1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,800
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

2
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,580
His disciples came to him and he began to teach them.

3
00:00:11,580 --> 00:00:12,580
He said,

4
00:00:12,580 --> 00:00:20,520
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:26,500
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

6
00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:33,460
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

7
00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:42,400
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

8
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,640
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

9
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,960
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

10
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:59,800
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

11
00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:06,260
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom

12
00:01:06,260 --> 00:01:08,220
of heaven.

13
00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:15,060
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against

14
00:01:15,060 --> 00:01:17,240
you because of me.

15
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:24,240
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they

16
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,640
persecuted the prophets who were before you.

17
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,040
Amen, and to God be the glory for his word.

18
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:38,440
And here's Michael to preach on those.

19
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:45,880
Thanks, Brian.

20
00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,200
Good morning, church.

21
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:54,080
Isn't it wonderful to be together, to sing together, to pray together and to come around

22
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:59,400
God's word together on this fine day as the people of God.

23
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:05,200
And the singing this morning was beautiful and it's lovely to hear the saints of God

24
00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,140
singing to our risen Lord Jesus.

25
00:02:10,140 --> 00:02:16,920
This morning we are going to continue our series in the book of Matthew.

26
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:20,680
These are God's words that we are reading this morning.

27
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:27,280
So before we look into these wondrous things, let us speak to the author together.

28
00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,080
Would you join me in prayer?

29
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:39,440
Father, we thank you that these are indeed your words given to us to your church through

30
00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,480
the Lord Jesus.

31
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:50,000
We ask by your spirit that these words would not remain in our heads only, but by your

32
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:56,520
spirit we would be, you would enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so to speak, and that

33
00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,680
we would be transformed by your truth.

34
00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,360
We ask for this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

35
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:05,600
Amen.

36
00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:14,160
Lately, Hayley and I have been really enjoying a series of whodunnits on Netflix, whodunnit

37
00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:20,360
mysteries on Netflix written by American author Harlan Coban.

38
00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,760
And we're really enjoying them because Harlan is a great storyteller.

39
00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:33,920
And I say that because not only are his characters well developed and have fantastic deep backstories

40
00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:40,800
to keep you guessing, but he leaves us absolutely confuddled with all that is going on right

41
00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:48,720
up until the very end, which makes the revealed mystery all that much more satisfying.

42
00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:54,240
Now as someone who prides themselves on figuring out who did it within the first couple of

43
00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:00,320
episodes and then ruining it for my wife, yes, I was that guy that called out the ending

44
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,840
to the sixth sense in the cinemas.

45
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:09,280
Harlan's writing really has us captivated.

46
00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:16,640
Now why we love these shows so much is because there are clues given all throughout the episodes,

47
00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:23,040
which you have to remember because they're all leading you to the big picture.

48
00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:27,780
They're all leading you to this big picture that will be revealed in the end, which means

49
00:04:27,780 --> 00:04:35,560
you really have to pay attention to everything that is said and even alluded to by the characters.

50
00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:41,320
Because without picking up the clues that they give, the answer to the mystery remains

51
00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:49,880
in the dark and the big picture will be totally missed, even when it's explained.

52
00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:55,800
Now I mention all of this because the book of Matthew is doing a very similar thing,

53
00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:01,800
similar in the way that Matthew is not giving, but putting together all the clues that were

54
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:10,520
given in the Old Testament about Jesus as to explain to everyone who Jesus is and what

55
00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,800
he had come to do.

56
00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:19,580
And I say this because for the Jews in the old dispensation of things, God gave them

57
00:05:19,580 --> 00:05:26,360
clues as to what he was going to do through the coming Messiah and his kingdom.

58
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:32,880
Yet Matthew argues, because of Jesus and his ministry, the people of God no longer needed

59
00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,000
to solve the mystery.

60
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:41,320
No the clues all pointed to the one person and the mystery was revealed in the life,

61
00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,360
the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

62
00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:52,280
Just as the famous theologian Augustine once said, in the old concealed but in the new

63
00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:54,700
revealed.

64
00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:57,960
That's what Matthew is doing in his gospel for everyone.

