GRACE EMPOWERED LIVING: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT SESSION 3: MOURNING & COMFORT THE SPIRIT S GROAN FOR LIFE GARY WIENS

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1 GARY WIENS INTRODUCTION: Review: The first step in this journey into the likeness of Jesus is the realization of our poverty of spirit. This is primarily our awareness that we were created to be the vehicle of God s life on the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. We come to see that apart from God s immediate presence, we can do nothing, even as Jesus could do nothing apart from the moment by moment leading of the Holy Spirit. The means that we have been given to fulfill our purpose is to be born again by God s Spirit, and to receive His mercy that receives us, and His grace that empowers us to change and be changed. This is made possible by the gift of righteousness that is our inheritance when we are born again, a righteousness that is not earned, but is given by God s mercy and grace. We are then to fix our gaze upon the person of Jesus until we are formed into His likeness by that same powerful Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). However, this essential and unavoidable process presents us with a dilemma. The dilemma is that we are created to be like Jesus, but are faced with the shattering realization that we are not very much like Him at all. This realization leads us directly to the necessity of the second Beatitude the grace for mourning. I. THE INHERENT GAP BETWEEN NATURAL MAN AND SPIRITUAL MAN A. Jesus lives in constant awareness of His poverty of spirit John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. B. Jesus mourns over the gap between the present state and His vision of perfection 1. Reflecting God s heart for His people Jeremiah 8:21-9:1 For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me. (22) Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people? (9:1) Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people! Matthew 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (38) See! Your house is left to you desolate; (39) for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' " 2. This is made personal in Jesus grief over His disciples immaturity

2 GARY WIENS Page 2 Matthew 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 3. Jesus grief over the effects of sin and death John 11:35 John 11:35 Jesus wept. C. Jesus is comforted by the revelation of His destiny, and the destiny of those He loves. Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. II. THE BELIEVER S PARTICIPATION IN MOURNING A. As we encounter the beauty of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, moving by the Father s love, exposes our condition to us. We are faced with the fact that we have missed the mark (sinned), and that the only appropriate response is to grieve over that fact, repent, and begin again to walk in the truth. B. This is not the result of an over-active religious spirit, or of poor self-esteem, or of habitual introspection and navel-gazing. This is conviction rooted in the revelation of the beauty of Jesus as the normal example of human existence. C. An excellent example of this is Peter s encounter with Jesus in Luke 5 1. The miracle of the catch of fish exposed Peter (and the other disciples) in their subhuman condition. To sin is to miss the mark of true humanity. Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 2. Jesus responds with words that bring comfort and hope Luke 5:10b Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.

3 GARY WIENS Page 3 3. Matthew adds the information that in the course of following Jesus, He will make them to become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). III. BARRIERS TO TRUE MOURNING A. Humans have embraced a false worldview that unless we reject it and turn to the truth will prevent us from experiencing true mourning and the comfort God gives. 1. In Satan s deception, there are no absolutes, no Truth that demands our attention and by which our lives are measured. 2. Therefore, there is no real guilt, only guilt feelings produced by over-zealous and oppressive religious institutions. 3. I was born this way don t try to put your religious demands on me. B. The problem is that this worldview has no answer to the real guilt that people experience, the internal awareness that we have fallen short of the mark. C. So, we seek to find ways to comfort ourselves, to ease the pain of the real guilt of sin. These selfcomforting strategies only obscure the pain, and offer no real solution for the problem. 1. Obsessive behavior a. Working too much (including religious activity) b. Substance abuse (food, drugs, alcohol, over-spending) c. Anxiety (living in a constant fight or flight mode) d. Relational abuse (short-term self-gratifying encounters focused on the meeting of my needs) e. Excessive recreational activity 2. Blame-shifting someone else is the cause of my problem 3. Shame a negative emotion that combines feelings of unworthiness, dishonor, and embarrassment. (Encarta World Dictionary) IV. THE SOLUTION TO THESE ISSUES IS TRUE MOURNING, OR GODLY SORROW A. The awareness of our need comes from gazing at the beauty of Jesus. Meditating upon Him as the normal human being causes us to become aware of our sub-human condition.

4 GARY WIENS Page 4 1. We must understand that the need is real whether we are aware of it or not. Fixing our eyes on Him is simply the only way to deal with the conditions that keep us from God s presence. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2. The first step is to allow His beauty to make us aware of the gap between where we are and where we are destined to be. This is not about striving, but about responding to the Father s invitation and the Holy Spirit s power. B. Agree with God concerning our condition through confession and repentance. Without confession and repentance, the soil of our hearts remains hard, unreceptive to the Word of God that would comfort us. 1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. Psalms 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. (4) Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. C. Receive the comfort of the Lord as He releases mercy and grace to you. 1. Access to His mercy by the blood of Jesus Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 2. Accept the boundaries that God gives to us for our own protection Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 3. The comfort of God s Word Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

5 GARY WIENS Page 5 CONCLUSION: 4. The comfort of God s mercy Psalms 119:76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. Isaiah 40:1-2 "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. (2) "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins." 5. The comfort of touches of His love Song of Solomon 2:5 Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, For I am lovesick. Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." 6. The comfort of the Father s heart ministered through God s people 1 Corinthians 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 2 Corinthians 1:3b-4 the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 7. The ultimate comfort of the Age to Come Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the LORD For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all. Zechariah 1:17 "Again proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem." ' " The holiness and perfection of God demand holiness and perfection from us as His people. This would cause us to despair, but God has provided the solution that comforts us His grace and love given to us through the blood of Jesus.