Elements City Church
The Good Life - Beatitudes wk1
The Beatitudes set forth the blessings God gives to those he is working in—blessings given not as a reward for our merit, but as a gift of His grace. Here is a Christian value system and God’s kingdom ethical standard—all of which are often at odds with those of the non-Christian world in which humanity functions. Blessed are those that recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and thus their need for dependency upon Christ and his gifts of grace. They will experience the God-life and a true good life.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Thanks for being with us tonight...
Whether you're in the house or joining us online from your house, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to your soul and that you know you're loved. May God whisper to you and help you in taking your next steps in a journey with Him.
http://elementscitychurch.orgJesus’ teaching on what it means to find godly happiness and the God-lived life! And that the God-life is better than what the world tries to push as the good life!
The Sermon (Matthew ch. 5-7) is probably the best-known part of the teachings of Jesus. It is also perhaps the least understood.
It is Jesus’ own description of what he wanted his followers to be and do.
Here is a Christian value system, and God’s kingdom ethical standard—all of which are often at odds with those of the non-Christian world in which humanity functions.
The Sermon (Matthew ch. 5-7) is probably the best-known part of the teachings of Jesus. It is also perhaps the least understood.
It is Jesus’ own description of what he wanted his followers to be and do.
Here is a Christian value system, and God’s kingdom ethical standard—all of which are often at odds with those of the non-Christian world in which humanity functions.
The Beatitudes set forth the blessings God gives to those he is working in—blessings given not as a reward for our merit, but as a gift of His grace.
Though the Greek can and does mean “happy,” it is lacking to limit it too: “happy”. Happiness is a subjective state, whereas Jesus is making an objective judgment about these people. He is declaring not what they may feel like (happy) but what God thinks of them and what on that account they are: they are “blessed.”
"It has been well said, 'The Beatitudes describe the attitudes that ought to be in the believer's life.’”
We do well to note: they are the be-attitudes, not do-attitudes.
Though the Greek can and does mean “happy,” it is lacking to limit it too: “happy”. Happiness is a subjective state, whereas Jesus is making an objective judgment about these people. He is declaring not what they may feel like (happy) but what God thinks of them and what on that account they are: they are “blessed.”
"It has been well said, 'The Beatitudes describe the attitudes that ought to be in the believer's life.’”
We do well to note: they are the be-attitudes, not do-attitudes.
Quote:
“The Beatitudes simply cannot be ‘good news’ if they are understood as a set of ‘how-to’s’ for achieving blessedness. They would only amount to a new legalism. They would impose a new brand of Phariseeism, a new way of closing the door - — some new possibilities for the human engineering of righteousness.”
~Dallas Willard
“The Beatitudes simply cannot be ‘good news’ if they are understood as a set of ‘how-to’s’ for achieving blessedness. They would only amount to a new legalism. They would impose a new brand of Phariseeism, a new way of closing the door - — some new possibilities for the human engineering of righteousness.”
~Dallas Willard
In the New Testament, the Greek word for blessed is makários; and it means to be in a state of happiness.
*makários - “refers to the highest type of well-being possible for human beings”
*makários - “refers to the highest type of well-being possible for human beings”
series takeaway:
The pursuit of the good life (that this world says to seek) will ultimately let you down, but the pursuit of the God-life will lead to real joy and true blessing.
The pursuit of the good life (that this world says to seek) will ultimately let you down, but the pursuit of the God-life will lead to real joy and true blessing.
Being poor in spirit means to see your spiritual bankruptcy, so that you can make room for the treasures of Christ...
We must live humbly before God, PRIDE must never call the shots in our lives!
We must live humbly before God, PRIDE must never call the shots in our lives!
Happy are the beggars for only they receive the unending riches of Christ.
Apostle Paul writes:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.(2 Corinthians 8:9)
WE NEED JESUS - recognize our spiritual bankruptcy without HIM, stay continually dependent upon him!
