Sunday Evening Worship Service

Grab your Bibles. Remain standing. We'll be very brief. our introductory matters here. Matthew chapter number five. Going to go to a very familiar portion of the New Testament. See what we can learn tonight. Matthew chapter number five. We're going to begin reading at verse number one. What a word we heard this morning. Amen. What a word we heard. We need reminded the entrance into the kingdom. Jesus said, "Unless a man is born again of water and of spirit, he cannot enter or see the kingdom." Anybody glad to be born into the kingdom of God. Anybody glad to be born again of his water and his spirit? Amen. I'm thankful for that. Matthew chapter number five, beginning at verse number one. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain. And when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is." Someone say, "Is >> is." >> Is it's present tense, right? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. >> I want to minister tonight on the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit. here. I want you to put your devices or your Bibles down, lift up your hands one more time, and I want you to pray. Father, we thank you for your spirit that has been here all day when the worship this morning, the word we heard, the fellowship, God, and again tonight, your spirit is in this room. And we're thankful, God, that you have met with us once again. But Lord, I'm making a feeble attempt to preach your word, to minister your word. And I pray that you would bring into my remembrance all things that you've taught me. Quicken my spirit by helping me to remember your word to say what needs to be said tonight to your people. In the name of Jesus we pray. And everyone said amen. >> Now clap your hands one more time unto the Lord tonight. You can be seated. The poor in spirit. Poor. We can look at verse three. I want to set it up by looking at the context that begins in chapter uh number five verse number one. A few weeks ago we began a series at Apostolic Christian School on Friday mornings called blessed. We're looking at the biatitudes. And we want to look at all of these verses verses uh 3 through 12 at on Friday mornings. We began to do that a few weeks ago, but we want to first understand the context of what Jesus says in these verses here. He opens up and says blessed. Blessed. When we think of the word blessed, what do you think of? You think of favor. You may be thinking of fortune. Maybe you're thinking of blessing of some sort. you've received a blessing, you've received something. Uh we sometimes say uh when someone sneezes, God bless you. Right? >> Um and then we'll see somebody and uh we say, "Well, bless you. Bless you in the name of the Lord." Or somebody asks you a question. How you doing? You say, "Well, I'm blessed and highly favored." Right? >> We say the word blessed and we we we use that word. It's a biblical word. And it's important to understand what the word blessed means. Because Jesus uses this word blessed and it means to be happy. Happy. So you could uh replace the word blessed here in chapter number five and say happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are the mournful. I think everybody wants to be happy, right? >> Everybody wants to be happy. >> Nobody wants to be sad. Nobody wants to be down and out. Nobody wants to be a grump. Nobody wants to have a bad day. Everybody wants to be happy. Everybody wants to be blessed, right? And so for the world and maybe even for us, we we get our definition of happiness and blessedness a little confused. Perhaps we think that happiness looks like being rich, being powerful. Maybe it looks like being popular, having a large platform. large a large amount of followers. It's having influence. Maybe we want happiness or blessing to be found in our circumstance. We want to be comfortable. We don't want to uh be down and out. We don't want to be roughing it. We want to be comfortable. We want things to be manageable. And so, we want to be happy, right? Everybody wants to be happy. And that's that's really the gospel of the age. Change the circumstance and everything's going to be better on the inside. >> If I can change the circumstance of my life, move things around, go to a different place, find this, get that, have this, go there, get rid of that, then I'll be happy or be blessed. And so when Jesus uses this word here at the beginning of the sermon of the mount, he is saying blessed, to be happy, to be blissful, to be well off. But he uses this word in a way that we wouldn't think we would probably begin, blessed are those who have everything, and theirs will be the kingdom of heaven. Right? Blessed are