The Sermon on the Plain 03/26/2023

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Yes Lord's day that we've been addressing this gospel

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Has mentioned we're picking up Leo finally tomorrow morning at Gardner Correctional Institute at 9 a .m.

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Lord willing and Apparently he has to go immediately to the parole office and down in Boston it's a

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Dorchester I believe I'm gonna go with it. I'm gonna take him and then I'm gonna go in and hopefully make an appeal to give them that he would

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Be given a weekend pass. He's required to be at a halfway house in Chelsea for the next four months but hopefully we can get him a weekend pass where he can be with us and so probably tomorrow about 10 30 or so 11 o 'clock if you might remember to pray that they would be favorable towards Well Before us here in Luke chapter 6 we read of a sermon given to our by our

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Lord to a very large crowd And quite some time of course had passed since our

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Lord had begun his public ministry And so it was now quite apparent that all would not receive him or his or his message in spite of all of his gracious teaching and his

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Many works of miracles to heal and deliver people of their infirmities the mercy and grace of Jesus showed to the people only increased the envy and jealousy of the

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Jewish leadership toward him It was clear that the Jewish leadership would resort to extreme measures to discredit him

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Or silence him altogether and it was in this increasingly hostile environment that our

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Lord was gathering committed disciples to follow him and he had many following him at this time and So from among as many disciples he appointed 12 apostles and we gave attention to that last time

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When we were here These would be the new leaders of the people of God who would lead them and minister to them in righteousness

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Jesus Abandoned the old wine skins of the intolerant Jewish leadership and was forming new wine skins

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That would bear his new wine to dispense to his people Now it's clear.

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The Lord was establishing a new order With new leaders the existing order would not receive him or his teachings

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Nor was it capable of doing so? And so after having spent all night in prayer our

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Lord called his 12 apostles from among his disciples Again, he was fashioning new wine skins to contain the new wine of the kingdom of God He would have to do self or we'll see how different his teaching was

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From that which was believed of the religious people of the time This Transition and replacement of false shepherds with good shepherds over God's flock his people

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May be understood as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy as recorded in Jeremiah 23

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And that's what we have in that block quote in your notes woe to the shepherds these would have been the the political leaders in Ancient Israel in Jeremiah's day 6th century

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BC Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture says the

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Lord Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed my people you have scattered my flock

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Driven them away and not attended to them Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings says the

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Lord But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven them prophecy of their

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Jewish return from the Babylonian exile and bring them back to their foals and they shall be fruitful and increase and I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed nor Shall they be lacking says the

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Lord We're watching or reading of the fulfillment of that here in Luke chapter 6 we read before us that Jesus and his apostles came down the mountain stood before a great crowd of people and Jesus began to teach them.

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And so here we have the account in Luke 6 17 and following and He Jesus came down with them stood on a level place with a crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all

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Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon who came to hear him and be healed of their diseases as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits and they were healed and The whole multitude sought to touch him for power went out from him and healed them all

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And then he lifted up his eyes toward his disciples and said

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Blessed are you poor? For yours is the kingdom of God Blessed are you who hunger now?

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For you shall be filled Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh?

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Blessed are you when men hate you and when they revile you or exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil

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For the Son of Man's sake for his sake Rejoice in that day and leap for joy

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For indeed your reward is great in heaven for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets

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But woe to you Who are rich? For you have received your consolation

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Woe to you who are full for you shall hunger Woe to you who left now for you shall mourn and weep

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Woe to you when all men speak well of you so did their fathers to the false prophets

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Jesus came down from the mountain to teach the people and The people had come from far and wide to hear

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Jesus preach and teach the Word of God That's always listed first teaching and then healing with his miracles

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They came to him a great multitude of people from all Judea Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre in sight

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Matthew Henry Drew a practical application from these words Those who have not good preaching near them had better travel far for it for it and be without it

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It's worthwhile to go a great way to hear the Word of Christ And to go out of the way of other business for it

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Amen Some expositors of this gospel see Jesus portrayed here in Luke 6 as parallel to Moses coming down from Mount Sinai after communing with God Who came down to the gathered people in order to impart

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God's law to them the Mosaic law? Here therefore it's asserted that Jesus as a prophet like unto

