Session (Beatitudes) mindset of a leader

 

  1. Beatitudes – Character Study - Who are you?

 

 

(Read it from the Message)

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

 5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

 6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

 7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

 8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

 10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

 11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

 

NKJV

3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

According to Paul Simon, “Blessed are the sat upon, the spat upon, the ratted on.”

 

The beatitudes seem to be an outline of the new and coming ministry of Jesus. They were his first words out of the block. Very similar to the first 30 seconds of a sermon. How do you start a sermon? “Hi, my name is Joe.” or “Open your bibles to Mathew 5”. You start a three year ministry with an outline of what you will be doing and the topics to be covered.

 

 

  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit. NOT because they are poor, as an exclusion to others (who may be rich or thrifty), but because they are indeed eligible. Being poor does not mean you excluded but rather you have all the available rights in God’s kingdom.
    1. You cannot get into a gated community without being a property owner. Strictly for the wealthy.
    2. Nobody asks the homeless, his opinion on politics.
    3. Nobody asks an American Indian his thoughts on world banking.
    4. Nobody asks a layperson his thinking on theology.
    5. In the times of Jesus, the poor in spirit were many times the ineligible ones. The ones that God disapproved of. Otherwise why would they be poor in spirit?

                                                               i.      John 9:34 The healing of the blind man

1.      34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

                                                             ii.      Matt 8:1-4 Healing of a leper

                                                            iii.      Matt 91:8 Healing of the Paralytic and forgiving his sins

                                                           iv.      Matt 10:6-8 The Twelve are sent.

1.      But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

2.      The disciples are given a mandate to find the undesirable!!!

                                                             v.      Matt 12:9-14 Healing of a man with the withered hand ON THE SABBOTH!

                                                           vi.      Luke 7:36-50 a prostitute anoints Jesus’ feet. She is broken and “poor in spirit”. Her sins are forgiven.

                                                          vii.      Luke 18:35 Blind Bartimaeus receives his sight. He screams for Jesus to hear him. The crowd tells him to shut up. How dare he, an undesirable, try to get the rabbi’s attention!

                                                        viii.      The woman caught in adultery

                                                           ix.      The woman with the issue of blood

 

  1. Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

                                                               i.      Luke 7 A widow’s son is raised from the dead

                                                             ii.      John 11 the story of Martha and the death of Lazarus

                                                            iii.      Luke 16 the beggar Lazarus was comforted by Abraham

 

  1. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
    1. Meekness implies obedience as well as faith (see Manso)
    2. Inheritance implies sonship
    3. Inheritance implies law
    4. Lazarus dies at the feet of the rich man
    5. Power does not guarantee salvation, as in a world system.

 

  1. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.
    1. Matt 9:18-26 The woman with the issue of blood. She knew that if she just TOUCHED the hem of his garment she would be healed.

 

  1. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
    1. Luke 10:29 Parable of Good Samaritan. In the times of the Jews it could have been said “that the only good Samaritan is a dead Samaritan.”
    2. The Jews looked at the Samaritan’s as dogs. Racial epitaph.

 

  1. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
    1. The world doesn’t always look well at the pure in heart. Pure in heart means we tell the truth. We don’t cheat Uncle Sam even though he deserves it.
    2. Luke 2:25-32 Simeon ministers to the Lord daily in the temple. Because of his purity, he gets to see Jesus. Most old men just wither away and die. This one sacrifices his life everyday in prayer and meditation.
    3. John 1:35-42 John says, “Behold the Lamb of God” and two disciples heard and followed Jesus. The world would have called these two dreamers. Similar to the Mormon guys riding a bike down the road.
    4. Luke 24:31 The two disciples on the road. “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

 

  1. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
    1. The world calls them “nosy”. They are always getting involved in others business.
    2. God is the only that can bring order and peace to a chaotic world. When we begin to bring peace and reconciliation to this world we take on the Character of God. We begin to work the family business.
    3. God is a peacemaker

                                                               i.      Mal. 4:6 “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers,”

                                                            ii.      2 Cor 5:18 God has reconciled us to him. He has led us to a place of peace and then “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”

                                                          iii.      Matthew 6:43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

 

  1. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

 

The gospel is so simple that even a child can enter into the kingdom yet so complex that a Doctorate of Theology can totally miss it.

 

The days of Jesus were similar to today. If you had money, education, or status you were blessed! As a Christian we would claim to be blessed by God. As a new testament Jew with any of the above you would also claim to be blessed by God.

 

Starting from a foundation built upon the rock! Leadership cannot be separated from Christ.