Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are they that mourn:for they shall be comforted."
This brings us to the 2nd Beatitude:
II. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN
REVIEW:
The Biblical definition of blessed is defined as possessing the favor of God bringing about satifaction. There is nothing this world can offer us that would satisfy us any more than to know and experience the blessings of God! The greatest of course, is that blessed gift of Salvation, given only to those who were "poor in spirit," which we can sum up with 7 "H's":
"we faced a hopeless hereafter until we humbled ourselves to the level of the poorest homeless, realizing we were totally helpless in having heaven without the Saving grace of Jesus!"
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2ND BEATITUDE:
As we come to the 2nd Blessed, it would be good for us to realize that these Beatitudes were not randomly chosen, but were given in a particular chronological order, the one building upon the other. to paint a picture of one who is born again and is conforming themselfves to the image of Christ. The Beatitiudes give the character of those who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus uses it as His introduction that sets the course for the rest of His sermon.
The 1st Beatitude speaks about our condition in getting saved, the 2nd Beatitude speaks, as do the rest, about our conditon after we are saved.
Defining the word "Mourn:"
The word "mourn", in this context, means to lament; to grieve. The base Greek word is penteo, but here in this verse, we have a strengthened and expanded form: hoi pen thountes. This speaks of one that is genuinely sorrowful of their sins, or the sins of others, to the point of grieving or lamenting over them.
F. B. Meyer wrote: "To mourn for the evils of one's own heart and for the sin and sorrow around."
In this lesson, I want to give you 3 "C's" to define this beatitude:
I. CAUSE
A. Test of Genuine Christianity - not evidenced by some sudden outburst of charismatic emotion, not charisma, but character. Not suddenly, but consistently!
1. If we are genuinely saved, we will mourn because we are grieved because our sin disappointed God, our church, our family and our friends.
2. Sometimes we mourn because of the afflictions we suffer that result from the sins of another. i.e. we should mourn when one of our family(blood or church)sins because of the shame that is brought upon us, the Lord, the Church and the testimony of the Gospel.
3. We may have to mourn because we condoned the sin of another, therefore we become quilty of that sin ourselves.
B. Read II Corinthians 12:19 -21. The word "bewail" in verse 21 is the same word translated "mourn" in Matt. 5:4.
II. CURE
A. Read James 4:7 - 10. We find the word "mourn" again.
B. Now read Psalm 51
C. 5 "R's" for Cure:
1. Remorse: verses 1, 9 & 17
2. Repent: verses 3 & 4
3. Restitute: verse 14 - genuine true character. These first 3, if done, will bring about the next 2.
4. Restore: verse 12
5. Rest: verse 11 (we are comforted)
III. THE COMFORT
A. Read I John 1:9. We feel good when we come clean.
B. The truth of God's Word brings us comfort when we genuinely mourn over our sin and receive the promises of God.
1. Psalm 103:12 - "As far as the East is from the West, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."
2. Micah 7:18,19 - "Who is God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins in the depths of the sea."
3. Hebrews 8:12 - "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
CONCLUSION TO BEATITUDE # 2 -
1. Dr. John McArthur Jr. writes: "Godly mourning brings God's forgiveness which brings God's happiness. Mourning is not merely a psychological or emotional experience that makes people feel better. It is a communion with the Living, Loving God who responds to the mourner with an objective of reality - the reality of Divine forgiveness....Only mourners over sin are happy because only mourners over sin have their sins forgiven."
2. Courson writes: "When you realize your're a sinner and when you mourn over your sin, the Lord will come to you and say, "I don't condemn you. Go your way and sin no more."
That's what the woman, caught in the act of adultery heard, as did the prostitute who fell at the feet of Jesus weeping. "leave her alone, Pharisees," Jesus said."
3. The one who is forgiven much loves much!! In the state of realizing our poverty and in our mourning, we truly enter into the Kingdom and are comforted!
