We all know what it feels like at times to be hungry or thirsty, but there are a hunger and thirst that should be far more concerning to us that we are going to dig into together today, and it’s not talking about physical hunger but spiritual hunger. It’s a hunger that will not be satisfied by food or water but only by God. Augustine said: "Thou has made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee." The good news is Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6 ... continue reading...
EP 89: Blessed are the Meek (Matthew 5:5 – Sermon on the Mount Series)
Meekness is often defined as power under control, and in the case of the Spirit-filled believer, he or she is under the control of God's Spirit. Meekness towards God is a disposition of spirit that accepts His dealings as good and doesn't dispute or resist them. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. ~ Matthew 5:5 A gentle, trusting spirit should characterize our relationship with both man and God. It has an attitude that accepts all of God's ways as good—we are trusting the ... continue reading...
EP 88: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Matthew 5:4 – Sermon on the Mount Series)
True spiritual mourning produces a hatred for our sin and a repentant heart that desires to be in a right relationship with the Lord. We should desire to be holy as God is holy. Mourning is to be our lifestyle. It’s not just a one time moment when we first came to a recognition of our utter spiritual poverty before the Lord—it is a continual part of our lives as believers We want to cultivate hearts that are sensitive to the sin our lives and mourn over them. We want our mourning to be ... continue reading...
EP 87: The Riches of Poverty (Matthew 5:3 – Sermon on the Mount Series)
The Sermon on the Mount lays out for us what it means to be a citizen of Christ's kingdom. The chapters we're working through in Matthew 5-7 layout for us what the Lord desires of those who profess Christ. It describes what our inward and outward desires and actions should look like of those who profess to be in Christ. As we continue on in this current series, our text today is Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "There is no-one in the ... continue reading...
EP 86: Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount Series {Matthew 5:1-2}
John Stott opened his book The Message of the Sermon on the Mount: Christian Counter-Culture with this sentence: "The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguable it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed." As believers, we know parts of this Sermon preached by the greatest preacher who ever preached quite well. Jesus tells us in the Sermon not to be anxious, to put the kingdom first, and not to lay up treasures on ... continue reading...