WEBVTT

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 Well, welcome everybody. My name is Kevin, if you don't know, and we're going to have a time of praying now.

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 We pray every week for our city and our church, and this morning we're going to do something a little bit differently.

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 I just came back last night from Singapore. I was there with Jeremy and Julie. There should be a photo.

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 And a bunch of other pastors and church leaders from around Asia.

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 There were some of us from people from Singapore, from Tokyo, from Nagoya in Japan, from Thailand, from Australia.

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 And we're getting together for three days to talk about what would it look like for churches in Asia to strengthen each other, encourage each other, and work together.

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 And so there's a whole bunch of us that were in Singapore this week.

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 And so what I want us to do is every Sunday when we have our pastoral prayer, we normally pray for one other church in Hong Kong.

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 Whether it's community church, or Ireland, or DBICC, or whatever it is.

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 This morning I want us to pray for this guy on the second from the back.

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 Okay, here's another photo. His name is Ryuta, and there's his wife Paddy and their two daughters.

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 That's an old photo. Their daughters have grown up.

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 And Ryuta Kumira is from Tokyo, and they planted Double O Cross Church.

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 That's how you spell the church, Double O Cross.

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 And so we're going to pray for them this morning.

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 And so as we pray, why don't you join me as we pray for Ryuta, their church they planted five years ago.

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 And they're doing a great job in Tokyo City.

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 And so just to let you know why we're going to be praying for them.

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 Okay, we're going to pray for our friends in Tokyo.

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 So let's pray as a church together.

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 Now remember, we're all praying together.

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 This isn't just me. This is us praying.

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 And so will you join me as we pray together?

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 Heavenly Father, this morning as a church family, we've gathered to meet with you, the living God,

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 to pour out our praises and our worship to you, to declare that you are the one true God,

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 you are heaven and earth's true king.

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 And God, even though your kingdom has come in a small way on earth,

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 we've come to sing about and to proclaim and to declare that we believe you are the true king,

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 that your kingdom will come in finality one day.

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 And we long for that day, God.

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 We've come to say that you are God and you alone are good.

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 You alone are worthy of our worship and our devotion.

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 So often, Father, we get seduced by ideas and thoughts and the worldview of our city and our culture.

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 Father, this morning, God, won't you rightly align our hearts to truth?

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 Won't you shape our hearts with the gospel, Lord?

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 Won't you remind us of who you are and your ways, Lord God?

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 God, let your kingdom come.

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 Let your will be done in our hearts and in Hong Kong, we pray, God.

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 Father, thank you for this financial worship and the tide that has been given.

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 We really do thank you, Father, for the resources you've given each one of us.

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 We acknowledge that all of our resources come from you.

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 And, God, we want to steward them for your glory.

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 And so help us as a church and individually to do so.

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 Give us this day our daily bread, we pray, God.

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 Father, this morning, we want to pray for Ryuta and Paddy and all at Double O Cross Church in Tokyo.

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 Thank you, Father, for their love for the gospel,

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 their passion to see many Japanese men and women in Tokyo

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 coming to experience the life and the power and the freedom found in Jesus.

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 Father, thank you that Double O Cross is such a healthy church, such a wonderful church,

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 which loves your word and loves Jesus and loves the gospel and loves the city of Tokyo.

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 Father, we pray that they will continue to make disciples and disciple them in the gospel.

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 Fathers, they look for a venue.

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 Won't you provide a great venue for them?

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 They look to start an afternoon congregation.

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 Won't you give them leaders?

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 Father, we pray.

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 God, won't you bless their labors?

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 Anoint them.

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 Won't you give them fruit?

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 Father, we stand with our brothers and sisters across the waters and say,

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 God, won't you bless that church?

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 We pray, God.

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 Lead them as to where to go and when to start.

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 And won't you give them leaders for this new meeting?

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 We pray, God.

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 Fathers of church, we ask you to send us a youth pastor at Watermark

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 as we look for someone to lead and disciple our teenagers.

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 God, we bring this before you and we ask you for this, Lord.

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 We really do long, God, that our youth and our teenagers will be discipled in the gospel

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 and will come to know you, Lord, and love you

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 and be rock solid in the midst of a changing culture

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 and a culture that's telling them to be anything and do anything.

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 God, that they will know the truth and they'll build their lives upon you.

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 And so we ask you, God, won't you provide for us as a church in this regard?

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 God, we pray all these things in your wonderful name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Let's listen to the reading of God's word as Arlene is going to come and read for us.

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 The scripture reading comes from Matthew chapters 4 and 5.

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 Please follow along in your bulletins or on the screen.

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 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues

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 and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom

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 and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

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 So his fame spread throughout all Syria.

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 And they brought him all the sick,

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 those afflicted with various diseases and pains,

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 those oppressed by demons,

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 those having seizures and paralytics.

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 And he held them.

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 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis

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 and from Jerusalem and Judea

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 and from beyond the Jordan.

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 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain.

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 And when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

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 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

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 Blessed are the poor in spirit,

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 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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 Blessed are those who mourn,

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 for they shall be comforted.

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 Blessed are the meek,

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 for they shall inherit the earth.

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 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

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 for they shall be satisfied.

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 Blessed are the merciful,

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 for they shall receive mercy.

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 Blessed are the pure in heart,

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 for they shall see God.

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 Blessed are the peacemakers,

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 for they shall be called sons of God.

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 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

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 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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 Blessed are you when others revile you

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 and persecute you

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 and utter all kinds of evil

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 against you falsely on my account.

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 Rejoice and be glad,

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 for your reward is great in heaven.

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 For so they persecuted the prophets

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 who were before you.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great. Thank you, Arlene.

00:07:06.520 --> 00:07:06.940
 Okay.

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 Well, if you are new to Watermark this morning,

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 we are working our way through the book of Matthew,

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 Matthew's Gospel.

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 And Matthew's Gospel is all about Jesus,

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 the fact that he is the king,

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 and he's come to bring a new kingdom.

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 But his kingdom is upside down.

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 It's often very different to the way that we would expect

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 and the kingdoms of this world.

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 And we're going to see this preeminently

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 as we go through the Sermon on the Mount,

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 which is where we find ourselves today.

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 Now, before this,

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 Chris preached last week

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 and showed how Jesus,

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 after his time of preparation in the wilderness,

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 he launches his ministry with an announcement.

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 And this is his announcement.

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 Turn from your sin and turn to God,

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 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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 And what does that mean?

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 Why is the kingdom of heaven at hand?

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 Well, it's at hand because the king has arrived,

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 because King Jesus has come.

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 And so Jesus then goes

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 and immediately he calls some people to follow him,

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 to give up their previous way of life

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 and to follow him in whatever he says

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 and where he calls him to.

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 And so right at the beginning of Jesus' ministry,

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 we hear this call.

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 It's the call of the gospel

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 to turn from our sin and to follow Jesus.

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 And then after that,

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 we get to this most famous

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 and wonderful passage of Scripture

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 in the New Testament,

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 the Sermon on the Mount.

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 Now, in order to understand the Sermon on the Mount,

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 let's just zoom back a little bit

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 and understand the context of what's going on here.

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 And so just before,

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 look at chapter four with me at verse 23.

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 It should be in your bulletins.

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 Look at the last paragraph in your Bible

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 before the Sermon on the Mount.

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 And verse 23 says this.

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 It says,

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 He, that's Jesus,

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 went throughout all Galilee

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 and doing three things,

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 or two things.

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 Teaching in their synagogues,

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 proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,

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 and healing every disease

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 and every affliction amongst the people.

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 Okay, you see that?

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 Jesus went throughout doing these things.

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 Preaching, teaching,

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 and healing people of their diseases.

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 When we jump a few chapters later

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 in Matthew chapter nine and verse 35,

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 there's almost the exact same description,

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 almost word for word.

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 Look at what it says.

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 Jesus went throughout all the cities

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 and the villages,

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 teaching in their synagogues,

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 proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,

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 and healing every disease and affliction.

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 You see that?

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 So here in these,

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 chapter four,

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 we've got this description of Jesus' ministry.

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 In chapter nine,

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 we've got this description.

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 And there's two kind of main things that he did.

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 He was preaching and teaching,

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 proclaiming,

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 explaining what does the kingdom of God look like,

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 and doing miraculous works of power,

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 demonstrating what does it look like

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 when the kingdom of God breaks into your life.

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 It changes you.

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 It comes with power.

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 And in between chapter four and chapter nine,

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 there are two bodies of teaching,

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 or two sections.

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 One is Matthew chapter five to seven,

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 the Sermon on the Mount,

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 which is a summary of everything

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 that he taught and preached and proclaimed.

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 And chapters eight and nine,

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 there's about eight or nine different stories

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 of miraculous healings.

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 Jesus casting out demons,

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 healing people from sickness,

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 raising the dead.

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 And do you see what Matthew's doing here?

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 He's showing us these two bookends.

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 Jesus' ministry consisted of preaching

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 and teaching the kingdom,

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 and miraculous signs and wonders.

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 And in between these two bookends,

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 he shows us what did that look like.

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 What did it look like?

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 It looked like the Sermon on the Mount,

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 and it looked like miraculous,

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 powerful acts of demonstration of his kingdom.

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 And so what is the Sermon on the Mount?

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 Well, Jesus didn't just stand up on a mountainside

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 and say, just listen to me,

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 and for 45 minutes,

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 you know, Matthew copied verbatim,

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 word for word, what Jesus said.

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 The Sermon on the Mount, in many ways,

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 is a summary teaching of what Jesus said

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 as he went throughout the villages

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 and the cities of Galilee,

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 proclaiming and teaching and preaching,

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 the kingdom of God has come,

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 and this is what life in the kingdom looks like.

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 Okay?

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 And so in many ways,

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 the Sermon on the Mount

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 isn't just this phenomenal moral teaching

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 about turning the other cheek

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 or taking the log out of your eye

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 or how to pray.

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 It's not just this one-hit wonder

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 where Jesus, you know,

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 the stars aligned,

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 the lights were on him,

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 and he just preached the best sermon of his life.

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 In many ways,

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 it's a collection of the things that Jesus taught

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 as he went throughout the villages

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 and the towns,

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 teaching what life as he purposed it,

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 life in the kingdom looks like.

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 But there's something else about the Sermon on the Mount.

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 It's also more than that.

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 In many ways,

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 the Sermon on the Mount

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 is an answer to one of humanity's

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 greatest and deepest and oldest questions.

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 The question that human beings have asked for centuries is,

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 how can I experience true human flourishing?

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 What is happiness?

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 What does it mean to live the blessed life?

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 What is a good life anyway?

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 How do I experience human flourishing

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 and how do I keep it?

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 How do I obtain it?

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 So it's not just a once-off experience,

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 but how do I experience a human flourishing ongoingly?

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 And in many ways,

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 the Sermon on the Mount

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 is an answer to that question.

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 Now, let's think about this question for a bit.

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 What is happiness?

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 What is blessedness?

00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:31.439
 What does the flourishing life look like?

00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:34.200
 I don't know what you would say,

00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:35.800
 but in our culture,

00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:37.440
 we've got many answers to that

00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:38.620
 on a superficial level.

00:12:39.300 --> 00:12:39.940
 For some of us,

00:12:40.140 --> 00:12:41.740
 maybe a flourishing life

00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:43.540
 means to be a person of great success,

00:12:44.020 --> 00:12:46.120
 to achieve success in our chosen field

00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:46.820
 or our career,

00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:48.620
 to be at the top of our game,

00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:50.020
 to be at the top of the class,

00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:50.840
 top of the list,

00:12:51.040 --> 00:12:53.800
 to achieve our goals in our vocations.

00:12:54.420 --> 00:12:55.480
 Maybe for some of us,

00:12:55.680 --> 00:12:57.840
 a flourishing, successful life

00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.740
 is to be well admired and well respected,

00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:02.680
 to get to the end of our days

00:13:02.680 --> 00:13:04.399
 and our family and our children

00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.340
 and our grandchildren

00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:07.639
 look up to us as somebody respectable,

00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:09.820
 somebody who's lived a good life.

00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:11.360
 Maybe for some of us,

00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:13.779
 it means no relational strife.

00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:15.299
 Everybody likes you.

