Class Lesson January 24, 2016 NEW SERIES

What does that mean?

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DISTINCT: LIVING ABOVE THE NORM

Don’t blend. Don’t compromise. Be distinct.

If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it, too?

We all heard that one from our parents; some of us have even said it to our own kids. The point is simple: just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t make it right. The problem, though, is that we like to fit in. Ever since we were kids, we wanted to like the right kind of music, wear the right clothes, and use the right technology.

In other words, we want to jump off the cliff because everyone else is doing it.

As disciples of Jesus, we were made to be different. To stand apart. To live in such a way that it’s clear we aren’t bandwagon crowd-followers; we’re followers of Christ. That fact alone makes us stand apart—distinct from the crowd.

When we started following Jesus, everything about us changed, whether we recognized those changes or not. We have a new heart. We have new desires. We have new attitudes. And all of that newness stands in sharp contrast to the old.

In His most famous sermon, Jesus helped His followers—both then and now—see just how different God made us to be. In everything from our character to our relationships to the way we love other people, we were made to stand apart from the crowd. Just as it was for those who heard the Sermon on the Mount for the first time, every day of our lives is filled with opportunities for us to compromise and blend in with the norm.     Or to be distinct.

Our first lesson asks the question:

 

ARE YOU DISTINCT IN YOUR CHARACTER

OR

Remembering Glenn Frey!

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Everybody wants to be happy, but we have different ideas of what will make us happy.

Usually, we look to people, things, and circumstances to provide our happiness. But believe it or not, this is a desperado kind of happiness, and it will always come and go.

Desperado

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses
You been out ridin' fences for so long now

Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons 

 These things that are pleasin' you 

Can hurt you somehow

Don't you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet


Now, it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table,

But you only want the ones that you can't get

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger

(Keith Richards with The Rolling Stones)

Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home

And freedom, oh freedom, well that's just some people talkin'

(Our pastor said this last week!)

Your prison is walking through this world all alone

(Don't become a prisoner of wrong choices in life)

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day

You're losin' all your highs and lows;
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?


Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences; open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you

(That rainbow ABOVE YOU is a reminder)

You better let somebody love you...

You better let somebody love you, before it's too late" 

(That Somebody is Jesus)

Jesus is the One that wants to love us, Jesus is the One calling us home! How long are we going to ride the fences? Why are we such a hard one?  God's blessings are right in front of us!


Jesus completely redefines this issue of a happy life, He calls us to a blessed life. Far greater than situational happiness, the life Jesus describes is grounded in our relationship with God, which produces attitudes and actions that will be blessed by Him. 

The lesson's point:

Choose those actions and attitudes that are blessed by God.

 

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

You are being manipulated hundreds of times every day. We typically don’t use that label, but that’s exactly what happens every time you watch a commercial, read a billboard, or get an Internet pop-up ad. Each and every one of those messages is trying to convince your subconscious mind of two things:

1. You are not as happy as you could be (or should be).
2. You will be happier if you drive this car, watch this show, buy this product, and so on.

It makes sense that marketers and advertisers go after our happiness. Who doesn’t want to be happy? But what if being “happy” isn’t the ultimate goal? What if there’s something better?

As we’ll see in today’s Scripture focus, Jesus told His followers what life in His kingdom will be like. Will it be “happy”? Not exactly. It will be something far better. It will be “blessed."

What is the difference between being blessed and being happy?

                   WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Blessed (v. 3)—The word “blessed” literally meant to be fortunate, happy, or joyful as a result of circumstances, or even more significantly here, as a result of and with emphasis on divine favor.

Poor in spirit (v. 3)—”Poor” primarily meant economically disadvantaged; symbolically, it meant lacking in spiritual significance or being inferior. Combined with “in spirit,” the phrase is synonymous with being humble.

Matthew 5:1-6

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

This sermon is like a grenade tossed into the bunker of what we think it means to be happy in today’s culture. The poor in spirit are blessed. Those who mourn are blessed. The gentle are blessed. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed.

According to Jesus, being blessed is more than just happiness; it goes deeper than ordinary emotion and it’s driven by more than mere circumstance. While the people in Jesus’ day—like people in our own day—might have thought blessing came from being healthy, wealthy, and wise, understanding what true blessing means is one of the things that makes Christians distinct. Enduring happiness, or blessedness, comes with a life lived in a way that pleases God.

These first four qualities have to do more with a person’s character than with his circumstances:

• The poor in spirit. These individuals know they are dependent on God for everything; they trust Him to provide what they need—even the grace they need to stand before Him.

• Those who mourn. Mourning can be done for all kinds of reasons. We might mourn over the state of the world or over the sin we see in our own lives. When we look around us—and within us—and mourn, we are blessed because we look to the comfort only God can bring.

