WEBVTT 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.200 This is a little this is a little different from last uh series. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.439 We had like the right so it was a little more upbeat, which is good. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:00.399 Alright, let's get started. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:01.679 How's everybody doing? 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:02.479 Good. 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:03.600 Good to be with you guys. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:08.159 Um if you're checking out the church gathering for the first time this Sunday, we're so glad you're with us. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:14.400 Um maybe maybe checking out for the second Sunday, maybe here last week, and uh you noticed something different, but like kind of look like me. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:16.079 Um that was my dad. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:20.319 And so big thanks to my dad for uh stepping in last week and uh yeah. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:23.680 We call him PD. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:24.079 That's right. 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:26.560 We got PK, PD, you know, and then that's okay. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:27.359 Let's keep going. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:31.200 Uh, but so yeah, so if you um my name is Kirk, by the way. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.519 Uh really glad that you guys are with us this morning. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:44.480 We are starting off, as Ken said, this kind of like the follow-up, or I don't know, just it's up there, but we're gonna look through the passages in Matthew chapter five through seven, known as uh the Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:45.840 And we're gonna look at it this way. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:50.640 We're gonna take this um approach and give this the title that looks like this. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:54.719 It's called uh the kingdom as commonplace, okay? 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:56.879 Now, let me just be clear. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.840 The wording is this kingdom as commonplace. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:01.280 That's that's kind of important, okay? 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.200 We're not saying, we're not saying this. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:05.920 We're not saying that the kingdom of God is commonplace church, okay? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:06.640 We're not doing that. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:11.599 We're not suggesting this church somehow represents the fullness of God's kingdom, okay? 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:15.919 Nor are we engaging in like self-promotion, like disguise as a sermon title, okay? 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.960 We're not doing that either. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:19.360 But here's really um the reality. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.879 Now, yes, commonplace church is uh certainly a part of the kingdom of God, right? 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:25.759 That's so true. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:33.360 But we're just one small expression of something much, much grander and larger that God uh is doing throughout this world. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:37.919 And and so the reason that we chose this word commonplace is this. 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:55.199 One of the meanings we see in this, often it can translate to something like this, the context of commonplace referring to something as being recognized, something as expected, a characteristic, uh something normal within a particular reality, right? 00:02:55.439 --> 00:03:00.000 It's what naturally belongs, it's what people come to uh expect, right? 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:07.039 Because these commonplace uh areas are consistent with an identity that's being described. 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:14.159 And so that's what Jesus is addressing throughout this famous Sermon on the Mount, chapters five through seven, right? 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:21.840 Through this Sermon on the Mount here, he's describing what is characteristic of those who belong to the kingdom of God. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:24.800 Things like what values mark them, right? 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:37.599 What attributes, what practices shape them, what what virtues distinguish them, what what kind of life becomes recognizable for someone who is living under the rule and reign of King Jesus? 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:42.319 In other words, what becomes commonplace in the kingdom of God? 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:46.560 And and that's one of the central questions Jesus is gonna uh answer throughout this sermon. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:50.479 So over the weeks ahead, uh we're that's what we're gonna explore together. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:04:01.599 And really looking at this, if we desire to live as citizens of God's kingdom, well, what should become commonplace in our own lives, right? 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:11.120 What what attitudes, what what values, what priorities, what practices should increasingly mark us as people who belong to King Jesus? 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:17.120 And so the first commonplace uh reality Jesus offers is is a really, really important one. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:25.439 And we see this in verses 1 through 12, which which um Ken just read for us, and it's this it's offering of kingdom identity. 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:29.920 How are we to be known as those who belong to the kingdom of God? 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:30.319 Right? 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:33.279 What are the identifying markers of kingdom people? 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:38.560 What distinguishes someone as a citizen of God's kingdom? 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:45.680 Right, what makes them stand out in this world, right, and operating in a different set of values? 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:52.399 I it's kind of similar to this, something we're experiencing right now uh in our country, uh the World Cup. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:59.920 Now, uh I'm I'm I'm not an avid football fan outside of this, but but you know, I played soccer as a kid, coached my kids, whatever. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:04.319 But um here's what I appreciate about the sport, right? 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:09.199 Uh one thing that stands out about the World Cup isn't just the um the teams on the field. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:10.560 Here's here's what we see. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:12.720 It's also the fans, right? 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:13.839 The fans. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.920 You guys hopefully understand, right? 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:22.879 So some countries, yes, you can you can see they're identified by things like jerseys wear, flags they wear, right, colors represent. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:28.000 But what becomes really recognizable are the characteristics of the fans who support those nations. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:28.959 Let me give you some examples. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:29.839 Brazil, right? 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:31.600 For example, any Brazilian fans? 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:32.319 It's okay. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.800 Um supporters, they're known for what many of you describe as like a carnival culture, right? 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:38.879 They they have infectious joy. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:42.879 It's like, you know, uh relentless drumming, they're dancing, they're singing, right? 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:47.279 Ability to turn like an stadium into this kind of like vibrant celebration. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:50.079 Uh think about um Argentina. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:52.399 Argentina, nobody, no fans, okay. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:56.399 Argentina supporters are known for um raw motion, right? 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:57.600 They're passionate. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:05:59.519 They're passionate about their sport, right? 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:01.439 Their commitment to the team, it runs so deep. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.800 Sometimes it almost can be like bordering on like a religion, right? 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.319 Uh it's it's not not a good thing. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:08.319 But or consider Norway. 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:09.680 So close. 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:10.800 So close. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:16.000 But Nordic fans, right, with their zeal, their joy, they have the cool helmets, like synchronized rowing. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:16.639 Anybody row? 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:18.000 I rode the other day. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:22.720 Um, but of course, like the the point isn't the which fan base is best, right? 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:28.160 The point is this every nation develops a recognizable characteristic, right? 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:36.639 Certain values, behaviors, attitudes, practices that reveal their people's alliance where they lie. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:44.399 And so you can often tell a nation really by just set like recognizing, observing how they live out that support. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:48.319 Similar way, Jesus, he invites his people to be known. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:53.439 And he points out his kingdom has recognizable characteristics as well. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:02.160 They're attitudes, there's values, ways of living that reveal our true citizenship where it resides. 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.720 And not simply as fans of Jesus, right? 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:08.720 But as followers of Jesus, as citizens of his kingdom. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:14.399 And so as Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount, he starts by giving some kingdom identifiers. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:20.800 So let's let's dive in and discover what is commonplace in the kingdom of God when it comes to our identity. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:28.319 It says kingdom residents are identified through this, through beatitude blessings, beatitude blessings. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.839 So he begins the sermon in a really incredible way. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:49.519 When it comes to those who are known as part of the kingdom of God, he reveals that kingdom identity is recognized through this way, through blessings, through blessings, the blessings he pronounces over people. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.600 These are the blessings we commonly call, like we shared before, the Beatitudes. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.199 They're words of Jesus that we found in verses 3 through 12. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:06.480 Now, we don't have time to unpack all of these this morning, uh, but just a side note, we did do a series a couple years ago where we went through each one of those uh those those blessings. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:07.600 It was called Be Blessed. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.160 If you want to check out the archives of uh of Common Place, go for it, give it a listen. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:13.519 You want to deep dive there. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:25.439 But uh we will focus a little bit on the Beatitudes, but our primary focus is really gonna be more this today, understanding how the blessings of Jesus, how they reveal our kingdom identity. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:30.000 And so to understand this, I actually I want to start with the importance of this. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:34.720 Uh it's the importance of the location in which Jesus is preaching, okay? 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:37.200 Where he's where he's preaching this sermon from. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:49.360 Now, now if you think he had some sort of like pulpit, maybe um, you know, there was a stage next to some like fog machines or lights or some dudes in skinny jeans leading worship, like that's that's not Jesus' look, okay? 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:52.080 Jesus wasn't doing doing that whole thing. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:58.240 Jesus kind of goes against the modern presentations of of preaching, and he offers this location that's so fascinating. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.159 So where is Jesus preaching from? 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.559 Well, the title kind of gives it away, right? 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.600 Jesus is preaching from uh the mountainside. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:11.039 Now, now here's the thing many scholars look at uh they point out practical reasons for this setting, okay? 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:12.320 So a mountain does this. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:16.000 I don't know if you've ever been to like a place like Red Rocks, right, out in Colorado. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:18.480 It becomes this like natural amphitheater, right? 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:23.919 It allows like large crowds to gather, they can hear the speaker more clearly, right? 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:28.639 But but there's so much more going on here than just like simple acoustics. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:37.840 You see, for the Jewish audience listening to Jesus that day, the mountains they carried an enormous theological significance. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:46.000 Because let's let's ask, where did God use others to speak on his behalf throughout the history of the people of Israel? 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:46.480 Right? 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:47.759 It's from the mountains. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:52.159 In the Old Testament, mountains were often places of like divine revelation. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:59.519 Mountains were places where God spoke, God revealed himself, places where God instructed his people. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:10.960 And so when Jesus, when he ascends this mountain and begins teaching about life in the kingdom of God, well, his audience, they would have immediately recognized the symbol, the symbolism, right? 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.159 That's symbolic. 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:14.320 This mountain man, Jesus, right? 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:20.000 He he shows up and he stirs up memories of other mountains, right? 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:26.080 Other teachers, other moments when God reveals his will to his people. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.480 And that's where things get so interesting, right? 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.600 There's just such powerful imagery taking place here. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:35.679 Because where did God choose to reveal the law through Moses? 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.080 Well, he did it on a mountain, right? 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:39.279 Mount Sinai. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:47.200 It was there that God gave his people the law, a covenant that would distinguish them from all the nations around them. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.960 It's where there where God places them set apart, right? 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:57.600 Set apart as blessed, allowing the Mosaic law to do this to be a marker of identity. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.320 It's an identity of God's chosen people. 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.399 So now Jesus, he ascends this mountain, he begins to teach his Jewish audience. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:09.679 They they're they're they're seeing a connection here, they recognize the connection, but there's also a difference. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:11.679 And here's the difference. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:17.600 Moses ascended and he received the law from God. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:24.399 But Jesus ascended and he begins speaking from a place of authority as God. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:24.960 Right? 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:26.159 There's a difference there, right? 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:31.039 Moses delivered this uh incredible commandments, right? 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:34.799 But these were commandments that identified God's covenant people. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:41.200 But Jesus does this Jesus delivers characteristics that identify God's people. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:47.120 The old way does this, it demands recognition through achievement. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:51.120 Jesus' way reveals a receiving of a recognition. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:57.200 See at Sinai, God's people receive instruction regarding how they were to live as a nation set apart. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:04.399 But on this mountain here, Jesus reveals the kind of character, it's the character that marks those who belong. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:06.720 Belong to his kingdom. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:13.440 So in other words, Jesus is not simply repeating Sinai, He's revealing something incredibly greater. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.080 Now, now, of course, he's not abolishing the law. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:23.279 He'll talk about that more in later in the Sermon on the Mount, but rather he's showing the deeper reality to which the law, it's it's always pointed, right? 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:30.879 He's showing what life looks like when the rule and reign of God takes hold of the human heart, takes hold of our hearts. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:38.559 And the result of a heart and a character that is responsive to the good news of the gospel. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:39.759 That's what he's pointing out. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:42.480 And so from this mountainside, Jesus begins to do this. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.120 He's declaring a new identity. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.320 And that identity is this of a kingdom resident. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:51.519 It's an identity that it's declared. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:53.519 It's not achieved, it's declared. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:59.519 And the identity that only comes through this, through through reception, through receiving it. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:05.919 Followers of Jesus, we are identified as gospel recipients. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:07.679 That's our identity. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:09.840 Receiving a blessing, right? 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:11.440 We can't earn it. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:18.320 So if it means if you're looking to like, I don't know, achieve this kingdom identity, it's not gonna happen. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:22.559 This is not an identity that any of us could can can actually obtain. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:31.440 Kingdom identity comes about through, well, it's for those who are humble enough and open enough to receive it. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:36.639 It begins with a recognition also of this, a recognition of need. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:40.879 And so what are we, let's ask, what are we in need of? 