Practically Sanctified

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”

Luke 2:7-14 “7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”” (NASB)

At the start of Genesis we see a chaotic emptiness. Out of that God creates order and peace. But that peace is shattered with sin. And so from the Garden of Eden on God was at work redeeming His people. He gave them the law, a glimpse of who He was, of His holiness. He gave us prophets so that we might understand Him better and keep the Law. In time, in the fullness of time, He gave us Love. Not the Law, but the Word. And this Word brought about the ability of peace again. No longer would we be hiding from God because we would never be good enough. Love reached down and offered us an eternal gift of peace between us and God, between us and each other. A new Law, the Law of Love was manifested to us.

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achieving world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries and to provide a platform for dialogue.
There are currently 192 member states, including nearly every recognized independent state in the world. From its headquarters on international territory in New York City, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year.

The Words:
Peacemakers – There are 2 things we need to consider with this word. The first is that peace is derived from God, from His reign. Regardless of what worldly government you have, from left wing to right, from socialist to dictator, you will always find corruption and the grasp for power. Mankind has never gone a generation or 2 without issues. Look at how the First nations have been treated in Canada, and the continuing conflict that occurs between English and French. Look at the USA, founded upon personal rights where corruption and lobbying are the ways to get what you want. Money buys votes and power. Then look overseas at dictators and the like. Man is incapable of bringing lasting peace to this world. God, the originator of peace, who brought order and peace out of chaos at creation, can shed a peace in your heart so big and so lasting that it is beyond comprehension. Peace comes from God and our relationship with Him.
The second thing is the modifier. Notice it says “peacemaker”, not peacekeeper. The difference here is one of initiative. The UN sends its soldiers out to keep the peace once a certain level has been established. We are ambassadors of God Himself, taking the peace of God and sharing it with those who have no peace. We are called to love and quietness, focusing on God as the Author and Finisher of our faith. God initiated peace with us through the incarnation. He brought in peace when all the Law could do was condemn and provide conflict. God initiated peace, and we need to follow His example and go out to make peace in the circles of life and influence that God has given us.

Called Sons (of God) – This phrase refers to our actions being a confirmation of our standing. It doesn’t say we will “become” the sons of God, it says we shall be “called” the sons of God. We already are the sons of God. We have a moment by moment relationship with the everlasting God, the Lord God of Creation, as we confess our sins to Him and yield our will to His. But in living out that truth, we become peacemakers and so prove that God is at work in our lives.

The Paradox:
The paradox is this: being a peacemaker is the culmination of the Beatitudes. Notice that this really is the last attitude, and that it is reflected in action. What follows in “Blessed are those who are Persecuted…” is not something we have any control over. We do not go out and be obnoxious with the Gospel of Peace just so someone will persecute us. No! This peacemaking is the summation of all that has been said before. And this beatitude is the one that people of power who are Christians, miss the most. How did the Crusades of a thousand years ago to deliver the Holy Land from Islam live out this verse? How does the turning away of needy and badly dressed people who don’t fit our church culture satisfy this verse?

Take It Home:
Emotional Peace: Fulfillment of the Great Commandment – Matthew 22:36-40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Part of our job is to share love with everyone around us. We have a ministry of reconciliation. We have been reconciled to God, and know God is calling us to be used of Him so He can reconcile others to Himself. We live this out in our day to day actions. People all around us are hungry for love. We ourselves need it, and often feel on the edge of community. We have to take the initiative.
Spiritual Peace: Fulfillment of the Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Part of our job is to share Jesus with everyone around us. Sharing Jesus means we are to share Him with those who don’t know Him, as well as encourage those who do to grow up in Him. Look around – we are all part of this church, this community. We all have a sense of responsibility with each other. We dedicate children and commit them to this group, recognizing that the whole community raises the child. It doesn’t stop with the children, though. We need to pursuer deeper relationships with one another, praying fro one another, taking about spiritual things. When was the last time someone asked you, “How are things going, spiritually?” When was the last time you asked someone else that same question. Be a peacemaker, take the initiative.
Personal Peace: It is all about spiritual and personal integrity – Do you have peace with God? Are you and God not just on speaking terms, but on “I surrender all” terms? Do you have peace with family and friends? Are you able to take the initiative and go to a brother or sister and say, “Listen! We need to talk.” For Dr Larry Dahl he will come and say, “I have a stone in my shoe.” He means that something is bothering him and he wants to deal with it. This week, today even, take the initiative and pursue peace. Be a peacemaker.

