A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Pastor Andrew introduces us to Philippians 2:6-11 and Paul’s Master Story – a story that you and I are invited to participate in.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
From time to time all of us come up against situations that seem like more than we can handle. Judy Mandl reflects on Jeremiah 32:17 and reminds us that nothing is too difficult for God.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel Blanchard reflects on 2 Samuel 7:28-29 and challenges us to follow the example of so many heroes of the faith who have walked before us, and enter into a covenant with God. It’s not complicated, it can begin with a simple prayer, and impact not only our own generation but also generations to follow.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Joshua 1, Philippians 2:5 and Ephesians 1:3, Judy Mandl reminds us that sometimes stepping out in faith, means stepping into what God has already given us.
A message from the series “Upside Down.” Sermon Manuscript: Upside Down Message 3- Blessed Are The Meek
Sermon preached by Dr. Rick Mandl, Eagle Rock Baptist Church, July 4 & 5, 2020 Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Welcome! Today we’re continuing our series “40 Days With Jesus.” It’s our 40 Day study of Jesus Sermon on the Mount and this weekend we’re looking at what Jesus had to say about “Jesus on Success.”
Success is something that all of us want, but it’s also something that’s difficult to define because it means different things to different people. How would YOU define success? What would success look like in your life? That question was put to some people on the street and here’s what they said. (VIDEO) The dictionary defines success as – “The attainment of wealth, fame and power.” And for most people, their definition of success includes one or more of those three.
King Solomon who was the WEALTHIEST… The most FAMOUS… And the most POWERFUL king in his time chased after and obtained all three of those and he also watched others as they pursued them. Here’s what he said, “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success by their envy of their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless, like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:4).
Today I want us to look at what Jesus says a person needs to do to be successful. Matthew 5:5, it’s your memory verse for this week. And there he says, “Blessed are the meek…” And underline that word “Meek.” “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:3-6). Now if you’ll think about it for a second I think you’ll agree that no matter how you slice it… Owning the entire earth is success would meet most people’s definition of success. And that’s what makes this one of the strangest verses in the Bible. We don’t usually think of “meekness” as a pre-requisite for success. We look around and what we more often see is that… It’s the WEALTHY… It’s the FAMOUS and It’s the POWERFUL who wind up controlling things. But you need to notice that Jesus doesn’t say that the meek will TAKE OVER the earth, but rather that it will BE GIVEN TO THEM. It will be given to them as AN INHERITANCE. It is not earned, it is a gift. It’s something that we’re blessed with when we live a life that is pleasing to God. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” This is arguably the most misunderstood of all the beatitudes.
What does it mean to be “meek”? We may not know what it means. But what we do know is this. Whatever it meekness is, we’re pretty sure we don’t want it. I mean think about it. Imagine that you are someone who has worked for me in the past, and you ask me if I can write you a letter of recommendation. And in that letter I say I have had the pleasure of working with PHIL for the past 2 ½ years. And while PHIL has many outstanding qualities as an employee, the one thing that sets PHIL apart from everyone else I have ever worked with is his “MEEKNESS”. Of all the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with, I’ve never met anyone who is “MEEKER’ than PHIL. He is by far the MEEKEST person I’ve ever met. You might not take that as a ringing endorsement. And again the reason is that we MISUNDERSTAND “MEEKNESS.”
To understand what it meekness is, it helps to know what it’s not. What it’s not: WEAKNESS. The dictionary won’t help you on this one, because once again if you look up the definition what you’ll see are things like… “PATIENT AND MILD.” “TOO SUBMISSIVE,” “EASILY IMPOSED UPON,” “SPINELESS AND SPIRITLESS.” That’s what the word has come to mean today… But it’s not what The Greek Word that Jesus used in this Beatitude means… What the word meant was… What it is: POWER UNDER CONTROL. The word was used to describe a MIGHTY STALLION whose power had been harnessed so that it would respond to the command of its master. The word meek was used to describe a WIND… Not the wind of a hurricane that was raging out of control… But a wind that sailors could look to, to fill their sails and propel their ship.
