The Nines #4

The Nines #4
Nine Statements that will Change Your Life

Matthew 5:6 (New International Version)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Where else do we find this idea in the Bible?

Hunger:
John 4:31-38 (New International Version)
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."  But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

Thirst: 
Psalm 42:1-3 (New International Version)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 
When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food 
day and night, 
while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
 
How Do We Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?
1.  Know - It starts with a decision
Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

2.    Be – It moves to the heart
 
Psalm 119:10-12 (New International Version)
I seek you with all my heart; 
do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; 
teach me your decrees.
 
Hebrews 3:12-13 (New International Version)
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
 
Proverbs 4:23 (New International Version)
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
 
Matthew 15:17-19 (New International Version)
Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man “unclean.” For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

3.    Do – It translates into our practice
James 1:22-25 (New International Version)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Jesus promises that we will be filled…
The only way to truly understand fulfillment in this life is to be a part of the lifestyle that Jesus has called us to.  You can try all day long, but you won’t be filled until you hunger and thirst for righteousness.

The Nines #3

The Nines #3
Nine Statements that will Change Your Life

Matthew 5:5 (ESV)

    Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

    •    It is hard to get our mind around this idea of Meek.
    •    Synonyms: gentle, lowly, humble; yielding, compliant, tame…
    •    Webster’s Dictionary: quiet, gentle, easily imposed on, submissive
    •    Word Picture: Ox in a plow – power under restraint…
    •    Implication: We have to choose to allow that to happen.  Choose, not feel!

    o    Power has the ability to keep restraint from happening.  Those with the power are stronger than             those who are trying to restrain them. 
    o    Therefore, power must be willing to choose to be placed under restraint
            Jesus is Calling This Truth Out of the Old Testament
Psalm 37:11
     But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Some Examples of Meekness

Joseph – Genesis 37; 39; 40; 42
    •    Joseph is 17 when he has the dream (Gen 37:2)
    •    Joseph is 30 when he enters Pharaoh’s service (Gen. 41:46)
    •    Then there are 7 years of plenty and staring into the 7 years of famine???
    •    Joseph is in the neighborhood of 40 years old when his vision is fulfilled.
    •    In that moment, he has the right, the ability, and probably the desire to extract judgment on his                 brothers…  but he doesn’t

David – 1 Samuel 16; 24; 26; 31 and 2 Samuel 23
    •    God appointed Saul as King (1 Samuel 10)
    •    God rejects Saul as King because he took what was the Lord’s and didn’t obey God (1 Samuel 15)
    •    God selects David as King and gives him great favor with the people
    •    Saul becomes jealous of David and starts trying to kill him
    •    Before God, David is the rightful king, and Saul is in David’s throne
    •    David has at least 2 chances to kill Saul and both times chooses not to
    •    Ultimately, David waits for God to work it out.  And He does.  Saul kills himself.

        o    What would have been the rumors if David had taken matters into his own hands?

    •    David’s mighty men get David a drink of water and he pours it out, not willing to have anything             that his men couldn’t have.
    •    David had the power, the right, and the desire, but chose not to.  – Power under restraint, by                 choice.
Jesus – Matthew 4; 28
    •    At the temptation, Satan appeals to Jesus desire for authority.
    •    Jesus has the right, the desire, the power, and the ability to make this happen
    •    Jesus chooses to let God provide
    •    This is at the heart of Meekness

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus is our ultimate model of Meekness…

    •    He had the right, the power, the desire, and the authority to keep bad things from happening to             Him, but He did not.  He chose to put His power under restraint so that we could experience peace.

The Nine's #2

The Nines #2
Nine Statements that Will Change Your Life

Matthew 5:4 (New International Version)
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

2 Key Words to Consider:

1. Mourn = πενϑουντες

Examples of Mourning:

John 11:25-35 (New International Version)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept.

Luke 19:41-42 (New International Version)

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace but now it is hidden from your eyes.

2. Comforted = παρακληθησονται

What do we mourn?

1. When people don’t live by faith in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (New International Version)

We live by faith, not by sight.

Philippians 2:3-5 (New International Version)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

2. When we consider the fate of those who don’t know Jesus.

Hebrews 9:25-28 (New International Version)

Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him

3. When people claim to be followers of Jesus, but act nothing like Him.

Matthew 7:21 (New International Version)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

John 5:39-40 (New International Version)
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

4. When children get hurt.

Luke 17:1-2 (New International Version)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

5. When people in need are neglected.

James 1:26-27 (New International Version)

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We have to be broken by the things that break the heart of God.

The Nines #1

The Nines
9 Statements That Will Change the World

#1

What are the Beatitudes?

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Matthew 5:1-3 (ESV)
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to be “Blessed?”

• The Greek word is: Μακαριοι

What does it mean to be Poor in Spirit?

Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Matthew 10:39
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Luke 12:15
Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

**It means that in our soul, we own nothing. How many possessions we have or don’t have is of no importance. Our life circumstances are of no importance. The only thing that matters is getting in the bulls eye of God’s Will.

How do we know that we are fulfilling the challenge to be poor in spirit?

Matthew 5:3b
“…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

**We can know that we are becoming poor in spirit when the priorities of this type of blessing are being realized in our life.

How do I know when I am holding on too tightly?

1. When you don’t let go of material things and assume that you know how to manage your possessions better than God.

2. God asks us to tithe back to Him. We are not poor in spirit when we make excuses to not do that.

3. We are holding on too tightly when we refuse to forgive.

4. Anytime that we make excuses to avoid service to others.