The Spiritually Poor

Discipleship Bible Studies
Lesson Two
September 12, 2007

DWS

We begin tonight our spiritual walk into the reality of discipleship or how to be followers of Christ as taught by the Master Himself.  Last week we addressed five prerequisites that MUST be obtained BEFORE proceeding into true discipleship.  Again, these are MUSTS.  It will not be possible to “catch up later” and keep pace with the changes that we hope will begin to take place in our lives.  Do you remember the passages from last time?  Luke 14:33; Luke 14:27; John 8:31; John 15:8; John 13:35.

Reading lesson: Matthew 5:1-12

Lesson text: Matthew 5:3

The Setting:

·        Jesus saw the multitudes and, as a result, went up into a mountain (hillside) and sat down.  He did so to be better seen and heard.  What was about to proceed from His mouth were words from Heaven.  His words were addressed to His disciples and His aim was to teach them.  What a wonderful thought to ponder upon: Jesus sitting and speaking to those who had been saved and wanted to know more of what they had found to be true.  Jesus still yearns today for us, as His disciples, to seek out “teachable moments” such as these.

Beatitudes

·        These verses contain what is commonly referred to as the “Beatitudes”.   The word beatitude is defined as: a state of utmost bliss.  Thus, Jesus is not teaching HOW to be saved, but rather, how to IDENTIFY the saved.  In other words, “Who are the saved?”

·        There are eight lessons contained in this reading.  Most consider there to be seven beatitudes and then one “benediction” beatitude that summarized the result of the rest.

·        These beatitudes will build on each other. As we build this ladder to discipleship, you will likely be amazed as to the beauty and depth of these initial teachings.  They ascend in spiritual terms (each builds UP on the last) while they also descend in carnal terms (each tears DOWN the flesh from the previous).  John the Baptist said that he must decrease so that Christ could increase.  If we understand that principle, the same concept is taught through these beatitudes.

·        All of these doctrines Jesus teaches are taught in the PRESENT TENSE!

I. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

a. Greek word or “poor” is “ptokos.” It is a VERB which means “to cower and cringe like a beggar.”  A beggar does not want to be seen because he is devoid of pride and self-worth.  Shame is his garment.  It is not describing one’s financial state (poverty), but the state of having to beg.  The normal word for being poor in the Greek is penes.

b. Blessed (happy) are those that are so destitute in their spirit that they are ashamed and cower, begging for God’s forgiveness.  The spirit is our inner being, so the lesson is this…”Blessed is the man who is begging on the inside.”  Refer to Psalm 51:17 and Isaiah 57:15.

c. Being poor in spirit is NOT being weak or timid.  Jesus was neither of these.  Rather, it is being without self-reliance, self-confidence, or pride.  We may be well educated but spiritually ignorant; financially secure but spiritually bankrupt; CEO in the world but unemployed by God.  We must realize that we are nothing and can accomplish nothing without God. We must realize our complete inability to “fill ourselves” and ask God to supply our needs.

d. The fact is the Bible teaches that man is morally bankrupt from birth.  Before we can be saved, we have to recognize this, mourn, and only then can God come and comfort us.  Read the second beatitude and see if you see a connection.  We must recognize our spiritual poverty, which leads us to mourn, and allows for God’s comfort to enter.  (This is only how the first two are connected.  It gets better!!)

II. What is the result of being poor in spirit?

a. The Bible says that they will go to Heaven (or are going).  Why?  They will seek God.

b. They will be destitute of pride, self-worth, and arrogance.  They will be wholly dependent upon God for all their needs.

III. How do we become poor in spirit?

a. Seek to know God. Not only in salvation, but seek to really KNOW God. Have a personal relationship with Him!  Relationships are only cultivated by time spent together.  As you look upon God, you will lose yourself in Him.

b. Pray.  This is the means by which we develop a relationship with this Great Teacher.  He wants to hear about the minutest detail of your life.  Remember that He loves you and cares for you enough to come and die for you.

c. Make pleasing God your primary goal and priority.  This means to judge our daily activities in the light of whether or not it would please Him.  Make a vow to put Jesus first in your life, then read in the scriptures regarding the power of vows.

d. Realize that you at your best will make an absolute and total disaster or the life that God has given you.  “There is a way that right unto a man, and the end thereof are the ways of death.”  Depend upon God as if you are a blind person trying to navigate dangerous terrain.”

IV. How do we know if we are poor in spirit?

a. You will deny “self”.  Read Romans 12:1-2 and I Corinthians 2:1-5

b. John 14:8, Philip said,”…Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

c. We will not complain.  If we are truly poor in spirit, we will not complain about our circumstances.  We will not be critical of the life that God has given.  We will experience the grace of God when we have needs and we will be satisfied.  We know Him. We trust Him. We love Him.  We know that He wants the best for us and knows what the best is…thus, we resign in thanksgiving for even the problems, the hurt, the sacrifices….glad to be able to suffer anything for Christ who died for us!

d. We will see good in others.  “We ought not to think more highly of ourselves than we are.”  We will know who we are, who our family is, etc.  No lies, no pride, just the naked truth.  This will allow us to see that we really are not any better than anyone else in God’s sight.

e. We will pray.  A beggar is always begging. That is where his life comes from and he knows it.

f. We will take what God gives us….gratefully.

g. We will praise God and be truly thankful. The beggar is grateful for what he receives to sustain his life.  He knows that he didn’t deserve anything and that he didn’t work for any of it.  It was a gift, one that we will gratefully accept.

V. Summary

 It takes a good deal of strength and courage to look at ourselves as we really appear.  It will take God’s help to show us how we appear in His sight.  However, once we can see and accept our sinfulness as beyond our power, we are ready to ask the Lord for help and then (and ONLY then) is He free to provide for us the answers to the needs / deficiencies that we identify in ourselves.

I remember in fighting and then seeking the Lord that the first physical step that I took toward the altar was the hardest. It meant that I was identifying myself as a lost sinner.  Dirty, guilty, shameful, ugly.  However, I look back now happily at that time as the point at which I began to allow God to shape me from the spiritual bankrupt that I was to someone He could save and give His inheritance to gladly!  Now remember, this first beatitude was to disciples regarding how to identify the saved…will you take the first step in discipleship and look at yourself with God’s help?  Look at your ugly, sinful self and be afflicted and mourn that God would be allowed to comfort you!  This is the FIRST step and is absolutely necessary for advancement.  God was not going to save me sitting on that seat and he won’t make a disciple of me sitting on another one!

May God help ALL of us for His glory!

DWS