It’s all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt.4)

(Part 4)

by Seth Burgan: Youth Pastor at Dayspring Community Church

“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”-Matthew 5:7

What does it mean to be merciful? One definition of merciful is: the ability to show forgiveness or compassion toward someone whom it is within your power to punish or harm. Whenever I think of mercy I am reminded of this quote by an unknown author: “Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.”

Because of sin we deserved death and eternal separation from God, yet while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; taking the penalty of sin upon Himself. That is the picture of mercy! It is at the very heart of who God is and who He wants you to become. The blessing of showing mercy towards others is that it keeps the flow of God’s mercy towards you unobstructed.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”-Matthew 5:8

 This beatitude has a special place in my heart because of my past struggles with sin. Even after accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior, I was still trying to do everything in my own effort or understanding. I continued to battle, by myself, the sin that had taken over my life.  I would beat myself up causing myself to believe that I was never going to overcome and I was never going to be pure in God’s eyes

In part I was right. I was never going to be pure if I kept trying to do it myself. When I finally let go of my pride and responded to the Word of God putting it into practice; it opened the door to allow the Holy Spirit to purify my life.

Purity requires two elements: repentance and response.

Sin separates us from God. So it stands to reason that we cannot see God if we are separated from God by our own sinful behavior. Thus the pursuit of purity always begins with repentance.

Then we must respond to the Word of God. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We are sanctified (cleansed, set apart, made holy) by the Word of God; but we must do more than simply hear the word. We must be doers of the word. It is the word that we put into practice that develops purity in us and demonstrates the righteousness of God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be the sons of God.”-Matthew 5:9

The main reason Christ came to the earth was to make peace between God and man; to end the separation created by our sinfulness. It was a deliberate act, on God’s part, to bring peace between Himself and mankind.

God sent His word spoken through the mouths of judges, prophets, and priests to lead the lost to find peace through faith in Christ.

There is never a time we are more like our Savior as when we are sharing the good news (the gospel) message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. The gospel is a message of reconciliation. Peacemakers are called to carry the gospel message to those who are still separated from God by their sin and help them make peace with Him through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Pastor Seth Burgan

Youth Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

It’s all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt.3)

(Part 3)

by Seth Burgan: Youth Pastor at Dayspring Community Church

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”-Matthew 5:4

Jesus continued his Sermon on the Mount by focusing on the significance of mourning. A lot of people narrowly define mourning as the expression of deep sorrow for someone who has died. This type of mourning is experienced by all of humanity; the saved and unsaved alike.

Jesus, however, is challenging us to a different kind of mourning; the kind that causes us to be broken over that which breaks the heart of God. So often, because of our selfish nature, we don’t mourn over sin and the devastation that is caused by it. Mourning is an emotional response to loss. Sin causes a loss of purity, holiness, and righteousness. When we face the sinfulness and wickedness in our lives; we ought to be saddened and broken by what we see. This overwhelming sorrow over sin leads us to repentance; which opens the door to reconciliation with our Creator.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”-Matthew 5:5

If you were to search for the word meek online you would discover it’s synonyms include mild, timid, and weak; but the Greek word for meek is: “praus” and refers to the taming of a wild animal.  It is used to describe how a wild animal’s energies, once sporadic and misdirected, are focused and brought under control through the use of various disciplines. In the same way, a lot of the time, our energies and focus are going in all the wrong directions because we attempt to make everything about ourselves.

Biblical meekness, then, is not synonymous with weakness at all; but in reality it is a demonstration of constrained power. The key to meekness is in the discipline.

 Just like taming a wild horse, true discipleship takes us through a process of training and application that build disciplines in our lives; disciplines like denying the flesh, serving sacrificially, overcoming temptation, studying God’s Word, prayer, worship, fasting, and witnessing. These disciplines serve to remind us that life isn’t about us, our focus comes under God’s control as we learn to humble ourselves and strive to esteem and meet the needs of others.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”-Matthew 5:6

Every one of us understands what it means to be hungry and thirsty. It is a basic necessity of life that demands to be satisfied and must be met on a daily basis. Hunger and thirst provide a great illustration regarding our spiritual lives. Just as water and food provide essential nutrients to our physical body; righteousness is the essential component of our spiritual life.

