Setting the Context. Jesus is beginning his three years of public ministry.

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2 Setting the Context. Jesus is beginning his three years of public ministry. He has been baptized by John, and spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. (Mt. 3-4) John has been arrested and imprisoned by King Herod. (4:12) Some of the disciples have been chosen and joined Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, John. (4:18-22) Everything is fresh, new and filled with anticipation. crowds are growing, and signs & wonders are happening! (4:23-25)

3 23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. Matthew 4

4 Setting the Context. Jesus is beginning his three years of public ministry. His ministry is full of power! 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (Matthew 7)

5 Setting the Context. Jesus is beginning his three years of public ministry. His ministry is full of power! He is declaring a fresh & radical life a manifesto describing where real happiness & meaning are found in God s Kingdom. 5 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

6 Setting the Context. Jesus is beginning his three years of public ministry. His ministry is full of power! He is declaring a fresh & radical life a manifesto describing where real happiness & meaning are found in God s Kingdom. Jesus begins his manifesto with eight famous statements that we now call The Beatitudes. simple sayings that describe how happiness is found. Happy is the person ; Blessed is the one They are a form of Wisdom Literature, and found throughout the Bible. The Beatitudes are Jesus introduction to the Kingdom of God. If you want to live the Kingdom life, Jesus is saying, you must take this journey. there is no other path.

7 Truth: The Beatitudes are the path we all must take if we are to find God s Kingdom there is no other way! Each beatitude is a step leading to the gates of the Kingdom of God.

8 Truth: The Beatitudes are the path we all must take if we are to find God s Kingdom there is no other way! Each beatitude is a step leading to the gates of the Kingdom of God. Each go completely against our natural tendencies they are unnatural we must deliberately grasp hold of them. Blessed are the poor (but I want to be rich!) Blessed are those who mourn (but I want to laugh). Blessed are the meek (but I want to be confident & proud) Blessed are those who hunger & thirst (but I want it all!)

9 Truth: The Beatitudes are the path we all must take if we are to reach God s Kingdom there is no other way! Each beatitude is a step leading to the gates of the Kingdom of God. Each go completely against our natural tendencies they are unnatural we must deliberately grasp hold of them. Jesus is the Guide for everyone travelling this path. I am the way. (John 14) Jesus is the Gate opening into God s Kingdom. I am the Gate. (John 10)

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11 1. Blessed 2. are the Poor in Spirit, 3. for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 1. Blessed Gk. - markarioi - happy ; fortunate ; to be envied literally: to be congratulated is the person! Blessed (markarioi) are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, and meditate on it through the day and through and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalm 1

12 1. Blessed (to be congratulated ) 2. are the poor in spirit Note: 2 common Gk. words for poor : i. penes - you have nothing in reserve and must work very hard to scratch out enough for each day. ii. ptochos - you have no reserves, and no abilities your poverty is so crushing that all you can do is beg. no resources, no talent, no trade, no craft, no hope you are utterly impoverished. hopelessly dependent on the kindness of others. if you had any pride it s gone replaced with resignation & desperation.

13 Typically in the ancient world it would so humiliate a man to be a beggar that he would crouch, cover his face with a garment, and hold out his hand ashamed to let even the giver know his identity. MacArthur

14 1. Blessed (to be congratulated ) 2. are the poor in spirit 3. for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus: Blessed are the poor in spirit When you come to point of internal poverty when in your spirit you know that you are like a beggar before God, pleading for help. When you know that you are completely powerless shipwrecked done! You are to be Congratulated Joyful Envied!! because you have arrived at the gates of God s Kingdom!!

15 The Point: You want to enter God s Kingdom?. this is where you must begin understanding that you can t enter because you re not capable: You are not smart enough to enter. You are not good enough to enter. You cannot work hard enough enter. Note: It s not about only the worst in you, it s about the best Jesus is saying that your best is not good enough! The hardest thing for any of us to do is to admit that we are powerless, bankrupt & unworthy before God.

16 Two Questions: 1. How poor in spirit are you today? 9 Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: I thank you, God, that I am not like other people cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income. 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 18)

17 Truth: The Kingdom is a place where God pours out His blessing, but the path to the Kingdom is only found by those with a contrite heart and a broken spirit. 6 God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 So then, submit yourselves to God... 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites! 9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom! 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4)

18 Two Questions: 1. How poor in spirit are you today? 2. How do I know when I m poor in spirit? Simple: I m poor in spirit when my pride is all gone. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. 16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51)

19 Truth: Every person who comes to God spiritually bankrupt inherits everything that Heaven contains but only because of God s grace through the Lord, Jesus Christ! 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God s grace that you have been saved!) 8 And you can t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2)