The Happy Life

In this message, we explore the “upside-down” blessed life Jesus describes and why mercy, meekness, repentance, and hunger for righteousness are the true path to joy—listen and be encouraged to follow Christ’s way.

Transcript

The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five. The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five. And when you found that, go ahead and stand for the reading of God's word.

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Notice these words as found in Matthew 5:1.

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When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. And after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught 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.

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus, thank you for your holy word. And we pray now that your Holy Spirit would be sent to us in this moment, Lord, not just to illuminate our minds to know, but also empowering us to do.

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We pray in your name. Amen. And you can be seated.

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Of course, this is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which is probably the most well known sermon of Jesus. And, you know, even though it spans about three chapters, it was probably a much longer sermon, just to be honest with you. Okay. And it may even be a compilation of summaries of his sermons on that mountain. And so I'm not trying to give myself permission to go longer, of course, but in the Scriptures we do sometimes have a short sermon, but really it's more like a sermonic form, you know, you remember that, for instance, Paul preached so long that that guy fell out of the window and died.

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So that was what you call a killer sermon, right? Yes. You see what I did there? But nevertheless, I mean, that guy's never going to live that down. By the way, we'll get up to heaven still laughing about that one.

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So anyway, the first thing that really strikes me right up front at the beginning of this sermon is actually before Jesus starts speaking. The Scriptures do not mince words or add words that are unnecessary. And what we see here is at the beginning is a few descriptions that I think are instructive for us. In fact, notice when Jesus saw the Crowds, that's something important. This is Jesus, God's Son, who is God himself.

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Seeing people sound familiar? Because the Old Testament is littered with God. See, seeing us first, before we were ever even known, before we were brought into existence. He says that he knew us, that he sees us, and isn't it good to be seen? No one likes to come into a place that is familiar or home and not be seen.

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And of course, we've all probably dropped into some places psychologically, perhaps at times where we felt like we weren't seen, where we weren't heard, where we just were sort of going unnoticed. One of our brothers who has gone on to be with the Lord now was named Jerome. And he used to sit on the front row at Gooch Place back when we were meeting there. And. And Jerome, every time I'd see him say, jerome, good to see you, man.

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And he would come back. It's good to be seen, Pastor, because it is good to be seen, isn't it? There's something about our embodiedness that if we were to move through this life like a ghost, it just doesn't make sense. And so today I want you to hear that Jesus, the king of the universe who holds everything together, is not so busy that he doesn't see you. He sees you.

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I mean, the real you, not the you that sometimes we act or put on. Not the you that you don't even understand, but the fool you, the person. He sees you. And I'm reminded, remember, of Hagar. And Hagar gives us the full first sort of description of God in all of the Bible.

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So instead of just calling God God or Yahweh, Yahweh, she adds something to Elohim or God, and that is this description. He is the God who sees me. Because remember, she was sent away, in fact, a way to die, and had sort of given up. But guess what? God came through and delivered her out of that desert, okay?

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Out of that dark place. And here's what she proclaimed afterward. He sees me. So we can proclaim, just like she did thousands of years ago, that today God is the God who sees. He sees our plight even when others don't.

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He sees. And that's kind of good, because he's God. Of all the people that could do something about our condition, it would be God. And he's the one who sees. So the Beatitudes don't begin with instruction necessarily, but they begin.

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This whole sermon begins with God's attention to us. Now, the second thing here, he went up the mountain, okay? Now Again, a little phrase there, but an important one, and I think one that instructs us in our spiritual life. Now, of course, Matthew is very keen here. He knows that Jesus, he's recognized already and again with the help of the Holy Spirit as he writes, but he recognizes that Jesus is the new Moses.

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That Moses ascended a mountain, too, to meet with God. Remember, on Mount Sinai, and the mountain was shaking and there was a thunderstorm up there, and it was lightning, and was it. There was an earthquake, all simultaneously. And God says, come up to see me. That's quite an environment to come into, isn't it?

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But Moses goes, and Moses then receives from God the law of God. And from that point on, the law of God is actually known as the law of Moses. Because when God clearly speaks to one of his prophets, like Moses, under inspiration, the word of God and that human word that's coming out are now joined. Now, of course, that doesn't happen, for instance, when I'm preaching, okay? That's not the same sort of inspiration, okay?

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This is a unique inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. In fact, you. You remember what in Exodus, God says, you know, when they were kind of coming against Moses, he goes, you know what? I speak to a lot of people. I'm paraphrasing this.

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I speak to a lot of people around the world. I speak. I have prophets, I give people dreams, all these things, but not my servant Moses. And what the Hebrew says there is. It actually says, I speak to him face to face, which is nose to nose.