• The meek. In the kingdom of the world, the people who appear to inherit the earth are the go-getters and the ladder-climbers. But in God’s kingdom, the gentle—those who submit themselves before God—inherit the whole earth.

• Those who hunger and thirst. These people are longing for righteousness. They look to God to satisfy their need, knowing true righteousness only comes from Him.

The blessed people Jesus described are those who know they need God and depend on Him; they are not satisfied with the temporary blessings of the world. The blessed Christian stands apart and distinct as he or she finds true satisfaction in what only God can provide.

Matthew 5:7-9

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The cross on the right illustrates life in the kingdom of God. The vertical bar reflects our relationship with God. When we recognize our spiritual poverty, mourn over our sin, gently submit to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and hunger and thirst for His righteousness—our vertical relationship with God is realigned, and all is well between God and us. But it doesn’t stop there.

Our vertical relationship with God impacts our horizontal relationships with others. If we truly experience the blessing of finding God’s love and acceptance through Jesus, then that blessing is naturally reflected in our horizontal relationships.

In verses 3-6, Jesus described the kind of person who is blessed vertically—in his or her relationship with God. These next attributes show us what happens in horizontal relationships as a result:

• The merciful. The merciful don’t seek revenge. Instead, they operate with a forgiving and gracious spirit. Human hurts pale in comparison to all that God has forgiven us.

• The pure in heart. The temptation is to act one way at home, a different way at work, and still another way at church. The blessed, however, are pure in heart. Every aspect of their lives displays steadfast purity and integrity.

• The peacemakers. Peacemaking takes a willingness to admit when you’re wrong. It takes a humble spirit and the confidence to let things go—even when you might be right.

When we choose these attitudes toward other people, we stand in sharp distinction to the world. While so many are chasing their own happiness at the expense of others, true blessing is found in giving ourselves for the sake of others.

Matthew 5:10-12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This is the first time in these verses that Jesus gave a command. That’s because all of these characteristics are representative of something that’s happened inside us. When we come to Christ, we are fundamentally changed at the deepest level imaginable. We are citizens in a new kingdom, and in that kingdom we have new values and new definitions.

In other words, we are citizens in God’s kingdom, but we still live in this world. So Jesus commanded us in verse 12: “Rejoice and be glad.”

We can’t always control how we feel. We become angry, sad, or nervous, but we don’t have to stay mired in those emotions. We can make the choice—no matter what the circumstances are—to rejoice and be glad. We must remind ourselves of the truth despite what we might feel. That’s why “rejoice” is a command instead of a feeling.

Tell yourself who’s Boss. Jesus is Lord of my life, and He is Lord over all. Because of that truth, we can choose to rejoice and be glad despite the tough stuff of life. We make an active choice to stand against the current of our circumstances and choose joy.

Jesus also gave us a check to make sure we’re rejoicing in the right thing. He reminded us that we can choose to rejoice about what really matters. Those who go against the world’s current stand out clearly. They are distinct from the world. They are more than happy—they are blessed.

___________________________

Our lesson today:
 

DISTINCT: LIVING ABOVE THE NORM

True followers of Jesus are called to be different - to stand apart – to be Sui Generis: unique, special, distinct, or unusual. Who are we to stand apart from? – The world, everybody else!


This is probably the most famous sermon that Jesus gave. His audience – the disciples and perhaps some from the nearby crowd – lived in a culture dominated by the religious elite. The religious elite included scribes and Pharisees. They held great power over people and taught that strict self-righteousness was the way to gain God’s favor.

Jesus taught: Don’t blend. Don’t compromise. Be distinct.

Our first lesson comes from the beginning of Jesus’ sermon where He gives some of the most well known but most misunderstood teachings – they are known as the Beatitudes!

• The word Beatitudes comes from a Latin word that means “blessed is” or “happy is.”
• The teachings of the beatitudes have to do with the character of a follower of Jesus.
• The point of this week’s lesson is for us to choose actions and attitudes that are blessed by God.

What is the difference between being blessed and being happy?

• The blessed life is the Christian life and it’s all about character.
• It’s about being before doing.
• The beatitudes are progressive statements explaining to us what it means to follow Jesus.
• There are eight beatitudes. The first four deal with the believer’s relation to God. The last four deal with the believer’s relation to fellow humans. When all eight are mixed together in one’s life a character and distinction emerges.
• To experience the blessings promised will require a radical change of the heart. We will cover these 8 changes in today’s lesson. 

 

"God is more concerned with who I am than what I do."

I. God Blesses Our Dependence Upon Him

Matthew 5:1-6

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.


What do you think Jesus meant by being blessed?

