Be-ATTITUDES

Every preacher has probably preached on the Beatitudes at some point in their time in the pulpit. There are probably a few people who can even quote them.  A lot of people reading the Gospel of Matthew probably skim over these nine verses just to get past them since the passage is so familiar.  The verses can even be found on knick-nacks at a discount store. Nothing here to waste time on.  HOLD ON a minute, turns out Jesus had a lot to say about the ATTITUDES prevalent in our society right now. There are more solutions in this passage than in any other media available.  What? Well, take a better look at it ONE VERSE AT A TIME.

Matthew 5:3-11 are the BE - ATTITUDES…

1) BE POOR IN SPIRIT – Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

How do you think of yourself?  In humility or pride? If in humility, then what form of humility?

There is vanity when one considers how much was sacrificed in giving.  Being proud of how much offering was given or how wonderful it was of us to give those groceries to the needy.  Being proud of how “un-wealthy” we are is just as bad as King Midas counting every one of his gold coins.

Be poor but not proud.  Job was as thankful for the “taking away”; as he was for “the giving”!

Be humble and lowly.  Matthew Henry puts it this way:  “accommodate ourselves to our poverty…not in pride or prejudice….not throwing away what God has given us…be as little children in our opinion of ourselves…”

2) BE MOURNFUL – Receive comfort

Has this verse ever been used for anything other than during the occasion of the death of someone?

We are to be mournful.  Not the sorrow of life in this world but mournful over sin.  We must feel the sorrowfulness for our sins.  Sins which were paid for by the high cost of a blood sacrifice.  Mournful enough that we are apologetic for our sinful nature. Life must be lived in repentance.

There is a second reason for being mournful.  We need to have sorrow for the sins of others.  Do you feel the sorrow watching your fellow man wallow in his depravity?  Jesus did.  That is why he blessed those who mourn.  In Luke 19:41, Jesus wept over Jerusalem and its “state/condition”.

3) BE MEEK - and inherit the earth

This word IS NOT even a part of our vocabulary today.  What does it mean?  You have heard the expression: “Google it”.  Well do that and you will find this definition:

 “quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive”

That entire definition is so opposed to what is broadcasted from every angle of culture and society.  Look for an example of a person around that fits this description of being meek.  How many can you list?

For a follower of God, this one should hit them in some sensitive areas of their lifestyle and attitudes. What a directive on how a child of God should live and conduct themselves daily. It is also a VERY SIMPLE answer from God on how we should be reacting to the strange chaos we are finding ourselves living in today.

Then there is submissive.  An entire paper can be written on that.  Submission is expected to both authority here on earth and in heaven.  We are expected to be submissive in our homes, marriages, jobs, and authorities.

This is “Quiet Submission” to God and man. Not boastful about that submission or humility.  Calling attention to the fact that you are being submissive is false humility.  Titus 3:1-2 dictates that we are to be gentle in dealings with the evil of men.  Not allowing ourselves to being provoked.  OUCH, does that mandate what our reaction is to look like?

4) BE HUNGRY AND THIRSTY FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS – and you will be filled

Thriving constantly for purity.  Not for perfection.  When are you hungry?  Have you ever missed more than one meal?  Your stomach starts talking to you.  When you have that kind of desire for God’s Word and for being in the presence of God you are getting closer.  Unlike eating food, you will never reach a full “stomach” until you are standing before the throne of God.  Our goal is to be as much like Jesus as possible without the self-righteousness displayed by the Pharisee in scripture.

5) BE MERCIFUL – and you will obtain mercy

How quick are we to snap a response at the actions of those we see on media today? We are very quick at pronouncing our judgment.  This does not mean or dictate we condone a sinful life style.  A sinful life will send the soul to Hell. Period, end of story!  BUT, there is NO SOUL THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE SAVED! 

How much do we assume the afflictions, problems or needs of others?  To little time in our seemingly busy schedule to bother with them.  Where is the compassion and care for our fellow man?  Scripture is filled with examples of mercy.  There were those who lowered their friend through the roof just to be healed.  Boaz allowed Ruth to get food from his fields.  It is also filled with those who treated lepers as outcasts and did not show mercy.  Which form of mercy do you display?

6) BE PURE IN HEART – and you will see God

Cleanliness of the heart.  If your heart has never made a commitment to Christ, then none of this will mean anything to you.  The first thing needed is a heart that has been totally surrendered to God and has agreed to Him being the master of everything.  Once that has happened, priorities begin to change and these Be-Attitudes begin to make sense.

7) BE A PEACEMAKER – to be called the children of God

Are we striving to obtain peaceful solutions or are we always an instigator to say or do something to cause dissention or unrest.

8) BE RIGHTEOUS AND PREPARED FOR PERSECUTION

This covers both blatant persecution and the suffering that comes as a result of standing for the righteousness of God. Persecution WILL COME for adherence to righteousness!

