"Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit"

This is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor the God is given to us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God really is the deal you been with your present employer for 12 years and you got a really good job. Then you get disabled. You can't work for two years. Your injured you out of a job. After two years go by your better and even though you're better, it's questionable whether or not you're physically able to go back and do the job you were doing effectively, but in spite of that your employer offers to give you your old position back. Not only that, but he offers to give it back to you at your original salary and your original benefit not only that, but he offers to demote the fellow who'd been replacing your legality been replacing you for two years. A person would be doing a great job a fabulous job and it even won some performance awards doing your job while you were gone. And that's the offer but instead of accepting the bosses offer you tell the boss. Thanks but no thanks and you decide to go out in this job market looking for the opportunity to do the very same job, your boss was offering you the chance to do but you didn't want to do it there, you decide to go out and look for another place to go to work now.

Does that make sense to say no sir, not in the real world, not today that I did make any sense at all. Well, I agree. And if that's the case then I gotta say to you that the National Football League is not the real world because that's exactly what Joe Montana just did this past week and now you know where is is a Kansas City Chiefs over the next three years will be making $10 million throwing football for the Kansas City Chiefs. Now look here Luke chapter 6 for second look at verse 20, looking his disciples.

Jesus said blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven. People who are poor get to be part of the kingdom of heaven. That's what Jesus said not about you, but as far as I'm concerned Joe Montana making $10 million over the next three years does not qualify as being poor. Would you really okay so what that means is Joe Montana can never go to heaven, he can never become a child of God, he can never be part of the family of God right wrong that's not right.

Why is it in that what Jesus said, blessed is the poor theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You say, but it doesn't mean that I great one is me.

While no longer does mean that okay what does it mean we want to talk about this morning for your sake and my sake and Joe Montana sake and everybody say what is Jesus talking about is whatever he's talking about is the secret to being part of the kingdom of God, which is pretty important.

So what's he talking about that's the question I want to answer for you this morning. So let's look at this. There are actually several Greek words that can be translated poor. There are two major ones. The first one is the Greek word penne which means to somebody has narrow mean somebody speaking it out. This refers to a person is making it. But they're making it by the hair on their chinny chin chin.

That's not the word to choose the other Greek words translated towards the Greek word for total cost, which comes from a verb that means to be a beggar and this conveys the idea of utter destitution of abject poverty of being like a beggar, a beggar is a person who does not have any resources of their own, but they're completely dependent on other people giving them resources if they're going to make it. That's the word they choose to. So this Jesus says is a happy person is a blessed person. The person was utterly devoid of their own resources and who, like a beggar is totally reliance on the resources of other people to make it a lot. You mean to tell me Jesus is asking us to be beggars like those people down in Washington and sleep on the on the great only partway through is little more to it than that. Jesus is asking you to be a beggar but is not asking you to be a physical beggar what are you talking about here.

Luke chapter 6 we have the sermon on the mount, which is also recorded in Matthew's gospel chapter 5, six and seven in Matthew's Gospel.

Matthew records Jesus is saying this blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and that little phrase in spirit is what makes all the difference to understanding what Jesus is talking about what is he talking about what is it mean to be poor in spirit, well-being, poor in spirit is an attitude is a spiritual attitude.

It involves the way we spiritually look at ourselves the way we look at ourselves in relationship to Almighty God. It has nothing to do with your pocketbook were not talking about physical poverty were talking about spiritual poverty is what is it mean listen a retching spirit person says this, their attitude is this.

They say all I need is me. I got everything it takes to make it right inside of me original spirit persons, like the little blue engine. I think I cannot think I can. I think I can only problem is when it comes to how we relate to God is alive. In contrast, poor in spirit person is one who says I am not able to live the way I know I ought to live on. Not able to live the way I want to live.

