The Poorer the Richer
Rev. Sean Lester
January 4, 2004 Morning Service
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (ESV)
Introduction:
This is the first statement that Jesus makes in what we have come to call the Sermon on the Mount. As we begin this first message on the "Blessed Life", let’s examine carefully what Jesus is saying in this verse.
A. God blesses people. Blessed is what happens when God does something for someone that makes them happier, more content, and better able to handle things in this life. It is the state of mind of someone whom God has favored.
B. God blesses people for a reason. There is a pattern to how Jesus describes blessed people. He says "Blessed are" (fill in the blank) "for they are/will be (fill in the blank). There is a relationship between whom God blesses with things and the nature of their spiritual character. God looks at people and notices things about them. Some people have characteristics that please God. In turn, he shows his approval by doing favors. In this case, he gives the kingdom of heaven as a favor to people who are poor in spirit.
C. God blesses people who are poor in spirit. By poor, we mean someone who has absolutely nothing. We are not talking about people who live below the poverty line. People who live below the poverty line are not really poor, they are modest. Poor people have nothing. They are the beggars who eat only when someone gives them something to eat that day. If a few days should pass without anyone giving them something to eat, they will die. That is poor.
D. "In spirit" refers to someone’s attitude or disposition toward God. When it is said that a person has a spirit of lust, we mean that the person has rejected God as the source of happiness and it is being manifested in sensual gratification. When it is said that a person has a spirit of peace, we mean that the person trusts God for protection and it is manifested in the way the person remains calm during a crisis.
E. Therefore, the poor in spirit are those people who come to God out of a need for him to give them what they need for life. The way they see it, if God does not fill their spirit, they will not be filled at all. Their lives are in Christ Jesus, and nothing else.
F. When we speak of the Kingdom of heaven, we refer to the Holy Spirit that comes into the believer. The Kingdom of God is described in Matthew chapter 13, but I will sum it up here as...
1. The ability to understand and obey the Bible.
2. Reservation for heaven and preservation from God’s wrath.
3. Heavenly perspective of the world.
4. Wisdom
5. Discernment
6. The power to transform a society.
When Solomon became king of Israel, God offered him anything that he wanted. Instead of wealth and power, Solomon asked for wisdom. God granted his request. However, with wisdom came the ability to have everything else. That is how it works for the poor in spirit. By depending on God for everything, the poor in spirit are given the kingdom of God.
Proposition: People who depend upon God to give them life are given the kingdom of God.
Interrogative: I want to show you from Scripture how people manifested the characteristic of being poor in spirit, and in so doing, show you how to become poor in spirit.
Transition: Here are three ways that spiritual poverty is manifest.
I. Daily Dependence Upon God.
A. When the Israelites left Egypt, they took with them the riches that God allowed them to take as plunder. Yet, with all of the things that are considered of monetary worth, they had no ability to feed or water themselves. No amount of money can help someone who has no food or water. They were cash rich, but destitute for life. If they were going to live more than a few days, God would have to provide for them. And, He did.
God provided them manna, food that would appear every morning, six days a week. The people were to gather only what was needed for that day. Anything left over till morning would be moldy and full of worms the next morning. Then, on the day before the Sabbath, they were allowed to gather twice as much so that they would not have to gather any on the Sabbath. In this way, God was teaching the people to depend on Him for their daily needs.
B. God’s provision for the Israelites is an illustration for us who would be poor in spirit.
1. That God wants us to come to him for our spiritual fulfillment every day.
2. That He won’t allow us to fill up on Sunday, or any day, and then be able to go the rest of the week without a need for Him.
3. That God will allow us to get twice as much from Him on the day before the day of rest.
C. Imagine what the spirit of the church would be like if everyone filled up on God’s Word, prayer, and private worship on Saturday? When we gathered on Sunday the Holy Spirit would be present in power. As it is, when people gather on Sunday to get a week’s worth of the Spirit, they find that their experience is moldy on Monday, and completely dissolved by Saturday. And, God forbid, Saturday is spent on personal pursuits and diversions. Is it any wonder that Pentecostal congregations are finding that God is absent from their services! God wants you to depend upon Him every day! He will fill you every day with what your spirit needs for that day, and no more.
Transition: Since you get filled for the day, then obviously it is necessary to come to God for your spiritual needs every day, no matter how you may feel.
II. Disciplined Dependence Upon God.
A. The sixth chapter of the book of Daniel describes for us the life of a disciplined believer in God. Daniel was very poor in spirit and otherwise when we first hear of him. He was a young man who had been taken into captivity into Babylon along with many other Israelites. Daniel was later chosen to become a servant to the king. So, you can see that he was really poor, totally dependent on the king. He was so dependent upon God that he would go to God throughout the day.
His need for God was so great, that jealous officials in the kingdom knew that Daniel would never give up his habit of prayer. So, these officials convinced the king to pass a law that forbid people from praying to another god except to the king for thirty days. Just as they thought, Daniel went up into his room and prayed just as he always did. He wasn’t about to stop depending upon God. As you know, Daniel was punished by being thrown to hungry lions. But, the lions never even touched him. The people who came against Daniel, however, were eaten torn to pieces and eaten when the king realized that God had favored Daniel. Daniel’s prayer life is that of someone who is poor in spirit.