• Blessed is a declaration of fact; the state or condition of the disciple of Jesus. In many English translations, the word is used in the sense of “God blessed” or “God blesses.” We may also understand it to mean “Truly happy is the one.” However, happiness needs to be understood as the distinctive joy that comes only from God, and not a conditional feeling generated by positive life circumstances. Only those who have given themselves to Jesus, experienced the spiritual change possible only in Him, and have committed themselves to becoming like Him can live out the high standards demanded by these saying.
• For those who have repented and chosen to follow Jesus, a progression can be seen from the first blessing in this series to the last. Jesus gives a description of what every follower ought to be like.

Let’s start with the first 4 blessing:

1. The poor in spirit. What does it mean? The poor in spirit admit their need and call to God for help. The poor in spirit are deficient in something they cannot provide for themselves. Individuals who admit their spiritual poverty are positioned to be blessed of God. Their blessing is the kingdom of heaven, not so much a place but a state of being under the rule and reign of God.



1st change: is to honestly say, “God, help me.”

The New Living Translation captures this meaning well: “God blesses those who realize their need for Him” (Matt. 5:3 NLT). We must be desperate for Jesus before we can begin to follow Him fully.

3 Things Poor in Spirit are not:

• It’s not a spiritual depression, it’s a spiritual desperation. Desperation drives us to dependence.
• It’s not a change in position but an awareness of condition. That condition is utter spiritual bankruptcy! We are all spiritually broke before a Holy God. We owe a debt we can’t pay off. Jesus paid that debt!
• It’s not the effect but the cause of spiritual transformation. This desperate dependency is the starting point of lordship.

2. Those who mourn. What does it mean? Those who mourn repent of their sin. If the poverty that Jesus referred to in the previous beatitude was in spirit not in the pocketbook, then the grieving that he is referring to here is not about personal loss, but personal sin. The mournful emotionally grieve over their condition. They are contrite. In other words, they see their sin. They know they are deserving of judgment. They are distressed over the condition of their soul. They recognize they are sinners in need of grace.

2nd change: is to mourn over our sinfulness. It’s our regret that we have proved a disappointment to Lord.



Blessed are those who Mourn, for they will be comforted.

1. We can never be comforted about that which we are unwilling to mourn. Mourning is an Emotional Release. (We all experience Pain, & We all need to be comforted)



2. Sin should break a Christian’s heart. This is a personal issue. I must be broken over MY own sin. Sorrow is a Natural Reaction to our Awareness of Sin, but Sorrow leads to Repentance. Repentance changes our hearts - We want to see people Reconciled not Exiled. So we don’t push people away from Jesus = We Plead with them to come to Christ.



3. Repentance of our own sin leads us to brokenness over the sins of others.



4. We weep FOR our sins, but we also weep FROM His forgiveness.



3. The meek. What does it mean? The meek have surrendered to God’s control. The word meek means strength under control. A gentleman comes close to grasping the essence of meekness. Such a person is an expert in the art of living. It is high praise, for such people are well-mannered, polite, balanced, and well-behaved.



3rd change: comes in our ability to control our strength, to control how one responds to events, people, and circumstances.



We Christians think way too much of ourselves (we need Humility). But when we Face our own Spiritual Bankruptcy, we see that our Best as Insufficient. Our Mourning then Develops a Humble Spirit of meekness. Galatians 6:14 “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” To follow Jesus is to deny self-gratification – to reject self-glorification. We are finished w/ Self & come to the end of our claim to Rights. John Bunyan reminds us “He that is down need fear no fall.” A Man can never be Meek until he’s Poor in Spirit…& has Mourned over his Sin.



4. Those who hunger and thirst. What does it mean? Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness yearn for more of God. Righteousness is a truly Christian lifestyle that changes us from the inside out, so that we no longer seek the praise of people, but causes us to seek God’s approval above everything else.



4th change: occurs with an intense desire and desperation to live a truly Christian lifestyle that changes us to seek God above all and before all.



What are you hungry for?

Just because you’re a believer doesn’t ensure you want the right things. We must Filter our Wants through God’s Will. Here’s the question - Should we have an undying hunger for more stuff? We will never have enough stuff. (b/c things can’t satisfy our hunger) The question is not IF you’ll get Hungry…but for what will you Hunger for? Our Flesh Longs to Gratify itself. (Apostle Paul Explained). Rm 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” The Flesh is not only Bound to Sin - It Likes to Sin -Even after we see its wrong – Part of us still wants to do it. A Man who Hungers & Thirsts for Righteousness… Has a Desire to Change his Desire (He is Sick of Sin). We want to be free from the power of sin, but it’s a constant fight. Sin is rarely an accident. We are Premeditated Sinners. Romans 7:18 “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Bottom Line: It’s not enough to be hungry. Christ alone can satisfy. How hungry are you? We are most often filled with that which we hunger for. FACT – We are Good at Fulfilling our Desires When we hunger for something – we find a way to be satisfied. So the Solution is to Change the object of our hunger. Where are you being fed? In every man there are 2 dogs fighting. The one you feed most wins.