00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:17.000
 Everybody gets on well with you.

00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.680
 Everybody admires you and likes you

00:13:19.680 --> 00:13:21.200
 and there's no relational tension.

00:13:21.419 --> 00:13:23.799
 You get on with everybody around you.

00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.159
 Maybe it means having your dreams fulfilled

00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:27.680
 or maybe it just means

00:13:27.680 --> 00:13:29.919
 living a contented and a comfortable life.

00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:32.500
 It is no heartache and no difficulties.

00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:35.039
 Whatever shape or form it is,

00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.779
 while there's many superficial forms,

00:13:38.259 --> 00:13:40.879
 all of us long for this flourishing,

00:13:41.019 --> 00:13:42.819
 this blessedness, this happy life,

00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.519
 which in many ways involves

00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:45.740
 having the difficulties

00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:47.459
 and the obstacles to happiness

00:13:47.459 --> 00:13:48.699
 removed from our lives

00:13:48.699 --> 00:13:50.259
 and going through life

00:13:50.259 --> 00:13:52.979
 without encountering too many difficulties.

00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:54.620
 It's what makes me happy

00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:56.480
 and what advances my life.

00:13:56.599 --> 00:13:57.679
 I get to do that.

00:13:58.199 --> 00:13:59.699
 And this isn't just a modern thing.

00:13:59.700 --> 00:14:01.960
 This is what we've believed throughout the ages.

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:03.920
 There's interesting,

00:14:04.060 --> 00:14:06.879
 there's a Jewish rabbi and teacher

00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:08.840
 by the name of Basira.

00:14:09.060 --> 00:14:10.200
 I think that's how you say it.

00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:11.280
 Jesus Basira.

00:14:11.780 --> 00:14:14.140
 And he lived 150 years before Jesus.

00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:15.700
 He was one of the most respected

00:14:15.700 --> 00:14:18.400
 and well-loved Jewish rabbis of his time.

00:14:19.180 --> 00:14:22.620
 And Sarah came up with a list of blessings

00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:25.280
 of what a flourishing life looks like.

00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.259
 This is one of his most famous poems.

00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:28.240
 Look at what he says here.

00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:28.940
 He says,

00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:31.940
 There are nine that I would call blessed,

00:14:32.260 --> 00:14:34.640
 a tenth that my tongue would proclaim.

00:14:35.400 --> 00:14:38.560
 Blessed is the man who can rejoice with his children.

00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:43.060
 Blessed is the man who lives to see the downfall of his foes.

00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:46.000
 Blessed is the man who does not sin with his tongue.

00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:48.900
 Blessed is the one who does not serve an inferior.

00:14:49.800 --> 00:14:51.900
 Blessed is the man who finds a friend.

00:14:52.760 --> 00:14:55.640
 Blessed is the one who speaks to attentive listeners.

00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.439
 Greatest is the one who finds wisdom.

00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:02.139
 And none is superior to the one who fears the Lord.

00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:04.100
 Now, when we read that,

00:15:04.460 --> 00:15:05.840
 part of that feels like,

00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:08.059
 yeah, that sounds like my life.

00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:09.500
 That's what I would like, right?

00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.419
 Blessed is the man who can rejoice with his children.

00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.519
 Blessed is the man that finds a friend.

00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:17.199
 That sounds like the things that our culture would esteem.

00:15:17.779 --> 00:15:20.759
 There's some things in here that even sound a little bit like Jesus, right?

00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:23.720
 Stuff like the man who does not sin with his tongue,

00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:27.120
 or the one who finds wisdom or fears the Lord.

00:15:27.539 --> 00:15:28.879
 Yeah, there's some good things in there.

00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:32.299
 But then there's also a couple of lines that are a little bit interesting, right?

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:36.039
 Things like the man who does not serve an inferior,

00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.740
 or the man who lives to see the downfall of his enemies.

00:15:41.740 --> 00:15:43.659
 Now, I think like Oscar was saying earlier,

00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:46.840
 these are the kind of things that we shouldn't really say, right?

00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.180
 It's not very politically correct to say,

00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:52.780
 I hope at the end of my life to have seen the downfall of my enemies.

00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:55.399
 I really got them under my foot, right?

00:15:56.060 --> 00:16:01.500
 But just like the musician who had a good front and came to church

00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:04.019
 and performed in front of many,

00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.399
 and yet would go back to his hotel room at night,

00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:08.780
 and the demons would come out.

00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.620
 If we're honest, there's a little bit of that inside each one of us.

00:16:13.300 --> 00:16:15.840
 Each one of us, at times, thinks,

00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.000
 yeah, I want to get to the top of the class.

00:16:18.780 --> 00:16:22.420
 And maybe I might need to stamp on a couple of others along the way.

00:16:24.340 --> 00:16:25.399
 Sometimes we might think,

00:16:25.540 --> 00:16:27.980
 this sounds just like the young people these days.

00:16:28.060 --> 00:16:29.320
 So individualistic.

00:16:29.700 --> 00:16:30.580
 ICF students.

00:16:30.660 --> 00:16:34.899
 I mean, I can't believe how self-centered and individualistic they are, right?

00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:36.879
 Young people these days.

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:40.280
 They really don't make them like they're used to in the good old days, right?

00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.240
 But here, but hang on.

00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:44.620
 Here's a guy from 2,000 years ago.

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:49.639
 One of the most respected leaders in a society, in a culture.

00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:50.580
 And what's he saying?

00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:53.320
 He's saying, blessed is one who doesn't serve an inferior.

00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:57.200
 Blessed is one that can see the downfall of his enemies.

00:16:57.840 --> 00:16:58.159
 Why?

00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.360
 Because at a deepest heart level, that's exactly what we think.

00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.000
 How do I experience human flourishing?

00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:06.720
 Well, the answer that our culture says is,

00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:08.200
 hey, find some friends.

00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:10.299
 Rejoice with your children.

00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:11.759
 Have a big growing family.

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:13.799
 Try not to sin too much.

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.079
 And make sure that you get on top.

00:17:16.579 --> 00:17:17.960
 Make sure that at the end of the day,

00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:19.460
 you're on top of your enemies.

00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:20.559
 You're on top of the class.

00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:22.480
 You succeed in your career.

00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.559
 Ray Ortlund is a pastor in Nashville, Tennessee.

00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:30.220
 And he wrote an amazing article about the Beatitudes.

00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:33.160
 And he says that there's a modern version as well.

00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:34.660
 He calls them the un-Beatitudes.

00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.019
 Look at what he says.

00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:36.440
 He says,

00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:39.039
 This is the Beatitudes of our day and age.

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.259
 Congratulations to the entitled.

00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:43.379
 They will grab what they want.

00:17:44.139 --> 00:17:45.859
 Congratulations to the carefree.

00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:47.079
 They will be comfortable.

00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:49.539
 Congratulations to the pushy.

00:17:49.659 --> 00:17:51.079
 They will win in the end.

00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:53.200
 Congratulations to the greedy.

00:17:53.639 --> 00:17:54.819
 They will climb to the top.

00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:57.159
 Congratulations to the vengeful.

00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:58.460
 For they will be feared.

00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:02.279
 Congratulations to those who don't get caught.

00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:03.579
 They will look good.

00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:06.099
 Congratulations to the argumentative.

00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:07.799
 They will get the last word.

00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:10.200
 Congratulations to the popular.

00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:13.039
 For this world lies at their feet.

00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:17.619
 Ray Ortlund asks this penetrating question at the end.

00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:18.240
 He says,

00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:20.659
 Have you ever met one person

00:18:20.659 --> 00:18:24.440
 who believed and lived by the world's un-Beatitudes

00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.279
 and came to the end of their life

00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:32.319
 a satisfied, vibrant, radiant, wise human being?

00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:35.339
 Have you met even one?

00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:39.139
 And friends, that leads to the problem of this worldview.

00:18:39.639 --> 00:18:40.539
 It's a worldview.

00:18:40.679 --> 00:18:44.000
 It's a system of beliefs which cannot deliver on its promises.

00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:45.759
 It will promise you the world.

00:18:45.879 --> 00:18:47.199
 It will promise you satisfaction.

00:18:47.199 --> 00:18:48.459
 But it cannot deliver that.

00:18:48.919 --> 00:18:51.220
 It will promise you both power and purpose.

00:18:51.379 --> 00:18:52.299
 And yet it cannot deliver.

00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:55.159
 It will promise you peace and contentment.

00:18:55.299 --> 00:18:58.179
 And yet you'll end up anxious and worried all the time.

00:18:58.180 --> 00:19:01.240
 You might remember that famous commencement speech

00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:04.840
 by David Foster Wallace a few years ago in the U.S.

00:19:04.840 --> 00:19:05.460
 He said this.

00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:06.420
 He says,

00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:09.500
 If you worship beauty and good looks,

00:19:09.700 --> 00:19:11.380
 you'll spend your whole life worrying

00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:13.240
 that you're ugly and unattractive.

00:19:13.620 --> 00:19:15.700
 If you think that human flourishing and peace

00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:17.640
 are found in power and control,

00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:21.140
 you'll always feel insecure in your positions of authority.

00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:23.539
 If you strive for money and possessions,

00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:25.900
 if you think that's where human flourishing is found,

00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:28.300
 you'll never feel like you have enough

00:19:28.300 --> 00:19:30.600
 and always be anxious for more.

00:19:31.800 --> 00:19:34.860
 Friends, have we found one person

00:19:34.860 --> 00:19:38.000
 who believed and lived by the world's unbeatitudes

00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:39.700
 and got to the end of their life

00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:44.519
 a satisfied, radiant, wise human being?

00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:46.680
 Have you found even one?

00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:51.480
 Jesus answers this question.

00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:53.660
 How can we find human flourishing?

00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:58.759
 How can I be a salient, satisfied, radiant, wise person?

00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:00.820
 And Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount

00:20:00.820 --> 00:20:04.540
 gives a very simple and yet a very profound answer.

00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:06.500
 And his answer is this.

00:20:07.080 --> 00:20:09.660
 His answer is that it's not found in acquiring possessions.

00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.640
 A flourishing life is not found in accumulating many things.

00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:17.740
 It's not found in positions of authority or influence.

00:20:18.080 --> 00:20:22.240
 It's not even found in accessing opportunities and education.

00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:25.200
 Jesus answers that true human flourishing,

00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:26.480
 true human happiness,

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.819
 the blessed life is really found in knowing the God who made you

00:20:30.819 --> 00:20:33.559
 through Jesus Christ who died on the cross

00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:36.140
 to secure that knowledge, that relationship,

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:38.440
 empowered by the Holy Spirit.

00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:41.759
 And that this flourishing is only going to be experienced

00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.079
 through faithful, heart deep,

00:20:44.500 --> 00:20:47.480
 whole person following of Jesus as Christ the King

00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:49.559
 in a community of his followers.

00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:51.319
 In other words, Jesus says,

00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:53.980
 the way we get to experience true human flourishing

00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:56.099
 is as we come to Christ the King,

00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:58.279
 we get our hearts shaped by the gospel

00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:01.579
 and then we live out our lives in the kingdom of God

00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:03.740
 with the community of his followers.

00:21:04.339 --> 00:21:06.839
 And the Sermon on the Mount is his invitation

00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:08.359
 to come and experience that.

00:21:08.659 --> 00:21:10.099
 It's his invitation with a promise.

00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:11.359
 It's an unusual promise,

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:14.419
 but it's his invitation to come and experience life in the kingdom

00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:18.380
 as we follow Jesus the King with all of our lives.

00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:20.960
 But it starts off, Jesus tells us,

00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:25.820
 with the most provocative description of the upside down nature of the kingdom.

00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:27.960
 And so let's see what Jesus says.

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:30.860
 And so look at what he says here in Matthew chapter 5.

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:32.380
 He says this,

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.560
 Blessed are the poor in spirit.

00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:37.679
 Now, when Jesus used the word blessed,

00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:41.319
 he's not speaking a blessing.

00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:42.299
 He's kind of saying,

00:21:42.919 --> 00:21:43.700
 How blessed!

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:45.059
 How fortunate!

00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:46.779
 It's almost like he's saying,

00:21:47.159 --> 00:21:50.480
 How lucky are those that are poor in spirit.