John 15:4-5 - Jesus teaches us:
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
Apostle Paul writes:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.(2 Corinthians 8:9)
WE NEED JESUS - recognize our spiritual bankruptcy without HIM, stay continually dependent upon him!
John 15:4-5 - Jesus teaches us:
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!
(Ps. 32:1)
But for many of us - we feel shame in recognizing our spiritual poverty! SO, we try to go to work to pay off our debt on our own!
We don’t like too NEED. We like to be self-sufficient, self-reliant - that’s why PRIDE is such a struggle in our humanity…
Quote:
"Just as oil and water don’t mix, God’s grace and our pride do not mix. Pride keeps us blind to our need for grace. It keeps us self-reliant and resistant to God’s grace. Only a heart emptied of pride can be filled with grace." -Dr. Derwin Gray
(Ps. 32:1)
But for many of us - we feel shame in recognizing our spiritual poverty! SO, we try to go to work to pay off our debt on our own!
We don’t like too NEED. We like to be self-sufficient, self-reliant - that’s why PRIDE is such a struggle in our humanity…
Quote:
"Just as oil and water don’t mix, God’s grace and our pride do not mix. Pride keeps us blind to our need for grace. It keeps us self-reliant and resistant to God’s grace. Only a heart emptied of pride can be filled with grace." -Dr. Derwin Gray
Jesus lived his entire life, and every moment of his life, in complete dependence on his Heavenly Father, because apart from him, he had nothing, and could do nothing.
In the gospel of John - there are 13 times in which Jesus explicitly confesses his total and absolute dependence on his heavenly Father.
In the gospel of John - there are 13 times in which Jesus explicitly confesses his total and absolute dependence on his heavenly Father.
Admitting that we're needy and dependent doesn't come easily to human beings in general, and it certainly doesn't come easily to well-fed,
well-educated, upwardly mobile Americans.
Self-improvement is a billion dollar industry in this country.
*”Poor in spirit" doesn't play well in the corporate world, on the athletic field, in the political arena, or in the living rooms of our homes…
Needy, dependent, and desperate is about the last thing in the world we want to be. But until we are; Jesus says, the Kingdom of heaven isn't available to us.
well-educated, upwardly mobile Americans.
Self-improvement is a billion dollar industry in this country.
*”Poor in spirit" doesn't play well in the corporate world, on the athletic field, in the political arena, or in the living rooms of our homes…
Needy, dependent, and desperate is about the last thing in the world we want to be. But until we are; Jesus says, the Kingdom of heaven isn't available to us.
Being poor in spirit means to see your spiritual bankruptcy, so that you can make room for the treasures of Christ!
activity:
OPEN UP YOUR PHONE to a NEW NOTE:
MATTHEW 5:3: blessed are the poor in spirit… take a min to reflect and write a note of what you sense the Lord is saying to YOU! We’re going to engage in this simple practice to help each of us grow in our faith. Put our faith to action in the days ahead
What’s the one things that stuck out to you today - the the Spirit is impressing upon you - we want to take 1 min. To REFLECT…listen and lean in...
activity:
OPEN UP YOUR PHONE to a NEW NOTE:
MATTHEW 5:3: blessed are the poor in spirit… take a min to reflect and write a note of what you sense the Lord is saying to YOU! We’re going to engage in this simple practice to help each of us grow in our faith. Put our faith to action in the days ahead
What’s the one things that stuck out to you today - the the Spirit is impressing upon you - we want to take 1 min. To REFLECT…listen and lean in...
Thanks for partnering with us...
Elements family: thank you for enabling us to BE the Church in our city - especially in this moment. Your gifts help fuel the mission and our capacity to share His love with as many as we can. You help us bring the HOPE and LIGHT of Jesus to our city! You can give here, online, or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/give/We'll see you back at Elements next weekend or online as we continue our series on the Beatitudes and how Jesus said to find and pursue happiness and the blessed life!