Poor in Spirit

Brethren, it is nice when we all sit down and one of the children comes to us and asks from us something in such a nice way. But really it is very encouraging to see that. It really, for the parents and grandparents, it is absolutely something that makes your heart very special. And you want to please them because of the way they say it and the way they ask it. Brethren, my purpose today is to talk about one of the principles, one of the teachings of Christ. I've mentioned before that I would like to go through some of the teachings of Christ.

And today I want to talk about one of the first ones that he taught us and that he is being poor in spirit. And just like children, when they talk to parents and they ask so nicely, we likewise, when we speak to God and we speak to him so nicely, he is very pleased with what we ask and now we come across.

And so our attitude of how we come across to God is very important. Now, Christ came to us to give us a number of teachings. And as we can read in Acts chapter 3 verse 23, here is a quote from the book of the law from Leviticus, but it's actually Acts 3 verse 23, where it's talking and it's quoting from the book of Leviticus that says, in fact, let's start from verse 22, Acts 3 verse 22. For Moses truly said that to the fathers, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. And that prophet is Christ from your brethren.

And yes, Christ was raised up from, as we heard in the lovely song today, from our brethren, from Judah. And it says, Him you shall hear in all things whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul, that's every person, every living being who will not hear that prophet, every person that will not hear what that prophet said or instructed us. And obviously, we are taught to listen to the law and to the prophets. And that is one of the THE prophets, the prophet.

And it says that every soul that will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed. Utterly destroyed. We have to listen to Christ's teachings over and beyond and above the law and the prophets, because that prophet's teaching, if we don't listen to him, we shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. And so, brethren, he came and taught us. As it says, he fulfilled the law.

In other words, he folded up to the broom. He expanded it. He fulfilled some of the laws, points that he pointed to, for instance, the sacrifices pointed to Christ. So he fulfilled in a way that he completed those prophecies, and he will complete a number of other prophecies in the future at his second coming. So he will fulfill the law and the prophets. But he fulfilled the law by the way he lived and the way he showed us how to live over and beyond, not just the letter of the law, but the spirit and intent of the law.

And he fulfilled by giving us additional teachings. And so, one of the areas which summarizes very concisely his teachings to us is in the Sermon on the Mount. And so I want to turn to the Sermon on the Mount, please, starting in chapter 5 of Matthew. Chapter 5 of Matthew. We're going to read the first 12 verses, and then we're going to concentrate on one of them in today's sermon. And see in the multitudes, Matthew 5 verse 1, he, that's Christ, went up onto a mountain.

Interesting. It reminds you of the giving of the law on a mountain. It mounts the night. Sinai, not that it was Mount Sinai, but it reminds you the same sort of concept. You end up to a mountain, and when he was seated, his disciples came to him. He was teaching his disciples. He's teaching us through this Sermon on the Mount. It's a teaching of Christ. The word teaching in Hebrew is Torah. This is the Torah of Christ, the teaching of Christ.

And we finish reading that if we will not listen to his teachings, we will be utterly destroyed from amongst the people. So we really have to listen to his teachings. And then he said, and he opened his mouth and taught them sign, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for this is the kingdom of heaven. And that is the verse that we're going to concentrate in the sermon today. But let me just read till the end of this brief session, until verse 12. 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 be of, 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. Here are seven blessings from attitudes that you and I need to have. And then he goes on to eighth one, an eighth blessing, which is not necessarily an attitude that we need to have, but it is an end result on an outcome of having those other seven attitudes.

Because 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 sake. Rejoice and be exceeding blood, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecute the prophets who were before you. And so I intend to have a series of sermons over the next months covering each one of these beatitudes. But today, I intend to spend some time in the simplicity and the beauty of this first beatitude, which is blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And the kingdom of heaven, obviously, Matthew often used the word kingdom of heaven. There is once another time where Matthew interchangeably uses kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God, but in the other gospels, the term is referred as kingdom of God. So the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom that comes from heaven, which is of heaven, but it's the kingdom of God. It's the kingdom of heaven. It's not necessarily the kingdom that is in heaven. It's the kingdom of heaven that comes from heaven, and that's why we pray, let our kingdom come in the model of prayer.