00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:55.059
 How lucky, how fortunate are those that are humble and unassuming.

00:21:55.339 --> 00:21:58.099
 To be poor means you don't have much resources, right?

00:21:58.539 --> 00:21:59.279
 Jesus is saying,

00:21:59.639 --> 00:22:03.059
 How fortunate are those that don't have much spiritual capital?

00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:03.539
 Right?

00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:05.319
 When they come to the table,

00:22:05.500 --> 00:22:07.799
 they aren't middle class with spiritual capital.

00:22:08.159 --> 00:22:09.139
 They don't have resources.

00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:11.419
 They come empty-handed to God and say,

00:22:11.579 --> 00:22:13.299
 Father, I've got nothing.

00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:17.220
 Oh, how fortunate are those that are poor in spirit.

00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:18.859
 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:22:19.399 --> 00:22:21.899
 Oh, how fortunate are those who mourn.

00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:24.539
 Those who are disturbed or even broken

00:22:24.539 --> 00:22:27.059
 by the state of their own hearts and the state of the world.

00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.159
 How fortunate are those who mourn.

00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:31.220
 For they will be comforted.

00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:32.579
 Jesus says,

00:22:33.120 --> 00:22:33.720
 How blessed!

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.079
 How fortunate are the meek.

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:41.339
 Those that have found a way or chosen to be gentle

00:22:41.339 --> 00:22:43.839
 in their dealings with people around them.

00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:46.380
 They're not gentle by personality.

00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:49.120
 They might even be quite strong with personality.

00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:50.819
 But they've chosen a way of gentleness

00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:52.700
 in their dealings with those around them.

00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:54.200
 They're not pushy or self-asserting.

00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:56.600
 How fortunate are the meek, says Jesus.

00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:58.740
 For they will inherit the earth.

00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:00.659
 Oh, how blessed!

00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:03.799
 How fortunate are those that hunger for righteousness.

00:23:04.419 --> 00:23:06.819
 There's something in their hearts that is desperate

00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:09.319
 for the world to be the way that Jesus designed it

00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:10.059
 and made it.

00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:12.399
 And they long for things to be right again.

00:23:12.659 --> 00:23:14.139
 They look at the world around them

00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:15.240
 and they look at their own hearts

00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:15.679
 and they say,

00:23:15.939 --> 00:23:17.139
 There's something not right.

00:23:17.719 --> 00:23:18.619
 And then they hunger,

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:20.219
 they long for the world to be

00:23:20.219 --> 00:23:22.719
 according to the way that God designed it.

00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:24.960
 They will be satisfied, says Jesus.

00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:26.839
 Oh, how blessed!

00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:27.660
 How lucky!

00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:29.920
 How fortunate are the merciful!

00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.779
 Those that don't hold on to grudges.

00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:33.120
 They're not vengeful,

00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:35.299
 but they dispense mercy and grace

00:23:35.299 --> 00:23:37.140
 to those that hurt them.

00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:40.100
 They will receive mercy, says Jesus.

00:23:41.380 --> 00:23:42.019
 Jesus says,

00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:43.620
 How fortunate are the pure in heart!

00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:45.460
 Those that are single-minded

00:23:45.460 --> 00:23:47.559
 in their devotion to Jesus.

00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:49.440
 They don't have a Sunday life

00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:52.120
 and then the rest of their life is something else.

00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:54.239
 There's a single-mindedness.

00:23:54.339 --> 00:23:55.079
 There's an integrity

00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:56.419
 between their spiritual life

00:23:56.419 --> 00:23:57.859
 and the rest of their life.

00:23:58.719 --> 00:23:59.939
 How blessed is Jesus

00:23:59.939 --> 00:24:01.039
 of those that are single-minded,

00:24:01.219 --> 00:24:01.879
 pure in heart,

00:24:02.419 --> 00:24:04.199
 for they will see God.

00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:06.139
 Oh, how fortunate are those

00:24:06.139 --> 00:24:07.119
 that are peacemakers,

00:24:07.219 --> 00:24:08.159
 those who love peace

00:24:08.159 --> 00:24:11.399
 and don't like conflict and arguments.

00:24:11.739 --> 00:24:12.939
 They deal with things properly

00:24:12.939 --> 00:24:14.459
 so that there's no relational tension.

00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:16.959
 For they will be called sons and daughters,

00:24:16.959 --> 00:24:17.879
 children of God.

00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:20.399
 Fortunate are those who are persecuted

00:24:20.399 --> 00:24:22.019
 for doing what's right, says Jesus.

00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:24.179
 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:26.859
 And so what's Jesus saying in all of this?

00:24:26.899 --> 00:24:28.639
 This list of beatitudes.

00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:30.639
 What's Jesus really saying?

00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:32.079
 In many ways, he's saying,

00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:34.339
 How fortunate are the unfortunate!

00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:37.819
 Or how lucky are the unlucky!

00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:38.539
 Right?

00:24:39.179 --> 00:24:41.299
 How blessed are those

00:24:41.299 --> 00:24:42.839
 that the world looks down upon

00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:44.799
 as unfortunate and ill-fated.

00:24:45.459 --> 00:24:46.519
 How lucky are those!

00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:48.119
 Jesus is happy are those

00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:49.299
 that exhibit the qualities

00:24:49.299 --> 00:24:51.259
 that this world thinks is ridiculous

00:24:51.259 --> 00:24:53.299
 and those that the world pities

00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:54.900
 and carries in their heart

00:24:54.900 --> 00:24:56.379
 the brokenness of this world.

00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:58.440
 Oh, how blessed and fortunate

00:24:58.440 --> 00:24:59.359
 are they!

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:01.859
 In a sense, Jesus is almost saying this.

00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:02.859
 He's almost saying,

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:05.119
 If you had a choice before you,

00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:08.440
 am I going to get to the end of my life

00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:10.000
 being well-esteemed,

00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:11.379
 looked up to,

00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:12.720
 well-regarded,

00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:14.799
 and having conquered all the things

00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:16.400
 that the world offers,

00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:18.320
 or if I get to the end of my life

00:25:18.320 --> 00:25:19.860
 being pitied,

00:25:20.280 --> 00:25:21.420
 being thought of as

00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:22.820
 somebody that didn't quite

00:25:22.820 --> 00:25:23.960
 make it through life,

00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:25.580
 not that successful,

00:25:26.220 --> 00:25:27.300
 if you had to choose

00:25:27.300 --> 00:25:28.480
 between two of these,

00:25:29.060 --> 00:25:29.800
 think carefully

00:25:29.800 --> 00:25:31.880
 because the answer's not as obvious

00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:33.740
 as our world makes it out to be.

00:25:34.580 --> 00:25:35.759
 Jesus is almost saying,

00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:37.400
 It might be better

00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:38.640
 to get to the end of your life

00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:39.480
 being pitied,

00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:40.280
 poor,

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:41.259
 and powerless

00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:43.680
 than having lots of possessions,

00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:44.759
 power,

00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:46.799
 and achieving all of the dreams

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:49.559
 that society tells you to achieve.

00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:51.440
 Provocative, right?

00:25:52.299 --> 00:25:52.759
 Now,

00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:54.980
 why does Jesus say that?

00:25:55.879 --> 00:25:57.660
 Well, what's the reason behind this?

00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:00.220
 Well, I want to give us three reasons

00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:02.440
 why we should rather be people

00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:03.799
 to be wise for us to say,

00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:05.720
 God, I'd rather be poor in spirit,

00:26:06.339 --> 00:26:07.319
 meek and mournful,

00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:09.099
 and hungry for the things of God

00:26:09.099 --> 00:26:10.640
 than satisfied, esteemed,

00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:12.180
 and blessed in this world

00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:12.960
 apart from you.

00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:15.180
 Three reasons why we should do this, okay?

00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:16.259
 First thing,

00:26:16.340 --> 00:26:16.880
 let's look at this.

00:26:17.280 --> 00:26:18.140
 Because the king

00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:20.259
 and the kingdom have come.

00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:24.680
 When we look at the list of Beatitudes,

00:26:25.380 --> 00:26:27.620
 Matthew has deliberately structured them

00:26:27.620 --> 00:26:28.860
 to communicate

00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:30.520
 what Jesus was communicating.

00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:31.380
 So remember,

00:26:31.540 --> 00:26:33.200
 Jesus didn't just list off this,

00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:35.460
 rattle off this list of eight sayings

00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:36.820
 and then kind of move on

00:26:36.820 --> 00:26:37.600
 to the next section.

00:26:38.100 --> 00:26:39.480
 Jesus, over a couple of days

00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:40.700
 and months even,

00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:41.160
 would have gone

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:42.220
 and he would have taught,

00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:43.000
 hey, rather,

00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.279
 blessed is this person,

00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:45.400
 even though our world says

00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:46.680
 this person is to be esteemed,

00:26:47.059 --> 00:26:48.339
 rather choose this way.

00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:50.059
 And so Matthew summarized

00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:50.860
 Jesus' teaching

00:26:50.860 --> 00:26:52.259
 and he structured it

00:26:52.259 --> 00:26:53.299
 so that we catch

00:26:53.299 --> 00:26:54.839
 what Jesus is trying to communicate.

00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:57.160
 And so how has Matthew structured it?

00:26:57.640 --> 00:26:58.620
 Well, as we look at it,

00:26:58.660 --> 00:26:59.759
 there's a pattern here.

00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.240
 And so notice the pattern.

00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.519
 The first Beatitude

00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:03.980
 and the last Beatitude,

00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:05.620
 in verse 3 and verse 10,

00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:07.599
 have the identical promise.

00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.459
 He says,

00:27:08.819 --> 00:27:10.240
 blessed are the poor in spirit,

00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:10.859
 verse 3,

00:27:11.339 --> 00:27:13.019
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:27:13.459 --> 00:27:14.419
 And then verse 10,

00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:14.799
 he says,

00:27:15.159 --> 00:27:16.659
 blessed are those that are persecuted,

00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:17.119
 why?

00:27:17.459 --> 00:27:18.959
 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:19.699
 Do you see that?

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:20.459
 Okay.

00:27:20.919 --> 00:27:22.819
 What's Matthew trying to tell us here?

00:27:23.199 --> 00:27:24.119
 He's telling us

00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:25.299
 that this list

00:27:25.299 --> 00:27:26.539
 is not just

00:27:26.539 --> 00:27:27.919
 a promise box

00:27:27.919 --> 00:27:29.699
 of promises from Jesus

00:27:29.699 --> 00:27:30.579
 that you can take out

00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.359
 one at a time.

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:32.419
 This is actually

00:27:32.419 --> 00:27:33.579
 a summary description

00:27:33.579 --> 00:27:34.779
 of what life in the kingdom

00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:35.559
 looks like.

00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:36.859
 Of those that have

00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:38.059
 encountered Christ the king

00:27:38.059 --> 00:27:38.919
 and live in the kingdom,

00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:40.319
 this is what their life

00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:41.220
 will look like.

00:27:41.679 --> 00:27:42.859
 Let me give you an example, okay?

00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:47.559
 Jesus is not saying

00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:48.720
 that

00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:50.720
 if you go through life

00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.279
 and you encounter

00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:52.119
 something difficult

00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:52.799
 and you go through

00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:53.639
 a time of mourning,

00:27:54.099 --> 00:27:54.319
 well,

00:27:55.379 --> 00:27:56.019
 don't worry,

00:27:56.299 --> 00:27:57.039
 blessed are you

00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:57.720
 because you go to

00:27:57.720 --> 00:27:58.460
 the promise box

00:27:58.460 --> 00:27:58.819
 and say,

00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:00.119
 blessed are those that mourn

00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:01.940
 for they will be comforted.

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:02.920
 Or if you happen

00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:04.039
 to go through life

00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:06.960
 and somebody irritates you

00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:07.840
 and riles you

00:28:07.840 --> 00:28:08.680
 and you're tempted

00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:09.580
 to get them back

00:28:09.580 --> 00:28:11.480
 and you go to your promise box

00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:11.960
 in the Bible

00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:12.759
 and pull out and say,

00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:13.960
 blessed are those

00:28:13.960 --> 00:28:14.660
 that are merciful

00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:16.059
 for they will be shown mercy.

