Study Guide: "Happy Are Those Who Stand In The Gap"

Open:
Headlines in the New York Times this week reflect the conflicted and often violent state of our world.
- Chemical attack on thousands in Syria leaving hundreds lifeless.
- Egyptian military crackdown on Islamists.
- Suspected gunman who terrorized an Atlanta-area elementary school just a few days ago.
- Domestic violence right here in our own city.

Peace is at a premium.
Jesus has something to say to us about our role in peacekeeping and peacemaking: "Blessed are the peacemakers..."

Christ followers are expected to stand in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves.

I. This is Third Party Peace.
- Jesus speaks about first person reconciliation later in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-26).
- This matter of peacemaking is something Christ-followers do for two or more other individuals or entities.

II. This is More than Stopping Conflict.
- The word translated "peace" is rooted in the biblical concept of 'shalom.'
- This peacemaking is not so much about resolving conflict as it is bringing about wholeness.
- The act of peacemaking is also rooted in the Old Testament concept of 'standing in the gap' (Ezekiel 22:30).
- This speaks of an aggressive act on the part of believers to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves (Jeremiah 29:7).

III. Gap-Standing Makes Us Resemble the Son of God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
-We are most like Christ when we facilitate righteousness in the life of someone else,

Close:
Christ followers are expected to stand in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves.

- For whom is God calling you to seek the peace?
- Who needs you to stand for them because they can't stand for themselves?
- What category of at risk individual in our community will you stand on behalf of?

An Evening of Worship & Missions

This Sunday evening (August 25) we will gather at 6 pm for a special time of worship led by Dick Gimble, followed by images and stories of missions in Kenya shared by Dane Fowlkes. The music will inspire us and the missions sharing will motivate us to see what God is doing around us and join Him. All are welcome for an extraordinary evening in this historic setting.

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes, pastor)

Loving Bosqueville

We are being intentional about displaying our concern for and compassion towards the residents of Bosqueville and the larger Bosqueville community. Today we begin "Loving Bosqueville" in earnest by providing lunch for the faculty & staff of Bosqueville Independent School District. One of my daughters teaches at Bosqueville Elementary and she shared last night how much it means to the teachers and staff to know we care. And we do!

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes, pastor)

Study Guide: Happy Are Those Who See

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

OPEN:

The first thing we learn from this beatitude is that Jesus is concerned with what’s on the inside of every person. It is not enough to clean up our act on the outside. This was his running battle with the religious leaders of his day:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.  You blind Pharisee!  First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”               Matthew 23:25-26

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7.

Elsewhere Jesus says that what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart... “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication,
So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified.

Pure hearts are laser focused on God, allowing them to see what he is doing in and around them.

 I.  THE PURE IN HEART ARE SINGLE-MINDED BELIEVERS.

1.  The meaning of purity.

Although we know that Jesus was concerned about inward purity that results in outward purity, the meaning here seems to be somewhat different.

The word Jesus uses here is katharos, a form of a word from which we get catharsis.  The basic meaning is to make pure by removing dirt, filth, and contamination.  The Greek term was often used of metals that had been refined until all impurities were removed, leaving only the pure metal. 

2. The meaning of “heart.”

When we hear the word “heart”, we instantly think of romantic & sensitive emotion (“broke his heart,” “heart-felt,” etc.).  The word “heart” translates the Greek kardia, from which we get cardiac and similar terms.

·        Throughout Scripture, heart is used metaphorically to represent the inner person, the seat of motives and attitudes.  It also includes the thinking process and the will.

Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Jesus asked a group of scribes, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4.

·        So, let’s put these ideas together in order to understand what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart…”

·        Jesus was communicating that the desired way of thinking and willing for the believer is to be single-minded, unobstructed, laser focused on God and what he wants.  It is to choose to recognize him as Lord and ourselves as his servants.  It is wanting what he wants more than anything else.

II. SEEING GOD IS THE GREAT GOAL OF BEING SINGLE-MINDED.

What is it to see God? And… How is being single-minded connected to seeing God?

The traditional interpretation of this is to say that the pure in heart will be those who spend eternity with God.  But there are significant problems with that interpretation.

The Greek is in the future indicative tense and the middle voice, and a more literal translation is, “They shall be continuously seeing God for themselves.”

So, what is it to see God?

I would mention two things:

1)   First, to see God means to be admitted to his presence. After the plague of darkness on Egypt Pharaoh exploded to Moses with these words:

"Get away from me; take heed to yourself; never see my face again; for in the day you see my face you shall die." Moses said, "As you say! I will not see your face again." Exodus 10:28-29

·        So the first thing seeing God means is being admitted to his presence.  Those of us who belong to Christ have been admitted to his presence and we remain in his presence for all eternity.

