Sermon 1-14-07 “Blessed are the poor in spirit” Matthew 5:1-12
Last week the pastor gave a rousing sermon on how to take on the new year.
We begin with great zeal and find discouragement
Some have the Eyore syndrome……..”oh come on pooh”
So I wanted to say a few words about discouragement
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”
Down, depressed, oppressed, sad, discouraged
I just came back from a visit to New Orleans
Imagine that you just lost your home, your job, your health insurance. You still have to make monthly mtg payments on your home that is gone. You are living with relatives in another city
Down, depressed, oppressed, sad, discouraged
everyone has been poor in spirit at one time or another
cause: tragedy, injustice, boredom, fear, rejection, oppression
Oppressors of the day= Romans and Pharisees, others, unjust judge
-we are oppressors when we:
-Lord it over another
-bully others
-guilt others
Lesson one: Don’t be an oppressor
[use your power in humble ways]
[use your power to do good]
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr Day……….faced oppression
In New Orleans, story of Napoleon UMC…..whites and blacks
would not go to the rail together
Rev. Connie Thomas put a stop to it
Hurricane Katrina put a stop to it as well
It cannot be tolerated in our society or in our church.
Lesson one: Don’t be an oppressor
[use your power in humble ways]
[use your power to do good]
Jesus said, when you are poor in spirit, you are blessed….
how can that be?
1. you are blessed because others bless you….help you, hug you
2. you are blessed because you are in a unique position to receive grace
when I am weak, then I am strong
when things are too good, humans tend to forget about God
when we are broken, that is when we trust in God
he is not offended by this-
it is when the Holy spirit floods into the vacancy
revival/renewal does not usually take place when we are on top of the world. When we are large and in charge. Revival takes place when there is nothing left of us and we call out for God to help.
if you are open and you want it,
there is room
you get filled…..
3. you are blessed because you are in a unique position to offer grace to another
you are down, they aren’t expecting it
you can let the light of Christ shine thru you
it will pick you up faster than anything
4. you are blessed because you get to change the world-
the disciples were poor in spirit and they changed the world
I just wanted to remain poor in spirit…….I don’t want to change the world
I have a secret worry that when I am down, Jesus is going to come in to the room and say, come on Jeff, lets go! And I am going to be left behind…..
I am worried about my discouragement, he is not
this year, don’t be terminally discouraged when you get down.
You are going to get down, it happens.
Don’t quit your job, yell at your kid, divorce your spouse or change churches……its gonna happen.
Accept the feelings. Invite Gods presence in. Be renewed. Change the world
Last week the pastor gave a rousing sermon on how to take on the new year.
We begin with great zeal and find discouragement
Some have the Eyore syndrome……..”oh come on pooh”
So I wanted to say a few words about discouragement
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”
Down, depressed, oppressed, sad, discouraged
I just came back from a visit to New Orleans
Imagine that you just lost your home, your job, your health insurance. You still have to make monthly mtg payments on your home that is gone. You are living with relatives in another city
Down, depressed, oppressed, sad, discouraged
everyone has been poor in spirit at one time or another
cause: tragedy, injustice, boredom, fear, rejection, oppression
Oppressors of the day= Romans and Pharisees, others, unjust judge
-we are oppressors when we:
-Lord it over another
-bully others
-guilt others
Lesson one: Don’t be an oppressor
[use your power in humble ways]
[use your power to do good]
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr Day……….faced oppression
In New Orleans, story of Napoleon UMC…..whites and blacks
would not go to the rail together
Rev. Connie Thomas put a stop to it
Hurricane Katrina put a stop to it as well
It cannot be tolerated in our society or in our church.
Lesson one: Don’t be an oppressor
[use your power in humble ways]
[use your power to do good]
Jesus said, when you are poor in spirit, you are blessed….
how can that be?
1. you are blessed because others bless you….help you, hug you
2. you are blessed because you are in a unique position to receive grace
when I am weak, then I am strong
when things are too good, humans tend to forget about God
when we are broken, that is when we trust in God
he is not offended by this-
it is when the Holy spirit floods into the vacancy
revival/renewal does not usually take place when we are on top of the world. When we are large and in charge. Revival takes place when there is nothing left of us and we call out for God to help.
if you are open and you want it,
there is room
you get filled…..
3. you are blessed because you are in a unique position to offer grace to another
you are down, they aren’t expecting it
you can let the light of Christ shine thru you
it will pick you up faster than anything
4. you are blessed because you get to change the world-
the disciples were poor in spirit and they changed the world
I just wanted to remain poor in spirit…….I don’t want to change the world
I have a secret worry that when I am down, Jesus is going to come in to the room and say, come on Jeff, lets go! And I am going to be left behind…..
I am worried about my discouragement, he is not
this year, don’t be terminally discouraged when you get down.
You are going to get down, it happens.
Don’t quit your job, yell at your kid, divorce your spouse or change churches……its gonna happen.
Accept the feelings. Invite Gods presence in. Be renewed. Change the world
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