Jesus' Kingdom Message Isaiah 6:1-4/Matthew 5:1-6
“SO BE-ATTITUDE!”
Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and did all kinds of amazing things to demonstrate it, but it was mostly wha Jesus said that drew people in. No doubt his most famous message is that of the sermon on the mount in which he challenged his followers with what Billy Graham has described as the eight beautiful attitudes of the gospels - the Be-attitudes.
Here Jesus emphasizes that in God's eyes, its all about atttitude! In other words, what matters most in life is not what we have or what we do, but who we are! Here in these be-attitudes Jesus is teaching us how to work out what God has worked in...through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Paul put it, we can have the mind of Christ! It's all about be-attitude!
But that's a bit of a loaded term, isn't it, 'attitude'? When I was growing up that word had a completely different connotation than it does now. I remember a friend's mom yelling at him, “You better watch your attitude, young man!” Of course, my mom never had to tell me that...!
It used to be if someone told you you had an attitude that was a bad thing. Nowadays, it seems to be in vogue to have an attitude! One commercial promotes its product with the slogan, 'Do it with attitude!' TV's action drama, Fastlane, was promoted as being “an orgy of attitude and style.” Such attitude seems a bit removed from what Jesus was emphasizing, though, doesn't it?
I lift to your attention the story of Rick and Ralph, two brothers who were styling...! Someone described these guys as being “an orgy of attitude and prestige”! They sure had it all - a lucrative computer business, several Porches, huge estates, large extended families. It was awesome!
Then one day Ralph collapsed and died. Afterwards, Rick, was handling the arrangements and at one point handed the pastor a five-figure check, and told the pastor, “Just one condition.”
“Oh? What's that?” the pastor asked.
“At the funeral you must say that my brother was a saint.” The pastor agreed, gave him his word and at the earliest convenience...deposited the check! Later, at the funeral, the pastor let 'er rip: “Ralph was a self-centered, arrogant and evil man. He bullied his employees, cheated his customers and was unfaithful to his wife... But compared to his brother, he was a saint!”
It's easy to compare ourselves to others and tell ourselves, compared to him I'm a saint, but such comparisons lead to a false sense of superiority or at the least, security. Ultimately, the only yard-stick that matters is the one that God uses to size us up. Brings to mind a moment from Mary Poppins, when she pulls out a ruler an sizes up each of the two kids...., but hers reads: truly perfect in every way!
God doesn't size us up in comparison with one another and neither should we. Instead, God gave us His son by which to measure ourselves – the only person to be truly perfect in every way...! By comparing our attitude with his we realize how far short we fall in relation to God's standards...
Consider the be-attitudes. Jesus begins: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” or in the NLT, “God blesses those who realize their need for Him...” (Matthew 5:3) Jesus taught about such an attitude when he taught on prayer celebrating not the religious man's prayers, full of self-praise and spirit of entitlement, but that of the man who prayed in desperation, “Lord, have mercy on me, a helpless sinner.” (Luke 18:13) It's the attitude of a guest...who knows he's a guest...!
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One of my favorite praise songs is one that gives expression to this beautiful attitude. “This is the air I breathe... Your holy presence living in me. And I'm desperate for you. I'm lost without you”
The 2nd beautiful attitude reflects this: “Blessed are those who mourn...” (Matthew 5:4) It has been suggested that Jesus is not simply saying those who are grieving are blessed but also those who grieve because of the rejection of the gospel, be that of those around them, or of their own rejection as expressed in moments of defiance and self-indulgence. Such an attitude is one whose humility comes thru the pain of personal conviction... They grieve because they are brokenhearted. Their hearts come to break over that which breaks their father's heart – defiance and distance...!
Jesus also says, “Blessed are the meek”, or, “God blesses those who are gentle and lowly.” (Matthew 5:5)This is often misunderstood with being timid. David was seen as meek, for his love of song & verse, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:1) - but David also killed lions with his bare hands! Meek is not the same as being weak...
No, what Jesus is saying is that those who are truly humble, who are unassuming in nature, and who are as honest with themselves as they are with those around them, are in rhythm with the heartbeat of God. Paul identifies this attitude among the fruit of the Spirit as that of gentleness.
