5 verses 17 through 20, right, where Jesus says, I came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law.
And so I thought, well, what if rather than starting in on Exodus 20 this morning, we start in on the Sermon on the Mount.
It's been quite some time as a church since we've done that.
I think it's been 10 years since we looked at the Sermon on the Mount together.
And to do instead a series through the Sermon on the Mount, which will get us to Matthew chapter 5 verses 17 through 20 and force the issue once again at that point.
So essentially, I bought myself eight or nine weeks to sort through it all.
However, there's a massive richness at the beginning of chapter 5.
So I don't want you to feel like we're just biding time, but rather let's dive in together into the Sermon on the Mount and then we'll get to that place.
I believe you'll find that Exodus 20 and Matthew 5 and on into 6 are intrinsically interwoven, but we'll see when we get to that point.
So we're going to begin working on that.
If you are a college student and you were really, really hoping to do Exodus 20 before the semester was out, I'm just sorry.
We probably won't get into it until this summer, but we'll see how the pace goes and hopefully this will serve you well.
So our text for today is Matthew chapter 5 verses 1 through 3.
Before I read that, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
It is written for his glory and for our good.
And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Matthew chapter 5 verse 1 and following.
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
In Matthew's account, this sermon comes very quickly at the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
So as introduction, let's take a quick look back into chapter 4 at Jesus' ministry to this point.
Matthew 4, 12 through 17.
John the Baptist has just been arrested.
And Matthew writes for us, verse 12 and following.
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.
In verses 14 through 16, Matthew tells us this was to fulfill an Old Testament prophecy.
And then in verse 17, he writes,
From that time, Jesus began to preach, saying,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
So this is the very beginning in Matthew's account of Jesus' earthly ministry.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Then we see in chapter 4, verses 18 through 22,
Jesus calls some of the first disciples, four of them, two sets of brothers.
And then in verses 23 through 25,
Jesus proclaims the gospel of the kingdom,
this good news of the coming kingdom of God.
He performs many miracles as signs to this coming kingdom,
verifying the things that he's teaching.
And as a result, gathers crowds.
People begin to follow him around.
And so in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2,
Matthew sets the stage for this most famous of Jesus' sermons.
It was not his only sermon,
but it was certainly the most famous of Jesus' sermons.
And Matthew tells us that there is a crowd.
Seeing the crowds,
Jesus goes away from the crowds and goes up onto the mountain.
He tells us that Jesus ascends an unnamed mountain.
We're not entirely sure there's some long-standing tradition which mountain it is,
but we're not exactly sure which mountain.
It's not significant really.
He goes away from the crowd in order to teach.
And Matthew tells us that his primary audience is not the crowd.
So note verse 1,
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain.
And when he sat down, who came to him?
His disciples.
His disciples came to him.
So he's called some, right?
So far we've seen in Matthew's text 4.
There may have been some others at this point.
Some of this crowd may have been considered disciples at this point.
But the thing I want you to hear very clearly is that Jesus preaches this sermon not to unbelievers,
but to believers.
Much like many of the New Testament epistles, right, are written as letters to churches.
And so we do well to keep that in mind as we're going to walk our way through the text of the Sermon on the Mount.
The Sermon on the Mount is understood to be a declaration of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom has come because the king has come.
Jesus here is teaching what those who are citizens of his kingdom will look like.
Remember, he is teaching his disciples.
And as we study across these three chapters, we're going to see two major themes emerge,
which we'll consider at length in the coming months.
The first major theme that I'm going to talk about anyway is whole person righteousness.
Whole person righteousness.
Jesus in this sermon corrects the misunderstanding that God is only concerned with action
and the outward appearance of righteousness.
Citizens of God's kingdom will not only honor God with their actions,
but also with their thoughts, intentions, motivations, emotions.
God cares about our hearts, not merely the exterior.
So whole person righteousness is going to emerge as a prominent theme throughout this text.
And I believe as a result of this whole person righteousness,
the second theme that emerges is human flourishing.