So the other thing it says, blessed are the pure, poor in spirit. The actual Greek word there means happy, but it really it's not a question of how you feel. It's not a feeling. It is, in a sense, an outcome of being blessed by God. You are blessed by God. You are, it's a blessing.

The other point about poor in spirit, the word poor does not necessarily mean that you are physically poor. In other words, it's not a question of poverty. Obviously, we do know that a lot of poor people serve God very dedicated, and in fact it's probably more amongst the poor people than the very wealthy, because it does say, you know, it's more difficult for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter in the kingdom of God. So, so it it it it is difficult to enter in the kingdom of God if you have a lot of wealth.

But it's not related to being wealthy or poor. It is in spirit. It's not poverty or richness. In wealth or money is in spirit. It is, therefore, an attitude of spirit. Poor in spirit. So poor in spirit is an attitude that we want to look at today in a little bit more detail.

And so I want to start by looking at Psalm 34. Psalm the 34th chapter, and we're going to read from verses four to eight. Psalm 34 verses four to eight.

The 34th chapter of the Psalm, beautiful Psalmia, and and the title, yeah, in my Bible says the happiness of those who trust in God, which is interesting, ties in nicely with the sermon that we had. But look at it starting in verse four. It says, I sought the Lord and he heard me. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. And this is the sermon it said, we need to trust God completely and he will hear us. And it says, they looked to him and we're radiant and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man, this poor man, it's not a man that is poor in wealth, it's a man that is poor in spirit. This poor man, poor in spirit, that's what it is, cried out and the Lord heard him. So we're talking about poor in spirit. He cried out and the Lord entrusted in God. So one of the attitudes and the first point that I want to bring to you about a person that is poor in spirit is one that really depends on God, that really trusts in God. And he says, this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. As we so nicely heard in the sermon it, it's not necessarily that you not have troubles, but in the end things worked out okay. In the end he was saved. And so he says he saved him out of all his troubles. He still had troubles. The angel of the Lord of the Eternal encamps all around those who fear him. So yes, there is a deep respect for God and delivers them. Outtides them see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him. So blessed is this poor man, which is poor in spirit. And one of the attitudes of being poor in spirit is that he humbly looks to God for deliverance and trusts in him. So one of the characteristics of being poor in spirit is one that really depends on God. Let's look at another scripture to look a little bit more about this attitude of poor in spirit. And that's in Isaiah chapter 66. Isaiah chapter 66, verse 1 through 3. Isaiah 66 verses 1 through 3. Heaven is my, thus is the Lord, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will bow me? What are you gonna bow for me? Look, the whole heaven is mine, the whole earth is mine, what are you gonna bow to? What else? What else are you gonna bow to me? And where is the place for my rest, says God? For all these things, those things, my hand is my foot, everything that you're gonna give me, I've made it.

And all those things exist, says the Lord. But on this will I look, on this will I look, on him who is poor and of a contract spirit and who trembles at my word. It's like that child that asks so nicely. That is what pleases God. That's what he wants. That's what he wants from you and I. He wants us to be poor in spirit, poor and of a contract spirit, and absolutely have a deep respect for his word. In other words, we really depend on him. We really depend on him.

He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man. He who sacrifices a lamb as if he breaks a dog's neck. So all these things mean nothing to him. He offers a great offering as if he offers swine blood. In other words, if your attitude is not right, then in doing these things, they mean nothing to God. He who burns in, says as if he blesses an idol, just as they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations. If people have a wrong attitude, if they have a wrong vibe, if they have an arrogant attitude coming to God, everything one can do, it means nothing to God. But if you have a right, poor and contrite spirit, and if I have that same spirit, God will be pleased with you and I. That's what he wants from us. So we need to depend on God. A man that is poor in spirit knows that he cannot depend on himself.

He therefore works so that God is pleased with him or with her. And therefore he worries and he wants to make sure that God is pleased with him. Nobody else. He wants to please God, not man. He wants to please God. And therefore, he is fearful of God, not fearful of people. And when he's in trouble, he will call on God and God will deliver his contrite at his word. God will deliver him. Let's look at an example during the time of Christ of some people that did not really depend on God but trusted in themselves.

