Blessed Are the Poor

Matthew chapter 5 verse number 3, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. First of all let's determine what it's not and then we can determine what it is.

Over in Luke chapter 6 verse 20 Jesus says a similar kind of phrase when he says blessed are you who are poor and if you didn't have Matthew chapter 5 verse 3 you'd think well gee if I'm poor I'm a I'm a happy person and that could refer to material poverty.

If Christ was speaking about material wealth then every time you gave somebody money you'd be robbing them of of a blessing so therefore you wouldn't want to give them money because therefore they wouldn't be blessed. So Jesus isn't talking about material blessing. Some people think that it deals with our lack of value that we have no value whatsoever but we know that's not the case because over in first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20 and first Corinthians 7 it tells us that Jesus Christ paid the price for our lives and that shows the value of man the value of woman and why Jesus Christ would give his life to purchase them back that they might be a part of his kingdom.

But what is it? What kind of poverty is Christ talking about? It's crucial for us to understand this because it's foundational. If you miss this then you will miss next week's lesson and you'll miss the following week's lesson. So you must get a good grasp of what it means to be poor in spirit to understand that those who are poor in spirit will be the ones who will eventually mourn and those who mourn will be the ones who will become the very gentle people and they will become the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Each builds upon the other. The word poor tokos is used to speak of cowering like a beggar in classical Greek language. The word came to mean someone who crouches about wretchedly begging. It's the same word used in Luke chapter 16 of Lazarus the beggar. Not just poor but begging poor. There is a word penes that's used to describe natural poverty. That's not the word that Jesus uses here. He uses a word that describes poverty so stricken that there is no bottom of the barrel to scrape because there's nothing there for you to latch on to.

He speaks of one being totally dependent upon the grace of of someone else. You are incapable of doing anything because you have no resources to accomplish whatever it is you want to do and Jesus says that's the blessed man and people would say well who needs that and Jesus says you need that.

He says look blessed are those who are poor in spirit. Speaking of the inner man not the outer man but the inner man. Let me give you a few verses Isaiah 66 verse number 2 Jesus says or the Lord says to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word.

Psalm 34 18 the Lord is near to those who are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 51 verse number 17 David said the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart oh God thou will not despise. Isaiah 57 verse number 15 thus saith the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity whose name is holy I will dwell in the high and holy place with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

To be poor in spirit means to have no sense of self-sufficiency. Turn with me over to Luke chapter 18 and we'll illustrate this for you in a very common parable.

Luke chapter 18 excuse me verse number 9 and he also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt. Two men went up into the temple to pray one a Pharisee and the other a tax gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to who? Himself. Gotta circle that. God I thank thee that I am not like other people swindlers unjust adulterers or even like this tax gatherer. I fast twice a week I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax gatherer standing some distance away was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breasts saying God be merciful to me the sinner.

I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled and he or but he who humbles himself shall be exalted. That's the illustration. Here's the one who who felt that he had sufficiency in and of himself. He felt like he was a righteous man and Jesus would go on to say in Matthew 5 verse number 20 unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees that is it exceeds the the outer level it exceeds that which is on the outside the showy part that is there has to be an inward righteousness not just an outward righteousness or or semblance thereof.

In the first principle of the sermon that Jesus tries to get across is that you can't do it by yourself.

As he healed all these people from all their physical illnesses they could not do that by themselves and the blessing that God wants to give you is something you can't attain by yourself but if you are poor in spirit if you are totally dependent upon God for all things relinquishing the flesh and leaning upon him you will be the truly blessed person. When you admit your inadequacy that is the beginning of a truly blessed life. My friends that's why people don't experience the blessed life of Christ.

Nobody wants to be inadequate. Nobody wants to admit their inadequacies. Not in our society. That's a sign of weakness but in God's eyes that's the only way to true happiness. Point number two describing the consequences.

What are the consequences of poverty in spirit? Well Christ says blessed are the poor in spirit. Why? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Number one immediately you are truly blessed.

Why? Well from the verses we read earlier Jesus says I only look to one man just one that's who is broken and in a contrite heart that's the man I look to.

He says in Psalm 34 18 that I'm near to that person I say that person meaning that if you don't have poverty of spirit you'll never be saved. Why? Because Jesus will not be near to you. The ground for divine blessing is poverty in spirit. David the greatest king of Israel said that the key to his greatness was poverty of spirit. For Samuel 18 18 who am I and what is my life for my father's family in Israel that I should be the king's son-in-law. Second Samuel 7 verse 18 who am I O Lord and what is my house that thou has brought me this far.

