Selfies, seriously.
Selfies are amazing.
It's changed kind of our culture,
the selfie culture that we are.
The camera on your phone has brought new dimensions
to our life together.
We are a selfie people living in a selfie culture.
It's a snapshot, no pun intended,
of where our hearts tend to lie.
Is it not true that we tend to be the center
of our own little world?
Standing in sharp contrast to the selfie kingdom
is the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven works according to
a different value system and a different ethic.
It stands in sharp contrast to the culture we live in.
The kingdom of heaven
is the active reign of Jesus.
And you can't be thinking about the kingdom of heaven
as Jesus reigning over geographic territories
of the earth.
At least not yet.
When he comes back, he's taken over the planet.
But right now, to be thinking about
the present and active reign of Jesus
is to think about his interest
in the territory of individual hearts.
And he's winning and gaining a kingdom
by winning, saving one sinner's heart
at a time.
He's gathering a kingdom
of radically changed followers for himself.
In Matthew 3.1,
John the Baptist starts his ministry
with these words,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.
In Matthew 4.17,
Jesus begins his ministry.
He's been inaugurated king at his baptism.
This is my beloved son
with whom I'm well pleased.
Matthew talks about Isaiah
and Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah.
A light has dawned.
His ministry begins
in the very first words of Jesus
in Matthew,
or the same words of John the Baptist,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
Is at hand.
And in Matthew 4.23,
we read that Jesus was
traveling through Galilee,
teaching in the synagogues,
and proclaiming the good news,
the gospel of the kingdom.
You see,
what Jesus was talking about
was good.
It was good news.
It was blessed.
Blessed news.
From the beginning,
the proclaiming of the good news
of the kingdom
included a call to repentance.
Repent, for the kingdom of God
is at hand.
To experience the goodness
of the kingdom,
in order to experience
the blessedness of being
under the reign of Jesus,
one must repent first.
Repentance is a word
that means to change your mind.
And I'm not sure
if this morning
you opened up the cupboard
and you're like,
am I going to eat Lucky Charms?
Or am I going to eat
Captain Crunch?
And you reach for the Captain Crunch
and you're like,
no, I changed my mind.
I repent of eating Captain Crunch
and I'm going to eat Lucky Charms.
That's one way
to talk about repentance.
When you get into the Bible,
the Bible talks about repentance
on a whole different scale.
And so when Jesus calls people
to repent for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand,
what He's talking about
is forsaking the kingdom of darkness
in order to devote yourself
to being His follower
as part of the kingdom of heaven.
We forsake the selfie kingdom
in order to be citizens
of the kingdom of heaven.
And in so doing,
we come under the
gracious reign of King Jesus.
This is all going somewhere.
To become a Christian,
to become a kingdom citizen,
a citizen of heaven,
it requires a radical shift
of devotion.
The values and ethics
of the kingdom of heaven
stand in sharp contrast
to the values and ethics
of the kingdom of darkness.
And so when someone becomes
a citizen of heaven,
when they become a Christian,
they have walked into
a counter-cultural kingdom.
And to be part of this
counter-cultural kingdom,
you are going to have
some ramifications
that ripple through your life.
To be a follower of Jesus
means that you're going
to be thinking differently
about yourself,
about who you are.
You're going to believe
what our King says about you,
not about what this culture
says about you.
And not only that,
you're going to think differently.
You're going to live
differently here.
Your life's going to look
different because you are
different because the grace
of God has radically
changed you.
And so for us citizens
of heaven living on earth
right now,
and we live in between
the comings of the King.
So Jesus has come the first time
and He's coming back
a second time.
And as citizens
of His kingdom,
we live now on this planet
for Him.
And just to be up front
with you,
it's counter-cultural.
If you are a follower
of Jesus,
your life will stand out.
That's what Jesus
is getting at
when He speaks
this manifesto
that we're calling
the Sermon on the Mount.
In this manifesto,
He tells us
who we are
and how we are
to live.
We are citizens
of heaven
and we live
on this planet
for Jesus.
