“How Fortunate are you?” – Matthew 5:1-12
Gladstone Baptist Church – 26/4/07
S1 - We are jealous of the lucky people in this world.
Frano Selak claims to be the luckiest man in the world. He has a 76 year old Croatian music teacher who has escaped from 8 near death experiences
His first lucky escape was on the first day of his life. His parents were out fishing in a tiny boat in the Adriatic Sea when his mum unexpectedly gave birth. He says “It was a miracle I stayed alive because my father, in a panic, washed me, a newborn baby, in the cold seawater. He also tied my belly button with fishing line; it took hours before we got back to Dubrovnik and entered a hospital. On arriving at the hospital, I was already stiff from cold an exposure, but the doctors still saved me.”
Frano has survived a train crashing into a freezing river where he had to break a window to escape drowning. He was lucky not to be one of the 17 that died in the crash.
Then in 1963, he used up his third life. He was in a plane that reportedly touched the top of Parg Mountain in western Croatia. The back door came open and he fell out of the plane. He fell 850 meters before landing in a large heap of hay. He was in a coma for 3 days, but again survived. 20 people died in that plane crash.
Then he was in a school bus that ran off a 4m high bridge into the Bosna River. He escaped 2 car fires – he blames them on the Russian Zhiguli that he bought – he will never buy another he says. He was hit by a bus. And then the Life Number 8 was in 1994 when he was involved in an car accident with a UN peacekeeping armoured vehicle. He somehow fell out of the opened door before the car ended up in a 150m deep hole and exploded as do all good cars when they crash. He broke 3 ribs and injured a hip, but lived to tell the tale.
His luck didn’t run out – in 2002, he won $1 Million US dollars in the Croatian national lottery with the first lottery ticket he ever bought. He subsequently gave it all away after buying a house and building a small chapel to thank God or taking care of him.
In 1994, Smith’s Snackfood asked Frano to do a commercial for their Dorito chips, but he refused to travel on a plane, train or boat – for obvious reasons, he has only 1 spare life left – so they went to Croatia to film it instead.
In this world, there are some very lucky people aren’t there and many times we wish we were as lucky or fortunate as them.
S2 - Tell me what do you think makes a person blessed or fortunate in this life?
Some people are fortunate in their lives, others not. We all want to be lucky people or blessed people don’t we, because we think that these people are happy. Tell me what do you think makes a person blessed or fortunate in this life?
But the criteria that we would use to decide who are happy or fortunate is a completely different set of criteria to that God would use. Have you ever wondered, who God considers as blessed people? Often we think that God’s blessings come in the form or health and wealth. Some Christians think that being wealthy is actually a sign of God’s blessing and I don’t discount that God can and does bless people financially. Let’s face it, every good thing is from God, but health, wealth, fame and fortune is not what God typically uses to bless people.
Do you want to know who God says are the happy and blessed in this world? Turn with me to Matthew’s Gospel Chp 5.
S3 - God’s Topsy-Turvy World
Matthew 5 is actually the start of Jesus’ most famous sermon. It is the Sermon on the mount. It was given to his disciples and to a crowd that had gathered around them. I don’t know whether you have ever sat and listened to a speech that was just so amazingly powerful that it went down in history as one of the all time greatest speeches which changed the course of history.
Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” Speech was one of those speeches. In it he said …
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." … I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, … little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.”
Winston Churchill’s speech in the House of commons was another such speech . “We shall not flag or fail. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender".
Great Men & Great Speeches that inspired nations – They often fly in the face of current thinking and inspire people to something greater and better
But In Matthew 5, we have an even more famous speech or sermon by Jesus – the greatest of men and in it he presents the pattern of living for one of his followers. It is the presentation of what the Christian culture should look like. In fact it was more like a Christian Counterculture because everything that Jesus espoused, was completely the opposite of what his contemporary society thought. And over the coming months, we are going to be looking into this Great speech to determine what is Jesus saying should be values, our ethical standards, our attitudes to money, ambition, lifestyle and relationships. As we look into it, we will see again and again, that Jesus’ teaching were completely opposite to what society teaches us.
I think that those listening to Jesus 2000 years ago were much like us in many respects – they viewed fortunate people as those who were well off, or influential, or healthy, or happy, or just plain lucky. But Jesus’ idea of the fortunate people was very different.