Immediately you are truly blessed. You also receive the kingdom of heaven. It's not something you receive in the future. Christ says they and they only are the ones who obtain the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Christ was the king. He came to rule as the king although no one recognized him as the king he was. And they always wonder what kind of king are you without a kingdom. And Christ said in Luke 17 that my kingdom is on the inside. And when Christ rules and reigns in your life the kingdom is set up in your heart. And one day you will inherit physically that kingdom. But right now spiritually that kingdom is yours. And one day you will be totally blessed. One day you will be totally sinless. One day you will be totally like Christ and be totally blessed.

Because when you see him you'll be like him for you'll see him as he is. But Christ says even today you can truly receive the blessed kind of life.

Point number three, what does this person look like? Let's detail the characteristics for you. Let me give you four of them.

Number one is this, people who are poor in spirit focus on God and forget themselves. People who are poor in spirit focus on God and forget themselves. There was Warren Wiersbe who said too many Christians spend too much time looking into the mirror when they ought to be looking into Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Number two, they forfeit their agenda in order to fulfill God's agenda.

A person who is poor in spirit forfeits his agenda in order that he might fulfill God's agenda. You see so many times the proud sinner wants to add Christ to his agenda. He wants to add Christ to his covetousness. He wants to add Christ to his immorality. He wants to add Christ to his pleasures, but the one who is poor in spirit is so desperate that he will give up everything to obtain Christ. See that's the mark of poverty of spirit. He realizes that whatever he has is nothing compared to the riches that Christ has.

Thirdly, someone who is poor in spirit finds good in others and not faults in others. That's one who's poor in spirit. If you haven't been convicted yet this one will convict you. All they do is find good in others. Why? Why? Because a humble person, a begging kind of person is always looking up to others, never down. That's why. You know you are poor in spirit when you don't look or find the faults in other people, but you find good in them. You see their excellencies. You see your weaknesses. You see someone who doesn't do that really believes that in their heart they are really good like the Pharisee in Luke 18.

I thank you God that I'm not like the adulterer. I thank you Lord that I'm not like the swindler and even like that tax collector over there Lord. I thank you that I'm not like them. You see he was finding fault in other people and you'll notice that he was only praying to himself.

He wasn't praying to God. He was tooting his own horn. Like Paul who recognized that he was a chief of all sinners. An amazing man who was probably the most powerful individual that ever lived because he was so dependent upon the Spirit of God saw himself as a chief of all sinners. He was the worst of everybody. How do we see ourselves? We see ourselves not as bad as the guy in the pew in front of us or behind us. We see ourselves better because our marriage is better than their marriage. So we think.

Our kids are more obedient than their kids are more obedient. So we're not near as bad as they are and God says no.

That's not what those who are poor in spirit are like. Philippians 2, 3 you esteem others better than yourself Paul says. Are you doing that? A man who is poor in spirit does that. One author said these words, I am like James and John. Lord I size up other people in terms of what they can do for me. How they can further my program, feed my ego, satisfy my needs, give me strategic advantage. I exploit people ostensibly for Your sake but really for my own sake. Lord I turn to You to get the inside track and obtain special favors.

Your direction for my schemes, Your power for my projects, Your sanction for my ambitions, and Your blank check for whatever I want. I am just like James and John. Change me Lord. Make me a man who asks of You and of others what can I do for You. That's the attitude of one who is poor in spirit. They forfeit their agenda. If they might fulfill God's agenda they find good in other people. And fourthly, a fourth characteristic of those who are poor in spirit is that they fear God alone and fall down before Him in humble Thanksgiving.

A beggar is always doing what? Begging. And that's one who is poor in spirit. He knocks at heaven's gates all the time and does not stop until he receives the blessing from God. And once he receives the blessing he falls down in humility and thanks God for that. You show me a person who doesn't give thanks in all things and I'll show you a person who's not poor in spirit. Who's arrogant and boastful and prideful. Are you that way? You a thankful person? You thank God for things? Or do you bellyache and complain at what you got?

How often we do that? I'm just like you. I do the same thing. Realizing that God is saying, wait a minute. You ought to be praising my name for every day that you have. Begging me to give you one more day that you might represent me and fulfill my agenda to a lost world. So where do we go from here? Point number four in determining my course. Number one is this.

How do I attain this attribute? Number one, pray earnestly. Pray earnestly. Ask God for help. Luke 18 verse number three.

The man who was justified said, Lord be merciful unto me a sinner. He was the one, the text says, who was justified. He was the one who was made right with God. Why? Because he realized as he beat upon his breast in a corner that he was all by himself and there was nothing in and of himself that would gain him entry into God. And God says, that's the one who was justified.

And so you pray earnestly. Number two, think properly. Think properly. Romans chapter 12 verse three says this. Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. The problem is we think too highly of ourselves. Galatians 6 verse 3 says, for if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. How many times do we think that we're really something? Paul says, you're just deceiving yourself.