 

Hungering and thirsting is, in large part, the pursuit of satisfaction. The search for satisfaction transcends food and drink and we often find ourselves searching for satisfaction in other areas of our lives; most of which leave us feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. That is because the things that satisfy our flesh are temporal, whereas the things of God are eternal.  Jesus instructed us to hunger and thirst for things that would remain: Godly character, integrity, and righteousness. These things Jesus declared would leave us filled and satisfied.

 

Pastor Seth Burgan

Youth Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

It’s all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt. 2)

(Part 2)

by Seth Burgan: Youth Pastor at Dayspring Community Church

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”-Matthew 5:1-3.

The very first attitude Jesus addresses during the Sermon on the Mount is very likely the hardest one to develop. Becoming poor in spirit requires, first, that we acknowledge our own tendency toward self-sufficiency. Breaking this predisposition of self cannot be done alone. We need the Holy Spirit’s life, power, and grace to keep ourselves completely dependent upon God.

Being poor in spirit was not something that Jesus simply preached about, but something he modeled:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (held onto), but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!”-Philippians 2:5-8.

Jesus let go of His privileges and His glory in heaven and depended completely on the Father. Scripture says that he made himself nothing; which literally means he emptied himself. Jesus emptied himself of everything that had defined Him in order to surrender His life to the Father’s plan. He realized that His existence was not about Himself; it was about saving us.

Yet so many people today are trying to fill themselves up and trying to make themselves something. This is such a dangerous way to live; because when someone pursues making something of themselves, instead of emptying themselves, it is not long before they stop depending on God.

So how is it that we develop a dependency on God? Matthew 7:7-8 tells us:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will open to you. For everyone who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Ask. Seek. Knock. Those three simple worlds communicate a poor in spirit attitude.  A person who is poor in spirit is unashamed of asking God for help. Asking shows that a person is in need and trusting God to hear them; those who seek prove they are honest and will do whatever it takes to pursue God and His purposes; and those who knock communicate that they are committed to persistently bringing their requests to God, not because they have a lack of faith, but because they are expressing their dependence on God by acknowledging their needs belong to Him.

Jesus promised the kingdom of heaven to such as these.  He pronounced blessing over those who made seeking Him and His kingdom their first priority. Living poor in spirit is the foundational attitude of our Christian faith!

It's all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

by Seth Burgan: Youth Pastor at Dayspring Community Church

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.”-Matthew 7:24-27.

If I were to ask you to describe your house to me; more than likely you would begin by telling me where your house is located, the design, color, lot size, and perhaps even the square footage. However, something the majority of you would not mention, while describing your house to me, is a description of the type of foundation it sits on.

Perhaps you don’t know a lot about foundations or it’s just not something you considered to be important to include when describing your home; but it is the foundation of the house that makes the difference. Proverbs 24:3 states:

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.”

Not only does this apply to the physical house you live in, but it is also true regarding the life you are living. Unfortunately, many people build their lives on poor foundations like status, popularity, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, sports, and careers. Life quickly becomes centered on “self” and catering to our own wants and desires.

The Apostle Paul warned that this attitude would begin to prevail throughout our society in the last days:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be loves of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”-2 Timothy 3:1-5

Many people have adopted these worldly, self-centered attitudes, but as we will see from the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus intends for us to build our lives on a different foundation.

Jesus’ teachings, found in Matthew 5-7, are designed to build Christ’s character into our lives. A strong foundation of His character is what will enable us to lead Godly lives; both in thought and action.

 He begins His teachings with what are commonly known as the Beatitudes by addressing eight characteristics of Godly character that should shape our attitudes. Those include becoming poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure,  a peacemaker, and perseverant in persecution.

 

It's all about Jesus: Calling His Disciples (Pt.3)

(Part 3 of 3)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”-John 13:34-35.

The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:8 that whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. According to this passage love is who God is, not simply what He does. Knowing this we can surmise that those who consider themselves to be disciples will, like Jesus, be recognized by their love one for another.

This type of love is characterized by a devoted concern that sacrificially seeks to promote the highest good of others. It not as much an emotion as it is a decision. It is a decision to seek the best interests of those around us. Loving one another, however, does not mean that we must embrace immorality or be silent regarding it. Often times, the most loving thing we can do for someone is to acknowledge their sinful behavior in order to promote the greater good in their lives.