65
00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:04,640
He's showing us the big picture and revealing the mystery which is Christ by putting together

66
00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:12,820
all the clues from the Hebrew scriptures to show us why Jesus was indeed the long awaited

67
00:06:12,820 --> 00:06:17,120
Messiah that God told his people about.

68
00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:21,360
We've seen this all through the weeks haven't we?

69
00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:27,840
There's been lots and lots of clues that have found their answer in the life and the ministry

70
00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:30,600
of Jesus thus far.

71
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,440
For example, God said that he would always have a son of David on the throne, which meant

72
00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:42,400
for the Messiah to be legitimate, he had to come from the family of David.

73
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:49,400
Jesus was from that line, hence why Matthew started his whole book off with a genealogy.

74
00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:55,480
God said that he would come to be with his people in the Emmanuel prophecy, hence why

75
00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:02,320
Matthew included the birth narrative of Jesus, recording that he was conceived by the Holy

76
00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,600
Spirit and born to the Virgin Mary.

77
00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:12,460
God said that the shepherd of his people would be born in Bethlehem, Jesus was.

78
00:07:12,460 --> 00:07:19,880
God said in Isaiah 7 that he would bring his kingdom into this dark, dark world and be

79
00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:29,200
a light and set people free, which as we saw a few weeks ago was the exact thing that Jesus

80
00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:35,080
was doing as he went about ministering in Israel.

81
00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:41,280
Matthew's given all throughout the Hebrew scriptures as to who Jesus would be and what

82
00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,520
he would do.

83
00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:48,620
And Matthew, every step of the way showing us that we don't have to wonder anymore as

84
00:07:48,620 --> 00:07:56,040
to how God would fulfill these things, because as Matthew has shown us, they were fulfilled

85
00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,400
by the Jesus that he followed.

86
00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:07,480
This morning, we're going to see that Matthew is going to put together some other clues

87
00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:14,500
as to who this Jesus is and why we must follow him.

88
00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:22,380
Because God promised to send into this world a prophet that would be that much greater

89
00:08:22,380 --> 00:08:23,860
than Moses.

90
00:08:23,860 --> 00:08:34,040
And as we've seen this morning, Matthew reveals how that mysterious clue also came to be seen

91
00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,480
in Jesus' ministry.

92
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,280
It'll be helpful if you have your Bibles in front of you.

93
00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:41,560
So let's dive right in.

94
00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:46,800
If you do have your Bibles, read with me verses 1 and 2.

95
00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:53,720
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside, he sat down and his disciples

96
00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,480
came to him and he began to teach them.

97
00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:05,680
Now as we've seen through the weeks, Matthew never minces his words.

98
00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:12,320
No, he's very careful with the words he uses because we're quite literally meant to take

99
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,080
everything that he says as gospel.

100
00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:21,720
So with that said, I want you to take notice of a couple of things that's happening here.

101
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:31,840
First, this section of scripture from chapter 5 through to chapter 7 is about teaching.

102
00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:38,560
And as we'll see over the next few weeks, as we spend time in these chapters, we're

103
00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:45,640
actually going to look at one big sermon given by Jesus, not just to his disciples but to

104
00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,720
everyone that came to see him teach.

105
00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,480
So before we start to get into any of that, the thing that I want us to have a think about

106
00:09:54,480 --> 00:10:02,120
right now is the context of where Jesus taught his disciples.

107
00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,880
And we'll notice it here in verse 1.

108
00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:12,720
He taught on a mountainside, hence the very creative name, the Sermon on the Mount.

109
00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,480
Now why a mountainside?

110
00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:20,080
Why might that be important for us to not just skip over but take notice of?

111
00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:21,080
Let me explain.

112
00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:29,560
You see, when Israel was rescued from Egypt, God drew them out of that nation and saved

113
00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:31,640
them with a purpose in mind.

114
00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:36,760
And that was for them to be a holy nation.

115
00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:43,080
We're told in Exodus 3 that God said to Moses, I've come down to rescue Israel from the power

116
00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:50,000
of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land.

117
00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:55,720
He goes on to say, I will be with you, Moses, and this is your sign that I am the one who

118
00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:57,560
has sent you.

119
00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:05,600
When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.

120
00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:10,240
We then read on Exodus 19 verses 1 to 6.

121
00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:15,720
Only two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.