those WHO HAVE IT GOING THEIR way and theirs is the kingdom of heaven. >> But that's not how Jesus uses this word blessed because he wants us to understand that to be in this kingdom that he is going to be king over that the realm of this kingdom has is living by a different standard. There's a different measurement of how we view blessing, blessed or happiness, being in the kingdom. And pastor set it up today. He talked about being born again, the message, the gospel of entering into the kingdom. That when you enter into the kingdom, now understand this. Please understand that when we are born again, it is more than just simply being rescued from our sin. And that is true. Yes, that is that is very true that we we are rescued from our sin. We are rescued from the condemnation of sin. But there's more than that. Sometimes we we just think that this blessing, this kingdom life is simply about my spiritual well-being. And it is. But there's more than that. Yes. >> It's understanding that circumstance really doesn't influence how I view the world. >> That's what Jesus wants us to understand. That in this upside down world that he gives us, and really it's not upside down, it's upside because sin has turned the world upside down. That's right. >> And so, he wants us to see things in a different way. So when he opens this up, he says, "Blessed, blessed, happy. This is what we want. We want." And so what it says here, the crowds have gathered around him. What crowds? What What kind of people are around him? The down and out, the broken, the weary, the sick, those who are really the outcasts of society have gathered around Jesus. AND WHEN JESUS SAYS, "HAPPY, BLESSED." Everybody's like, "That's what I want. That's give me that." Now picture this Jesus going up into a mountain. That's why it's called the sermon on the mount. This mountain and he begins to preach or to teach. He gives them the sermon on the mount. Up until this point in Matthew's gospel, very little is recorded about what Jesus said. Basically what we have recorded early in the chapters is basically this. Repent and believe. Enter into the kingdom. It's very short phrases. And now we have the explanation. Picture Moses going up Mount Si to receive the law. Right? This is what Matthew is doing. Matthew is giving us a picture of two things. That the the kingdom of heaven is here. That Jesus is the king of the Jews and he is king of kings overall. Right? That this is he is the king. He says this over and over again. But not only that is that if a king has come and he's going to rule over a kingdom, there must be a law to live by. Right? So picture Jesus going up this mountain and then on the other side of your brain, picture Moses going up to the mountain after Israel has left Egypt, right? After Israel has left Egypt, mountain goes Moses goes up the mountain to receive the law. And the law is made up of what? Blessing and cursing, >> right? Do this and be blessed. Do that and be cursed. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING to let God be your king, there is a way to live in this kingdom. There's blessing and there's cursing. So Jesus here in Matthew, Matthew wants us to see that he is the king. And now as he ascends this mountain, he is giving us a new law and it begins NOT WITH CURSING >> BUT WITH BLESSING. >> You're not hearing me. >> Hallelujah. Understand that when he is saying happiness, blessing, blessedness, this is yours in this kingdom, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE WAY TO BLESSING. AND THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BASED upon your circumstance. >> You're going to view favor, blessing, happiness in a way that THE WORLD DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. Let me just give you a little example of this. that you can be broke, no money in your bank account, >> but you're in the kingdom >> and you can still say, "I'm blessed." >> Amen. >> You see, you can you can have you have you could HAVE RECEIVED A BAD DOCTOR'S REPORT this week, but since you're in the kingdom and Jesus is my king, I realize that he's king not only over my life, but he's also king over death. AND SO EVEN THOUGH I GOT A BAD DOCTOR'S REPORT, I'm still blessed. You're not hearing me tonight. THAT'S WHY LISTEN, IT'S NOT MY MY RESPONSE IS NOT BASED UPON MY CIRCUMSTANCE. YOU SEE, THE WORLD says I'm having a bad day, so I'm going to be IN A BAD MOOD. BUT NOT THE BELIEVER, NOT THE BELIEVER IN THE KINGDOM. WHY? BECAUSE I'M VIEWING BLESSING AND FAVOR AND HAPPINESS THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS. THAT NO MATTER WHAT COMES MY WAY, BROTHER BUTLER, IS THAT I'M STILL BLESSED. >> >> OH, somebody's going