And so Jesus
starts His manifesto
with
eight beatitudes.
They all have to do
with who we are
as Christians.
They address
our character.
What goes on
on the inside.
What we're going to see
is that
the character traits
of the citizens
of heaven
are radically
different
than the world's.
What God values
in us
is
completely different
than what the world
values
in us.
We've been radically
changed.
We've been bought
at a price.
We've been transferred
from the kingdom
of darkness
into the kingdom
of His beloved Son.
We've been given
new natures.
We are new people
living for a new
king.
We don't live
for ourselves
anymore.
We're citizens
of the kingdom
with a new king.
King Jesus.
And so this morning
after that huge
run up
we're just going
to focus on
the first beatitude.
Blessed
are
the
poor
in spirit
for
theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven.
blessed
are the
poor
in spirit
for theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven.
And to serve you
this morning
I thought
we could ask
three questions
of this
first beatitude.
Ask three questions
get three answers
and Lord willing
walk out of this
building
with the freshly
stirred desire
to follow our king.
So the three
questions are
what does it mean
to be poor
in spirit?
That's number
one.
The second
question is
what gets
in the way
of being
poor in spirit?
I'm going to
point to one
thing.
And the third
question is
what is the
good news
for the
poor in spirit?
What's the
good news?
So let's
tackle this
first question.
What does it
mean to be
poor in spirit?
Well if you're
looking at your
Bible
Matthew 5
3
you're going
to notice
that the
first word
is blessed
are the
poor in
spirit.
So right
out of the
gate you've
got to
realize that
to be poor
in spirit
is not a
bad thing
in God's
economy.
It's a
good thing
in God's
economy.
He says
it's blessed.
Happy
are the
poor in
spirit.
Joyful
are the
poor in
spirit.
Fortunate
are the
poor in
spirit.
Blessed
of God
are the
poor in
spirit.
But to
our ears
when you
hear the
word
poor
typically
you don't
think in
terms of
blessing.
It seems
a little
paradoxical.
So even
though we're
seeing that
this poor
in spirit
is a
good
thing
we still
got to
ask the
question
what does
it mean
to be
poor
in
spirit?
Do you
see that
word
poor?
P-O-O-R
Poor.
That word
needs a
little
explaining.
There are
different kinds
of poor
and there
is a
category of
poor people
in which
and maybe
you've been
there.
I know I've
been there.
You're just
barely getting
by.
There's no
fat in the
budget to
save or to
spend on
anything.
You just
barely have
enough to
survive.
Basic food,
simple clothes,
basic shelter.
It reminds
me of that
poor widow.
Remember Luke
21?
Jesus is
standing,
watches this
poor widow
come and
she gives
her last
two copper
coins and
putting in
the offering
box at the
temple.
Do you
remember
that?
She was
poor.
She had
just enough
kind of
poor.
she was
poor but
she was
not a
beggar.
She had
two copper
coins to
give.
The word
poor here
is not
just getting
by poor.
The word
poor is
beggar
poor.
Destitute
poor.
Completely
and
utterly
dependent
on the
generosity
of
others
poor.
The only
way you
can
survive
is from
the
generosity
of
someone
else.
That's
the
poor
we're
talking
about.
That's
the kind
of
poor.
So it's
not just
getting
by
poor.
This is
beggar
poor.
No room
for self
reliance.
No room
for self
confidence.
This
is the
kind
of
poverty
that's
like
you've
got to
do
anything
you've
got
can
do
in
order
just
to
eat.
And what you
notice is that
Jesus links
this kind
of poor
to the
two words
in spirit.
Blessed are
the poor
in spirit.
And so what
Jesus is doing
is helping
us to
understand
the kind
of poverty
he's talking
about.
What sphere
we are poor
in to be
poor in.
And so
what's important
to notice
is that
this
destitute
in spirit
Jesus
locates
within
us
poor
in spirit.
It's a
character trait.
It's a
posture of
heart.
A posture
of heart
of complete
and utter
dependence
on the
generosity
of God.
that's
what it
means to
be poor
in spirit.