122
00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:21,080
After breaking camp at Raphidium, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp

123
00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,880
there at the base of Mount Sinai.

124
00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,800
Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God.

125
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:34,720
The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, give these instructions to the family

126
00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:35,720
of Jacob.

127
00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,720
Announce to the descendants of Israel, you have seen what I have done to the Egyptians.

128
00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,800
You know how I carried you out on eagle's wings to myself.

129
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:51,720
Now if you obey me and keep my covenant, you'll be my own special treasure from among all

130
00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,920
the peoples of the earth.

131
00:11:53,920 --> 00:12:02,440
All the earth belongs to me, but you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.

132
00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,920
I want you to hear what's being said here to Moses.

133
00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:12,880
God said to him, he said to Moses to come to this mountain and that through him he would

134
00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:18,000
give instructions and commands to the people of Israel.

135
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,240
And if they obeyed what God said to them, if they did what Yahweh told them, then they

136
00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:28,040
would be different from all the people on the earth.

137
00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:32,000
In fact, that's exactly what holy means.

138
00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,120
Holy means separated.

139
00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:39,680
And that's what God was doing with his people through Moses.

140
00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:47,320
He was instructing and giving them the covenant of the kingdom so that they would be separated

141
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:55,320
from all the nations of the world and be a light in this dark, dark world.

142
00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:03,480
However, with all that said, it's a really interesting moment towards the end of the

143
00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,320
ministry of Moses.

144
00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:10,020
He's leading the people of God to Canaan.

145
00:13:10,020 --> 00:13:16,060
And I say it's interesting because Moses knew from the get-go that his ministry was a shadow

146
00:13:16,060 --> 00:13:23,680
of things to come and that something much, much greater was on the horizon.

147
00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:29,280
In a literal sense, his ministry pointed beyond himself and to another.

148
00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:35,420
Listen to how Moses explains this to the congregation in Deuteronomy 15.

149
00:13:35,420 --> 00:13:42,440
We read Moses said, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among

150
00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,800
your fellow Israelites.

151
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,920
You must listen to him.

152
00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:51,580
For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled

153
00:13:51,580 --> 00:13:53,080
at Mount Sinai.

154
00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:58,800
You said don't let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire

155
00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,920
for we will die.

156
00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,440
Then the Lord said to me what they have said is right.

157
00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:09,840
I'll raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites.

158
00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,840
I'll put my words in his mouth.

159
00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:16,720
He'll tell people everything that I command him and I will personally deal with anyone

160
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:23,400
who will not listen to the message that the prophet proclaims on my behalf.

161
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,440
This is incredible.

162
00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:32,840
Moses arguably one of the most famous prophets that the ancient world had ever known knew

163
00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:38,540
that he was only a shadow of what was to come.

164
00:14:38,540 --> 00:14:45,200
And like Moses who was used by God to rescue Yahweh's people from bondage to slavery and

165
00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:52,040
then give his law to them at Mount Sinai there would be another that would come with the

166
00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:58,120
words of God blazing in his heart.

167
00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:05,680
None of this would have been lost on Matthew's original Jewish audience that knew the Hebrew

168
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,560
scriptures well.

169
00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,400
I mean it's all pointing to one thing right.

170
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:19,000
This picture of Jesus who went around freeing people from bondage and oppression now with

171
00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:24,360
his people on this mountain giving them commands and revealing God's will to them so they would

172
00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:29,200
be unlike the world around them.

173
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:36,880
And as he will go on to call them in verse 14 of our chapter they were to be the light.

174
00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:44,480
There's some pretty big imagery to help us understand who Jesus is and what he had come

175
00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:45,480
to do.

176
00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:52,440
Now I just want to say something before we start looking at these next verses and that's

177
00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,400
what Jesus is not doing.

178
00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,060
And we need to be clear about this.

179
00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:06,640
Jesus is not giving a new law in any sense but an understanding, a new understanding and

180
00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:08,720
outworking of the law.

181
00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,360
That's something that we're going to see clearly through the weeks as we go through this sermon.

182
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:18,760
It's the same law of God that has a new understanding.

183
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,840
New Testament scholar Grant Osborne says it like this.

184
00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:28,480
The one superior to Moses had begun his messianic ministry.

185
00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:33,960
Moreover, the Jewish people expected the Messiah to bring the final Torah.

