The Upside-Down Kingdom

Hey sorry church Brian Moritz.

Here is a great joy to not only share the word of God with you today, but to be on the team. Here are our family just feels so honored to be able be a part of what God is doing right here in the Triangle area were taking a break this week. From our series in first Peter and I just want to step in and call your attention to a section of the Scriptures that's known as the sermon on the Mount, if you're new to the Scriptures that it's in Matthew chapters 5, six and seven.

Particularly, I just want to unpack one verse found in a section of the sermons known as the Beatitudes Matthew chapter 5 verse three. This is Jesus talking and he simply says blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. When my favorite books is a book written by one of my heroes in the faith. It's Dallas Willard book called the Divine conspiracy.

If you haven't read it to not die and go to heaven until you're able to read that book. It's a phenomenal book as really Dallas just spend some time looking at the sermon on the Mount in unpacking it for us.

But one of the things he talks about a netbook is growing up in the early part of the 20th century in a rural section of Missouri.

It was early in the 20th century. We know that because electricity hadn't arrived yet. It was a place that was simply marked by kerosene lamps and and ice boxes and lanterns and then one day is Dallas Willard tells it, it happened the brand-new local electric company showed up it in so many words. They said repent of your former way of life. Put down your ice boxes or kerosene lamps. There's a whole new way of living that's being offered to you and for the most part, people jumped on it. They repented of his former way of life and they tapped into this new thing called electricity and sure enough it was.

It was life-changing for them within Dallas Willard says, surprise, surprise, there was a large swath of people who who said thanks but no thanks weed we are comfortable with the old way of life.

But we don't want to go down this new trail will hold onto our ice boxes and kerosene lamps and fish and lanterns, and even though this whole new way of life had been offered to them. They were content to live according to the old way of living. Tragically, that's true for so many people in our world today. No, not talk about electricity. Although there are many places where electricity isn't even the option, but I'm talking about the whole new way of life that Jesus has come to offer us when Jesus shows up on the scene in the New Testament he he comes announcing and bringing the kingdom of heaven becomes literally saying repent.

That means to turn from your old way and to run towards this new way of life that he's guaranteeing us know this new way is not a problem free kind of life but this new way of life that is offered through the kingdom of heaven is a life rich with meaning, value and significance in it. Tragically, just as Dallas Willard exclaims in the natural realm in the spiritual realm. There are so many people in our world who are turning down Jesus's offer for this new way of life. It's as if there's a thanks but no thanks will hold onto our kerosene lamps and ice boxes weeks we like the old way of living when the tragedy is Jesus says whole new way of life called the kingdom of heaven is available to us now aware some you all are tuning in and maybe you wouldn't call yourself a Christian, or maybe your you're new to the faith and you may be wondering what what does this new way of life look like. I would encourage it if you're new to the Scriptures, don't start up book of Genesis. By the time you get the Leviticus you may die a slow death of her mind of the anecdote of wind Gandhi that great reformer I was being proselytized by a group of believers is Gandhi's loincloth wearing Caius Gandhi. He says they give me this Bible in Genesis are loved in Exodus all of the time I got the Leviticus.

I could barely keep my eyes open now. There's so much richness in Leviticus, but I would say if you're new to the faith.

You might want to start out in the sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5, six and seven because in this section of Scripture. Jesus is saying here is what is what life in the kingdom of heaven looks like I want to warn you if there is one phrase that sums up the sermon on the mount. It's it's this phrase impossibly Christian see when you read the sermon on the Mount to feel a sense of here it is of being overwhelmed.

You read so much in the sermon, and you have the sense of I just can't do this. It feels overwhelming. So, for example, Jesus says stuff like in Matthew chapter 5 around verse 17 through verse 21 he says listen unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven is interesting. The Pharisees were the poster children of piety here.

Individuals who gave you over 18% of their income every year to the things of God here at people who memorized the first five books of the Bible, Jesus says, unless your righteousness exceeds theirs. You will never enter to the team of heaven and you feel overwhelmed or how about this one. Later on in Matthew chapter 5 is as you know, you've heard it was said, you shall not murder but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judgment. And everyone who says you you full shall be liable to the hell of fire. Who here isn't guilty of that for the try this last one when Jesus talks about lust is as you heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart, and you throw your hands up in the air and you go guilty to.