to help me preach tonight. I'VE COME TO TELL SOMEBODY, DON'T WHEN YOU ARE IN THE KINGDOM AND JESUS IS KING, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NO MATTER WHAT COMES MY WAY, I'M STILL BLESSED. >> WHY? BECAUSE MY KING IS STILL ON THE THRONE. He's Lord overall. He's King overall, and I'm blessed. >> Oh, yeah. Why is it that brother Kevin and sister Tiara are still coming to church after a terrible passing of sister of sister Eve? WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE BLESSED. >> They know that it's not over. THEY KNOW THAT THEIR KING IS STILL LORD OVER DEATH. COME ON, SOMEBODY. THAT SHE'S SOMEWHERE IN A NEW kingdom somewhere WITH HER. OH, COME ON, SOMEBODY. IT DOESN'T M WHY ARE THE BOSS STILL HERE COMING UP IN WORSHIP AND SINGING IN THE CHOIR AND SERVING? WHY? WHY? BECAUSE WE'RE BLESSED. WHY? BECAUSE HE'S STILL GOD. COME ON, SOMEBODY. I'M STILL GOING TO WORSHIP HIM. I'M STILL GOING TO PRAISE HIM, NOT BECAUSE OF MY CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT BECAUSE I'M BLESSED. I wish somebody praise him right now. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD BLESS HIM RIGHT NOW. THAT'S WHAT BLESSING IS. THAT'S WHAT THE KINGDOM IS. I WISH SOMEBODY was going to give him some praise. My God, I'M IN THE KINGDOM AND I'M BLESSED. When you don't get the promotion, >> you're still blessed. >> WHEN YOU'RE STILL FIGHTING PAIN, I'm still blessed. >> When the world looks at YOU AND SAYS, "HOW ARE YOU STILL CLAIMING THIS HAPPINESS?" You have to tell them, "I'm living in a different kingdom." >> I'm not living like everybody ELSE BECAUSE I'M NOT SERVING A king like everybody else. >> This kingdom, my king, rules over all >> and he's good no matter Come on. Just because you have you have a bad day does not mean God has a bad day. >> RIGHT? >> JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT STUCK IN A TRAFFIC jam on the way to work does not mean you're not blessed still. >> Come on, somebody. We have to understand WE ARE BLESSED NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE. THAT'S WHAT JESUS IS TRYING TO GET US TO understand when he begins this sermon. He says, "Blessed, >> hallelujah, >> happy." >> That's what we want, right? >> We want blessing. WE WANT FAVOR. WE WANT ALL THE THINGS. >> But Jesus is going to show us that it's not going to come the way that we might think it. IT'S IT'S BACKWARDS. IT'S UPSIDE DOWN. It's in the reverse. >> I need two helpers. Where's Lucas? Where's Lucas at? Lucas there. Come on, Lucas. And give me Dax. All right, they're going to help me tonight. Give it up for Lucas. This is the man. You wouldn't believe the basketball player this dude is, but I I'm really impressed with his piano playing skills. Come on, somebody. And here, look at this brawn of a man here. Look at this. I can hide behind him and I, as large as I am, I can hide behind him and you can see me. Isn't this amazing? Come over here. Now, they're going to help me. You stay right here for a second. Now, Jesus begins the sermon on the mount. Look at this. Verse three. Throw that up there. Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So, there's that word blessed. It does not mean what we would think it means, right? Happiness, blessing, favor. And then he gives us another word here, poor. Now in your brain, what do you think of when you think of poor? I did this. I preached this at school on a Friday and somebody in like third grade hollers out, "Broke." Somebody knew what broke meant. Poor means to be broke. Somebody else that day was so funny. AND SOMEBODY SAID, "BAD JOB." I WAS LIKE, "ALL RIGHT. Somebody has overheard mom and dad. When we think of poor, we think of empty cupboards. We think of low bank account, no bank account. Uh when we think of poor, we think of broke, right? Well, there is a word for that in the New Testament. There is a word for that in the in the in the old in the New Testament and the Old Testament, too. Both Hebrew and Greek. And it means somebody who's worked hard and still lives paycheck to paycheck, lives close to the edge. They're keep things that are just tight tight budget. That's not the word that Jesus uses here. Jesus uses a different word for poor here. So before we romanticize being broke, somebody would say, "Sell all you have and give to the poor." Jesus said that, but not to everybody, but to one person. Don't glorify poor being broke. That's not what the point here. Jesus uses a different word for poor here. And that word means to crouch or cower. So Lucas is going to be my poor in spirit. So I want you to keep put your head down. Just going to bend over. Put your hands out like this. All right. Now just bend those knees a