Another hallmark of a true disciple is found in Luke 6:40:

“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

True disciples become like their teacher. They want more than to be knowledgeable about Jesus, instead they want to be like Him; bearing a strong resemblance to their teacher in attitude, values, and actions.

This pursuit to become like Jesus will ultimately lead a disciple to become a disciple maker. Matthew 28:18-20 states:

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

True disciples make disciples! At any given time Jesus was surrounded by curious crowds, who did not last when the teaching became difficult; followers, who made a profession of faith but only followed at their convenience; and the committed, who were willing to leave everything, take up their cross, and follow him daily.

Jesus was clear from Matthew 28 that he is not seeking to gather a crowd or build a following; He is looking for disciples.

 

It's all about Jesus: Calling His Disciples (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”-Luke 9:23-24.

As we continue to evaluate what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, Luke 9 teaches us that there is a cost for those who choose to follow Him. Before we even begin the journey; we must understand that to follow Christ means that we must die daily to sin, endure persecution, and reject conforming to the culture.

Jesus teaches that this is a daily pursuit. It is much more than showing up for a Sunday service and giving in the offering plate. Disciples eat, breath, and live Jesus! They strive every day to worship the Lord, deny their flesh, resist temptation, embrace the Scriptures, and demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ. Disciples are willing to lay down their lives (dreams, ambitions, desires, and plans) in order to advance the cause of Christ.

Taking up our cross means more than having a willingness to die for our faith, but it is having the determination to die every day to self in order that Jesus may be glorified.

Another indication that a person is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ is seen in their adherence to His teachings:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”-John 8:31-32.

The wording of this passage is very significant. Jesus instructed His followers that it was not enough to simply listen to Him speak; disciples were required to hold to his teaching. This means that we must not view Scripture as just a piece of fine literature that is to be appreciated for its moral value and historical authenticity.

Real disciples see the teachings of Jesus Christ as the Words of Life! They hold to the Scriptures and apply what they have learned. Jesus’ disciples demonstrated that they had a firm grip on Jesus’ teachings. They did not pick and choose which parts of God’s Word they would follow while ignoring those they found displeasing or too difficult. They understood the gravity of adhering to God’s Word because Jesus went as far as to say; that it was through obeying His teachings that we demonstrate our love for Him:

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”-John 14:15.

Obedience to the Word of God and the teachings of Christ distinguish the disciples from the mere fans.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It's all about Jesus: Call His Disciples (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son o Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”-Matthew 4:18-22.

Upon returning from the wilderness, after being baptized and tempted of the devil, before he launched out into his earthly ministry; Jesus chose twelve men to follow him. Scripture refers to these men as disciples.

A disciple, simply defined, is a follower or a student of a teacher. Nevertheless, the implications of being a disciple, according to Scripture, were far deeper than what is generally accepted as being a follower in today’s culture. Today we can follow athletes’ statistics online or follow friends, family and celebrities on social media without any real connection or accountability to that individual; however becoming a follower of Christ requires more than merely scrolling through a litany of tweets on our smart phones. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ we must embrace the same expectations that Jesus had for the men he had called to follow him.

Discipleship of any kind always begins with an invitation. Jesus called out to twelve men and invited them to join him. The first step in becoming a disciple of Christ is that we must respond to his invitation and then determine to follow him. This requires a definitive decision on the part of the disciple to acknowledge one’s allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, and commitment to the one leading. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33:

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Becoming a disciple of Christ is a very public decision that should be reflected in our thoughts, attitudes, and lifestyle.

The decision to respond to his invitation was then followed by yet another difficult decision. The disciples were a rag tag bunch of guys; fishermen, tax collectors, and social activist. They had virtually nothing in common except one thing:

“So they pulled up their boats on shore, left everything and followed him.”-Luke 5:11.

Although they came from different social strata and upbringing, the one thing these men had in common, that made each of them great candidates for discipleship, was that they were each willing to leave everything to follow him.

 

Matthew 19:23-30 tells us of a story of a rich young ruler who came to Jesus to ask what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the commandments, to which the young man replied that he had kept them. Then Jesus told him:

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”-Matthew 19:21.

Scripture tells us that the young man, when he heard this, went away sad, because he had great wealth. This young man received the invitation to join Jesus’ band of disciples, but because he was unwilling to leave everything, he walked away from God’s calling on his life.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church