186
00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:41,280
So this sermon is in a sense the Torah of the Messiah in which Jesus explained the law

187
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:45,760
to the New Kingdom community.

188
00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:52,840
All that to say, Israel's Messiah, a prophet like Moses, had come to explain the heart

189
00:16:52,840 --> 00:17:00,760
of God's law to the crowds and was establishing the kingdom of heaven in this world.

190
00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:06,000
And clues were given in the Hebrew scriptures that this would happen.

191
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:11,640
Which Matthew has beautifully brought together here in these first two verses of our passage

192
00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:18,840
this morning to show us that this Jesus was more than a randomly good teacher sat there

193
00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,160
on a random mountainside.

194
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:27,160
The imagery that has been painted for us here is striking.

195
00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:35,720
The one greater than Moses had arrived to usher in the kingdom of heaven and to give

196
00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,560
us God's word.

197
00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:45,280
I want to pause here for a moment brothers and sisters and I want to say that when we

198
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:52,520
approach the word of God, we're not just coming to a book to learn some stuff about history

199
00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:58,680
or to get some good advice in how to order our lives.

200
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:06,960
The words that we're reading, that we're hearing are the very words of God that have been given

201
00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,400
to us for our instruction.

202
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,840
That's the way we're meant to approach the word of God.

203
00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,560
It's as God speaking to us.

204
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:25,720
So with that said, to not listen to his word is to ultimately not listen to the one who

205
00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:32,240
gave it, to twist his word is to ultimately twist the words of God himself.

206
00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:39,280
That's what the Bible is, it's the words of God breathed out by God written down for the

207
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:44,120
world to not just hear but obey.

208
00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:49,400
And so as we approach what Jesus has said to his original audience, because of the very

209
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:55,960
nature of who was saying these things, we mustn't just relegate all of this to the past

210
00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,760
or a historical event.

211
00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:03,880
Now all of this is being said to us this morning.

212
00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:12,280
And like the disciples here in our passage, we too must pay careful attention to what

213
00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:20,640
we hear so that we too might enter into the kingdom of heaven and that we might shine

214
00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:28,640
the light of Jesus more and more in this darkened world.

215
00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,080
So what does Jesus want us to know?

216
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:38,200
Well the first thing that I want to say is there's some general observations to make

217
00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:43,720
about the next few verses before we look at each beatitude individually.

218
00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,800
Beatitude, it's an interesting word.

219
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,360
That's the first thing that I want to comment on.

220
00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:58,400
Beatitudes, as this text has been classically named, essentially means blessed.

221
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:03,160
So Jesus is saying that we are blessed if we do these things that he's telling us to

222
00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,440
do.

223
00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:13,200
Just a few weeks ago I actually heard a sermon on this very passage and the person explaining

224
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:19,640
it used a translation of the Bible that rendered blessed as happy.

225
00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:25,960
Now I mention this because there is a danger in reducing what Jesus is talking about here

226
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:30,360
to an emotional standard, to an emotional thing.

227
00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:38,120
Though in saying that to be blessed will bring ultimate joy and that's because to be blessed

228
00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:46,200
in a biblical sense means to be approved or find approval from God himself.

229
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:53,280
All that to say, whoever seeks to please God seeks to do what he demands of us here and

230
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:59,240
now no matter if it feels good or not.

231
00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,240
But that's the thing that we're going to see.

232
00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:11,920
What God demands of us might seem hard at times but ultimately he meets those who seek

233
00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:18,960
to obey him with so much more than the world could ever define as happiness.

234
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:29,080
No, we will be blessed now and find joy ultimately because we are going to be met with the very

235
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:34,880
kingdom of heaven itself.

236
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:40,720
So with that said, it's no wonder Jesus starts where he starts.

237
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:48,800
He starts by saying get rid of the pride that keeps you from entering the kingdom of heaven.

238
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,880
We see it in verse 3.

239
00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:58,800
Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

240
00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:03,920
Now it's important to note that the kingdom of heaven is talked about in the present tense

241
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:13,480
here which means that the promise of entering it is present, not just future though it is

242
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:19,280
yet to be fully realised which means that salvation is something that comes to those

243
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:26,800
who obey God now and will be seen in its fullness later.