That's right what what I mean if you read the sermon on the mount. It should come with a warning warning label. It's it's in impossible standard you feel overwhelmed that one of my favorite theologians DA Carson says it this way way you look at it with me. He says nevertheless I insist that if the sermon on the mount be construed merely as a legal requirement to kingdom entrance. No one shall ever enter. Can anyone meditate long Matthew 527 and remain unashamed. The sermon on the Mount provides us with a crushing blow to self-righteousness and follows it up with an invitation to petition God for favor without which there can be no admittance to the kingdom. At the same time it sketches in the quality of life of those who do enter those who petition God asked for forgiveness by God's grace. Discover not only forgiveness but a growing personal conformity to kingdom norms. It's not long before their own lives begin to sum up the law and the prophets would DA Carson is getting to is a reason why we feel overwhelmed. Jesus wants us to feel overwhelmed. Not that we would just kind of throw our hands up in despair, turn our backs and walk away, but he wants us to feel overwhelmed. This this prevailing sense of I can't do this, not that we would turn from him, but that we would turn to him are only hope.

You see we can't do this stuff on our own. That's why we need a Savior does the whole punchline to the glorious gospel in the sermon on the Mount. It is this idea of I can't I can't I can't praise God that in Christ, he can he can he can serve your feeling overwhelmed by being mistreated by other people being persecuted fly to Jesus if you're feeling overwhelmed by by lust fly to Jesus if you're feeling overwhelmed by worry and anxiety. Jesus would say in Matthew 625 to 34 fly to Jesus. I can't but he can resume and on the sermon on the mount. It begins with them with a list of kingdom traits that that has been called the Beatitudes, and now I want to be clear here. The Beatitudes beginning in Matthew five verse three going all the way through verse 12. These are things that we do to get into the kingdom. That's works salvation nor the Beatitudes things that we do kind of tariffs to put God in our debts. We would call that moralism. Instead, the Beatitudes cannot kinda represent clothing that kingdom of God people aware that that make us stand out in the dark and dying world, and in fact was interesting is is if you just look at these Beatitudes when the first things you notice is that they stand in stark contrast to this world, sort of like there's this running contrast between the kingdom of this world in the kingdom of God. It's sort of like pride versus humility revelry versus morning oppressive use of power versus meekness hunger for personal gratification versus hunger for righteousness, vindictive versus merciful hidden agenda versus purity of heart, divisiveness versus peacemakers acceptance versus persecution. When we wear the clothing of the Beatitudes.

There's something about us that just stands out is different. You know, about a year ago I remember that I a long drive, we live in Bay Area at the time and that I was driving from San Jose to San Francisco and I wanted to hear some good preaching. So I pulled out my summit app and just kinda clicked on the latest sermon and it was it was from Pastor Curtis and it was a fun nominal sermon will never get one things he was talking about. He shares this illustration, which by the way I've used all across this country.

First time I gave you credit. Next time I said. Someone once said third time I said it was pretty much my hope you forgive me, Curtis, but he just use this illustration in which he was going to a wedding one day and of course, as we all do we go to weddings he got dressed up, but Pastor Curtis said that this wedding was in a rural part of of of town. We had to get gas and so not far from the Reddit wedding. He pulled up at this old-school school gasoline station, which is a little slice of Americana. The way he described it as he gets out of the car and he looks around, and everyone's got on shorts and T-shirts and tank tops, and here he is just kinda suited and booted and looking at him strange and I'll never forget Curtis that I wanted to tell them I'm not dressed for where I'm at. I'm dressed for where I'm going. He stood out friends. That's the Beatitudes it's the clothing we wear of another realm of our future eternal reality in the kingdom of this world and when we live these traits we stand out was the first trait I just want to zoom in on one of them won't hold you for too long. But Jesus begins by saying blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What is this mean is Pastor JD and other people teaching team of taught over the years to get if you're new to the Scriptures, you should know that the original language of the New Testament isn't English. It's really Greek and is Matthew records Jesus's statements when again Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The Greek word for poor is an interesting word and it just doesn't speak of the of of one's kinda condition it actually speaks of their posture.