The well-being of God's disciples, those citizens of God's kingdom will flourish.
They will have joy and comfort and peace and satisfaction.
We will see in the sermon that the flourishing of God's kingdom
often runs in direct contradiction to the world's concept of flourishing.
But nonetheless, we'll flourish in the kingdom of God.
And in verse 3, Jesus begins his sermon and leads out with this second theme of human flourishing
in making the declaration,
blessed are the poor in spirit.
Now, I'll get into some of this in the coming weeks.
We'll talk more about this word that's translated blessed here.
We know, if you're familiar with your scripture,
that this is often called the Beatitudes,
which is a translation of a transliteration from Latin into English.
It's very complex why we end up arriving at this spot of beatitude.
These blessings, these declarations of blessing on particular quality of citizens of the kingdom.
The Greek word here translated blessed is makarios.
And there's a lot of translation dilemma here.
Some words translated from Greek into English are very simple translations.
Often when we're looking at New Testament texts,
we want to go on the deeper dive and go see what the original language means.
And you go, oh yeah, yeah, it means what it means in English.
Well done, translators.
But there are some Greek words that are very difficult to apply an equivalent English word to.
And that's when it's helpful that we are students of the original language
and we do our best to try to wrap our minds around what this word means.
So often we see it, and here in this case, in the ESV, we see it blessed.
Some will say happy.
Some will say joyful, like an abiding, intrinsic happiness.
But the challenge to some of those things is that God's people aren't always happy, are we?
It's acceptable as God's people to mourn.
The very next blessed is about mourning.
It's about sadness over something in particular.
So it becomes a little bit difficult then.
What does it mean exactly?
Are we meant to be bubbly?
Is that what Jesus is suggesting to us here?
And it's not.
Fortunate could be another English word put in this place.
But my favorite is flourishing.
And we will, in the coming weeks, unpack what that flourishing looks like.
But you could think of it as well-being.
Doing well are the poor in spirit.
Jesus here is making a declaration, right?
That those who are poor in spirit are blessed.
It's as if he is observing a person poor in spirit.
And he's saying to them, he's saying to the disciples, look at the poor in spirit.
They are blessed.
He's declaring this.
He's putting a label on to this person.
Look at the way they are.
They are blessed.
They're doing well.
They're flourishing.
All goes well with them because they're poor in spirit.
An example of this, just to make the point of the way this is a declaration made.
Matthew 16, 17, after Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ.
Jesus asked Peter, who do you say that I am?
And Peter responds, you are the Christ.
Verse 17 says, Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, right?
Blessed.
He puts this label on to him.
You are blessed.
Why?
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven, right?
You've had this truth of who I am revealed to you by my Father.
And therefore, you are doing well.
You are flourishing because you're recognizing me as the Christ.
And so, Jesus says, declares, blessed are those who are poor in spirit.
So, what does it mean to be poor in spirit?
Jesus here is not talking about those who are financially poor.
He does not say, blessed are the poor.
He says, blessed are the poor in spirit.
Now, the financially poor may have one less obstacle to recognizing their spiritual poverty.
But that is not the criteria that Jesus is teaching here.
He declares, blessed are those who are poor in spirit.
In order to grasp the meaning of this phrase, I want to take you on a brief survey of Bible characters.
I want to show you men throughout biblical history who were poor in spirit to help us wrap our mind around what this means,
beginning with Abraham and ending with Paul.
And my prayer is that we'll witness these individuals' recognition of their spiritual poverty.
So, hang with me.
I don't think you actually need to turn, maybe write references so you can test me later that I'm actually reading to you the scripture.
But let's start with Abraham.
In dealing with the Lord about Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham said in Genesis 18, 27,
Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord.
I who am but dust and ashes.
Jacob, when he returned to the promised land after spending 20 years in exile,
he wrestled with God in prayer and said in Genesis 32, 10,
I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.
Abraham, I am but dust and ashes.
