Sermon on the Mount Chapter Four

This is the chapter that begins the deep dive into each of the Beatitudes, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is finished setting the stage and he is ready to expound upon the sermon point by point.

Before I share what I have learned, I want to say that part of me wants to guard this journey and keep it close, to treasure it in my heart, and not share it yet.  Sort of that brooding feeling you get when you are first home from the hospital with your newborn or how protective you are of new seedlings when they are first sewn into your garden soil.  But the other part wants to record this as it unfolds, because I don't want to forget a moment of it.  I guess my biggest fear in sharing it as it unfolds is that I will cheapen it, make it less than what it is.  

OK - so I cannot recommend Kari's companion workbook enough - it is SUCH a great addition to The Sermon on the Mount by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  It is sometimes overwhelming to read the works of great men and women of God, or to hear a great sermon, and then subsequently walk away and have no idea how to practically apply it to your daily life.  This workbook and short weekly video prevent that from happening.  

This poor in spirit - do I truly grasp what that means?  I didn't, but I am beginning to.  Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones defines this as an utter destitution - a complete lacking of resources down to my very soul.   

One quote spoke so convictingly (this is technically not a word, but I cannot think of how else to say it) to my heart, "The man who is truly 'poor in spirit' need not worry so much about his personal appearance and the impression he makes..." found on page 38.  I don't know why, but this is a constant struggle with me - the overanxious worry of what others think of me.  That is the very opposite of poor in spirit. 

I realized as I completed this week's lesson, watched the video, and gathered my thoughts - the emptying is what I never pursued, understood, or submitted to.  I realized that it is like the mornings that I forget my cup of coffee and discover the mug after it is too late to be able to rescue it with a quick pop into the microwave.  No this cup that I am thinking of, the only thing left to do it to pour it down the drain, rinse the mug really well, and start over with a brand new cup of coffee.  There is NO way I would ever think it was ok to just pour fresh coffee on top of the yucky cold coffee.  WHY in the world would I think Jesus could just take me - full of myself and have me walk this out in my own self?!?  No, there is nothing to do but to completely empty me of the yucky contaminated fleshly worldly me and fill me back up with the fresh and pure directly from Him.  And this isn't a one time emptying and one time filling any more than I can eat enough or drink enough today to last me for the rest of my life.  No, I daily need a refilling of food and water to stay alive, how much more does my spirit need a constant refilling to stay alive?