I'm not able to be patient with my children which you started off a poor in spirit person is a person who says I can't forgive that person who hurt me. I know I'm supposed to forgive them but they hurt me so deeply poor in spirit person is a person who says I know I don't care about others the way I want to try to but I just can't. I'm too selfish a porn spirit person says I'm not able to be self-discipline in my eating the way I should. I'm not able to master alcohol or drugs or cigarettes the way I should come not able to control my temper. My life is read by selfishness and pride. And no matter how deep down inside of me. I reached in and of myself. I simply do not have the resources to live the way I want to live and be the kind of person I want to be and then a porn spirit person in humility takes all this to God and since God I'm utterly helpless I'm coming you like a spiritual beggar because I can't make it, and God I need you to provide spiritual resources for me to live the way I ought to because I don't have Joe Montana or anybody else for that matter, can have this kind of attitude on making a difference.

How much money they have, you know what you will be ranch filthy rich and the poor in spirit, and you can be born all be rich in spirit and proud and arrogant money has nothing to do with this way of teaching runs completely contrary to the way the world tells us the thing the world tells us to go out there and get it ourselves and trust ourselves, we can do anything we decide we can do.

Jesus says you'll never find true peace until you learn to think about yourself like this look like I don't know how many of you ever heard Neil Young. Young wrote a song called heart of gold.

I don't know if you ever heard, but in the song he sings about his search for his own heart of gold and he says in the song I keep searching for a heart of gold. I've been a minor for a heart of gold and I'm getting old and I'm sounding and you know, I know exactly how we feel.

Maybe you do too.

I spent the first 21 years of my life sure that I had whatever it took to make it in life. Then I searched in all places the world systems is the search I got involved in higher education. I got involved in psychedelic drugs. I got involved in Eastern religions and Oriental mysticism and Western philosophy. I couldn't find it anywhere. One of the most revolutionary changes in my whole life came on the evening that 2 o'clock in the morning as I was sitting on the wall in Chapel Hill with Caroline Ross going college if you ever been Chapel Hill's little red light on the edge campus. We used to sit there and we were doing LSD all night and we would sit there I was in there with my friends about 2 o'clock in the morning. We want LSD we were tripped out we were having one of these heavy serious metaphysical conversations that you have when you tripped out on LSD and I said to my friend. His name was Dave Vanessa Joe David and I keep looking down inside of me trying to release all of his love is supposed to be down there inside of me. But you know, the deeper I go in the harder I luck, it seems like the worst is he like I'm getting more selfish and I'm getting more self-centered and I'm getting more uncaring and I mean I'm not finding more love.

I'm getting worse that the Disney how can I be going backwards and he said to me he was not a Christian but he condescending me in a matter-of-fact way, so launched he said maybe you're not getting any worse. He said maybe you're just getting more honest about what you been all the time all man that's heaven will as heavy-metal Chevy out of the got to do with. I couldn't deal with the right to vote.

But the more I began thinking about that the more I became his right is absolutely correct. And you know the reason. That was so important in my life is because it was the first time in my whole life that I began to realize I needed help from outside of me that I needed somebody to come along outside of me and give me the resources to live life the way I wanted to live in because I didn't have a disable who was it was going to do that for you.

I didn't have a clue, but I knew I needed help from the outside and it was only a few months later that the man on the street who led me to Christ, began talking to me that Jesus Christ and he would say to me you need help.

I think you're right. She said you know you need somebody to come along and do things for you that you can accomplish a result I will call you. I just stopped telling me things I already know all those things tell me where I'm going to find an answer or solution and he offered me Jesus Christ. I want to tell you, folks, I grabbed a hold him like a drowning man grabs a hold of a life preserver and a 22 years and never let go as best as never made my whole life because he came along and provided the resources to live life the hiding and maybe you were. I was then here in counseling or urine therapy or urine some 12 step recovery program in and listen. These things can be of some help. I'm not putting these things down but if you're using them to try to find inside of yourself.

The spiritual resources that you need for living then you're like Neil Young friend you're digging for gold or there is nothing but lead in article 5. The deeper hotdog.

All I did was come up with more crud.

I didn't find those resources into Jesus Christ came along. Instead you need help from the outside of this is what a porn spirit person is all about a person who's honest enough and humble enough to admit it is okay want. If we get there. Then we got answer the question. So and is a big so what look right here Luke chapter 6 verse 20. Blessed are you who are poor in spirit, for yours is the so what. For yours is the kingdom of God.