Jacob, I am not worthy of the goodness that you've shown me.
Moses, when God came to him and gave him this mission to go back to Egypt to set his people free,
Abraham said in Exodus 3, 11, and then in chapter 4, 10,
Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant,
but I am slow of speech and of tongue.
Why send me?
Is what Moses says to God.
We know that God gets angry at him, but not because of his understanding of himself,
but because he fails to believe that God will deliver his people.
David, King David, after he is an adulterous murderer,
he says in Psalm 51, verse 17,
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
Oh, God, you will not despise.
And it's easy to agree that this is the spirit that pleases God after you are adulterous and murderous.
But what about the times when you're doing well,
when you're doing what you ought to be doing?
When a collection for the temple was being taken,
when David and his people were performing an act of virtue,
David prayed, and it's recorded for us in 1 Chronicles 29, 14,
But who am I, and what is my people,
that we should be able thus to offer willingly?
Even when we're doing good, who are we that we're allowed to do good?
And then he says,
For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
King Solomon, 1 Kings 3, verse 7.
You will learn about me if you don't already know.
I like beating points.
It's recorded, he said,
And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father,
although I am but a little child.
I do not know how to go out or come in.
There's a lot of debate about when Solomon became king,
and it ranges between 12 and 20.
But either way you look at it,
I'm pretty sure at 12 he knew how to get out in and out of a room.
So he's magnifying his smallness as he prays this to God.
Why me?
Look at me.
I'm just so ignorant of the things that a king should know.
Job.
Here's a great one.
Job 42, 5, and 6.
God speaks to him out of the cloud,
and he says,
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you.
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
Isaiah, another man that encountered God.
In Isaiah 6, 5,
Isaiah says,
Woe is me, for I am lost.
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of hosts.
Let's go to the New Testament.
John the Baptist.
John 1, verse 27,
and then chapter 3, verse 30.
John says,
I baptize with water,
but among you stands one whom you do not know.
He's speaking of Christ.
Even he who comes after me,
the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
And in 3.30, he says,
He must increase.
I must decrease.
We see in a parable,
a tax collector,
and Jesus tells this parable of a Pharisee,
and a tax collector who went up to the temple to pray.
And concerning the tax collector,
Jesus said in Luke chapter 18,
verse 13 and 14,
But the tax collector standing far off
would not even lift up his eyes to heaven,
but beat his breast saying,
God, be merciful to me,
a sinner.
I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself
will be exalted.
We have a story in Luke chapter 7
of a centurion.
Verses 6-9 say,
When Jesus was not far off from the house,
the centurion sent friends to him,
saying to him,
Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
Therefore, I do not presume to come to you,
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
When Jesus heard this,
he marveled at him
and turned and said to the multitude,
I tell you,
not ever in Israel have I found such faith.
As he emptied himself for his Lord.
Peter.
When Peter saw the power of Jesus
on the lake of Gennesaret,
in Luke 5-8,
he fell down at Jesus' knees saying,
Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Then finally, Paul.
Romans chapter 7, verse 18,
he wrote,
Lord, I know that nothing good dwells in me,
that is, in my flesh.
1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 6-7,
Paul says,
I planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the growth.
So neither he who plants nor he who waters
is anything,
but only God who gives the growth.
And finally, last reference,
1 Timothy chapter 1, verses 15 and 16.
Paul writes,
The saying is trustworthy
and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners,
of whom I am the foremost.
But I receive mercy for this reason,
that in me as the foremost,
Jesus Christ might display
his perfect patience
as an example
to those who are to believe in him
for eternal life.
So, a lot of examples, right,
of what it looks like
to be poor in spirit,
but are we wrapping our brains around it?
What does it mean?
What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
I'll give you a few things.
It's a recognition
of spiritual bankruptcy
and helplessness before God.
We have nothing to bring to him, right?
Dead in our trespasses
and in our sins.
We have no ounce of good
to offer God apart from Christ.
