Sunday Recap On Tuesday...

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Beatitudes (Part One)
Text: Matthew 5:1-6

Some Thoughts:
---One of the greatest misunderstandings people had about Jesus was in how He was bringing the Kingdom of God to Earth. They looked at Him as if He were a conquering King (which He is) but they thought the revolution He would lead to break free from Roman rule would come as an invading army with great force.

---People were crying out for a revolution and Jesus multiple times would say, "You want a revolution in your family? In your city? In your nation? Let me show you how to live!!!"

---If we want to see a different world, we have to stand up and be different people! In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us specific instruction in how to live differently on purpose.

***Matthew 5:1-6

---Jesus will continually through these words, step into our lives and raise the bar in how we are to do life His way. Jesus will not offer feel-good theology here.

---"Most critics who are offended at the things Jesus says are offended precisely because He does not utter safe platitudes." G.K. Chesterson

v.3
---Poor in Spirit are those who realize they are spiritually bankrupt in the presence of Holy God. They have nothing of merit to barter with the King Eternal.

---It is interesting that the first principle for understanding the Sermon on the Mount is that we cannot fulfill the standards of the Sermon by ourselves.

v.4
--- Once we realize we are spiritually bankrupt, we better see why that is (our sin being the issue). So we mourn over sin and despise it. We see sin the way God sees it and seek to treat it the way He does.

v.5
---The church of today has taken this thought of meekness and stripped it of all testosterone resulting in a lot of wimpy looking and living Christians. If we are modeling after Jesus I dare you to find a place in scripture where He comes off wimpy or lacking a backbone. Surely, our definition of meekness is wrong!!!

---"The meek are 'the gentle', those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength, but who will nonetheless inherit the earth because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events." ESV Study Bible Notes

---"If you are serious about walking by faith...try gentleness. Allow your Lord room to be just that--- the Sovereign Lord in full control, capable of fighting for you and conquering whatever territory you need to inherit." Charles Swindoll

v.6
---Verse 6 reflects true spiritual passion, and insatiable hunger to know God intimately, to model His ways personally.

Wrapping it up...
"The beatitudes paint a comprehensive portrait of a Christian disciple. We see him first alone on his knees before God, acknowledging his spiritual poverty and mourning over it. This makes him meek or gentle in all his relationships, since honesty compels him to allow others to think of him what before God he confesses himself to be. Yet he is far from giving in to his sinfulness, for he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, longing to grow in grace and in goodness." John Stott

---Bottom line: The first four beatitudes should most definitely bring us to a bigger view of who God is.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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