Jan. 14pm, 2001      Blessed are those who Mourn.      Mat. 5

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

 Remember who you are.  Who am I as a Christian? If you can remember who you are then you will know what you are not.  You will remember what you have and what you have not.  You will remember who you Father is.  You will know where you are going and what you are supposed to be doing these years and days of your life.    

What is mourning?  Deep sorrow, great concern is mourning.  The opposite is:  insensitivity, unconcern, and callousness.  A mourner has a tender and sensitive heart.  It is good to become a mourner. 

  Scripture Text:  Matt 5:1 (KJS) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

World’s Standards:  Blessed are those who party, for they will enjoy life to the fullest. 

Four Different kinds of Mourning:  Can it good to mourn? 

1.  Mourning of Inadequacy:  We have to be weak to become strong.  We have to realize we are foolish before we can be wise.  We need to have a contrite heart realizing our inadequacy.  Psalm 34:18 The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

2.      Mourning of Repentance:  We must realize that sins are sins not illnesses.  With the Lord’s view of sin we can begin to realize how it effects our relationship with God and how that the result of sin is death.  Sin separates us from the Lord who loves us and created us.  He longs to be with us, but sin prevents him from having us as his very own.  We need to have a Godly sorrow for our sin.  2Cor 7:10 (KJS) For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.Joel 2:12  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

3.      Mourning of Love:  When we have the tender heart of a mourner we care about others.  We care about the lost the lonely and the least. 

4.      Mourning of Bereavement:  The wages of sin is death, so then we all have experienced the loss of life in our homes and families.  Death, divorce, disease, and disaster are just a few of the enemies that we must learn how to deal with the losses in life.     

  I have lost my husband, but I am not supposed to mourn.   I have lost my children; they don't know to whom they belong.    I have lost my relatives; they do not approve.    I have lost his relatives; they blame me.    I have lost my friends; they don't know how to act.    I feel I have lost my church; do they think I have sinned too much?

   I am afraid of the future,    I am ashamed of the past,    I am confused about the present.    I am so alone,    I feel so lost.    God, please stay by me, You are all I have left. By Doris Mae Golberg, Rochester, MN

 How are we be comforted?

1.      We must be comforted by the fact that God is in control.  Remember his promises.

2.      We must be comforted by the fact that God knows and does what is best for his children

3.      We must be comforted by the fact that God rose from the dead on the third day. 

Those who don’t mourn will not be comforted.  

1Cor 15:54 (NIV) When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  55 "Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?"

All these questions have the same answer.

   What is it that gives a widow courage as she stands beside a fresh grave?

   What is the ultimate hope of the cripple, the amputee, the abused, the burn victim?

   How can the parents of brain-damaged or physically handicapped children keep from living their entire lives totally and completely depressed?

   Why would anyone who is blind or deaf or paralyzed be encouraged when they think of the life beyond?

   How can we see past the martyrdom of some helpless hostage or devoted missionary?

   Where do the thoughts of a young couple go when they finally recover from the grief of losing their baby?

   When a family receives the tragic news that a little daughter was found dead or their dad was killed in a plane crash or a son overdosed on drugs, what single truth becomes their whole focus?

   What is the final answer to pain, mourning, senility, insanity, terminal diseases, sudden calamities, and fatal accidents?

By now you've guessed correctly: the hope of bodily resurrection.

   The story is told of a man in China who raised horses for a living. When one of his prized stallions ran away, his friends gathered at his home to mourn his great loss.  After they had expressed their concern, the man raised this question: "How do I know whether what happened is bad or good?"   A couple days later the runaway horse returned with several strays following close behind.  The same acquaintances again came to his house -- this time to celebrate his good fortune.  "But how do I know whether it's good or bad?" the old gentleman asked them. That very afternoon the horse kicked the owner's son and broke the young man's leg.  Once more the crowd assembled -- now to express their sorrow over the incident.  "But how do I know if this is bad or good?"  the father asked again.  Well, only a few days later, war broke out. The man's son, however, was exempted from the military service because of his broken leg.  Yes, you guessed it, the friends again gathered -- but we'll stop the story there.  You can easily see how it could go on and on.  This tale points out that from our limited human perspective, it's impossible to know with certainty how to interpret the experiences of life.