Upside Down 1 // Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:1-3 (NIV & MSG)
Our new series is entitled, “Upside Down” and is based on Jesus’ Beatitudes.
Beatitude means a statement of utmost bliss.
Matthew 5:1-3 (NIV) | Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:3 (MSG) | You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
- Recognize your spiritual bankruptcy before God.
- We need Jesus’ help & hope!
Remember…
- You’re accepted
- Titus 3:7 (CEV) | Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life.
- What Jesus did on the cross made you completely acceptable to God — no matter what you’ve done or will do.
- You’re loved unconditionally
- Isaiah 54:10 (GNT) | The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end.
- You can’t make God stop loving you, because His love is not based on what you do but on who He is.
- You’re forgiven
- Romans 8:1 (NLT) | There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
- God doesn’t rehearse your sins; He releases them.
- You’re valuable
- 1 Corinthians 7:23 (TLB) | You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.
- There are TWO things that create value: (1) who owns something, & (2) what somebody’s willing to pay for it.
- Jesus Christ paid for you with his life; THAT’S how valuable YOU are!
Reflection Questions
- What does the word, beatitude, mean? What does it mean for the Jesus follower in the face of our culture’s rot and corruption?
- What does it mean to be poor in spirit? How is our own spiritual bankruptcy before God a good thing?
- You are accepted and loved unconditionally! How do you view your own acceptance and ability to love? When you realize your limitations, how does it strike you that God is limitless in His capacity to love us?
- You are forgiven and valuable! How does Pastor Mark’s description of value strike you when you think about your life, past or present? What does it mean that Jesus was willing to pay it all for you?
- How will you live into the reality of today’s beatitude this week so you can experience the utter bliss that comes from knowing you’re accepted, loved, forgiven, and valued?