If you’ve got your bibles there, read with me from Matt 5:1
5 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 “Blessed [Now this word blessed means to be fortunate or well off or happy (though not happy in their emotions, but happy in their contentment of life). So we should read … Fortunate ]. are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed [Fortunate] are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed [Fortunate] are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed [Fortunate] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed [Fortunate] are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed [Fortunate] are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed [Fortunate] are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed [Fortunate] are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed [Fortunate] are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
That is a strange list of things for Jesus to give isn’t it. Let’s quickly look into this list and see what we can learn because 4 of these things are about our attitude and 4 are about our actions. So those who are fortunate are those who have right attitudes and right actions.
S4 – The Fortunate ones are those with the right attitude
An Attitude of Humbly relying on God.
The first thing Jesus lists here is that those who are fortunate have humility. He says they are poor in spirit. These aren’t people who are bankrupt or financially broke. But they don’t have a puffed up view of themselves. They have a poor spirit – a spirit of humility and self reliance.
They recognise that there is nothing they can do to impress God or to gain his favour – they are helpless. They must put their whole trust in God who can and will save them. Jesus says that the fortunate ones in this world are those who humbly rely on God, because they will be a part of God’s kingdom. Those who arrogantly try to make it on their own, will fail miserably and never find God or his salvation.
The first attitude we need is to rely on God. What is your attitude like today – are you here tonight because you know you need God and want to worship him for what he’s done for you. Or are you here tonight because your friends are here. You aren’t relying on God – you don’t see that you need to because you think that God will accept you for who you are. Or maybe, you just haven’t thought about it seriously and think that you will have 9 lives like Frano Selak and have plenty of time to think about God. Don’t leave it too late to rely on God or else it may be too late.
An Attitude of looking upward for comfort.
The second thing Jesus lists is in vs 4 – Fortunate are those who mourn. Now God isn’t a party pooper who wants us to walk around sad all the time. What he admits to here is that those who are sad, are fortunate, because God has the ability and the desire to comfort them. One day, in heaven, God’s comfort will be complete – there will never be any more tears or sadness. But even in the present day, while we are waiting to go to heaven – God seeks to comfort his people. He is the shepherd who cares for us. 2 Cor 1:3-4 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” God does comfort us in times of trouble and in the salvation that he offers, he will one day bring total release from all troubles.
In our trouble in this life however, I’ve noticed that many people begin to navel gaze – they develop the “Woe is me” mentality. Others turn to alcohol or drugs to make the pain less. But a better way is to look upwards to receive comfort. To look to God and to be comforted and in turn to allow his comfort to overflow from our lives and comfort those around us. You know, when we have been through hard situations, we find ourselves uniquely qualified to help others who are going through similar situations. I can’t be a great comfort to someone who’s parents are divorcing each other, because I’ve never experienced that. But some of you have and you can help others go through it. I have a brother who has a crippling illness and who will probably die prematurely. Not many of you have experienced that – but I have and I am probably qualified to help others struggling with similar things. When we look to God for comfort, he comforts us and opens up opportunities to use these tough times to help others.
An Attitude of gentleness.
The Third thing Jesus talks about is meekness. Blessed are the meek. We don’t use this word much now, and unfortunately as a result, many people misunderstand it. Being meek does not being weak. Actually, the word meek means power under control. It was a word used of war stallions who were powerful and scary when uncontrolled, but when they had a bridle in they were under their master’s complete control and would charge into battle despite the arrows and spears hurtling in their direction. Powerful people who have their power under control are the fortunate ones. Christians have immense power. We wield the power of God – who can do anything. Yet, we are called to be meek – controlled.
In our world, those that seem to be successful are those who are powerful and use their power. They are aggressive, outspoken, always talking themselves up and others down; they step on those below them in order to climb higher up the ladder and generally throw their weight around. God says that those who advance themselves by power and oppression won’t ultimately end up in power. No the meek will. The Meek will inherit the earth, because they recognise humbly that true power is God’s power and it is available only to those who use it accordance with his will.
An attitude of discipleship.
The last attitude of the Fortunate Jesus talks about here is an attitude of discipleship. The Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Another way to put this would be that the fortunate are the ones who hunger and thirst for God’s approval. They desire with all their heart to live a life of obedience and trust in God.
