Embracing God's Unchanging Nature and Our Spiritual Needs

 

Summary

### Summary

Today's message emphasizes the uniqueness and unchanging nature of God, urging us to recognize our need for Him in every aspect of our lives. We are reminded that God is always present, ready to lift our burdens if we surrender them to Him. The sermon transitions into the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-12, highlighting the characteristics of a kingdom citizen. Each Beatitude is unpacked to reveal deeper spiritual truths, such as recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy, mourning over our sins, and seeking righteousness. The importance of meekness, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking is stressed, along with the promise of comfort and reward for those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.

The message also challenges us to align our lives with God's blueprint rather than trying to fit God into our own parameters. It calls for intentionality in our pursuit of God, urging us to set aside time to seek Him earnestly. The sermon concludes with a call to action, encouraging us to live out these principles daily and to recognize our need for a Savior, thereby receiving the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

### Key Takeaways

1. Recognizing Our Need for God: We often try to carry our burdens alone, but God invites us to surrender them to Him. He is unchanging and always ready to heal, deliver, and restore us. The question is whether we will continue to rely on our own strength or turn to Him for help. [36:38]

2. Spiritual Bankruptcy and Mourning: Being "poor in spirit" means acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy and our need for a Savior. This recognition leads to mourning over our sins, which brings us to genuine repentance. True repentance is not just feeling sorry but turning away from sin and receiving God's comfort. [55:50]

3. Meekness as Controlled Strength: Biblical meekness is not weakness but controlled strength. It involves humility and self-discipline, exemplified by Moses and Jesus. Meekness means having the power to act but choosing to submit to God's will instead. [01:02:57]

4. Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness: True righteousness is the condition of being acceptable to God. We should hunger and thirst for this righteousness, striving to align our lives with God's standards rather than trying to conform God to our preferences. This pursuit leads to spiritual fulfillment. [01:08:10]

5. Peacemaking and Persecution: As children of God, we are called to be peacemakers, striving for peace in all our relationships. This often leads to persecution, but Jesus assures us that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed and will receive a great reward in heaven. [01:22:06]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[34:10] - Surrendering Our Burdens
[36:38] - Turning to God for Strength
[39:51] - The Unchanging Nature of God
[44:35] - Prayer for Healing
[45:51] - Aligning with God's Blueprint
[48:18] - Intentional Pursuit of God
[48:58] - Introduction to the Beatitudes
[49:48] - God's Blueprint for Our Lives
[51:58] - Hearing and Doing God's Word
[53:16] - Understanding the Beatitudes
[55:50] - Spiritual Bankruptcy and Mourning
[57:02] - True Repentance
[01:02:57] - Meekness as Controlled Strength
[01:08:10] - Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
[01:12:21] - The Importance of Mercy
[01:14:43] - Purity of Heart
[01:18:21] - Striving for Peace
[01:22:06] - Persecution for Righteousness' Sake
[01:23:12] - Aligning with God's Standards
[01:30:06] - Recognizing Our Need for a Savior
[01:32:39] - Living Out the Blueprint

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 5:3-12 (The Beatitudes)
- Isaiah 61:1-3 (Prophecy of Jesus bringing comfort to those who mourn)
- Proverbs 4:23 (Guarding your heart)

#### Observation Questions
1. What does it mean to be "poor in spirit" according to the sermon? ([55:50])
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between worldly meekness and biblical meekness? ([01:02:57])
3. What is the significance of hungering and thirsting for righteousness as mentioned in the sermon? ([01:08:10])
4. How does the sermon explain the concept of being a peacemaker and its importance? ([01:18:21])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy essential for entering the kingdom of heaven? How does this recognition lead to genuine repentance? ([55:50])
2. How can meekness, defined as controlled strength, be applied in our daily lives? What are some practical examples of this? ([01:02:57])
3. What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness in a world that often promotes self-satisfaction? How can this pursuit lead to spiritual fulfillment? ([01:08:10])
4. In what ways can being a peacemaker lead to persecution, and why does Jesus consider those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake to be blessed? ([01:22:06])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you tried to carry your burdens alone. How can you practice surrendering your burdens to God this week? ([36:38])
2. Have you ever experienced true repentance that led to mourning over your sins? How did you feel God's comfort during that time? ([55:50])
3. Think of a situation where you can demonstrate meekness. What steps can you take to show controlled strength and humility in that situation? ([01:02:57])
4. Identify an area in your life where you need to align more closely with God's standards rather than trying to fit God into your own parameters. What changes can you make to pursue righteousness more earnestly? ([01:08:10])
5. Are there relationships in your life where you need to strive for peace? What practical steps can you take to be a peacemaker in those relationships? ([01:18:21])
6. Have you ever faced persecution for standing up for your faith? How did you respond, and what can you do to remain steadfast in your pursuit of righteousness despite opposition? ([01:22:06])
7. How can you intentionally set aside time to seek God earnestly this week? What specific actions will you take to ensure you are pursuing God with intentionality? ([48:18])