00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:16.820
 And you remember,

00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:17.320
 oh yes,

00:28:17.380 --> 00:28:18.360
 I should be merciful.

00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:19.299
 Okay,

00:28:19.340 --> 00:28:20.059
 let me give you an example.

00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:21.320
 In our family,

00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.680
 sometimes my girls

00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:24.320
 will come to me

00:28:24.320 --> 00:28:24.720
 and say,

00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:25.420
 dad,

00:28:25.539 --> 00:28:26.680
 can we have a chocolate

00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:27.480
 or a biscuit

00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:28.180
 or a candy

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:29.240
 or something like that?

00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:30.559
 And I'll go

00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:31.759
 and I'll bring out a box

00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:32.019
 and say,

00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:32.299
 sure,

00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:33.039
 help yourself.

00:28:33.700 --> 00:28:33.839
 Now,

00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:34.660
 as I do that,

00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:35.839
 I know what they're thinking.

00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:36.819
 They're thinking,

00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:37.980
 how many of these

00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:39.039
 can I get away with?

00:28:39.140 --> 00:28:39.380
 Right?

00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:41.099
 And so what do I say?

00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:43.579
 Before they even say anything,

00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:44.380
 I first say,

00:28:44.460 --> 00:28:44.759
 Sierra,

00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:45.740
 just one.

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:46.359
 Okay,

00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:46.839
 just one.

00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:47.299
 Shiloh,

00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:48.220
 just one.

00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:49.039
 I don't want them

00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.019
 to stuff their mouths.

00:28:50.019 --> 00:28:50.279
 Right?

00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:52.220
 Sometimes we can come

00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:53.039
 to the Beatitudes

00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:54.339
 and think that this is

00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:55.319
 a box of chocolates

00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:56.359
 of Jesus' promises.

00:28:56.599 --> 00:28:56.740
 Right?

00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:58.099
 Like we've got to choose.

00:28:58.099 --> 00:28:59.980
 Should I inherit the earth

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:01.259
 or should I be called

00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:02.179
 a son of God?

00:29:03.419 --> 00:29:04.019
 Should I be,

00:29:04.399 --> 00:29:06.199
 should I rather choose mercy

00:29:06.199 --> 00:29:07.500
 or should I rather choose

00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:08.139
 to be in the kingdom?

00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:08.480
 Right?

00:29:08.819 --> 00:29:09.859
 But that's not what

00:29:09.859 --> 00:29:10.759
 Jesus is saying at all.

00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:13.859
 But by structuring it like this,

00:29:13.959 --> 00:29:15.299
 Matthew is telling us

00:29:15.299 --> 00:29:16.819
 this is a description

00:29:16.819 --> 00:29:18.199
 of what life in the kingdom

00:29:18.199 --> 00:29:19.799
 looks like.

00:29:22.459 --> 00:29:23.659
 Jesus is saying this.

00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:24.800
 The way of the king

00:29:24.800 --> 00:29:26.060
 is that,

00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:27.320
 the way of the king

00:29:27.320 --> 00:29:27.920
 is to mourn

00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:28.540
 and be grieved

00:29:28.540 --> 00:29:29.400
 by the brokenness

00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:30.000
 of the world

00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:31.340
 and what sin does

00:29:31.340 --> 00:29:31.779
 in the world

00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:32.700
 and in our own hearts.

00:29:33.320 --> 00:29:33.779
 And therefore,

00:29:34.040 --> 00:29:35.940
 such is his people

00:29:35.940 --> 00:29:37.040
 that they too

00:29:37.040 --> 00:29:37.480
 will mourn

00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.140
 for the brokenness

00:29:38.140 --> 00:29:38.640
 of the world.

00:29:39.060 --> 00:29:40.120
 But they'll be comforted

00:29:40.120 --> 00:29:40.720
 because they'll know

00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:41.460
 that Jesus came

00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:42.400
 to dismantle sin.

00:29:43.140 --> 00:29:43.640
 Jesus is saying

00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:44.420
 the way of the king

00:29:44.420 --> 00:29:45.200
 is to be meek,

00:29:45.580 --> 00:29:46.660
 not pushing his agenda,

00:29:46.820 --> 00:29:49.000
 not self-asserting,

00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:50.360
 but to be humble

00:29:50.360 --> 00:29:51.220
 and gracious.

00:29:51.960 --> 00:29:52.400
 And therefore,

00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:53.140
 his followers

00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:54.319
 are those who like him

00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:55.819
 aren't pushing their agenda

00:29:55.819 --> 00:29:56.380
 and trying to get

00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:57.480
 to the top of the pile,

00:29:57.940 --> 00:29:58.660
 but like Jesus

00:29:58.660 --> 00:29:59.319
 are gentle

00:29:59.319 --> 00:30:01.220
 and others serving,

00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:02.059
 not self-seeking,

00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:02.880
 not grasping

00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:03.799
 or self-entitled.

00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:05.319
 And they find themselves

00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:06.440
 empty-handed,

00:30:06.860 --> 00:30:08.079
 but yet full

00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:09.100
 of the kingdom of God.

00:30:09.620 --> 00:30:10.100
 Jesus says

00:30:10.100 --> 00:30:11.000
 that the way of the king

00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:11.940
 is to long

00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:12.860
 for what is right

00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:14.640
 and for justice

00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:15.240
 in the world.

00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:16.220
 And as such,

00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:16.960
 his followers

00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:17.620
 will be those

00:30:17.620 --> 00:30:18.620
 that because we've

00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:19.259
 got his heart,

00:30:19.360 --> 00:30:20.160
 we will be broken

00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:21.059
 by the injustice

00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:22.159
 and the unrighteousness

00:30:22.159 --> 00:30:22.579
 in the world

00:30:22.579 --> 00:30:23.440
 and we too

00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:24.059
 will hunger

00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:24.679
 and thirst

00:30:24.679 --> 00:30:25.839
 for righteousness,

00:30:26.019 --> 00:30:26.679
 for what is just

00:30:26.679 --> 00:30:28.119
 and right in the world.

00:30:28.679 --> 00:30:29.519
 And because we know

00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:30.679
 that Christ has come

00:30:30.679 --> 00:30:32.839
 to turn around the world

00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:33.779
 and to end all

00:30:33.779 --> 00:30:35.200
 injustice and wickedness,

00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:36.619
 we will be satisfied

00:30:36.619 --> 00:30:38.299
 when Christ returns.

00:30:38.700 --> 00:30:39.519
 Jesus is saying

00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:40.440
 that this is the way

00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:40.960
 of the kingdom.

00:30:41.679 --> 00:30:42.659
 But notice secondly,

00:30:42.779 --> 00:30:43.399
 there's something else

00:30:43.399 --> 00:30:43.839
 to notice.

00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:45.079
 These two

00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:45.779
 at the top

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:46.279
 and the bottom

00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:47.220
 are the only two

00:30:47.220 --> 00:30:48.399
 that are in present tense.

00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:49.279
 All the others

00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:50.159
 are in future tense.

00:30:51.120 --> 00:30:51.940
 Blessed are those

00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:52.380
 that are poor

00:30:52.380 --> 00:30:52.640
 and spread

00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:53.100
 for theirs

00:30:53.100 --> 00:30:53.940
 is the kingdom

00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:54.480
 of heaven.

00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:55.980
 But then it goes on

00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:56.340
 to say,

00:30:56.820 --> 00:30:57.580
 those that mourn

00:30:57.580 --> 00:30:58.740
 they shall be comforted.

00:30:58.840 --> 00:30:59.540
 Those that are meek

00:30:59.540 --> 00:31:00.180
 they shall,

00:31:01.540 --> 00:31:02.500
 what does it say?

00:31:03.300 --> 00:31:04.200
 Inherit the earth.

00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:05.400
 Those that are hungry

00:31:05.400 --> 00:31:06.500
 will be satisfied.

00:31:07.100 --> 00:31:07.779
 So what's Matthew

00:31:07.779 --> 00:31:08.580
 telling us here?

00:31:09.080 --> 00:31:09.820
 He's telling us

00:31:09.820 --> 00:31:10.900
 that the kingdom of God

00:31:10.900 --> 00:31:12.200
 isn't just one day

00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:12.759
 in the future

00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:13.880
 like hold out

00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:15.140
 and suffer in this world

00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:16.580
 and I know it's terrible

00:31:16.580 --> 00:31:17.740
 and I know that

00:31:17.740 --> 00:31:19.060
 you've just got to suffer

00:31:19.059 --> 00:31:19.819
 because one day

00:31:19.819 --> 00:31:20.519
 when you get to heaven

00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:21.159
 you'll experience

00:31:21.159 --> 00:31:21.579
 the kingdom.

00:31:22.039 --> 00:31:22.659
 What's he saying?

00:31:23.319 --> 00:31:23.879
 Blessed are those

00:31:23.879 --> 00:31:24.759
 that are poor in spirit.

00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:25.720
 Blessed are those

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:26.259
 that persecute

00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:27.259
 for theirs is

00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:28.119
 the kingdom of God.

00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:28.720
 Today,

00:31:29.399 --> 00:31:30.000
 this week,

00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:31.240
 as you go to work

00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:31.679
 this week

00:31:31.679 --> 00:31:32.299
 and you're tempted

00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:33.139
 to trample

00:31:33.139 --> 00:31:34.139
 on somebody else

00:31:34.139 --> 00:31:34.759
 to get in head

00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:35.339
 of the pile,

00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:36.659
 the kingdom of God

00:31:36.659 --> 00:31:37.460
 has come to your life

00:31:37.460 --> 00:31:38.919
 today and as you say

00:31:38.919 --> 00:31:40.039
 I will be meek,

00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:40.960
 I will follow

00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:41.940
 the way of my king,

00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:43.480
 today the kingdom of God

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:44.240
 has come into your life

00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:45.379
 and you get to experience

00:31:45.380 --> 00:31:46.980
 what King Jesus

00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:47.660
 is doing

00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:48.140
 in your heart

00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:48.640
 and your life.

00:31:48.900 --> 00:31:49.940
 This afternoon

00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:51.120
 as I go home

00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:51.640
 and I feel

00:31:51.640 --> 00:31:52.960
 completely empty

00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:53.640
 and I feel like

00:31:53.640 --> 00:31:54.500
 I've got zero

00:31:54.500 --> 00:31:55.600
 spiritual credentials

00:31:55.600 --> 00:31:57.040
 and I come to God

00:31:57.040 --> 00:31:57.340
 and I say

00:31:57.340 --> 00:31:57.820
 God,

00:31:57.940 --> 00:31:59.160
 I've got no

00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:00.260
 spiritual capital.

00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:01.300
 I've got nothing

00:32:01.300 --> 00:32:02.580
 to commend myself to you.

00:32:03.160 --> 00:32:04.040
 I'm done.

00:32:05.320 --> 00:32:05.760
 Today,

00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:07.000
 not just in eternity,

00:32:07.580 --> 00:32:08.640
 the kingdom of God

00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:09.480
 comes to me.

00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:10.660
 Theirs is the kingdom

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:11.880
 of heaven.

00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:12.560
 You see,

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.220
 being a Christian

00:32:13.220 --> 00:32:14.140
 is not just a matter

00:32:14.140 --> 00:32:15.420
 of doing good things

00:32:15.420 --> 00:32:16.380
 or observing Jesus

00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:17.559
 teaching in the hope

00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:18.279
 that one day

00:32:18.279 --> 00:32:19.279
 we'll get to paradise

00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:20.140
 or one day

00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:21.100
 we'll get to experience

00:32:21.100 --> 00:32:21.600
 Nirvana.

00:32:22.180 --> 00:32:22.319
 No,

00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:23.839
 that's something else.

00:32:23.900 --> 00:32:24.579
 That's religion.

00:32:25.400 --> 00:32:26.000
 Jesus says,

00:32:26.120 --> 00:32:26.920
 I've come to bring you

00:32:26.920 --> 00:32:27.920
 the kingdom of God

00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:28.559
 today.

