Sermon Cloud

Intro/Opening: The world defines blessedness, happiness, contentment, in the things of this world. The coverage of the recent death of Michael Jackson provides a striking illustration of this. The media is fascinated and enamored and consumed with his incredible wealth, fame, and talent. But the one thing that escapes their notice is the one things that truly matters. A person just stood before God and is now in their eternal dwelling. Unless he repented at the end, like the thief, Michael Jackson is now in eternal torment. Jesus Christ said, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul. The one thing that truly matters is the one thing the world does not see - because the “god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they may not see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” It is it not the things of this world that account for true blessedness, but having the assurance of grace, forgiveness, joy, satisfaction, and a relationship with God in the next. That is true blessedness and it is that which the Lord addresses in the Sermon on the Mount. READ: Matthew 5:1-12. Trans: The subject of the Lord’s opening section is the issue of blessedness; specifically the blessedness of those who are truly in the kingdom of Heaven. It is the blessedness of every true Christian, of those who are truly in a right relationship with God. The stunning force of the Sermon is it’s reversal of all human values and intuitions. True blessedness, true happiness, satisfaction, inner contentment is not having the stuff of this world, or the glib, care-free attitude that bounces from one pleasure to the next - never really, deeply, truly satisfied. But it is the real, objective joy that comes from a right relationship with God, built on real promises of future glory, real forgiveness for real sin, true inward joy based on an unchanging relationship with the eternal, gracious, holy, and loving God of the universe. It is grounded in God’s own accomplishment of salvation on behalf of His people, through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the blessedness of all who have responded to the call of the gospel and entered through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance - turning from sin to Christ, trusting Him alone for salvation and reconciliation with God - it was the opening call of both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus, and here Jesus begins His ministry, as recorded in Matthew, by explaining the inner fruit of a repentant heart; of one who has been born again, of a true Christian. And it runs counter to everything they would have expected; and frankly, it runs counter to the gospel of the church today. Blessedness is not the external stuff of religion; not what you appear to be on the outside, but what you are on the inside; what you are alone before God: Thus, Jesus describes the blessed person as: “Poor in spirit” “Mourn” who is “Meek” “hunger and thirst for righteousness” They “are merciful” “pure in heart” “are peacemakers” “endure persecution for the sake of righteousness” Though the character of the truly blessed and in the Kingdom is contrary to the world, the irony is that what it produces is waht the world so desperately wants: “will “be comforted” “will inherit the earth” “will be satisfied” “will “receive mercy” “will see God” “will be called sons of God” Theirs is the “kingdom of heaven” Trans: The promises of those in the Kingdom are rich, but before they can be had there needs to be an inner transformation; there must be a humbling of yourself before God; there must be genuine repentance. The introduced the first element of this genuine repentance with the stunning statement: “blessed are the poor in spirit;” and now He continues with another no less shocking: (1) The Nature of Mourning. “Blessed are those who mourn” There are several types of mourning noted in Scripture. So first, lets note what this mourning is NOT: (1) Normal grief over loss of a loved one (Abraham) Gen. 23:2 - “Sarah died in Kiriah-arab (that is, Heron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.” Mark 16:10 - “While they were mourning and weeping” - a reference to followers of Jesus before they knew of His resurrection. (2) It is not the worldly sorrow that comes from the loss of worldly possessions, such as the nations at the sight of the destruction of Babylon (Rev. 18:7-8, 11, 15, 19) 18:11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more …” (3) Even less, is it Self-pity at not getting what you want. 1 Kings 21:4 “So, Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboath the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, ‘I will not give you Th. inheritance of my fathers.’ And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.” (4) Or, Feeling bad about sin Matt. 27:3-5 “Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’ … and he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged Himself.” None of these are the kind of mourning He is speaking of. The “mourning” the Lord is speaking about is not connected with sadness in death/loss of a loved one, or not getting your way, or loosing something of earthly value, or even feeling guilty about a particular sin, but with “poor in spirit.” It is the emotional side of poverty of spirit. Being “poor in spirit” comes from recognizing the reality of who you are before an absolutely holy God; guilty sinner, a spiritual beggar who has no spiritual resources of your own; completely unable to keep God’s Law. Spiritually bankrupt, absolutely dependent upon God’s grace: Proper estimation of self! It is the mourning that comes when you grieve over sin; sorrow of a repentant heart. Let’s look a little more closely: (1) Mourning that comes from living in a sinful world. When a person is born-again they receive a new nature (old things passed away, all thing have become new), new love of God, love of Christ, love of God’s Word, love of righteousness and so grieves at sin and all that opposes God. Even Lot (hardly a model saint) experienced this: (2 Pet. 2:7-8) “He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heart that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds).” The Psalmist felt this: Ps. 119:136 “My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your Law” Dan. 10:2 - “In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat enter my mouth …” So did Ezra: Ezra 10:6 “Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles” The Apostle Paul grieved over sin in the church 1 Cor. 5:2 - “You have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst.” 