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The first four men that Jesus called were fishermen.

Peter and
Andrew were brothers and they were the first called. And very
soon after he called them to follow Him, He called two more
brothers, James and John, also fishermen. Jesus had a very
simple message as He began His ministry -- Repent; for
the kingdom of beaven is at hand. He went about
healing every sort of sickness and disease and news of him
spread all around. and great multitudes began to follow him,
not just from Galilee but from all regions of the land of
Palestine .
. Matthew records for us the Sermon on the Mount. This was
not just a sermon for the 'multitudes of Jesus' day but it was a
sennon for all his followers of all time. It has timeless truth
what it means to be a Christian. The very essence
of spirituality, true spirituality, is taught in this sennon.
Every Christian must ask himself this question, "Do I
manifest these spiritual characteristics?" "Do the beatitudes
describe me? If oot, can I truly expect the blessings that are
lisled in these beatitudes?" I am sure that every person would
desire the blessings of the beatitudes, to be called a son of
God, to see God, to inherit the kingdom of heaven, to inherit
the earth. These blessings are limited to those who do
manifest these spiritual characteristics. There are no
exceptions. So the sennon ought to be of surpassing
importance for every one who reads these words today. I would
hOpe for you what I would hope for myself, that the blessings
enumerated by Christ might be a certainty for you. So, it is a
most worthwhile study to know what these spiritual
characteristics are and see them manifested in each of our
lives.
l. HOW DO 'IHESE SPIRITUAL QUALITIES COME
ABOUT?
1. It ought to be said at the outset that a great disservice has
been done to Christianity by those who separate Cluistians
into two groups -- the religious and the laity, the exceptional
Cluistian from ihe ordinary Christian, the full-time Christian
from the part-time Christian. This is unscriptural. There is no
distinction in the Bible. We can say that there are offices
to which some Christians are called, but all Cluistians are to
be alike in their character. All Christians are to manifest all of
the spiritual qualities of the beatitudes. All Christians are
called to be saints. 1be Roman Church canonizes some
Christians, but the New Testament does not do that. for all
Christians are canonized. This idea that the Christian life in
its highest sense is only for a small number of special, chosen
people is totally out of accord with the teaching of Cluist and
His apostles.
2. Secondly, we must make a distinction between natural
endowments and spiritual endowments. You may hear or
know of a person who' has nothing whatever to do with
Christianity; who seldom if ever darkens the door of a church;
who makes no claim to being a Christian; who nonetheless is
a model person. This person is gentle and kind, courteous and
helpful. He never prays or reads a Bible. On the other hand.
he is not harsh or judgmental and always seems to be lending
a helping hand when needed; and is a good community worker
and a good neighbor. So a person who looks at the outward
characteristics of this person and says, "Well that person may
not go to church or claim any religion at all, but he certainly
seems to be living like a Cluistian should. and so we ought to
believe that he must be a Christian after all in spite of his
practical denial of the Christian faith.
Some people by natural disposition are quiet, unassuming,
friendly and even kind. And there are many people who have
very noble qualities who make no claim whatsoever to being
Cluistian. So how can we tell the difference? The beatitudes
do not describe natural temperaments which a person may
have simply by virtue of his natural endowments at birth and
perhaps cultivated and refined as life matures. No. What the
beatitudes describe are spiritual endowments, the dispositions
and characteristics produced by the grace of God and the Spirit
of God The beatitudes are not depicting persons who have a
natural, biological, physical niceness about them, who have
pleasant temperaments. If that were the case then those who
were born with a mean streak, or an aggressive nature, or a
bad temper, would not have a chance. It would be totally
unfair to say that only those who could fit the description by
reason of natural disposition would be eligible for the
Kingdom of God.
But, thank God. it is not that way. If it were, I could never
have become a Cluistian. No matter what our biological
disposition may be our genes do not qualify or disqualify us
