Beatitudes & Sermon on the Mount 2017 Summer First Light

Go To: mcleanbible.org/connect/first-light-second light Slides on Line Go To: mcleanbible.org/connect/first-light-second light CLICK ON: FIRSTLIGHT AUDIO ARCHIVES 2016-2017 AND BEYOND File Name: 2017 Summer First Light

Contact Information Rich Porter: vze2vz65@verizon.net Cell: 703-862-6618 Mike Lynch: mlynch5473@yahoo.com Cell: 703-307-5222 Joe Kelty: joe.kelty@mcleanbible.org Work 703-930-7202

Premises The Bible is inerrant. God’s Bible revelations look both forward or backward. God sees at once the future, the present and the past. The the nature and character of the Trinity never changes. There is a spiritual realm and a material realm that coexist. Everything God creates, makes or institutes is perfect.

The Human Spirit What is the human spirit? What are some of the scriptures that address the human spirit? (James 4:5) (John 4:24) (Romans 8:16) (Psalm 146:4) Where does the human spirit hang out in the body? (Ezekiel 36:26) What do scriptures about the heart tells us about the human spirit? (Luke 2:35b) (Matthew 13:15) Mark 11:23 (Romans 10:10) (Ephesians 6:6) (John 14:1) (Luke 6:45)

Jewish Path to Salvation Old Testament Jew Salvation Pending Messiah/Tribulation/Kingdom (Pending) Conviction/Repentance Holy Spirit Faith in God God + Nothing Credited Righteousness Awaiting the Cross 1st Century Jew Conviction/Repentance Holy Spirit Faith in Jesus Jesus + Nothing Jesus Messiah & Son of God Justification Imputed Righteousness Sanctification Salvation Granted Tribulation/Kingdom (Pending) Sanctification Beatitudes Spirit Led Transformation + Sermon on the Mount Experiential Transformation Greater Godliness

Why The Beatitudes? What was Jesus’ intent in teaching the Beatitudes? (Romans 12:2) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Virtues & Attributes What are Godly attributes? What are the Godly virtues? Godly Virtues are the outcomes of one’s decision to pursue Godly righteousness. (place holder) What are Godly attributes? Godly attributes are those characteristics or qualities that are attributable to God’s nature

Virtue or Attribute Which Beatitudes are Godly virtues and which are Godly attributes? (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:4) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:5) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:7) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:10) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Virtues & Attributes What are the Beatitudes? The Beatitudes are comprised of six Godly virtues, one Godly attribute and one undetermined attribute/virtue. Where do the Beatitudes come from? Godly love is the source of the Godly virtues which make up the Beatitudes. Godly love is a special kind of love, it is sacrificial love and has no object. It is the kind of love that exists among the members of the Trinity. Godly love is to the Human spirit what the Sun is to the rest of our solar system. The exercise of Godly love yields Godly outcomes or virtues, also referred to in the Bible as fruits of the Spirit. But Godly love is more than a source, it is also the force that binds together all Godly virtues in a synergistic harmony, as gravity holds together all heavenly bodies. (Determined from our analysis last Summer)

= Godly Love Outcomes Godly Love restraint kindness sympathy mourning submission benignity fortitude reverence quietness contentment fairness thankful self-control wisdom compassion justice = Godly Love soberness honesty righteousness chastity obedience courteous penitence forgiving humility gentleness tolerance faithfulness mercifulness continence peace meekness joy truthfulness prudence forgiveness goodness lowliness forbearance patience

Self-Love What is self-love? Self-love describes itself. It is loving ourselves first and God and others second. Just like the Pharisees who reinterpreted the Law in order to make it easier to follow, the world has done the same kind of thing with the word love. Self-love is the worldly counterpart to Godly love. For our study, Self-love is pride and pride is the ultimate source of all sin.

Self-Love How does Self-Love differ from Godly love? Self-love differs from Godly love in that it seeks to serve Self rather than to serve God and others. Self-love first seeks to protect and aggrandize the Self’s interests and happiness. It seeks to see that the desires of the flesh are fulfilled. While the Godly love we discussed above was all about we, ours and theirs. Self-love is all about I, me and mine. Self-love is a spiritual force deeply chiseled into our human spirit and only the Holy Spirit can overcome its power and influence.

Self-Love What are some outcomes of Self-love? (2 Timothy 3:2-4) For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (Galatians 5:19-21)   Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Self-Love Vices What is the nature of fleshly vices? The outcomes of Self-love, or fleshly vices, cover the waterfront of evil. When exercising self-love, these kinds of consequences are predictable. When we experience misfortune or disappointment, many of us like to say that the Lord is punishing us for something unrighteous that we have done, when actually the punishments are often already existing outcomes or vices that await the exercise of self-love. Fleshly vices, unlike Godly virtues are not in harmony, but in total competition and can even be cannibalistic toward each other. They don’t stand around and watch, they pile on.

= death Self-Love Outcomes lying wicked jealousy drunkenness greed sexual immorality deceit envy impurity ignorance laziness slander injustice hatred greed rebellion lying divisions inequity = idolatry dissensions drunkenness anger unfairness strife wicked Love of Self shame impurity fool deception animosity rivalries death strife orgies cruelty worry enmity folly criticism dishonor unfaithfulness anxiety jealousy sensuality misery slander

Godly vs Self Love How do Self-love and Godly Love relate to each other? John MacArthur puts it this way: Whenever love for self is raised, love for God and the things of God is lowered. For that reason, misdirected love always engenders vice. It was first from Lucifer’s and then from Adam’s and Eve’s love of themselves over the Lord—and from the similar self-love of their descendants—that every other sin has issued.