2 Cor. 12:21 - “I am afraid that when I come again my God my humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impiety, immorality, and sensuality which they have practiced.” The Lord had the constant presence of Divine joy (“My joy may be in them”), yet He was also a “Man of sorrows and aquatinted with grief”). He grieved over the effects of sin: John 11; Matt. 23:37-39, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! HOw often I wanted to gather you children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under he wrings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” Trans: There is a certain & real grief in a regenerate heart over the affects of sin in a fallen world, and even more so among God’s people. But it is not just the mourning over sin in others, it is … (2) It is the mourning over personal sin. It mourning not just because sin exist, but because it still exist in you. It is not simply the intellectual knowledge that one is a sinner - sometimes those with the greatest head knowledge are the furthest away from this humility that comes from really knowing Him. It is not simply agreeing to a particular doctrine, but includes the actual hatred of the sin; sorrow that such corruption is to be found in the heart; grieving over the inability to serve God as much as the regenerate heart truly desires. It is the mourning that has always marked the redeemed. Ps. 38:1-8 “O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger., for Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down on me. THere is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone, over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.” It is the godly sorrow of repentance ( 2 Cor. 7:10-11). It is the mourning over remaining indwelling sin that every believer experiences to some degree. If you are a Christian, then you hate the sin that remains in you. The lack of mourning over sin does not show how spiritual a person is but how spiritually blind and cold. It does not show maturity in the faith, but immaturity. The apostle Paul who was the epitome of spiritual maturity, was also a beacon of spiritual brokenness and mourning over sin. Rom. 7:14-25; 8:21-25 - mourning/groaning, yet comfort through forgiveness and hope in the coming age. The men and women most of used of God throughout the history of man are those who had the deepest sense of their sin. “David Brainerd, some eight years after his conversion, and when God was blessing his ministry in a remarkable way, wrote in his journal: ‘At this time God gave me such an effecting sense of my own vileness and the exceeding sinfulness of my heart that there seemed to be nothing but sin and corruption with me.’” (Blanchard). This is the inner attitude of godliness; Tto not see in ourselves our great gifts to offer to God, but our great sinfulness whereby we depend wholly on the grace of God and find no confidence in ourselves, freely and humble acknowledge God’s grace in everything, because of our own weak and sinful condition. I am asking you (as myself) do you view yourself in light of your talents and gifts and see how much you personally offer to God. Or do you see yourself as wretched, poor, and miserable who can but lean on grace and say, “thanks be to God through Christ Jesus” - and actually mean it. We, as the church, have become so pious, so outwardly self righteous that we wear the lack of true humility, brokenness and contrition of sin, as if it were some badge of spiritual elitism; when in fact it is just the opposite. It only shows how far our view of godliness has drifted from the biblical revelation. We seem to make our lack of struggle with or brokenness over sin a badge of maturity, when in fact it is just the opposite. The world laughs at sin and rejoices in unrighteousness and mocks holiness; and in many ways the church has followed this “eat drink and be merry” philosophy of the world and therefore is not the grave reminder of the reality of sin and need for the gospel that it is called to be. Instead of grieving over the sin of the world, the church seems to be enamored with it. To watch the same things with the same pleasure, to listen to the same things with the same pleasure is wrong. ILLUST: “Frog in the Kettle” The church often presents itself as if lightheartedness was the truest mark of godliness. It is the failure to mourn over sin that deceives the church and which the Lord confronts. Luke 6:25 - “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” James 4:9 - “Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom.” A Christian should mourn over sin because he recognizes that there is a gravity to sin. Sin is rebellion and hostility to God; sin is the cause of the innumerable and unspeakable evils of the world, the cause of untold miseries; sin robs God of His glory; sin confirms a soul to eternal damnation and misery; sin is so grievous, so heinous that God could no more demonstrate His holiness and love than to lay its punishment on the eternal, holy, and sinless Son of God, so terrible in its judgment that darkness was made to cover the land and it terrible wight so bore on the sol doff the sinless Savior that He who knew only perfect fellowship with the Father, could but cry out with anguished cry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” for all those whom He would call into fellowship with Himself. Trans: But how does this mourning, this deep sense of sin translate into blessedness, joy, contentment, inner satisfaction, happiness? Because it is a mourning that comes with God’s comfort; the forgiveness of sin and the sure hope for the future. (3) Blessing comes through Divine Comfort. “they shall be comforted” - It is a comfort that comes directly from God; a comfort that is and will be known by all who mourn over sin. Comes from the term: parakalew “call alongside.” Variously translated: “request” “entreat” “encourage” “Advocate” “comfort” - here, as with the next 5 beatitudes, it is blessedness that comes from the assurance of a future event - it looks forward to an ultimate fulfillment. (1)There is a present comfort to be found here, however: (A) Forgiveness of sin Ps. 32:1-5 “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; an; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” (B) Comfort in trials and suffering that comes to Christians: 2 Cor. 