Developing Spiritual Growth

1. Developing Spiritual Growth Spring 2006 Pastor Marvin McKenzie Lesson 10

2. THOSE THAT MOURN • Jesus says, “Blessed are they that mourn.” • In perhaps more straightforward language it says, “Happy are they that are sad.” • Our world system says, “Happy are they that are happy.” • And so, people today are driven with a lust for happiness. • Entertainment, • Recreation, • Thrill seeking, and • pleasure oriented industries • Are the hot items on the markets today.

3. THOSE THAT MOURN • I. DIFFERENT KINDS OF MOURNING • There is a kind of mourning that is proper and healthy; • The general sorrow that a person feels for instance at the death of a loved one. Abraham experienced this when Sarah died Gen 23:2. • There is a mourning over loneliness, • especially when we feel like God is not close Ps. 42:2-3. • There is a mourning over a disappointment • Jer. 9:1.

4. THOSE THAT MOURN • Grief, mourning, tears and sorrow are a part of life on this planet. It can be very healthy to grieve and mourn over the tragedies and trials of life. • However, there is also a kind of mourning that is improper. For instance, there are some who mourn and break down over tragedies to the point that they sometimes can't function. • It is wrong and a poor testimony for a Christian to allow themselves to be so overwhelmed by despair that they make themselves sick and unable to manage normal living because of it. Christ has the strength and ability to get you through these things.

5. THOSE THAT MOURN • Amnon mourned improperly for his sister in 2 Sam 13. His desire was to abuse her sexually, and he mourned over the wish to the point that others could see it • Ahab mourned over a desire to own the vineyard of Naboth. A piece of property that God said could not be sold. 1 Kings 21:4. • His covetous type of mourning eventually led to Ahab's wife killing Naboth so Ahab could take his property.

6. THOSE THAT MOURN • In 2 Sam 15-20, David's son Absalom tried to take the kingdom from him. Absalom was killed in the conflict and David began to cry out, "would to God that Absalom were alive and I had died.“ • David's mourning for his son was ok, but his desire in the passage was nonsensical. Absalom would have been a horrible leader of the children of Israel, and he deserved what happened to him • So there are types of mourning that are proper and healthy, there are other types that are improper and unhealthy.

7. HOW DO WE BECOME POOR IN SPIRIT? • II. GODLY MOURNING/SORROW. A. 2 Cor 7:10 • "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (KJV) • There are two words here that are key to understanding this type of sorrow; • Repentance, and • Death.

8. THOSE THAT MOURN • The godly kind of sorrow and the mourning that Jesus says leads to happiness is a sorrow and mourning over sin which leads to repentance and which in turn leads to forgiveness for the sin, and spiritual life. • The other types of sorrow, whether proper and healthy or not do not lead to life. At the best, they help us with our emotional losses, but they do not help us spiritually or eternally.

9. THOSE THAT MOURN • B. Psalm 32:1-5. • David had sinned with Bathsheba, and this Psalm details the steps that David went through to get right with God afterwards. • It begins by saying, "Blessed are those that are forgiven." • True happiness is not in entertainment, or things. Happiness is found in the realization that God has forgiven us and that we have a right relationship with God. • Verse 3."when I kept silence...". • David had tried to cover up his sins for a time. He had even had Bathsheba's husband sent to a part of the battle field that he was sure to die in an effort to conceal his sin. • He married Bathsheba, and tried to hide what he had done, but David said his bones waxed old through it all. • Verse 4, David admitted that God's hand was heavy on him night and day. • He could not escape the guilt and condemnation that he was sensing for his sin. • Verse 5. But then he confessed that sin to God and He was forgiven and the happiness came flooding in! • He still had to pay for his sin, but he now knew that things were right with God. The blessed people of this world are those that mourn over and repent of, and confess their sins to God.

10. THOSE THAT MOURN • III. WHAT GOOD DOES MOURNING DO ME? • Jesus said, "blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." • Only those that mourn over their sins, can be forgiven and find comfort! • The word comfort means, "One who comes alongside" • And there are three sources of comfort.

11. THOSE THAT MOURN • A. The Holy Spirit. • John 14:16. • It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us with our sin. But then it is the Holy Spirit who comes alongside and comforts us, assuring us that we are forgiven and things are right with us and God once we have confessed and repented of our sins.

12. THOSE THAT MOURN • B. The Bible • Romans 15:4. • The word of God never ministers to me more, than in those times when I am deeply troubled! • Sometimes, we are so busy with life that we don't think much about the things of God, and even when we do, it doesn't impact us much. • But in the times when I am under trial and difficulty, I can open the Bible and it comes alive.

13. THOSE THAT MOURN • C. The Lord himself. • Matt 11:28. • Jesus said in John 14:16 He would send another comforter, implying that He was a comforter too. One of the best verses in all of the Bible is Matt 11:28. • When we are heavy laden with the burden of our sins, we can come to Jesus and He will give us rest from them. • I am reminded of the passage where Jesus told the Pharisees that if that had admitted they were blind, they could have been helped, but because they said they could see, there was nothing He could do for their blindness.

14. THOSE THAT MOURN • Our world has things all mixed up. • It says "find happiness by doing things that make you happy. If it feels good, do it!" • Jesus says, "True happiness come from sorrowing and mourning over sin then God can send you comfort. And only then will you be deeply blessed and happy.