Let me
read that
again.
It's a
posture
of heart
of complete
and utter
dependence
on the
generosity
of God
for your
survival.
In the
words of
Augustus
Toplady
in Rock
of Ages
nothing
in my
hands
I bring
simply
to the
cross
I cling.
I got
nothing.
So to
be poor
is to
be a
beggar
and it's
a poor
in spirit
within me.
I've got
nothing.
I've got
nothing.
And so
what you need
to realize
is like oh
that sounds
good Mike
let me help
you bring
this home.
For you
to be
poor in
spirit
is for
you
to humbly
declare
to God
spiritual
bankruptcy.
That's what
you're doing.
That's what
the poor
in spirit
do.
They say
I am
spiritually
bankrupt.
I've got
nothing.
Nothing.
And at the
heart of being
poor in spirit
is the
recognition
of our
profound
sinfulness.
Our
sin
puts us
in debt
to God
and we
can't
pay.
You know
what bankruptcy
is.
You've got
huge debts
and you've
got no
assets
and there's
no way
to pay.
You've
got to
declare
bankruptcy.
Now
what the
Bible is
clear in
saying is
that every
human being
apart from
Jesus of
course
every human
being is
spiritually
bankrupt
for all
have sinned
and fall
short of
the glory
of God.
What makes
the poor
in spirit
different
is that
the poor
in spirit
actually
admit
that they
are spiritually
bankrupt.
They declare
to God
their
spiritual
bankruptcy.
To be
poor in
spirit
is to
humbly
admit
our
sorry
state
of
sinful
spiritual
affairs.
We're
spiritual
debtors.
we have
dug
ourselves
into
debt
so
deep
against
God
that
we
can
never
ever
repay
it.
And
when we
sin
against
God
it's
like
incurring
debt
with
compounding
interest.
Maybe
you have
one of
those
kinds
of
credit
cards
with
a
super
high
interest
rate
and
you
put
something
on
it
and
you
don't
pay
it
for
a
month
and
it
comes
back
and
you're
like
whoa
how did
it
become
a million
dollars
I
don't
know
it's
compounding
interest.
Well when
we sin
against
God
it's
like
incurring
debt
not
with
a
compounding
interest
but
with
a
compounding
judgment.
We're
adding
up
wrath
over
our
heads.
Again
Romans
3
23
for
the
wages
of
sin
is
death.
I
sin
and
earn
judgment.
And
so
as
we
sin
we
are
racking
up
this
huge
compounding
debt
of
judgment
and
wrath
and
death
from
God.
At
this
point
you
might
be
saying
well
Pastor
Salvati
I
thought
that
this
whole
thing
was
good
news.
Can
we
get
to
the
good
of
the
good
news?
Not
yet.
for
those
of
us
who
have
been
given
eyes
to
see
their
spiritual
bankruptcy
we
realize
our
greatest
need
is
the
forgiveness
of
God
for
all
of
our
sin
against
him.
The
only
option
we
have
for
our
sin
is
for
God
to
forgive
us.
There's
nothing
else
that
we
can
do.
We
don't
have
any
assets.
We
don't
have
anything
that
we
can
do
to
work
it
off.
We
are
completely
and
utterly
dependent
on
the
generosity
of
God
in
whom
we
are
indebted.
He's
the
only
one
who
can
pay
off
our
debt.
And
so
here's
what the
poor
in
spirit
say.
I
see
my
debt
against
you
God.
I
cannot
pay
this
debt.
I
have
accrued
against
you.
I
have
no
assets.
I
have
no
collateral.
I
can
offer
you
nothing.
Nothing
in
my
hands
I
bring.
I
got
nothing.
I
just
got
this
debt.
And
I
can't
pay
it
off.
The
only
option
is to
go to
the
one
you
owe
and
say,
will
you
forgive
me
my
debt?
Will
you
pay
off
your
judgment
on
me?
Will
you
pay
off
the
holy
lien
that
you've
put
on
me
for
my
sin?
