SPEAKER_02 0:15

I just wanted to walk up music. Baseball players get it, whatever. Mostly I wanted to walk up music. Partly I've been thinking about that word blessed. I've been on vacation all week. Morning sips of coffee as the sunrise. Blessed. You know? Paddle boarding and Lake Michigan swimming. How do they put it? Hashtag blessed. Is that how they say that? Still say it that way. Sure, whatever. And but so I'm thinking about the word blessed because I've been feeling blessed, and I I've noticed the way I use it, I kind of use it in economic terms. Like when I have more, get more, enjoy more, so to do more, bless. But then I started to think about the way the Bible uses the word blessed, and specifically the number of times Jesus uses the word blessed, which actually isn't an overwhelming amount, except in the Sermon on the Mount, where he sort of reimagines for us the blessed life. So I've been thinking about blessed and what does it mean to be blessed and the blessed life, hashtag blessed, blessing, and wonder if I need to redefine my use of the word. Because otherwise, if you have more and you get more to enjoy more, God is more in your favor. There must be something more. Right? I mean, I'm I'm not I'm not dismissing gratitude, I'm just wondering about what is the blessed life. But I am way ahead of myself. Uh this is my friend Fig. This is Fig.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

This is Fig.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

I've told you Fig story. She said to me earlier, I was like, I just want everybody to meet you. And she's like, they all know me, but they don't know me. So you have to buy her lunch. Breakfast. Do you like coffee? Coffee? She's a junior at Western, will be a junior at Western Michigan University. Kalamazoo is not that far. Drive, take her out. She's the one, if I can share, she's the one who said her freshman year at Western, I didn't want to live, but I didn't dare die. So I stopped. Fig. Fig. Uh the church lady sat next to her in the bathroom. Do you remember this story? Put her Go YouTube Pillar sermons from like a year ago. You can hear it. Sat next to her in the bathroom, put her arms around her, wept with her. Fig later that semester became a Christian. She was baptized this past semester, and now is thinking about seminary. She wants to be a pastor. And I think you should let her know by your applause if you think that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Amazing. I would have expected a standing elevation, but we'll we'll so I asked her to help me with this sermon by reading from a book I have not read.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

How's that? But I did read a review of the book. So she's gonna read from the review of the book that's been recommended to me multiple times by plenty of you. So I'm trying.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

The degradation of our social imaginary has taken place across 300 years of cultural upheaval. We will not turn this ship around overnight. The place we must start is in the church. We must recommit ourselves to the slow, steady work of catechists in discipleship. We must learn the faith, teach the faith, live the faith, and so with patience and consistency over the course of our lives. We must live out what Eugene Peterson called a long obedience in the same direction. And we must apprentice others into the same way of life. It isn't flashy. We won't gain the kind of following that we would have if we were to fashion ourselves into culture warriors or influencers. The life of simple faithfulness undertaken by believers in the quoted routines of work, play, family, and worship will in time restore what we have lost. The awareness that our lives are not our own, but are the sacred possession of the living God.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