Boy, and this is true in two senses being poor in spirit means that yours is the kingdom of God in two ways. Number one poverty of spirit is what qualifies you to get into the kingdom of God.

I want you to turn back with me to Luke chapter 18 Jesus tells a story about two men who both come to God and want to be made right with God. They want their sins forgiven.

They want to be pronouncing right in the sight of God. This is what it means to be justify, which is the word that he's going to use. Look with me. Verse nine to some overconfident in their own righteousness in their own resources and who looked down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable. He said there were two men who came up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, religious leader of Israel, and one a tax collector. You all know how he felt about tax collectors.

We talked about that. The Pharisee stood up and he prayed about himself and he said God I thank you that I'm not like other people are not like robbers on my like evildoers are not like adulterers are not even like that cruddy old tax collector, standing over there, no sir I fast twice a week. I give you 10% of everything I have.

Aren't you glad God that I'm on your side. Meanwhile, tax collector stood at a distance. The Bible says and he wouldn't even look up to heaven, but he beat on his brass teeth as a sign of anguish and contrition and brokenness and all he could say was gone.

I don't have anything to bring you all fast twice a week. I don't do anything right.

All I can say is God have mercy on me. I was Jesus I tell you it was just me. The second one who went back to his house justify rather than the first man to the Pharisee came in with all these resources did you hear I'm not like this guy. Not like that guy fast twice a week I get ties.

I do all this. You always resources the tax collector came any Natalie resources all nothing. All he could do is be on his breath and said God be merciful to me a sinner. This was a man with spiritual poverty. The Pharisee and the tax collector.

Which one did God respond to it was not the Pharisee. It was the broken, spiritually poor tax collector functional you can earn your way into heaven really sure.

Jesus said to the rich young ruler. Sure, you can earn your way and all you have to do is keep all the 10 Commandments and every other law in the Bible absolutely perfectly and never BRCA1 and you can earn your way in is Avalon that stupid. Nobody can do that right at the whole point and that means that somebody's got to do something for you.

You can do for yourself.

That's why Jesus Christ came and died on the cross and shed his blood to pay for our students and friends when it comes to entering the kingdom of God.

God only accepts people who are spiritually poor people who are poor in spirit and are willing to come to God and for God.

I don't have one resource to present to you all. I'm here to do is to ask you 100% give members and other great him rock of ages is a great him and is a great line in there that I think is appropriate. Here's what it says.

It says nothing in my hands, I bring simply to thy cross I cling meaning I'm going to have to depend on you God to do something for me that I can do for myself that's spiritual poverty and that's how you get in once written, the need for being poor in spirit doesn't stop because second of all, poverty of spirit is the way that we unlock and tap into all of the resources that the kingdom of God offers us God's supernatural power and his supernatural joy displeases strength. Discomfort is provision for life.

How do we unlock Jesus Christians and make them operative in our lives. Very simple.

The key is poverty of spirit, is that I thought poverty of spirit is just for people to know Christ so they could become Christians, not on your life. Peter said first Peter chapter 5 verse five God opposes the proud but gives grace to give help you get the assistance he gives resources to the humble. Then Peter said, therefore, my good Christian friend. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so God can give you those resources. Try the ICANN route had member what he did. He said no more, no matter how many of these bombs run away and leave you tonight you, Carol Peter Boyle will be here for you and me.

Jesus all across you and me. Jesus, Jesus, Peter, before the rooster crows tonight. You could have denied me three times, Peter went black.

No sir, not me, but he did. The Bible says he went away weeping destroyed that he let the Lord that was a great lesson for Peter. Peter was depending on Peter.

Peter learned the hard way that a Christian is never more powerful than when he or she is on their knees, saying to God.

God, I can't, you're going to have to do it in me and through me for one more Scripture passage back in the Old Testament. I want to show you this connection second Chronicles chapter 20 and while you're finding it.

Let me tell you the story.

The story here is about a king named Joshua fatty was the king of Judah, a godly king and woke up one morning and all city of Jerusalem is surrounded by enemy forces that far outnumber him from a strategic point of view is completely out position don't have a chance, so he gets all city of Jerusalem together in the city square and he prayed, and I want you to see what he prays. Chapter 20 verse 12 he says God we have no power to face this vast army that's attacking us more and we don't even know what to do nothing for us to do, but our eyes are upon you.

