1. The first principle of the Sermon on the Mount is that a new life style is given to the believer that God promises will bring eternal happiness, BUT you can not attain it on your own.

2. For a man unaided by God, it is impossible for him to attain God's standards and thus be truly happy.

           In the Old Testament, God made provision for man's sin in that the Old Testament saint who sinned, would go to the tabernacle (later the temple) and offer sacrifices as evidence of repentance for sin. God mercifully forgave them.

           Some perverted God's plan and in pride and self-righteousness boasted of their good works and keeping the Law. The Jewish Rabbi's added to the Old Testament laws making keeping the law a matter of outward pride and earning salvation and status with God by good works. Many churches have done the same thing in changing the biblical teachings of the Bible by added men's laws instead.

* For example Baptism became a saving act or sacrament instead of a picture of salvation. Sprinkling became the mode as a matter of convenience.
* The Lord's Supper - became a act to remove daily sin, instead of a memorial to remember and thank the Lord for his suffering and atonement for our sins and to examine our lives for unconfessed sin.
* Church membership - became the acts that got one into heaven instead of trusting in the Christ as one's Savior.
* Churches - became buildings instead of a group of believers who assembled under the headship of Jesus Christ joined together to carry out the Great Commission. Churches then became cathedrals instead of places where the body of Christ the church met the word of God was taught and believers were edified.
* The Bible - became, not the absolute word of God, but only a guide book to be followed as one desired.

3. Many who professed to be the children of God found the instructions of God to be too much to live by so they made up their own practices and taught others to follow their traditions instead of God's word.

           Alcohol is good example: Men love to drink. So in spite of God clear instructions to abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages, many have perverted the passages such as Paul's instruction to Timothy to take a little wine as a medicine and the turning of the water to wine by Christ at Cana, into excuses to justify social drinking.

4. Matthew 5:48 says that we are to be "perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven is perfect."

           The Scribes and Pharisees had change the Word of God and its principles making it meaningless by substituting acts such as, not picking up sticks on Saturday, or not traveling over certain distance from your home, for the purer and spiritual principles of keeping the Sabbath day holy by loving, honoring and worshiping God in their hearts.

           Jesus said, "except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

5. A man who is not truly a child of God until he truly believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him alone for his salvation. Until he is saved and receives the new nature he cannot live according to God's instructions.

6. Once a person is saved, and receives the new nature, then they can begin the progress of becoming what God intended. They can then start down the road that leads to happiness and contentment and a fulfilling life that brings joy and close fellowship with God. They can live God's will.

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. Greek word for "poor", is the word "p to kos." The verb form means to "cower and cringe like a beggar. The picture is that a beggar doesn't want to be seen. He is ashamed. It is not describing ones financial state, such as being the state of poverty,but the emotional state of having to beg. The normal word for being poor is the Greek word, "pen -es." The person who is "poor in spirit" is one who avoids pride. Paul expressed the principle saying, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)

B. Happy (Blessed) are those that are so destitute in their spirit that they are ashamed and cower, begging for God's forgiveness. The world says, happy are the rich, famous, self-sufficient and proud. In other words, the person who is poor in spirit understands he/she is a sinner and hates sin in their lives. Thus, they humbly seek God's help and strength in overcoming daily sin.

C. A man's "spirit" is his inward being. The body is the outward. The statement is saying blessed is the man who is begging on the inside and seeking to grow spiritually and be pleasing to the Lord.

Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a Broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Isaiah 57:15, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

          God receives those with a broken spirit, not the proud.

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up." (James 4:10)

This is certainly not popular with the worldly. Even in many churches the emphasis is not on spiritual things, but material benefits of health and wealth.

Example: Suppose a husband or wife is having marital problems: Instead of teaching the principles of Ephesians 5:21-30. A lot of modern so called "Christian" counseling ignores being reconciled by a submissive, forgiving spirit and showing love without regard to whether it is returned. Often modern "Christian counseling teaches: Stand up for your rights!"

           Religion teaches, divorce is OK in most circumstances instead of teaching: contentment in whatever your circumstance. False religion teaches, something good is going to happen and fosters dissatisfaction because it rarely does.

II. WHAT IS THE RESULT OF BEING POOR IN SPIRIT.

A. First the Bible says they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Why? They will seek God. Truly saved people love the Lord and His word and they put their faith in the Savior. Thus being poor in spirit is evidence of their salvation.