2)   Second, seeing God means to recognize what God is doing.

·        When you put these ideas together, we see that Jesus is saying that those who make God their priority will be those who see & recognize what God is doing in their lives and in the world around them.

     ·        And the ability to see God at work is an invitation to join him in that work.

John 5:19ff, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

CLOSE:

 

Pure hearts are laser focused on God, allowing them to see what he is doing in and around them.

• What is most important to you?
• What areas of your life remain un-surrendered to Christ?

Study Guide: "Grace-full Living"

Open:

 

Today we encounter another apparent contradiction as we examine the Gospel according to Jesus:

 

[Matthew 5:7]

 

This beatitude follows a different pattern than the others we’ve studied.  Other beatitudes state that the promised result is the opposite of the proposed action:

​Poor>receive kingdom

​Mourn>receive comfort

         Meek>inherit the earth 

           Hunger/thirst>receive complete satisfaction

This statement by Jesus involves a reciprocal action--something done to itself.  Give mercy/receive mercy.

​

As we examine Christ’s statement, we will come to see that at the heart of Christianity is a heart that remembers resulting in a grace filled life.

 

Let me explain . . .

 

I.  Christianity Is Out of This World.

Or, in other words, Christianity was never meant to resemble anything in this world.

 

Christ never made a more radical statement than, “Blessed are the merciful . . .”

 

    1.  The Jews of Jesus’ day were not people of mercy.

John MacArthur: “For the most part, the days in which Jesus lived and taught were not characterized by mercy.  The Jewish religionists themselves were not inclined to show mercy, because mercy is not characteristic of those who are proud, self-righteous, and judgmental.”

 

•

To most of Jesus’ listeners, showing mercy was considered one of the least of virtues, if it was thought to be a virtue at all.

•

Mercy was in the same category as love – you loved those who loved you and showed mercy to those who had shown mercy to you.  That’s why Jesus made the statement in Matthew 5:43, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”

2.

Neither were the Romans people of mercy.

•

A popular Roman philosopher of Jesus’ days called mercy “the disease of the soul.”

•

Mercy was a sign that you did not have what it takes to be a real man, especially a real Roman.

•

The Romans glorified courage, strict justice, firm discipline, and, above all, absolute power.  They looked down on mercy, because mercy to them was weakness, and weakness was despised above all other human limitations.

illus:

During much of Roman history, a father had the right of (patria opitestas) deciding whether or not his newborn child would live or die.  As the infant was held up for him to see, the father would turn his thumb up if he wanted the childto live, down if he wanted it to die.  If his thumb turned down the child was immediately drowned.  At any time and for any reason they could kill and bury a slave, with no fear of arrest.  Husbands could even have their wives put to death on the least provocation.

 

3.

Our world today is still characterized by a lack of mercy.

•

People are quick to judge.

•

People are quick to hate – violence around the world (India/Pakistan).

•

People are quick to want revenge.

 

So, what we’re saying is that being people of mercy stands at opposition with the accepted ways of the world.  If you become a person of mercy, you will be different/stand out.

 

II.  Christianity Is a Verb, Not a Noun.

    1.  The Meaning of Mercy.

•

The word Jesus uses for merciful is the same word used in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) to translate the Hebrew word for God’s character.  The English translation of the word is usually mercy, love, loving-kindness, or steadfast love.

•

The basic meaning is to give help to the afflicted and to rescue the helpless.  It is compassion in action.

2.

Mercy is Love that Does Something.

•

Jesus is not speaking of detached or powerless sentiment that is unwilling or unable to help those who are in need.

•

This is not some passive, silent concern, which, though genuine, is unable or unwilling to give tangible help.

•

Perhaps the best illustration of mercy is the story told by Jesus inLuke 10:30-37.  You probably know it as the story of the Good Samaritan.

[READ Luke 10:30-37]

.

3.

Mercy Has Four Dimensions in This 

1) It sees distress (v. 33)- the Samaritan saw the wounded man/ didn’t turn his face away from the ugly 

2) It responds internally with a heart of compassion (v.33)-feel the 

3) It responds externally with a practical effort to relieve the distress (v.33)-do something about the 

4) It happens even when the person in distress is by religion and/or race an enemy (v.33)-a half-breed Jew with a warped religious tradition stops to help the Jew who hates 

    4. How do we practice mercy?

 

         1) Through physical acts, as did the good Samaritan.

•

As Jesus specifically commands:

    Feed the hungry,

​​Clothe the naked,

​​​Visit the sick,

​​​​Visit the imprisoned,

​​​​​Give any other practical help needed.

In serving others in need, we demonstrate a heart of mercy.

 

2) Through our attitudes.