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:55.840 Well, verses two through 11 begins with, well, we we are those who are need to be blessed in a few different areas, and we need to recognize our need first starts that we are spiritually impoverished, right? 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:03.440 There, those who are aware of their spiritual deficit, those who are mourning as a result of their spiritual reality. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:06.480 We see blessed are the meek, right? 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:17.279 Those who understand that their self-sufficiency has no ability to rescue and save them from their uh what what they their spiritually fallen state. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:21.440 The righteously malnourished, they're blessed, right? 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:29.840 They are starving, they are thirsty to find righteousness because their personal storehouse has run completely dry. 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:33.360 How about the the mercy pleaders and the mercy receivers, right? 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:45.759 They're the ones who acknowledge the depravity of their condition as well as the just consequence of their sinful state, and yet they desire for this from God, they desire mercy over judgment. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:55.919 Then comes the purists, acknowledging the impurity that exists within themselves as well as the world around them. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:57.919 How about the peace-seeking? 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:08.720 They're the exhausted, they're exhausted by conflict, exhausted by wars wage, exhausted by the reality of shalom that's been shattered. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.480 And then we have the purposely persecuted, right? 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:26.720 Ones who desire to live set apart under the king way of King Jesus, and and who find and experience opposition, at times even hostile to that way, but are blessed when they are pressed. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:36.080 These are identifiers Jesus acknowledges as those who have received blessings and those who responded to the good news of the gospel. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:40.080 So here's what we see as Jesus is this offering of Jesus. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:47.759 Jesus is revealing that God's people are distinguished ultimately through the gospel blessing that comes through him. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.080 The gospel blessing of Christ was declared over them. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:58.159 And I think this is why Jesus we can call him the greater Moses, right? 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:00.559 Moses delivered God's law to God's people. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:01.440 Jesus does this. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:06.720 Jesus reveals the heart of the law and he forms a new people through grace. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:08.159 Through grace. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:13.600 Moses, he described the conduct that is expected of a covenant nation. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:23.360 Jesus, he describes the character that's expected of kingdom citizens, those who are responsive to the gospel. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:27.200 And that's what we experience as commonplace in the kingdom. 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:31.759 It's the continual presence of the gospel in our lives. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:39.039 The gospel, not just a one-time event, the gospel that continues every day in our lives. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:49.120 And so just as God revealed this identity through Moses on the mountain, Jesus, he now reveals this identity of his kingdom people from a mountain as well. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.200 Only this time, the focus isn't merely on like outward conduct. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.559 The focus is the on the kind of heart. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:59.919 It's the heart that reflects the character of the king. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.400 And there's such a rich theological reality taking place here. 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:11.200 In Exodus, God's people are gathered around a mountain for the formation of a nation set apart. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:26.640 But here in Matthew chapter 5, here's what we see: Jesus gathers God's people around to set apart this people group under the reality, not a nation, but something vast, a kingdom, a kingdom. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.960 And Jesus does something so remarkable. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:35.119 He doesn't begin by announcing a list of rules that must be obeyed, right, in order to obtain this identity. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.799 He doesn't start with a checklist, he doesn't begin with performance. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:39.680 He begins with this. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:41.839 Jesus begins with blessing. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.599 He begins with blessing. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:53.279 And that that that translates to this before Jesus tells his listeners what they're to do, what they're supposed to accomplish, he does what? 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.920 He extends an offering of who they're invited to become. 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:07.039 Prior to Jesus mentioning anything about conduct, anything about behavior, he speaks about this, he speaks about character, he speaks about identity. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:11.680 Before Jesus gives instruction, he does this, he provides affirmation. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.680 And from that approach, here's what I just want to offer us this morning. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:21.519 It's the way the kingdom begins, not with achieving an identity, but with receiving one. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:23.759 And how do we receive this identity? 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.920 It's it's accepting this blessing offering through the gospel. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.759 Now, now I want to unpack this word blessing for a moment, okay? 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:41.119 Because the way that Jesus uses blessing is much more than some sort of like, I don't know, positive feeling, like a pleasant circumstance or like some material good, right? 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:46.640 For the context of Jesus, his listeners, a blessing is is it's powerful. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:53.200 It's this declaration of approval, it's a pronouncement of favor, it's a statement that does this. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:56.240 It identifies someone as belonging. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:11.279 So, in other words, Jesus is declaring over his listeners that their value and identity are not ultimately determined by what they can accomplish, but rather what the king, what the king desires to speak over them. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:16.240 Which which is of course, that's the structure of a blessing. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:16.960 Right? 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:20.000 A blessing originates, well, where? 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.279 With the with the one who's offering it, right? 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.920 A blessing doesn't begin with the recipient. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:31.119 It's sourced from the the one who's handing it down. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.000 I'll give you kind of a just a real silly example, okay? 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:37.359 Um, my namesake is Ruprecht, fun one. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:41.680 Um, and with that, maybe uh it's good or bad as far as a blessing. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:48.559 I don't know, it might be up for date debate, but but my family name or blessing is uh identified as Ruprecht. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:50.960 And it didn't come about because of me, right? 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:54.079 I'm a recipient of this blessing or curse. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:20:03.359 Um, but but so now I could decide that I want to uh bring about my own way of blessing and work for my own blessing through my own efforts, right? 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:13.039 Like I could go down to the town hall, I could fill out some paperwork, change my name to something like really way cooler, like you know, I don't know, like really cool roops or rad roops, right? 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:19.119 Or something like that, and and begin a new family identity on my own accord, from my own works. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:23.839 And maybe I can, you know, hand that down to my my little rad roops over here, my children. 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:28.000 But but as it stands, I've inherited this blessing. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.440 I am a recipient. 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:31.519 No, no, what's the point of my silly example? 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:44.640 Right, it's just this all blessings have an originator, which means for the Christian, for the follower of Christ, our identity in the kingdom also has an originator of that blessing. 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:52.240 It's God Himself, it's His family, and our title, we get to be this, we get to be kingdom kids. 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:55.839 And I think that should encourage us. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:01.039 Being a kid of God's kingdom is incredibly good news. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:12.799 Because the kingdom of God is not based upon our ability to achieve God's approval, it's built upon God's willingness to extend his approval through grace. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:14.880 But but but here's here's the challenge, right? 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:22.160 When we hear the word blessing in our culture, we we don't always feel the weight of what Jesus is saying. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:28.400 Part of that is because we don't live within that same cultural framework as his original uh audience, right? 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:31.920 They lived in what scholars call this honor shame culture. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:38.559 And so, but most of us, when we hear blessing, right, we mean to think of like maybe, I don't know, someone sneezing, like, God bless you, gazune tight, right? 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:45.839 Or we think of like material uh prosperity, we think about comfort, we think about success or favorable circumstances. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:49.119 But that's not what Jesus' audience would have heard, right? 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:59.759 In an honor shame culture, to be publicly blessed would have been to be publicly honored, it would have been recognized as being affirmed, being approved. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:11.119 Being welcomed to receive a blessing was to hear someone in authority declare this you belong, you have value, you are accepted. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:13.519 So imagine what Jesus is doing here. 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:18.880 He's standing on a mountain, he's surrounded by ordinary people, right? 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:30.799 Many who would have been in that culture overlooked, rejected, they would have been marginalized, many who would be considered spiritually inadequate by the religious elites, right? 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.880 And Jesus, he walks up and he begins doing this. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.920 He begins pronouncing blessings over them. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:39.759 Blessings. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:47.440 And the challenge though for us is we don't, I don't mean we naturally, we don't naturally think about blessing in the same way. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.480 Isn't it true? 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.599 When we hear blessed, we often think of just happiness, comfort, prosperity, right? 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:57.119 We social media caption, we get the hashtag bless going, right? 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:05.359 Like, and and don't get me wrong, like things can um certainly be gifts from God, those things, but but that's just a small view of a blessing. 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:08.960 And it's nearly not about what you possess, right? 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:11.599 Because biblical blessing is so much more. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:21.680 It's recognized as being, it's a declaration of standing, it's a recognition of identity, it's an affirmation of just being accepted. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:26.400 Think about this is the biblical example, the story of Jacob and Esau, okay? 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:31.200 Esau, he famously sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew, right? 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:32.559 Because he's he's starving. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:36.640 Now, maybe from our perspective, we might read the account and be like, that's unfortunate. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:38.240 The dude's hungry, though, right? 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:42.799 But to the original audience, this would have been absolutely devastating. 