00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:30.000
 That right now

00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:30.660
 as you go to work

00:32:30.660 --> 00:32:31.019
 tomorrow

00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:31.559
 and as you go and

00:32:31.559 --> 00:32:32.400
 visit your family

00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:33.440
 over Chinese New Year

00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:34.579
 and as your kids

00:32:34.579 --> 00:32:35.019
 are sick

00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:35.720
 and as marriage

00:32:35.720 --> 00:32:36.180
 is hard

00:32:36.180 --> 00:32:37.000
 and as finances

00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:37.519
 are tight,

00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:38.660
 as you follow

00:32:38.660 --> 00:32:39.480
 the king,

00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:41.160
 you experience

00:32:41.160 --> 00:32:42.279
 the kingdom of heaven.

00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:44.279
 Theirs is the kingdom

00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:44.940
 of heaven

00:32:44.940 --> 00:32:46.039
 today.

00:32:46.639 --> 00:32:47.099
 Friends,

00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:47.799
 the day you become

00:32:47.799 --> 00:32:48.279
 a Christian,

00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:50.079
 you may not understand

00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:50.639
 a whole lot.

00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:52.079
 You may not know

00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:52.960
 your Bible at all.

00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:54.299
 You may have

00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:55.279
 a lot of questions.

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:56.839
 You may still have

00:32:56.839 --> 00:32:57.480
 some doubts.

00:32:58.379 --> 00:32:59.319
 But the day you say,

00:32:59.420 --> 00:32:59.720
 Jesus,

00:32:59.879 --> 00:33:00.720
 take my life.

00:33:01.539 --> 00:33:01.799
 Jesus,

00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:02.899
 I want to follow you.

00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:04.079
 Jesus,

00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:04.759
 I'm all in.

00:33:05.500 --> 00:33:06.220
 That day

00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:07.259
 you get to experience

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.440
 the kingdom of heaven

00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:09.879
 breaking into your life

00:33:09.879 --> 00:33:11.440
 and changing you

00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:12.240
 forever.

00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:13.599
 That's the day

00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:14.379
 you get to experience

00:33:14.379 --> 00:33:15.680
 human flourishing.

00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:16.480
 Irrespective of

00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:17.220
 your circumstances,

00:33:17.859 --> 00:33:18.559
 irrespective of

00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:19.259
 what's going on

00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:19.779
 in your life,

00:33:20.299 --> 00:33:21.359
 the kingdom of heaven

00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:22.519
 comes.

00:33:23.160 --> 00:33:23.819
 Jesus is saying

00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:24.879
 that human flourishing,

00:33:25.019 --> 00:33:25.599
 what it means

00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:26.399
 to be a human being

00:33:26.399 --> 00:33:27.039
 is not found

00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:28.319
 in happy circumstances,

00:33:28.799 --> 00:33:29.599
 but it's found

00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:30.440
 by participating

00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:31.700
 in the kingdom of God

00:33:31.700 --> 00:33:33.019
 by being in relationship

00:33:33.019 --> 00:33:33.559
 with him

00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:35.160
 through what Jesus did

00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:36.000
 on the cross.

00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:38.019
 Does that make sense?

00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:39.440
 Okay,

00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:40.700
 that's the first thing

00:33:40.700 --> 00:33:41.600
 because the king

00:33:41.600 --> 00:33:42.640
 and the kingdom

00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:43.080
 is here.

00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.380
 The second reason,

00:33:44.539 --> 00:33:45.820
 why does Jesus tell us

00:33:45.820 --> 00:33:47.480
 if you had to choose

00:33:47.480 --> 00:33:49.059
 the way of power,

00:33:49.600 --> 00:33:50.039
 prestige,

00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:50.940
 and honor

00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:52.240
 or the way of

00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:53.220
 mourning,

00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:54.259
 meekness,

00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:56.320
 and powerlessness,

00:33:57.320 --> 00:33:58.420
 choose this way?

00:33:58.480 --> 00:33:59.299
 Why does he tell us

00:33:59.299 --> 00:33:59.860
 to do that?

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:00.640
 Well,

00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:01.360
 the second reason

00:34:01.360 --> 00:34:01.799
 is this,

00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:03.080
 because every other

00:34:03.080 --> 00:34:03.900
 kingdom is going

00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:05.019
 to steal your joy.

00:34:06.280 --> 00:34:07.240
 Steal your joy.

00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:09.019
 Jesus,

00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:10.079
 in the Sermon on the Mount,

00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:11.800
 throws us a challenge

00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:12.599
 and he asks us

00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:13.099
 a question.

00:34:13.619 --> 00:34:14.000
 He says,

00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:15.059
 where are you going

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:15.900
 to find your joy

00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:17.059
 and what is going

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:17.760
 to be the source

00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:18.840
 of your human flourishing?

00:34:19.860 --> 00:34:20.539
 What's going to be

00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:21.720
 the source of your flourishing?

00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:22.200
 Where are you going

00:34:22.200 --> 00:34:23.039
 to find your joy?

00:34:24.160 --> 00:34:25.280
 As we read through

00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:26.039
 the Gospels,

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:26.760
 one of the things

00:34:26.760 --> 00:34:27.780
 we see again

00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:28.300
 and again

00:34:28.300 --> 00:34:28.820
 and again

00:34:28.820 --> 00:34:30.240
 is that Jesus

00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:32.099
 constantly is ignoring,

00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:33.280
 sometimes even

00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:34.540
 outright rejecting

00:34:34.540 --> 00:34:35.780
 the rich

00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:36.680
 and the powerful

00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:37.880
 and the leaders

00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:38.600
 of society

00:34:38.600 --> 00:34:39.840
 and he's always

00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:41.200
 welcoming into his midst

00:34:41.200 --> 00:34:42.740
 those that have got

00:34:42.740 --> 00:34:44.340
 no spiritual capital,

00:34:44.580 --> 00:34:45.160
 those that aren't

00:34:45.160 --> 00:34:46.140
 going to bring anything

00:34:46.140 --> 00:34:46.900
 and contribute

00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:47.800
 towards his kingdom,

00:34:47.940 --> 00:34:48.160
 right?

00:34:48.660 --> 00:34:49.500
 Remember Matthew

00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:50.460
 in Luke,

00:34:50.560 --> 00:34:50.980
 I think it's around

00:34:50.980 --> 00:34:53.019
 chapter 16 or so,

00:34:53.740 --> 00:34:54.720
 some children

00:34:54.720 --> 00:34:55.800
 come running to Jesus

00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:56.940
 and the disciples

00:34:56.940 --> 00:34:58.080
 are trying to push them away

00:34:58.080 --> 00:34:58.360
 and say,

00:34:58.440 --> 00:34:59.420
 Jesus doesn't have time

00:34:59.420 --> 00:34:59.760
 for you

00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:00.840
 and Jesus says,

00:35:01.120 --> 00:35:01.660
 bring the children,

00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:02.440
 bring the children

00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:04.059
 to such belongs

00:35:04.059 --> 00:35:05.019
 the kingdom of heaven

00:35:05.019 --> 00:35:06.159
 and then,

00:35:06.500 --> 00:35:07.679
 straight after the children

00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:08.440
 come to him,

00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:09.119
 in fact,

00:35:09.260 --> 00:35:10.000
 while the children

00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:10.539
 are with him,

00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:12.000
 a very rich,

00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:13.280
 very powerful,

00:35:13.820 --> 00:35:14.139
 young,

00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:15.320
 influential leader

00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:15.960
 of society

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:16.860
 comes to Jesus

00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:17.700
 and he says,

00:35:17.780 --> 00:35:18.079
 Jesus,

00:35:18.579 --> 00:35:19.639
 I want to join

00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:20.200
 your party.

00:35:20.720 --> 00:35:21.760
 You can do good for me

00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:22.800
 and I can do good for you.

00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:23.460
 Let's talk.

00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:24.860
 How do I get

00:35:24.860 --> 00:35:25.920
 to heaven?

00:35:26.019 --> 00:35:27.039
 How do I get to be part

00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:28.059
 of what you're doing here?

00:35:28.740 --> 00:35:29.940
 And Jesus says,

00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:31.019
 he gives them

00:35:31.019 --> 00:35:31.860
 a whole lot of obstacles

00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:34.699
 and he rejects him

00:35:34.699 --> 00:35:35.639
 and eventually,

00:35:35.739 --> 00:35:36.199
 Jesus says,

00:35:36.280 --> 00:35:36.480
 listen,

00:35:36.820 --> 00:35:37.780
 if you really want

00:35:37.780 --> 00:35:38.619
 to join my kingdom,

00:35:39.139 --> 00:35:39.679
 do this.

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:41.259
 Sell all your possessions,

00:35:42.059 --> 00:35:43.440
 get rid of all your wealth,

00:35:44.099 --> 00:35:44.900
 give it to the poor

00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:46.500
 and then come and follow me

00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:47.579
 just as you are

00:35:47.579 --> 00:35:49.659
 and this wealthy,

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:50.559
 influential,

00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:52.280
 powerful man

00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:54.559
 walks away saddened.

00:35:56.300 --> 00:35:57.280
 Why does Jesus

00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:58.259
 welcome the children

00:35:58.260 --> 00:35:59.000
 that are going to

00:35:59.000 --> 00:35:59.940
 contribute nothing

00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:00.980
 to his campaign

00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:02.700
 and yet rejects

00:36:02.700 --> 00:36:03.580
 this influential,

00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:04.780
 powerful person?

00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:06.240
 Why is Jesus

00:36:06.240 --> 00:36:07.120
 constantly

00:36:07.120 --> 00:36:08.820
 shunning

00:36:08.820 --> 00:36:09.760
 those that have

00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:10.260
 got influence

00:36:10.260 --> 00:36:11.000
 and welcoming

00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:11.680
 the poor

00:36:11.680 --> 00:36:12.480
 and the marginalized?

00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:13.700
 Friends,

00:36:13.740 --> 00:36:14.400
 the reason why

00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:14.960
 he does it

00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:16.200
 is that to me

00:36:16.200 --> 00:36:17.200
 sorry,

00:36:17.580 --> 00:36:20.260
 I don't know

00:36:20.260 --> 00:36:20.720
 what I'm doing.

00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:24.380
 Okay,

00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:25.100
 let's just try that.

00:36:25.099 --> 00:36:28.119
 I think this will be right.

00:36:28.980 --> 00:36:31.079
 Why is Jesus doing this?

00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:31.980
 Why is he constantly

00:36:31.980 --> 00:36:33.400
 inversing and doing

00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:33.819
 the opposite

00:36:33.819 --> 00:36:34.659
 of what we'd expect?

00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:35.900
 The reason why

00:36:35.900 --> 00:36:36.779
 he constantly comes

00:36:36.779 --> 00:36:37.339
 into conflict

00:36:37.339 --> 00:36:38.139
 with the establishment

00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:39.059
 is not because

00:36:39.059 --> 00:36:39.679
 having money

00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:40.679
 is morally wrong,

00:36:41.159 --> 00:36:41.960
 not because being

00:36:41.960 --> 00:36:43.339
 influential is wrong,

00:36:43.679 --> 00:36:44.539
 not because having

00:36:44.539 --> 00:36:45.920
 power is wrong,

00:36:46.380 --> 00:36:47.000
 but it's because

00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:47.920
 it has the ability

00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:49.099
 to blind us

00:36:49.099 --> 00:36:50.079
 to what truly

00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:50.699
 gives life

00:36:50.699 --> 00:36:52.299
 and where true joy lies.

00:36:52.819 --> 00:36:53.639
 The reason Jesus

00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:54.839
 constantly is warning us

00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:55.800
 against finding

00:36:55.800 --> 00:36:56.320
 a joy

00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:57.100
 in the things

00:36:57.100 --> 00:36:57.620
 of the world

00:36:57.620 --> 00:36:58.360
 is because

00:36:58.360 --> 00:36:59.320
 while they promise

00:36:59.320 --> 00:36:59.740
 the world,

00:36:59.860 --> 00:37:00.700
 they actually steal

00:37:00.700 --> 00:37:01.160
 our joy.

00:37:01.720 --> 00:37:02.880
 Remember the unbeatitudes?

00:37:03.340 --> 00:37:03.840
 Congratulations

00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:05.079
 to the entitled.

00:37:05.539 --> 00:37:06.740
 They grab what they want.