In fact, one of the meanings of the word port literally means to be hunched over. It speaks of a person's disposition. This was a word that was used in describing beggars or people who are soliciting money hunched over. Not only that but he goes on to expound on this idea of disposition by St. not blessed are the poor in finances.

You're right about the days I'm really blessed and highly favored, but instead he says blessed are the poor in spirit here is pointing to a here it is a disposition of desperation. It is in the innermost part of who I am. This constant wiring. This constant awareness. Here it is of neediness know I think of those were poor they are in tune with their neediness it, it's the background elevator music of their souls. I'm needy, I'm needy, I'm needy, I'm needy so you're going to AA you battled maybe alcohol addiction over your life is just beaten you down and you've tried to manage it and manage it and manage it.

One day you said I just can't do this anymore. You were in touch with your neediness, and so you go to your first AA meeting and there you encounter kind of step one, step one of this AA meeting.

One of the things that they say to you is that we admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. That is the reason why I think in this section of the sermon on the Mount. When the whole point of the sermon is I can't but he can.

He begins by saying blessed are the poor in spirit. This whole notion that I can't. I can't live a life that honors God in my own power. I can't do things that that kind of climb up the righteousness ladder in my own strength. I am perpetually needy. What is Jesus say about that person who's in tune with their constant neediness.

He calls them blessed. Boy if I was in front of a live audience to the Hammond B3 organ because I feel like shouting you were blessed means. It means fullness to see the contradistinction poor in spirit is emptiness in here. Jesus says that's fullness. In other words, the contradistinction, the upside down nature of the kingdom is that will only get to fullness when we acknowledge our emptiness is the exact opposite of the world.

The world thinks that the way to fullness is fullness to relate more money, more possessions, more degrees, more status, more more more and yet isn't it interesting that some of the most empty spirit speaking people that I know of are those who have all of the toys and trinkets and yet there empty on the inside she would Beatitudes teach us is the upside down nature of the kingdom. Jesus says the way to true fullness. The way to true fulfillment is when you have a disposition of desperation. It's really the idea of humility.

The way up is down to be hunched over, spiritually speaking constantly in tune of our need for a Savior's through humility and sacrifice in living outside of ourselves for something greater than ourselves that life truly becomes fulfilling. I enjoy the game of baseball. My grandfather, we'll talk some over the years he played in the Negro leagues and if you ever watch the game baseball E you see something interesting and that is before the better steps into the batter's box that better look down the third base line to the third base coach will give a series of signals, and sometimes that series of signals means that the coach wants the batter to bonds not bunting simply means that the angle the bat in such a way to wear when the bat meets the ball. It it deadens it in the ball dribbles down one of the lines in and when you do that when you bunt your guaranteed to be thrown out. So why in the world would a coach call on a batter to bunt. They want to swing for the fences they would hit a homerun. The reason why they're being called bond is there's a teammate of errors on base by bunting. They want to advance the runner and to put the runner in scoring position, which would put the team in a better position. Don't you see in order to bunt require sacrifice. It's thinking beyond myself and for the good of others. I'm so glad the 2000 years ago God peered over the balcony of heaven and saw us in danger of losing heading down a one-way street destined for hell. Jesus Christ looks down the third base line the God and he says I'll bunt and on the cross he angled the cross in such a way that he sacrificed on our behalf. Don't you understand we're here because of the humility of Jesus and to be a follower of his is to mimic that same humility is to live a life of sacrifice of bunting for the glory of God in the good of other people so college student I got asked a single person was last time you bunted for your roommate husband's will was the last time you bunted for your wife and kids. Maybe you're in a single-parent home and mom is working multiple jobs and it's really working hard to provide.

When was the last time you bunted for mama to be poor in spirit is to live a life of humility. And yet this is so hard.

Why because the downward gravitational pull of our hearts is into pride we we are born, self-absorbed, narcissistic, prideful individuals. Investors are natural fallen condition affect the great mid 20th century preacher, Dean Martin Lloyd Jones.

He says that the sin beneath every sin is pride at the core of who we are, of fallen humanity's pride what is pride if humility is dependence.

