What If True Joy Starts With Surrender

Transcript

Book Spotlight: Grace And New Birth

SPEAKER_00 0:07

That's a miracle at the heart of salvation. And it's what after Dr. Timothy Man is new books. Understanding God's organization. Dr. Man walks step by step. Our desperate need for grace. God's overwhelming mercy, the gift of faith, new birth, perseverance, and the joy of living to glorify him. No more confusion. No more fear. Just clarity, confidence, and deep gratitude for the gospel that rescues us. Not by our works, but by his resurrection power. Whether you're seeking answers, newly following Jesus, or falling to fall in love with Christ all over again, this book will refresh your soul. Understanding God's Word in Us by Dr. Timothy Mann. Now available on Amazon, Apple Books, and find bookstores everywhere. You're listening to Foundations of Truth, the podcast of Firm Foundations Ministries. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unshakable foundation of God's Word, rooted in Scripture, anchored in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our teacher is Dr. Timothy Mann. Now, here's Dr. Mann with today's message from the King and His Kingdom series.

Reading The Beatitudes

What Blessed Really Means

Poverty Of Spirit: The Doorway

Mourning That Leads To Comfort

Meekness As Strength Under Control

Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness

Traits That Reveal Salvation

Mercy From A Heart Changed By Grace

Purity Of Heart And Seeing God

Peacemaking As Family Resemblance

God Shapes Hearts Before Circumstances

A Unified Portrait Of Kingdom People

Christ Embodied Every Beatitude

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Today we pick up in chapter 5, and we are calling this series through the Gospel of Matthew, the King and His Kingdom. Picking up in verse 1, I'm going to read this morning all the way down through verse 12. Verse 25, having said those great multitudes are following him. Now look at verse 1 of chapter 5. And seeing the multitudes, he went up on a mountain. When he was seated, his disciples came to him. And then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my name, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Blessed are the powerful. Blessed are the admired. Blessed are the self-made and self-sufficient. That's what our world says. From an early age, we, all of us in this room, from an early age, we are taught to chase recognition, to chase comfort, to chase influence, to chase control and other things. Money, on and on. And so the underlying assumption behind that is quite simple. It's this if you have enough of those things, you must be blessed. But Jesus actually opens his mouth in chapter, Matthew chapter 5. When he does that, he challenges every one of those assumptions. Matthew tells us here that when Jesus saw the multitudes that were following him, we looked at that last week, he goes up on this mountain. When he was seated, his disciples came to him. Now, this is not a casual moment. I don't want you to mistake that simply because he's seated. It's not a casual moment. In fact, it's intentional and it's authoritative because in the ancient world, a teacher sat to teach. Like I'm standing. They sat to teach. Jesus sits as the king, not merely explaining life in the kingdom, but he's defining it. He's not offering advice, he's announcing truth. That's what's happening. The crowds are listening, no doubt, but his disciples are leaning in. They came near him and sat down. These words are words for those who want to follow him. And what follows in these verses are some of the most familiar words in the Bible. If you've been around the Bible at all, you've probably heard some of this before. And yet they're also, I believe, some of the most misunderstood. Jesus begins here with the word blessed. Blessed. That word does not mean happy in a shallow or emotional sense. It actually speaks of God's favor, God's approval, God's gracious kindness resting on a person. And Jesus is answering a question that I think probably everyone asks, whether they say it out loud or not, and that question is: who is truly blessed in God's eyes? Who is truly blessed in God's eyes? And what makes this moment so striking is that Jesus does not describe the blessed life as the world expects. He doesn't begin with strength. He doesn't begin with success or wealth or influence. He begins with poverty of spirit. He speaks of mourning and meekness, hunger, purity, peacemaking, and even persecution. And so from the very first line, Jesus flips the world's value system upside down. From the very first line. Now, I do want you to know these are not steps to earn God's favor. They're not that. They're not a ladder that you climb to enter the kingdom. What they are is they're a portrait of the kind of people the kingdom produces. Jesus is not saying, do these things so you will be blessed. No, he's saying that this is what blessed people look like when the kingdom of God takes root in their lives. I think many believers carry quiet confusion about the Christian life. We wonder why humility feels so costly. We wonder why obedience seems to bring resistance. We wonder why faithfulness in our lives doesn't always lead to ease or comfort. The beatitudes actually answer that question. These statements here of Jesus are traditionally called beatitudes. The word beatitude actually comes from the Latin word beatitudo, which means blessedness or deep happiness or a state of divine favor. But in the Bible, a beatitude, as we would call it, is a statement that declares who is truly blessed in the eyes of God. It's a declaration of what is true of those who belong in the kingdom. A beatitude is a declaration of God's favor resting on people whose lives