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Moses Was imparting a new law by which citizens of the kingdom of God are to live

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There may be some merit to this idea. Although this may be more clearly pronounced in Matthew's record of the

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Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5 through 7 there is some evidence of emphasis in Luke's gospel of His sequel in the book of Acts that Jesus was superseding

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Moses This is later suggested in the account of our Lord's transfiguration on the mountain

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When Moses and Elijah appeared with him when he was glorified, here's

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Luke 9 Now it came to pass about eight days after these sayings that he Jesus took

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Peter John and James Went up on the mountain to pray and as he prayed the appearance of his face was altered his robe became white and glistening and Behold two men talked with him who were

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Moses and Elijah Who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease?

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Literally his exodus from this world. Well, she was about to accomplish at Jerusalem but Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep and When they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him

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And then it happened as they were parting from him that Peter said to Jesus Master it's good for us to be here.

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Let us make three tabernacles one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah Not knowing what he said and While he was saying this a cloud came overshadowed them.

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This was the she kind of glory of God They were fearful as they entered the cloud and a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son hear him and When the voice had ceased

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Jesus was found alone Moses and Elijah, of course were representatives of the law and the prophets both testifying of Jesus Peter desired that these two old covenant men remain along with Jesus, but their departure left the disciples seeing

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Jesus only Who was found alone? Who is affirmed by the father is having his authority to teach them hear him

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This episode therefore shows that the disciples were to look to Jesus in him only to whom the law and prophets foretold

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And this was affirmed by the voice of the father which commanded this is my beloved son

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As great as Moses and Elijah were this is my beloved son hear him Jesus was coming supplanting

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Moses And so the super session of Jesus over Moses is also emphasized later in Acts chapter 3

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In which a prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 8 8 is quoted Peter declared to the gathered crowd

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Moses said the Lord shall raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brethren

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To him you shall give heed in everything. He says to you and It shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people

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Only a remnant was saved those who embraced Jesus as the Messiah and As their

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Lord all others were destroyed from among Israel The remnant of Israel those who became disciples of Jesus remain

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Now this entire sermon on the plane as it's described in Luke 6 Contained is contained in Luke 6 25 through 49.

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We didn't read it all Which Luke sets forth is taking place on a level place in other words a plane

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The passage that we read and will address today is about the first portion of this sermon verses 20 through 26

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It can be clearly seen that much of what is here is also contained in the Lord's Sermon on the Mount That is recorded in Matthew 5 through 7

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And although our Lord must have often repeated the same or similar teaching on different occasions most commentators most expositors of the gospel view this sermon on the plane to be

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Luke's abbreviation of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel one sermon same sermon told by each writer

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So here are the words of a good commentator Norval Gelden eyes When he introduced this section of Luke's gospel if we assume with the majority of the expositors that verses 17 through 49 reproduces the same sermon although greatly abbreviated as Matthew 5 6 & 7 the events were probably as follows then he went ahead and and gave his exposition of that passage

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William Hendrickson a very sound reformed commentator agreed that both accounts in Matthew and Luke are records of the same sermon

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He wrote Are we correct in regarding what is reported in Luke 6 as Luke's report of the same sermon?

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recorded by Matthew in chapters 5 through 7 But according to the third gospel, this sermon was preached on a level place.

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He's proposing an objection Whereas according to Matthew 5 it was proclaimed from a mountain

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But then he attempts to explain why this is not a problem However, this is surely no discrepancy the problem if it can be even considered such

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Disappears when we grant that the level place may well have been part of that mountain like a plateau

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It was the elevation beyond which Jesus did not now descend. He remained standing or stopped here

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Matthew Henry Noted Puritan commentator agreed with this understanding

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They were one in the same sermon told differently by the writers moved by the

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Holy Spirit Here begins a practical discourse of Christ, which is continued to the end of the chapter

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Most of which is found in the Sermon upon the Mount Matthew 5 through 7 some think that this was preached at other time in place two different sermons and There are other instances of Christ preaching the same things or do or to the same

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Purport or purpose at different times, but it's probable that this is only the evangelist a bridge meant of that sermon

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Luke abbreviated Matthew's Sermon on the Mount Perhaps it in Matthew 2 is but an abridgment the beginning and the conclusion are much the same and the story of the cure

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Centurion servant follows presently upon it both here and there but it is not material.