244
00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:31,280
How do we enter the kingdom of heaven one wonders?

245
00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:36,880
Well it's as Jesus says here, it's by being poor in spirit.

246
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:43,240
Now some have argued through the years that this is talking about living in such a lowly

247
00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:49,240
state that you end up having to rely on God for absolutely everything.

248
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:55,920
Now this is certainly thinking in the right direction but notice it's not physically being

249
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,760
poor that Jesus has in view here.

250
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:07,760
We read it in the text, poor in spirit which is to say one has come to the end of themselves

251
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:15,440
that they no longer look to anything in and of themselves but to God alone for spiritual

252
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,440
rescue.

253
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:23,560
American, oh he's not American, Canadian theologian D.A. Carson puts it like this and I'm not

254
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,600
going to do the Canadian accent job.

255
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:33,960
To be poor in spirit is to have the personal acknowledgement of spiritual bankruptcy.

256
00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:41,560
It's the conscious confession of being unworthy before God as such it is the deepest form

257
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,440
of repentance.

258
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:50,480
In other words Jesus is saying from the get go, if you don't come to that place where

259
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:58,040
you acknowledge your total need for God and turn to him out of that spiritual distress

260
00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:04,640
then there is no way that you will ever enter the kingdom of heaven because your pride keeps

261
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:09,080
you from coming.

262
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,520
This is closely tied to verse 4.

263
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:19,360
Jesus says blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

264
00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:26,000
I say it's closely tied because as we come to the realisation that there is nothing in

265
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:35,440
and of ourselves that will cause God to justify us there should be a sense of grief over personal

266
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,440
sin.

267
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,920
Now this isn't to say that we the church should be like a stable full of horses walking around

268
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:50,720
with long faces all the time but it is to say that mourning over our sin should be part

269
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:57,880
of the disciples experience because at the end of the day dear ones we've broken God's

270
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:09,200
law we've grieved his spirit and we've hurt others but notice this that's not where we're

271
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,840
meant to stay.

272
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:19,120
Now it's as Jesus says here those who mourn will be comforted which is in something called

273
00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:25,320
the passive tense which means we won't find comfort in making it up to God in our own

274
00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:33,480
efforts but be comforted by another who does that work towards us and that indeed comes

275
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:41,120
by looking to another who never broke God's law who never grieved the Holy Spirit and

276
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:47,080
loved others even giving his very life for them.

277
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:55,160
It's as Matthew has told us in chapter 1 21 the Messiah was given the name Jesus because

278
00:25:55,160 --> 00:26:02,560
he is the one who will save his people from their sin.

279
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:08,360
Church it's only in the gospel that we will only ever find the comfort that we are looking

280
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:17,920
for as we mourn over our lawless deeds because our sins debt has been paid by another in

281
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:26,120
our place and that will be fully recognized at the consummation of the kingdom and all

282
00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:32,440
of that can only be accepted if one comes to God and that's what ties poor in spirit

283
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,840
mourning and meekness altogether verse 5.

284
00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:44,040
Mourning our poor spirit has to do with a self assessment before the purity of God yet

285
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:52,140
meekness as it's talked about here in verse 5 has to do with what one will do in relationship

286
00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:53,140
to God.

287
00:26:53,140 --> 00:26:58,360
That's what Jesus is doing here with the first three Beatitudes.

288
00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:04,640
He's saying as we come to a realization of who we are in light of God we should find

289
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:11,880
ourselves spiritually bankrupt and thus rid ourselves of any notions of saving ourselves

290
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:21,740
so that we might turn and desire God to redeem and rescue that which has gone terribly wrong.

291
00:27:21,740 --> 00:27:29,200
In other words it's as we look to God it's as we look to him and his kingdom for his

292
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:36,520
comfort and quit looking inwards to ourselves that any notion of self justification and

293
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:41,400
self kingdom building will be smashed.

294
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:45,840
Now the answer isn't to dig our heels in and try harder.

295
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:51,880
The answer is to see ourselves for what we are and come humbly to God.

296
00:27:51,880 --> 00:28:02,200
It's only the genuinely meek person that will be content in this world because their ego

297
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:09,720
won't be so inflated that they think they deserve more and more.