Pride is independence. Pride is what evicted Adam in the E out of the garden. Pride is what got Lucifer, later to be named, Satan kicked out of heaven. And pride is what led Judas to betray Jesus. Pride has led to the unraveling of every marriage of every relationship know what since people to divorce court is an irreconcilable differences. It's not even adultery, but again to use the Martin Lloyd Jones is phrasing the sin beneath the sin is pride. I am ruthlessly committed to me which makes the first beatitude absolutely impossible really part of the 20th century newspaper wanted to solicit its readership. They just put out a simple question and that question was, what is the problem with the world.

The great literary luminary GK Chesterton.

He wrote in his response, he simply said the problem with the world's is me GK Chesterton some years later another great literary figure CS Lewis in his classic spellbinding book mere Christianity.

He would say it this way that the fountainhead to all vice is pride, so I look at gossip and slander in line Fester surface level. The reason why I do those things. It's it's priceless to stop a moment I thought the sermon needs some vitamin A good. All applications will you take a test with me. I would ask use a series of questions and if you answer yes to any of these you and I struggle with pride to question number one. Are you easily offended. I once heard a preacher say one time that it's almost impossible to offend a humble person almost impossible. Why because humble people don't lead with personal rights are far more concerned with someone else's agenda than theirs kingdom of God. People are more concerned with God's agenda and ended good and and flourishing of his creation and of humanity in their own rights.

So maybe if you're finding that your sensitivity is hijacking relationships that symptomatic of a far greater problem. You are constantly in tune with me me me pride are your people pleaser. Second question, are you people pleaser. Now, it isn't good to serve people. Yes is a good to honor people yes is a good to go out of our way. Get but I'm not getting any of that. I just want to talk to the person who just can't say no, and you're constantly kind of people pleasing people pleasing people pleasing if you're honest with yourself it's it's not so much about helping them. It's being accepted by them in your worry that if you say no, they may not like, well, me see the pride. Are you timid this is interesting to me is actually a I'm a face of pride is always you know that timid people don't really confront not let me just caveat this anybody who says they love confrontation is a sicko, you should not like to confront it should be a necessary evil that you do, but humble people confront.

Why, because the humble person is more concerned about the other person's development than whether or not that person will like them. The tenant person is more concerned about them and being accepted by others in the other person's growth see the pride force find it hard to apologize but I mean you know you may know you're wrong but I'm sorry just kind it never makes it out of your esophagus. You don't apologize or or or maybe you do apologize but it's just absolutely wrong. Apologies. I'm sorry you took it that way work. I'm sorry you heard that that's not an apology makes sense does it. Prideful people don't really apologize. Why because they don't really see themselves as doing wrong.

Conversely, it takes a humble person to own the wrong and openly confessed to others in asked for forgiveness for find a way no matter what's being talked about. Always bring the conversation back to well me that there's kind of this one upmanship that someone tells a story you tell one veteran's they tell another story you tell one better.

It's a face of pride six. Do you struggle with prayer.

There many days of prayer looseness is what I mean by that.

The great 19th-century prayer warrior and writer is a guy by the name of each imbalance. If you see anything that is written, pick it up and read it. It will stir your affections inbounds the defined prayer this way. He says prayer is the expression of the soul's dependence on God to catch that at its core prayer says I need you I need you I need you I can't do this. Conversely, everyday Brian Moritz spends in prayer.

Looseness is me pretty much saying I got I got this I can do it on my own. Its independence see the pride seventh if you would say I don't struggle with any of these you got pride issues. I mean who here doesn't go guilty. We all struggle with pride. We can take a break right now and just worship the Lord. Let's just pause and I know I've thrown a lot at you list just rest in his goodness and his faithfulness on our behalf through his son Jesus. Men will pick it up and wrap up the sermon is he is saying in this long as is a and when and he and his gang and an on the paying and a Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This whole idea of disposition of desperation that the weight of fullness. Being blessed is actually counterintuitive. It's through our sense of emptiness when we are in touch with our neediness when we have that that posture of humility. That's where we experience the richness in the fullness of life. Every round third head for home life. I just want to spend about five minutes with you just going to how I how I can cultivate humility in my life.

