Beatitudes: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Speaker: Pastor Josh Jansen
Read: Matthew 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
We live in a culture where many allow self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-esteem to be the driving force behind their lives. They worship individualism and base their morality on what they feel, think, and determine to be right. Contrary to this world view, the character for followers of Jesus is expressed through the beatitudes Jesus taught when delivering His first sermon. He began His ministry at a time when political and religious ideology was mixed with oppression and poverty within the life of God’s chosen people. Yet He opened His sermon with “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
To be “poor in spirit” does not mean that one lacks courage, but that one could acknowledge his spiritual bankruptcy, confess his unworthiness before God and place his utter dependency on Him regardless of the circumstances. We all have weaknesses and we can be honest with God about them. Afterall, He is very much aware of our inadequacies and He wants to be with us and use us regardless of our brokenness. Rather than relying on our own understanding, strengths or abilities, we should allow our brokenness to bring us to a place of worship in order that His grace may be extended to us and He be glorified in the process.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. How is God glorified when we bring our weaknesses to Him?
3. What are some ways we may experience brokenness?
4. Read Exodus Chapters 3 and 4. How was Moses’ weaknesses and lack of confidence expressed in the excuses he gave to God?
5. In what ways do we express our inadequacies when called to serve God in some way?
6. It was said that God became angry with Moses, not because of his low assessment of his own abilities, but because of Moses’ assessment of God’s abilities. What does this mean to you?
7. Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. How would you explain this Scripture in your own words? What does it mean that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness”? How could the Apostle Paul say that he would “delight in weaknesses”?