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In other words, it's not a big issue But that last argument the cure of the centurion servant following each one.

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That's that's probably the strongest argument for this position However, JC Ryle differed from this understanding asserting that it was two different sermons

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That Jesus gave on different occasions, so he wrote The discus discourse of our

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Lord, which we have now begun resembles in many respects is well -known Sermon on the

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Mount The resemblance in fact is so striking that many have concluded that st

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Luke and st. Matthew are reporting one of the same discourse and That st.

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Luke is giving us in an abridged form what st. Matthew reports at length There seems to no sufficient ground for this conclusion

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In other words, he sought it two different sermons The occasions on which the two discourses were delivered were entirely different Our Lord's repetition of the same great lesson in almost the same words on two different occasions is nothing extraordinary

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It is unreasonable to suppose that none of his teachings were ever delivered more than once in The present case the repetition is very significant

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It shows us the great and deep importance of the lessons which the two discourses contained

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That's a minority position but it so happens the editors of the Reformation Study Bible, which we highly regard agree with Ryle and so the footnote

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For verses 20 through 49 reads this way. There are many similarities to the Sermon on the

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Mount Matthew 5 through 7 and some see this as a variant account of the same sermon

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But this sermon is much shorter and Luke has parallels to other parts of Matthew 5 through 7 elsewhere

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It is more likely that Jesus used similar material on a number of occasions a practice common among preachers ancient and modern

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So I'll let you choose you notice I did not put my opinion down because I don't necessarily have opinion

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It seems like they all they both both sides make make good arguments But we take the text as it lies as God has given it to us

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As we look over the entire sermon in Luke verses 20 through 49 we can discern three major sections

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First we read of the perspectives of citizens of the kingdom of God Verses 20 through 26 here our

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Lord set forth the distinction between those who are kingdom citizens and those who are not And in so doing

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Jesus clarified how his disciples should view themselves and their relationship to the world about them

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The second section of the sermon we read of principles of kingdom living

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What is it to love God and to love your enemies? We'll address this next week

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Lord willing So Jesus gives different directives gives directives or commands on how kingdom citizens are to live in this fallen world

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Very practical And then a third section of this sermon our Lord provided proofs of kingdom citizenry

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Verses 39 through 49 and so there you have today's next week's and the following week's subjects more than likely

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And so here Jesus challenged his gathered disciples about the importance of obeying his teachings

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Jesus presumed that among his many followers were mere professors that is nominal disciples

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Disciples in name only but were not true disciples who disregarded Obedience to his teaching

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And so today we'll consider the first of these three sections of this sermon on the plane as it's commonly known

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And so perspectives of kingdom citizens verses 20 through 26 in these verses we read four statements of blessing and Four statements of cursing preceded with the word woe a prophetic declaration of God's judgment impending judgment

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Jesus's blessing statements speak of true disciples who may be assured of God's favor of them and recipients of his salvation

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They're blessed Jesus's woes speak of God's curse and wrath upon those who are without God's salvation

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But who are under God's curse and are objects of his wrath woe to you

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The manner that Jesus declared both blessings and curses reveals his authority as speaking forth

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God's words as the contemporary Commentator Daryl Bott wrote

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Jesus's authority was not limited to his healing activity He also taught with authority

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Nothing indicates that that more than the blessing and woe section of the sermon on the plane

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He recalls He he recalls the Old Testament prophets. Jesus thunders the truth with promises of blessing and judgment

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The four blessings are followed by four parallel woes this balance reflects the theme of reversal

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That Luke has presented elsewhere God Does not always see things as we do.

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He looks at the heart not at externals He gives promises for those who enter into grace humbly while warning of judgment for those who remain callous and so there were those among Jesus's listeners who could

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Legitimately regard themselves as blessed in other words the objects of God's favor

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They are described in verses 20 through 23 and Then there were those among Jesus's listeners

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Probably many who professed to be disciples Who should recognize they were actually the objects of God's disfavor?