ARISTOTLE defined meekness this way. He said meekness – DEFINES A MAN WHO IS ANGRY ON THE RIGHT OCCASION WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT MOMENT FOR THE RIGHT LENGTH OF TIME — Interesting how he said part of MEEKNESS is “ANGER.” But an anger that is under control. One way to understand the word is to look at some examples of it in the Bible. Examples of Meekness…
The first we see is Moses. In Numbers 12 and verse 3 it says that, “Moses was very humble – more humble than any other person on earth” (Numbers 12:3). That word “humble” is our word “MEEK.” Same word! What is PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT in this example of Moses, is the CONTEXT in which that statement is made. This verse describes a time when Moses’ sister MIRIAM and his brother AARON were criticizing him. Numbers 12:1-2 tells us that Miriam and Aaron began to talk trash about Moses because he had married a woman they didn’t approve of, Miriam and Aaron use this opportunity to rile up the people — they say “Hey this isn’t the only guy who ought to be in charge…” “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. And then there is this parenthetical statement that would be easy to read right past… Moses was very meek. In fact he was more meek than anyone else on the earth. And then in the verses that follow it tells how the Lord rebuked Moses sister and brother… How he rebuked Miriam and Aaron… And how he vindicated his servant Moses. Now you look at that story and you ask “What is the point of calling Moses meek right here in this context — right between bitter opposition and God’s vindication? I think the point is that Moses, at least at this point in his life had his power under control. Just when we would expect the text to say that Moses defended himself against the slander that his brother and sister were bringing… Instead it says “He was the meekest man on the earth.” “He didn’t say a word.” “He waited patiently for the Lord.”
By the way do you know how the story ends? Do you know what the Lord did? He struck Moses brother and sister with leprosy, as a punishment for their rebellion against Moses. And again the reaction of Moses is important. I mean, put yourself in his shoes. If I knew there were people criticizing me, and God gave them leprosy, I would be tempted to say “Isn’t God good!” You are criticizing — and what does God do? He nails you. But – What does Moses do? He prays for them – He prays, and God in his grace says “Okay Moses, if that’s what you want we will put your sister outside the camp for just seven days and then after she has been outside the camp for seven days that will be discipline enough and she can come back in and be a part of us.”
Moses wasn’t perfect in his meekness – There were plenty of times when his anger was out of control. Like the time that he KILLED AN EGYPTIAN who was beating on one of Moses Hebrew brethren… Or the time when he came down from the mountaintop after meeting with God to receive the Ten Commandments only to find that while he was up on that mountain receiving the commandments, the people were busy at the foot of the mountain breaking them. And Moses was so angry that he took the tablets of stone that God had given him and smashed them on the ground. There were lots of times in his life when his anger was out of control, but at this point he lived in dependence on God. And that’s really what this word means…
For the believer meekness is: DEPENDING ON GOD. Not taking matters into your own hand, but trusting instead in the one who holds all things in his hand. And the one perfect example that we have of this in the Bible is Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-30, listen to how he describes himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” And that word “GENTLE” is our word meek. JESUS WAS A MEEK PERSON. Yet when you study his life you find that He wasn’t afraid to confront people. What was one of the first things he did when he came to the Temple in John 2? He grabbed a whip and he drove out the money changers who were ripping off the people who were coming to worship. At the end of the ministry we find the same thing happening, again only this time there is no indication he used a whip — he just went in without a whip, and turned over the tables. Jesus never defended his own rights, but he did defend the rights of his Heavenly Father.
What does a meek person look like? How does a meek person act? On your outline is a FIVE-PART ACROSTIC that sort of spells out what it means to have this quality of meekness. The ACROSTIC SPELLS OUT POWER. Meekness = Power. And I want us to think about 5 ways it should show in our lives P is for… PERSONALITY. People who are living in dependence on God are people who see their personalities more and more coming under God’s control. Our personalities are made up of the different character traits and qualities that make us who we are. Some of those are positive, some of those are negative. So let’s think for a moment about character traits.
There are POSITIVE CHARACTER TRAITS that we like to see in other people? Things like… Honesty, integrity, kindness. These are some positive character traits. And then there are NEGATIVE character traits? And if none come to your mind right away maybe you can think of the person sitting next to you. What are some negative character traits that we don’t like to see? RUDENESS — TEMPER — All of us if we’re honest have some character traits that could stand some refining. We have some rough edges.
JESUS’ three closest friends had major character flaws and yet he didn’t give up on them. PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN were Jesus’ three best friends – within the 12 these were his inner circle. Luke chapter 9 kind of captures in a nutshell the personalities of these three. Jesus and the disciples were walking to Jerusalem and it was getting late so Jesus sent messengers ahead to see if they could get a room in the Motel 6 in Samaria. But when the Samaritans realized who it was who wanted to stay there — they didn’t want to have anything to do with them so they said “Sorry – – we’re full up – – there is no room for you in this town.” When the messengers came back, James and John were the first to learn of what had happened. So they came to Jesus and said, “What do you think Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and roast those people?” These were NOT GENTLE GUYS.