have been shaped by his kingdom. And they show us that the kingdom of heaven operates on values different from those kingdoms of this world. Because what the world calls weak, Jesus calls blessed. What the world avoids, Jesus embraces. What the world resists, Jesus redeems. And so this addresses a critical question, I think, for every disciple. And that is, if Jesus is king, what does life look like under his reign? The Beatitudes give us that answer. They actually show us who kingdom people are, how they live, and why their hope is secure. Now, he doesn't begin what we call the Sermon on the Mount, where the world would. And so if we miss where Jesus starts, I think we would misunderstand, we will misunderstand everything else that follows. So before we examine what kingdom people do, or even what kingdom people can expect, we have to embrace the kind of life that Jesus calls truly blessed. That's what kingdom people are. They embrace, and what they do is they embrace the life that Jesus calls truly blessed. That's Matthew chapter 5, verses 1 through 3. He begins what we call the Sermon on the Mount by redefining what it means to be blessed. The very first words here out of his mouth overturn the world's value system. And also what these words do is they actually expose the assumptions that we often carry into the Christian life. And what he says first is blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus starts where no one would expect. You do know this morning that poverty of spirit is neither admired nor celebrated in any culture that I know of. The world values confidence, the world values self-reliance, the world values strength. Jesus says the kingdom begins with spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty. See, to be poor in spirit is to actually recognize your spiritual bankruptcy before God. To be poor in spirit, it is to see clearly that you bring nothing to the table. And I'm talking nothing. No merit, no leverage, no righteousness of your own. Now it's not a weakness of personality, it's not a lack of ambition, it's an honesty of the soul. It's an awareness that, apart from God's grace, you are helpless. This is where the kingdom begins. You do not enter the kingdom through achievement. You do not enter it in any other way. You enter through dependence. You do not come boasting, you come empty-handed. And what Jesus does here is he places this truth first, I believe, because it's foundational. Because if you miss this, you actually miss and will misunderstand everything that follows. Because every other beatitude flows from this posture. Pride disqualifies. Humility is the door. And notice the promise detached here. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Not will be, is. Is present tense. In other words, the kingdom belongs to those who know they do not deserve it. And then Jesus continues. Look what he says next. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Now, this mourning is not only or simply grief over loss, although I think it includes that. It includes that. But I think it goes even deeper. I think it's also sorrow over sin. What we see in the world. What we see in our own lives. The scripture doesn't say blessed are those who party. Blessed are those who mourn. It's actually the brokenness that comes when you see not only the world's sin clearly, but you see your sin clearly. And you feel its weight. And when you recognize how far short you fall of God's holiness, something happens in your heart. You grieve. You mourn. Not out of shame that pushes you away from God, but actually out of repentance that draws you toward Him. The world avoids mourning of any kind. I mean, something hard happens in life. Folks not in the kingdom, and sometimes even those who proclaim to be in the kingdom, we avoid mourning. The world numbs it. The world numbs mourning. We don't want to deal with it. The world distracts from it. It medicates it. Jesus calls it blessed. Why? Because mourning and realizing this world is broken, that it's not as it's supposed to be, that it's fallen, and it has pain and grief and mourning, and realizing not only this world is broken, the mourning in your own life over sin, it leads to repentance. And you know what repentance does? It opens the door to forgiveness. And so those who mourn are not left in despair. They're promised comfort. God meets those who mourn, those who are repentant. Because of the way of the world, because of our own sin. He meets the repentant with grace. And he binds up the brokenhearted. And he lifts those who bow low. Look what else Jesus says. He says, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Now, meekness is often misunderstood. It is not weakness. Literally, the Greek word means strength under control. It gives the word picture. The word in the Greek language gives the word picture of a massive, mighty, stallion horse with a bit in his mouth and a bridle being under control. It's strength under control. It is submission to God's will rather than insistence on your own will. A meek person doesn't have to assert themselves constantly. They trust God to defend. They trust God to provide. They trust God to vindicate in his name. The world says the aggressive wins. Jesus says the meek inherit. Yeah. The world says you need to take control. Jesus says, trust God. Trust God. And meekness here actually flows naturally out of a poverty of spirit and mourning over sin. Because when you are when you know that you are dependent on grace, you know what happens? You stop grasping for control. Verse 6 continues the theme. He says, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Now this hunger here is not casual interest, it is a deep longing. It is craving. Kingdom people want righteousness. Not only