We all get hungry don’t we. Some of you haven’t eaten yet tonight and are starting to get hungry – Tell me – what food would you love to be able to tuck into right now to satisfy your hunger.
Every person seeks to satisfy hunger in a different way don’t they. That is true with hunger from empty stomachs, but also with hunger from an empty life. People try to satisfy emptiness in their lives in many ways – through getting married & having a family, through success at work or school, through acquiring the latest toys, through getting popular. But the only way to satisfy real hunger is to become a disciple of Jesus and start to live for him. When people have an attitude of discipleship they find that their hunger is satisfied and that they are fulfilled. If you feel your life tonight is a bit empty and you are trying lots of things to find fulfillment – I challenge you to give God a go – start following him with all your heart and be satisfied.
S5 – The Fortunate ones are those with the right actions
So there are 4 attitudes fortunate people have – humility, looking to God in tough times, gentles and discipleship. There are also 4 actions fortunate people do that everyone around them can see.
Be Merciful
In verse 7, Jesus says that the fortunate are merciful, because they will be shown mercy. Mercy is caring for others. Being charitable and kind. We show mercy not to get mercy from other people, but to receive it from God. Jesus teaches that only the merciful will be shown mercy from God. Jesus says as a postscript to the Lord’s prayer says this (in Matt 6:14) “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
How you act when you are right and another is wrong shows your character. Do you extend forgiveness and grace or let them squirm just a little? Do you immediately seek to reconcile the relationship, or do you revel in the power of being right a while? People everywhere will witness our mercy and God will see our motives. So we need to take every opportunity to be merciful if we want to be fortunate people.
Be people of integrity
Vs 8 – Blessed are the pure in heart. This one is linked to the hungering after righteousness. It is not talking about just sexual morality, but every part of our character. A person with a pure heart doesn’t have hidden motives. They are trustworthy and reliable. They aren’t hypocritical. The person we are at church is the person we are at home and at work or school. Only the pure in heart will see God because on judgement day He will judge our hearts. So, how pure is your heart? Do you feel like there are two yous? Do you have a secret life? Are you afraid to let people here see the real you? Would your friends say that you are the same person at church and at school or at work? Would your kids say that you are the same person at church and at home? How pure is your heart?
Be a Peacemaker
Jesus then calls on us to be a peacemaker. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that firefighters in Genoa, Texas, were accused of deliberately setting more than forty destructive fires. When caught, they stated, "We had nothing to do. We just wanted to get the red lights flashing and the bells clanging." The job of firefighters is to put out fires, not start them. The job of Christians is to help resolve conflict, not start more of it.
Being a peacemaker is not just someone who likes peace, but someone who actively works to bring peace. They spread God’s true peace to those around. What effect do you have on people you come into contact with? Are you prone to debate and argue? Do you stir people up or calm them down? It’s all a matter of your focus and your attitude. God’s true children will be peacemakers.
Be Faithful in persecution
The last characteristic of the fortunate person is that they are faithful in persecution. If we leave others alone, we are typically left alone, but when we actively go out to challenge others about their lifestyle and sins then all hell breaks loose. We are called to take the gospel to all nations and present the truths of the gospel to people. That is often a huge challenge to them, because they are typically happy with life the way it is. The result is often a backlash. Jesus lived this life and was rejected and ultimately killed. When we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we too can expect to face rejection and opposition.
But Jesus says, the fortunate are those who are persecuted because they are standing up for God’s righteousness, for his standards and for his gospel. They will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. How much persecution do you face because of what you believe? Any? Does anyone know you are a Christian? Those who are fortunate are those who suffer persecution in this life – because they are the ones who are really owning their faith.
So do you see how radical this sermon of Jesus’ is. Everything is upside down. Fortunate people according to our society are the rich, the healthy, the talented, the famous, the good looking.
But according to Jesus, the fortunate are those who
• Humbly rely on Jesus
• Look up for comfort
• Are gentle
• Are disciples
• Are merciful
• Have integrity
• Are peacemakers and
• Endure persecution.
These people are fortunate because they will be welcomed into God’s everlasting kingdom. Are you one of the fortunate ones that Jesus speaks about in his famous sermon on the mount? If not, it begins with the first point – seeing Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Recognise that Jesus has done everything necessary to win our salvation so begin to humbly rely on Him.