Another time James and John’s mommy came to Jesus and said “Lord I’ve got a favor to ask. I know that you are going to establish a kingdom. And I want to talk to you about the seating assignments in that kingdom. If it’s not too much trouble I’d like to request that my two sons will get the best seats – – – one at your right, the other at your left, in the two highest places of honor when you establish your kingdom.” These guys and their mom had a LITTLE PROBLEM WITH LACK OF HUMILITY — it’s A CHARACTER FLAW.
And then there is PETER, the DISCIPLE WITH THE FOOT SHAPED MOUTH. Peter who said “Lord, even if everyone else deserts you — even if I have to die for you — I’ll be there for you — you can count on me.” And THEN OF COURSE HE WENT STRAIGHT OUT AND DENIED HIM. But in spite of all of those character flaws and failings and personality defects — Jesus saw the potential in them. And Jesus knew that if they would give him control over their personalities – If they would be honest and up front about the character defects in their lives – then God could change them and make them powerful agents for the kingdom of God. And that’s exactly what happened to those three. And it can happen to you and me if we allow God to do his transforming work on our personalities.
Philippians 4:5 instructs us… “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5). Gentle people are people whose personalities – whose character traits are under God’s control. I want to give you a challenge today, and that is to take the time this week to think about your personality and specifically about areas that maybe need to be honed off in your life — the things that God might want to work on to form you and shape you to become more like Jesus. Can’t think of any? Let me give you some help… If there’s an area of your life where people say, “Well you need to understand, that’s just the way that he is… That might be how you are… but it doesn’t mean that that’s how God wants you to stay. — I want to challenge you to commit those things to God. On the back of your notes it says, “MY NEXT STEP TODAY IS TO… Ask God to help me to depend on Him in the area of my… Personality. Allow him to change that area.
Paul writes to the Colossians and says… “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience may not be who you are, but they’re things God is calling you to become. Galatians 5 has list of things that God wants to grow in us. We call them “The Fruit Of The Spirit.” One of those is… “But the fruit of the Spirit is… gentleness” (Galatians 5:22).
As we grow in Christ, and he grows in us — it not only affects our PERSONALITY — but also our… OUTLOOK. I’m talking here about the way that we see other people. Outlook is a powerful factor in relationships. How we see other people will determine two things… It will determine our ATTITUDE toward them and it will also determine our ACTIONS. Philippians 2 tells us… “Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:4-5). Jesus is the model. When he came to earth it wasn’t TO BE SERVED, but TO SERVE. When your outlook comes under God’s control you find yourself becoming MORE UNDERSTANDING AND LESS DEMANDING. Peter writes… “Learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly…This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply” (2 Peter 1:6-7). People who haven’t given God control of their outlook, are for the most part very selfish people, and if you want to know one way to destroy any relationship — it’s to be selfish — it works every time. We become gentle when our OUTLOOK is under God’s control and we start to change – we become more understanding of others — more sensitive to their needs — not demanding our own all of the time.
Then the W in power is for… WORDS. The third characteristic of people who are living in dependence on God is that their words are under God’s control. All of us know the power in words – they can be used to hurt or they can be used to heal. If we could play back a tape of the conversations that you have had this past week would we find your words to be gentle or harsh? Paul wrote to Titus and said “Remind the people… “To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men” (Titus 3:2). Peter wrote… “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15). Are the words that we speak when we reach out to others words of gentleness?
There is a Catholic Monsignor, a father Joseph Murphy who tells the story of a group of nuns who attended a baseball game in a part of Texas where there were a lot of Southern Baptists who enjoyed picking on the Catholics. And so the nuns came in and sat down and began to watch the game and these guys in the back started to ridicule them saying “I think we ought to move to Oklahoma — I hear there are less Catholics there than there are here.” Another guy said “I think we ought to move over to Kansas I hear there are even less Catholics there.” And the other fellow said “I think we ought to go to Alaska I hear there are almost no Catholics there.” And one of the nuns turned around very sweetly and said “I think you fellows ought to go to hell – I hear there are no Catholics in hell.” Now was that power under control? I don’t know. Maybe even nuns need to work on gentleness in words. Gentle people are people whose words are under God’s control because they know the power of a carelessly spoken word.