00:37:07.300 --> 00:37:07.780
 Congratulations

00:37:07.780 --> 00:37:08.800
 to the pushy.

00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:09.480
 They will win

00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:10.100
 in the end.

00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:11.039
 Congratulations

00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:11.920
 to those who

00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:12.660
 don't get caught.

00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:13.940
 They will look good.

00:37:14.559 --> 00:37:15.140
 Ray Orton

00:37:15.140 --> 00:37:16.200
 asks this question.

00:37:16.900 --> 00:37:17.340
 He says,

00:37:17.620 --> 00:37:18.059
 well he actually

00:37:18.059 --> 00:37:18.480
 says this,

00:37:18.519 --> 00:37:18.820
 he says,

00:37:19.240 --> 00:37:19.880
 either way

00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:20.900
 we must live

00:37:20.900 --> 00:37:21.519
 by faith.

00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:23.000
 Both the promises

00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:23.539
 of Jesus

00:37:23.539 --> 00:37:24.259
 and the promise

00:37:24.259 --> 00:37:25.000
 of this world

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:26.759
 promise a successful

00:37:26.759 --> 00:37:28.500
 and flourishing life.

00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:29.880
 Promise a good life.

00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:31.239
 But you have to choose

00:37:31.239 --> 00:37:31.699
 which one.

00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:33.039
 Which one

00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:33.679
 are you going to follow?

00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:34.940
 Either way

00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:35.719
 we have to live

00:37:35.719 --> 00:37:36.279
 by faith.

00:37:36.380 --> 00:37:36.860
 And who are we going

00:37:36.860 --> 00:37:37.340
 to trust?

00:37:37.779 --> 00:37:38.480
 Whose invitation

00:37:38.480 --> 00:37:39.340
 are we going to accept?

00:37:40.219 --> 00:37:40.579
 Friends,

00:37:40.659 --> 00:37:41.420
 here is a king

00:37:41.420 --> 00:37:42.139
 who offers us

00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:42.739
 an invitation

00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:43.679
 with a promise.

00:37:44.279 --> 00:37:44.579
 He says,

00:37:44.659 --> 00:37:45.440
 if you invest

00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:46.079
 your life

00:37:46.079 --> 00:37:47.039
 and your hopes

00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:47.679
 and your dreams

00:37:47.679 --> 00:37:48.059
 in me,

00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.360
 if you hand over

00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:50.380
 all of your life

00:37:50.380 --> 00:37:50.720
 to me,

00:37:51.039 --> 00:37:51.920
 it will cost you

00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:52.340
 no doubt.

00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:54.019
 You may not be esteemed,

00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:54.940
 you may not be loved,

00:37:55.039 --> 00:37:55.940
 you may not be adored.

00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:56.960
 Following him

00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:57.619
 will cost you

00:37:57.619 --> 00:37:58.160
 everything.

00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:00.140
 But if you trust him,

00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:01.380
 if you let your life

00:38:01.380 --> 00:38:02.380
 shaped by the gospel,

00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:03.820
 you will discover

00:38:03.820 --> 00:38:05.860
 a kind of human flourishing

00:38:05.860 --> 00:38:07.099
 that nothing

00:38:07.099 --> 00:38:08.260
 and no one

00:38:08.260 --> 00:38:09.260
 can take away

00:38:09.260 --> 00:38:09.700
 from you.

00:38:10.200 --> 00:38:11.440
 It's a kind of human flourishing

00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:13.180
 which both deeply satisfies

00:38:13.180 --> 00:38:14.619
 and will never

00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:15.660
 get taken

00:38:15.660 --> 00:38:16.780
 away from you.

00:38:16.780 --> 00:38:20.540
 In Luke chapter 7,

00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:22.240
 there's a similar

00:38:22.240 --> 00:38:23.460
 account to the Beatitudes.

00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:25.000
 Jesus says,

00:38:25.080 --> 00:38:26.420
 blessed are these people

00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:27.440
 and not these people.

00:38:28.080 --> 00:38:29.620
 One of the old commentators

00:38:29.620 --> 00:38:31.240
 in Luke chapter 7

00:38:31.240 --> 00:38:31.960
 writing on this,

00:38:32.019 --> 00:38:33.220
 he's got this little line

00:38:33.220 --> 00:38:33.940
 where he says,

00:38:34.460 --> 00:38:35.640
 the writings on the wall,

00:38:36.380 --> 00:38:37.980
 see Daniel chapter 5.

00:38:39.060 --> 00:38:40.320
 In the book of Daniel

00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:41.300
 in chapter 5,

00:38:41.380 --> 00:38:42.100
 what's happening is

00:38:42.100 --> 00:38:42.600
 there's a king

00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:43.480
 called Belshazzar

00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:45.480
 and he's the king

00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:45.960
 of Babylon.

00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:48.179
 But the Assyrian army,

00:38:48.300 --> 00:38:48.880
 I mean not the Assyrian,

00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:50.199
 the Persian army

00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:51.019
 is at the gates

00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:52.360
 and they're about to come

00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:53.059
 and overthrow

00:38:53.059 --> 00:38:54.340
 the Babylonian empire.

00:38:55.260 --> 00:38:55.599
 And so,

00:38:56.039 --> 00:38:57.420
 he knows it's kind of the end.

00:38:57.940 --> 00:38:58.220
 And so,

00:38:58.260 --> 00:38:59.760
 he throws this epic party.

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:01.139
 He decides he's going to go out

00:39:01.139 --> 00:39:02.199
 in a blaze of glory.

00:39:02.820 --> 00:39:03.340
 And so,

00:39:03.380 --> 00:39:04.480
 he throws this massive party

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:05.480
 for thousands of people.

00:39:05.619 --> 00:39:06.179
 There's wine,

00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:06.679
 there's beer,

00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:07.740
 everything's happening.

00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:09.179
 And he brings in

00:39:09.179 --> 00:39:09.800
 all their wives,

00:39:09.880 --> 00:39:11.240
 he brings in their concubines

00:39:11.240 --> 00:39:12.599
 and it's just this massive

00:39:12.599 --> 00:39:14.260
 hedonistic festival.

00:39:14.260 --> 00:39:16.540
 And at this party,

00:39:17.100 --> 00:39:18.660
 what happens is

00:39:18.660 --> 00:39:19.760
 in the middle of the party,

00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:20.760
 there's this handwriting

00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:22.060
 that starts to write

00:39:22.060 --> 00:39:22.580
 on the wall.

00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:24.520
 And essentially,

00:39:24.600 --> 00:39:25.240
 what the handwriting

00:39:25.240 --> 00:39:25.860
 is saying,

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:27.160
 it's in the strange language

00:39:27.160 --> 00:39:28.200
 and no one can understand it.

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:29.100
 And eventually,

00:39:29.280 --> 00:39:30.100
 Daniel comes in

00:39:30.100 --> 00:39:30.980
 and he interprets it.

00:39:31.480 --> 00:39:32.460
 And what he says is this,

00:39:32.560 --> 00:39:33.140
 Belshazzar,

00:39:33.580 --> 00:39:34.520
 your time is up.

00:39:35.260 --> 00:39:35.720
 And essentially,

00:39:35.820 --> 00:39:36.840
 the handwriting on the wall

00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:37.300
 is saying,

00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:38.560
 you've been king,

00:39:38.780 --> 00:39:39.500
 you've been doing

00:39:39.500 --> 00:39:40.280
 your own thing,

00:39:40.620 --> 00:39:41.220
 you've been living

00:39:41.219 --> 00:39:42.079
 for your own glory,

00:39:42.219 --> 00:39:42.859
 self-esteem,

00:39:42.980 --> 00:39:43.519
 you're at the top

00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:44.139
 of the pile,

00:39:44.519 --> 00:39:45.639
 but your time is up.

00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:46.839
 Friends,

00:39:46.899 --> 00:39:47.579
 that's what Jesus

00:39:47.579 --> 00:39:48.279
 is saying here

00:39:48.279 --> 00:39:49.299
 with the Sermon on the Mount.

00:39:49.779 --> 00:39:50.199
 He's saying,

00:39:50.279 --> 00:39:51.339
 the handwriting's on the wall.

00:39:51.939 --> 00:39:52.739
 The time is up.

00:39:53.299 --> 00:39:53.679
 Yeah, sure,

00:39:53.739 --> 00:39:54.619
 you can pursue a kingdom.

00:39:54.759 --> 00:39:55.519
 You can get to the top

00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:56.039
 of the pile,

00:39:56.139 --> 00:39:56.859
 you can advance,

00:39:57.239 --> 00:39:58.339
 you can get what you want,

00:39:58.419 --> 00:39:59.419
 you can be well-loved,

00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:01.199
 you will win in the end,

00:40:01.439 --> 00:40:02.519
 you grab what you want,

00:40:02.699 --> 00:40:03.319
 be entitled

00:40:03.319 --> 00:40:04.159
 and self-seeking,

00:40:04.339 --> 00:40:04.500
 sure,

00:40:05.019 --> 00:40:05.919
 but the handwriting's

00:40:05.919 --> 00:40:06.359
 on the wall.

00:40:06.959 --> 00:40:07.659
 That kingdom

00:40:07.659 --> 00:40:09.259
 will steal your joy

00:40:09.260 --> 00:40:10.700
 and it will never,

00:40:11.200 --> 00:40:12.660
 ever satisfy.

00:40:13.460 --> 00:40:14.980
 But if you want to experience

00:40:14.980 --> 00:40:16.160
 true human flourishing,

00:40:16.620 --> 00:40:17.320
 if you want to get

00:40:17.320 --> 00:40:18.140
 to the end of your life

00:40:18.140 --> 00:40:18.940
 and maybe your name

00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:19.760
 won't be in lights,

00:40:20.260 --> 00:40:20.840
 maybe nobody

00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:21.700
 will remember you,

00:40:22.120 --> 00:40:22.620
 you want to get

00:40:22.620 --> 00:40:23.660
 to the end of your days

00:40:23.660 --> 00:40:24.480
 a wise,

00:40:24.820 --> 00:40:25.560
 radiant,

00:40:26.100 --> 00:40:27.220
 satisfied person.

00:40:27.720 --> 00:40:28.600
 If you want to experience

00:40:28.600 --> 00:40:29.760
 true human flourishing,

00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:31.460
 there's a path to take

00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:32.560
 and it's not the most

00:40:32.560 --> 00:40:33.380
 popular path.

00:40:33.820 --> 00:40:34.480
 It's not the path

00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:35.080
 that's going to make you

00:40:35.080 --> 00:40:35.840
 rich and famous.

00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:37.680
 It may even be the path

00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:39.339
 that society mocks you for

00:40:39.339 --> 00:40:40.559
 and laughs at you

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.940
 and thinks you're ridiculous.

00:40:42.759 --> 00:40:43.619
 Choose that path.

00:40:44.419 --> 00:40:45.460
 Blessed are the poor

00:40:45.460 --> 00:40:46.039
 in spirit,

00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:47.559
 for theirs is the kingdom

00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:48.099
 of heaven.

00:40:48.940 --> 00:40:49.859
 Blessed are those

00:40:49.859 --> 00:40:50.839
 that mourn,

00:40:51.539 --> 00:40:52.799
 for they will be comforted,

00:40:53.139 --> 00:40:54.079
 both in this life

00:40:54.079 --> 00:40:54.879
 and the next.

00:40:55.699 --> 00:40:56.759
 Blessed are the meek,

00:40:57.219 --> 00:40:58.460
 for they will inherit

00:40:58.460 --> 00:40:58.899
 the earth,

00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:00.019
 both in this life

00:41:00.019 --> 00:41:01.239
 and in the next.

00:41:01.899 --> 00:41:02.619
 Blessed are those

00:41:02.619 --> 00:41:03.480
 that are hungry,

00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:04.719
 they are desperate

00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:05.399
 for the world

00:41:05.399 --> 00:41:06.379
 to be made right again,

00:41:06.380 --> 00:41:07.099
 in their hearts

00:41:07.099 --> 00:41:08.380
 and in this lifetime too.

00:41:09.019 --> 00:41:09.760
 And while it seems

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:10.980
 like it's never coming,

00:41:11.599 --> 00:41:12.960
 they will be satisfied.

