What Does It Mean To Be Blessed

For the next few weeks I will like for us study and apply Matthew Chapter five. The focus is how to live a blessed or successful life and also be a blessing to those around us. Please make sure to comment on this one point message and tell us how the Holy Spirit is helping you apply this to your life.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED

Blessed: May mean; happy, but more importantly inner joy

To be blessed is to receive God’s approval on our life; an approval that comes not because we deserve it or because we are perfect, but because he loves us and is gracious to us.

The approval of God provides a deep abiding satisfaction and joy in our life. This joy does not depend on outward circumstances, it is always with us-in sorrow, loss, pain, youth, old age, and nothing can drive this joy away. Everything is powerless to touch it.

MATTHEW 5:1-12

Outlines 8 PRINCIPLES for believers to know and do if they are to be blessed. More so, the beatitudes are not primarily promises for an individual but a description of him or her.

Let’s take time to read Matthew 5: 3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

1. Principle one: TO BE BLESSED WE NEED TO BE DEPENDENT ON GOD (POOR IN SPIRIT)

   1. Poor in Spirit is the Opposite of proud in spirit. Those who have recognized their poverty in spiritual things and have allowed Christ to meet their needs have become blessed of the Lord. Amen.

   2. Poor in Spirit means acknowledging God's ownership of everything and that we are responsible to be good stewards of those things with which we have been blessed. Our attitude should be one of faithful servants and not one of pride, envy, lust, and gluttony. We are called to use what we have and are given to provide for ourselves and serve God's people.

   3. Why those who are thus poor in spirit are blessed.

      1. 1. Because the kingdom of God is within them. The text says, "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven." They have already the first elements of the kingdom of God within them.

      2. 2. Because flesh and blood has never revealed this to them. Before, they might have had it as mere theory after the flesh, but if they have come to feel and realize their state in its dreadful aggravations, flesh and blood have not revealed it unto them, but God has uncovered with his own hand the deep vileness of their souls and undertaken their cure. (Prof. Finney) http://www.gospeltruth.net/1844OE/441204_poor_in_spirit.htm

4. AMERICA does not know what poverty is, compared to other third world nations. Because we can always appeal to the government for help. In real poverty a man has nowhere to turn for help. There is no work, no unemployment benefit, his children, family and friends go hungry. They grow cold in the winter and hot in the summer. They go naked because they have no clothes.

5. Jesus is telling us to see ourselves spiritually poor if we are to be blessed.

   1. Luke 6: 20 (Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God)

6. Paul says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, least any one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) we must therefore depend on God for every aspect of our lives.

7. Let me ask you an honest question? If you should leave your parent’s home, do you expect them to pay all your rent, utilities, insurance, food and clothing, and all your other bills, absolutely not, so it is with our spiritual father. That is why we need to cast aside all self-dependence and cinched to God our father to receive all his blessings and promises.

8. Casting aside all self-dependence

   1. It is time to cast aside all self-dependence, pride, false self - confidence, stubbornness and anything that prevents us from seeking the one true God.

9. His blessings follow when we cast aside self or family dependence and rely on him. Paul asserted in Philippians 4:19 and 20 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.

Conclusion

So what is the blessedness of being poor in spirit?

1. It is the realization that we cannot do it by ourselves, what we are is because of him and what we will become is by his grace. It is the Spirit of God that is working through us that makes us what we need to be. It is our spirit recognizing that it’s all about God.

2. Christ is saying to you and I today: The poor in spirit will obtain an inheritance according to the riches of God. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven and its present reality.