Let me take you back to that question that I asked a couple of minutes ago… If we could replay a tape of the conversations that you have had this past week what would be discover about you through the words you’ve spoken. Would this be an area where you might need to apologize and say, “That’s just the way I am”? Or would this be an area where you’re words reflect Christ’s Lordship? If it’s an area where you’ve got room to grow, then make it your NEXT STEP this week to ask God to help you to depend on Him.
The “E” in P-O-W-E-R stands for… EXPECTATIONS. When someone disappoints you are you gentle or are you judgmental? If you are a Christian, then you know that there will be times when you will fail. Times when you will fall, and you will need someone to be there to help you up. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently” (Gal. 6:1). Notice, spiritual people restore in a spirit of gentleness. There’s a temptation to be judgmental, to be “Holier than Thou.” That’s a wrong response for a Christian to have toward a brother or sister in Christ who is struggling with sin. What’s your reaction to people when they mess up their lives? Do you secretly think, “I told you so, or I could see it coming, or it serves you right? Do you feel a sense of superiority? When the Prodigal Son came home after squandering half of his father’s wealth, with his head hung in shame, he fully expected to get blasted by his dad. But his dad didn’t say “See, I told you so — I knew you were a screw-up!” He greeted him with open arms and said “My boy is home.” He was gracious, not judgmental. Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2). If you feel tempted to judge another person, just stop to remember how much God has forgiven you. The more you recognize God’s grace to you, the more gracious and gentle you will be to others. Gentle people have their EXPECTATIONS under God’s control.
The “R” in power is… REACTIONS. It’s how we react to opposition. One of the litmus tests of spiritual maturity is how you handle people who disagree with you. Listen to what Paul says in his last letter to Timothy. “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…” (II Timothy 2:24-25). Again… “He must gently instruct”.
If you have opposition and people are against you, how do you react? Jesus is our example… “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). 1 Peter 2:23 says, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” There was a time when Jesus would stand up – for the rights of others and defend them but the incredible picture of the Lord’s power under control (his dependence on His Heavenly Father) is best seen during all of that arrest and trial and crucifixion — that’s the perfect picture of power under control. It’s a wonderful story — do you remember how it all began?
It was late at night and there was group of people — soldiers and scribes, and leaders and they were all coming with torches and weapons it says in John 18… And they come to Jesus and he initiates the conversation. He says “Who do you want?” And they say “We want Jesus of Nazareth.” And he says “I am he!” What happens to everybody? They all fall down on their wallets. Torches, swords, everything… They get back up and go “Who is this guy?” Peter suddenly realizes “Hey, I’ve got the Lord on my side.” The Bible says he whips out his sword “Let’s get em” and cuts off a guy’s ear. Jesus rebukes him and says, “Peter you’ve got it wrong that’s not what this is about.” “I’ve got to drink the cup of suffering — I’ve got to go to the cross Peter — can’t you get it through your head?” So he takes the ear and heals the man and then goes on and allows these people to do whatever they want to Him. He allowed it – The power of the Son of God was set aside and he said “I’ve got to go through this because it’s part of the process of me paying the price of the sins of the world.” Amazing — and so Matthew tells us that Jesus in Matthew 26 had them spit in his face — other accounts say they covered his head and struck him with their fists — others slapped him and they said “Prophesy to us Christ — who hit you?”
In Matthew 27:27 – the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered a whole company of soldiers around him and they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him — they twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him and said “Hail, king of the Jews.” Then they spit on him. Then they took the staff and began to strike him on the head again and again. After they mocked him — they took off the robe — they put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. We hear about the flogging and the whipping but we sometimes forget the fact that all he had to do was speak “I am” and they would have fallen on their wallets – but He didn’t do it. That’s incredible power — He said “I’ll be quiet I am willing die.” God says to us sometimes in our lives “I’ve got a cross mission for you — your rights won’t be protected — don’t use your power – depend on me — and in that crucifixion greater things will happen.”
A person who is depending on God is someone who is able to control their reaction because they’ve surrendered it to God’s control. GRADE YOURSELF ON THIS ONE… Proverbs 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his own spirit than he who captures a city.” When it comes to your reactions Are you depending on God? Are you entrusting yourself to Him, or are you saying vengeance is mine?” Our memory verse for this week contains a great promise for those who depend on God… “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:3-6). What do you need in order to gain an inheritance?