You
pay
it
off.
And
so
the
poor
in
spirit
are
beggars.
We
recognize
our
spiritual
condition,
our
bankruptcy.
And
there's
no
way
out.
And
so
we
go to
the
one,
the
only
one,
and
we
humbly
ask,
we
beg
in
one
sense
for
forgiveness
to
pay
off
this
debt.
To
be
poor
in
spirit
is
in
one
word
to
be
humble.
Isn't
that
interesting
where
Jesus
starts
this
manifesto?
Blessed
are the
poor
in
spirit,
blessed
are the
humble.
Blessed
are those
who
really
see
their
actual
condition
before
God.
And
so
we
started
by
asking
what
does
it
mean
to
be
poor
in
spirit?
The
answer
is
to
be
humble
in
light
of
your
spiritual
bankruptcy
before
God.
To
admit
it.
I've
accrued
a debt
that I
can't
pay
and
it's
a debt
against
God.
I
am
completely
and utterly
dependent
on the
generosity
of God
utterly
to pay
off
the sin
debt.
It's
not
easy to
talk about
debts
is it?
Not
easy.
Especially
this debt.
The
second
question
what gets
in the
way
of you
humbly
declaring
your
spiritual
bankruptcy
what gets
in the
way of
that?
Well
something
gets in
the way
of that.
And I
just want
to point
to this
one
thing.
It's
failing
to use
the
true
measure
of what
spiritual
poverty
is.
We
tend
to
prop
ourselves
up
by our
own
self
righteousness.
You
know
what I'm
talking
about.
In
order
to keep
us
from
seeing
how
sinful
we
really
are,
what
we
do
is
measure
ourselves
against
people
that we
know
are
worse
sinners
than
us.
We
prop
ourselves
by
comparing
ourselves
measuring
ourselves
against
those
who
are
in
more
dire
straits
than
we
are
or
that
we
think
are.
Kind of
goes
like
this.
Hey,
you know,
I know
I'm not
perfect,
but at
least I
didn't go
cheating
on my
wife like
that guy
did.
Seriously.
Just
propping
yourself up.
Or
remember
you know
who?
At
least I
wasn't
skimming
off my
company's
bottom line
like he
was.
I'm not
that bad.
I mean,
I get angry
from one
at a time,
but man,
I don't
light my
kids up
verbally
like that
person
does.
It's
classic
self-righteousness.
Classic.
It's pride
incarnate.
It's pride
in us.
It's the
opposite of
spiritual poverty.
It's
the opposite
of being
poor in
spirit.
It's
propping
yourself up
with your
own
self-righteousness.
Making you
feel yourself
better in
light of
this person's
problems.
Now,
what you
need to
realize is
that when
we do
this,
we actually
rack up
more debt.
because when
we sinfully
judge in
our pride
like that,
trying to
cover over
our spiritual
debt,
we're just
taking on
more spiritual
debt.
We're just
proving the
point that
we are
spiritually
bankrupt.
You guys
feeling this?
I've been
living with this
all week.
Oh,
and it gets
good.
Hang on.
when we
measure
ourselves
against
others,
we're
using the
wrong
measuring
line.
What you
need to
do,
you do
need to
measure
yourself,
but you
need to
use the
right
measuring
line.
And the
right
measuring
line to
compare
yourself
to is
the
objective,
unchanging
standard of
God's
holiness as
he's revealed
in his
law,
the
Bible.
That's our
measuring
line.
And Jesus
goes right
there.
In Matthew
5,
21 through
22,
in this
section where
Jesus talks
about,
you've heard
it said
this way,
but I
say,
let's just
clarify what
the intent
of the
law is.
In Matthew
5,
21 through
22,
we read
this.
You've
heard that
it was
said to
those of
old,
you shall
not murder
and whoever
murders
shall be
liable to
judgment.
And those
of us
are like,
whoo,
oh man,
I haven't
murdered.
I'm not
liable to
judgment.
Whoo.
And then
we read
the but.
