Blessed Are the Meek (Matt. 5:5)

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Outline: Matthew 5:5

1.    The meaning of meekness

2.    The promise attached to meekness

Summary: In every Beatitude, Jesus is inviting us to experience deep joy in the Father by describing the character qualities that attract the Father's blessing and favor.  Thus far Jesus has taught us that God lavishes blessing on those who recognize their need for Him ("Blessed are the poor in spirit") and on those who grieve over what grieves Him ("Blessed are those who mourn").  Now, with the third Beatitude ("Blessed are the meek"), we progress in level of difficulty, for now we are to not only grieve over what grieves God but also respond in a God-honoring way to those who grieve us.  To be meek is to respond in a godly way to those who mistreat us.  The meek person will respond to mistreatment in a self-controlled and gentle manner, returning good for evil, because he is trusting in God to make things right in His time and in His way and because he knows that he has a glorious inheritance awaiting him.  

Discussion Questions:

• Review: Define "blessed." Beatitudes are invitations, invitations to what?
• What is the meaning of meekness? 
• How does meekness relate to the first two Beatitudes?
• How is meekness described in other places in the NT (Matt. 11:29; 21:5; 1 Pet. 3:4 )?
• Why is Psalm 37 significant in understanding what Jesus meant by "meek"?
• What do we learn about meekness from Psalm 37?
• What does this promise mean: "they shall inherit the earth"? 
• How does the promise of inheriting the earth help us respond rightly to being mistreated?
• How should the meekness shown by Jesus in his life and death shape our responses to others? 

Application Questions:

• How do you tend to respond to those who mistreat you?
• How would God have you respond to those who mistreat you?
• If you are being mistreated, what would it look like if your response was controlled not by your emotions but by trust in God and a willingness to wait upon God?
• What would it look like to respond to God with meekness in troubling circumstances in your life?

Prayer points:

• Confess your ungodly responses to people who have mistreated you.  
• Praise Jesus for His meekness—that He did not return evil for your evil.
• Thank God for putting the very Spirit of the Meek One inside you to help you become meek.
• Ask God to help you depend on the Spirit and respond to mistreatment in a God-honoring way.

A Song To Help Your Mourning Be Your Worship

"Sovereign Over Us" by Aaron Keyes

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3)

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Outline: Matthew 5:3

1. What does Jesus mean by "poor in spirit"?
2. Why does being "poor in spirit" bring true happiness?

Summary: The Beatitudes are invitations to experience more of God's blessing, joy, and favor in our lives (Matt. 5:3-12).  Each Beatitude is a pointed description of Christian character, that is, what every Christian's character should be like.  And these character qualities attract the blessing of God and, as we shall see, also enhance our witness in the world (Matt. 5:13-16).  The first Beatitude ("Blessed are the poor in spirit") is intentionally placed first, for it is the key that opens all of the other doors of God's blessing.  What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"?  Jesus points at material poverty as a picture of spiritual poverty.  Generally speaking, the materially poor recognize their neediness, their weakness, their helplessness, the insufficiency of their resources and their need to rely on others to support them.  Similarly, the child of God who attracts their heavenly Father's blessing is one who recognizes their neediness and continually and habitually relies on God.  Such a person gets to taste kingdom joy in this life and will most certainly enjoy the fullness of that joy in the age to come.   

Discussion Questions:

• What is the meaning of the term "blessed"?
• In what sense should we look at the Beatitudes as invitations? Invitations to what?
• Discuss this idea: "Each Beatitude describes what every Christian's character should be like."
• What is the meaning of "poor in spirit"? [Hint: it may be helpful to recall two analogies from the sermon (the poor beggar and the newborn infant)].    
• Why do you think Jesus places this beatitude first? [Hint: try to recall the water sack analogy]
• What is the significance of Jesus emphasizing the present reality of the kingdom when he says blessed are...theirs is the kingdom of heaven? 

Application Questions:

• Do you lack real joy in life? What ways do you see self-confidence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency present in your life? Ponder how self-reliance is a joy-killer in your life.
• What doors of blessing, joy, and favor would be opened to you if you were to regularly recognize your neediness and consciously rely on God?
• Why do you think being "poor in spirit" attracts the heart of God?

Prayer points:

• Confess your self-reliance to God and the pride that acts like you don't need Him. 
• Thank Jesus for becoming a man, for perfectly relying on His Father, and for dying on the cross to erase the sins of arrogant and self-reliant people like us.  
• Acknowledge how much you truly need Him.
• Pray that God would help you regularly see your utter need for him.
• Pray that God would help you regularly turn away from self and to look to him for help.

Discipleship 101: Take the Low Seat! (Luke 14:1-11)

 Outline: Luke 14:1-11

1. Jesus exposes pride (14:1-9)
2. Jesus encourages humility (14:10-11)

Summary: While dining at a house full of Pharisees on the Sabbath day, Jesus was being carefully watched to see if he would heal a man suffering from dropsy.  Knowing what the Pharisees were watching for, Jesus asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Jesus’ question served to expose the hearts of the Pharisees, for under their silence was pride in all of its hypocritical and self-centered ugliness.  Next we learn that Jesus “noticed how the Pharisees chose the places of honor” (v.7).  Seeing this, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wedding Feast in order to further expose pride and encourage humility.  Followers of Jesus Christ must learn to pass up the high seat and make a beeline for the low seat, for humility is the sure route to honor. 

      Discussion Questions:

• Why were the Pharisees watching Jesus so Intensely in v.1? Was Jesus actually breaking God’s law?  How do Jesus’ questions (vv.3, 5) and the Pharisees silence (vv.4, 6) actually expose pride and hypocrisy and self-centeredness of their hearts? What is it that Jesus notices about the Pharisees in v.7 that would prompt him to tell the Parable of the Wedding Feast in vv.8-11?
•  Jesus says, “Do not sit down in a place of honor.”  In other words, don’t take the high seat!  Is Jesus forbidding the pursuit of honor in v.8?  What point is he making?
• Jesus also says, “go and sit in the lowest place (v.10).” In other words, take the low seat!  What is the relationship between the low seat and being honored in v.10?
• Interact with these statements: “Honor is not to be given not taken…It is God’s prerogative to bestow honor.  It is our prerogative to pursue humility…”
• How did Jesus make it possible for us to love the low seat?
• What are other examples of ways God would have us choose the “low seat”?

Application Questions:

• Studying the responses and actions of the Pharisees helps us to see something of the ugliness of pride.  Just as Jesus sought to expose the pride of the Pharisees, he also seeks to expose the pride in his followers.  Is there any area of pride in your life that you sense Jesus exposing?  What is it?  What ways have you tried to cover it in order to appear better than you are?      
• Jesus exposes us in order to clothe us.  How does being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ motivate and inspire you to pass by the high seat and make a beeline to the low seat? 
• What would it look like practically to take the low seat in your relationships?  With Jesus?  With those at home?  Church?  Work?  Etc?
• How will a focus on humility serve as the key to unlock many areas of spiritual growth in your life?

Prayer Points:

• Ask God to, by His Spirit, expose and convict your heart of any pride in your life.
• Confess to God any pride in your life and any way you’ve sought to cover that pride, that is, any way that you’ve been content with looking righteous instead of being righteous. 
• Thank God for how he mercifully exposes pride for your good.
• Thank God for how he has clothed you with the righteousness of his Son so that you don’t have to try and find significance and security in the rags of your own “righteousness.” 
• Praise God for sending His Son to be born humbly, to live humbly, and to die humbly in order to put the very Spirit of humility within you.  Praise God for giving you a new instinct and desire to make a beeline to the low seat!
• Pray that God would help you to make a conscience effort in your daily life to pass by the high seat and to occupy the low seat.