I can think of two things… 1) Someone has to die. Or to be more specific, someone with some amount of wealth. People die every day, but not everyone leaves an inheritance. Some who have very little, don’t have anything to leave after their gone. Others try to live in such a way that whatever they have, they spend it all here. In order for you to gain an inheritance, someone who great wealth has to die. As you look at this beatitude, you realize that that has happened. Jesus died for you and for me, so that we could gain an inheritance, so that we could be what the Bible calls co-heirs, joint heirs.
But in order to receive an inheritance, you need more than just the death of someone with wealth. You need a second thing, and that is you need 2) A Relationship. To Inherit something requires a relationship. Earlier this month, Apple founder Steve Jobs died after a long battle with cancer. Even more tragic than his death as the age of 56, is the fact that we’re not sure of his eternal destiny. When it came to the question of his faith, biographers summed it up by saying “Raised Lutheran, died Buddhist.” Part of Steve Jobs legacy is that he served as the founder of one of the most successful companies of all time. Some of you may have seen the news report a couple of months ago that came out saying that Apple has more cash on hand than the United States government. By all estimations Steve Jobs died a very wealthy man. And yet, I don’t think any of you here today stand to inherit any of the money that Steve Jobs left behind. Regardless of how many Ipads, Ipods, or Iphones you may own, I don’t think you’re going to see any part of the inheritance that he left and the reason is that an inheritance requires more than the death of someone with great wealth… An inheritance requires 3)A Relationship.
You see, when we see God after we die, He is only going to ask us two questions. He is not going to ask how much money you made, or how many people knew who you were or how far you had advanced in your field. Those are all good things. Go for them. Be successful in each of those areas, but know that is not what God is going to ask you when you face Him after you die. Instead, He is going to ask you #1 What did you do with Jesus? Did you accept Him into your life? Did you accept the fact that He died on the cross so that your sins could be forgiven? Because the Bible says, that knowing Jesus is the only way to Heaven. That’s THE FIRST QUESTION – What did you do with Jesus?
And then A SECOND QUESTION #2 WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE? You see, the first question—WHAT DID YOU DO WITH JESUS—that determines your eternal destiny, whether you are in Heaven or not. The second question—WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE—determines your eternal reward. It determines what your reward will be in Heaven. How did you invest your life? Did you invest it in other people? Did you give God control of your life and live your life depending on Him? Or did you live for yourself? Seeking only fame, fortune and power. You see a wise person will have thought about how he used the things that God gave to him to make an eternal difference instead of spending his life worrying about accumulating more and more. Every day we make choices that demonstrate what it is we’re living for – whether it’s the here, or the hereafter. I love what the Martyred Missionary Jim Elliot said about this. “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” What’s sad is that so many of us do the opposite. We trade things that will last forever, for things that won’t. Jesus said, “You don’t have to do that.”
There are two paths. One is wide, it’s the one that most people choose. But it doesn’t lead to life. There is a narrow path, with a small gate, and that’s the path to true success. Let’s pray.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Take Every Thought CaptiveThursday July 2, 2020
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it says that… “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” What does it mean to take your thoughts captive? It simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself and life. It means that what you put in your mind has an effect on what you think.
Do you remember how, when you were a kid, you’d watch those scary movies, and then you’d have nightmares? It didn’t take long to realize that the way to avoid the nightmares was to stop watching that kind of movie. God has provided a way to overcome unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and gain the self-control you seek. It’s a matter of taking charge of your mind – His way.
A pastor friends of mine was sharing about what a Stanford University professor said about the thoughts we think. This professor was taking about the internet and he said, “It’s like we’ve developed a whole new blood supply in our culture. And like any other blood supply, in can deliver nutrients or it can deliver toxins. He said, “We have to learn that every thought you happen to have is not necessarily correct or true, but… Your emotions will take your thoughts and run with them, like a boat down a stream.” Again, these insights come from a Stanford Neurologist, sharing how our neural system is impacted by the thoughts we think – whether those thoughts are true or not. This is why it’s so important to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” But how do you do that?
Let me encourage you that one of the best ways is to run your thoughts through a filter. We’ve looked at one filter that scripture gives us in Philippians 4:8 where Paul writes… “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Embrace the thoughts that meet that criteria and reject the ones that don’t.