Psalm 24 “1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood; and has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face–even Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.”

Matthew 5: 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”
1 John 3: 2 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

The Words:

Pure(katharos): Cleansed; this compares with the other similar words in Greek: hagion – holy, free from every fault; hosios – holy, free from defilement; eilikrines – pure, as being tested
We’ve been reading in the news about the listeriosis poisoning that is coming from tainted meat. 10 people have died so far from the pre-packaged meat. When I worked as the deli and bakery supervisor for a grocery store, we were always careful to follow the rules when dealing with meat. All our cuts were stored between 1 and 5 degrees C. We did temperature checks every 2 hours on both our coolers in the back as well as the refrigerated cases on the floor. When we cut the meat we sliced it and packaged it right away. It was dated and then put in one of the coolers. The meat slicer was then fully disassembled so we could clean it effectively. A lot of time each day taken for cleanliness. We know the reason. If there is bacteria left on equipment from not being cleaned, or on a cutting board, or a utensil, and then you use it on something else the bacteria is spread. If it is allowed to go too long it becomes dangerous to the body – it becomes a poison. Botulism from uncleaned vegetables. Pesticides from unwashed fruit.
Blessed are the pure in heart – God has made available spiritual bleach, if you will. He can cleanse us from sin. His holy spirit works in our lives so that sin no longer has mastery over us. This word pure refers to God at work in our lives! Refiner’s fire – Purify my heart…

Heart (Kardia): It is the chief organ of the physical life, pumping the life sustaining blood. You can live without your arm, but you can’t without your heart. Because of the centrality of this organ, it came to refer to a person’s entire mental and moral activity. Another person described it as the hidden springs of the personal life. We are aware what happens if bacteria gets into springs, or the source of our water supply. The whole shebang goes bad. There was a town in Ontario a few years back that suffered through many people dying and getting sick before they traced the source of the problem to containments getting into one of the wells. We need to guard our hearts, to protect them from junk and bad stuff getting in, because it affects our whole person.

The beatitudes are not about salvation as we traditionally understand it, they are about becoming like Jesus. That’s why this beatitude isn’t first. This beatitude is for the person who recognizes he or she can’t do it on their own. They are poor in spirit – they recognize their poverty. They mourn over it. They understand that everyone has to deal with this before God so they are meek. But they want God, so they become hungry for Him. It is at this point we see Jesus saying pursue holiness. It is at this point that we find purity is extolled. Jesus is speaking to us Christians, us people who are religious, who know the church, the building the people. You say you follow me, then be holy for I am holy cries God.

The paradox:

Do you hear the promise? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The paradox is that we can’t do anything to become pure! It is God who makes us pure. All our actions and good deeds are as filthy rags to God. Purity is a result of surrender to God, not behaviour for God. Living for behaviour results in legalism, not purity. I mentioned this before, but one time Bonnie and I were driving to Alberta from Ontario. We cut through the US and we were on a road that crossed into Canada in southern Saskatchewan. Well, we were on a totally different road than what we thought, because Canada was not appearing ahead of us. Sometimes we get on the wrong road spiritually. We think we are headed for purity, when instead we are headed for legalism. Get off that road. It turns bumpy and crabby. Get back on the road called Surrender, for it leads to Christ-likeness.

Take it home:

We “shall see God in all things here.” John Wesley said that. What he meant is that if we are pure in heart, we will see God in the life all around us. There is a story and a film that came out several years back. It was called The Matrix. The premise is that all of what we see in this life is a dream programmed by computers. Our physical bodies are in bondage and used for their energy, but all of what we sense is like a computer game. At the end of the book the hero can see it for what it is. He sees binary code in the walls and the people around him, and so can defeat the bad guys. When we understand God, and pursue Him, and surrender all to Him, life makes sense. We understand sin and what it is. We can see the grace of God at work in people’s lives all around us. We know that nothing can happen except by God’s allowance, and that He is Sovereign. We see God in all things here. We may not fully understand His processes, but we are confident His grace and love are enough.

God will be revealed in our lives. Not only will we be able to see god around us, but people will be able to see God in us. 2 Corinthians 3: 18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 1 John 4: 11”Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” No one has seen God at any time, but people will see Him in our love, in our life.