A person cannot be a true disciple of Jesus without a definitive spiritual change that includes confession of need, repentance of sin, submissive trust, and a desire to be filled with the things of God. God Blesses Our Dependence On Him



II. God Blesses Our Actions Toward Others

Matthew 5:7-9

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.



The cross illustrates life in the kingdom of God.

A. The vertical bar is our relationship with God. When we recognize our spiritual poverty, mourn over our sin, gently submit to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and hunger and thirst for His righteousness—our vertical relationship with God is realigned, and all is well between God and us.



B. The horizontal bar is our relationship with others. Our vertical relationship impacts our horizontal relationships with others. Verses 7-9 shows us what happens in horizontal relationships as a result.



Let’s look at the next 3 blessing:



5. The merciful. What does it mean? The merciful put love into action. The merciful demonstrate by their actions an emotional response to the needs of others. It means to feel the pain of another person so deeply that you are compelled to do something about it. Those who receive mercy from God are responsible to act with mercy toward others.



5th change: demands that we act. Mercy is not simply a gushy sentimental feeling for those who hurt. It is back-straining, time-consuming involvement in the lives of others. It’s lighting a candle in a dark room. Mercy is Christianity with boots on. “Go and do.” That is always God’s word to the believer.







6. The pure in heart. What does it mean? The pure in heart cleanse themselves of all sin and desire to live a purified life. The Greek word for pure is katharos which means to be clean through the removal of contamination, in much the same way that we would say that something is free of germs, uncontaminated. The “pure heart” is one that is free from the contamination of sin. Those who have experienced spiritual cleansing are blessed with divine revelation.



6th change: is to cleanse ourselves of unmixed motives and concealed agendas. Our hearts are unadulterated and vulnerable.





7. The peacemakers. What does it mean? The peacemakers actively pursue peace. Peacemaking is a divine work. God is the author of peace. And, Jesus is the supreme Peacemaker. Jesus came to establish peace; His message explained peace; His death purchased peace; and His resurrected presence enables peace.



7th change: is to pursue all the beauty and blessedness of God upon another. The radicalness of Christ’s call to peacemaking demands a radical remaking of human personality. One must first have a profound experience of God’s peace. No one can become a peacemaker until they have found peace themselves. We cannot give what is not real to us. Peacemaking begins with an experience of peace in our own hearts.



What’s our lesson point? Choose actions and attitudes that are blessed by God.

• When we choose these attitudes toward other people, we stand in sharp distinction to the world.
• While so many are chasing their own happiness at the expense of others, true blessing is found in giving ourselves for the sake of others.

God blesses our Actions toward others.



III. God Blesses Us In The Face Of Persecution

Matthew 5:10 -12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.




This is the first time in these verses that Jesus gave a command. What is it?

• Rejoice and be glad.

Persecution is the badge of the believer!




8. The persecuted. What does it mean? Those who are persecuted can expect ridicule and harassment. It comes with the territory. It acknowledges the character transformation.



8th change: is to rejoice in the midst of persecution because it identifies us with Christ.







Living the Beatitudes is no casual shift of attitude.

• It is a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the new. The radical change results in greater joy. Until this reconstruction takes place in the heart the conduct of our lives will not change. Unless we “be” something, we can’t “do” anything. In other words, if the Beatitudes are not our character then the rest of the Sermon on the Mount will not be our conduct.

Christians are different; they are distinct. They display that distinction in their dependence on God, their actions toward others, and the way they respond to difficulties.



So, are you ready to find something bigger than a happy life?



Choose this day - actions and attitudes that are blessed by God.








LIVE IT OUT

What steps will you take this week to seek our blessing rather than mere happiness? Consider the following suggestions:

• Allow God’s Word to bless you. Memorize Matthew 5:3-6 and pray through Jesus’ words every day.
• Bless someone else by serving them. Choose one relationship this week in which you want to model what it means to be blessed. Serve that person in a tangible way.
• Allow someone else to bless you. Share with someone you trust about a tough situation you are walking through. Ask them to help you choose to be glad and rejoice in the middle of that situation.

Christians are different; they are distinct. They display that distinction in their dependence on God, their actions toward others, and the way they respond to difficulties.

Prayer of Commitment

Father, so help me choose attitudes and actions that are blessed by You and will demonstrate to others that I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Amen.

_________________________________

Hope to see you this Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan