Embracing the Beatitudes: A Call to Dependence

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Kingdom's Postures

The Beatitudes are more than a list of virtues; they are an invitation to adopt the postures and mindsets that define the kingdom of God. Jesus calls His followers to live under His dominion, embracing His teachings as the foundation of their lives. This kingdom manifesto challenges believers to align their lives with the values and realities of the kingdom, which often stand in stark contrast to worldly values. By embracing these postures, believers are invited to experience the fullness of life as intended by God, living in a way that reflects His divine purpose. [01:47]

Matthew 5:3-5 (ESV): "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally align your daily actions and decisions with the values of the kingdom of God today?

Day 2: The Power of Spiritual Poverty

To be "poor in spirit" is to recognize one's powerlessness and dependency on God. This posture of humility acknowledges that we are at the mercy of another, much like a beggar reliant on the generosity of others. In a world that often equates blessing with material wealth or personal success, Jesus redefines true blessing as a state of being aligned with God's divine intention. By embracing spiritual poverty, believers open themselves to the richness of God's kingdom, acknowledging their need for His grace and guidance in every aspect of life. [15:16]

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: How can you cultivate a deeper sense of dependency on God in your daily life, acknowledging your need for His guidance and provision?

Day 3: The Contrast of Heart Postures

The story of the Rich Young Ruler and Bartimaeus illustrates the true spirit of the Beatitudes. While the Rich Young Ruler was enslaved by his possessions, unable to surrender everything to follow Jesus, Bartimaeus, in his blindness and poverty, cried out to Jesus with desperation and faith. Bartimaeus' willingness to cast aside his cloak, his only possession, symbolizes the surrender required to fully embrace the kingdom. This contrast highlights the importance of a heart posture that is open to God's transformative work, willing to let go of earthly attachments to pursue a life aligned with His divine purpose. [23:20]

Mark 10:21-22 (ESV): "And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

Reflection: What is one possession or ambition you find difficult to surrender to God, and how can you begin to release it today?

Day 4: Living in Continual Dependence

Following Jesus requires relinquishing everything and living in a state of continual dependence on Him. The kingdom is reserved for those who recognize their need for God and are willing to let go of their ambitions and possessions. This call to follow Jesus is a call to live a life marked by a deep, abiding need for Him, trusting in His provision and guidance. By embracing this dependence, believers are invited to experience the fullness of life as intended by God, living in alignment with His divine purpose and experiencing the true blessedness of the kingdom. [26:03]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to depend on God, and how can you practice surrendering these areas to Him today?

Day 5: The Blessed Life of Divine Alignment

The blessed life is one lived in the fullness of God's intention, marked by a deep, abiding need for Him. It is a life that aligns with His divine purpose, embracing the kingdom's values and realities. This life of divine alignment invites believers to experience the richness of God's kingdom, living in a way that reflects His love, grace, and truth. By embracing this blessed life, believers are called to be a light in the world, demonstrating the transformative power of God's kingdom in their daily lives. [35:19]

Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek to align your thoughts and actions with God's divine purpose, living as a reflection of His kingdom in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

In embarking on a journey through the Beatitudes, we delve into the heart of Jesus' teachings, as presented in the Sermon on the Mount. This series is not just an exploration of virtues but an invitation to adopt the postures and mindsets that define the kingdom of God. The Beatitudes serve as a manifesto for the kingdom, illustrating what it means to be a follower of Christ. Jesus, the risen King, calls us to live under His dominion, embracing the kingdom's values and realities.

The Beatitudes begin with "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This statement challenges our cultural understanding of blessing, which often equates to material wealth or personal success. Instead, Jesus redefines blessing as a state of being that aligns with God's divine intention for our lives. To be "poor in spirit" is to recognize our powerlessness and dependency on God. It is a posture of humility, acknowledging that we are at the mercy of another, much like a beggar reliant on the generosity of others.