We shall be in God’s presence for eternity. Life is about relationships, about presence. Listen to this truth as we find it in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” Death is about separation; that is why death was the penalty for sin. God cannot have sin in His presence and so those in sin are separated from Him. But the pure in heart will fellowship with God in eternity. Some people try to make it a bad thing to talk about heaven, because of the implications of hell. That is why we share Jesus, though, That is why we support missionaries and live pure lives, that God may draw people to Himself through us.

Don’t leave this place today with meeting God, without surrendering to Him. You can do it as we close in prayer. After we pray, and have a short discussion about what I have just said, come to the front if you need to meet God. We have the alter rails for that purpose. It is a decision of your will, not one born out of emotions. We don’t need to have quiet music to convince you about Jesus speaking to you. For centuries people like Paul and Peter would stand up and give the challenge to surrender to God. And immediately people would step forward and ask, “What must I do to be saved?” If God is speaking to you, listen, and do what He asks of you.

Lamentations 3:19-26 “19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. 20 Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”

Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant who owed his king 100 thousand dollars. When the king demanded payment of the debt, the man said, “Just give me time and I’ll pay.” The king not only gave him extra time, he forgave the debt. Then the plot thickens when the same servant found another fellow servant who owed him $10 and demanded repayment. The second servant also asked for a little time, but the first servant had him thrown into prison until he paid the debt. When the matter came to the attention of the king, he said to the unmerciful servant, “You evil-hearted wretch! Here I forgave you all that tremendous debt, just because you asked me to — shouldn’t you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you.” Then the angry king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. Jesus concluded the story with these stern words: “So shall my heavenly Father do to you if you refuse to truly forgive your brothers” (Matthew 18:23-35 LB).

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, because they shall receive mercy.”
Proverbs 11:17 “The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm.”

The Words:
Merciful: The outward manifestation of pity; to feel sympathy with the misery of another manifested in action. Mercy assumes need on the part of the person to whom it is given. Mercy is something God is in the business of. It is being actively compassionate. Remember Jesus looking on Jerusalem and crying? He despaired at the nation Israel and its spiritual state – then He did something about it, dying on the cross.

The Paradox:
One of the paradoxes of life is that many people who love to give, and serve, and practice mercy never allow themselves to receive it. This is usually a result of poor self esteem. People find their worth in giving, and so if they aren’t giving they are not worth anything. The flip side of the same coin is pride. They don’t want to receive because it is beneath them. In both scenarios the people are not being transparent. Their motivation is rooted outside of God, and who they are before God. Even God steps back and allows us the opportunity to give to Him through worship, through tithes and offerings, through ministry and works of compassion. If God, the Creator of the ends of the earth is open to receiving from us, how much should we be open to others giving into our lives. No man is an island. We were created for fellowship. We believe in the doctrine of the Trinity as a church of the Nazarene. That means we believe God is three separate personalities, yet one God. What I understand from that, is that within God Himself there is community. When He created man in His own image, then, He created the capacity and need for community. Part of this need may be fulfilled in marriage, but it goes beyond that. It is about us as a church being a community, about being more than just a social club. That’s why we pray for one another. That’s why we visit. That’s why we have programs where we can serve side by side with one another. The saying is true, that you only get out of something what you are willing to invest in it. Put time and energies into this community, and God will bless you accordingly.
Another paradox of the Christian walk is that in order to receive, we must give. You want mercy? Then give mercy. You want life? Then give your life away. This verse says to receive mercy, first be merciful. There are two different directions here. We are to be merciful to our fellow human beings. When we do that, the promise is that we will receive mercy, and it is understood that it comes from God. Don’t put your trust in man. Don’t extend mercy and then look for repayment from that person. You will be disappointed again and again. Offer mercy freely, then look to God for what you need.

The Application:
First and foremost, understand that God blesses us first spiritually. When God says you shall receive mercy, look for God’s blessings in your life, and seek those blessings. You need money? Pray and ask for it, but pray that you will use what He provides to honour and glorify His name. And beyond that surrender your life to Him so that whether you are raising kids, on your own, or looking after your parents, you are seeking in all you do, in all your relationships to reflect the character of God. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Secondly, be actively compassionate. Let me give you two examples. The first is the forgiveness of offences. Did someone strike your cheek? Turn your cheek and let him smite the other – give him a second chance. Did she take your shirt? Give her your coat as well. Is there discord in your family because one of your siblings is acting like a jerk? Forgive them and take the initiative to mend the rift. Forgiveness of offences. The second way to be actively compassionate is the remission of obligations. Someone owe you something? Write it off. Whether it be money, a favour, an apology. Try to go through life owing no man anything but love, and letting go of the things owed you, trusting in God’s provision instead.