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You ever had somebody speak to you like that? You know, sometimes I see it on TV with a coach or a manager of a baseball team and the umpire, you ever seen them before, they get right up in each other's face, you know, and then two people, maybe a UFC fight, they get right nose to nose just looking at each other, right? I mean, when somebody's nose to nose with you, you really can't see much more, can you? You're, like, trying to look past them and Nope, nope, nope. In other words, God is saying, when I speak to my servant Moses, it's not like anyone else in human history.

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And so Moses receives this law of God on the mountain of God, Mount Horeb, the same mountain where Elijah will later go and receive a word from God. He's going up. And of course, being up and moving up, ascending in this way. How has the idea of the divine already in it, doesn't it? I mean, we don't think of the divine just in general terms as going down.

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It's not really the way we think of it. No human society ever has. In fact, we would think spatially, okay? And I know that God is not limited to space. Let's get that out.

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But spatially, we just automatically think, what is highest is best. You wouldn't say, what is. I'm really aiming low here, know. No, no, you're saying. I mean, I remember the Air Force had a slogan.

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You remember this, a little advertisement thing? Aim high, right? Nobody's wanting to aim low, okay? And so the point is, we're going up higher, better, okay? Best is up.

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And there's kind of a spatial reason for this. When we're low in a valley, we're limited in sight. In fact, you know, if you've ever been in a valley before, even the sunlight doesn't stay in that valley. But just a few hours. Maybe a couple hours, okay?

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When it's overhead, and then as soon as it goes over those mountains, you're losing daylight and particularly direct sunlight. But not on the mountain. There's nothing to obstruct the light on the mountain. And in fact, the vantage point is higher. You know, this again, is why you go to a football game and what do you see?

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The band director in a little crane. See him jacked up. You know, I've always wanted to do that, by the way. I've just always wanted to have that little thing and do all that. But why are they elevated?

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Why are they elevated? So they can be seen. And they see it all my tuba people look. Boom, boom, boom, right? They want to shake, you know, the symbols.

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Dum, dum, dum, right? You know, they want to be able to see the whole thing. So why do we think God is highest? Well, he can see it all, right? He can see all the things all at once.

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And that's what makes him the wisest, okay? That's what is able to direct. You see, you are only here in this little slice. But he's elevated and can see that. If you just hold on.

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You see how that works? If you just remain faithful. Oh, right around the corner. If you just. Right around the corner.

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It's there, right? Surely you've been on a road before where you thought, when does this thing end? I know with GPS now, it kind of spoils all the fun, you know? Point, three miles left. You know, it's like.

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But there was a day when we didn't know. And you're, like, driving like, I don't know if the. Am I on the road? But then if you just keep going all Of a sudden it opens up, so, oh, I know where I'm at now. You know, well, guess what?

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Our spiritual life works like that a little bit too, doesn't it? There's times where we really can't see around the bin. But if we just keep going and being directed by the one who can see who is up high, then that's what we trust. We trust in him, not in our own way. It actually is the way of life.

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And so the other thing, though, notice he saw the crowds, he went up, but then he comes right back down. What does he come down for? To teach. Now, he didn't come down the mountain, but he sat down, the scriptures say. And of course, this was a rabbinic way of teaching in this time.

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You know, typically today, the teacher stands up, the students sit, but in this day it was in the reverse. And in fact, in the early church, John Chrysostom, in fact, we know that when he preached, he would sit down and everybody would stand up. Now imagine that, you'd be like, when's this guy gonna quit? You know, I need to sit down right now. It would take care of some of you sleeping, right, wouldn't it?

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I mean, maybe you're like a horse or a cow that can sleep standing up, but I think it makes it a little harder, doesn't it? You know, we're not going to go to that method, however. But nevertheless, this was normal in his own day. But I think there's something more to this, and that is when Jesus sat down and, and everybody else on that day probably sat down and went, guess what? Now he's down on our level.

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He came down. Isn't that the good news? He came down. He didn't just remain up in heaven from his high vantage point untouched by human suffering, but instead he incarnates himself and joins himself to human nature, which suffers. In other words, what it means to be human is to suffer.

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In fact, there's not a human that has ever lived that did not have some form of suffering.

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And Jesus, in joining himself to us, in coming down for our salvation, we just set in the Nicene Creed. He suffers for us and on our behalf. He doesn't just think about weeping, but Jesus wept. God, the King of the universe, wept. And he sat down and opened his mouth.

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The Scripture says to teach and to proclaim. And of course, right now we're continuing that same tradition of teaching. Not through watching videos, not through self study, but through the proclamation of the Word of God. You say, but what a weird way to do it, you know, and honestly, if you were to talk to a non Christian, you know, somebody that really wasn't familiar with Christianity, you say, yeah, I go hear this person speak, you know, roughly 30ish minutes each week. It's like, why have you not known how many YouTube videos are out there?