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Even as wrath they're described in verses 24 through 26 in These words

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Jesus gave forth a challenge to the common popular thinking of the people It was really the reversal of what they assumed to be true

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When considering the contrast between what Jesus was pronouncing to be a blessed person and the one who is a cursed person

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We begin to recognize the revolutionary things that Jesus was teaching these people

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His teaching was new and novel to these people His words were contrary to conventional thinking of that day

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By his contrasting these two groups of people the blessed of God and the cursed of God Jesus was upsetting even reversing the current way in which people viewed themselves and viewed

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God in his relationship with his people They thought one way

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Jesus was teaching the opposite The people thought the rich were the blessed of God and the poor were cursed of God.

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Jesus said the opposite was true The people thought those who are full of food without need were the blessed of God the hungry were cursed

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Jesus said the opposite was true The people thought those who were happy and content were the blessed of God But the sad and oppressed were cursed

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Jesus said the opposite was true The people thought those who were regarded with esteem by everybody were the blessed of God Those who were hated by men were cursed of God Jesus said the opposite was true.

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He was turning everything on its head It must have unsettled them all And so the

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Lord was essentially overturning the common and accepted notion of how people viewed

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God and his attitude toward mankind Jesus has challenged them to embrace a new way of understanding things

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As kingdom citizens, they would have to adjust their perspective regarding many things

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He was attempting to transform them by the renewing of their mind we might say respecting many things and So in a preaching in this manner our

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Lord generated hope for his followers You can imagine that but further Jesus emphasized to them their uniqueness their separateness from all that existed in the world

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He was thereby binding his followers together as a people who had something in common

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Binding them to him alone who alone could grant interest for them into the kingdom of God And at the same time he was making known to those who refused to embrace him and Order their thinking and living by his words that they were under the wrath of God And so what the old prophet

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Simeon Had pronounced of the infant Jesus in the temple was now coming to pass Simeon had said behold this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel And this was taking place

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Now as we consider our Lord's words, we'll do so in two ways First we'll consider the challenge to their thinking

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But then by application we'll consider the challenge to our own thinking And so a challenge to their thinking

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Specifically then how are his disciples to change their way of thinking? Well first they were to change their minds regarding the rich and the poor

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We read of our Lord's pronouncement of blessing blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God The Holy Spirit had

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Matthew record of course blessed are the poor in spirit Not here blessed of the poor for yours is the kingdom of God The conventional way of thinking was that the rich were the ones who were blessed of God Of course

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Jesus later said that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to Enter the kingdom of God who then can be saved

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They assumed if rich rich people had the the best opportunity and ability to enter the kingdom of God Their physical blessings were proof of God's blessing in their in their in their minds

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After all, it's God who gives the power to accumulate wealth doesn't that isn't that what the law of God declares under Moses?

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Deuteronomy 8 you shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth

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That he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers as it is this day Therefore those who have all of their needs satisfied must indeed be blessed of God.

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That's what they thought But our Lord declared the opposite of what was commonly believed blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God and Then later in the section after our

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Lord's pronouncements of four blessings. He declared the truth Negatively in pronouncing woe, but woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation your comfort

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The only the only enjoyment you're going to have is in this life as rich people

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So again, our Lord pronounced the opposite to conventional thinking The only comfort that those who are rich will enjoy is what they're experiencing now in this life

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Where the people assume the rich were favored of God. They were actually objects of God's wrath that will one day come upon them

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Jesus must have been unsettling everybody that was listening to him And secondly, they were to change their thinking regarding the hungry and the full

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The Lord Jesus pronounced the blessing in verse 21 a blessed are you who hunger now? For you should be filled

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But Lord we might protest surely the hungry are cursed of God Their needs are not being met

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Some might object to this teaching but that's not the Old Testament scriptures teach that those blessed of God will never hunger

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Look at Isaiah 49 verses 8 and following. Here's God's promise to his people in an acceptable time

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I have heard you in the day of salvation. I've helped you I will preserve you and give you as a covenant to the people speaking of Jesus Particularly to restore the earth to cause them to inherit the desolate

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Heritages that you may say to the prisoners go forth to those who are in darkness show yourself

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They shall feed among the roads their pastors shall be on all desolate heights They shall neither hunger nor thirst

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Neither heat nor Sun shall strike them For he God who has mercy on them will lead them even by the springs of water.

