#Blessed

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#Blessed
Series: Called - Part 3
Matthew 5:1-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Matthew 5:3 (NRSV)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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Blessings are tricky things.  We live in a culture where #Blessed is more about feeling lucky or fortunate in various circumstances ranging from a miraculous medical recovery all the way down to getting the latest pair of designer shoes.  It’s so commonplace it has almost become a joke, or at the very least a form of false humility when we really want to boast about something but publicly attribute it to some external blessing, presumably given to us by God.

The Beatitudes turn this idea of blessings on its head. 

Why? 

Precisely because those who Jesus calls blessed are the last people who would ever post #Blessed on their social media feed.  Consider the following contemporary framing of those Jesus calls blessed: 

• "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

  • Empty yourself and become humble, then receive a share in the responsibility for God's kingdom.

• "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

  • Out of care for God's world, mourn for the suffering of others and you will find comfort for your suffering.

• "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

  • When you are comforted, become comforting to those who are suffering in your midst and you will inherit a share responsibility with God for those who are suffering.

• "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

  • When you inherit responsibility for those who suffer, you recognize when suffering is unjust. You will not be satisfied with what is unrighteous in the world until righteousness wins and God satisfies you with it.

• "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

  • In being filled with righteousness and meekness, you will temper your zeal for righteousness with mercy, and in turn will be shown mercy.

• "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

  • When you receive mercy, your heart will be made pure and free from judgment and selfish intent, then you will experience the true nature of God.

• "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

  • When you experience the true nature of God, you will have peace and will share it with the world, then you will be called a child of God.

• "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

  • When you are called a child of God, you can withstand all manner of pressures to swerve from the path of righteousness, you will experience beatitude.

When we consider the many ways we feel “blessed,” how do they compare with the way Jesus sees those who are truly “blessed”? 

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(source: The Beatitudes: An Eight-Fold Path - https://tcpc.ipbhost.com/topic/3644-the-beatitudes-an-eight-fold-path/)

Blessing Your Enemies

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Blessing Your Enemies
A God Who Weeps - Part 6
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Jeremiah 29:1-7

Build houses and settle down; cultivate gardens and eat what they produce. Get married and have children; then help your sons find wives and your daughters find husbands in order that they too may have children. Increase in number there so that you don’t dwindle away. Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because your future depends on its welfare.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 (CEB)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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There are few verses in scripture more quoted than Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  It’s often used for big moments or transitions in our lives like graduations, retirements, etc. as a way of offering encouragement as we enter into new and unknown chapters in our lives.  The problem is that far too often, we view God’s plans like a set of puzzle pieces that we have to put together in a particular way.  The “plan” involves the getting the right job, marrying the right person, or any number of other “right” decisions that will keep us aligned with God’s “perfect will.”    

The more interesting verse for me in this chapter, however, is verse 7… “promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.”  Yes, God has a plan to restore Israel to their rightful land, but not in the lifetime of most who are hearing this message.  For them, God’s plan is about how they live among strangers and enemies.  It’s about breaking them of their arrogance and self-reliance as God’s people, thinking they could get away with anything simply because they were God’s chosen and because God had a perfect plan for them.  Exile is a reminder that God’s “plan”, whatever that may look like, is not about a prosperous life, but about a faithful life in both prosperity and in desolation. 

Jeremiah 29 is far less about God making everything work out the way the people want and far more about how to live faithfully in exile, especially since they were unable to live faithfully in their God given homeland.  In exile, God is teaching them what it means to be a blessing to all the nations rather than elevating themselves above everyone else.  God’s message is perhaps one of the most radical things they could ever imagine… “I care about Babylon too.”  In other words, God loves  Israel’s enemies as much as God loves them, and in exile, they too must learn what it means to truly love their enemies. 

God’s people were not called to retaliate or seek escape from Babylon.  They were called to work toward the welfare or “Shalom” of this foreign land.  They were to bring God’s peace among their enemies.  This isn’t just a matter of biding their time and trying to live isolate lives, separate from the world around them.  It was a radical call to fully engage in Babylonian culture and work toward wholeness, prosperity and the overall wellbeing of everyone.

In a nation where the church is entrenched in one culture war after another with warring factions or “parties”, this message is as relevant today as in Babylon.  We do not glorify God by “converting Babylon to Christ” or “forcing Babylon to pass laws to make it easier or more comfortable for us to live out our faith.”  Rather, we glorify God by loving our neighbors, even if they are our enemies, and working together for the peace and well-being of all.

When God Let's Us Win

THIS MESSY LIFE: CHILDHOOD - PART 2

When God Let’s Us Win
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Genesis 32:22-30

Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

Genesis 32:28

“You win some, you lose some.” That’s just the reality of life. Every one of us needs to learn how to be both a good loser and a good winner. Our ability to enjoy the game regardless of the outcome without crying or gloating all boils down to good sportsmanship.

Parents generally let their kids win at just about everything when they are young. It builds confidence and minimizes discouragement for children who do not yet have the emotional capacity to process failure. At a certain age, we start allowing them to lose. While building confidence is important, they must also learn to deal with the reality of defeat which will come far more often in life than any of us would like.

The same is true when it comes to behavior. When a child is simply learning what is right and wrong, mercy, understanding, and teaching should outweigh the consequences. At some point, however, they will “know better,” at which point consequences become more serious. We cannot and should not always protect them from the outcomes of their own poor decisions.

As God’s children, I believe we have a heavenly parent who trains us in much the same way. Jacob’s life is clearly filled with mistakes and poor choices, some out of immaturity and some out of blatant defiance. At some point Jacob’s struggle against the world and against his own nature turns into what seems like a physical wrestling match with God.

At this point we might think Jacob should know better. It’s time for Dad to put this spoiled kid in his place. He needs to learn that he can’t always manipulate others to get what he wants. For once in his life, Jacob needs to learn how to lose.

“Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

- Genesis 32:28

What? After all Jacob has done, God let’s him win. Granted, not without a limp from his torn thigh, not to mention a severely bruised ego. Nevertheless, Jacob wrestles with God and his life is spared. God’s blessing is greater than God’s punishment.

Maybe Jacob needed a different lesson that day. What if it wasn’t about winning or losing at all? What if it was simply a reminder that God’s love toward him had nothing to do with winning or losing? Jacob didn’t have to manipulate or control others in order to gain favor. He didn’t have to “win” in life in order to receive God’s blessing.

Maybe the lesson we all need right now is more than simply how to win and lose, but to learn to see ourselves as truly loved and blessed by God regardless of how much we win or lose in life. God’s blessing does not depend on our actions or accomplishments, only on grace, undeserved.

Click here to listen to entire sermon series - “THIS MESSY LIFE: CHILDHOOD”