1. He came to God in private prayer three times a day.
2. Daniel prayed facing east, looking out the window toward Jerusalem.
3. Daniel prayed while down on his knees.
Of course, Daniel is only a good illustration for us if it can be proven that he was given the kingdom of God. Obviously, after reading the book of Daniel, we see that God showed him the end of the world. God gave him so much wisdom and insight that Daniel could interpret dreams and run the country.
B. Habit and heart are manifested in the devotional life of someone who is poor in spirit. Here is what is happening in the spiritually impoverished person when he or she comes to God.
1. They see a need or a crisis and they immediately come to God with it.
Illustration: In her book "When Character was King" Peggy Noonan writes of how his staff described President Reagan’s prayer life. Often, when they were flying, the president would gaze out the window and speak softly into the air. When the staff would walk by, Nancy would wave them off because she knew her husband was praying, and she knew how much he needed to pray. In fact, it is said that Reagan often took prayer breaks.
2. They look for Jesus to return so that their salvation is complete. They have nothing of value in this life so they look forward to the next life.
3. They are humble before God. They approach God not as demanding and spoiled children, but as humble servants deserving of nothing but confident in the goodness of the Lord.
C. The kingdom of God is given to the poor in spirit, people who are disciplined in coming to God for with their needs for living. The kingdom of God only comes to people whose need for God translates into a disciplined devotional life.
1. That means coming to God in private worship every day. Private worship involves study of the Bible, examination of your life before God, prayer for needs, and intercessions for those to whom you are to minister during your day.
2. That means that you have to adjust your lifestyle so that your time with God is meaningful. You may have to go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier. You may have to put away your toys more often.
3. That means you may have to take more responsibility for your life and for the work of God.
Illustration: The ministers discussing the proper way to pray. One says that the best way is with hands together and fingers up. Another says that the best way is on their knees. The third says that the best posture is prostrate. The electrician in the back overhears the conversation and adds, "the best posture for me was hanging upside down with a live wire wrapped around my legs."
Transition: Finally, let’s look at the relationship between real poverty and spiritual poverty.
III. Desperate Dependence Upon God.
A. In the tenth chapter of Mark we are told of a wealthy young man who came to Jesus to find out what more he needed to do to inherit eternal life. One is tempted to ask what more he needed! He was young. He was wealthy. He was influential. He was righteous. So why did he need to ask the question? The fact that he asked the question tells us that he had insight into a crucial truth: Eternal life can’t be earned.
Now, let’s compare this to Jesus’ disciples. After Jesus lamented that it was hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, (or should I say, the Kingdom of God to enter the rich) Peter spoke up and started to explain that the disciples left everything in order to follow Jesus. Peter doesn’t get to finish the sentence before Jesus says,
"I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields form me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields -- and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."
The rich young ruler would not give up everything to follow Jesus. The disciples did. One walked away spiritually rich but destined to lose it all including his soul. The others remained spiritually poor, but destined to gain everything including eternal life.
B. There is a relationship between spiritual poverty and worldly poverty. People who have stuff and the resources to get stuff have the ability to find comfort in this world. When the stress gets too high, they can escape. When the economy gets bad, they have security. When persecution comes, they can afford protection. People with stuff can get along without a personal life of worship. If they are honest, they often go days and sometimes weeks without seriously studying God’s Word for themselves, without calling out to God to guide them through trouble, without trusting God to meet their needs while they invest their time in discipleship.
But the poor come to God because there is nothing else for them upon which to depend. They can’t afford to escape, either by travel or by television, so they go to their knees to God. They go to their Bibles for truth and for wisdom. They sing from their hearts songs of thanksgiving. They give generously because they have no needs for anything to give them comfort. Money is a luxury that they can do without. So, they fill with the Spirit of God.
C. Gordon Fee quotation: People want the kingdom of God plus other stuff. It is the other stuff that gets preeminence. You aren’t going to experience the kingdom of heaven surrounded by worldly comforts and escapes. It takes a very disciplined person to be surrounded by toys and pleasures who can still take every problem to God in prayer. Stress and challenge should drive people to God, but if they have things to give comfort, they will turn to them.
Transition: To be worldly rich is to give up being spiritually poor.
Conclusion
The blessing of God is reserved for those whom he favors. Looks upon people, examines them, and does favors for people who have characteristics that please Him. But here is a word of warning. The more you use the world to make your life more pleasant and secure, the less of God that you will have to make it eternal.
Everything you need for life is found in the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within a believer. The presence of the Holy Spirit brings the kingdom of God to the person who realizes their need for God and nothing else.
Have you struggled with relationships? Have you failed to make sound decisions? Have you allowed people to use and abuse you? Are you unhappy even though you believe in God? The struggle is within you. You need to become as one spiritually destitute. You need to become emptied of the world and dependent upon God, and God alone.
And if you will become poor in spirit, even this morning. God will see you and give you a measure of His Spirit. And as you go on from this place of prayer, your continual yielded ness to the Holy Spirit will bring you into the fullness of the Kingdom of God.