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He will guide them It's a prophecy of the Messiah Well, then the parallel woe in verse 25 a which our

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Lord pronounces again is the opposite to conventional thinking Jesus declared it is those who are full or cursed of God Woe to you who are full for you shall hunger

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And so we see that the ones who are hungry are men women children who see themselves deficient of things essential the life

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Therefore they're looking to God for their provision, but the ones who are now full shall hunger John Gill gave a spiritual interpretation this passage.

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I thought it was quite good John Gill wrote Set forth being full in terms that describe those who are unbelieving and sinful

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Not so much with plenty and affluence of things of this life as full of themselves you cursed and their own righteousness and So with conceit vanity and spirit and pride have no appetite for spiritual things

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Nor do they hunger and thirst after Christ and the grace that is in him for he shall hunger

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Not that they shall truly and spiritually desire an interest in Christ and his righteousness or heaven and eternal life thereafter

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But they shall be in starving and famishing Circumstances and whilst the Saints are feeding upon the joys and glories of the other world compared to a banquet

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They shall be without and have no share in these things Woe unto you that laugh now that is laugh at sin

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Rejoice in iniquity and make mock of it instead of mourning for it Or that glory in themselves and their righteousness and rejoice in their boasting's for you shall mourn and weep

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Shall be cast into outer darkness where weeping and waiting and gnashing of teeth for all the fire

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They have kindled and sparks. They have encompassed themselves With and danced in and about this they shall have at my hand of God They shall lie down in sorrow and ever continue in it

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That's almost a direct quote from Isaiah 50 verse 11 Well, thirdly they were to change their thinking regarding those who are sad and those who are joyful The blessing is pronounced in verse 21 be blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh

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And the parallel whoa in verse 25 be Which our Lord again pronounces the opposite of conventional thinking.

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Whoa, do you who laugh now for you will mourn and weep? He's turning everything on its head and Forth they were to change their thinking regarding how others

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How Thinking regarding how others regarded them his disciples The blessing is pronounced in verses 22 and 23 blessed are you and men hate you?

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When they exclude you and Revile you and cast out your name as evil for the

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Son of Man's sake Rejoice in that day leap for joy for indeed your reward is great in heaven for in like manner their their fathers did to the prophets and Then the parallel whoa is in verse 26 in which our

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Lord pronounces again the opposite to conventional thinking Whoa to you and all men speak well of you for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets

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And So each of these pronouncements of Jesus compares and contrast the conditions of people currently in this world and The condition of people when the kingdom of God is revealed in its fullness at the second coming of Christ Essentially the people of God are enduring their present difficult existence even while they order their lives with view to the future

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Those cursed of God are ordering their lives with view to this life in this world only the

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Time will come when things will be reversed They who experience deprivation and difficulty for following Christ in this life will one day experience his blessing beyond their comprehension

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But those who live for themselves in this world who live for this world they abide under God's wrath and It will come upon them at the judgment of the world when

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Jesus Christ returns in glory to fully Invisibly establish his eternal kingdom

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The great reversal this is a theme that you find in the Gospels It's conveyed in Luke's Gospel elsewhere

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Particularly in Luke 16 where Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus Remember Lazarus the poor beggar who sat at the gate of the rich man every day begging alms

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The rich man carried nothing for the beggar at his gate day after day They both die.

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They are both buried and now the roles are reversed the rich man is in fire being tormented by this flame and Lazarus is lying in Abraham's bosom the place of blessing with the patriarchs and then a protest is given

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But Jesus responded in that story Remember Answering the rich man in your lifetime.

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You received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things But now he is comforted and you are tormented a great reversal takes place

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The humble and distant disenfranchised the one suffering hardship and deprivation because they acknowledge

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Jesus Christ as their King and follow him and his teachings may be encouraged Their future will be glorious But those who fail or refuse to do so their destiny is horrendous and horrifying

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Well, that was a challenge to their thinking. What about the challenge to our own thinking?

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This whole matter of changing our perspective about these matters may cause some problems for us And I think there are two possible problems as We reflect upon this.

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There's a theological problem a Supposed problem which I'll explain in a moment.