•

Mercy does not:

   Hold a grudge,

​Harbor resentment,

​​Take advantage of another’s weakness,

​​​Publicize/gossip about another’s sin.

 

Close:

​I want to go back to my earlier statement: At the heart of Christianity is a heart that remembers.  What I’m referring to is God’s cycle of mercy.

•

God is merciful to us by saving us through Christ.

•

We remember God’s infinite goodness to us.  In gratitude, we are merciful to others.  We have been forgiven an unforgivable debt; therefore, we extend that same forgiveness to those who hurt/harm or disappoint us.

•

God in love gives us even more mercy, pouring out blessing for our needs and withholding severe punishment for our sins.

[READ Matthew 18:21-35]

 

If we have received from a holy God unlimited mercy that cancels our unpayable debt of sin—we who had no righteousness but were in a beggarly, helpless condition, wretched and doomed—it surely follows that we should be merciful to others.

 

1) Have you experienced God’s unconditional forgiveness?

2) Have you forgotten God’s mercy?

3) Have you failed to extend mercy to someone else?

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes, Pastor) 

Image from bing.com

 

Study Guide: "Happy are the Passionate"

OPEN:

There is nothing unusual or unnatural about being hungry or thirsty.  In fact, your stomach may be growling right now and you may have already begun to daydream about what you'll have for lunch.  

- Actually, there is nothing extraordinary or startling about the human experience we encounter in the Beatitudes: poverty, mourning, meekness, hunger, thirst, etc.

But, remember that the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount are all about paradox; the Jesus way intentionally contradicts the natural or commonly accepted way of life.  

- "Blessed are the poor in spirit."

- "Blessed are those who mourn."

- "Blessed are the meek."

This is life lived upside-down, life lived in reverse.

Remember also that in reversing ordinary understanding, Jesus does so by applying the common to our spiritual lives:

- Poverty is spiritual brokenness.

- Mourning is deep remorse over our spiritual condition that leads to confession & repentance.

- Meekness is our absolute surrender to God's absolute control.

In the same vein, this hungering and thirsting has a higher spiritual application.

What makes this hunger & thirst unique is its object of desire.  Here, Jesus declares that the deepest desire of every human ought to be for righteousness.

I.  Righteousness Should Be the Object of Our Passionate Desire. 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS." 

Restlessness and longing are universal traits of the human heart.

God created each of us with a God-shaped hole in our hearts and an inconsolable longing for the eternal. We try to fill it with scenic vacations, accomplishments of creativity, stunning cinematic productions, sexual exploits, national sports extravaganzas, hallucinogenic drugs, ascetic rigors, managerial excellence, etc., etc. But the crater remains; the longing continues.

 

Isaiah put it like this in 55:2-3: “Why do you spend your money 

for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? 

Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in abundance.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live.” 

And Jeremiah, like this in 2:12-13: “My people have committed two evils: 

They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

 

This beatitude speaks of strong desire, of driving pursuit, of a passionate force inside the soul.  It has to do with ambition—ambition of the right kind—whose object is to honor, obey, and glorify God by partaking of His righteousness.

    1.  The Meaning of “Righteousness.”

- The word "righteousness" occurs five times in this sermon (5:6,10,20; 6:1,33).

- The basic meaning of ‘righteousness’ derives from the Hebrew sedeq which does not so much refer to the abstract idea of justice or virtue as it does right standing and consequently right behavior.

- To have ‘righteousness’ in Jesus’ day meant to be in a covenant relationship with God and to behave accordingly.

     2.  Applying the Meaning of Righteousness to Today.

The goal of hungering and thirsting for righteousness is two-fold:

1) Passionately desiring salvation.

2) Passionately desiring sanctification.

- In other words, right behavior as a result of our right standing with God.

Phil. 1:9,10: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.”

II.  The Result of Passionate Desire for God is Satisfaction.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

     1.  Jesus Describes Complete Satisfaction.

- Jesus’ pronouncement is that those passionately desire God will be given total satisfaction.  Our part is to seek; God’s part is to satisfy completely.

- Herein lies a marvelous paradox – we are to continually seek after God, desire Him, never get enough of Him; yet, we will be satisfied in the midst of this continuing hunger and thirst.

III.  There Are Several Marks of Passionate Desire for God.

     1.  Dissatisfaction—Dissatisfaction with Self.

     2.  Freedom--Freedom from dependence on external things for satisfaction.

     3. Craving--Craving for the Word of God.

     4.  Unconditionality- When our spiritual hunger and thirst are genuine they will make no conditions. 

CLOSE:

What/who is the object of your desire?

What/who are you most passionate about?

The only passion that finds total satisfaction is the passionate pursuit of a love relationship with the Father.

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes, Pastor)