And that example is in Luke 18.

18th chapter of Luke. There are many others, but I'm just using this one. Luke 18, verse 9 to 12. This is Christ, and he says, and he spoke, Christ spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves. They did not trust in God first. They trusted in their own selves that they were righteous and despised others. You see, when youth or when I, when we think of ourselves and we trust ourselves, then we think we're better than others, and then we start despising other people. That's a problem. The right thing. So they trusted in themselves, in other words, they did not put God first. And they are a parable from Christ. Two men went to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. Now, interesting. He prayed thus with God. No, he prayed thus with himself. I mean, God was out of the picture. He prayed to himself. And sometimes we've got to be careful. Are we praying just to ourselves? Are we praying to God and communicating with God? So he prayed thus with himself. God, I thank you that I am not like the other man.

He trusted it himself. He's better than others. He was righteous, extortionous, and just adulterous. Brethren, he looking at it in man's way of looking at it. He was not a robber. He was not an extortioner. He was not stealing. He was not unjust. He was just. He was just in his dealings with other people. He was not an adulterous. He was faithful to his spouse. So in man's way of looking at things, he was actually quite a nice and decent guy, quote-unquote. But he had this problem. He was not poor in spirit. He was not poor in spirit. Or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. Well, how many of us fast twice a week? Well, I don't. I just don't. But he was a man where he was trying to do certain things. And I give tithes of all that I possess. He was a tithe player. He paid his tithes. In a sense, to the letter of the law, he was well and beyond the letter of the law. The problem is the aptitude. He was not poor in spirit. And the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. Now let's look at the other man, the tax collector. But beat his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. He acknowledged his sins. He showed repentance. And really, he was honest. He was honest. He says, I've got these problems and I won't overcome.

And he was poor in spirit. Poor in that attitude, mental attitude, that he really was not all that worthy. And then Christ says, I tell you, this man, he was a tax collector, went down to his house, justified, made just before God. In other words, God was pleased with this man's attitude and therefore was just and therefore he could get through to God, rather than the other. In other words, the other one was not justified. He was not having a relationship with God. And then he says, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. And he who humbles himself will be exalted. So being humble, being poor in spirit, is an attitude that God is very pleased with. And indeed, it is a prophecy. Think of it. It actually is a prophecy. He that is humble will be exalted. It actually is a prophecy. Now, think of it another way.

If we were looking at it in today's Christian church approach, and I mean by Christian, I mean more than just Christian, mean the church of God approach. And which one of these two men would say to himself, I'm a Philadelphian? And which one of these two men would say to himself, I'm not a sin?

Which one of these two men would say, I'm a Philadelphian? I'm okay, Jack? I'm better than you? And what did Christ say? He's not justified. You see, our attitude how we internalize things is very important. Let's look at that scripture in Revelation chapter 3. In Revelation chapter 3, verse 14 through 70.

And to the angel of the church of the loudest seans write, these things says the Amen and the faithful, the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. This is Christ talking. I know your works, that you know they're cold nor hot. Now brethren, if you're really hot, in other words, you're really hot, it's easy to say it's right there. That's it. That's what it is. And if you're really cold, it's easy to discern and distinguish it's right there. It's easy. There it is. It's either there or there. It's either white or black. But if you start wearing the middle, it's kind of difficult to discern, are you on this side or that side? So Christ says, I wish that you're rather hot or cold, because it says here, I could wish that you were cold or hot. So then, because you look warm, and it neither cold nor hot, our vomit is out of my mouth.

In other words, I mean, if you go through that feeling of being naught, you know, whatever it is, and you just want to vomit, that's a terrible feeling. That is a terrible feeling. I mean, we had it in our family this week. A lot of people with the stomach fluid, just it's a terrible feeling. And that's what God says, if we are neither cold nor hot, if we are somewhere in the middle. But now look at how he defines that person. Verse 17. Because you say, I'm rich and I've become wealthy. Think about the Pharisee, what he said. I've got thirst, I'm not like the other one. It's the same sort of attitude.