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:52.559 Because the birthright, the blessing, those were connected to identity, inheritance, standing, belonging within that family. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:24:04.160 And what was lost wasn't merely a future possession, it was also the recognized position, a place, a standing, an identity connected to the family from which he came. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:09.519 And that's that's why blessings carried so much weight in the ancient world. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:14.799 They were declarations of who someone was, of where they belonged. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:19.039 And what was spoken over their lives, right? 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:22.000 These blessings are far more than just kind words. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:26.319 They're acknowledgments and they're declarations of association. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:32.160 They identify a person with this, with a family, with a purpose, with a promise. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:36.000 And we see this beautifully in one of the most famous blessings in all scripture. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:40.240 It's the blessing God gives uh through Aaron over his covenant people. 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.839 Listen to the language God uses. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:43.599 It's uh Numbers chapter six. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:49.200 It says, The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:25:01.839 Say to them, The Lord bless you, the Lord keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:06.400 And so they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:13.839 So when we put all this together, we start to understand what Jesus is doing in the Beatitudes. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:20.799 Blessings become identity markers, they become declarations of belonging. 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:27.680 They distinguish those who have received them as being associated with the one who's offering them. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:29.759 And that's what Jesus is doing here. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:35.440 He's declaring blessings over those whom God is inviting into the reality of his kingdom. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:37.680 But here's what we need to recognize, right? 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:41.359 These blessings would have been absolutely shocking to the audience. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:47.119 Those gathered on the mountainside, and maybe they shock us even today, right? 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:51.279 Because the people listening had assumptions about who was blessed. 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:53.039 Probably just as we do. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:26:03.279 They assume blessing belonged to the successful, the powerful, the influential, the admired, the victorious, the religious elite, right? 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:05.680 The people who seem to have it all together. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.240 And we maybe assume blessing belongs to, like, I don't know, those who are winning. 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:16.160 But then Jesus, he comes along, he opens his mouth, and he begins describing the blessed life. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:21.039 And almost immediately it feels like everything is turned upside down. 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:24.559 Because Jesus, he doesn't begin with the strong. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:27.200 He begins with the poor in spirit. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:31.599 He begins with those who mourn, right? 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:34.079 He doesn't begin with those who are celebrating. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:37.119 He doesn't begin with the powerful, he begins with the meek. 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:39.440 He doesn't begin with those who have arrived, right? 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:43.920 He begins with those who are desperately longing for something they do not yet possess. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:49.200 In other words, Jesus' definition of blessing looks so radically different from ours. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:55.440 This is why people refer to things like the Beatitudes as like the upside-down blessings of God, right? 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:02.079 Not because God's kingdom is anything backwards, but because our understanding of blessing often is. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:04.960 These are backward blessings. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:10.960 And Jesus is revealing the values of his kingdom operate so differently from the values of this world. 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:13.440 And so he begins listing these blessings. 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:22.240 He isn't simply describing who receives God's favor, he's revealing the kind of people who recognize their need, their need for grace. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:25.759 That's where it forms. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:30.400 Often the term used in the kingdom of God is this upside-down kingdom. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:40.640 And the kingdom of God, which means the people of God exist in an economy, in a perspective, in an understanding of this world in ourselves that's so different. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:51.279 What Jesus offers in the Beatitudes is an intentional reversal of what our world declares to be blessed, to be valued, to be favored and successful. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:54.559 And in doing so, he's revealing something incredible about God. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:28:02.880 He's revealing about the incredible work of God's kingdom and the way that God relates to his kingdom, his people. 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:06.400 See, the kingdom of God values things differently than the kingdom of man. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:12.880 The beatitudes reveal that God's economy operates entirely different than a set of standards that we have. 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:15.039 Our world celebrates strength. 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:17.599 Jesus blesses dependence. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:20.559 The world celebrates self-sufficiency. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:22.400 Jesus blesses need. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:24.559 The world celebrates achievement. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:26.640 Jesus blesses humility. 00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:30.000 The world celebrates climb your way to the top, right? 