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FIRST
THINGS FIRST Introduction:
There are things that must be done first before other things can be
done. There are basics that
must be done first before more elaborate things can be accomplished.
(Illus: "first things first" – musicians start with notes
& scales; Typist start with keyboard etc.). Jesus begins the Sermon on
the Mount by putting "first things first". This is the verse
upon which the whole Sermon on the Mount builds. This is the first step to
becoming a Christian. This is the first step in living the Christian Life.
Jesus is telling us that the secret to living righteously and to be being
truly "happy is by being poor in spirit". Being poor in spirit
does not mean to be poor spirited. Jesus isn't encouraging a bad attitude
and Jesus isn't talking about physical poverty. Here spirit refers to our
attitude. The word poor here is the word used for someone who is so poor
he has to beg. This person is so poor that he has to continually ask for
help. Poverty of Spirit then, is the
personal acknowledgement of spiritual bankruptcy. You realize that you
have no righteousness good
enough for God. You realize that you do not have the resources
to live righteously within yourself. Your only hope is to cry out to God
for help; this is true humility. The
spiritual beggar: Knows that he is
nothing; Knows that he has
nothing; and Knows that he has to ask
God for everything. There are at least three areas that are affected by
being poor (beggars) in spirit. I.
THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL Who did
Jesus come to save? He didn't come to save righteous people. He came to
save unrighteous people and to make them righteous. He came to save those
who were lost in sin. Luke 19:10 This true humility:
A.
Brings Conciseness
Of Sin If Jesus
came to save sinners, you must admit that you are a sinner to be saved. If
Jesus came to save the lost, you must admit that you are lost. To truly be
saved you must begin by admitting that you are a poor lost, sinner! You
have to be poor in spirit realizing that you have no hope of forgiveness
in yourself.
B.
Brings Conviction
Of Sin As a
poor lost sinner, you turn to the Savior, the Lord Jesus, who died for
your sins. You turn to the Savior and place your faith and trust in Him
for eternal life. (John 3:36) "He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
(Illus: Jesus told a story about two men in Luke 18:10-14, One showed his
pride. The other showed his humility. The one who humbled himself before
God was the one who was righteous). It is the person who humbles himself
towards God and turns to Christ by faith, poor in spirit, broken, knowing
he deserves nothing that is saved. II.
THE SURRENDER OF
THE SERVANT A
Christian who is poor in spirit is submissive to God. He realizes that he
has done nothing to save himself. He realizes that he can do nothing in
his own power. He realizes that apart from Christ he is nothing. What
causes us to fail to be submissive? What causes us to not be poor in
spirit? A.
The Cause It is
our pride ·
It is our pride that makes us think that we are so important
and that we worry about what others think of us. ·
It is our pride that often causes our feelings to be hurt
because we think that we should have things our way. ·
It is our pride that makes us worry about ourselves and our
own wellbeing. We look out for #1! ·
It is our pride that causes us to make financial decisions
that make us feel good. ·
It is our pride that causes us to play with "toys"
and to entertain ourselves instead of pleasing God. ·
It is our pride that causes us to be critical of others. ·
It is our pride that makes us refuse to change what we know
that we should change. How do
we become "poor in Spirit"?
B.
The Cure ·
Compare yourself to Jesus and nobody else When we
compare ourselves with the Lord Jesus we will come away humble. (James
4:10) "Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." ·
Surrender your "rights" to God. When you
have no "rights" there's no reason to get upset with anything.
Romans 12:1 ·
Live to please God. Warren
Wiersbe - "The person who is poor in spirit is not disturbed by the
attitudes or criticisms of others, because he lives to please God (1 Cor
10:31) "Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." ·
Look continually to God and not to yourself to fulfill every
need. Be a
humble beggar before God! Realize that unless He provides it, you’re not
getting it. (Psa 123:2) "Behold,
as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the
eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the
LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us." III.
THE SERVICE OF THE
SAINT The
person who is truly poor in spirit is available to God, even though he
realizes that he in himself is nothing.
A.
It’s All About Availability ·
Consider the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 6:1-8 ·
Listen to the words of the great King David. 2 Samuel 7:18 ·
And remember what Peter said when Jesus gave him a
miraculous catch of fish? Luke 5:8; 10
B.
It’s Not About Ability You know
it's really easy to make excuses not to be used of God. And most of the
excuses we make can be traced back to our pride. The great men of the
Bible who were used by God were men who recognized their inability, but
then allowed God to work through them. Are you willing to do the same? Conclusion:
Are you ready to be used by God? Put first things first and become
poor in Spirit!
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