in the world, but in their own lives. They want to be right with God and they want to live rightly before Him. Kingdom people are not satisfied with surface level faith. They actually long for transformation, change in their own life. And Jesus says, and the promise here is beautiful. They shall be filled. They shall be filled. God does not frustrate holy desire, He satisfies it. Those who hunger for righteousness will not be ignored. God will meet their longing with grace and with growth and ultimately with glory. And you know what ties these opening beatitudes together is this truth. Kingdom people are marked by humility, mourning, and longing for God. They're marked by that. Now, none of these traits earn salvation, they reveal it. They're not the entrance requirements for the kingdom. They are evidence that the kingdom has already taken hold of the heart. I think this confronts us. Because many people want the blessings of the kingdom without the kingdom's bearing. Let's be honest, we want joy without humility. We want comfort without repentance. We want fulfillment without surrender. And Jesus says that's not how his kingdom works. The blessed life begins where the world would never look. So it confronts us. But I think it also brings us comfort. And the comfort is this: you don't need to impress God. You don't need to perform. You do not need to pretend. You come poor in spirit, broken over sin, dependent on grace, hungry for righteousness, and Jesus says, This is the blessed life. The king does not bless the strong who have it all together. He blesses the humble who know they do not. And that means that the door of the kingdom is wide open for anyone willing to bow low. So ask yourself this morning. What do I secretly believe makes a blessed life? Comfort, control, success, righteousness, recognition, or Christ. When I think about my spiritual life, am I more aware of my strengths or my need? Because you cannot embrace the blessed life while clinging to self-sufficiency. This leads us to the next truth. Because kingdom blessing is not only about our posture before God, it's also about the kind of heart that God shapes within us. And so if we're going to be kingdom people, if blessed are the kingdom people, then we also have to let God shape our hearts. You let God shape your heart before he changes your circumstance. That's verses four through nine. As Jesus continues to teach these beatitudes, he actually moves from the posture that is evidence of entrance into the kingdom to the core of a person that the kingdom forms. The kind of person, the kind of heart the kingdom actually forms. So these following statements show us what God does within a person once his grace takes hold and the Holy Spirit's living there. See, the kingdom of God does not merely change where you are going. A lot of people want to change in where they're going. I want to go to heaven and not hell. I mean, anybody that has a brain would want that. You'd have to be a crazy person to say, oh, I'd rather just go to hell. I'd say you are, you can't fix stupid. That's the truth, and that's stupid, right? Lots of people want to latch on to that. Hey, this changes where I'm headed in the end, right? Because the kingdom, though, the kingdom of God doesn't merely change where you are going, it actually changes who you are becoming and what you do. And if it's not changing who you are becoming and what you do, then you ain't in the kingdom. Jesus has already described people who are poor in spirit, those who mourn over sin, those who live with meekness, and those who hunger for righteousness. And now what he does is he shows what that inward transformation begins to look like as it begins to work its way outward. He says, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy flows from a heart that understands grace. People who know they have been forgiven much, they do not withhold forgiveness lightly. Now, let me just make sure we don't misunderstand. Mercy is not excusing sin. Mercy is not ignoring truth. But it is compassion and action. It is actually choosing to respond with grace rather than retaliation. It's choosing to respond with patience rather than bitterness. It's choosing to respond with kindness rather than resentment. The world values strength that is expressed through domination, through getting even. Jesus values mercy expressed through love. Mercy actually refuses to keep score and it does not insist on revenge. Kingdom people are merciful, not because others deserve it. They don't. You didn't. Kingdom people are merciful because they themselves actually live by mercy day by day. And you know that. And then Jesus says, look at it. Then Jesus says, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Now, purity of heart is not sinless perfection. But what it is is this it is singleness of devotion. Singleness of devotion. The word pure can also be translated whole. It gives the idea of integrity. Wholeness here. It is an undivided heart. Let me say it like this: a pure heart is not split between loving God and clinging to idols. Right? It's not compartmentalized faith. In other words, what you profess outwardly matches what you desire inwardly. And so the promise here, attached, is staggering. It says, they shall see God. They shall see God. That's relational language. Those whose hearts are cleansed by grace and have a single devotion ultimately above everything else, they actually enjoy deeper fellowship with God. You know what sin does? Sin clouds your spiritual vision. Double-mindedness blurs clarity. But a heart surrendered to God experiences nearness and intimacy and spiritual insight. Then Jesus says, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Peacemaking is active, it's not passive. It does not