298
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:15,040
Even the promise of the coming kingdom and inheritance which is promised for all God's

299
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:25,280
people will cause us to quit seeking the things of this world and its so called glories.

300
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:34,160
Jesus goes on verse 6, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they

301
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,480
will be filled.

302
00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:42,820
Which is to say that those who truly turn to God don't want things just to be a little

303
00:28:42,820 --> 00:28:49,880
bit better here and there or to follow the commands of God as kind of an app download,

304
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:55,760
an optional extra to the Christian life when they feel like it.

305
00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,360
Jesus is blatantly obvious.

306
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:06,680
He's saying that those who turn to God desire his ways in such a way that it is as important

307
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:11,480
to them as that which keeps them alive.

308
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,640
A lot can be said here on exactly what Jesus is talking about.

309
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:24,440
But I do think it's closely connected with how Jesus will show us how to pray later on

310
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:32,440
in Matthew 6 where he says pray to our Father that his kingdom come and his will be done

311
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,880
on this earth as it is in heaven.

312
00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:42,720
Which is another way of saying God have your order, have your way not just in my life but

313
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:47,000
in the world around us.

314
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:53,560
I don't know how many of you pray like that but that's certainly something that God answers

315
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:59,240
with a yes every time we pray to him like that.

316
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:06,040
And we will see the ultimate yes and amen in the coming kingdom.

317
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:11,720
Now as I just said when we pray for God's kingdom to come we're praying for God to have

318
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:18,360
his order, his way in us so that we might be a reflection of his light in this dark

319
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:20,920
world.

320
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:25,280
That's so interesting what he's doing here.

321
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:30,200
It's so interesting what Jesus is doing in the Beatitudes.

322
00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,480
I want you to notice this.

323
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:41,040
He speaks about seeing ourselves in light of God and then comforting the disciples that

324
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:48,440
in our turning to God we will be met with his complete healing.

325
00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:53,760
But there's also a sense of how we are to treat others throughout the Beatitudes as

326
00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:54,760
well.

327
00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,840
But that is definitely going on.

328
00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:02,440
Meekness towards God, yes but towards others, certainly.

329
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:06,760
Mourn for our own sin, indeed.

330
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,620
But mourn for the sin of others, absolutely.

331
00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:18,440
All this to say Godly character isn't meant to remain under the so-called bowl as we will

332
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:19,800
see next week.

333
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:25,480
Verse 15, we're not meant to put all of this and hide it all.

334
00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:32,480
No that light of the transformed life is meant to shine out towards others as well.

335
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:40,760
Hence when people cause us harm, either physically, mentally, emotionally, and they don't deserve

336
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:49,240
our sympathy, Jesus says the one who is blessed will they'll show mercy, verse 7, because

337
00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:55,800
they know that they have been shown such incredible mercy in their helplessness.

338
00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:04,320
Not just now but notice it, verse 7, a mercy that will echo on into all eternity.

339
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:11,720
Now for some of us here this morning, this seems like an impossible standard.

340
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,320
An impossible standard, right?

341
00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:21,600
That we are to show mercy towards other people who have done wretched things in this world

342
00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,480
and even maybe to ourselves.

343
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:28,240
And admittedly forgiving others can seem pretty impossible.

344
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:34,160
But this is why where Jesus takes it next is incredible.

345
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:39,920
Because again, he gets us to look back at ourselves and he says you're blessed if you're

346
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,480
pure in heart, verse 8.

347
00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,920
Hey that's great, that's great.

348
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:52,880
Because we might self-assess and think to ourselves, yeah I'm a pretty good guy, I deserve

349
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,320
God's blessing, I deserve his love.

350
00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:04,960
But as soon as the law comes into play, it asks awkward questions of us.

351
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,200
Have I ever stolen anything?

352
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,760
Have I ever looked upon a woman with lust?

353
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,480
Have I ever coveted another person's things?

354
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:18,320
And as soon as we stand in the light of the law that we quickly see that we don't deserve

355
00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:22,560
God's blessing in any sense.

356
00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:29,000
No we deserve his justice because we're all lawbreakers.

357
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,120
None of us can say that we're pure in heart.

358
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:38,880
One of us in this room, nor in the history of the world can anyone say that they have

359
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:44,920
not broken God's law, that they're pure in heart and hence don't deserve this blessing.