Maybe you could ask yourself some screening questions when it comes to the things you think about. We’re all familiar with screening questions. Living in the time of a global pandemic, there are certain questions that you’ll get asked again and again. I’ve been asked them when I’ve gone to the dentist. I’ve been asked them when I’ve gone to an appointment with my doctor. These are the same questions we ask of those coming to worship on Sunday mornings in our live service. We ask “has you or anyone in your household experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 24 hours: Fever or chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Fatigue, Muscle or body aches, Headache, New loss of taste or smell, Sore throat, Congestion or runny nose, Nausea or vomiting, Diarrhea. We use this as a filter, checking those who enter in to worship for any dangerous symptoms,
In the same way I’d encourage you to use a filter when it comes to your thoughts in order to see if there are any untrue or dangerous things in your thoughts. Ask some questions about the things you’re thinking about.
Questions like…
Is this even true?
And even if it is true – is it helpful?
There are a lot of things that are true, but they’re not necessarily helpful to dwell on.
And does thinking about this, lead me to become more like Jesus – and if so in what way?
Put your thoughts through that screening process and I believe that will help you to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – and that’s the goal
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
God’s desire for each of us is that the longer we walk with Him, the more we would become like Him, but it’s not automatic. Reflecting on Hebrews 5:12-14 Judy Mandl reminds us of what it takes to mature in Christ.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Pastor Andrew continues to lead us through the book of Philippians, today focusing on Philippians 2:5. What does it mean for us to “have the mind of Christ?” Pastor Andrew addresses that question, and in the process helps us to understand that it’s not as intimidating an idea as it might sound.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Psalm 57:1 Judy Mandl reminds us that God is our refuge in times of storm. But it’s what we do once the sun is shining again, that reveals a lot about our relationship with Him.
A message from the series “Upside Down.” Sermon Manuscript: Upside Down Message 2- Blessed Are Those Who MournSermon preached by Dr. Rick Mandl, Eagle Rock Baptist Churc, June 27 & 28, 2020Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Last week we began our Upside-Down series during which we are looking at the portions of scripture known as the Beatitudes, found at the start of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. This sermon took place early in Jesus’ ministry. Let’s look at the context starting at Matthew 4 and verse 23. “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.” Jesus has been travelling around teaching about the good news about the kingdom of God, and healing all kinds of diseases and ailments. As you can imagine, this drew a lot of followers. After all, who wouldn’t want to follow someone who can heal you if you are sick, drive out demons when you are possessed, and who announces good news of God’s kingdom when you are being oppressed by the Roman government?
Wanting to address this crowd of followers, Jesus went up on a hill, sat down, and began to speak to them. And I think what He said must have come as a shock to His listeners. Let’s read these verses again: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Last week we looked at the first Beatitude… Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We saw that to be poor in spirit means that we have an accurate understanding of our own spiritual poverty, and of the fact that we need the forgiveness that God offers. That’s the starting point. And then, having become His children, we endeavor to live a life that puts God’s Kingdom first. We saw that the place to start is to …
Give God the first part of your day
Give God the first part of your week
Give God the first part of your finances and
Give God the first part of your relationships
Today we are going to look at the second Beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Imagine the thoughts of the crowd, when they heard those words… “First He says we have to be poor in spirit to be blessed… Now He’s telling us we have to mourn? Neither of those things seem very “blessed.” Let’s have some more miracles, Jesus, that’s what we’ve come to see!” Blessed are they that mourn? This seems like the most paradoxical of the beatitudes. Is Jesus really saying … “Happy are the sad?” It makes no sense. So let’s dig a little deeper and consider
What is it we’re supposed to mourn?
We mourn our own sinfulness.
This second Beatitude flows naturally from the first. When we recognize our own spiritual poverty, mourning is the logical reaction. Theologian William Barclay explains it this way: “Blessed is the man who is moved to bitter sorrow at the realization of his own sin. The way to God is the way of the broken heart. Penitence is the first act of the Christian life, and penitence is sorrow.”
There is an episode in the life of King David which illustrates this. You remember David – the one who single-handedly stood up against the giant Goliath to defend the name and reputation of God. David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet David was also a man who sinned greatly, and who mourned his own sin. 2 Samuel 11 and 12 tells us how it happened. David was hanging out in Jerusalem at a time when hi troops were off at war. One night he couldn’t sleep so he went out for a walk on the roof of his palace. Looking down, he saw a woman bathing, an unusually beautiful woman. Her name was Bathsheba. He had her brought to his house and he slept with her, knowing full well that she was married to one of his soldieres who was out at battle. The woman became pregnant and David came up with a plan to cover up what he had done. He called Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, back to Jerusalem and after enquiring how the battle was going, he told Uriah to go home, wash up, and rest. David was counting on Uriah going home, and sleep with his wife, thereby explaining her pregnancy. However, the next morning, David found out that Uriah had not gone home. He had slept at the David’s palace entrance with the other palace guard. When David questioned him, Uriah said, “How could I go home and enjoy being with my wife, when my brothers in arms are in danger, sleeping out in an open field? “ So David tried again. He had Uriah stay another night, and this time he got him drunk and then sent him home. But, even in his drunken state, Uriah did not go home to his wife. He again slept with the palace guard.