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And then there's then there's a practical problem after all there are a few of us Who can really honestly regard ourselves as poor in this world?

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I was thinking about these notes going out all over the world going to Kenya and going to India and I'm thinking this would be encouraging for those congregations

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But how do we see it How do we perceive it? But first there's a theological problem is there not an

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Old Testament basis for the kind of thinking that Jesus was repudiating Did not

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God say he would bless physically those who obeyed him and indeed he had God's promises recorded in Deuteronomy 28 verses 1 through 8

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It'll come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all his commandments

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Which I command you today those ten commandments that the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth

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And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God Bless shall you be in the city bless shall you be in the country?

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Bless shall be the fruit of your body the produce your ground the increase of your herds The increase of your cattle the offspring of your flocks bless shall be your basket and your needing bowl

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Bless shall you be when you come in bless shall you be when you go out? The Lord will cause your enemies to rise against you to be defeated before your face

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They shall come out against you one way flee before you seven ways The Lord will command the blessing on you to in your storehouses, you know

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You're gonna be full and you're gonna be rich and in all to which you set your hand He will bless you and the land which the

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Lord your God is giving you And then in the same context you have persons

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Again the Lord's teaching is the reverse of these things You have in Deuteronomy 28

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God's pronouncement of curses woes But it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the

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Lord your God To observe carefully all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today

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That all these curses will come upon you overtake you cursed shall you be in the city curse shall you be in the country?

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Curse you shall be your basket Shall be your basket and your needing bowl curse will be the fruit of your body produce your land and so on Because you have forsaken me you have failed to obey me

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This was probably the kind of thinking that Zophar had when he condemned Job He basically said

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Job the reason you're having such a difficult time of it is because you're wicked You've sinned against God.

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You're only getting what you deserve You've brought all this calamity upon yourself Your misery in this life is

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God's punishment upon your sin. That was Zophar's false accusation of Job Job responded rightly.

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However, sometimes the wicked do prosper Their families are blessed the wicked They don't suffer from pain and sickness.

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They die quickly without suffering after having wealth for their many children But Where Job seemed to cite an exception to the rule the

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Lord is saying this is the rule Blessed be the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God One can't help but see a contrast here and So some of us may recognize the problem

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How is it that on the basis of the law of Moses? One can discern who's blessed of God by how healthy wealthy and wise they are and yet the

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Lord Jesus pronounced blessedness on the poor and woe upon the rich Is there not a fundamental contradiction here?

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And we would of course respond by saying no But to understand how these two ways fundamentally different ways of viewing things can relate with one another

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One must understand something about the history of the Jewish people between Moses and the coming of Christ Let's consider what's recorded in Joshua 21

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So the Lord gave to Israel all the land which he had sworn to give to their fathers They took possession of it dwelt in it

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The Lord gave them rest all around according to all that he had sworn to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob not a man of all their enemies stood against them

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The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand not a word failed of any good thing

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Which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel all came to pass God fulfilled his promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the days of Joshua and they're taking the land

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Indeed God had blessed his people Israel with great physical blessing God had been true faithful to all his promises to Abraham and his descendants

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Not one thing failed and all that God had promised all came to pass Our dispensational friends need to take heed to this

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They say it didn't all come to pass That's why there has to be a future land grant to Israel over there in Palestine Because they say

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Israel never was given everything they were promised God says he gave everything to them

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All was accomplished Well this led to Joshua's parting words in Joshua 23

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Behold this day I'm going the way of all the earth Joshua's about ready to die And you know in all your hearts and all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things

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Which the Lord your God spoke concerning you all have come to pass for you Not one word of them has failed and therefore it shall come to pass

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It is all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you So the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things until he has destroyed you from this good land

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Which the Lord your God has given you when you've transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God Which he commanded you and have gone and served other gods bowed down to them

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Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you and you shall perish quickly from the good land Which he has given you and of course the entire

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Old Testament is a history of this unfolding, isn't it? This is exactly what happened the people having been blessed by God and receiving health and wealth

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Turned from following their God The people became corrupt in their worship

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The leaders became oppressive and exploited in their rule and as a result God began to judge them severely

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He raised up nations to fight and defeat his people as Syria Babylon He judged them severely by stripping them of all their physical prosperity