360
00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:49,200
Well no, we deserve justice.

361
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:59,080
Hence in God's mercy, he saves us and makes peace with us through the cross.

362
00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:06,560
And it's as we look to Jesus in our place who is the pure in heart that we will indeed

363
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:12,920
be able to show mercy to others and see God one day in his kingdom as it's promised to

364
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:14,040
us here.

365
00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:22,800
But I want to go back to that word peace because it's such an incredibly important word in

366
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:24,840
the Jewish world.

367
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:30,640
Because to have peace means to have good and right relationship with God.

368
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:36,480
And as we see in Matthew's gospel, that's what God will achieve through the death of

369
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,280
Christ.

370
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:43,400
He will make peace with his people.

371
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:52,480
But notice this, because there was no peace between God and humanity because we are lawbreakers,

372
00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,160
this isn't peacekeeping, this is peacemaking.

373
00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:03,680
God became the ultimate peacemaker towards us and Jesus calls his disciples here in verse

374
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,400
nine to do the very same thing.

375
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:10,480
We are to be peacemakers.

376
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,520
How?

377
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:19,520
Well there's a number of places that I could take this this morning but I'm aware of time.

378
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,920
But this has been said already so we'll focus on one thing.

379
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:30,160
In God's mercy he saved us and made peace with us through the cross and we as the disciples

380
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:36,480
of Jesus are called to spread that peacemaking message with others.

381
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,040
That's fundamentally what we are as Christians.

382
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:45,680
We are a people who have been transformed by the gospel and then out of that incredible

383
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:54,280
knowledge and display of mercy we are there then go and tell others of this transforming, peacemaking

384
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,800
good news.

385
00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:02,760
This news isn't just for us, it's for the world to hear.

386
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:07,760
It's for all peoples.

387
00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:14,260
And brothers and sisters, Jesus gives us heads up that not everyone is going to be happy

388
00:36:14,260 --> 00:36:19,320
and falling over themselves to pat you on the back when you go and tell them what you've

389
00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:25,840
experienced in your own life or what you're hoping that they can experience in their life

390
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:27,760
as well.

391
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:33,080
Not everyone is going to be excited when you tell them that they've broken God's law, that

392
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:39,560
they deserve his justice but in his wonderful and awesome mercy is made a way for you and

393
00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:45,560
me to have peace with him through the cross.

394
00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,960
Everyone is going to be excited about that news.

395
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,280
Jesus knew it.

396
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:56,220
These are God's words to us this morning.

397
00:36:56,220 --> 00:37:02,840
He says verses 10 to 12, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

398
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:06,960
Again present tense for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

399
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:13,120
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, falsely say all kinds of evil against

400
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,960
you because of me.

401
00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:24,800
Rejoice, be glad because great is your reward in heaven for in the same way they persecuted

402
00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,720
the prophets who were before you.

403
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:35,060
As we bring this to a close this morning, there is no one in this world that can justify

404
00:37:35,060 --> 00:37:37,440
themselves before God.

405
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:42,680
That's why God through Moses gave the law in the first place.

406
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:50,480
It was to reveal that no one stands guiltless before our creator, no matter who you are.

407
00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:56,640
That is why death has come to be part of the human experience because death is the result

408
00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:58,680
of sin.

409
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:06,200
And we know that the law was given not to justify but to point us to another, one who

410
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:10,560
would be greater than Moses.

411
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:14,600
And that's interesting in light of what we've seen this morning.

412
00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:19,360
We in and out of ourselves cannot fulfill God's standards.

413
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,520
We've never been able to.

414
00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:28,480
And that's what we've seen this morning again in just the opening verses of Jesus' teaching.

415
00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:36,960
Just because God's standards are perfect and for us to enter that perfect kingdom, we must

416
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:45,200
come to him and acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy, emptying ourselves of our self-righteousness,

417
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,800
moral self-esteem and personal vainglory.

418
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,880
But this is the good news.

419
00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:53,600
This is the good news.

420
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:59,520
It's as we abandon our own pride, it's as we empty ourselves of our self-justifying

421
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:04,880
rhetoric and that we become ready for God's spirit to fill us.

422
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:09,200
Church, it's as we will see in the coming weeks.