I want to draw your attention to two very practical ways we can do this in both of these two things are rooted in the gospel as we love to say around here.

The summit church that the gospel isn't just the diving board is actually the swimming pool.

These are the waters that we swim in every day I think of the gospel there. There are at least two pillars is actually more than that, with the two essentials to the gospel. One is Jesus Christ and the other is grace how I cultivate humility in my life.

One I want to really encourage us to buy to remain in Christ. The author of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12 he he says it very bluntly, he implores us he actually commands us to look to Jesus to actually have our gaze fixated on him. You know it's actually a truism to life, that whatever we look at whatever we meditate on. We naturally drift towards. So imagine driving down about 540 in your your your fixated not in front of you.

But, but, to the right. What you're looking to the right you address that way truism to life, what, whatever we look at whatever has our attention. Whatever we fixate on will drift towards will show me anyone who is fixated on Christ and will drift towards the noise is important when we talk about humility footprints. Chapter 2 Paul just gives this stunning portrait of who Jesus is 80 spends a lot of time just just talking about the rich theological truths and how Jesus is is 100% God is fully God.

Then he says these words in Philippians chapter 2 beginning in verse five he says have this mind among yourselves is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grassed, but emptied himself say that by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, here is Jesus. No one lived a more full and satisfying life than him the way to his fullness was through emptiness that took humility again, it is it is the epitome of hypocrisy for me to say I follow Christ and you live in pride because the essence of who Jesus was humble so I look to him life, I see, among other things, the beauty of humility that inspires humility in my life. Let's go home on this. Secondly, I would say not only abide in Christ look to him. But secondly I would say be gracious, be gracious.

Grace is a cornerstone of the gospel that it takes a humble person to actually receive grace and to actually acknowledge I'm needy. I can't do it on my own. Praise God, I am more than conquerors more than sufficient. Not not to my moral strivings through the grace of Jesus Christ. Now watch this. When I receive grace. I am now positioned to dispense or give grace takes a humble person to both receive grace and to give grace so I want to really cultivate in shoe milk humility in my life.

Be gracious. But here's what I mean only care for this illustration.

I am not the paragon for four humility. I think I just heard my wife say amen I struggle with pride as is all of us do, but I remember when our kids were little.

Much of those years were spent in Memphis Tennessee was pastoring a church there and we had a tradition on on Saturday mornings I'd I take one or more of the kids out for breakfast since it was our time just really sit in for me to get into their lives.

Number one morning ash I take. I believe it was Miles our middle son and we go to local diner there in Memphis.

Since we walk in and as soon as I see your server. I'm like this is back on the good. Everything about her just projected she was having a bad day. And sure enough that that played out.

She was rude and condescending. She messed up our order numerous times when I tried to gently correct her. She wouldn't receive it. She pushed back. I mean Ruth is kinda mild maybe nasty is a better word when the check came. I hope this is a safe place. I hope you're not judging or condemning me, but I said I'm a fix her and that little line called gratuity left it blank yank my son out of there got them in the car drove down the street and sure enough, the Holy Spirit and the divine nuisance that he can be began speaking to me as if he said to me hey Brian you know that were gratuity. It comes from the same family of words we get the word grace from your grace means it means to give people something they don't deserve Brian when you left that blank you gave her what she deserved and praise God. I don't do that to you so I just felt led by the Spirit to turn into the parking lot of a local bank go to the ATM took out a significant amount of money more than the cost of our meal did a U-turn went back to the diner didn't leave it out but actually you requested to speak to the server. I apologize and will you forgive me and I didn't treat you well here's the tip when she saw the amount immediately. She started to tear up and immediately she starts sharing her life with me. She says hey you just need to go on going through a nasty divorce and some nasty custody battle and my estranged husband is ostracizing me financially. I'm just struggling as it is, and it was a beautiful moment for us to talk about the gospel and what broker wasn't lost with what broker wasn't my prideful resistance.

What broker was grace on encouraging. We are saved by grace is an insane active humility and if I want to grow in humility. I promise you.

God has surrounded with people who are in need of grace and one the most humble things we can do one of the most poor in spirit, things we can do is to give grace because that's what God in Christ has done for us a minute