Those living in America have not known true persecution. Are they prepared for it?  There are those who have given their lives for the Gospel.  Persecution can come in many forms from simple name calling and false accusations. However, are you prepared for persecution that results in not having food on the table or a home to live?  How about the loss of a job to pay the bills UNLESS you agree to a lifestyle or organization that denies Biblical principles?

Remaining true to convictions and righteousness is the most difficult of all these.  Being rooted in God’s word will be the greatest weapon available to the children of God.

Each of these BE-ATTITUDES builds upon one another. They were not spoken by Jesus to be used as just another common liturgy or as a cute plague on the wall of an office. Better read them slowly again and pay more careful attention to them before quoting them.

Where's The Beef?

Paul states in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3   “….I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able…….:

The Corinthian church was not able to handle anything to complicated regarding spiritual truth because they could not yet handle the simple basics of God’s word.

Hebrews 5:11-12   “….ye are dull of hearing……ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God…..

What are the “first principles of the oracles of God”?  Without getting into a doctrinal discussion regarding what was the “first oracles” established by scripture; let me submit this idea for consideration. It may simply have been Paul’s way of stating that they needed someone to teach them the “basics”.  How simple is that thought?

Now, let’s look at 2Timothy 2:14-16.  We sometimes enjoy quoting verse 15 at the expense of the verses before and after it.  “….strive not about words to no profit……rightly dividing the word of truth……shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness”

How can an individual; regardless of age, have spiritual growth without training in the Bible?  Yes, people are indeed responsible for reading the Bible and making it an object of personal study. However, that does not remove the responsibility of the church from doing EVERYTHING possible to provide that “basic” training. 

When an individual enlists in the military, they go through Basic Training.  Why is it different in God’s Army?  The educational system has continually changed the methods they use for teaching in our public schools.  Have they been successful?  The church system has spent decades following the example of the schools.  Instead of being a role model and sticking to basics, the church has attempted for decades to keep up with public education by employing the latest and greatest teaching tools.  Why does God’s church emulate the world?

What happened to the basics? God provided all the lessons and teaching aids we needed in the Bible. Somewhere along the line the object lessons from Abraham and Jacob were not good enough.  The church felt it needed to “enhance” the experience with video and study guides from the latest popular author. The body of Christ went from using these things as enhancement tools to using them as total replacement for the stories in the Bible.

The Christian church has a belief that if it does not offer a Bible Study/Class using the latest number one bestseller; then it will suffer a drop in attendance numbers. What a shame to the Gospel, Jesus and his disciples shared the Gospel message with thousands at a time, but they also shared it when there was only one in attendance.  Did they worry about how many attended their “presentation” of the message?  I have this image of Paul walking into the church of Corinth and telling the congregation that he can’t preach his message on the salvation of the Cross because the guest musician had not performed his concert yet.  He could not share God’s message until the required twenty minutes of game time had occurred to quiet the hyper-active children.  How absurd!  The presentation of God’s Word does not require any condition of tranquility or comfort of its speakers or listeners.

The Gospel has been shared on a sinking ship in the midst of a turbulent storm, during the noise of a rock concert, to a dying man on the upheaval of a battlefield.  Why do we think we need any less in church?

Attend any Sunday or Weekly children’s program and watch as they play the latest game craze or watch the latest music or Internet video sensation!  I wonder how many paper cups the Israelite children could stack in a minute.  I can just see the 12 tribes practicing their flash mob performance for 40 years, so that they were ready for their huge performance in front of the walls of Jericho!

This is sounding harsh and it is intended to.  I cannot state how many hours of “programs” I have witnessed taking place in churches during a typical week from Sunday to Saturday.  There are programs for practicing holiday performances, guns safety, doll making, game time on the X-Box and PlayStation.

Programs ARE FINE!  Yes, they are excellent TOOLS.   But they are only tools.  They are the “MILK” that Paul referred to.   A famous television commercial once asked: “Where’s the Beef?”  Where is the MEAT in our churches?  How many decades and centuries do we need to go before we start providing meat and not milk to the children of God?  How many hours are used for tools in comparison to actually reading a lesson DIRECTLY from the Bible?

I can hear Sunday Teachers, Children and Youth Ministers screaming right now that they DO share the message while using these tools.   I am not debating that point.   If that is all these ministers can take away from these scripture passages that Paul writes; then I am afraid that this message falls on deaf ears.

Need a real world example to illustrate this point?  Do an old time “Bible Quiz”.  Give the enclosed Quiz to an entire church congregation.  A congregation being defined as everyone regardless of their age.  All they need is the ability to read.  Once it has been taken and returned check the percentage of correct answers per age groups (12 and under) (13-18) (19-30) (31-50) (51-over).  Watch how fast the percentage of correct answers goes down as the age group nears the 12 and under age!