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering Our Burdens to God
Recognizing Our Need for God

In our daily lives, we often find ourselves trying to carry our burdens alone, relying on our own strength and understanding. However, God invites us to surrender these burdens to Him. He is unchanging and always ready to heal, deliver, and restore us. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we will continue to rely on our own strength or turn to Him for help. God’s presence is constant, and He is always ready to lift our burdens if we surrender them to Him. This act of surrender is not a sign of weakness but a recognition of our need for His strength and guidance. [36:38]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reflection: What is one burden you are currently carrying that you can surrender to God today? How can you practically lay this burden at His feet and trust Him to carry it for you?


Day 2: Acknowledging Our Spiritual Bankruptcy
Spiritual Bankruptcy and Mourning

Being "poor in spirit" means acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy and our need for a Savior. This recognition leads to mourning over our sins, which brings us to genuine repentance. True repentance is not just feeling sorry but turning away from sin and receiving God's comfort. When we understand our spiritual poverty, we become more aware of our need for God’s grace and mercy. This awareness should lead us to a place of humility and dependence on God, recognizing that without Him, we are nothing. [55:50]

Isaiah 66:2 (ESV): "All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word."

Reflection: Reflect on a specific sin or area of spiritual poverty in your life. How can you bring this to God in genuine repentance and seek His comfort and forgiveness today?


Day 3: Embracing Meekness
Meekness as Controlled Strength

Biblical meekness is not weakness but controlled strength. It involves humility and self-discipline, exemplified by Moses and Jesus. Meekness means having the power to act but choosing to submit to God's will instead. This controlled strength allows us to respond to situations with grace and patience, rather than reacting out of anger or pride. Embracing meekness requires us to trust in God’s timing and His plans, even when we have the ability to take matters into our own hands. [01:02:57]

James 1:19-21 (ESV): "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you reacted out of anger or pride. How could you have responded with meekness instead? What steps can you take to cultivate a spirit of meekness in your daily interactions?


Day 4: Pursuing Righteousness
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

True righteousness is the condition of being acceptable to God. We should hunger and thirst for this righteousness, striving to align our lives with God's standards rather than trying to conform God to our preferences. This pursuit leads to spiritual fulfillment and a deeper relationship with God. When we earnestly seek righteousness, we are not satisfied with mere outward appearances but desire a heart that is pure and aligned with God’s will. This hunger and thirst for righteousness should drive us to seek God’s presence and His word daily. [01:08:10]

Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV): "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself compromising on God’s standards? How can you cultivate a deeper hunger and thirst for righteousness in your daily walk with God?


Day 5: Being Peacemakers
Peacemaking and Persecution

As children of God, we are called to be peacemakers, striving for peace in all our relationships. This often leads to persecution, but Jesus assures us that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed and will receive a great reward in heaven. Being a peacemaker means actively seeking to resolve conflicts and promote harmony, even when it is difficult or costly. It requires us to extend grace and forgiveness, reflecting the peace that Christ has given us. [01:22:06]

Romans 12:18-21 (ESV): "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Reflection: Think of a relationship in your life where there is conflict or tension. How can you take a step towards being a peacemaker in that relationship today? What practical actions can you take to promote peace and reconciliation?

Quotes

1. "We're tired of doing things on our own, God, and we need you. We're tired of following patterns and things. We just need you. We want you. And Father, we know that you hold us in the palm of your hand. That you are the same. You are unchanging. You still heal and deliver and restore and free. And we need that today, God. We need you. There's burdens that we've brought in with us this morning. And some of these weights and burdens, we've been trying to carry them far too long on our own. But the King of Kings is in the room, and he's here to lift those burdens." [36:38] (100 seconds) ( | | )

2. "My name is David. I'm the lead pastor here at 3W Church, and we exist to get people to a place where they will acknowledge, trust, and lean on God daily. Acknowledge, trust, and lean on God daily. It is a daily encountering of God and encountering God that gets us through. And I know that y'all live here that are here sitting in the sanctuary, and maybe you're watching from a different spot, and I don't know what your town is like, but in Miami, we need Jesus all day, every day. In the streets as you drive, in the places that we go, and we need to acknowledge him, fill with him. We need to acknowledge him every single day, because without him, it is impossible to get through and get through everything that happens." [48:18] (49 seconds) ( | | )

