Make Your Life Available

Make Your Life Available

Matthew 5:1-4

Intro: Let’s see what you’ve got!

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus begins teaching what we know today as the sermon on the mount. He would powerfully point all toward their best life and He
begins by giving the keys to God’s blessing.

Jesus would teach in a way that the people had never hear before. Challenging culture norms and pointing all who would have an ear to hear towards the
life God would have them live.

He starts out with the “Beatitudes,” or the attitudes to be and take on in order to live a blessed life.

Read: Matthew 5:1-4

• Seeing the crowds that have come to follow Jesus, He goes up to the side of a mountain in order to sit down and teach them. In that time, hearers would
  stand and listen as the teacher sat. 

• Here on this mountainside, God’s voice would not come through a prophet, or an angel, rather; the truth of God would be taught and spoken through Jesus,
  God in the flesh.

John 13:17, If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

• As you make your life available to Jesus for Him to transform, He will begin to do a transforming work. He will point you towards the plans He has
  to prosper and not to harm you, His plans to give you hope, and a future. Toward true blessing. 

• I am encouraged that Jesus would start by giving us the roadmap to blessedness.It highlights to me what His desire is for you and for me. Not a heavy,
  dark, overwhelming plight. But joy, blessing, and happiness. My hope is that we, as Christ followers would make our lives available for Jesus’
  words to go beyond our recognition and become the foundation upon which our lives are built. 

I. Desire His Blessing

• Jesus begins by giving the framework in the life of the believer that will bring about blessing. 

• That term “blessed,” means “happy,” but in the truest, godly sense of the word. 

• It is not happy in the modern sense of being comfortable or entertained in a moment; rather, it is a joy that is untouchable, completely independent
  of circumstance or the chances and changes in life.

Illus. The happiest people on earth.

• Jesus begins His first sermon, by telling those who are in His midst how to be truly blessed, excessively happy despite circumstance. 

Philippians 4:11-13, Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

• What these scriptures reveal is the heart of our Lord to bless those who would pursue the be-attitudes.

• The blessings Jesus describes, are in every case in the presentence. This reveals blessing, or exceeding happiness in our lives, to be enjoyed and
  delighted in today.

• Jesus does not say “blessed shall be,” but in each case says, “blessed are.”

• He lists attitudes we can take on that lead to happiness. And He illustrates the characteristics of those who are blessed.

• Jesus begins by saying blessed, or exceedingly happy are those who are “poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

A.Know your need

• A person who is “poor in spirit,” recognizes that they have no spiritual assets, they are spiritually bankrupt, a person who knows their spiritual
  poverty. 

• This is a recognition that we aren’t able to save ourselves, that we are completely dependent upon the Lord for salvation. 

• Perhaps even more than mere recognition, there is a painful awareness that we cannot fix what was broken.
  

Illus. Who can I turn to?

• Immobilized and flooded by weight we cannot carry, we live with an awareness of our need. 

• Jesus is highlighting the awareness and the position of the “blessed” in recognizing spiritual need. 

• The world says that the first step to happiness is to be self-reliance and self-confident, to be highly esteemed. 

• Jesus is saying, the first step to happiness is to be completely God dependent.  

• Anyone who truly sees the Lord will certainly feel poor in spirit. 

Isaiah 6:5, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Luke 5:8, When Simon Peter saw that, he fell at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

• The concept of being “poor in spirit,” is not only important to comprehend in the life of another. It also must be adhered to in our lives personally. 

John 8:9-11, At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you…Go now and leave your life of sin.

Illus. In His hands.

• Do you have needs only God can meet? 

Illus. In His hands.

• Know your need, live as one who is “poor in spirit.” 

• Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. 

• We have a need for salvation and the Lord has made the way.
  

Psalm 62:5-6, My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

• The kingdom of heaven is not given based upon what we bring, but rather what we leave behind, the self-life, the self-assurance. 

• The kingdom of heaven is given when we understand that true happiness comes when we rely on God’s power alone.
  

A.Pursue the comfort only Jesus can give

• The second beatitude is, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Verse 4). 

• The word mourn here is referring to the helpless and hopeless condition of both individuals and society due to sin in this world and its effects. 

• This mourning is the godly sorrow that produces the repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10) 

• Mourning over sin in the world and in our lives is mourning over that which opposes righteousness and opposes the life God intends for His people.
  It is agreeing with Him about sin and turning from it. 

Illus. Television war.

• Blessed, are you when you mourn over what opposes the Lord and trust that He will bring comfort. 

• In our awareness we recognize that Jesus is the true comforter. 

• In both cases, poor in spirit and mourning, there is an important personal application. 

Luke 18:10-14, Two men went up to the temple to pray,one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood by himselfand prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.I fasttwice a week and give a tenthof all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breastand said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

• While the Pharisee pointed to all the reasons why He was worthy, the tax collector recognized that he was “poor in spirit,” and “mourned” over His
  sin.
  

• He recognized that it was by the mercy of God alone that he might have life. 

• A picture of one truly poor in spirit, truly mourning; yet truly blessed, comforted, justified and a part of God’s kingdom. 

Psalm 30:4-5, Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

• Our spiritual poverty leads us into His kingdom, that poverty leads to mourning what opposes Him and to comfort beyond situational comfort. 

• The grief that comes with recognizing our place before our Holy God is the path to His kingdom and to His comfort, it is not a destination. 

• Would you begin by making your life available to receive and apply His words to your life? 
• Would you trust His prescription for your best, and blessed life?