But I
say to
you that
everyone who's
angry with
his brother
will be
liable to
judgment.
There's the
measuring line.
There it
is.
It's not
measuring against
each other.
Jesus is
squaring us
against his
word.
And look
what he
says.
Whoever
insults his
brother will
be liable to
care.
Do you
know how
many times
I've
insulted my
brother,
Scott?
I don't,
I can't,
I don't know
where to
start.
And then
we read,
and whoever
says you
fool to
someone else
will be
liable to
the hell
of fire.
Are you
feeling the
measuring line
of God's
holy law?
And what
it exposes
in us
is our
bankruptcy.
It proves
that I am
a lawbreaker.
Jesus goes
on, if
you're walking
clean there,
no problems
with murder
or getting
angry,
next thing
that Jesus
talks about
is lust.
You've
heard that
it was
said,
you shall
not commit
murder,
but I
say to
you that
everyone
who looks
at a
woman with
lustful
intent has
already
committed
adultery
with her
in his
heart.
What a
measuring line
is that?
It shows
that every
one of us
comes up
way short.
We're all
living under
the poverty
line.
What keeps
us from
declaring our
spiritual
bankruptcy
is our
self-righteous
pride.
That's what it
is.
what keeps
us from
seeing us
as we
really are
is our
pride.
And what
God uses
his word
for is to
expose it,
expose our
sin.
We learn
at different
places in
the Bible,
God opposes
the proud,
but gives
grace to
the humble.
And so
when we
measure
ourselves
against
other
people,
do you
know what?
There's no
blessing
there.
There's no
blessing
there.
There's only
curse there.
But when we
measure ourselves
up against
God's holy
word,
his law,
we start to
see ourselves
for who we
are.
We start to
humble ourselves
and say,
oh yeah,
that's true.
Help me!
There's where
we meet
grace.
The poor
in spirit
humbly
declare that
their spiritual
bankruptcy
bankruptcy be.
They are
spiritually
bankrupt.
Because they've
honestly come to
God's law and
come to the
conclusion that
they need to
come to and
say, yes,
I'm a sinner.
I get angry,
sinfully angry.
I've lusted and
it's wrong.
The law
exposes us
as law
breakers,
as sinners.
sinners.
It's all by
design.
Just kind of
on a side
note,
the Apostle
Paul spends
some time in
Galatians 3
and Romans 7
talking about the
role of the
law.
And he says,
the law of God
is good.
But he also
says,
the law doesn't
save you.
It can't.
And so we
ask,
well,
what's it for?
And then he
says to us,
it's to expose
your sin.
It's to make
your sin utterly
sinful.
It's to show
you how sinful
you are so
that you realize
your need for
the Savior.
The law
leads us by
the hand to
the Savior.
It shows us
our spiritual
bankruptcy.
It exposes
our need to
benefit from
God's generosity
that he has
provided for us
in Jesus.
Jesus.
Jesus is God's
debt relief
program
for the
spiritually
bankrupt.
Which brings
us to the
third question.
So what gets
in the way
of declaring
spiritual bankruptcy?
Our pride.
But we need
good news,
don't we?
We need
good news.
What's the
good news
for the poor
in spirit?
What's the
good news
for those
who declared
spiritual
bankruptcy?
What is the
good news?
Because you
know what?
I know I
want to hear
it again.
Does anybody
in the room
want to hear
it?
Do you know
what I was
lying in my
bed last night
doing?
I was
praising my
God for
forgiving me
my debt
in Jesus.
Jesus paid
it all.
All to him
I owe.
The promised
blessing for the
spiritually bankrupt
is right here
in Matthew
5.3.
Blessed are the
poor in spirit
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
God promises
the kingdom
to the poor
in spirit.
God promises
to those who
humble themselves
and declare
spiritual bankruptcy
He promises
blessing.
We have a
generous God.
The God of the
Bible is a
generous God.
We read it
I started
this service
in Psalm 103.
He is a
God who
forgives.
He loves
to forgive.
He loves
to cancel
debts.
