Reverend Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
Matthew 5
Sermon on the mountain
Jesus was mainly speaking to his twelve disciples, but the multitude was listening and was amazed at his teachings. It was his first recorded teaching and perhaps the most important teaching of them all.
This sermon contains a powerful yet very practical revelation of the principles and standards by which God expects every believer to live. Jesus set forth how we ought to live as citizens of the Kingdom.
This first portion of the Sermon on the Mount is known as the Beatitudes. It means “The Blessings” but can also be understood as giving the believer his “be – attitudes” – the attitudes he should “be.” before being you need to be.
We are as good as our attitudes or our principles because our lives are governed by our attitudes. Every kingdom and systems operates on a given principles.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus sets forth both the nature and the aspirations of citizens of His kingdom. We are to learn and have ALL these character traits which are marks and goals of all Christians.
Unlike spiritual gifts. We cannot major in one to the exclusion of others. we should desire ALL of these spiritual attributes.
Anyone who claims to be a Christian but does not display and desire these traits can make someone doubt their salvation because it means they do not have the character of kingdom citizens.
These beatitudes are kingdom principles to live by.
They indicate the spiritual qualities of a believer or the inner man.
It is impossible to master them except through.
1. Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God
Galatians 2
20. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2. And the power of the Holy Spirit
Romans 8
14. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Remember all these qualities are spiritual qualities not existent in a natural man.
Ephesians 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
As we have seen, Jesus was teaching his disciples and a large group of potential followers what it really means to follow Him and be a part of God’s kingdom.
God's kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness because God is Holy and righteous.
Everyone who belongs to the kingdom must demonstrate godly character and have an intense hunger and thirst for righteousness.
There has to be a burning desire and willingness to do what is right and maintain a right relationship with God.
Some people want to be in the kingdom and still live as they used to or according to their own principles and standards
Luke 9
23. Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Dying to self means giving up your will, denouncing worldly desires, craving the flesh walking righteousness becoming a slave of Christ. You pick and carry the cross daily to crucify the flesh and its desires no longer to fulfil its desires but God's will and desires.
There has to be conformity with the kingdom for those who belong to the kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in the Spirit...
Blessed is “happy,” but in the truest, godly sense of the word, not in our modern/worldly sense of merely being comfortable or entertained at the moment.
"Blessed" Describes that joy which has its secret within itself, that joy which is serene and untouchable, and self-contained, that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and changes of life.” (Barclay)
The word blessed refers to the well-being and joy of those who because of their relationship with Christ and his Word find their place in the kingdom.
As a result of this membership one therefore enjoys God's constant love, care and spiritual salvation resulting in true joy.
Job 22
24 Throw away your gold; dump your finest gold in the dry stream bed.
25 let your Almighty God be your gold and let him be your silver, piled high for you.
26 Then you will always trust in God and find He is the source of your joy
These beatitudes are character requirements if we wish to receive the benefits of God’s kingdom.
You will notice these Kingdom philosophies are opposite and contrary to what the world teaches or stands for.
Children of the kingdom must be guided by God's purposes and values and not by the ways and values of the world.
Poor in the spirit
The first requirement is to be poor in the spirit. It is the first beatitude because this is where we start with God.
It means not being arrogant or self-reliant. We must humbly recognize we are not spiritually self-sufficient…sinners, Pharisees teachers of the law
It is a confession that one is sinful and rebellious and utterly without moral virtues adequate to commend him to God.
When you are poor in spirit, you recognize that you have no spiritual assets and you are spiritually bankrupt meaning you cannot earn a place in God’s kingdom. Therefore you need the Holy Spirit’s live power and grace(undeserved favour) to receive the benefits of spiritual salvation.
Those who are poor in spirit see the need and beg thus they receive the kingdom of heaven. The poverty of spirit is an absolute prerequisite for receiving the kingdom of heaven, and as long as we think we have spiritual resources, we will never receive from God of which we absolutely need to be saved.
Without being poor in the spirit no one can enter the kingdom of heaven
*The kingdom of heaven is not given based on race, earned merits, the military zeal and prowess of Zealots, or the wealth of a Zacchaeus. It is given to the poor, the despised publicans, the prostitutes, and those who are so ‘poor’ they know they can offer nothing and do not try. They cry for mercy and they alone are heard.” (Carson)
These were the people who recognized their spiritual poverty and came to Jesus and receive the kingdom and entered blessedness.
It is those who are in the kingdom that are truly blessed and happy.
Psalm 32
1. Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
The world teaches us that to be blessed, one must be rich, powerful and self-sufficient. But this is a great mistake.
Luke 6
24. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
25. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
When we are self-sufficient in the flesh you have no need for God or spiritual matters.
Jesus teaches to be rich in the things of the Spirit, one must be poor in the things of the flesh.
To be poor in the spirit means to empty oneself..die to self.
Before we can be filled with God's blessings, We must first be emptied. Everyman by nature is filled with selfishness and pride which is our old man.
Romans 6:6
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
Jesus first condemns our old self and then saves those who are poor in the spirit. It means we confess of our unworthiness. We must always understand that it is impossible to live the Christian life by our own strength and totally depend on him. God is so holy, great and powerful such that one we know him, we will consider ourselves poor and wretched by comparison.
To be poor in the spirit is not a natural quality but a spiritual one. It is not to be fearful but to be inwardly humble.
God accept only those who truly humble themselves before Him.
Isaiah 57:15.
For this is what the high and exalted One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Proverbs 3:34.
He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
Peter was by nature a bold and confident man but when he recognized who was Jesus, he fell on his knees and exclaimed.
Luke 5
8. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
Apostle Paul was also a man who was poor in the spirit.
2 Corinthians 3
5. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
2 Corinthians 4
7. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Philippians 2
5. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7. rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Let's remember that in God’s sight, we have nothing to boast about. We cannot boast of our mansions, titles, names, education, skills and accomplishments, anointing, gifts, wealth or riches. All these things are worthless and vain and cannot save us. We can bring nothing to God. We can only come to God as empty earthen vessels and seek his mercies so that He may fill us with spiritual blessing.
When you are poor in the spirit you humble yourself before God and live in total dependence on him. That's why are constantly seeking him in prayers, word and fellowship because you recognize your spiritual poverty. You are nothing without God and whatever you have means nothing and God is everything to you.
Philippians 3
7. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
10. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
The more we are into worldly things the lesser we have spiritual poverty. We are richer in the flesh and that's why we have no appetite for godliness or spiritual things. We are contented with worldly things. You have no appetite to read the word, pray or commune with God.
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