avoid conflict at all costs. That's not what this is about. That's about peacekeeping, quote unquote. This is about peacemaking. It doesn't avoid conflict at all costs, but also it doesn't stir it either for pride's sake. Peacemakers pursue reconciliation grounded in truth. They work toward restoration. They step into broken relationships with humility and with courage. They actually reflect the heart of God, who sent his son to reconcile sinners to himself. This is why Jesus says peacemakers are called sons of God. We can say children of God. They resemble their father. I'm grateful this morning. I don't know about you, but I'm grateful that God did not wait for peace to come to him. He made peace through the blood of his cross. And kingdom people actually carry that same spirit. They pursue peace, not because it's easy, it's not, but because it reflects the gospel. And what unites mercy and purity and peacemaking is this truth. God is shaping a people whose hearts reflect his. I would say you probably would agree with this. These are not surface-level traits. They are in fact supernatural. They're not natural to us as sinners. They're supernatural. They're a work that God does. These are deep internal realities that are only produced by the grace of God, that are produced by the indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we yield to Him. They cannot be manufactured, and you can't fake this. You can't fake it. What happens is they grow over time as the Spirit of God works within a surrendered heart. And I think if we're honest, this is where many believers struggle, right here. We often want God to change our circumstances first. We want God to change our circumstances first. We pray for relief. We pray for resolution. We pray for comfort. We pray for clarity. And you know what God often does? I've noticed this in my life, I've seen it in other people's lives. God often begins somewhere else. He works on our hearts first. He actually teaches us mercy before he removes the offense. He calls us to purity before he changes the environment we're in, that maybe causes us to be tempted or struggle or have problems. He actually calls us to purity before he changes the environment. He shapes us into peacemakers before he resolves the conflict. Now, I don't know about you, but that can feel frustrating. All of these things I've just described. I'm just being real with you. That can feel frustrating. Because here's what happens: we ask God to fix the situation, and what does he do? He works in us. I'm like, Lord, that wasn't my request. I asked you to fix this. And instead, you're wanting to fix me. We ask him, what do we do? We ask him to relieve the pressure. And he deepens our character. You know how he does that? By adding more pressure. We ask him to calm the storm. And he actually forms Christ in us through it. But this is how the kingdom works. I want you to walk away this morning knowing this, if nothing else. God is more concerned with who you are becoming than with how comfortable you are along the way. And I think this also reminds us that the Beatitudes here are not isolated virtues. That's why I'm not preaching them one per week. They're not isolated virtues. They're not disconnected from one another. They form a unified portrait. Because a humble heart before God becomes merciful toward others. A heart that mourns over sin longs for purity. A heart that hungers for righteousness works toward peace. And so the kingdom actually reshapes the inner life so that the outer life reflects the character of Christ. And this brings us back to the gospel. Because Jesus here, he doesn't merely describe these qualities, he embodies them. He is the merciful Savior who forgives his enemies. He is the pure Son who lived in perfect devotion to the Father. He is the ultimate peacemaker who reconciled us to God through his cross. You need to know this morning that the Beatitudes here, as we've called them that, the Beatitudes are not merely goals to pursue. They are a picture of Christ's life given to us and formed within us. And I don't know about you, but this really helps guard me from discouragement. Because if you if you just this morning, if you just read the Beatitudes as a checklist, you will feel crushed. It's like the Ten Commandments. It's like a New Testament version of the Ten Commandments if you do that. A checklist. If you do that, you'll feel crushed. But if you read them as a portrait of Christ being formed in you by God's grace, then you'll find hope. You'll have hope. And I don't know if you know this, but growth takes time. It takes time. Transformation is gradual, it's gradual, and God is patient. He works steadily and faithfully among his people. And so when you find yourself, and maybe you won't ever really admit it to yourself, but I'll admit it to myself. I know me. So when you find yourself lacking mercy, when you find yourself struggling with purity, when you find yourself avoiding peacemaking, don't despair. Instead, run to the king and ask him to shape your heart again. Submit to his work and trust that the very same grace that brought you into the kingdom is going to continue to transform you and to change you.

From Checklist To Christlikeness

SPEAKER_00 29:50

You've been listening to Foundations of Truth, the podcast of Firm Foundations Ministries with Dr. Timothy Mann. If you'd like more resources, go to the website firm-foundations.org. And remember the words of Isaiah 48. The grass withers, the flower fades. But the word of our God stands forever. If this episode strengthens you in Christ, would you consider sharing it with someone else? You never know who might need to hear these words. Until next time, keep building your life on the firm foundation of the Bible.