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How much better people are online than in person? Why would you go listen to that dude? Why would you go listen to that gal? Well, here's what Paul says. It's through the foolishness of preaching that people come to Christ and are saved.

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So I may be a fool to do this week in and week out, and sometimes it may look foolish, but here's what the scripture says. It is the power of God to bring down the wise by the foolish. And I kind of chuckled earlier when Derek was reading because I felt like Paul was directly talking to me when he said, the Lord uses can I interpret foolish as dummies? The Lord uses the dummies of the world to show up the wise. Thank you, Jesus.

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Because if he was waiting on the wisdom part with me, the smart part, the gifted part, he'd still be waiting. Instead he says, get to work, buddy. It won't be perfect. John actually heard my first. Emily heard my first sermon.

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Wasn't perfect. But you left that sermon, I guarantee you. And I have it on video somewhere else. Vhs, of course, not digital, so nobody can watch it anymore. But you could leave that sermon.

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And, and you think, I think that dude loves Jesus. And you know what? Through the proclamation of the word of God. That's one thing is this is an embodied person saying, I want to go the way of Christ. Will you come and join me just like the first disciples?

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Well, all our readings, as has been noted already by Derek, point to an upside down sort of way of reality. In other words, if you were to ask the typical American what makes for the happy life, the fortunate life, the lucky you life, I think some things come to mind. In fact, the first money, right? It rules the world. Nations bow down.

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If money's involved, wars are ended. If money's involved. We think money solves everything. And maybe in politics it might get you far, but in life in the interior life in our personhood, money doesn't go very far. In fact, it doesn't take long to see that some people with a lot of money are very unhappy.

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And if happiness is what we're looking for, it can't be money then. But then others would say, well, if I just could be comfortable, you know, forget about the money part, but I just want to be comfortable, you know, give me bread and circuses, as the poet of Rome once said of the Roman people who were losing their entire empire, but because they had bread and circuses. Or might I interpret this? Because they had plenty of food and entertainment, they were totally fine to stay at home and be comfortable, not get involved with them. Why would I get involved with people?

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You ever been involved with people? It's not so comfortable. And yet Christ, like he did with Abraham, calls us out of our house, out of our Father's house, to a land in which he will show us from his vantage point. Remember? Oh yeah, go this way.

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Winning. This would be the American response, I think. Winning. We want to win at all costs, even if it means stepping on others, even if it means lying to get ahead. We want to win.

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Freedom from pain. This would be another one, I think. Control, perhaps. Contentment. If I could just be content with what I had.

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Or justice. This is one that everybody has always wanted. In fact, Socrates begins his moral advice with those who want justice, and he questions whether or not they really want justice. We say it, we scream it, we want it until it's aimed at us, and then we want mercy. But here's what Jesus says.

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Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. Which means if we want mercy when we really deserve justice, then we give mercy when justice is being demanded. Isn't that an upside down way to live? 100% it is.

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Well, Jesus contradicts most all of those points. Probably another one would be pleasure, of course, and that goes without mentioning. But here's what Jesus says, and I'm going to rapid fire be poor in spirit. That's the lucky life. That's the fortunate life.

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The life that leads to happiness is one of poverty on the inside. No matter what kind of money you have in the bank, as long as you understand it's all God's money and not yours. That it was given to you, not earned. That is what poor in spirit looks like. Because whether it's taken or it remains or grows, you are thankful to God and not yourself.

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We have this problem, you know, that I was actually addressing with a friend of mine this week, which is this. We think if we do good, good things will happen. And ever read Job?

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Ever read Ecclesiastes?

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Ever looked at the life of Jesus? Who was the goodest one, if I could say it that way, He lived the good life. And he tells some of his disciples, I don't even have a place to lay my head tonight.

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No, it's the attitude of dependence on God. Lord, I may have enough in the bank, but I'm depending on you. How much of it do you want me to keep? How much of it do you want me to give away? By the way, it's a nice time in February to give away some of what he has given to you to ministries that are making a deep impact, real people's lives.

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People in this room and outside of this room.

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Well, those who mourn the blessed life. Jesus says, the blessed life. I mean the happy life, the life that leads to joy. And by the way, our child John is named Felicity. That's why I could use her name here and say the life of Felicity, because felicity means happiness, like uber happiness.

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Okay? The life of happiness is one where we mourn and are then comforted. You say that's backwards. No, no, you see, to receive the comfort of Christ, perhaps even to receive the comforter himself, who is the Holy Spirit, which we must mourn. You say, how?

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Repent.

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Mourn our own wickedness. It's easy to look on TV or watch videos and say, these people, they're so stupid. But have you ever self reflected for 5 seconds?