In desperation, David tried another tactic, he sent Uriah back to battle with a note for the commanding general. He told the commander to put Uriah at the front of the battle line, and then withdraw the other troops from him so that Uriah would be killed. And that’s exactly what the commander did, and Uriah was indeed killed in the battle. After an acceptable time, David brought Bathsheba to his house, and took her as one of his wives. Bathsheba had a son, and I imagine David heaved a sigh of relief that his plan had worked, and his sin had not been discovered. He had covered it up, and successfully swept it under the rug. But you can’t hide things from God, no matter how elaborately you try. God sent his prophet, Nathan, to David. And to make a long story short, Nathan confronts David about his sin, and David repents. Listen to some of David’s words of grief over his sin: From Psalm 38 “My guilt overwhelms me – it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.” And from Psalm 51 “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just” (Psalm 51:2-4). When we are confronted with God’s holiness, and who He calls us to be as His children, and then we see our own sinfulness – we mourn.
Just like Isaiah did when he had a vision of God sitting on the throne in His temple. Isaiah 6:5: Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Just like the tax collector did when with downcast eyes, he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner.” Just like Paul did when confronted with his own propensity to do the very things he knew he shouldn’t and didn’t want to do. Romans 7:24: “Oh wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?” We mourn over our own sinfulness. We also mourn over the brokenness of this world. When God created the world, it was good. Adam and Eve lived in perfect union with God and with one another. When sin entered the world, everything was affected: relationships with God, relationships with one another, the earth itself. When we look at the brokenness of the world, we should mourn. This is what the prophet Habakkuk was doing when he cried out to God: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.”
Pastor Paul David Tripp makes this observation: “Mourning embraces the tragedy of the fall. Mourning acknowledges that the world is not the way God meant it to be. Mourning cries out for God’s redeeming, restoring hand. Mourning acknowledges the suffering of others. Mourning is about something bigger than the fact that life is hard. Mourning grieves what sin has done to the cosmos and longs for the Redeemer to come and make his broken world new again.” We mourn our own sinfulness. We mourn the brokenness of the world. We should also mourn the lostness of people around us. We see this when Jesus mourned over Jerusalem.
Luke 13:34 he said… “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” And again in Luke 19:41 “When (Jesus) approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it.” And in Matthew 9:36-38: “When (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Lost people were important to Jesus, so He spent time with them, and that caused the religious leaders to grumble. Luke 15 tells us that… Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! (Luke 15:1-2) In response to this, Jesus told 3 parables… The parables of the Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son. In each of these parables He emphasizes the joy in heaven when one sinner repents, when one lost person is found.
The most poignant example of this is in the third parable, the one we often refer to as The Prodigal Son. Jesus paints the picture of a young man who asks for his inheritance from his father so he can leave home, he quickly squanders that inheritance, and finds himself at rock bottom. He comes to his senses and realizes that even the hired men in his father’s house are better off than he is, so he determines to go home and beg his father’s forgiveness, and ask to be taken back, not as a son, but as a hired man. Look at what happened as it’s described in Luke 15:20-24: “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”
Jesus mourned over the lost, over those destined to an eternity separated from God, and we should do the same.
We mourn over our own sin,
We mourn over the brokenness of the world,
We mourn over the lost, and, perhaps most obviously,
We Mourn Over Death. This doesn’t really need a lot of explanation. When people we love die, it is natural for us to mourn. This is what Jesus found when he came to the home of Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus had died. John 11 tells us… “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.” Death causes us to mourn. It is the natural response to the loss of those we love.
Again Jesus says… “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Which begs the question… How will we be comforted? We are comforted by Our Relationship With God. He forgives our sins. When David confessed his sin to God, he experienced God’s forgiveness and he exclaimed, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Later he would write, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him…” Paul also experienced this. In answer to his question, “Who will set me free from this body of death?” He proclaims, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” He found comfort in his relationship with God.