What a great prayer that tithing is one of the greatest players. Maybe the greatest prayer in terms of the ability to release the power of God in our lives it all. The Bible what he said Lord were not able to handle this is completely bigger and more powerful than we are more we don't even know what to do with it. We do have a clue how to move from here. But our eyes are on the level God says to a motel in verse 15 God says don't be afraid you go on out there worry about that army for the battle is not yours.

It's God's Illinois. The second timeout it when the battle is to harass affect no it isn't. It started out that way. Yes it did.

But Josh affected some very important to transfer the battle. He said God is not my battle anymore because I can't deal with it. I can handle. I don't know what to do next.

My eyes are on you and God said fine Josh that I love to have you give it to me is mine. I'm going to engagement brother when God engages good things happen. The reason God doesn't engage more in our lives is a little getting more battles and I will be with a lot of success, but I am drive you want to, but when you willing to get down and humble yourself and say I can't God I got to give it to you God because it's too big for me.I can God. God says what took you so now watch me engage in limited work and you can read the rest of the story about how they want an incredible victory friend if you want to unleash the power of God in your Christian life. May I suggest you take Josh if that's prayer memorize and start using it work.

Sure this is what 12-step recovery is all about step one for any alcoholic is when he says or she says. I admit that I'm powerless over alcohol and that my life has become on manageable. This is the hardest step for any alcoholic to take. There is no healing that can begin in any of our lives until we raise the white flag of our own powerlessness and learn to say I my life is manageable. I'm powerless over this alcohol. I love Sam Shoemaker, who was a Christian, and the founder of AA said he said and I quote there is no such thing as progressing beyond step one. We are always at step one is right when you're at step one. Then you go one step to step two says I believe that only a power greater than myself can restore my sanity and step three says I made the decision to turn my life and my will over to God. Now you start going to work on it, but you can't make step two and step three. Two.

You agree to step on and you can handle it long as you think you can let your not ready to give it to God.

The whole model of AA is let go and what let God's law. Not everybody here is a recovering alcoholic. You're right, but every single one of us here that the Christian is a recovering sinner, we are and that means everyone of us need step one.

I admit that I am powerless over and you fill in the blank here we have in these few little words.

Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Here we have the secret to godly power and effectiveness in life. The world screams out as a search yourself rely on yourself.

God says get real with yourself get honest with yourself. Learn to admit your total inability learn to be comfortable saying I can't learn to depend on my resources instead of zero that's repulsive. My grace is sufficient for you, the got. Therefore Paul says on the boast of my weaknesses. I'm not ashamed of because when I willing to admit that I'm weak, then I can begin to draw on God's strength and then I can really be strong friends. Where is it that you need to say to God, Lord, I can't. My eyes are on you if you're here and you've never trusted Christ as your Savior. Your plan and work your way to heaven. I'm telling you, you better say that to God and you better state. As soon as you can because you can't in here here in your Christian you been struggling against those areas in your life day after day, month after month and year after year and you just can't need him. It's time to raise the white flag and say, God, I'm transferring this battle. This is to big I need resources supernaturally from you which help and God will do it.

Heavenly father, I want to thank you this morning that you love her so much that you came to this earth to provide a way for us to have things done.

We can do for ourselves. Not only entrance into the kingdom of God. Salvation.

But the power to live it even once were in.

Father, I want to pray for people who were here everyone of us who either need Christ as our Lord and Savior this morning. What we've already accepted him and were recovering soon for I want to pray that you would give us the humility to be willing to say that.

Lord, I need you to do for me what I can't do for myself and what I has valid in our eyes closed. I want you without looking around. If God is spoken to you and said you know lawns right you need to say to me this morning. I can't what I need you to do it for is there some area in your life where you want to do that is? You're here and you're not a Christian, you're ready to turn your life over to Christ regarding salvation. I'd like to just slip your hand up so we can pray together is because heavenly father for these folks raise their hand and have the courage to do that. I pray you would teach them to Hoss. If that's prayer so deep in their soul