And do not know that you're wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. And therefore, Christ says, you're going to have to go through some trials, some difficulties. It's like, you got to put it in the fire and to actually get that those impurities out so you determine whether it's this side or not. To actually... And therefore, he says, repent. For even trials will help us to determine whether we're hot or cold. Trials will help us to determine whether we truly reach or whether we are naked and unclothed. So, the person that is poor in spirit is one that looks at himself and has complete reliance and dependence on God and does not trust on himself like we saw the parable that Christ described. Giving a practical example down to day-to-day life. A person that trusts in God expects promotion to come from God, not from just things that he does. Obviously, he's going to do the right things, but he's not rank conscience, he's not political, he's not maneuvering. And we can read it. For instance, in Psalm 75, verse 4 to 7, it says, promotion comes neither from the east nor the west nor from the south, but comes from God. And so, because a person trusts in God. So, that's a person that is poor in spirit. Let's look at a second characteristic of a person that is poor in spirit. A person that is poor in spirit does not think that he or she knows it all. It does not brag and boast. That I am such a such person that I know exactly how to do all these things. He admits that he's not always right. He says, or she says, I may be wrong. In other words, thinks little of himself. A person like that will not be at loggerheads with other people. You may disagree, but you avoid a fight. You really don't want a fight over certain things. You'll avoid a fight. What a great dispute.

That's where we read in Luke 18 early on, that he that is humble God exalts him. Turn with me to look at, beg your pardon, to Proverbs 29. Proverbs 29. Proverbs 29. To see a little bit more about this characteristic. Proverbs 29.

Verse 23. Proverbs 29. Verse 23.

A man's pride. Proverbs 29. Verse 23. A man's pride will bring him down, but the humble in spirit, you know, it was the poor in spirit, the one that is poor in spirit, will retain honor. Pride will bring one down, but the attitude of being poor in spirit, in other words, he doesn't think of himself. He's not arrogant, but he's humble in that spirit. He does not brag and boast. That's who God will exalt. Let's see also the same thing in the New Testament in 1 Peter, chapter 5. 1 Peter, chapter 5.

1 Peter, chapter 5. Verse 5 and 6.

1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 5 and 6. Likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you, you know, it was not just the younger ones, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. It might not be immediately, but it will be in due time.

And if we are arrogant, if we are arrogant, basically, we will be brought down time and time and time again, as till we become poor in spirit.

Why? Because God wants to mold you into one of his sons and daughters. And so he's working with you and with me and with all of us.

And therefore, he wants to change us.

And we need to realize that we are nothing to be proud of.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 26 to 29.

1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 26 through 29. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

Brethren, we need to look at ourselves. We're not amongst the wise people of this world. We're not amongst the mighty people of this world. We're not amongst the noble people of this world. But God has chosen to foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And he has chosen the base things of the world and the things which are the spies God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. Indeed, we are nothing. We are nothing. We've got nothing to glory. And verse 29, that no flesh should glory in his presence. None of us can brag or boast in his presence. And so, for him, there is or has an attitude of being poor in spirit, is one that really depends on God and one that is humble, does not brag, but rather relies completely on God.

And so, let's look at a third point, which is more of an outcome of having this attitude of being poor in spirit.

Because a person that is poor in spirit will be able to grow spiritually. And that's why I mean it's an outcome. Turn with me to John chapter 9.

So, the question might be, so what? Why must I be poor in spirit? Well, the outcome is that we will be able to grow spiritually. John chapter 9 verse 26 through 34.

John chapter 9 verse 26 through 34.

Then they said to him again, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?

So, let's get this into context. If you just turn the page back, yeah, I was a blind man. There was given his sight.

And it happened to be on the Sabbath. So, they were quite agitated, the Pharisees. And so, they went to this man and said to him, Hey, how did Christ, how did he do it? How did he open your eyes? And he answered them, I told you already. And you're not listening. Come on, guys, I told you already. Well, not that way, but he was quite concerned, because this was under quite an interrogation. Why don't you want to hear it again? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples? So, he's now being a little bit cheekier. Do you also want to be his disciples? And then they reviled him and said, You are his disciples. You are his disciples. We are Moses disciples.