So, it's this recognition
of spiritual bankruptcy
and helplessness before God.
It is a recognition
of powerlessness
in and of ourselves.
It is a recognition
of moral uncleanliness
before God,
that our sin against
a most holy, infinite God
is of infinite offense.
It is a recognition
of personal unworthiness
before God.
Why would God show grace to me?
It is a recognition
that if there is to be any life
or joy
or usefulness whatsoever,
it would have to be
all of God
and all of His grace.
The reason that it's proper to say
that to be poor in spirit
is a recognition
of bankruptcy
and a recognition
of powerlessness
and uncleanliness
and unworthiness
is that objectively speaking,
everybody is poor in spirit.
It is part of the human condition.
After the fall of mankind,
everyone born since
has been poor in spirit.
Everybody,
whether they recognize it or not,
is utterly hopeless
before God.
But not everybody
is declared blessed.
Those declared blessed
are those who recognize
their spiritual poverty
and turn to God
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone.
Remember,
Jesus is teaching
His disciples.
He's teaching those
who are following Him
from faith
and they are declared
blessed.
They've recognized
their need
of Him.
So,
as we hold up
the Sermon on the Mount
and we consider it,
we want to hold it up
to ourselves.
We want to look and say,
if this is what
the kingdom looks like,
if this is how
the citizens
of God's kingdom look,
do I find myself
in here?
Is this me?
Am I poor in spirit?
We must ask ourselves
these questions
because there's such
a weighty answer
to be had.
We want to say,
yes,
this is me.
Yes,
I am blessed.
Yes,
the kingdom of God
is mine.
Because if we can't,
our end is destruction
and utter doom
and retribution
for our sin
forever.
It's a weighty thing
that's before us
to take a look at this
and really consider,
am I a citizen
of God's kingdom?
So,
how can a person
know
if they are poor
in spirit?
We do not arrive
at these things
with perfection.
Right?
So,
we're going to read
through these
as we're working
through these
blessings,
these beatitudes.
and none of us
are doing this
with perfection,
but is it
characterize
who I am?
So,
recognizing
that you are
poor in spirit
is the starting
point of
humility.
These phrases,
I believe,
are too readily
equated with one
another.
You have
poor in spirit
and humility
used synonymously,
but I think
it's right to say
that being poor
in spirit
produces humility.
Right?
Humility is the
fruit of an
impoverished spirit.
You see how
spiritually bankrupt
you are
and therefore
you become
humble
and that humility
works out.
Right?
We can see,
we can observe
both for our lives
and for those
around us.
Humility.
Thomas Watson,
a Puritan pastor,
wrote this.
He said,
I think poverty
of spirit
is the cause
of humility
for when a man
sees his want
of Christ,
sees his want
of Christ,
and how he lives
on the alms
of free grace,
this makes him
humble.
He that is sensible
of his own
vacuity
and indigence,
which means
stupidity
and poverty,
hangs his head
in humility
with the violet.
Humility
is the sweet
spice that grows
from poverty
of spirit.
That's probably
the only part
of that I should
have read.
Humility
is the sweet
spice that grows
from poverty
of spirit.
So let's
take a look.
Let's observe
your own life,
help others
in talking about
what's been
presented to you
today,
to consider
their life.
Let's look
at six measures
of humility
as our gauge
of awareness
of our spiritual
poverty.
Are you
poor
in spirit?
So let's
look at six
measures of that.
Number one,
the humble
are self-forgetful.
The humble
are self-forgetful,
and by that
I mean
we are not
occupied
only with
ourselves.
All of our
intention is not
turned inward,
but our
intention turns
outward.
A humble
person
loses their
self-preoccupation.
They recognize
that the world
does not
revolve around
them,
and they move
outside themselves,
first toward
God,
and then toward
others.
Paul wrote
in Galatians
2.20,
I have been
crucified
with Christ.
This is no
longer I
who live.
Life is a
sacrifice,
but Christ
who lives in
me.