This teaching is exemplified in the contrast between the Rich Young Ruler and Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. The Rich Young Ruler, despite his moral accomplishments and wealth, was enslaved by his possessions, unable to surrender everything to follow Jesus. In contrast, Bartimaeus, in his blindness and poverty, cried out to Jesus with desperation and faith, embodying the true spirit of the Beatitudes. His willingness to cast aside his cloak, his only possession, symbolizes the surrender required to fully embrace the kingdom.

The call to follow Jesus is a call to relinquish everything, to live in a state of continual dependence on Him. It is a reminder that the kingdom is reserved for those who recognize their need for God, who are willing to let go of their ambitions and possessions to pursue a life aligned with His divine purpose. This is the essence of the blessed life—a life lived in the fullness of God's intention, marked by a deep, abiding need for Him.

Key Takeaways

1. The Beatitudes are not just virtues to attain but postures and mindsets that define the kingdom of God. They invite us to live under the dominion of King Jesus, embracing His teachings as the foundation of our lives. [01:47]
2. To be "poor in spirit" is to recognize our powerlessness and dependency on God. It is a posture of humility, acknowledging that we are at the mercy of another, much like a beggar reliant on the generosity of others. [15:16]
3. The contrast between the Rich Young Ruler and Bartimaeus illustrates the true spirit of the Beatitudes. While the Rich Young Ruler was enslaved by his possessions, Bartimaeus, in his blindness and poverty, cried out to Jesus with desperation and faith. [23:20]
4. Following Jesus requires relinquishing everything and living in a state of continual dependence on Him. The kingdom is reserved for those who recognize their need for God and are willing to let go of their ambitions and possessions. [26:03]
5. The blessed life is one lived in the fullness of God's intention, marked by a deep, abiding need for Him. It is a life that aligns with His divine purpose, embracing the kingdom's values and realities. [35:19]
** [35:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:16] - Introduction to the Beatitudes
[00:55] - Invitation to Dive Deeper
[01:47] - The Kingdom Manifesto
[02:36] - Jesus' Audience
[04:28] - The Significance of Mountains
[06:12] - Jesus as God In the Flesh
[07:21] - The New Covenant Manifesto
[08:57] - Understanding "Blessed"
[10:09] - The Meaning of "Blessed"
[14:47] - The Poor in Spirit
[17:08] - Powerlessness and Dependency
[23:20] - The Rich Young Ruler
[28:30] - Bartimaeus' Faith
[35:19] - Living in Dependence on Jesus

Sermon Clips

"Jesus, in Matthew Chapter 5, he does preach his called The Sermon on the Mount and really this could be viewed as the manifesto for the kingdom of God so this is what it looks like to be a Christ follower if you are a Christ follower you are part of God's kingdom that means that you are under the Dominion of King Jesus that he is your king he is your leader he is your ruler he's the one that you're following." [00:01:58]

"Blessed are the poor in spirit and this is where we will spend our time today we'll come back to this for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled blessed are the merciful for they will be shown Mercy blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God." [00:08:00]

"These are again these are not virtues that we're trying to attain understand when we say blessed are we're not saying that these are virtues we're saying these are postures these are attitudes these are mindsets of those that are part of the kingdom of God they're Kingdom realities so when you're mourning you're blessed right and when you're poor in spirit you're blessed and people will look at you and say well that doesn't look like the blessed life to me but you know you are because you're part of the kingdom of God." [00:09:33]

"Blessed are those who are like a beggar in their Spirit have you ever felt that way have you ever felt like I am at the mercy of everyone else I am at the mercy of another if I am going to eat and Jesus says if you're that way and there were many that were like that that were following Jesus these are the people that were following Jesus people were living on crumbs people people that had this posture already so it was easier for them to come to them him do you see that that's that's the reason why we see so many people come to the Lord because they're broke down with addiction or they're broke down because their life is is is going through hell and they're experiencing all these difficult things in man I hit rock bottom right this is the language we use and then I came to God and God took care of me." [00:15:10]

"Following him will cost you everything and the price to following Jesus is always everything it it doesn't matter how you're born it doesn't matter how you're raised it doesn't matter how much of the Bible you know listen it doesn't matter how much money you have the cost of following Jesus is the same for every single person it's everything and this guy had a lot of things he had a lot of stuff and that in his we might have looked at him and said he's blessed he probably walked around go I'm so blessed and then guess what his Blessing did it got in the way of him following Jesus his Blessing was a curse his good fortunes were in the way." [00:26:07]