The Bible plainly states that God will comfort us. Psalm 147:3 says… He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 34:18 tells us… The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. In fact, Jesus Himself stated that God sent him to comfort those who mourn, when He quoted these words from Isaiah and he said they were speaking of Him. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”
When we mourn, we are comforted by a relationship with God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” God Himself, is the source of all comfort, but He sometimes uses other people to comfort us … In fact, these verses tell us that it is God’s plan that we comfort others. However, for that plan to work, we need to cooperate with God’s intentions. We need to be willing to comfort others.
Often, when we are mourning, the best person to comfort us is someone who has gone through something similar to what we are going through right then. That means two things need to happen, we need to be vulnerable enough to share what we are going through, and someone else needs to be vulnerable enough to share what they have gone through. But, even if we haven’t gone through the same experience as someone else, we can still be a comfort to them. We can pray. We can send a meal or pick up groceries. We can let them know that we care about them by phone, text, email, or sending a card. Romans 12:15 tells us to “Weep with those who weep.” God wants to use us to comfort those who are mourning. Let’s cooperate with His plan.
We are comforted by our relationship with God,
We are comforted by other people,
We can also find comfort by partnering in God’s work. We see an example of this in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah worked as a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. He was a Jewish man in a foreign country during the end of the Babylonian exile. One of his brothers, and some other men who had been in Jerusalem came to see Nehemiah, and Nehemiah asked them about things in his homeland. Listen to their answer: “They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” Now look at Nehemiah’s response: “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” During this time of mourning, fasting and praying, God gave Nehemiah a plan… And so when he had the opportunity, he asked the king for permission to take a leave of absence so that he could go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The king granted Nehemiah’s request, and he put his mourning into action. He led a group of men to rebuild the wall in 52 days in spite of ridicule and opposition.
Like Nehemiah, we can find comfort in partnering with God in His redemptive work. When we are grieved over homelessness – we can get involved in ministries that provide food and housing. When we mourn the loss of unborn children through abortion, we can support and get involved with groups that provide services to women who are facing decisions about an unplanned pregnancy, and we can come alongside under-resourced moms who choose to give birth. We should mourn the brokenness of families that causes the need for the foster care system, but we can also step into the brokenness by becoming a foster parent, or a CASA volunteer as some in our church family are doing. We can come alongside those who are fostering, or youths who are aging out of the system. We mourn racial discrimination, but we can also listen and learn from those around us whose experience has been different than ours. We can be intentional about developing relationships with people who don’t look like us. We can pray that God would give us an open mind, and an open door for difficult conversations. We can teach our children that no one should be treated differently based on the color of their skin. And we can work to see justice done.
We should mourn the effect that Covid-19 has had on our world, but we should also support our frontline workers in whatever ways we can. We should shop for our elderly neighbors or the single parents we know. We should find ways to encourage the sick and the lonely One of our members was hospitalized this week… Family isn’t allowed to visit… We can make encouragement cards… In addition to this, we should grieve over the eternal destiny of those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior, and that grief should motivate us to share the gospel, to invite people to church, and to support ministries that are reaching those people outside of our immediate circles.
Last May we heard a message from Jason Johnson who is a ministry leader in the area of foster care and adoption. He made this statement: God sees hard places and broken people, and moves towards them, not away. That’s what He’s always done. That’s the gospel. As followers of Jesus, we see the hard places and broken people, and we mourn them, but then we must join our Heavenly Father in moving toward those places and people. That’s the gospel. And the paradox is, it is in moving towards the brokenness, that we will also find comfort as we participate with God in His redemptive purposes.
Finally, We are comforted By the hope of eternity with God. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to Christians living in a city called Thessalonica, about their grief over their loved ones who had died. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage (other versions translate this – comfort) each other with these words.”
Notice there is no instruction in these verses not to grieve or not to mourn, instead there is the encouragement that we can grieve with hope. We can mourn with the hope of an eternity spent with God. We can mourn with the hope of being reunited with loved ones. We can mourn with the confidence that one day (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4). The ultimate comfort for followers of Jesus, is an eternity spent with Him. An eternity with the promise of no more mourning. That’s the good news of the kingdom that Jesus was talking about in the Sermon on the Mount. But I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that this eternity without mourning is promised to those who have placed their trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. Those who have not trusted Jesus, are destined for a different eternity – an eternity separated from God. An eternity with no comfort. So let’s take that as a call to action, a call to share the good news. Let’s tell those around us that there is a God who loves them, a God who wants to have a relationship with them, a God who gives hope and comfort here today, and who will wipe out all mourning for eternity. Let’s pray.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