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He heaped upon them all his curses which he had set out so clearly before them And so the land was stripped of all its wealth

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The corrupt leaders were removed from the land the people themselves suffered incredible hardships and yet Although the prophets foretold

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Israel judgment Yet they also told of God's intention to show mercy to a remnant of the people

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God promised that he would yet bless a remnant with his salvation it's the remnant that Jesus was preaching to and here on the

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Sermon on the Plain a Remnant which had been stripped of its former glory a remnant which had been humbled by God's hand in judgment a remnant

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Which had because of its own sin and result in judgment become poor helpless downtrodden mourning people

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God had declared through the prophets He would send his Christ to redeem this remnant and bring them into his kingdom

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It's to those who have been afflicted and humbled due to their sins To whom

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Christ says blessed be the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God On the other hand when

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Jesus declared woe to the rich you've already received all the comfort you're going to get They were forfeiting all the true blessing of God entrance and participation in God's kingdom

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The rich will not be comforted. They're now enjoying all the comfort. They will ever enjoy in this world in this life

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And So this is understanding and an understanding of God in his ways so contrary to the claims of much we hear from evangelical

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Christianity the health and wealth crowd We're told if God is with you all things will go well

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But Jesus said you can expect hardship from the world, which will be evidence. You're blessed of God We Think we must be forsaken of God when it seemed that only difficulty and heartache come our way.

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I Got a call from a radio listener yesterday down south of Worcester and Lamenting, you know, it just seemed last couple years everything his just everything

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I touch falls apart And you know, he's wondering what happened what's happening?

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Where's God in all this? Because he was looking at circumstances in his life as The basis or evidence to determine if God was in favor of him or not

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Jesus says change your thinking change your perspective. It's not as you think When we see others in relative ease succeeding in life marriage and family we see ourselves stumbling bumbling struggling

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We mistakenly say oh, I wish I were blessed of God like they are But Jesus says

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I'm with the needy the poor the struggling ones who have nothing and can expect nothing, but they look to me to them belongs the kingdom and So under the new covenant in Christ the manner in which

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God manifests his blessing and curses are in an of an entirely different nature The blessing of God cannot be assessed or determined by physical happenings in one's life

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Moreover the curse of God cannot be assessed or determined by the nature or degree of difficulties and problems that you encounter in life

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Sadly however, it's the common misunderstanding among Christians and that they are prone just to do to do just that With the coming of Christ into the world in the institution of the new covenant a great reversal

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Took place in God's dealings with his people. No longer is the blessing of God Identifiable by what people commonly believe to be good things external things

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No longer is the curse of God indicated when bad things humanly speaking are experienced by God's people in a fallen and cursed world the people of God are now more readily identifiable by the

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Difficulties the tribulations they experience rather than the so -called physical blessings the physical blessings of good health family relationships

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Characterized by peace and harmony Jesus said we're gonna see it in Luke's gospel Don't think I came to bring peace in the earth.

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I came to bring a sword From now on the enemy you're the enemies of my people will be of those of their own family

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I've come to set at various, you know a mother against a daughter -in -law

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You know a father against a son there's some that promote a kind of family integration ministry is that you know the end of all things and I wrote in the column of the margin of my my

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Bible in that passage where Jesus says that he has come to divide families.

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I wrote Jesus's dissented family disintegration ministry You know and when when a somebody in a family becomes a

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Christian and the other members of the family remain non -christians There's conflict brewing

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This is a great error the so -called health and wealth gospel preachers and ministries After all the

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Lord Jesus was the most righteous man who ever lived in this fallen world and as a consequence he was a man despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows acquainted with grief and Paul wrote all those who live godly will suffer persecution

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And so this great reversal in God's dealings with his people is in accordance with what Jesus taught and the beatitudes at the beginning of The Sermon on the

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Mount Matthew 5 through 7 blessed are the poor in spirit That was novel teaching to these people

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Theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are those who mourn Why well, they'll be comforted blessed are the meek they'll inherit the earth

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness They should be filled to follow

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Christ as his disciples in this fallen world will not be regarded as a good and noble thing

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I was told Yesterday's message that we gave at Lloyd's mother's funeral.