The
theirs
of Matthew
5.3
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Talking about
the poor
in spirit.
For theirs
blessed are the
poor in spirit
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Theirs and
only theirs.
Check this
out.
You ready?
If we
gathered all
of the
citizens of
the kingdom
of heaven
in Kenosha
and brought
them right
here to
library square
do you know
what would be
true of
everyone?
They're poor
in spirit.
They've declared
spiritual bankruptcy.
It's required.
You can't get
into the kingdom
of heaven
without it.
You've got to
recognize first
and foremost
your need
your spiritual
debt that
you owe
and cannot
pay.
To them
belong the
citizens of
heaven.
But those
who populate
the kingdom
of heaven
are not just
spiritual beggars.
They are those
who have been
forgiven of
their great
debt.
What is
God's debt
relief program?
It's not a
program.
It's a
person.
It's Jesus.
Man,
Jesus is
awesome!
So,
here we are
at the beginning
of Matthew
and he's just
starting on
his manifesto.
If we
fast forward
through the
book of
Matthew,
go right
ahead.
Matthew
chapter 20
if you want
to turn
there.
Jesus is
on his way
to Jerusalem
and he's
cruising with
his disciples
and his
disciples are
freaks.
It's going
to be really
encouraging.
They don't
get it.
They make
mistakes.
It's like
that's me.
I get it.
They're
kind of
in an
argument
of who's
the greatest.
Actually,
James and
John's
mama goes
to Jesus
and say,
hey,
Jesus,
can you
reserve the
best spots
next to
you in
the kingdom
for my
sons?
Can you
do that
for me?
The other
disciples hear
about it
and they
freak out.
And so
Jesus takes
the opportunity.
He takes
the opportunity
to talk about
greatness in
the kingdom.
In chapter
20,
verse 26,
he says
this,
whoever would
be great
among you
must be
your servant.
The kingdom
is upside
down.
It turns
everything
upside down.
But what I
want you to
see is what
he says in
verse 28.
whoever would
be great
among you
must be
your servant.
26.
And then
he says,
the son
of man,
referring to
himself,
the son
of man
came not
to be
served,
but to
serve.
How?
To give
his life
as a
ransom
for many.
There it is.
There's your
good news,
debtor.
There's the
payment.
Ransom
is a
payment.
Jesus came
to give
his life
as a
ransom
for the
poor in
spirit,
for the
spiritually
bankrupt.
He came
to pay
that which
none of us
could pay.
He took
on and
paid our
years of
sin debt
that have
accumulated
against us.
He paid
it all.
And that's
the good
news.
He gave
his life
as a
full payment
for the
sin debt
of the
poor in
spirit.
Blessed
are the
poor in
spirit,
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Colossians 2,
13 and
14,
get at it
this way.
He has
delivered us
from the
domain of
darkness
and transferred
us to the
kingdom of
his beloved
son,
which is
awesome.
We're under
the reign
of Jesus,
right?
But then you
read 14 and
then it
like glows
in awesomeness.
Transferred
us to the
kingdom of
his beloved
son in
whom the
son,
Jesus,
in whom
we have
redemption.
That's payment
language.
Purchase
language.
In whom we
have redemption.
The forgiveness
of our sins.
Do you
know what's
amazing about
a kingdom
citizen?
We go
through life
with all
of our
debt paid.
Done.
Past.
Done.
Present debt.
Done.
Future debt.
Paid in
full.
Do you
know how
it's paid
in full?
Paid with
Jesus'
blood.
It's paid
that way.
I didn't
pay my
debt.
You can't
pay your
debt.
God paid
your debt.
Our
generous
God.
And he
paid it
through the
blood of
Jesus.
All
morning long
I've been
like,
I don't
have a good
memory.
So like I
remember the
first couple
kind of words
of a song
and then I'm
done.
But I've
been singing
Jesus paid
it all.
All to
him I
owe.
Then I
forget the
rest of
it.
So I
just start
again.
Jesus paid
it all.
All to
him I
owe.
Sin had
left a
bitter stain.
He,
what?