from the kingdom of God. The central glory of the gospel is
that it can take the proudest man by nature and make him poor
in spirit
The thing about it is, the Christian and the non-Christian
are spiritually different.
II. TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT IS UNNATURAL
1. I said in the beginning that the Christian must exhibit in
his life all of the beatitudes, not just one or two. And
foremost of all is the first one -- to be poor in spirit. This is
absolutely contrary to what the natural man wants to be or
thinks about himself. The nice person I described who is
totally disinterested in the gospel, does not see himself as
being poor in spirit. The natural man has a high regard for self-
The Counsel of Chalcedon May, 1990 Page 23
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. reliat)ce, self.coh,fi<Jepce,.
. . ! : . . The natural man pri<ks .
. these 'qualities. He believes
,..
that tP' be successfutyo:u Jllustthink . . .
well ciyourself, earn a reputati.6n as a
. go-getter, be an
. professionhl at wJtatever ids do.
'Ihe whole idea of thinking of' oneself
as being poOJ;' in. spirit is repugnani;
weak and unbecoming for a true man ...
: .. who cOmPetes in the worfaday ...
world knows that you have to
goo(l self-image in order to succeed(SO
dirist's. teaching flies in the face of ali
.. .
inodem society's teaching on how
get along in this world. Ask Ted 'turner
what he thinks of the person who seeks
to be poor in spirit or who manifests
that characteristic. Se what he says and .
you will have an idea of what the
average American in our secular,
humanism-'Oriented society also thinks.
And I must. confess that 35 years ago,
before. I becartle a Cluisti.an. I would
have agreed with that scune way of
thinking. What I am sayipg .is that .
being poor in spirit is unnatural. It is a
spiritual produced by gtace.
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2. I 'want to spend more time on this
subject than I have !Mire, but let me
give a few examples of men in the
Bible who were in spirit First I
. . The $25.00 annual subscription for
expense and to share the magazme Wlth others.
will mention Isaiah. Isaiah was of a
good family and had a gOod eduGation .
Some suggest that he was the son of a sinfUl man." . .
Amoz who was an \Ulcle of Uzziah, Paul. p:t'OudPharisee that he was
which would make Isaiah a cousin to before his conversion> said'of himself,
the king. But when Uzziah 'died, God "I am the chkf of &buuri."
gave Isaiah a vision of the Lord on His There is a single Ouistian who
throne of glory, and wheri he saw the will. not come .to the place where he is
Lord he said, "Woe is me, for I am U'Uly able to see as poor. in . .
ruined! because I am a man oj spirit. without any of his
unclean lips, an.d I iive among a QWllj wh<) his own .
people of unclean lips; form} . insufficiency and poverty ofSpiritapart .
eyes have seen .the King, the , frpm the gr:ace of G()(l This is idvork '
Lord of Hosts.';: (Isa. 6:5) When Lotddoes mall'qfitis clrl1drett The.
Isaiah got a vision Of the Holiness of . , SUtneJ' must see himSelf as ,I'IJined, ...
God he became poor irt spirit .: helpless, 'and Witliol!thope of
When GideOn saw the angel of the in Ute -Y an4
Lord he became poor in spirit and said, . . goodneSs Of GOd in !esns Olrist. . .
"Alas, 0 Lord God! For now I . I ask you the questi()n.U;day, Do'yoo
have seen the angel of th:e LQTd truiy have th.at blessing m your life.
face to face." (Judges 6:22) Are you poor in. spirit? Have you come
Peter had been a boastful.and self- to Christ for cleanSing and anew beait?
confident man until he met the Lord BLESSED ARE ntE POOR IN
Jesus, and then he said on one occasion, SPIRIT FOR THEIRS ISTIIE
"Depart from me Lord, for I am r KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ..
The Counsel of Chalcedon May, 1990 24
,
Coming to Christ in repentmce and
. faith involves a self-awareness of my
sinfulness and insufficiency apart from
Him. The hymn by Joseph Hart sqms
it up well ....
ye sinners, poot and needy,
and wounded, sick. and sore; .
Jesus ready stands to save Y.OU,
Full of p1ty, Io\le and poW'r.
Y.e thirst}', come !IJ1d welcome,
Gods free bounty glorify;
True belief and true

Evry grace that brings you mgh ..
Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dreain;
All the fitnesS He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
Come, ye we;ary, heary laden,
LOst and ruinea bl tlie fall;

I will a,rise !II!d go to
He willembrace me m ills armil;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
0, there are ten th.ousand charms.
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