00:41:13.619 --> 00:41:14.460
 They will come a day

00:41:14.460 --> 00:41:15.140
 where every longing

00:41:15.140 --> 00:41:15.680
 of their heart

00:41:15.680 --> 00:41:16.360
 will be satisfied.

00:41:17.099 --> 00:41:17.420
 Friends,

00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:18.360
 Jesus is blessed

00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:19.220
 with the pure in heart,

00:41:19.300 --> 00:41:20.519
 those that are single-minded

00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:21.280
 and devoted

00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:22.099
 to his cause

00:41:22.099 --> 00:41:23.260
 and his purposes.

00:41:24.320 --> 00:41:27.099
 For they will see God.

00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:29.920
 Friends,

00:41:30.039 --> 00:41:30.619
 human flourishing

00:41:30.619 --> 00:41:31.579
 is found in the fact

00:41:31.579 --> 00:41:32.079
 that everything

00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:33.440
 in this,

00:41:33.619 --> 00:41:34.920
 if human flourishing

00:41:34.920 --> 00:41:35.980
 is found

00:41:35.980 --> 00:41:36.340
 and the fact

00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:36.800
 that everything

00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:37.340
 in this life

00:41:37.340 --> 00:41:38.579
 fits perfectly together

00:41:38.579 --> 00:41:40.119
 and you never grieve

00:41:40.119 --> 00:41:40.659
 or mourn,

00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:41.760
 it's just a matter

00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:42.139
 of time

00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:43.079
 before some tragedy

00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:43.539
 strikes

00:41:43.539 --> 00:41:44.920
 and your whole world

00:41:44.920 --> 00:41:45.740
 comes to an end

00:41:45.740 --> 00:41:47.400
 and your whole kingdom

00:41:47.400 --> 00:41:48.480
 comes crashing down.

00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:50.219
 Jesus is those

00:41:50.219 --> 00:41:51.119
 that have followed him

00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:52.280
 because they have

00:41:52.280 --> 00:41:53.559
 entrusted their life to him.

00:41:53.980 --> 00:41:54.820
 They will discover

00:41:54.820 --> 00:41:55.699
 a contentment,

00:41:55.780 --> 00:41:56.480
 they will discover

00:41:56.480 --> 00:41:57.380
 a blessedness

00:41:57.380 --> 00:41:58.599
 that transcends

00:41:58.599 --> 00:41:59.800
 even these moments

00:41:59.800 --> 00:42:00.940
 of grief.

00:42:01.480 --> 00:42:02.280
 To be modest,

00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:03.619
 to grieve,

00:42:03.619 --> 00:42:05.139
 to be regarded

00:42:05.139 --> 00:42:06.119
 as a disappointment

00:42:06.119 --> 00:42:06.920
 and unfortunate

00:42:06.920 --> 00:42:08.319
 is better than being

00:42:08.319 --> 00:42:08.859
 prosperous,

00:42:09.099 --> 00:42:09.460
 powerful,

00:42:09.559 --> 00:42:10.259
 and well-esteemed

00:42:10.259 --> 00:42:11.759
 in the eyes of the world.

00:42:12.420 --> 00:42:12.980
 And the third

00:42:12.980 --> 00:42:13.679
 and final reason

00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:14.079
 is this,

00:42:14.139 --> 00:42:14.980
 because of who

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:16.019
 this king is.

00:42:17.319 --> 00:42:17.719
 Friends,

00:42:17.779 --> 00:42:18.239
 this morning,

00:42:18.380 --> 00:42:19.219
 Jesus offers us

00:42:19.219 --> 00:42:19.839
 an invitation

00:42:19.839 --> 00:42:20.739
 and it's an invitation

00:42:20.739 --> 00:42:21.579
 with a promise

00:42:21.579 --> 00:42:23.359
 that life and happiness

00:42:23.359 --> 00:42:23.980
 are not found

00:42:23.980 --> 00:42:25.019
 in having all your problems

00:42:25.019 --> 00:42:25.679
 taken away.

00:42:26.460 --> 00:42:27.119
 They're found

00:42:27.119 --> 00:42:27.739
 in a person.

00:42:27.940 --> 00:42:28.339
 They're found

00:42:28.339 --> 00:42:28.739
 in the one

00:42:28.739 --> 00:42:29.599
 who is both king,

00:42:30.579 --> 00:42:31.099
 the one who

00:42:31.099 --> 00:42:32.119
 all the world

00:42:32.119 --> 00:42:33.059
 will one day bow before,

00:42:33.719 --> 00:42:34.360
 but the king

00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:35.139
 who ended up

00:42:35.139 --> 00:42:35.839
 on the cross.

00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:37.339
 And the invitation

00:42:37.339 --> 00:42:38.420
 is not to get your life

00:42:38.420 --> 00:42:39.139
 sorted out

00:42:39.139 --> 00:42:39.839
 so that you can come

00:42:39.839 --> 00:42:40.400
 into his kingdom.

00:42:40.900 --> 00:42:41.480
 The invitation

00:42:41.480 --> 00:42:42.259
 is not to do

00:42:42.259 --> 00:42:43.500
 a bunch of religious things

00:42:43.500 --> 00:42:44.779
 that Jesus will say,

00:42:44.900 --> 00:42:45.039
 okay,

00:42:45.099 --> 00:42:45.719
 you've done enough,

00:42:45.819 --> 00:42:46.500
 come to my kingdom.

00:42:46.940 --> 00:42:47.579
 The invitation

00:42:47.579 --> 00:42:48.460
 is not to try

00:42:48.460 --> 00:42:49.519
 and be extra religious

00:42:49.519 --> 00:42:50.819
 or to do certain things

00:42:50.819 --> 00:42:51.739
 that you can be qualified

00:42:51.739 --> 00:42:52.380
 for this kingdom.

00:42:52.940 --> 00:42:53.639
 It's an invitation

00:42:53.639 --> 00:42:54.960
 to come to the kingdom,

00:42:55.400 --> 00:42:55.739
 the king,

00:42:55.900 --> 00:42:57.000
 just as you are.

00:42:57.559 --> 00:42:58.319
 And why should he

00:42:58.319 --> 00:42:58.900
 accept you?

00:42:59.299 --> 00:43:00.420
 Why should he receive you

00:43:00.420 --> 00:43:01.460
 with all your brokenness,

00:43:01.500 --> 00:43:02.139
 as Oscar said,

00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:04.440
 with all your conflicting

00:43:04.440 --> 00:43:05.559
 and darkness

00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:06.059
 in your heart?

00:43:06.139 --> 00:43:07.139
 Why should he accept you?

00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:09.079
 Because of who this king is.

00:43:09.579 --> 00:43:10.579
 Because he's Jesus.

00:43:12.099 --> 00:43:12.800
 This week,

00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:14.760
 I was texting

00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:15.579
 a friend of mine

00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:16.220
 and I said,

00:43:16.840 --> 00:43:17.240
 hey bud,

00:43:17.360 --> 00:43:17.960
 why don't you come

00:43:17.960 --> 00:43:18.800
 to church on Sunday?

00:43:18.880 --> 00:43:19.800
 We'd love to see you.

00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:21.940
 And his response was,

00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:22.519
 he said,

00:43:23.139 --> 00:43:24.380
 I want to come to church,

00:43:24.940 --> 00:43:26.240
 but I want to have

00:43:26.240 --> 00:43:27.639
 a good spiritual image

00:43:27.639 --> 00:43:28.880
 before I come to church.

00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:30.960
 I want to have

00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:31.900
 my ducks in a row.

00:43:32.740 --> 00:43:33.619
 And I replied

00:43:33.619 --> 00:43:34.099
 and I said,

00:43:34.220 --> 00:43:35.200
 that's the very opposite.

00:43:35.380 --> 00:43:36.300
 You should come to church

00:43:36.300 --> 00:43:37.440
 as you are.

00:43:38.240 --> 00:43:39.640
 But as I thought about it,

00:43:39.680 --> 00:43:40.059
 I thought,

00:43:40.340 --> 00:43:41.300
 I'm just like him.

00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:43.300
 I love to come to church

00:43:43.300 --> 00:43:44.440
 with a good spiritual image.

00:43:45.160 --> 00:43:45.880
 I love to come here

00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:46.860
 with all my ducks in a row,

00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:47.800
 having had perfect

00:43:47.800 --> 00:43:48.960
 quiet times in the week,

00:43:49.680 --> 00:43:50.360
 coming having never

00:43:50.360 --> 00:43:51.079
 missed a beat,

00:43:51.860 --> 00:43:52.579
 having me and Jesus

00:43:52.579 --> 00:43:53.720
 just tight like this,

00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:56.440
 having come and feel

00:43:56.440 --> 00:43:57.599
 so good about myself.

00:43:57.599 --> 00:43:59.019
 But friends,

00:43:59.179 --> 00:43:59.779
 this king,

00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:00.299
 Jesus,

00:44:00.460 --> 00:44:00.759
 he says,

00:44:00.839 --> 00:44:01.559
 come as you are.

00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:03.139
 I won't leave you

00:44:03.139 --> 00:44:03.539
 as you are,

00:44:03.579 --> 00:44:03.960
 he says,

00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:04.719
 I'll change you,

00:44:05.079 --> 00:44:06.299
 I'll break into your life,

00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:09.239
 I'll align your heart

00:44:09.239 --> 00:44:11.019
 more like my life,

00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:12.619
 but come as you are.

00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:14.719
 Come as your brokenness.

00:44:15.339 --> 00:44:16.159
 Come in your sin.

00:44:17.039 --> 00:44:17.900
 Come and surrender.

00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:19.159
 Come and follow the king.

00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:20.219
 Friends,

00:44:20.259 --> 00:44:20.920
 you may say,

00:44:21.239 --> 00:44:22.299
 but I haven't done enough.

00:44:22.579 --> 00:44:24.119
 I don't deserve his kindness.

00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:24.980
 Of course you don't

00:44:24.980 --> 00:44:25.639
 deserve his kindness.

00:44:25.719 --> 00:44:26.579
 That's the whole point.

00:44:26.579 --> 00:44:28.420
 Only when you understand,

00:44:28.599 --> 00:44:29.340
 begin to understand

00:44:29.340 --> 00:44:30.179
 that you don't deserve

00:44:30.179 --> 00:44:30.659
 his kindness,

00:44:30.759 --> 00:44:31.779
 can you begin to come to him.

00:44:32.179 --> 00:44:33.159
 Come to him nevertheless.

00:44:33.860 --> 00:44:34.779
 Come as you are.

00:44:35.460 --> 00:44:35.980
 Come and he will

00:44:35.980 --> 00:44:36.860
 truly satisfy you.

00:44:36.900 --> 00:44:37.440
 You may say,

00:44:37.539 --> 00:44:38.420
 but I don't know enough.

00:44:38.460 --> 00:44:39.360
 I don't know the Bible.

00:44:40.019 --> 00:44:41.360
 Will he accept me as I am?

00:44:41.799 --> 00:44:42.159
 Friends,

00:44:42.259 --> 00:44:42.779
 come to the one

00:44:42.779 --> 00:44:43.880
 who rejected the rich

00:44:43.880 --> 00:44:44.420
 young ruler

00:44:44.420 --> 00:44:45.799
 and welcome children.

00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:48.019
 Come to him as you are.

00:44:48.440 --> 00:44:49.480
 You may not know the Bible,

00:44:49.619 --> 00:44:50.539
 you may not understand

00:44:50.539 --> 00:44:51.559
 all the spiritual laws,

00:44:51.699 --> 00:44:52.699
 come just as you are

00:44:52.699 --> 00:44:53.400
 and he will teach you.

00:44:53.980 --> 00:44:54.599
 You may say,

00:44:54.680 --> 00:44:55.760
 but I've sinned this week.

00:44:56.099 --> 00:44:56.280
 Well,

00:44:56.340 --> 00:44:57.240
 come and bring your sin

00:44:57.240 --> 00:44:57.940
 to his cross.

00:44:58.559 --> 00:44:59.460
 Bring it and leave it

00:44:59.460 --> 00:45:00.340
 at the foot of the cross.

00:45:00.460 --> 00:45:01.579
 Don't focus on your sin.