And I remember that scripture I read right at the beginning in Acts 3, where Moses said, you know, He will raise up a prophet like me, like Moses. And if you don't listen to that prophet, he'll be utterly, what is the word, destroyed.

And look exactly what he says. We are Moses. We're not learning from that prophet. We're just learning from Moses. We're not prepared to learn more from the bigger prophet.

Verse 29. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't know who he's from.

The man answered and said to them, Now, this man that had been blind, blind from birth, smart young man, look at what he said. The man said, why this is a marvelous thing that you do not know where he's from? How come is this such a wondrous thing that you don't know where he's from? How come?

Yet he has opened my eyes. Yet he's made me see. How come don't you know where he's from? He's made me see. Now, we know that God does not hear sinners. Okay. So there's this man telling these teachers, we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, he hears him.

Right? Since the world began, it has been unheard of that anyone opened their eyes or one that was born blind. I mean, maybe people became blind and then they could see again, but one that had been born blind, it's never heard of such a miracle. Never heard. And yet Christ doing this miracle, and you say you don't know who it is, and God hears, obviously, people that are loyal to God. So how come is it that you say you don't know who Christ is?

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. This man told these Pharisees, if he was not from God, he could do nothing.

And they asked him to me, you were completely born in sins, and you are teaching us, and they cost him out.

Who are you to tell me what to do? Who are you to tell me or teach me? Or teach me?

They were not poor in spirit. And because they were not poor in spirit, they were not prepared to grow spiritually.

They were frozen in a certain age.

Brethren, we can learn from anybody, from everybody. Everybody can teach us and learn us. And there's always a learning opportunity from somebody. We can even learn from children.

I mean, when I was in Brazil, seeing those indigenous people, tribal people, I went there last time with Sheviy Valtsev, and he said, it is an honor for me. Those are these words, not exactly, maybe, literally those words, but the meaning that he said with those words that he said, it's an honor for me to be Yah with you, teaching you. Because you're expecting me to teach you.

But Sheviy was saying, you are teaching me.

Those simple people are teaching us. So we can learn from everybody.

So these people should have said, well, we can learn from everybody.

But they said, oh, you're born of sins, and you're trying to teach us. Get out of here.

So Jesus heard that they had cast this man out, and when he had found him, he said to him, do you believe in the Son of God?

You really believe that I am the Son of God. And he answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said, you've both seen him, and it is he who is talking to you.

Well, you can't be most right in that. You can't be most right in that. I mean, that's me. I'm the Son of God. That's what Christ said to him. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him.

Brethren, we can learn from everybody. And this man was humble. And Jesus said, for judgment, I have come into this world that those who do not see may see.

And those who see may be made blind.

If we don't see, we'll be able to see. It was if we are poor in spirit, we'll be exalted, we'll be rich, we'll grow spiritually, because we'll be able to see a lot more. So being poor in spirit enables us to grow spiritually, to see.

Turn with me also to Proverbs 11. Proverbs 11.

When pride comes, then comes shame.

Yes, when we're proud, when we're arrogant, when we're not poor in spirit, but we're just full of ourselves, when we brag, then comes shame.

But with the humble, with the poor in spirit, is wisdom.

And wisdom is the capability to learn and to grow and become wiser.

It's a growth opportunity for us. So with being poor in spirit, we can grow.

Those who are truly poor in spirit are growing.

Those that are truly poor in spirit can see how little they are, and they can see how great God is, and therefore they can see how much they need to learn and how much they need to grow.

That is the example of Job. Do you remember Job?

Job had a tremendous trial.

A tremendous trial.

And at the end of that trial, what did he recognize?

Turn with me to Job 42. Job 42. Write the piano a book of Job.

Job 42.

Just before Psalms, Job 42.

He said in verse 5, I have heard you by the hearing of the year, but now my eye sees you.

When we are poor in spirit, we can now recognize and we can see how great God is, how great our art, and therefore we recognize that need, and therefore that enables us. To grow.