Ooh, can we say thank you to Fig? Way to go. That's a lot, what she just read. I don't expect you to retain it all, so just let me offer this again. We will not turn this ship around overnight. The place we must start is in the church. We must recommit ourselves to the slow, steady work of discipleship, a long obedience in the same direction. The place we must start is in the church. You can do whatever you want with, this is Carl Truman, by the way, you can do whatever you want with his critique of our current cultural moment. You can agree with it or disagree with it. But I like his suggestion. It's got to start with the church recommitting itself to a long obedience in the same direction. So I thought wherever we have been and whatever we have been up to, probably great stuff. Let's imagine now moving forward, and the way I'd like us to move forward begins with Jesus, who gathered around some folks on a hill near the sea, and started to articulate this long obedience in the same direction, what you might call the blessed life. So, what I want you to do, I want I want you to listen carefully, I want you to listen well. This is called the Sermon on the Mountain. Uh there are moments without a doubt you're gonna feel uncomfortable. Your face is gonna get flush. Jesus is gonna say things that are like, man, your your blood pressure's gonna rise, your heart's gonna beat a little faster, you're gonna try to slink down in the pew, maybe sneak out before anybody really notices. I I want you to resist that temptation and just sit with it for a little longer. Hang with it. What is Christ saying to you? If there's time and there may not be, I might offer a reflection or two. But mostly I just want you to listen to the words of Jesus as we together are on this long obedience in the same direction. So listen carefully and listen well. When Jesus saw the crowd, he went up on a mountain and he sat down. And his disciples came to him and he began to teach them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they'll see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they'll be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and blessed are you. When people insult you and revile you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account, rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. If the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It's no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can't be hid, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand that it may give light to everyone in the house. In the same way. Let your light so shine before others that they see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do not think that I've come to abolish the law and the prophets. I've not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Whoever breaks the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever teaches them and practices them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven, for I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You've heard that it was said in ancient times, do not murder. Then anyone who murders is subject to judgment. I say, anyone who is angry is subject to judgment. Anyone who insults a brother or sister is liable to the counsel. Anyone who says, You fool, is in danger of the fire of hell. So if you're at the altar and they remember your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, go and be reconciled to your brother or sister, then come and offer your gift and settle matters quickly with the adversaries, taking you to court. Do it while you're with him on the way. Or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you'll be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you won't get out until you have paid the last penny. You've heard that it was said. Do not commit adultery. But I say anyone who even looks at another lustfully has already committed adultery of the heart. So, if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out, throw it away. It's better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go to hell. It's been said. Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. I say. Anyone who divorces his wife, except on the grounds of immorality, causes her to be an adulteress. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. You've heard that it was said to those in ancient times, do not break your oaths, but keep the oaths you've made to the Lord. I say, don't swear at all. Either by heaven, for it's God's throne, or by earth for his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for that's the city of the great king, and don't swear by your head, for you can't make even one hair white or black. Simply let your yes be yes, and your no, no, anything else comes from the evil one. You've heard that it was said. Eye for eye. Tooth for tooth. I say, don't resist an evil person. If someone wants to strike you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, give your cloak as well. If someone wants to forces you to go one mile, go them two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and don't refuse the one who wants to borrow from you. You've heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. I say, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be called children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the just and on the unjust and sends the rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Don't even tax collectors do this. And if you greet only those who greet you, what are you doing more than others? Don't even the Gentiles do that. You therefore be perfect. As your Father in heaven is perfect. Be careful of practicing your acts of righteousness before others, to be seen by them. You will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you're giving alms, don't sound the trumpet like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that it's obvious that they're giving. When you give, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not stand on the synagogues and on the street corners to be honored by people. You will receive no reward. But when you pray, go into your room and close the door and pray to your father who is unseen, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, don't heap up empty phrases like the pagans, for they think they'll be heard because of the many words. Don't be like them. Your father knows what you need before you ask. This is how you should pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into the time of trial, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their sins, your father will forgive you your sins. But if you don't forgive others their sins, your father won't forgive you. And when you fast, don't disfigure your faces like the hypocrites, for they love to look somber so that it's obvious that they're fasting. But when you fast, wash your face and anoint your head with oil so that your fasting may be in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. Where moth and rust consume, and thieves break in and steal. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not consume, and thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If the eyes are good, the whole body sees light. But if the eyes are bad, the whole body sees darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? And no one can serve two masters, either they'll love the one and hate the other, be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, don't worry about your life. What you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they? And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So don't worry about your clothing. Look at the grass of the field. Just here today and tomorrow's thrown into the fire, yet not even Solomon and all the splendor is just like one of these. If this then is how your heavenly father clothes the grass of the field, how much more will he clothe you? Oh, you of little faith. So don't worry, saying, What will we eat, or what will we drink, or what will we wear? For your father knows what you need before you ask, and the Gentiles run after these things. Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to you as wealth. So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. Judge not, or you will be judged. And the measure you use is the measure you'll get, and the measure you announce is the measure you'll receive. Why do you pay attention to the speck of sawdust in your sister's eye when you have a plank in your own? How can you say, here, let me get the speck out of your eye. When you have a plank in your own eye, you hypocrite. First remove the plank from your eye, then you'll see clearly to take the speck out of your sister's eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred. And do not cast your pearls before pigs. They'll trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces. Ask and it will be given you. Seek and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks receives. All those who seek find everyone who knocks, the door is open. Which of you, if your child asked for bread, would give a stone? Or if they ask for fish, would give a snake? If you then, though you're broken, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask? Therefore, in everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This sums up the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many will find it, but narrow is the gate and hard is the way that leads to life, and only a few will find it. Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they're ferocious wolves. I tell you, you'll recognize them by their fruit. Do people pick figs from thistles or grapes from thorn bushes? A good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree, a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. A tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I tell you, you'll recognize them by their fruit. Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven. For on that day many will say, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and perform many great miracles in your name? And I'll tell them plainly, away from me. You evildoers, I never knew you. Whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against the house, but it didn't fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But whoever hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like the foolish person who built his house on the sand. The rains came, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a tremendous crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching. For he taught them as one having authority. Not as their teachers of the law. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. It's Matthew 5, 6, and 7. It's the Sermon on the Mount. What time is it? What are y'all doing today? There are two options to this sermon. It's sort of a choose your own adventure sermon. Option one, I just stop now. Option two, I go on for maybe six or seven minutes. That was pretty good. I feel pretty good. We're going with option two. You noticed the way Jesus started. I tried to emphasize it. You remember the word he you, the first word out of his mouth, do you remember? Blessed. Blessed. And then and then he says it nine times. I mean, like, here it is. Blessed life. Hashtag blessed, blessing. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted. Blessed are you. Which stands in such shocking contrast to the way I use the word blessed. Have more, get more, enjoy more, do more. Which I'm sitting, sipping my coffee, watching the sunrise, enjoying my life, thinking blessed, and then realizing, wow, there's dissonance here. For so long, I'm 49, like for 49 years, every time I read the Sermon on the Mount and I come to those Beatitudes, I think to myself, that's right, Jesus just being so nice to all those people who are so sad. He's so kind. What if that's not what he's doing? What if he's announcing this is the blessed life? What if me seeing blessing in economic terms? And I'll admit I'm reading this book titled Baal and the Gods of Moor. So I mean I'm being a little influenced here. What if my view of blessing in terms of economics doesn't line up with Jesus' use of the word in terms of the kingdom? Blessed. And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, hey, wait a second. That's the first announcement over humankind in Genesis 1. On day six, God says, let's make humankind in our image, in our likeness, and God blessed them. And said, Be fruitful. I'm borrowing from Augustine, by the way, be fruitful and multiply. And then it goes on. Rachel's gonna throw up a little slide for you. It depends on how you want to count the beatitudes. There could be seven, there could be nine, maybe there's eight, scholars argue. For my purposes, I'm gonna go with seven. Seven beatitudes line up with the seven days of creation. The last two beatitudes, if you want to see them this way, line up with the fall. You know, blessed are the persecuted. Blessed are you when people insult you? Brokenness, fall. Salt and light, you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world. The Abrahamic covenant, you will, through you, we will bless the world. The antithesis, that's when you've heard that it was said, but I say, line up with the Sinai and the law. I could go on alms and prayer, fasting, temple worship, treasures in heaven, man in the wilderness, broadway, narrowway, promised land. The entirety of the Sermon on the Mount rehearses salvation history. Jesus, in the moment of the Sermon on the Mount, announcing himself the author of salvation. He's the author of the redemption story. He's the one who, with God, Father, and Spirit in the beginning is announcing blessed and the way to the blessed life, the procreative life, the generative life, the flourishing life, poor in spirit. Those who mourn, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, it's the blessed life. Not Jesus being exceptionally kind to some other people who are having an otherwise bad day, but another announcement, the author of salvation rewriting the script, reorienting our lives to the kingdom. Are you tracking with me? Which isn't to say, don't be grateful for a cup of coffee and a sunrise. Be grateful. But don't reduce blessing as in God's favor to your economic advantage. That's gratitude. Blessing is flourishing life in the kingdom. Blessed life, forgive. Hashtag blessed, turn the other cheek. Blessing, build your house on the rock. Blessed, give. Blessed, love your enemy. Blessed, don't be angry. You know. So I was sitting on my you know vacation porch, sipping, sunrising, glorious. And I started to think about this song. I'm so blessed, I'm so blessed. And so I Googled, I'm so blessed, Forrest Frank. And Google said, Forest Frank didn't write that song. Uh Cain. So whatever, I don't care. What I want you to have in your heart is that melody to live a different reality. My guess is you're gonna be humming later today. I'm so blessed, I'm so blessed. I can't remember the rest of the words, but you get it. And when you do, think not economic advantage, say thank you. Think kingdom. How does that go? We will not turn this ship around overnight. The place we must start is in the church. We must recommit ourselves to the slow, steady work of discipleship, a long obedience in the same direction. Blessed. Amen in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.