Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!

January 30, 2005

BLESSED ARE...

SOME OF MY VERY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSES ARE THE ONES WE JUST HEARD FOR TODAY. I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THEM. THEY HAPPEN TO BE OUR LECTIONARY OR OFFICIAL READING FOR TODAY. I WAS GLAD WHEN I SAW THEM AGAIN.

IN THESE VERSES WHICH ARE THE BEGINNING OF JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT, HE OFFERS SOME INVALUABLE LIFE LESSONS, INSIGHTS THAT CAN HELP US KNOW HOW TO LIVE LIFE SPIRITUALLY WISELY FOR A LIFETIME.

IN FACT, THEY ARE CALLED THE BEATITUDES. THERE ARE ATTITUDES THAT CAN HELP US KNOW HOW TO BE.

IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHAT IMPORTANT INSIGHTS IS JESUS OFFERING US TODAY?

TO HEAR THE FIRST IDEA JESUS IS OFFERING, NOTICE WHAT PHRASE IS REPEATED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OF THESE VERSES.

"BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT,... ."

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, ... ."

"BLESSED ARE THE MEEK,... ."

THE PHRASE THAT IS REPEATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VERSE FOR EACH OF THE 8 BEATITUDES? "BLESSED ARE ... ."

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IT MEANS THAT GOD'S ATTITUDE TOWARD YOU IS TO HELP YOU FIND BLESSING IN EACH AND EVERY SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE.

ANOTHER TRANSLATION OF OUR BIBLE HAS ANOTHER PHRASE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EIGHT BEATITUDES. THE PHRASE IN THAT TRANSLATION IS "HAPPY ARE ... ."

IN OTHER WORDS, GOD'S INTENTION IS FOR YOU TO FIND HAPPINESS IN YOUR LIFE WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIFE.

IN A STORY THAT ERIC KELLY TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY AND WHICH IN PART HE SHARED WITH YOU WHEN HE PREACHED A SERMON ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 16TH, HE TALKED ABOUT HEARING DEE FINCH READING THE SCRIPTURE ON SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE. THE SCRIPTURE SHE READ WAS ABOUT THE FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE WHEN THE ANGEL CAME DOWN TO GREET THE SHEPHERDS IN THE FIELD THAT NIGHT, AS IS DEPICTED IN OUR CHRISTMAS WINDOW ABOVE OUR CHOIR LOFT.

AND WHEN THEY SAW THE BRIGHT LIGHT, TO THE FEARFUL SHEPHERDS, ERIC SAID HE HEARD, FOR THE FIRST TIME, SO TO SPEAK, WHAT THE ANGEL REALLY SAID TO THE SHEPHERDS.

AND WHAT DID THAT ANGEL SAY FIRST OF ALL. THE ANGEL GREETED THE BENT DOWN SHEPHERDS WITH THESE WORDS, "FEAR NOT."

AND THOSE WORDS "FEAR NOT" REALLY MADE SENSE TO ERIC WITH FRESH MEANING. IT MEANT TO ERIC THAT WE DO NOT WORSHIP A GOD OF FEAR BUT A GOD OF LOVE, "FEAR NOT." "FEAR NOT, FOR A BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF A GREAT JOY. FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN A SAVIOR WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD... ."

GOD'S DESIRE IS FOR YOU TO DISCOVER BLESSING, HAPPINESS.

SECOND, JESUS WAS SAYING THAT GOD'S DESIRE NOT ONLY IS FOR YOU TO FIND BLESSING AND HAPPINESS, BUT ALSO YOU CAN FIND THAT EVEN IN THE TOUGHEST SITUATIONS OF LIFE.

FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOUGH SITUATIONS IN LIFE? RETURNING AGAIN TO OUR SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY, LET'S NOTE VERSE 4. "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED."

IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE MOURN IT IS USUALLY FOR A REASON. PERHAPS A LOVED ONE HAS DIED. PERHAPS A LOVED ONE IS FACING A SERIOUS HEALTH CRISIS. PERHAPS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOST OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER.

YET, THE SCRIPTURE GOES ON TO READ, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED."

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID. I HAD TAKEN THE TRAIN OUT TO MY GRANDPA'S FARM. WHILE I WAS THERE, MY SECOND COUSIN, WHO WAS IN HIS TWENTIES, WAS KILLED IN AN CAR ACCIDENT.

MY GRANDPARENTS TOOK ME AND MY BROTHER ED TO THE VISITING HOURS AND LATER TO THE FUNERAL ITSELF.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER BEEN TO VISITING HOURS. SEEING THE BODY TURNED OUT FOR ME TO BE A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. I DON'T KNOW WHY.

ALSO, MY AUNT DORIS AND HER MOTHER CAME TO THE VISITING HOURS.

AND, IT WAS MY AUNT DORIS, WHO CAUGHT ON TO THE FACT THAT I WAS TERRIFIED BY GOING TO VISITING HOURS. SHE HELPED ME TO CALM DOWN AND FEEL BETTER.

IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE MIDST OF MY MOURNING, THANKS TO MY AUNT DORIS, I WAS COMFORTED. (OF COURSE, GOD OFTEN WORKS THROUGH PEOPLE. HE WORKED THROUGH HIS SON.)

ALSO, I HAVE HEARD YOU TELL SPIRITUAL STORIES FROM YOUR LIVES, WHEN IN THE MIDST OF A DIFFICULT TIME, YOU WERE COMFORTED TOO.

SO, EVEN IN THOSE TIMES, GOD'S COMFORT AND STRENGTH ARE NEAR.