"Jesus is making this St amen he's saying listen the kingdom is reserved for those who are powerless to accomplish anything on their own the kingdom is reserved for those who are desperate for me this is not just the doorway to the blessed life it's the lifestyle of the Blessed Life God calls you blessed." [00:46:19]

"God is looking for people on the Earth today that AR not I have faith to move mountains and talk about it because they have a bunch of Bible verses memorized and because their life song God is looking on the earth for people to say I need you I need you more today than I did yesterday and Jesus said that kind of spirit the poor in spirit theirs is the kingdom those that are desperate for me those that are powerless for me and immediately he receives his sight and he follows Jesus now he can see now he can see and he can follow Jesus along the road." [00:34:19]

"How do we stay dependent upon Jesus that is the question that's what I'm going for I'm not going to be able to stand on my own have it all together have a not little polished Christian life because it ain't that I'm not saying that there's not Holiness involved in my life isn't said it absolutely is but the reason why it is is because every day I get for the Lord I'm like Lord I need you I'm desperate how do we stay dependent on Jesus no more you recognize your need even though he couldn't see he learned to hear really well." [00:36:19]

"Let go of what you have sell out sell out are you sold out have you have you laid down everything listen everything is a small price to pay to follow Jesus you don't know what it costs me it cost you just what it cost me it cost everything it cost my past it cost my future it cost my hopes and dreams and Ambitions it cost me everything cost me my money cost me everything because now everything that I have belongs to him and I don't get to right a right to keep any of it no matter how well I earned it it's all his what I have isn't worth keeping if it cost me more than I'm lacking." [00:44:18]

"Jesus, Son of David, come on just begin to cry out to him right now come on develop that develop that posture right now of longing and needing Jesus Jesus Son of David Don't Pass Me By Lord I need you I need you today I need you more than my brother I need I need you more than a than a good lunch today Lord I need you more than my job I need you more than the blood that's flowing through my veins I need you more than I need the approval of others I need you more than my job Lord I Need You Jesus I am longing and desperate I hungry for more of you Lord I am unsatisfied with the life that I've been living Lord I Want Your Kingdom let it come on the Earth as it is in heaven son of David Don't Pass Me By." [00:47:39]

"God calls you blessed will you stand with me I want I want you to just take a moment right now father cry out to him I want you to stir up some Hunger I want you to put it on on display come on we W all worried in this room listen if you can't if you can't get a little Rowdy in here where you going to get Rowdy Jesus Son of David come on just begin to cry out to him right now come on develop that develop that posture right now of longing and needing Jesus Jesus Son of David Don't Pass Me By Lord I need you I need you today I need you more than my brother I need I need you more than a than a good lunch today Lord I need you more than my job I need you more than the blood that's flowing through my veins I need you more than I need the approval of others I need you more than my job Lord I Need You Jesus I am longing and desperate I hungry for more of you Lord I am unsatisfied with the life that I've been living Lord I Want Your Kingdom let it come on the Earth as it is in heaven son of David Don't Pass Me By." [00:47:39]

"God calls you blessed will you stand with me I want I want you to just take a moment right now father cry out to him I want you to stir up some Hunger I want you to put it on on display come on we W all worried in this room listen if you can't if you can't get a little Rowdy in here where you going to get Rowdy Jesus Son of David come on just begin to cry out to him right now come on develop that develop that posture right now of longing and needing Jesus Jesus Son of David Don't Pass Me By Lord I need you I need you today I need you more than my brother I need I need you more than a than a good lunch today Lord I need you more than my job I need you more than the blood that's flowing through my veins I need you more than I need the approval of others I need you more than my job Lord I Need You Jesus I am longing and desperate I hungry for more of you Lord I am unsatisfied with the life that I've been living Lord I Want Your Kingdom let it come on the Earth as it is in heaven son of David Don't Pass Me By." [00:47:39]

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