And therefore, therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes, which is kind of the next step or the next beatitude that we'll come into in another sermon. But being poor in spirit is a step for the next beatitude, interesting enough. These beatitudes, by the way, Brethren, are accumulative. In other words, one grows on top of the other one, and then the other goes to grow on to the next one, and grow, and then we have the old seven. They are accumulative.

They grow from one to the other. So the importance, yeah, is that Job, by being poor in spirit, by having this trial and difficulty and recognizing that he needed God, he then got to see, not just to have heard of God, but in his mind, in his mental eye, let's call it that, he could see how little he was and how great God is. And therefore, he could see how much he needed to grow, and therefore, it led him to the next step of repentance and aborring himself and repenting in dust and ashes.

It's the same thing with Saul. Remember Saul that became Paul?

Remember?

Well, let's look at that. In Acts 9, the ninth chapter of Acts, let's look at the moment when Paul's conversion. Acts 9.

Then Saul, verse 1, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, was he humble? Was he poor in spirit?

Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord?

No, he was not poor in spirit. At that time, he was kind of thinking he knew it all, he knew it all, and he's going to sort this, and he's going to sort this thing out. So he went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found anywhere of the way, of the way of God, where there man or woman, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. He was going to bind them and bring them to Jerusalem so they could be judged in Jerusalem, because if there were Christians, he would have a letter and authority to bring them back to Jerusalem.

So as he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly a light shone around the infant from heaven, Christ himself, in some miraculous form, appeared to Saul, and he fell on the ground. Saul just recognized this as it, and he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Why are you attacking Christians?

And Saul said, Who are you, Lord? Well, at least he recognized he was the Lord, and the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute thee. Is it hard to kick against the goats? Is it hard to keep kicking against the bricks and against the rocks? And you're going to hurt yourself. Keep kicking. The rocks are not going to move. We keep kicking, you know. It's going to get hard.

And he recognized at that moment that he was persecuting God's people, that Jesus indeed was God.

At that moment, it hit him. It dawned on him that he was doing wrong.

God has got a very special way of reaching our hearts.

It's we are his people. He knows how to reach us. He knows how to wake us up.

And so he trembled, verse 6, and astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do?

He realized he was wrong.

And he said to Jesus, whom he was persecuting, what do you want me to do?

I repent in dust and ashes. He now saw God.

And then the Lord said to him, Arise, go into the city, and you'll be told what you must do.

You must now get instructions from those people that we are persecuting, so you can see where the instruction comes from.

And a man who turned with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing none, and then saw a rose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one.

He rose, he opened his eyes, and was blind. He just could not see.

And verse 9 says, And he was three days without sight, and neither ate or drank. He realized how a big sinner he was that he had been killing through Christians, through God's people.

And he realized, I've done a great evil.

But the moment he realized that, he was no more arrogant and proud. He was humble. He was poor in spirit.

And from that moment onwards, he could grow spiritually. He could grow spiritually. There was spiritual growth. And it's the same thing with us. When we are poor in spirit, one of the outcomes is we can grow in God's way. So being poor in spirit means that we trust in God completely. It means that we are humble in our eyes. We're not bragging. And the end result is that we'll be able to grow if we are poor in spirit. But there is something else if we are poor in spirit.

It's that if we are poor in spirit, we are pleasing God, and we'll have contact with God. Turn with me to Psalm 51 verse 17. Psalm 51 verse 17.

It's speaking out about the sacrifices that God has pleased with. And it says in verse 17, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

Poor in spirit, in other words, a broken and a contrite heart. These are God you will not despise.

These are the ones that God is pleased with. These are the sacrifices that are pleasing to God.

And then, continuing on that thought in Isaiah 57.15. Isaiah 57.15.

57.15. Isaiah.

For that says the high and the lofty one, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place.

So this is God speaking, and he says, I dwell in heaven in the high and holy place. I am the lofty one. I am the high one. I am the great one. That's God. With him, with God. Who's with God?

It's him who has a contrite and humble spirit.