423
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:15,400
Much of the rest of the sermon on the mount is designed to remove our self-delusions and

424
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:23,760
foster within us a genuine poverty of spirit as we see God's standards.

425
00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:29,600
And it's from that place of knowing who we are in light of all that God is, that a genuineness

426
00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:36,400
and a depth of repentance will hopefully be birthed in us by the work of the Holy Spirit

427
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,440
in this church.

428
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:45,280
So that we might abandon our ways, our pride, our self-deceiving standards and turn to God

429
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:52,080
as revealed in the Bible, which will be met, and this is his promise, will be met with

430
00:39:52,080 --> 00:40:01,040
mercy, forgiveness, love, eternal life in the kingdom of heaven here and now.

431
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:06,480
But I want to end on this, and we must remember this.

432
00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:09,640
None of this is meant to stay with us.

433
00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:15,140
Yes, we may see these things and yes, we may turn to the one who has shown such incredible

434
00:40:15,140 --> 00:40:21,600
grace and mercy in Jesus, but we must take the gospel to the world because this news

435
00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:25,480
is news and it's meant to be proclaimed.

436
00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,840
It's meant to be told to others.

437
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,560
And if you're asking the question, will this be easy, Michael?

438
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,480
No, it won't.

439
00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:35,340
It won't be easy.

440
00:40:35,340 --> 00:40:41,360
Some will slander you, as we heard this morning, some will insult you, persecute you, falsely

441
00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:47,440
say all kinds of evil about you and the rest of us disciples of Jesus, so that the world

442
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:54,280
will think we're all crazy, that we're deluded, think that we must be cancelled so that they

443
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:58,920
can live under the illusion that God doesn't demand justice.

444
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:03,840
But this is the thing, brothers and sisters.

445
00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:10,560
There's coming a day where the kingdom of heaven will be realised in its fullness.

446
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:17,480
And those of you who have seen your spiritual bankruptcy and turned to God will be met with

447
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:24,640
a place in that kingdom where you will be comforted and you will mourn no more, where

448
00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:30,160
you will inherit the new earth, where you will no longer long for righteousness, where

449
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:38,480
the mercy for all your sin will be on clear display for all eternity.

450
00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:43,800
And whereas the children of God, we will see our God.

451
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:48,960
These are the promises held out to the children of God this morning.

452
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:53,320
Great is your reward in heaven, brothers and sisters.

453
00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,000
No more clues.

454
00:41:55,000 --> 00:42:00,640
The mystery has been revealed and the gospel proclaims that anyone who calls upon the name

455
00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:04,480
of the Lord will be saved.

456
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:10,120
These are very real promises that are ours right now, all because of the work of another

457
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:11,920
in our place.

458
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:17,640
So as we obey our God, as we seek to do His will on this earth, we will reflect His light

459
00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:19,640
to those around us.

460
00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:25,960
Yes, some of you will be met with incredible persecution if you take this seriously and

461
00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:29,240
feelings of isolation.

462
00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:36,520
The church be encouraged, be encouraged by what lies ahead.

463
00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:42,340
There are people out there who need to hear this message, who are ready to be saved, ready

464
00:42:42,340 --> 00:42:48,280
to hear the gospel and by your obedience in sharing your life and God's truth, they will

465
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,040
be saved.

466
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:56,320
And in sight of eternity with God, it will be all worth it.

467
00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:02,080
Let's pray.

468
00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:10,000
Father God, we thank you that these are your words this morning.

469
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:15,200
And as your church prays, your kingdom come, your will be done on this earth as it is in

470
00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:16,440
heaven.

471
00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:20,880
We know that there is an incredible darkness in this world.

472
00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:24,800
That has always been there that we're becoming more aware of.

473
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:33,960
Father, please give your beautiful children, your disciples, your loved ones, your children

474
00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:38,080
a courage to take this good news to the world.

475
00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:44,520
Father, we're keenly aware of what may happen to some of us, but we ask that you would use

476
00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:51,080
this congregation, you would use this church for your glory and not ours, for your glory

477
00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:52,080
alone.

478
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:56,680
May your light shine brightly here at Grace Christian Church.

479
00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,280
Use us we ask in Jesus' name.

480
00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:23,800
Amen.