The Captain’s Chair What is the Captain’s chair? (Galatians 5:17)  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. What is the Captain’s chair?

The Captain’s Chair Who owns the Captain’s Chair? (Galatians 3:1-3) O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Since the Holy Spirit possesses all the power of God, why doesn’t He just take charge of the Captain’s chair? (John 14:16) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

The Captain’s Chair How does occupancy of the Captain’s Chair change? How do we increase the time that the Holy Spirit occupies the Captain’s Chair? What is the basic question that guides our decisions to be righteous sinful? How responsible are we for our progress in becoming more like Jesus?

= death Self Love Outcomes lying wicked jealousy drunkenness greed sexual immorality deceit restraint kindness envy sympathy impurity mourning ignorance laziness slander injustice hatred submission greed benignity fortitude reverence rebellion lying quietness drunkenness contentment fairness divisions thankful inequity dissensions = self-control idolatry wisdom compassion justice Love of Self wicked anger strife unfairness soberness honesty righteousness shame chastity deception impurity fool animosity obedience courteous penitence death forgiving rivalries strife humility gentleness tolerance faithfulness orgies LOVE OF GOD cruelty worry mercifulness continence peace meekness enmity folly criticism dishonor joy truthfulness prudence unfaithfulness forgiveness jealousy sensuality anxiety slander misery forbearance patience goodness lowliness

= Godly Love Outcomes Godly Love restraint kindness sympathy mourning submission benignity fortitude reverence quietness contentment fairness thankful self-control wisdom compassion justice = Godly Love soberness honesty righteousness chastity obedience courteous penitence forgiving humility gentleness tolerance faithfulness mercifulness continence peace meekness joy truthfulness prudence forgiveness goodness lowliness forbearance patience

Human Spirit Summary: We have identified and discussed the central dynamic that governs our spiritual journey to become righteous and more like Jesus. As believers, we have within our human spirit two spiritual forces pulling us in different directions. Self-love pulls us away from God and Godly love pulls us toward God. Where previously, Self love was unopposed it is now confronted with a much more powerful Godly love. What fuels our journey to become like Jesus is the growing influence and power of Godly love within us. The Captain’s Chair is a metaphor for our free will. Without our free will, the sacrificial love that Jesus seeks for us to have for Him and for others is not possible. Our free will, however, is a two edge sword. We often surrender the Captain’s Chair to our self-love. When we do, we pull ourselves away from God and not toward Him.

End of Review

What’s the Plan? We now have a handle on the human spirit and the on-going struggle over the Captain’s Chair by Godly love and Self-love, so we can now move on to the Beatitudes and the Sermo n on the Mount and our goal to become more like Jesus. As we discussed earlier there are two transformational strategies that Jesus lays out for us to follow in our goal to become more like Him. We can pursue spirit led transformation through the Beatitudes, and we can pursue experiential transformation through the Sermon on the Mount.

What’s The Plan? We also can look at our task ahead another way. When we were Born Again, Jesus imputed His righteousness to us and in turn established within our human spirit a beachhead of righteousness. A beachhead from which the Holy Spirit could operate. The Holy Spirit’s mission is straight forward, employ Godly love through the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount to expand the beachhead of righteousness, a beachhead which is surrounded by evil which is prompted by Satan and fueled by the power of Self-love.

Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are the Beatitudes about how you get into the kingdom, or are they about how you live once you’re in the kingdom? What does Jesus mean by the word “blessed”?

Poor in Spirit What is being “poor in spirit” all about? What are some characteristics of one who is “poor in spirit”? Can the “poor in spirit” be anything but humble? (Isaiah 66:2b) But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Poor in Spirit Why does the Lord seek out the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit? (Psalm 34:17-19) When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. How can one be blessed by being “poor in spirit”? Why would Jesus make this Beatitude His first one?

Poor in Spirit (2 Corinthians 12:9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. What is the connection between being “poor in spirit” and the Kingdom of Heaven? (Ephesians 2:5-7) even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Poor in Spirit Can the wealthy and powerful become poor in spirit? (Matthew 19:24) Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Daniel 4:31-32) While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

Poor in Spirit How does the believer determine whether he or she is prideful? How is feeling superior an example of self-love? (Luke 18:11-12) The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. How is it that the non believer can be humble, but not be “poor in spirit”? Does an inverse relationship also exist between Godly love and Self- love?

Being Empty Does an inverse relationship also exist between Godly love and Self-love? “You can’t be filled until you’re empty. You can’t be worthwhile until you’re worthless.” It amazes me that in modern Christianity there is so little of the self–emptying concept. I’ve seen a lot of books on how to be filled with joy and filled with the Spirit and filled with this and filled with that, but how about a book on how to empty yourself of self? MacArthur

Beatitude Summary 1 Poor in Spirit: Divinely assisted step 1. By the term ‘poor in spirit’ Jesus is referring to those who are spiritually bankrupt and recognize their total human inability to help themselves or to do any spiritual good without divine assistance. Jesus is referring to those who are saved, and who seek the spiritual transforming help of Godly love and the Holy Spirit to help them become more like Jesus. A process which entails six further divinely assisted steps.