And the life
that I now
live in the
flesh,
I live by
faith in
the Son
of God
who loved
me and
gave
himself
for me.
So we
turn this
devotion from
ourselves,
outside of
ourselves,
to God.
We forget
so much
about ourselves
to our
great benefit,
and devote
ourselves to
him.
And we
love and
serve others.
Beloved,
if you are
truly humble,
you will
maximize the
strengths and
the virtues
of others.
If you find
yourself to be
a particularly
nitpicky person,
always drawing
out the negative
things,
always showing
somebody their
fault,
it's because you
think too much
of yourself.
You think you're
in a position
to show them
their faults.
The humble
look at others
and go,
way to go.
You're doing
a lot of
things really
well.
Romans 12,
10,
Paul writes,
love one
another with
brotherly
affection,
outdo one
another in
showing honor.
The humble
person recognizes
their spiritual
poverty,
the very depth
of how atrocious
they can be.
So the humble
are self-forgetful.
Number two,
the humble
are enthralled
with Christ
and becoming
like him.
Enthralled
with Christ
and becoming
like him.
Is Jesus
Christ
the most
precious thing
you possess?
And if you're
in him,
he is yours.
You are his
and he is
yours.
Is he the
most precious
thing to you?
And you can
measure this out
by considering
what you
think about
most and
what you
talk about
most.
It's a very
simple thing
to do.
I wish
somebody could
walk around
and record
you and
make one
of those
scatter
things,
make words
bigger the
more it's
said in a
paper.
But many
of us
would find
that we
don't talk
about Jesus
Christ nearly
as much
as we
think we
do.
The humble
are enthralled
with Christ
and becoming
like him.
Paul writes
Philippians
1.21
to me
to live
is Christ.
To do
his bidding,
to know
him more
by being
part of
the growing
of his
kingdom.
And to
die is
what?
It's gain.
Why?
Put off
the shackles
of this
world and
my sinful
flesh and
be with
him forever.
He writes
in other
places,
2 Corinthians
3.18
And we
all with
unveiled
face,
beholding
the glory
of the
Lord,
are being
transformed
in the
same
image
from one
degree of
glory to
another.
For this
comes from
the Lord
who is
the Spirit.
So we
long for
that.
We want
to be
made
more
like
him.
The
humble
are
enthralled
with
Christ
and
becoming
like
him.
Third,
the
humble
are not
complainers.
the
humble
recognize
what
they
actually
deserve.
You know
what you
actually
deserve?
Death
and
hell.
So no
matter
the state
that we
find ourselves
in,
we really
have no
space for
complaining.
So much
blessing,
blessing upon
blessing when
you recognize
that what you
really deserve
is death
and hell.
And complaining
comes from
expecting
more.
What I do
deserve is
this.
That's not
fair.
Beloved,
we don't
want what's
fair.
Paul writes
in Romans
chapter 8
verse 17
and 18,
if children
then heirs,
heirs of
God and
fellow heirs
with Christ,
provided we
what?
We suffer
with him
in order
that we
may also
be glorified
with him.
Paul's
saying that
an evidence
of a life
lived for
Christ,
one who's
poor in
spirit,
a citizen
of this
kingdom,
is going
to suffer.
The conclusion
of the
beatitude
says the
very same
thing,
blessed are
those who
are persecuted
for righteousness
sake.
And so,
we're going
to suffer
in this
world,
and Paul
says in
verse 18,
for I
consider that
the sufferings
of this
present time
are not
worth
comparing.
And I
like to
reread that
and say
present time
are not
even worth
comparing.
Don't even
take the
time to
compare it
with the
glory that
is to be
revealed to
us.
Such a
glorious
reality that
awaits us,
right?
Having found
ourselves poor
in spirit,
looking to
this thing,
recognizing
what we
actually deserve,
which is
death and
hell.
Fourth,
the humble
have Christ
on his
terms.
I borrowed
some of
these from
Thomas Watson,
so that's
why that
language sounds
very Puritan.