OUR THIRD POINT FOR TODAY IS THIS. EVEN THOUGH GOD MEANS FOR US TO DISCOVER BLESSING FOR OUR LIVES, GOD ALSO DESIRES FOR US TO HELP OTHERS FIND BLESSING TOO.

WE CAN SEE THIS IN THE TRANSITION OF THE FIRST FOUR BEATITUDES TO THE SECOND FOUR BEATITUDES.

FOR THE FIRST FOUR BEATITUDES FOCUS ON ONESELF AND HOW WE CAN EXPERIENCE GOD'S BLESSING.

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED."

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED."

BUT, THEN, NOTICE THE CHANGE IN FOCUS.

"BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, ... ."

"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, ... ."

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE, ... ."

THE EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST BEATITUDES IS ON THE BLESSING WE CAN RECEIVE FOR OURSELVES. ON THE SECOND SET OF BEATITUDES, JESUS LIFTS UP THE BLESSING TO BE GAINED FROM SERVING OTHERS.

THIS CAN BE ILLUSTRATED BY THINKING ABOUT THE KEY SYMBOL OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, THE CROSS.

SOMETIMES WE MAY HEAR AN EXPRESSION LIKE THIS. SO AND SO HAS A CROSS TO BEAR. IT MAY REFER TO A WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE SUFFERING IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. AND IT MAY WELL BE LIKE A CROSS THAT THEY ARE BEARING.

ON THE OTHER HAND, LISTEN TO THESE WORDS OF JESUS, "TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME."

IN OTHER WORDS, HE USED HIS CROSS AS A MEANS OF HELPING OTHERS, FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS.

TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID TO CARRY A CROSS DIDN'T HAVE TO DO PRIMARILY WITH OUR OWN CROSSES IN LIFE THAT WE MAY BE FACING. IT HAD MORE TO DO WITH WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO DO FOR OTHERS, EVEN IF THAT CAUSES US TO SUFFER.

WE ARE ALL AWARE THAT TODAY IS THE DAY OF THE ELECTIONS IN IRAQ. WE ARE ALL MORE THAN AWARE OF THE COST OF THESE ELECTIONS, THE COST OF THESE ELECTIONS TO HUMAN LIFE INCLUDING THOSE OF OUR OWN SOLDIERS.

I KNOW TOO THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT POLITICAL VIEWS ON THIS SITUATION. I AM NOT PLANNING TO REVIEW THAT TODAY.

BUT, OUR SOLDIERS THERE TODAY ARE MY HEROES. THEY PUTTING THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE NOT SO THEY CAN REALIZE MORE BLESSING FOR THEMSELVES. THEY ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES ON THE LINE SO OTHERS MAY EXPERIENCE BLESSING IN THEIR LIVES EVEN AT THE RISK OF THEIR LIVES.

"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD."

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."

THUS, JESUS IS SAYING THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE NOT ONLY HAS TO DO WITH EXPERIENCING GOD'S BLESSING FOR OURSELVES BUT IT IS ALSO FOUND IN HELPING OTHERS FIND BLESSING WITH THEIR LIVES EVEN AT THE RISK OF OUR LIFE.

AND, WE ALL KNOW THAT JESUS NOT ONLY TALKED THE TALK BUT HE WALKED THE WALK.

EVERY WEEK, JIM BLYTHE OUR FINANCIAL SECRETARY, FILLS OUT WHAT IS CALLED AN INCOME SHEET. IT HAS ON IT THE TOTALS OF THE FINANCIAL GIFTS FROM OUR CHURCH, NO NAMES, FOR THAT DAY.

THE OTHER DAY, I LOOKING AT ONE OF THESE FINANCIAL INCOME SHEETS. AND I NOTICED SOMETHING QUITE INTERESTING.

THERE WERE GIFTS FOR OUR CHURCH'S LOCAL MINISTRIES AND FOR THE RESTORATION. BUT THEN THERE WERE SPECIAL GIFTS SUCH AS FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, FOR BLANKET SUNDAY, FOR HUMAN RELATIONS SUNDAY, FOR CAMPING. I NOTICED THAT OVER A THIRD OF THE FINANCIAL GIFTS THAT DAY WERE FOR CAUSES BEYOND OUR LOCAL CHURCH. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY NEAT.

I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE FINDING OUR LIFE AS A CHURCH NOT ONLY IN SUPPORTING LOCAL MINISTRIES AND OUR RESTORATION PROJECT BUT IN SUPPORTING CAUSES BEYOND OURSELVES AS WELL.

WE ARE FINDING OUR LIFE NOT ONLY IN FINDING BLESSING FOR OUR CHURCH AND CHURCH MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, BUT WE ARE REALLY HELPING OTHERS BEYOND OURSELVES FIND GOD'S BLESSINGS TOO, EVEN WHEN IT COSTS US FINANCIALLY SPEAKING.

THANKS BE TO GOD.

SO, I INVITE US INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A CHURCH TO REALIZE AGAIN THAT JESUS IS SAYING THAT GOD'S DESIRE IS FOR YOU TO FIND BLESSING, HAPPINESS. AND, THROUGH THESE EIGHT BEATITUDES, JESUS IS ALSO IS INVITING YOU TO FIND BLESSING NOT ONLY FOR YOURSELF BUT FOR OTHERS TOO.

LET US PRAY.

DEAR GOD,

THANK YOUR THAT YOUR INTENTION FOR OUR LIVES IS BLESSING, HAPPINESS.

AS JESUS SAID, HELP US TO FIND YOUR BLESSING FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS.

AMEN.