Finally, be transparent in community. You need something, let us know. Someone else expresses a need, reach out with what you have and offer it. Mercy is about needs. If everyone here had no needs, we would have no sharing among us. Who here is without needs? We all have them in one form or another. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Ephesians 4:15-16 “15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
Though the majority of our congregation is middle class or better, the people in poverty have as much in Christ as we do. In some ways it is easier to tap into a relationship with God because their needs are facing them every day. Those of us who have nice homes and money in the bank, sometimes struggle to depend on God, because we have a sense we can do it ourselves with what we have. It’s a myth. No one can do it on their own. We all need Jesus, we are all on the same path of holiness, of trying to become like Jesus in all we think, say and do.

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” (NASB)

So, I am making some oatmeal one morning and Bonnie is busy writing away. We are talking between rooms and I am looking at a bag of brown sugar with a piece of bread in it. I know why the bread is in there, but my concern was that it would eventually go moldy, so I asked her if I should put it in the freezer. I am thinking that frozen bread won’t go moldy. She is thinking I am talking about something else. The next day I am making oatmeal and I am complaining how hard the sugar is, because it was frozen. It was then that we realized we were talking about different things. The Beatitudes are like that. We read an English word and think we understand what it is all about. Often, we don’t.

The word for “meek” carries none of the meanings associated with weak. The meek, (hoi praeis) has been translated mild or gentle. The word was originally applied to the outer characteristics of things and people. It was not considered a virtue or an attitude. Today’s meaning of meek has been watered down to the point it has lost most, if not all of its true meaning.

The image most closely associated with “meek” and its meaning is that of the horse. The Greek historian Xenophon used the very same word Jesus used to describe a horse broken to saddle, so that it is under control.

A horse is a powerful animal. It is a symbol of strength in the Greek world. Wild and untamed the horse is a useless animal. It cannot be used for any of the tasks man has for it. However, if the horse is broken it can be used for all kinds of tasks for which it was created. It can be tamed and then taught. A tamed horse is a picture of power under control.

The other common analogy is the willow tree, that sways and bends in the wind, but never breaks because of its strength.

The Words
Meek (Gentle): Meekness is the absence of retaliation and the presence of quiet gentleness (and the attitudes behind those behaviors).
· Meekness is not about self-vindication.
· Meekness is not just reflective of outward behavior… it goes deeper than that.
· Meekness is not preoccupied by self (this is not natural, but supernatural).
· Meekness is an unwrought grace of the soul, and it is firstly and primarily to God. Remember that picture of the horse broken to a saddle? In a way, we are the horse, and God is the one who sits on the saddle.
· Meekness is the fruit of power, of control, not the residue of weakness.
· Meekness is living understanding we have the infinite resources of God at our disposal.
What does this look like? Defensive driving, rather than aggressive driving. But it is also in everyday life.

Inherit:
· Birthright
· Reward as a gift, on condition of obedience
· Cf. Jacob and Esau.

Earth:
All of this physical stuff.

The paradox:
“The one who is meek may be as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but they have stopped being fooled about themselves. They have accepted God’s estimate of their own life. They know they are as weak and helpless as God declared them to be, but paradoxically, they know at the same time that in the sight of God they are of more importance than angels. In myself, nothing; in God, everything.” AW Tozer

Take it home:
1) Focus on the things of God! People are often aggressive because they are living in their own strength, pursuing what is good to them. The violence that fills the Old Testament is because people went their own way. And what is happening around us today? If you want to live in meekness, in quiet strength, begin by pursuing the things of God. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
2) When it comes to men, owe no man anything but love. Romans 13:8 All the stuff around us is temporary. This pulpit, this building, our vehicles outside, the places we live in, even the country we live in – these are all passing. Over the last 2,000 years, though, God has delighted in love. God inhabits the praise of His people, as well as the love of their actions. You want to be meek? Love your neighbor.

3) Trust God to look after you. Isaiah 11:4 “But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth…” At the heart of our journey through life is what we will put our faith in. You cannot be truly gentle unless you are sold out to God. In each of these Beatitudes, Jesus is calling us to give up the deed to our life to Himself.