The humble
have Christ
on his
terms.
The humble
will not
try to have
Christ while
hanging on
to sinful
vices.
So,
we'll have
Christ and
we'll walk
in his
ways.
If he's
going to
be our
savior,
he must
be our
Lord.
We will
follow him.
We won't
try to
manipulate him
and his
commands to
meet our
needs.
We'll have
Christ on
his terms,
right?
Jesus says,
you have
me, now
follow me.
If you
love Christ,
you will
love his
word and
make it the
standard for
your living.
The scripture
sets up as
the pole
position that
we chase
in this
race of
life.
Again,
Thomas Watson,
I think you're
going to hear
a lot from
him in the
coming months.
He wrote
this.
He wrote a
wonderful
commentary on
the Beatitudes.
He wrote,
a castle that
has long been
besieged and
is ready to
be taken will
deliver upon
any terms to
save their
lives.
He whose
heart has
been a
garrison for
the devil and
has held out
long in
opposition against
Christ,
when once God
has brought
him to
poverty of
spirit and
he sees
himself damned
without
Christ,
let God
propound what
articles he
will.
So,
bring the
treaty.
It does
not matter
what the
expectations
of the
treaty are.
He will
readily
subscribe to
them.
Lord,
what will
you have
me do?
That's the
response.
When we
recognize how
spiritually
impoverished we
are, we
recognize how
desperately we
need to be
saved.
What would
you have
me do?
Thomas Watson
in conclusion
says,
he that is
poor in
spirit will
do anything
that he
may have
Christ.
So, the
humble have
Christ on
his terms.
And, beloved,
that's a
wonderful thing.
It's for our
good.
Number five,
the humble
pray.
The humble
pray.
Beloved, we
are meant to
be a praying
people if we
recognize how
very spiritually
impoverished we
are.
We know that we
can do no
good thing
apart from
God.
We flail
about trying
to accomplish
things for
God, rather
than in
treating with
him that he
would work
and use us
in his
working.
I cannot
tell you how
many times,
to my shame,
in the past
decade, that
I have prepped
a sermon
within days of
needing to
deliver the
sermon and
not prayed.
God, it's
horrible.
I go to my
books and I
rely on my
intellect without
first stopping
and saying,
I can do
nothing apart
from you.
For a long
time now, I've
signed things,
emails and
things like that
to come out
to you.
SDG, some
of you have
asked me what
that means,
lowercase s,
uppercase d,
lowercase g.
That's the way
Bach signed
his pieces of
music.
And it means
solely Deo
Gloria.
That's what it
means.
So he was
concluding in
that way.
Men of the
ministry, you
may have
noticed that
the email
that went
out this
past time
had an
uppercase j
and a
lowercase j
at the
very top
of it.
Because I
learned,
I'm grateful
to learn this,
that many of
his pieces of
music started,
I won't get
the Latin
phrase right
off the top
so I won't
try, but
with a Latin
phrase that
meant,
Jesus help.
help.
So, starting
this Sunday,
my notes at
the top say
JJ, and at
the bottom
they say
SDG as
reminders to
myself.
Right?
We are
utterly helpless
apart from him,
and when we
recognize that,
we'll go to the
one who can
help.
Right?
Get the
phrase in
your mind.
It's a Latin
phrase.
I hope this
helps you.
Sine qua
non.
Without
which
nothing.
Psalm 145,
18,
the Lord is
near to all
who call
on him,
to all who
call on
him in
truth.
Lord, we
need you.
Come and
work.
John MacArthur
wrote in his
commentary on
this verse,
just as the
physical beggar
begs for
physical
sustenance,
the spiritual
beggar begs
for spiritual.
We will
knock often
at heaven's
gate because
we are
always in
need.
So the
humble pray.
And sixth
and finally,
the humble
are thankful.
The humble
are thankful.
Namely,
the humble
are thankful
for God's
grace to
them.