little bit. There we go. Yeah. Just get a little lower here. All right. A little lower. All right. Let's get those hamstrings really nice and, you know, achy here. All right. Just, you know, just There we go. Just to cower, to crouch. This is He's going to feel he's going to jump higher next week. Somebody from basketball team. I'm helping you out. Okay. So, this is what Jesus means here. He doesn't mean low bank account. He is saying blessed or happy are the poor in spirit. And so he says he's using this word poor to crouch or to beg to be beggarly or wretched or broken. It is somebody. It is a state. It is a state. It is not simply a circumstance. It is a state. Won't you just go ahead and get down? I know those hammies are burning right now. There we go. And so he he's he's Jesus says to be poor in spirit is to enter. Now look at this. This is the first beatitude before we can be meek. Before we can hunger, BEFORE ANY OF THAT, THIS IS THE OPENING. This is THE FIRST STEP. THIS IS THE DOOR. This is the gate to the rest of the sermon on the mount for the rest OF THE BIATITUDES. YOU BEGIN HERE. Go ahead and just let's just go ahead and get all the way down here. All right. that this sit down and help. There we go. I feel better. You all were worried. This is what to enter into this kingdom is to enter into the kingdom understanding I am at the end of myself. >> I am empty. I am broken. I DO NOT HAVE WHAT I need. I am missing something. Jesus says, "HAPPY, BLESSED ARE THE POOR, the wretched in spirit." THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS. WHAT POSTURE IS THIS? WHAT WHAT what position is this? Is it not repentance? Is it not is it not simply coming to him in humility? >> Yes. >> There's a story that Jesus tells. Two men enter into the temple courts. ONE COMES in and says, "Father, Lord of heaven, I am so glad I am not like this tax collector. I fast. I pray. Lord, you are blessed that I'm even here." And then there's another one who says who can't even lift up his head. He says, "Have mercy upon me. I'm wretched and broken." So over here, if this is humility and this is repentance and this is the poor in spirit over here, I'm not picking on Dax. Put your Put those Put those guns up. We have those guns up. All right. I want you to These are for real. Okay. He's the He's wearing green like he's the Hulk right here. All right. Okay. That's great. But put Yeah. sun's out, guns out here. All right. Shoulders back, head up. All right. This is It's just a picture of pride. I'm not saying that, but for the sake of illustration that THIS IS PRIDE. I don't need anything. I'M I'M I'VE PICKED MYSELF up by my own bootstraps. I'VE MADE SOMETHING OF MYSELF. I DON'T NEED ALL THAT FAITH STUFF. I DON'T NEED ALL that worship stuff, that emotionalism. The Bible says in James, and Peter says it in his first letter, too, that God gives grace to the humble, >> but resists the proud. >> Now, the word resist there is not like that. God goes, "Oh, I must overlook that on your resume. Oh, you got all the all the attributes that I need, but oh, this little flaw here called pride. I'll overlook it. That's not what that word resist mean. It's like a military. It's a military term. Like the troops are set up against another enemy that God resists. He is so against IT. THAT GOD HAS SET UP HIMSELF AGAINST THE PROUD. HE RESISTS IT. HE WILL NOT LET THIS KINGDOM, THIS KINGDOM THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN, PRIDE HAS NO PLACE HERE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE KINGDOM, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BLESSING, if you're GOING TO HAVE HAPPINESS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE ALL THE THINGS FROM THIS KING, YOU HAVE TO COME in this way. But you cannot come in this way. >> THERE IS NO PLACE, LISTEN TO ME NOW. THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE KINGDOM FOR SOMEBODY GO, I'm not going to worship. I'm strong. I'm tough. I'm not going to I'm not going to repent. I DON'T NEED ALL THAT. GUESS WHAT? YOU WON'T GET IT. HE IS RESISTING YOU. HE HAS HE HAS HE HAS GOT A BARRIER AGAINST YOU. HE WILL NOT EVEN LOOK YOUR WAY BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN COME INTO THE KINGDOM. THE ONLY WAY THAT he will accept you in the KINGDOM IS TO COME IN this way. >> You come in this way saying, "Well, do you know who I am? >> Do you know how many generations before me have served you? I'm of Abraham's seed. >> Don't you I'm 15th generation Pentecost and this has been my church before I was guess what you have to enter in this way too. >> You ain't hearing me. >> GOD DOES NOT LISTEN. PAUL SAID, "I AM I AM FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN. I am a I am a Hebrew of Hebrews. I am learned. I am educated. I'm a rabbi. I'm a teacher. I've got the degrees, BUT PAUL SAID THIS. I COUNT IT as dung. >> Refuse. I I I DON'T WANT WHY? BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T WANT THAT. GOD WANTS ME TO SAY, "LEAVE YOUR RESUME. LEAVE YOUR HERITAGE. LEAVE ALL OF THAT BEHIND." BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME INTO THE KINGDOM, YOU MUST COME IN POOR IN SPIRIT. >> I don't want to do that. I'm I'm strong. I I'VE GOT IT ALL TOGETHER. THERE'S A LOT listen there's a lot of people listen to me now. There's a lot of people who will not How can I say this the right way? They will not experience salvation because they refuse to admit they're wrong. They refuse to admit, "I need help." >> There's a Listen to me now. There's a lot of Christians, apostolics, Pentecostals who will not get what they need from Jesus because they're so afraid of what everybody will think of them if they come to an altar. >> If they lift up their hand, what will my kids think? They'll think you're my God, you're a spiritual man if you lift up your hands. >> Come on, somebody. What will What will they think if I come up to THE ALTAR? THEY'LL THINK THAT YOU'RE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US WHO ARE IN NEED OF GRACE AND MERCY. I'M POINTING TO I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO THE KINGDOM and to have this king reign OVER YOUR LIFE IS TO PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN, PUT YOURSELF DOWN AND SAY, I'M GOING TO SUBMIT to him and I'm GOING TO ADMIT THAT I AM I am wrong. I'M GOING TO ADMIT THAT I need something. I'M AT THE END of myself and I DON'T CARE WHO SEES ME. I DON'T CARE WHO HEARS ME. I NEED THE KING MORE THAN I need everybody else's approval. >> I wish somebody would praise him right now. >> Give me I'm almost I'm almost done with these two. Give me Psalm 34. I think I sent that to you. If I didn't, I I apologize. Here we go. Now, look at this. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. >> God is attracted to a broken heart. >> He is not standing aloof. He's not somewhere in some cosmic closet somewhere looking down upon us when we're having a bad day or having a bad moment. No, he is near us and comes near. He is not turned off by our brokenness. He is attracted to our brokenness. >> We must enter in this poor in spirit. Would you give it up for Dax and would you give it up for Lucas? Thank y'all so much. I'm almost done. Thank you, brother. Now, >> two things and I'm done. >> Remorse is not the same thing as repentance. >> Say it again. Remorse is not the same thing as repentance. Remorse is I got caught and you regret the consequence of your action. >> Repentance is owning up to it >> and asking for forgiveness. Saul and David both said the same three things, same three words. I have sinned. Saul and David both said that. Saul said, I have sinned. Now therefore, honor me before the people. But he said when he is confront When Saul is confronted by the prophet Samuel for disobedience, I believe God would have forgiven him right on the spot had he said, "Forgive me. I was in the wrong here. I'm so sorry. Please, please offer a sacrifice on my behalf." But that's not what he said. He said, "I have sinned. Now honor me before all the people." David when he is confronted by the prophet Nathan, he says, "I have sinned and he breaks down and cries out." We have Psalm 51. That is the prayer that David pray. And what is he said? If God, I'm paraphrasing, if I could offer a bull or a sacrifice, I would do it. But that's not what you want. You want a broken and contrite spirit. When you realize I am in need of him, he comes and begins to put you back together. >> Last one. In Ruth, the book of Ruth, musicians, get ready. In Ruth, the book of Ruth, we're met with this woman by the name of Naomi, her husband and her and her her sons in the middle of a famine in Bethlehem. And Bethlehem means house of bread. It's a place of plenty. Plenty of grain to make bread. That's what they're known for. Still to this day known for that. But during a famine, Naomi and her husband take their their sons to a place called Moab, thinking that Moab is the place that they'll find fulfillment, sustenance, that they're going to receive what they need. But what happens is they don't get what they need. They lose more than they had when they left Bethlehem in the first place. Her husband dies, her sons die, and all she has is herself and her two daughters-in-law. And when she hears that God has visited his people in Bethlehem, she decides, I need to go back. Ruth is the one daughter-in-law who is going to go with her. I think I sent that to you. Ruth, I think is it four. Put that up there. Oh. Oh. One. Chapter one. This is what Naomi says as she returns to Bethlehem. I went out full. I I went out full. I thought I I had it all. I thought I I was making the right decision. And this is taking place in the time of the judges where every man does what is right in their own eyes. I I I WENT OUT FULL WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD IT ALL TOGETHER. When I thought I had everything in place in my life and I I had no other I don't need anything else. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty. I went out full and I'm back empty. I went out. A lot of people who backslide backslide full. >> Yes. >> People who forsake the faith are usually full of what? Themselves. >> Their their good circumstance. Right. That's another sermon for another day, I guess. >> I went out full, but now I'm back and I'm empty. Here's what Naomi is saying. When I am at the end of myself, when I realize I I am empty and I have great need of him, that's when I will be full. But when I am full, I have no other place for him in my life. So this is what Jesus says here. And it's the same principle that Jesus is giving us in verse number three of the sermon on the mount. The very gate, the door, the first step of the rest of biatitudes of the sermon on the mount that if you are going to come into the kingdom, you've got to come in emptyhanded. >> You cannot come in with your accomplishments. You cannot come in with your pedigree. You cannot come in with your position. You cannot none of that is going to matter when you come to him. You come to him poor in spirit. >> Stand with me. What does he say? What What's the promise? What's the promise? Look at it. What's the promise? This is amazing. Blessed are the poor in spirit. For there's look at this little word here is is the kingdom of heaven. It's a little thing to look at here. The sermon on the mount the beatitude that open the sermon on the mount. The first one is blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The ones that follow are this shall be, shall inherit, shall be satisfied, shall receive, shall see God, shall be called. The last the first one and the last one is this is it's a present reality that we get to experience right now. It is the present tense because being poor in spirit is not a onetime experience. It is an everyday reality. >> What do I want to receive what I don't have? I don't have what he is going to give me. everything else is is not going to fulfill me. It's I've talked about that I think one of my last sermons is that things of this earth are not going to fulfill us. But what we get in return by being poor in spirit is more than what we could ever ask for. >> It goes so far beyond our mind and our intelligence, beyond our our thinking and even our expectations. Let me ask you this and you answer it in your spirit. Are you in better shape today, living for Jesus, him reigning and ruling in your life than when you were in the world living for yourself? Are you in are you in be are you in better shape today? >> Than you were when you were in the world. I know the answer. It's why you're here on a Sunday night. >> Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. Sometimes we can get all we get distracted and think, well, if I just had this and I just have that. No, I'm telling you, you have everything right here in him. This brothers and sisters is how we are going to enter into the kingdom. Come on now. That the kingdom where Jesus is king and he's ruling over all changes our perspective on everything. And sometimes we need a perspective change, don't we? Sometimes we need to put on new glasses. If you're like me, you need to change your prescription because things I'm starting I've noticed this about myself as I'm in my midish 40s. I'm having to do this even with my glasses on. >> It's not it's not great. That's not a great feeling to do that. You know, >> you're like, "Is that right?" And I'm hoping like nobody sees me like, "Oh my goodness." But sometimes we need a perspective change. >> Some We need to realize that we've got it better than the world. >> We've got it better. If we're not careful, listen to me. I'm almost done. I promise. I think it was Asaf. He says, "I look at the world in this psalm." He said, "I look at the world and I look at the evil and they they have it all together. They've got have all the they're they're they disobey you. I'm paraphrasing. They're they they they don't live for you and they still they they still they prosper. The wicked are prospering. Lord, why? I'm living for you and I'm seeing them prosper. And