A man, a father whose son had left home and been gone a long time would often pass by the front of the ranch to purposely look down the road for travelers. There was always the hope that he might see his son returning. He was experiencing a sense of loss. He grieved and mourned in his heart the separation from him of his flesh and blood. And then the day came. He looked again down the dusty road with tired eyes and beheld one who travelled alone. He watched for a minute searching for the familiar gate… and then he saw it. He called to servants and then went rushing out to meet his long lost son, who once was lost but now was found. And he thought of amazing grace.

Mourn – death or loss of a loved one or thing. This is a word about separation, and the response we have to that loss. As we read some of the Psalms hear the lament of the author, mourning about loss. We all have experienced loss of things, of people. For some, life seems to be made up mostly of goodbyes, of leavings. But there is another word…
Comforted – A calling to one’s side. This word is about a coming together, about relationship. Ever been stranded by the side of the road when a stranger stopped, maybe a trucker, and helped change your tire, or fixed a clamp on a hose? That person came along side you and helped, even comforted! Remember in John 14:6 where Jesus said He would give us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit who would be with us forever. Here we are living our life, trying to be all we can be. We are trying to do the right things, and it is hard. We are trying to not do the wrong things, and that is also hard. And as we walk along the road of life, the Holy Spirit comes along side and comforts, and helps.

Allow your heart to be broken by the things that break God’s heart. It’s not just sin that breaks God’s heart; it is the loss of relationship that occurs as a result of the sin. When we sin, and live with unconfessed sin, it puts a wall up between us and God. Why? Because God is holy. He has called us to be a holy people, a people that reflect His character. It was the mourning over sin that first brought us to Jesus, the recognition that we can’t deal with the sin problem ourselves. Don’t ever lose that sense that you can’t do it. It is only in Jesus that you can.
Allow your pride to be broken. Remember the first Beatitude? Poor in Spirit. It is about letting God be the Lord of your life, about letting God sit on the throne of your life. There are 3 areas of your life that you need to give control of to God. Your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Your actions and words reveal your thoughts, what is in your heart. You can say all the right words, but if your life isn’t characterised by love, you’ve missed the whole point of following Jesus. Remember that story in Matthew 9 of Jairus’ daughter who died? As Jesus drew near the professional mourners were there wailing and making noise. When Jesus said they were premature, that the girl wasn’t dead they laughed openly. Their mourning was just a show, just something put on or show.
Lastly, allow your future to be broken. You have all these plans. A year or two and this will happen and you will be at such and such a place. Even this afternoon, you will do this or be there. Make your plans, but give them to God. Allow Him control and you will see life is about more than stuff and things. God will put people in your path that need to hear your word of encouragement, that need to hear the Good News of the Gospel. Allow God to be in your details, allow Him to step in and revise your appointment book, because He has divine appointments for you.

Do you have a sense at what is happening hear? We all have losses of one kind or another. It may be stuff, it may be a relationship or two, or it may be health. Mourn over these as you need to, but go beyond them. Go beyond the things of this earth, and mourn about the things of heaven, and you will be comforted. God has promised that He will come alongside, and you will be comforted.

“28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Isaiah 57:15

“For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 66:2

“For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD

“But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite of spirit,

and who trembles at My word.”

When you look through the want ads, you read descriptions of jobs available, as well as descriptions of people wanted. When an employer is looking for people, they rarely are just looking for any warm body, though in desperate times that may seem the case. When I worked as a supervisor at a grocery store we often had jobs to fill in our department. There were times we were desperate and we hired just to fill the spot. Inevitably we regretted doing that. Why? Because we needed more than just any person, we needed a person with a good work ethic. We needed someone who was dependable and would shop up for scheduled shifts. We were looking for certain character traits, and as we look at the Beatitudes we find the focus on attitudes and spiritual traits.
Some people have said the Beatitudes show a progression of faith, of spiritual maturity. There may be some truth to that, but I would like to focus on each one as it stands alone.

Blessed – the root word in the Greek refers to something being expansive. It seems the best translation may even be “happy” because it is connected to purpose of life, to what we are all about. Jesus is basically giving us a recipe for happiness! Notice also that there is an understood sense of plurality. Jesus is talking to us as a community, as a group of people. In that sense Jesus is saying these should be the characteristics of the church! So, as we read these verses over the next couple of months, understand that there is a call both to you as an individual before God, as well as us as a group, as the church. The church is not this building, but the people who are part of this gathering, whether they are here every Sunday or not.