Recognizing
our utter
unworthiness
to receive
such favor,
we exult
in God's
great
goodness.
grace to
us.
Why,
O Lord,
me,
wretch that
I am,
why would
you save
my soul?
Makes me
his,
restores me
to him,
calls me
blessed,
calls me
his child,
Jesus calls
me his
friend and
brother.
Why me?
I was set
against you
in every
way.
What
grace
to us.
So,
why are the
poor in
spirit declared
by Jesus
to be
blessed?
Flourishing
are you
who recognize
your utter
dependence
because theirs
is the
kingdom
of heaven.
They are
citizens of
the kingdom
of God.
God is
their God
and they
are God's
people.
Is this
true of you
this morning?
This
first of the
blessings is
a succinct
statement
of the
doctrine of
justification
by faith
alone.
It simply
says we
will not
be found
right before
God,
declared
righteous
before God
of any
merit of
our own
doing.
We must
first be
humbled,
be found
spiritually
impoverished
that we
might find
our righteousness
in Christ,
that we
would bank
everything
on his
righteousness
because we
have none
of our
own.
If we
don't first
recognize our
spiritual
poverty and
then turn
to God
by faith
in Jesus
Christ,
then we
are not
saved from
the wrath
due our
sin.
We are
enemies of
God and
citizens of
the world
that will
be destroyed.
Praise be
to God
that the
humble who
flee to
him in
Christ are
granted the
right to
be citizens
of a
heavenly
kingdom.
In
closing,
I want to
read to
you just a
little bit
from John
Bunyan's
The Pilgrim's
Progress.
I commend
this book
to you.
If you
stay here
long enough,
I will
eventually read
every part
of it to
you in
preaching.
Bunyan
writes this
allegory as
a dream.
So he has
a dream,
and I just
want you to
hear it's
about a
man by
the name
of Christian
going on
this process,
being saved,
and going on
this process
of following
Christ.
Bunyan
writes,
I dreamed
and behold
I saw
a man
clothed
in rags
standing
in a
certain
place,
this is
Christian,
with his
face turned
away from
his own
house,
a book
in his
hand,
and a
great
burden
on his
back.
Burden
is the
weight
of his
sin,
his
recognition
of his
spiritual
poverty.
I looked
and saw
him open
the book
and read
therein,
and as
he read,
he wept
and trembled.
And not
being able
to contain
himself any
longer,
he broke
out with
a lamentable
cry saying,
what shall
I do?
Later
in the
text,
therefore,
in this
plight,
he went
home and
strained
himself as
long as
he could
so that
his wife
and children
would not
notice his
distress.
But he
could not
be silent
long for
the reason
that his
trouble
increased.
Therefore,
at length,
he broke
his mind
to his
wife and
children and
thus began
to talk to
them.
Oh,
my dear
wife,
he said,
and you,
the children
of my
deepest
affections,
I,
your dear
friend,
am myself
undone
by reason
of a burden
that weighs
heavily upon
me.
Moreover,
I am
certainly
informed that
this,
our city,
will be
burned
with fire
from heaven
in which
fearful overthrow
both myself
with you,
my wife,
and sweet
babes,
shall come
to a
miserable
ruin,
except some
way of escape
can be found
whereby we
may be
delivered.
And he does
go on a
journey,
and he is
delivered from
his burden,
and he does
arrive at the
final destination,
the celestial
city,
and his
wife later
comes and
does the
same.
But this is
where we
find ourselves,
poor in
spirit,
but knowing
where to
turn if
we are
blessed,
finding ourselves
in Christ,
clothed in
his
righteousness.
And if you
can't say
with the
confidence that
you have
placed believing
faith in
Jesus Christ,
then you
are a
pilgrim,
not yet set
out on that
journey,
living in
the city
of destruction,
just waiting,
for the
doom
that will
come.
Turn
to faith
in Christ.
Blessed
are the
poor in
spirit,
for theirs
is the
kingdom
of
heaven.
Let's
pray together.
Let's