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” Here it is comfort that comes from the Father through Christ. (C) Comfort that comes through the ministry of the Holy Spirit John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” (D) Comes through the ministry of the risen Christ: 1 John 2:1 “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” Comfort that comes from the ministry of the Godhead/Trinity. (E) Comfort that comes through the Word: Rom. 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance dn. the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance dn. encouragement …” Trans: So there is a present ministry of comfort from God the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit, and through the Word that God’s people experience. But this is just a foretaste of the future … (2) The ultimate comfort is that which is still yet to come; it is what God will bring about in the future. (A) Comfort that he OT prophets looked forward to: (return to land, coming of Messiah, millennial, eternal state). Is. 40:1 “Comfort, O comfort My people” is God’s charge to His prophets, to announce the time of judgment has passed and her sovereign God has plans of salvation and restoration for His people (F/ Babylon; F/Sin). Is. 51:3, 11-12 “ Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and her wilderness He will make like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanks giving and sound of melody … So the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and yo, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass.” He goes on to assure them, by His sovereignty, that He will accomplish His plans for good to His people. **61:1-3 - “To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting, so they will e called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” 66:10ff - “Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her … For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.” This was the comfort that he 1st century OT saints were looking for: Luke 2:25 “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Now Christ has come; salivation has been accomplished. As the OT prophets looked forward to this coming age when the Messiah would reign, so we too look forward to the day when Christ will establish His Kingdom on the earth. And we, with fuller revelation, look forward to the day when the Lord will come for His people and usher them into His presence. (B) Comfort that looks forward to the return of Christ. This world is passing away, its lusts, its trials, its pain, its sorrow and grief; but a kingdom is coming in which all of these will be done away, and like the woman in child birth who forgets her pain for joy of having brought a child into the world, so will be the experience of those who will receive the comfort of the Lord in the coming aeon. 2 Thess. 2:16-17 - in the context of both present suffering and the knowledge of the greater evil to be experienced at the end of the age (Trib), the apostle says, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. 1 Thess. 4:18 - in the context of encouraging the church in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His people, the apostle says, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” There is tremendous insight into the nature of Christian encouragement. It is not the meaningless cliches’ of culture (“things will get better,” etc.), but it is encouragement grounded in real, objective, true facts regarding our relationship with and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, with the promises of the future in which the hope and object of our salvation - never ending and unimpeded fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ will be realized. So, Paul says, “We will forever be with the Lord.” Epicureans found comfort in life in the fact that death was the cessation of life. “The starting point of most of their consoling thoughts is the conviction that death is the absolute end and that it consequently means a cessation of all feeling.” An often repeated saying of antiquity, “Best of all for mortals is never to have been born, but for those who have been born to die as soon as possible.” ILLUST: For many, suicide as a means to put an end to their misery here. One author records that 530,000 people a year, in the United States (ironically) attempt suicide. This stands in stark contrast to the true comfort offered men in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not simply escape, but entrance into the fullness of joy, peace, contentment, for which we were created and in the presence of whom we, in every aspect of our being, were designed to worship, love, adore, and serve. “What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” In Christ, this is the present comfort which is but a foretaste of the eternal comfort to come. (C) Comfort that will come at the end of the age; at the summation of all things in Christ. The Kingdom of heaven; the Kingdom of God will ultimately be realized in the final eternal state; this is the end goal (1 Cor. 15:24-28 “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all”). The full, final, and glorious establishment of God presence, with God’s people, throughout eternity. A people purchased with the blood of Christ, united to Christ, forever reigning with Christ, experiencing every spiritual blessing in the heaven-lies, in Christ. 7:16-17 “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wlpe every tear from their eyes.’” Rev. 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ An He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.’” What do believers look forward to? A world in which righteousness dwells, where sin has been forever removed, where the glory of God is the light the nations walk by as it fills eternity and illumines the new heavens and earth, Christ is the adoration and joy of every person, where access to the actual presence of God is unhindered, where perfect and unstained love for God and others is the eternal and unbroken law. A place where there is no more pain of death, destruction, disease. A place where sorrow is a forgotten word. A place where the joy of God is always at its fullest and yet increasing. This is the blessing of those who will be comforted. Is this the longing of your heart? Have you ever experienced this comfort because you have known true mourning over your sin? *If it is not, then don’t exchange the glory of the gospel for the passing pleasures of this world. *If it is, rejoice in your Savior; rejoice in the promises of Christ; promises that are sure and anchored in the character and power of God. How do you know if you truly mourn over sin? Desire to confess it (1 John 1:9) *Inward peace and joy is affected by it (Ps. 32). Take sin seriously, not lightly.