00:45:02.340 --> 00:45:02.800
 Bring it,

00:45:03.180 --> 00:45:04.240
 but don't focus on it.

00:45:04.720 --> 00:45:06.059
 Lift your eyes above the sin

00:45:06.059 --> 00:45:06.860
 and look to Jesus,

00:45:07.360 --> 00:45:08.180
 the one who nailed

00:45:08.180 --> 00:45:09.160
 your sin to the cross,

00:45:09.559 --> 00:45:10.700
 the one who went to the cross

00:45:10.700 --> 00:45:11.220
 that your sin

00:45:11.220 --> 00:45:12.079
 doesn't need to be held

00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:12.740
 against you.

00:45:13.160 --> 00:45:14.400
 Come to him this morning.

00:45:14.840 --> 00:45:15.539
 You may say,

00:45:15.539 --> 00:45:17.180
 but it will cost you too much.

00:45:17.619 --> 00:45:18.619
 I don't want to mourn.

00:45:19.220 --> 00:45:20.579
 I don't want to be poor in spirit.

00:45:20.720 --> 00:45:21.760
 I don't want to be merciful.

00:45:22.460 --> 00:45:22.680
 Friends,

00:45:22.720 --> 00:45:23.740
 of course it will cost you.

00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:24.680
 It will cost you everything,

00:45:25.240 --> 00:45:26.520
 but it will cost you nothing

00:45:26.520 --> 00:45:27.300
 compared to what

00:45:27.300 --> 00:45:28.020
 he's going to give you.

00:45:28.360 --> 00:45:29.180
 It's like holding on

00:45:29.180 --> 00:45:30.340
 to a $10 note

00:45:30.340 --> 00:45:31.360
 when he's offering you

00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:32.280
 a million dollars

00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:32.620
 and saying,

00:45:32.700 --> 00:45:33.940
 I don't want to let go of this.

00:45:34.360 --> 00:45:35.220
 Let go of it.

00:45:35.240 --> 00:45:36.040
 It will cost you,

00:45:36.240 --> 00:45:37.540
 but it's nothing compared

00:45:37.540 --> 00:45:38.780
 to what he's going to give you

00:45:38.780 --> 00:45:39.640
 as he gives you

00:45:39.640 --> 00:45:40.580
 the kingdom of heaven.

00:45:41.120 --> 00:45:41.380
 Friends,

00:45:41.380 --> 00:45:41.820
 you may say,

00:45:41.820 --> 00:45:42.780
 I don't feel worthy.

00:45:43.400 --> 00:45:43.640
 Friends,

00:45:43.720 --> 00:45:44.480
 come to Jesus,

00:45:44.900 --> 00:45:46.140
 the one who welcomes sinners,

00:45:46.700 --> 00:45:48.020
 the one who welcomes

00:45:48.020 --> 00:45:49.000
 the poor in spirit,

00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:50.180
 the one who welcomes

00:45:50.179 --> 00:45:51.899
 those that have no spiritual capital.

00:45:52.259 --> 00:45:53.299
 He promised that

00:45:53.299 --> 00:45:55.359
 yours is the kingdom of heaven.

00:45:55.899 --> 00:45:56.599
 Come to him.

00:45:57.460 --> 00:45:57.779
 Friends,

00:45:57.879 --> 00:45:58.759
 better to be those

00:45:58.759 --> 00:45:59.759
 who are poor in spirit,

00:46:00.359 --> 00:46:01.319
 those who mourn,

00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:02.279
 our brokenness,

00:46:02.819 --> 00:46:03.799
 those who are regarded

00:46:03.799 --> 00:46:04.839
 as a disappointment,

00:46:05.659 --> 00:46:06.579
 those who are regarded

00:46:06.579 --> 00:46:07.319
 as unfortunate

00:46:07.319 --> 00:46:08.460
 in the eyes of the world,

00:46:08.899 --> 00:46:09.739
 than to be rich

00:46:09.739 --> 00:46:10.559
 in our own eyes,

00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:12.019
 than to come to Jesus

00:46:12.019 --> 00:46:13.179
 with spiritual capital,

00:46:13.579 --> 00:46:14.980
 to come to the bargaining table

00:46:14.980 --> 00:46:15.219
 saying,

00:46:15.440 --> 00:46:16.219
 this is what I can bring,

00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:17.339
 than to be those

00:46:17.340 --> 00:46:18.380
 that are self-sufficient

00:46:18.380 --> 00:46:19.300
 and well-esteemed.

00:46:19.780 --> 00:46:21.079
 This is the way of the king.

00:46:21.600 --> 00:46:22.860
 This is the way of the kingdom.

00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:24.039
 It's a kingdom

00:46:24.039 --> 00:46:25.160
 which is here and now.

00:46:25.600 --> 00:46:26.100
 It's a kingdom

00:46:26.100 --> 00:46:27.079
 which will change your life

00:46:27.079 --> 00:46:28.300
 tomorrow as you go to work.

00:46:28.700 --> 00:46:29.300
 It's a kingdom

00:46:29.300 --> 00:46:30.420
 which will never end.

00:46:30.940 --> 00:46:31.480
 It's a kingdom

00:46:31.480 --> 00:46:32.539
 which will promise you

00:46:32.539 --> 00:46:33.559
 true joy.

00:46:34.160 --> 00:46:35.100
 Let's come to him

00:46:35.100 --> 00:46:36.000
 now.

00:46:36.740 --> 00:46:37.700
 Let's pray together.

00:46:42.260 --> 00:46:43.180
 Oh Lord Jesus,

00:46:43.179 --> 00:46:45.159
 God we confess

00:46:45.159 --> 00:46:45.919
 that

00:46:45.919 --> 00:46:47.779
 God our eyes

00:46:47.779 --> 00:46:48.419
 are so often

00:46:48.419 --> 00:46:48.980
 caught up

00:46:48.980 --> 00:46:50.139
 with the things around us.

00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:52.099
 God we've been seduced

00:46:52.099 --> 00:46:53.839
 by the message

00:46:53.839 --> 00:46:54.579
 of our world

00:46:54.579 --> 00:46:55.339
 and our culture.

00:46:56.699 --> 00:46:57.199
 God we've

00:46:57.199 --> 00:46:58.679
 we confess

00:46:58.679 --> 00:46:59.139
 Lord God

00:46:59.139 --> 00:46:59.899
 that we believe

00:46:59.899 --> 00:47:00.399
 the lie

00:47:00.399 --> 00:47:02.319
 and Father

00:47:02.319 --> 00:47:03.379
 so many of us

00:47:03.379 --> 00:47:04.519
 are sorry for it.

00:47:05.539 --> 00:47:06.419
 We've realized

00:47:06.419 --> 00:47:07.519
 that the world

00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:08.279
 cannot deliver

00:47:08.279 --> 00:47:09.039
 what it promises.

00:47:10.460 --> 00:47:11.279
 God won't you

00:47:11.279 --> 00:47:11.919
 give us faith

00:47:11.919 --> 00:47:12.659
 to trust you

00:47:12.659 --> 00:47:13.980
 won't you

00:47:13.980 --> 00:47:14.799
 open our eyes

00:47:14.799 --> 00:47:15.699
 to see you

00:47:15.699 --> 00:47:16.279
 Lord Jesus

00:47:16.279 --> 00:47:17.199
 as heaven and earth

00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:17.879
 true king.

00:47:18.980 --> 00:47:19.859
 God won't you

00:47:19.859 --> 00:47:21.139
 open our eyes

00:47:21.139 --> 00:47:21.779
 to see that

00:47:21.779 --> 00:47:22.819
 true flourishing

00:47:22.819 --> 00:47:24.599
 the blessed life

00:47:24.599 --> 00:47:24.920
 God

00:47:24.920 --> 00:47:25.639
 is found

00:47:25.639 --> 00:47:27.359
 as we come

00:47:27.359 --> 00:47:28.379
 to know you God

00:47:28.379 --> 00:47:30.099
 because of what

00:47:30.099 --> 00:47:30.899
 you did on the cross

00:47:30.899 --> 00:47:31.420
 Lord Jesus

00:47:31.420 --> 00:47:33.099
 by the power

00:47:33.099 --> 00:47:33.859
 of the Holy Spirit.

00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:34.559
 And so Holy Spirit

00:47:34.559 --> 00:47:35.519
 come and open our eyes

00:47:35.519 --> 00:47:36.399
 and draw us to you

00:47:36.399 --> 00:47:36.859
 we pray.

00:47:38.819 --> 00:47:40.039
 Father where we are

00:47:40.039 --> 00:47:41.460
 tempted to hold on

00:47:41.460 --> 00:47:41.759
 where

00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:42.880
 we acknowledge

00:47:42.880 --> 00:47:43.860
 that it will cost us

00:47:43.860 --> 00:47:44.480
 and we don't want

00:47:44.480 --> 00:47:45.600
 to give up our right

00:47:45.600 --> 00:47:46.060
 we don't want to

00:47:46.060 --> 00:47:46.940
 give up our throne.

00:47:48.080 --> 00:47:48.840
 Oh Jesus

00:47:48.840 --> 00:47:49.860
 help us to see

00:47:49.860 --> 00:47:50.180
 Lord

00:47:50.180 --> 00:47:50.940
 help us to see

00:47:50.940 --> 00:47:51.840
 everything you give us

00:47:51.840 --> 00:47:52.140
 God.

00:47:55.820 --> 00:47:56.820
 Jesus we pray

00:47:56.820 --> 00:47:58.700
 that you'll make us

00:47:58.700 --> 00:47:59.340
 more like you

00:47:59.340 --> 00:48:01.100
 we'll pray

00:48:01.100 --> 00:48:01.560
 Lord God

00:48:01.560 --> 00:48:02.420
 that we really

00:48:02.420 --> 00:48:03.080
 will be those

00:48:03.080 --> 00:48:04.740
 that experience

00:48:04.740 --> 00:48:05.220
 the life

00:48:05.220 --> 00:48:05.720
 of the kingdom.

00:48:07.160 --> 00:48:07.840
 God I pray

00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:08.500
 that this week

00:48:08.500 --> 00:48:08.860
 because we

00:48:08.860 --> 00:48:09.860
 go and visit

00:48:09.860 --> 00:48:10.360
 family

00:48:10.360 --> 00:48:11.539
 at Chinese New Year

00:48:11.539 --> 00:48:12.820
 and we

00:48:12.820 --> 00:48:14.079
 spend time

00:48:14.079 --> 00:48:14.860
 with loved ones

00:48:14.860 --> 00:48:15.820
 God may we be

00:48:15.820 --> 00:48:16.719
 agents for the kingdom

00:48:16.719 --> 00:48:18.840
 may we be those

00:48:18.840 --> 00:48:19.099
 that

00:48:19.099 --> 00:48:20.159
 in some ways

00:48:20.159 --> 00:48:20.780
 are ambassadors

00:48:20.780 --> 00:48:21.880
 for the kingdom of heaven

00:48:21.880 --> 00:48:23.059
 in the city

00:48:23.059 --> 00:48:26.460
 God we pray

00:48:26.460 --> 00:48:27.099
 these things

00:48:27.099 --> 00:48:29.219
 in your majestic name

00:48:29.219 --> 00:48:31.079
 Amen

00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:31.299
 Amen

00:48:31.300 --> 00:48:33.640
 Amen

00:48:33.640 --> 00:48:35.480
 Amen

00:48:35.480 --> 00:48:36.760
 Amen

00:48:36.760 --> 00:48:38.780
 Amen

00:48:38.780 --> 00:48:39.300
 Amen

00:48:39.300 --> 00:48:39.700
 Amen

00:48:39.700 --> 00:48:40.640
 Amen

00:48:40.640 --> 00:48:40.820
 Amen

00:48:40.820 --> 00:48:48.740
 Amen

00:48:50.320 --> 00:48:52.340
 Amen

00:48:52.340 --> 00:48:52.940
 Amen

00:48:52.940 --> 00:48:54.760
 Amen

00:48:54.760 --> 00:48:58.760
 Amen

00:48:58.760 --> 00:48:58.820
 Amen

00:48:59.440 --> 00:48:59.800
 Amen

00:48:59.800 --> 00:49:00.480
 Amen

00:49:00.480 --> 00:49:00.820
 Amen