God dwells with him who has a contrite and humble spirit.

And he's able to revive the spirit of the humble, to revive the heart of the contrite ones. He's there to encourage us. He's there to help and encourage us.

So, the fourth outcome of being, or the fourth characteristic of being put in spirit, but it's the second outcome that I'm referring to today, is that he will be with God.

Turn back to Psalms 34 verse 18. Psalms 34 verse 18.

Psalms 34 verse 18.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and save such as have a contrite spirit. If you and I have a broken heart, a contrite spirit, you know, as if we are humble in spirit, if we are poor in spirit, God will be with us.

And there's a day that Christ will come. Christ is going to come. And what is he going to do when he comes?

When Christ is going to come, what is he going to do to the world?

Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 2. Isaiah chapter 2 verse 12.

Isaiah chapter 2 verse 12.

For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything.

Jesus Christ will come, the day of Jesus Christ's coming, and the day of the Lord shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up, and it shall be brought low.

When Christ comes, all the proud and arrogant ones will be in for a surprise, because it will only be left to the ones that are poor in spirit. Indeed, those that will be in the kingdom of God will be the ones that are poor in spirit.

That's why Christ said in the first attitude that we turn at the beginning is blessed are the poor in spirit, for this is the kingdom of heaven.

Only the poor in spirit will be in the kingdom of God.

And yes, there are other attitudes as well, because that's the beginning block of those attitudes. But look at Christ's teachings.

You know, when Christ starts teaching, for instance, in a similar amount, he doesn't start teaching about stealing.

Thou shalt not steal. He did not start teaching about thou shalt not murder. He will not start teaching about you'll time. Of course, those things are important. Of course, those are first, because Christ added to those. But he started working on the attitudes, which goes beyond the letter of the law into the spirit and intent of that application. And he started working on the attitudes. And the first attitude is being proud versus being humble. That's the first attitude that he started addressing.

Indeed, who did he come to preach the good news to?

Who did Christ come to evangelize or preach the good news to? Remember, after he was baptized, after he was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights by Satan, he then went to where he was born, and he started preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Remember?

And then at that time, they gave him a book to open, and they opened. Remember that? Let's look at that in Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4.

Luke the fourth chapter.

Luke chapter 4. You can see there that Satan tempted Christ. And then in verse 16, he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as it was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he had opened the book, he found a place where it was written. Remember, in those days, the priests would read the law, and then lay members would read the prophets. But the priests had to read the law. So after they had read the law, the priests, then they had a lay member, which was well recognized, good characteristics they brought in, and they had to read through the whole book of the prophets throughout a certain period of time. I think at that time was over a year, or I think today is over a year. Maybe at that time was over a period of three years, I don't know. But anyway, he had the scripture to read on that day, heifer to coincidentally, quote-unquote, between inverted comms, to be this one that he read. And he said, verse 18, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

A prophecy that had been placed in the Bible at the right place for that day, for him to read on that day. It is amazing how God puts everything at the right time. Anyway, because he has anointed me, yes, he's the anointed one, the Messiah, the anointed one, to preach the gospel to whom?

To the proud and lofty?

He's to preach the gospel first to the poor in spirit, to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted.

It isn't that the second beatitude, and so on.

It's interesting, brethren.

It's those that are humble, that will get it, and that will receive the good news of the kingdom of God. The proud and lofty will not get it.

And that's why Christ has got to come back to correct the proud and lofty, to bring the world and to save the world from this chaos that we live in today.

To be poor in spirit is the first attitude that is blessed by God, as Christ mentioned in the sermon on the Mount.

And there, indeed, it is a lovely attitude. And to God, it's like that attitude that we see in our children, when they come to us and they ask us so nicely. It's just so nice when they ask us so nicely. It just melts our heart. Well, it melts God's heart, too, when we are poor in spirit.

So what, brethren? So what? So why do we need to be poor in spirit? Well, brethren, because when we're poor in spirit, we learn to fully depend on God.

We learn that we do not think that we know it all, and we don't brag. And as an outcome, we are able to grow spiritually, and we will be with God, ultimately, in the Kingdom of God.