Poor – This word means what you think it does. It is someone who has nothing, someone destitute, in need. Someone in need of help. Someone in need of another to come alongside and assist. Some people are poor and don’t know it. They go through life doing everything on their own, living life with rarely a thought for another. They may not even know that they don’t know what they are missing. It is not about stuff. It is about relationships, about people. I believe we were created to function in community, playing a role of some kind. I believe each of us is special, and can offer something unique. What that means is we are missing gifts, right now, that belong to people who are not here. They don’t even know that God has created them let alone that God has gifted them to be a part of this community. We are poorer ourselves without their involvement. And they don’t realize what they are missing – not because we are anything special, but because God has made us special.
It is also about the individual. You cannot meet God unless you are poor in spirit. The only way to understand Jesus is to understand you blew it. What are you going to do with your sin – those things you did that somehow you knew and know are wrong. It’s like the spots of blood in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and trying to wash her hands clean of the blood of the murdered King Duncan in Act 5 Scene 1. She echoes what Macbeth himself said in Act 2, Scene 2: “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” “No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red”. Without Jesus, what does one do about sin?

Spirit – This is the same word for wind, as well as in the term “Holy Spirit”. We understand that this trait then, is not about being short of money, or stuff, but something related to the breathing part of us, the intangible. What makes you and I unique? What makes up your personality? One writer in describing it to a child called it the “breathing” part in you. There’s the physical body, but then there’s the part that causes the breath, the life force.

Kingdom – The British Commonwealth has a queen. At one time they said the sun never set on the British Empire because they controlled so many colonies around the world. The law was made in Britain, and it applied in all the commonwealth states. Rome, in the time of Jesus, had the same setup. They controlled most of the “known” world, their kingdom. Simply put, the kingdom refers to sovereignty, royal power, and dominion.

Heaven – As I went to look up the words my first thought was that this verse talked about the kingdom of God. It doesn’t; it refers to the kingdom of heaven! As I thought about it, I understand that heaven is a choice opposite earth. Jesus did not say the kingdom of earth. He intimates quite strongly again that the things He refers to as success and things to pursue, and how to evaluate is all done on the spiritual level. Read Ephesians 1 if you want to go further with this.

Recognize your guilt as a sinner, and that you are dependent upon God. Happy is the poor in spirit. You want to be happy? The first step is to give up. You can’t do it. You can pursue money, sex, and power, and be successful in those pursuits, but they will not get you lasting happiness. John tells us that those are things of this world. They are not related to the spiritual in a positive way.
1 John 2:15-17, 25 “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”
God is not commanding us all to sell everything we have and give it to the poor – He’s definitely not saying sell everything and give it to the church (anyone who claims that is not of God). God may ask an individual here or there to follow that path, but that is a personal path between you and God. What God is saying is be poor in spirit – recognize that all your attempts to please Him on your own are filthy rags. Don’t try to go to God thinking you are doing Him a favour. For those who were here Thursday at the Puppet Quest, do you remember the story about the phone call? God calls up the lady and says, “I am coming to visit soon!” She gets busy cleaning and baking and getting ready. Some needy guy comes asking for water and food and a shirt, but she was too busy to help. It turns out that guy was God, and she turned Him away because she was trying to please Him on her terms, not God’s.
Look to the south of us for another example. Let your life and will be foreclosed on – give up your mortgage and deed to your life – let go of what your holding onto, because God has something better in store.

The paradox – Giving up your life leads to entry into the greatest kingdom! Want happiness and control of your life? Give it up. Do you understand that pursuing all this stuff of earth is a dead end? Do you understand that all this stuff of earth is empty? The things we are promised never hold out. Even the rich die. Jesus talked about the man who has so much stuff, that he decides to build another warehouse to hold it. He doesn’t know that his appointed time is upon him and he will not see tomorrow. He spent all his life getting stuff, but he will stand before God empty handed.

The promise is that you will be successful in all things spiritual – this includes eternal life. When you are part of the kingdom of heaven, you are finally aware of and understand that we are in a spiritual war. We are not in a war against the kids who put graffiti on our fence. We are not at war with our cranky neighbours, or the family member who ridicules us for our faith. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Look at these verses from Matthew 6 that talk about giving up striving for stuff, and instead strive to know God:

20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys,

and where thieves do not break in or steal;

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

25 ” For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life,

as to what you will eat or what you will drink;

nor for your body, as to what you will put on.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 “Look at the birds of the air,

that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not worth much more than they?

