Blessed? Rejoice? Seeing As God Sees!

Temple Baptist Church - 10-5-2014

Luke 6:20-26

 

Introduction:

A. In our text, we see that the message is to the disciples (20) and not to the unsaved. We find similar words in Matthew 5:1-12 in what we call “The Sermon on the Mount.” As I introduce the message, we find that the passage is filled with things that, as humans, we would take issue with. The problem is that the flesh does not see the spiritual or we do not see in our humanity what God sees in His deity.

B. The passage is broken down into 4 “blessings” and 4 “woes.”

C. 4 Blessings:

1. The blessing of poverty. (Vs 20)

2. The blessing of hunger or want. (Vs 21)

3. The blessing of mourning. (Vs 21)

4. The blessing of persecution. (Vs 22)

D. 4 Woes:

1. The woe of riches. (Vs 24)

2. The woe of plenty. (Vs 25)

3. The woe of laughter. (Vs 25)

4. The woe of popularity. (Vs 26)

E. Now, if we are honest, as humans—we see the exact opposite. To us:

1. We would choose riches over poverty and, therefore, riches would be the blessing and poverty the woe.

2. We would choose plenty over hunger and, therefore, plenty would be the blessing and hunger the woe.

3. We would choose laughter over mourning and, therefore, laughter would be the blessing and mourning the woe.

4. We would choose popularity over persecution and, therefore, the popularity would be the blessing and persecution the woe.

F. There is a great message in these verses for the believer! You see, we are a heavenly people, not an earthly one. Not one of us would be excited by the prospect of poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution because these are not the things that we naturally seek after. Yes, we love live and the want the best but too often the “best” is what brings us problems and grief.

1. It is riches that turn our hearts to the world while poverty turns our hearts to God!

2. It is plenty that makes us fat, lazy, and lukewarm while hunger drives us to our knees.

3. It is laughter that brings about worldly pleasure while mourning shows us our frailty and necessity to number our days while serving the Lord.

4. It is popularity that brings about compromise while persecution shows a Christ likeness as He was hated of the world.

G. In verse 13, the Lord said to rejoice, not to seek these things. Why rejoice!

1. Because you are saved instead of still lost! Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

2. Because you are different from the world instead of still like it! Psalms 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. (2) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (3) And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

3. Because your reward is in heaven and eternal instead of earthly and temporal! 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

4. Because you stand in good company instead of bad company! Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

5. Because you must be getting more like Christ! Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

John 15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.