Once upon a time we use to have Sunday School classes for ALL ages, Sunday night and Wednesday night church times. All of which used the Bible as the MAIN study source.  We had Easter and Christmas Pageants each year WITHOUT having to cancel all the other weekly Bible times.

I have heard the following statement made repeatedly: “We do not want to offend those that may visit our church.”

I have news for all the churches out there.  You had better read Revelations and especially chapters 2-3 and determine what kind of church you are!

THE WORD OF GOD IS OFFENSIVE!

It offends me each and every time I open it.  This offending use to be called by another name. That name was: conviction.  The church lost its ability to convict the sinner when it began being afraid that it may offend the sinner!

Instead of chasing sin out of the holy sanctuary, we have invited it in.  Preaching Love has replaced Preaching Conviction.  There are plenty of sermons out there on moral sin.  Are there any sermons about the sin of disrespect to the Holy Tabernacle (God’s House)?  When was the last time anyone felt convicted of what they wore or carried into the House of God?  If you were invited as a guest to the U.S. White House in Washington or the Palace of the Queen; what would you do?  What would you wear?  What would you have on your person (cell phone, coffee)?

How much more important is the House of the Lord?  I still shiver at the thought of standing before my God in his house wearing my NFL Jersey and holding a Cappuccino in my hand! Do we come before God with our best face forward?  Two sons of Aaron are struck dead for offering strange fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10).  Cain’s offering was not the best he could have given and God did not respect it (Genesis 4).   Someone will say that this kind of God is too strict and to demanding.  The church cannot preach this kind of God.

WHY NOT?

We have too many weaklings in the church!  I for one DO NOT and WILL NOT serve a God who is not strict like this.  If he is not, then what kind of a flaky God is he?  If I am going to commit my life to follow a SUPREME, MAJESTIC, OMMI-EVERYTHING God; then he better act like one.

Otherwise, why not find a statue somewhere to follow and serve!

WDK

 

BIBLE QUIZ – Who Am I?

OLD TESTAMENT

1. A man came and worked for my father for seven years to be allowed to marry me.  My father tricked him and gave him my sister for his wife. The man then worked seven more years before marrying me.

2. God told me that I would be the father of many nations. He also told me to sacrifice my son on an altar.

3. I was the first High Priest of Israel who also built a calf out of gold for the Israelites to worship

4. I hid two spies in my house and then helped the spies escape over the city wall with a scarlet cord

5. I had this testimony, that I pleased God and I was taken to heaven without seeing death

6. I was a King who was taller than any of my people. Samuel anointed me the first King of Israel

7. I interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar and was made ruler over Babylon

8. God gave me great strength to kill the Philistines and I also loved to play at riddles

9. I won a beauty contest and became Queen. God used me to save my people, the Jews

10. I asked God for wisdom and because of my wisdom my fame grew throughout the world. I also built a great temple for the Lord

11. I once killed a lion and a bear as I tended the sheep and also wrote many Psalms

12. I was one of 12 spies who went into Canaan. During a battle, I asked God to make the sun stand still, and he did.

13. I lived in Moab. When my husband died, I went with my mother-in-law to Israel, where I met and married Boaz

14. I was sold by my brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Once a slave in Egypt, I was able to help my family during a terrible famine.

NEW TESTAMENT

15. I was a priest in Israel who did not believe the angel when he said I was to have a son and I was stricken mute.

16.  I was a woman who lived in Joppa. I was known for my good works and helping the widows. After I died, Peter prayed and told me to open my eyes and I did

17. I was a brother of James, a son of Zebedee. I became a disciple and was known as “The Beloved Disciple”

18. I did great wonders and miracles among the people and was brought before the council where I preached to them from Abraham down through the death of Jesus. Because of my witness, I was stoned to death. Before dying, I asked the Lord to “not lay this sin to their charge”
19. As a young man my mother Eunice taught me from the Bible.  I became Paul’s helper and later as Pastor of a church, Paul would write to me “Study to show thyself approved unto God …”

20. I was a ruler in the synagogue who asked Jesus to heal my little daughter. However, my daughter died before Jesus reached my house, but he raised her from the dead.

21. I was governor of Judea when Jesus was brought for judgment. I told the Jews that I found no fault in the man and washed my hands in front of them.

22. I was a secret follower of Jesus from the city of Arimathaea. After Jesus died, I asked for his body and put it into my own tomb.

23. I was a preacher in Judea, thrown into prison and beheaded by King Herod. I baptized many people in the river Jordan

24. I was one of the 12 disciples’. I took care of the money for Jesus and the disciples.  When a woman anointed Jesus feet, I asked why the ointment was not sold and money given to the poor.

25. My two sisters and I lived in Bethany and were great friends of Jesus.  When I got sick, my sisters sent for Jesus but I died before he came. Jesus called my name and I got up and walked out of my tomb.

26. I was a blind beggar that lived near Jericho who cried out when Jesus came near. Jesus told me that my faith had made be whole and I was healed