27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

28 “And why are you worried about clothing?

Observe how the lilies of the field grow;

they do not toil nor do they spin,

29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory

clothed himself like one of these.

30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field,

which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,

will He not much more clothe you?

You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying,

‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or

‘What will we wear for clothing?’

32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things;

for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,

and all these things will be added to you.”

Let me encourage you to read this passage through several times this summer. Take time to just read it without stopping to analyze. Read it through and listen for common phrases and try to get a broader sense of the themes Jesus is talking about. Do take time to also look at specific verses or words as well.
This sermon starts off with the beatitudes. I remember memorizing these as a kid in Sunday School. They set the standard for following Jesus. They have a sense of “this is what is important!” It is almost as if you have an index in the beatitudes, and then Jesus begins to walk through the rest of the sermon expounding what they mean and refer to. I want to give you some foundational thoughts to consider as we go through the beatitudes and this sermon of Jesus. Look for these themes that we find in Matthew 5:13-20 which follows immediately after the beatitudes.

Theme 1: What is important? Why are the beatitudes key? Matthew 5:13-16
We have two pictures in these verses. The first is salt, the second is light. The beatitudes are key because they describe a life that reflects the character of God. They describe a life that allows people to see the truth of who God is. That is the real question, isn’t it? A Buddhist comes up to you and asks how you know God is the “Christian” God and not the one who revealed himself through Buddha? Or Allah, the god of Islam, or on of the thousands of gods of Hindu. Who is God the Creator of the ends of the earth? The beatitudes tell us, and over the next several weeks we will be looking at each trait listed. And as we study them, as we live them out through the power of God – God will reveal Himself through you to those around you.
Salt is a preserver and a symbol of friendship to which the Arabs still regard it today. If we, the church, the followers of Jesus lose our saltiness, our holiness, what good are we? Are we no different than the one who does not follow Jesus? – That is an impossibility!
Light is meant to be seen. The light of Jesus is to be seen in us. It is to be seen so people will come to see Jesus for who He is. Does the church just keep the light here in a building like this? Is not that similar to hiding it under a bushel? It is to be out there, in the world, where all may see it. The beatitudes are important because they reveal the standard to which we strive.

Theme 2: The Law is fulfilled in the Beatitudes! Matthew 5:17-19
The firefighter runs into a burning building. He grabs the fallen boy, throws him over his shoulder, and carries him out. There is only one way to be saved from that fire, you have to get out of the building. The boy couldn’t save himself because of the smoke and fear, but the firefighter did for the boy what the boy could not do, and saved him. Jesus is saying the Law is valid until the end of time. You have to keep the Law if you want to see God… but read the fine print. Often the fine print puts the limits and boundaries and boxes around all the good stuff, the contract. The fine print here is that Jesus fulfilled the Law, and if we give our lives to Him, we fulfill the Law through Him.

Theme 3: The Beatitudes lead to a righteousness beyond the Law! Matthew 5:20
The Scribes and Pharisees had the job of knowing the Law inside and out. They were like lawyers, though here they were expected to follow the law as completely as they could. Up to this point no one was able to fulfill the law. Romans 3:23 says that everyone was found wanting, for if you blew it even just once, you were guilty of the whole thing. But look at the following phrases:
“You have heard it was said…” vs. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, and 43
“But I say to you…” vs. 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, and 44
Jesus spells out not just the letter of the Law, but the spirit as well. Jesus is telling us it isn’t just about doing the right thing, it is about being the right person. Following Jesus is about love and mercy and grace. It is like those 3-d images that on the surface is just a bunch of shapes and colours. As you stare at it and go slightly cross-eyed, though a 3-d picture pops out of the background. You have to look through the Law to see the truth of it.

So the challenge is this: What are you doing with and for Jesus Christ today? This sermon of Jesus closes with a parable of two foundations. One man built on a rock, the other on the sand. The only difference is not that one prayed a prayer of confession to God. The difference was not some deep thinking and pious thoughts. It was not based on church attendance, or the condition of the building they met in. It was that one of them acted on Jesus’ words, and the other did nothing. Following Jesus is about walking step in step with His Spirit.