I remember,
washed it
white as
snow.
Oh man.
Forgiven.
Paid it
all.
That's the
blessedness of
being poor in
spirit.
Your debt
is paid.
You're a
citizen of
the kingdom.
Done.
Jesus paid
it all.
So what is
the good
news to
the spiritually
bankrupt?
God is a
generous
God.
And in
Jesus he
pays it
all.
I'm going
to wrap
up by
asking a
question and
then making,
calling you to
something.
Okay.
have you
declared
spiritual
bankruptcy
to God?
Have you?
Have you
recognized
that all
that sin
that's piled up
against you
is piled up
like debt
and you can't
pay it
yourself?
You don't
got it.
Your only
option is
bankruptcy.
Have you
gone to
God with
that?
Have you?
If you
haven't,
go.
Tell him,
I don't
got it.
Will you be
generous and
forgive me?
And the God
of the Bible
always says
yes.
He always
says yes.
In Christ
Jesus,
he says
yes.
Humble
yourself.
Admit
you're
spiritually
bankrupt.
The second
thing I want
to say is
for those
of us who
have already
declared
spiritual
bankruptcy,
bankruptcy
is something
you never
forget.
Never
forget
yours.
Never
forget the
generous
God who
paid it
in full
through the
blood of
Jesus.
Never
forget it.
Rejoice
in it.
Sometimes
it's hard
to rejoice
in.
Because to
rejoice in it
you've got to
remember the
debtor you
were.
But it
always leads
to the
generous
God we
have.
It always
leads to the
blood that
was spent
for you.
And you
are fully
forgiven.
Fully
forgiven.
Rejoice.
Do what I
did last
night.
Lie in your
bed rejoicing.
Blessed are
the poor in
spirit.
I'm one.
third thing I
want to say
are to my
brothers and
sisters in
Christ who
regularly
experience what
I experience
and that is
a past
creditor who
comes knocking.
Past sin.
Past debt.
Comes knocking
on your door
and they're like
remember what
you did 15
years ago?
Do you
remember that?
Do you know
what happens?
You know when the
creditor comes
knocking.
Christian.
And they want
to remind you
of past sin.
Do you know
what you do
when you open
the door?
Jesus paid
it all.
All to him.
I slammed
the door in
his face.
Man.
Get out of
here.
That's what
you do.
The last
thing I want
to say is
this.
The last
thing I want
to say is
this.
Fellow
beggars.
Fellow
declarers of
bankruptcy.
Whether you
are loaded
with the
world's goods
now or
whether you
are broke.
You got
nothing.
Maybe you
got letters
of overdraft
statements on
your kitchen
counter.
Regardless
of what
you got.
We're all
spiritual
debtors.
It's an
even playing
ground for
us.
So look
around.
We're all
debtors to
God.
We're all
debtors and
we've all
had it paid
in full.
There is
no room
for pride
in this
room.
None.
No room
to think
you're better
than someone
else because
you've got
piles of
money.
No room.
And if you
don't have
any money,
don't think
less of
yourself.
Because we're
all,
we're all
forgiven much.
We're all
forgiven much.
God.
The prized
character trait
of the
kingdom of
heaven is
where Jesus
starts.
To be poor
in spirit.
To be
humble.
God delights
in that.
He doesn't
call us to
self-centered
pride.
The selfie
kingdom.
What He does
call us to
is a God
dependent
humility.
We will
always be
completely
and utterly dependent on the generosity of God.
And he's made it known in Jesus.
Paid in full, brothers and sisters.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Let me pray.
Lord Jesus, we are so grateful.
We know you're at the right hand of the Father right now.
We know it.
You are a risen King.
Thank you for shedding your blood for us.
Thank you for paying it in full.
Thank you, God, that we are blessed,
that we are citizens of your kingdom.
God, we thank you so much.
Lord, would you do a work in us as a people
where we just rejoice again and again
in the generosity of our God
through the payment of our sin debt
through the blood of Jesus.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jesus, you paid it all.
In your name we pray.
Amen.