Jesus also says that “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...” (Matthew 5:6). These are those who hunger to know and experience the presence of God and to see God at work around them, bringing to life the kingdom of God through transformed lives! They're starving for that! These are the leaders and motivators, those with a vision for doing right by God!
In these...Be-attitudes, Jesus answers the question: What sort of people should we be? In the first four be-attitudes Jesus emphasizes what a truly Christian attitude towards God looks like and in the latter four, what a Christlike attitude towards one another looks like such as in his declaring that those being blessed are those who show mercy, are pure in heart and/or work for peace...
Like the fruit of the Spirit Paul describes in Galatians 5, the Be-attitudes are in fact a character description of Jesus himself! Jesus is saying, in effect, if you want to follow me, if you want to be a part of what I'm doing in this world and beyond then you need to develop an attitude like mine...!
So how does that work exactlly? How does a person as prone to having a bad attitude as myself acquire such a God-like-attitude? Can a bad apple, bad worms and all, actually become the apple of his Father's eye? Apparently, Jesus thinks so! And by His Spirit...all things are possible!
As Paul's fruit metaphor suggests, such things are intended to grow within us...over time. But such things don't just happen, growth occurs because, a), it is either being pursued, or (b), because it is being bestowed or granted. We pursue it by consciously becoming a student or disciple of Jesus' teachings and actions. We learn from others. We're no longer in it for what we can get out of it but actually look for ways to contribute to Christian community. We spend time in the Word – alone and with others. We spend time in prayer... If you want to grow – plant yourself near the source!
In the words of Jesus: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) As said the psalmist:
“Blessed is the man who...delights in the law of the Lord and on his word meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season...” (Psalm 1:1-3)
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Jesus' Be-attitudes reveal, if nothing else, that from God's perspective we're all in need of a real attitude adjustment, because I know of noone that lives out, 24/7, these attitudes Jesus details here... save Jesus himself. But apparently, part of the purpose of Jesus giving us his Spirit was to grow these Be-attitudes within us as we persistently pursue Christ and all his promises!
As mentioned, such growth occurs 1) because we pursue it or 2) because someone betstows it to us. That someone is obviously God and he bestows it as evidence of his redemptive work in the midst of life's most difficult struggles. As Paul put it, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
So integral to this plan to craft out of our pain the means for us to grow into the likeness of Christ himself that Scripture gives witness to it again and again. Here's just a couple...:
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
“We rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character, hope, and hope does not disappoint us because the love of Christ has been poured into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:3-5)
God wants to craft your Christ-like character, and he's not opposed to using the darkest days of your life to mold that character – one that more and more resembles the you God made you to be! But for that to happen there has to be a kind of reckoning – an awakening to the reality that God isn't finished with you yet – that there's a real need there for an attitude adjustment...
During my travels I read the story of Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, Louis had been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent – brawling and breaking into houses. Later he channeled his defiance into running, a talent that carried him to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. From there he enlisted in the air force and was later captured by the Japanese and shuttled from POW camp to another. He wound up being tormented and tortured by a malignant officer named the Bird to the point that Louis swore revenge.
Later, after the war, like so many other POW's Louis struggled from hallucinations, terrible nightmares and increasing alcoholism. His only meaning in life was an oath he'd made to avenge him-self. But before he could dig up the dough to go his wife convinced him to attend a Billy Graham event
That night, he heard clearly that his tormenter wasn't his problem; his attitude was the problem. Convicted Louis gave his heart and life to Christ. The change in Louis was dramatic. He stopped drinking. He developed in its place a real thirst for God's Word. He kept promises, including an old bunker prayer in which he promised God to use his life in service to God and others. He organized and help run the nonprofit Victory Boys Camp – a camp for lost boys noone else would take.
In the end, Louis did make a return trip to Japan, but instead of seeking revenge he extended the hug of forgiveness to his former tormenters, a couple of whom came to faith as a result of Louis... Pain and resentment lost its hold and Louis would become famous in his latter years for his be-attitude!
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God wants to craft your Christ-like character, and he's not opposed to using the darkest days of your life to mold that character – one that more and more resembles the you God made you to be! But for that to happen there has to be a kind of reckoning – an awakening to the reality that God isn't finished with you yet – that there's a real need for an attitude adjustment, for a more...be-attitude!