should be. We should be. We should be stirred. We should be. We should be ready to bring comfort to people. We should be ready to know.

[9:58] That we can be teachable. And people need to be teachable right now. We need to know that. Meekness has the victory. In everything that we do. Amen. Amen.

[10:09] I'm going to have to ask. Start asking Darren. For some amens up in here. That's okay. I can say. This is what I can say. And this is where the sermon starts.

[10:20] You see. We can be. We can be poor in spirit. All we want. And we can respond the right way. We can mourn for all of the people that we want. And we can be meek.

[10:31] And allow them. To understand. That we are under control. We are disciplined people. But if we don't hunger and thirst for righteousness. God says. That this way.

[10:41] They shall be filled. Now this. This is where. This is where we all should be paying attention right now. You see. Because hunger and thirsting.

[10:52] For righteousness. Jesus Christ put it in a metaphor. So that we can understand. That we don't want to miss no meals. Everybody know what I'm talking about. When we get thirsty.

[11:03] We don't want to be thirsty. Because those things can cause some discomfort. Those things can cause us to have less life. But those things can cause us to have not energy. And it's the same thing in the spirit.

[11:14] If we are hungry. If we are hungry. And thirsting. And thirsting. For righteousness. And we have lack in those areas. We are weak spiritually. If we're not filled. And so God. What are you saying God?

[11:25] You're saying this. Righteousness. If I pursue. What are I going to pursue? Because I'm poor in spirit. Righteousness. I need to pursue it. Why? Because I'm mourning Lord.

[11:36] I have some grief in my life. Righteousness. Righteousness said. If I'm going to pursue it Lord. Then guess what Lord? I need to learn how to be meek. I need to lay my own stuff down.

[11:47] And deny myself some stuff. So that I can be what? That I can hunger and thirst for righteousness. And if I'm hungry and thirsting for righteousness. He said I will be fulfilled.

[11:57] Filled how? I'm going to be filled with the spirit. First of all. That's what I need. I need some power from on high. Filled. Filled in one way. That I'm going to be filled with the wisdom of God.

[12:10] So that I would know how to give an answer. To some things that is going on in my world. Filled. Filled how Lord? I'm going to be filled Lord. Because I know that the righteousness of God.

[12:21] And the knowledge of God. And the spirit of God. Brings about some changes. And gives some folks some answers. Who are poor in spirit. God is calling us all. Keep me straight timekeeper.

[12:36] Please. Because this is. This is what we need to hear today. What do we need to hear? That God has called us all. By commandment.

[12:48] To read the word of God. God has called us. To understand. That our agendas.

[12:59] Must change. And put the word of God. And the spirit of God. And the wisdom of God. First in our lives. You know why? Because souls are at stake.

[13:10] We need to be filled. We need to be hungry for this. We need to be hungry for righteousness. Knowing that the power of the Holy Spirit. And the knowledge of God.

[13:21] That brings about some fruit. That we can see. We see it all. Can you imagine. That this place would be filled.

[13:33] It's really funny. I like to see this. Because the metaphor works. That you are sitting on the mountainside. And you are hungry and thirsting.

[13:44] For the word of God. You are hungry and thirsting. For righteousness. You are hungry and thirsting. To hear from your creator. Who knows what you need.

[13:55] He knows everything about us. Even that when we get a thought. From afar off. He already knows. What we are going to do with it. Hungering and thirsting. For the righteousness. We must read the word of God.

[14:10] To know God. And I am going to end right here. You know the word. According to the scripture. Is very profitable.

[14:21] According to 2 Timothy 3. Chapter. Why? Because it is the doctrine. That we need to live by. It is.

[14:32] It is. It is reproof. That we need to have. In our lives. It is the correction. Instructions. That we need. For the next generation. And the next generation. And the next generation. It is the faith.

[14:43] And the righteousness. That we can live by. Every single day. And so in the famous words of Luther. If we can understand.

[14:55] Poor in spirit. And understand. The lostness of the world. We would behave differently. If we can. If we can understand. That we should be crying.

[15:07] We should be having grief. When we are seeing. What's happening. In this world. We should be meek enough. To be teachable. To how we can get in there.

[15:18] Not sit on the sideline. But get in there. And do something about it. And so when I'm hungry. And thirsting. For righteousness. This is what. A great preacher.

[15:28] Named Luther said. Do all the good you can. In all the ways you can.

[15:42] At all times that you can. To all people that you can. As long as ever.

[15:54] As you can. Why. Because we can remember. When I was poor in spirit.

[16:06] We can remember. When we had grief. We can remember. When I wasn't humble. And wasn't disciplined. Until I hooked up with Jesus. We can remember.

[16:18] That we didn't have no guiding light. That would. That would. That would be a lamp for our feet. Until we met Jesus. And God's word. To open it up. And that is why.

[16:31] Our faith. It is what it is today. And that's why. We come together. With black churches. And white churches. And green churches. Or whatever color churches. That say that we are one people.

[16:44] And that we can move. This thing forward. And we can be the representative. That God has called us to be. And that we would bring people. Into a relationship. With Jesus Christ. To encourage them.

[16:55] To edify them. And guess what. To educate them. To equip them. So that when we come together. On Sunday morning. Whether it's nine o'clock. Or ten o'clock.

[17:06] Or ten thirty. We will be exalted. In his holy name. That's what God has called us to do. For God's people. He's the one.

[17:17] That's going to hold us fast. God's people. He's the one. That's going to lead us. Where we need to go. And I just pray. Father God. I pray Lord.

[17:31] If someone. Do not know. Jesus Christ. As the Lord. And Savior. Because they're poor in spirit. I ask. Father.

[17:41] If they would be fulfilled. I ask. Oh Heavenly Father. That you would move. In such a way. That when we are filled. And have an abundant life.

[17:51] Lord. We would give you all of the credit. I pray Lord. That reading your word. And praying. And understanding. What we are doing. In this world. Is being represented.

[18:02] As ambassadors. Of you. Because you called us. To this place. And may your people. Always. Exalt your holy name. And I just pray this.

[18:13]  In your son's name. Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. And amen. Amen. Amen.