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:33.599 Jesus blesses those who recognize I don't have a chance. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.759 I can't get up there by myself. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:40.799 And once again, the kingdom of God, it's not built upon achievements. 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:43.039 It's built upon Christ's achievement. 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:50.400 It's not established by our actions, it's established on the action of Jesus, what he did on the cross. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:55.279 Through his life, through his death and resurrection, he declares sinners righteous before God. 00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:58.319 And that's exactly where Jesus starts these blessings. 00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.920 That's why he starts the way he does. 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:03.359 He's not giving instructions on how to earn acceptance. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:07.759 He's describing those who have received it. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:20.480 See, the beatitudes are not this like ladder to climb, they're a portrait of those who have encountered the grace of God, of God coming down and offering that to us. 00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:22.799 And how we receive that? 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:25.279 It's through humility. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:28.880 It's through being open, recognizing our need. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:30.799 Because that's the gospel. 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:38.960 I'll give this just kind of an example here. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:43.839 It's just a picture uh for the gospel, and it's been really helpful. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:57.119 Most religions say work your way, good enough, appease all these, all these uh attempts at just being right with God, or with whatever God. 00:29:57.519 --> 00:30:00.319 But our but our God, the God of the Bible, he says this. 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:03.440 Um think about think about the letter U, okay? 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:05.200 You guys know the letter U? 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:07.200 I'm sure you're familiar with it. 00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:10.160 But uh imagine drawing the letter U, right? 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:11.599 And where do you start? 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:13.359 Well, you start at the top, right? 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:14.960 That's where that's where it begins. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.440 And then move downward, right? 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:19.359 You go to the lowest point, right? 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:25.440 So you're you're at the lowest point here, and ultimately, well, go back up, right? 00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:28.880 Simple, but in a similar way, here's here's a picture of God. 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:36.079 God is seated on high, and we, right, because of sin, we're we're we're we're down here, we're low, right? 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:42.240 We're broken, we're separated, and we're unable to raise ourselves back into the relationship with him, right? 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:45.359 But here's the thing: God sees us from up high, but he doesn't leave us there. 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:47.920 And through Christ, he reaches down, right? 00:30:48.000 --> 00:31:01.920 That you again, he reaches down into our brokenness, into our rebellion, into our inability, and through the work of Jesus does this lifts us back up, lifts us back into restored relationship with himself. 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:06.079 Right now, of course, God doesn't bring us up there and we become gods ourselves, right? 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:10.079 But through Christ, we are brought back into his presence. 00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:19.839 We are welcomed into his family, we're declared righteous, we're declared blessed, declared as citizens of his kingdom. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:22.720 That's that's what that's what's commonplace. 00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:24.559 That's our identity. 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:34.720 These citizens, these sons and daughters received identity from our our our God, our heavenly Father. 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:41.839 And so I want to close in in prayer, but I also want to close by inviting us uh just to a time of remembrance. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.880 We're gonna partake in the Lord's Supper today together. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:51.119 Uh, this this time of of reflection and recognition of, you know, think back to that you, right? 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:54.000 Of God sending his one and only son down. 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:59.200 And then through the death and resurrection of Jesus, right, we may have life again. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:04.880 But that process included Christ giving up his life so that we might live. 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:11.599 That process included the blood of Jesus shed, the body of Jesus broken, undeserving. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:17.839 Jesus lived the perfect life, and yet he offers himself as a sacrifice for each one of us. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:29.599 And if you've never taken that step of receiving that identity, this incredible just invitation of God, I just I just want to offer that to you today. 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.599 I just want to invite you into that today. 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:37.039 Uh I'm gonna pray, uh the band come up, and then we'll uh we'll walk through time of communion together. 00:32:38.559 --> 00:32:44.720 Father, thank you for um just seeing us in our need. 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:52.480 Lord, for just even redefining, Lord, what blessed truly is, Lord. 00:32:53.119 --> 00:33:02.559 God, would you would you help us to see, Lord, as best we can from the lens that you see, Lord, when it comes to blessing, Lord. 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:16.960 Lord, I know even in my own life often I look to achieve um a status of bless that that reveals blessing or that shows hashtag bless or whatever it is we fall into, God. 00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:28.000 And God, would you just would you just change our hearts and change our our eyes and our our vision to see, Lord, our our blessing truly comes when we receive from you. 00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:31.200