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If you look in and see the wisest person, the best person, you're not looking up. When we look up, we should be like Isaiah who says, woe is me. I am a man undone, living in the midst of people who are undone and wicked. O God, help, Help. Yes.

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We can't even come to Christ unless we mourn our own sin and, and the sin of those around us. The prophets did all those who are born again do. And what Jesus says is that's going to lead to true joy. So the one that mourns, oh yeah. When it breaks our heart in a situation, and I don't mean one that's so far out there you can do nothing about.

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I mean, people in your house, I mean people at work, I mean people that you can actually show mercy to. By the way, showing mercy is not a Facebook comment. Is everybody clear on that? Is everybody okay? Like, that's not showing mercy?

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I'm not saying that. You know, you can't post whatever you want to post. Feel free. I'm saying that's not true virtue. It's those who show mercy to those that don't deserve it.

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That's who will receive mercy. Jesus says, this way you won't be forgiven unless you forgive others. So if you're holding on to bitterness, you can post whatever, you can act however you want to to others. But God sees us again. You see, it's a double edged sword.

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It's a good thing he sees us and it's also a very bad thing that he sees us. And that's why we ought to say, I am poor in spirit. I need you mourning over my wickedness. And then Jesus says, well, also the meek. The meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

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They will inherit the earth. What is meekness but strength under control? When you have the ability to crush someone and you don't. When you have the ability to win the argument and you choose, you know what, going to go God's way in this and keep my mouth shut. And I know that is hard, it's hard to do, but aren't you glad that Jesus keeps his mouth shut about your life and about the things you've done in your past?

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I am. Thanks be to God. He shows meekness to us and he's gentle with, trust me, he should be very angry with me about how dumb I've been in my life before, like giving up on me a long time ago. And he chose not to. And I'm thankful for that.

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I stand before you today because of that. He should have discarded me a long time ago, but he chose to stay with me because he is meek. That's not weak. No, it's power. It's actually stronger than somebody out of control.

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All right, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, that's. I don't know that we even need an explanation for that. We ought to be hungry for the things of God, thirsty for the things of God. Just like we get addicted to scrolling. We ought to be addicted to the things of God.

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What is God's way? Merciful. We've already talked about this. Justice is great. Mercy is greater.

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I'll say it again. Justice is great. Really is. Mercy is greater and it's harder to do. And thanks be to God.

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Let me just give you some advice real quick. If you never hear me again, if you get up to heaven and you stand before God, okay, all of us will. Don't ask for justice, ask for mercy.

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The pure in heart undivided. Here's the way the Bible talks about a single eye, not an eye that's going this way or this way. Two eyes. You know, that's why they put those blinders on horses when they want them to go one way. The scripture's saying stay focused on who is highest God, the pure, the 100% same way.

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And they will see God. The peacemakers, man. We need peacemakers. Not avoidance, but a type of reconciliation, reconciling our own body into the mix to say, you know what? I'm willing to work for peace in this.

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Now, that doesn't mean everybody's going to match you in that. But it's to say, just as Christ did, he was the prince of peace. And when we've received the peace of Christ in our life, then we give it to others, not stirring up turmoil, you know, but instead, as Paul would say, stir up one another to what good works. That's the peaceful life. That's shalom, okay?

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And then finally the happy life, the lucky you life is the one that's persecuted for righteousness sake. Persecuted, you could say, for the right way, God's way. If you've never been persecuted for your life and doing the right thing, then it may be that you don't do the right thing often enough.

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Because people get ahead in all kinds of ways in their life. And when somebody comes along that does the right thing, that kind of messes that up. Kind of messes up an office space, you know, where things weren't really going on up to par.

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And then Mr. Goody Two Shoes comes along, right?

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I remember being persecuted at school back in the day, you know, oh, you're this or that just because you're a Christian, right? Well, that's the kind of persecution, but also all the way to death, right? It's verbal, it's emotional and perhaps bodily. We think immediately persecution means execution, but not necessarily.

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And if we can't stand up to emotional or verbal persecution, I don't know why we think one day we would die for Christ, given the guillotine.

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Just saying it just shows the poverty that's inside, which then makes us look up again and cry out for mercy, cry out for God's way. So today, brothers and sisters, understand that God sees you. He sees all about you, which. Which is a good thing for those who are willing to repent and turn to Him. Very bad thing for those who aren't.

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And God gives us a way here. The happy life, the description really of his life. If you talk about the Beatitudes, which again means happiness, blessedness, this is the way of Christ. Is it your way? If not, let's repent today and come to his table to receive from his hand the nourishment that we need to move on in this journey.

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We're doing it together. Help us, Lord. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.