Do you need a little encouragement today? S31e37 Mt5:4

Perhaps you are discouraged. If so, turn with me to the beatitudes to look for a beautiful way of living.

The road to encouragement often starts with grief. Disobedience towards the ways of God often leads to relational disaster.           

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Mourning is Godly grief that goes somewhere. Mourning is a key to right relationship with God. The route towards encouragement often leads thru mourning.  

Join me for 7minutes and let's see if Jesus is right.

https://youtu.be/Syg6x3jQl4I

Transcript

Do you need a little encouragement today? S31e37 Mt5:4

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Mourning is an occupational hazard for being human

Mourning is an occupational hazard for being a Christian

Blessed: ESV “more than a temporary or circumstantial feeling of happiness, this is a state of well-being in relationship with God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus ministry”.

         4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Wait, you mean to tell me that being in a mourning state, this grief posture? Will refect a state of well-being in relationship with God.

How you doing? I am mourning…all systems go.

         I am mourning…all affiliations in order

         I am mourning…The world’s affairs are as expected.

         I am mourning…I am in right relationshiop with the Lord and with the world

         I am in mourning …but COMFORT is on the menu

What is mourning?

         Godly grief over sin.

         I was talking at length to a non-believing friend yesterday about being in a relationship with Jesus. In thinking about that conversation in light of the podcast this morning, I’d assess that there was one thing missing. Godly grief over sin.

There is a critical element, a world-view, a posture, that if you don’t get it right, you’ll never get the remedy right.

If you don’t get the offence right, you probably won’t even get to godly grief.

It is explained in 2 Cor 7:10 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Godly grief first. Repentance 2nd.Salvation without regret.

We all must start with the shocker: I have offended God. A penalty is demanded because of my relational crimes. It’s saying I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I am deserving of punishment. And then :Jesus rides in heroically to take the penalty that should be on me. 

So here is a prayer for your not-yet-believing friends: May you have godly grief. May you be blessed as one who mourns.

         May the Lord BLESS YOU WITH GRIEF, how?

         1st May He plop this concern in your lap and not take it away:

                  What will you do about your sin?

         Then: phase two before God: Godly grief that goes somewhere: leading to salvation

         This is, brothers and sisters, the blessing that is bestowed on those who mourn. Mourning is Godly grief that goes somewhere

We here in the Beatitudes can live beautifully before God.

What does beautiful living before God look like? 

One thing is mourning, why?

Because disobedience has been a relational disaster.

         With man yes, but ESPECIALLY before God.

We remembered David yesterday in Ps 51.  He gets this priority right in v.4Psalm 51:4 

4    Against you, you only, have I sinned 

and done what is evil in your sight, 

Clearly, David has sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah in practice. But in PRIORITY David is right. He “only” sins against God.

OK: why should I care? What is in it for me if I get this right?

First, Blessedness. State of well-being in relationship with God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus ministry. How so?

Specifically: Comfort. Gotta love the Bible. It means a call to one’s side to be encouraged. Write this down.*********

If you are sitting there discouraged, depressed and oppressed: there is a route out of this.

Rather than saying rainbows and puppies, everything is OK, this passage says: maybe the way out of this is THRU MOURNING. You do grief, specifically grief over sin and grief over the effects of sin right and comfort can be on offer.

Wait, the road to comfort and encouragement starts with, wait for it: GRIEF. Mourning over sin is a great great great place to start.

This is my prayer for my not-yet-believing friend: One word: grief. Another word: mourning. 

Nobody steps out of the poo pile  without the grief and disgust of realizing you are wallowing in a big poo pile. Yuck. Yuck=mourning. Mourning over sin. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Closing

Are you the least bit sad over sin?

Is relational mourning an ongoing part of your spiritual walk?

Do the words “I’m sorry” ever pop up in your human relationship?

         If not, that is pretty bad.

Do the words “I’m sorry” ever pop up in your relationship w God?

         If not, that is really bad. Why because4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Mourning is a key to right relationship with God.

Grief over sin is an access point that cannot be avoided. That is not true.  It can be avoided, but it should not be avoided.

Beautiful relational mourning, esp over sin, should not be avoided

The most generous thing I can do for my friend is pray for his mourning. His beautiful relational mourning.  Grief over sin. Then he can experience: It means a call to one’s side to be encouraged. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.