B. They will be destitute of pride, self-worth, arrogance. They will be wholly dependent on God and that is what the Lord wants. He wants to bless us and accomplish through us His will. That means we will not only live happier lives, but will be a blessing to others also. We cannot serve God without serving others. The result of being spiritual is to be used of God to help others find the Lord Jesus as their Savior and to help them also grow spiritually.

III. HOW DO YOU BECOME POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. Seek to know God. Lot of folks are satisfied with their knowledge of God. They know the Bible stories and give mental assent to the truth but do not want to be too personal with the Lord. They do not want Him to interfere too much in their lives. Yet, the way to be poor in spirit is to intimately know God. He is to be our personal Savior and have the preeminence in our lives. He is to have first place. Many are not comfortable with that degree of commitment and that is why there are so many professing Christians who are not living for the Lord.

           Seeking God is to be seeking His influence in your life. Judging all things everyday, all day, in light of whether it would be pleasing to God or not. As you look upon God, you will lose yourself in Him.

B. Pray. Make a time to consult about the daily affairs of life. God says, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) The Christian is to be in constant communications through prayer with the Lord. Whatever we find ourselves doing we are to prayerfully seek God's direction.

C. You make your goal to please God and to imitate the Lord Jesus in everything. You make that your priority. You consciously, make each decision of the day, based upon whether it would be what the Lord would want you to do. It is said they we will achieve what we work for. Another way of saying this is we "hit what we aim act." If it is not our goal to please God, then we will not please Him. A true Christians must deliberately vow and make the commitment to make Christ first in their life.

D. Live filled with the Holy Spirit. "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."(Ephesians 5:18) We must understand that only God can lead us to happiness and fulfillment. So we seek Him as a blind man, seeks help to lead. We let the Holy Spirit guide us and direct our lives. We continually seek His counsel and live a life of crying out in desperation to God.

           It is not a prayer telling God what you think you need, but rather a prayer begging God, to guide you in your blindness.

IV. HOW CAN YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE POOR IN SPIRIT?

A. You will deny "self." READ: Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5...

B. John 14:8, Philip said, "...Lord show us he Father and is sufficeth us.

C. You will not complain: If you are truly poor in spirit, you will not be always complaining about your circumstances. You will not be critical of the life God has given. You will apply James 1:2-4 and rejoice in the various trials that come out way seeing them as an opportunity to overcome them which honors the Lord.

           You will experience the Grace of God when you have needs. You will know and trust that whatever your circumstance God has lead you to it, ordained it, or allow it. Thus you thus Him, You know Him. He wants only for you the best. So you resign in thanks giving for even the problems, the hurt, the sacrifices, glad to be able to suffer anything for Christ who saved you.

D. We will be tolerant of others and avoid being judgmental. The Bible says "We ought not think more highly of ourselves than we are." If you know God, you know your own frailty. You correctly know what you are...no lies..no pride to blind you..just the naked and rare truth. Thus you know you are not really any better in God's sight than anyone else.

C. You will pray. The beggar is always begging and seeking help. He knows he is helpless and where his life comes from and thus be begs desperately for it.

D. The proud sinner, will want heaven, but on his own terms. The poor in spirit, will take what he is offered, gratefully. He will accept the Bible, and God's plan for his life, his family, his church and all his does.

He will not rebel at God's plan. He will be a humble learner...He will not seek to exert himself over others.

E. You will praise God and be truly thankful. The beggar is grateful for what he receives to sustain his life. You will be grateful.

V. CONCLUSION:

1. Being poor in spirit, is against our carnal nature. It in truth is impossible for us to do, apart from God's help.

2. That help is Christ Jesus. That help is receiving Christ as Savior and then being filled with the Spirit of God.

3. For the Christian, in sin...its first throwing off the mask. Looking reality in the face, and in God's strength accepting the hard and soul wrenching truth of the fact we are sinners.

Folks it takes God's strength to even look at yourself as you truly are. Our carnal nature fights against us, it is not easy, but it is necessary to being the child of God, that the Lord wants you to be.

Christ did not die to put a band aid on our deep emotional and spiritual needs. He died to effect a total and complete cure.

4. Would you today, now where you sit, put that first foot forward, that first step, in being what Christ intended you to be.

5. What if you don't. What if you refuse? You will forfeit truth happiness, true satisfaction of being able to live a life fulfilling and rewarding.

The choice is yours. What will you do with the one called Jesus.