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It was received very well by some Wasn't received very well by others We're viewed as idiots old -fashioned deceived ignorant

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They scoff at us and you may well incur the world's displeasure Because you love

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God you love Christ you follow Christ you desire as will be done in your life And you're in the world about you.

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You can expect all manner of resistance and resentment and it's getting worse in this world Isn't it?

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God's blessed our country, you know with history with a measure of righteousness when it was desirable and lauded and and Praised and and and desired no longer

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Such treatment may seem hard irrational unreasonable unwarded and indeed it is so but their treatment of you is to your credit in the sight of God and Therefore you need not simply tolerate it.

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You may regard yourself as blessed because of it For this is how the fallen world has always treated the noble prophets of God, that's what

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Jesus said Those who live before him sought to further his cause and name God dignifies you when others deride you

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He will repay you for all the scorn neglect and abuse that you incur because of your standing with him and for him

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As Matthew Henry wrote you will for this be abundantly recompensed in the kingdom of glory

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Not only your services for Christ, but your sufferings will come into the account. Your reward is great in heaven

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Venture upon your sufferings in a full belief that the glory of heaven will abundantly countervail all these hardships

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So that though you may be losers for Christ, you shall not be losers by him in the end

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Well, what about the practical problem we mentioned? Here's the lies the practical problem

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The fact is there are a few of us who could by any means classify ourselves as poor by worldly standards

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Probably about 90 % of the world would trade places with any one of us in a moment and understandably

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Does this leave us without hope after all or you who do a rich? No, of course not

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New Testament records a number of rich people who were true Christians Barnabas was a man of property

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Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man a secret disciple Lydia a successful businesswoman selling purple

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Perhaps members of Caesars household were there in the church at Rome No being rich according to the world standards did not dismiss us from receiving

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God's pronouncement of blessing Providing we do not embrace the values and the perspectives of the world and adopt the lifestyle of the rich which sees in their riches themselves a source of security or somehow a proof of God's acceptance and approval

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Bill came up to me yesterday morning and mentioned the name. I won't mention his name, but an evangelical leader in America He's worth 60 million dollars and apparently on record.

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He doesn't give anything to anybody An evangelical man Incredible We're to have the attitude and outlook of poor and hungry people in general

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We're to see ourselves deficient of things essential to true life before God We're in poverty when we consider it in that light.

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And so we look to God who alone can provide We do not foolishly trust in uncertain riches, but we see ourselves as lacking and needy who must look to God for our continual provision and Then we are ones who although See much in life, which bring joy and laughter.

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There's so much it causes us grief isn't there? As the people of God as our

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Lord was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. So are we if we're thinking rightly

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We look forward to the time when the kingdom of God will be Revealed fully when sin and sinners will be removed from his creation and Righteousness and justice will be the norm in the new heavens and the new earth

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But further regardless of what station in this life we may attain or what riches we may amass in The eyes of the world we as Christians are viewed as poor people

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We're viewed as as those people were viewed in the days as our Lord ministered we're objects of scorn

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The world thinks of us you poor misguided simple -minded unsophisticated uneducated dopes believing such fairy tales

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How does God regard you believer? Jesus declares blest are you you for yours is the kingdom of God?

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Amen, let's be encouraged by this Do not look at what's happening in your life as an indication of God's favor

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Or disfavor toward you look to Christ alone We stand in his righteousness

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It's based on what who he is and what he did not based on what he who you are and what you do

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Christ and Christ alone. Let's see ourselves in him Thank you father for your word help us our

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God to Understand see and understand these principles clearly and fully

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Lord give encouragement to those that are really enduring some difficulty at this time within their own families our

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God There's a hostility An absence of Care our

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God and compassion for one another We thank you our

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God that you do put together families and marriages We see that done Lord in your work, and we're very grateful for it

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But we pray our God that you would encourage those who seem to be going through life. That's It's it simply enduring

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Lord all the difficulties they encounter We pray the Blessed Holy Spirit the other comforter other than Jesus would give them peace and joy and believing

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And help all of us our God Look past this world To the promised kingdom when it comes in its fullness

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When Jesus returns we look forward to that day When we will be in a far

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Better and more wonderful state even unto eternity for we pray in Jesus name.