then he says this, but when I came into the house of the Lord, >> I remembered their end. So, what does that mean? That my ends, oh, come on. My present might not be that great, but my end's going to be great. Come on, somebody. Ah, I need a perspective change that in the kingdom, there's blessing and happiness and favor, and it doesn't look like the world's blessing and favor, BUT I'VE GOT A KING WHO'S IN control of everything. Would you lift up your hands right now? Would you lift up your voice right now? Maybe somebody needs to come to him crouched over. Maybe not necessarily physically, but spiritually saying, "Lord, I want to be poor in spirit." I wonder if we'd leave the confines of our seats and our pews tonight and say, "Lord, I'm coming to you at the end of myself. Lord, I'm coming to you. I want to be repentant. I want to be poor in spirit. Lord, I need to change my perspective, oh God, of the kingdom. change my perspective on blessing and favor and happiness. Come on. I need to be reminded, oh God, of where I am and where you brought me from, oh God. >> Lord, don't resist me because of my pride. And >> don't resist me, oh God, because of my hardness of my heart and my callous spirit. But let me be broken before you. >> You're nigh. You're near the broken heart. >> That's what it is to be poor in spirit. I want to be poor in spirit because there's is the kingdom of heaven. It's a present reality. Come on. Would you lift up your voice? >> Oh yes. Oh yes. I need you Jesus. Oh >> I need you. >> Come on. Would you just lift up your voice? Maybe you need to be broken before him for a little bit, for a moment. Come on. Here I am. >> Here I am, worshiping you. >> With all I am, >> all I am worshiping you, >> bowing down, >> bowing down in spirit and truth with lifted hands. Worship. >> Here I am. Here I am worshiping you. I am >> all I am worshiping you. >> Bowing down. >> Bowing down. >> Oh truth. Lift your hand. worshiping you. >> Come on, sing it. Oh, I'm going to worship you. >> Come on. Would you say that? >> Come on. I want to be pouring spirit because he's worthy. >> I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship. >> Come on, somebody. Just break your heart before you. >> I'm not going to worship myself. >> I'm not going to worship myself. I'm not going to worship the world. I'm going to worship you, oh God. >> Lord, I'm going to serve you. Come on. Come on. Right now. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship forever. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship. I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship you. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship you. >> Going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you forever. I'm going to worship you. I'm going to worship you. >> I'm going to worship you forever. >> I'm going to worship you. >> Going to worship you. I want to worship. I'm going to worship you. >> Oh, here I am. >> Here I am. >> Worshiping you. >> Oh, I am. >> Oh, I am worshiping you. >> Bowing down in spirit truth. Worship me. >> Lift up your hands. Father, >> in the name of Jesus, we're coming to you, oh God. Poor in spirit. God, we don't want to be prideful. We don't want to be the proud that you resist and set up against, oh God. But we want to come to you, oh God, with humility. You give grace to the humble. You give grace to the broken. And I pray, Father, right now that you would forgive us of our sins. Forgive us of our pride. God, forgive us of every sin and every wrongdoing. Every word that we've said, that's sinful, every gossiping word, God. every lustful thought, everything that we've had in our hearts, God, that would that would that would push you away, that would separate us from you, I pray that you would forgive us tonight, God, as we enter into your kingdom this week, God, as we declare your kingdom and you are the king. Help us, God, to realize that we are blessed, Lord, that we are blessed because you are our king and we are serving you, not because we're worthy, but because you are worthy. and out of your good pleasure, you brought us into your kingdom. And I pray that you would help us to live, oh God, for you through your word and by your spirit in the name of Jesus. Bring us back at the next appointed time this week, Father, and help us be a light in the world. In the name of Jesus, we pray. And everyone said, "Amen." Now, clap your hands onto the Lord. Hallelujah. Greet your neighbor. We'll see you Wednesday night. Wednesday night for worship in the word. Don't forget all of our announcements. Invite people to our fall fest and trunk retreat this Friday night, 6:30. We'll see you Wednesday night.