You're really nothing. We don't think properly of ourselves. And so we have to understand how God sees us. In Romans chapter 3 verse number 25 and in Romans chapter 3 verses 10 and following, you begin to understand how God sees us. None of us are seeking after God. None of us do anything that's good. All our righteousness is as filthy rags. None of it's any good. And the only good in us is what God does in and through us. That's the good. And so we need to begin to think properly. And once you accept God's estimate of yourself, you can accept God's remedy for for your sins.

So you need to think properly. You need to pray earnestly. Number three, you need to study fervently.

You need to study fervently. This is how you learn to think properly, which will lead you to pray earnestly. You got to study fervently. In Luke 5 verse 8, when Peter saw Jesus Christ, he fell down before him and said, depart from me, Father, for I am a sinful man. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. He saw the Lord. And when you study the Word of God, you see God. And you can't help but fall down before him and beg for his mercy. It was John the Baptist who said, I'm not worthy even to do the job of the most menial slave that is untying the shoes of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm not even worthy to do that. And Jesus said about John the Baptist that he was the greatest man that ever lived. He would go on to say in John 3 verse number 30, he must increase, but I must decrease. Fourthly, submit totally. Submit totally. Jesus said in John 15 verse 5, without me, you can do what? Nothing. Nothing. Do you believe that? That's what Jesus said. You've got to submit to him totally, because you can't do anything in and of yourself. Turn with me back to the book of Ecclesiastes for a minute.

I was studying today for our time together this evening, and I came across this verse, and I just want you to help you understand something. This is pretty powerful. Listen.

There is an evil which I have, chapter 6 verse 1, which I have seen under the sun, and it is prevalent among men. So fellows, listen up. A man to whom God has given riches, and wealth, and honor, so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires, but God has not empowered him to eat from them. For a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. Now listen very carefully. I believe that this is Solomon speaking of himself here. If you read over in 2 Chronicles 1 verses 11 to 12, the same list appears, that God would give him these things because he asked for wisdom.

But Solomon says, you can have an abundance of possessions. You can have all the things that money can buy, and yet lack the power to enjoy them. And this is the great affliction. You ever know somebody who's got lots of things, man? They got everything. But they never seem to enjoy them because the foreigner comes along. And we don't know what the foreigner is here. It could be a domestic conflict. It could be a financial disaster, or not a financial disaster, but an adversary, Satan, his devices.

It could be a natural disaster. We don't know what the foreigner is, but God allows the foreigner to come along and enjoy those things that you were to enjoy. But somehow you're not empowered to enjoy them. You're not empowered to eat of them. Why? Because it's God who empowers you to enjoy them. That's why. God has given them to you, and God won't let you enjoy them until he's ready to let you enjoy them. And that's why you got to totally submit to him. Without me, you can do nothing. You can't even have joy without me.

You can try. You can do all you got. I mean, you can have all the money, all the riches. You have it all. But you can't have enjoyment without me because I give that. I'm the blessed God. I'm the blessed King, and true blessing only comes through me. That's what he's trying to say. And that's how Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount. I want to bless your life, but you got to come to me on my terms. You got to come begging for me because there's nothing that you have that will gain you any satisfaction in life.

And even though you are physically healed, and even though things are going well externally, internally, you will be totally empty without me. That's what Jesus is saying. That's why he begins with the foundational principle, poverty of spirit, total inadequacy, inability to do anything without God. Our problem is we think we can't do some things. God says, you can't do anything.

John 15 verse 5. Ecclesiastes 2 26 says, there's no joy without me. There's nothing but emptiness. And that, my friend, is the severe affliction of the world. So, I must pray earnestly. I must think properly. And so, Jesus says, don't think of yourself too highly than you ought to think.

Look at me, and you'll see yourself. That's what Peter did. Don't look at the guy in front of you. Don't look at the marriage down the road.

Don't look at the guy's success in his business. Look at God. Pray earnestly. Think properly. Study fervently. Submit totally, fourthly or fifthly. Serve faithfully. Serve faithfully. Galatians chapter 5 verse 13. By love, serve one another. A beggar realizes that there is somebody else out there who needs to be served and becomes a slave of all because he wants to honor his God. And when you serve, you do it quietly. You don't blow your trumpet when you serve. Matthew 6 speaks of that. Jesus says, they have their reward.

They have it. So, when you serve, do it quietly. Do it quietly. But those who serve faithfully will be ones who understand poverty of spirit. Because they're serving their God. They're not serving their church. They're not serving their boss. They're serving the one who bestowed grace upon them, that gave them the power to serve their brother. The question you must ask is, have you experienced true poverty of spirit? If not, then God needs to do a work in your heart. This is where it all begins. This is where the king began his manifesto with the foundational principle.

It was written about in the song, Rock of Ages, when the author said, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. That's one who was poor in spirit. May God give us the grace to be his kind of person that we might live like his children.