3. "Some of us have bought a lie that we were a mistake. But the reality is that every single one of us has a blueprint from God for us, a plan for us. And many times we don't walk into it, not because God doesn't have it, but because we don't follow what it is. We feel that we can get around it without him. We feel that we can beat his plan and get there a little quicker. I don't know how many of you have done that. I don't know how many of you race against your GPS. Anybody here race against their GPS? You put it on your GPS there, and the GPS says it's going to take 22 minutes, and you say, nah, I can shave off one. If I go this route, if I go that route, and how many of you have tried to shave off a minute but added four or five?" [50:46] (54 seconds) ( | | )

4. "Jesus says, you are worthy of congratulations when you're poor in spirit. Now, poor in spirit does not connote physical poverty. Poor in spirit, what it means or what it connotes is this. It's when you recognize that you're spiritually bankrupt and in need of a Savior. And I don't know about you, but this guy needs a Savior. I can't earn heaven. I can't earn anything. I definitely don't deserve it. And when you and I recognize the spiritual bankruptcy that we have, that we cannot pay it, we cannot get it, and we recognize that we need a Savior, Jesus says, you're worthy of congratulations. You're happy. Why? Because we have recognition that you can't get to heaven without Jesus." [55:50] (53 seconds) ( | | )

5. "Jesus didn't preach a message of love is love, everybody. I just love you. I love you all. He does love us all. But he said, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Don't stay in your sin. What did he say to the woman? Do you remember the woman that they brought to him in the very act of adultery? They bring her and they say, what do you say, Rabbi? The law says to stone her. And Jesus sat there and he said, hey, whoever has no sins, throw the first stone. And he began to write on the ground. We don't know what he was writing on the sand. I have my own speculation. But we'll find out one day." [57:02] (44 seconds) ( | | )

6. "Meekness carries on. He carries the ideas of humility and self-discipline. Humility and self-discipline. Let's go back to Moses for a moment, because that's tie-in, humility. Y'all remember, if you've read your Bible or heard the story, there was a moment where God was angry at the children of Israel, more than one moment. But specifically, there was an instance during that time when Moses is leading them through the desert, that God is mad at the children of Israel. They want to go back to Egypt. They build the... The golden calf. They do all these different things. And God tells Moses, I'm going to kill them all and make a mighty nation out of you. Pride would have said, yeah, and we shall call them the Moselites." [01:03:53] (46 seconds) ( | | )

7. "And Jesus says, there is a happiness, there is a worthiness of congratulations when in your character as a citizen of the kingdom. You're walking in meekness, where your strength is under control, where your strength is under control. When you have the power to do something, but because the Lord says not to, you choose not to. Meekness carries that idea, humility and self-discipline. Then we get to the next verse where Jesus says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are those who hunger. Blessed are those who thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." [01:07:24] (52 seconds) ( | | )

8. "And part of the problem in Christianity, today, is that God says, I don't want blank, but we say, we're going to give it to you that way anyways. There's not a hunger for righteousness. There's not a desire to be acceptable to God. What are we doing in today's Christianity? Well, this is what I like, and I'm going to try to conform you to me as opposed to align ourselves to him. And let me tell you, the last time I checked, the cup, the cup, the cup, the cup, the cup, does not change shape for the water. The water takes on the shape of the cup." [01:10:02] (43 seconds) ( | | )

9. "And you and I must repent and allow for God to then change our ways. So that's why I'm telling you these kind of go together. The recognizing the need of a savior and the grief, the sorrow that comes when we repent. We recognize our sin, but we receive comfort. Like, have you ever needed comfort? Like, maybe you've been going through something and somebody just comes and puts their hand on your shoulder and they're like, hey, it's going to be okay. I'm with you. You ever been laying down in your bed and you're cold and you pull out a comforter and you cover yourself and you feel the warmth? Like, Jesus is letting us know you will receive comforter. Jesus, how did he describe the Holy Spirit? He says, I'm leaving. I'm leaving, but I'm sending you a comforter." [59:31] (55 seconds) ( | | )

10. "And Jesus says, there is a happiness, there is a worthiness of congratulations when in your character as a citizen of the kingdom. You're walking in meekness, where your strength is under control, where your strength is under control. When you have the power to do something, but because the Lord says not to, you choose not to. Meekness carries that idea, humility and self-discipline. Then we get to the next verse where Jesus says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are those who hunger. Blessed are those who thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." [01:07:24] (52 seconds) ( | | )

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Transcript
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