"Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
 Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court." Psalm 127:3-5

Parents' Responsibilities:

#1. Nourish their children.

"Fathers,do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

#2. Educate.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7

#3. Discipline.

"Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death." Proverbs 19:18

Lack of discipline will cause pain. Be a good example. 

"They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11

It isn't fun to discipline. God doesn't find great joy in disciplining us but He knows it is necessary.

The Truth about Children:

1. All children are born sinful. All people are born sinful.

 "As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;" Romans 3:10

2. All are rebellious.

"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away." Proverbs 22:15

Rebellion is natural to us all.

3. Self-Absorbed.

 "In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord." Genesis 4:3

Cain got angry at God rather than trying to do better or asking God what he needed to do to do it right. There is a natural selfishness built into us. You must learn to share and cooperate.

4. Children are pliable -- they seek influence.

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:102

Sometimes they grow in spite of us. They are seeking to be influenced. They will mimic you. 

5. The world is a dangerous place.

The world is getting worse and worse. We have to protect them. They will be under peer pressure to accept all that society accepts. We must be their strongest influece. We have to outvote all their peers.

"A discerning son heeds instruction,
    but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father." Proverbs 28:7

What is the prescription for good parenting?

1. Be right with God.

"By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:3-4

If you build a foundation and you don't follow through that foundation will crumble and be destroyed.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33

God has an answer. He will guide you. Just ask.

2. Be the example of what you want your children to be.

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
1 Peter 3:7

 "Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children," Titus 2:4

If parents abuse, the children will abuse. What we are is reflected in our children. Love between parents is so important. Have an open relationship with your kids. If you mess up, apologize.

3. Examples we should be:

"He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect." 1 Timothy 3:4

"Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Proverbs 10:17

Sheep go astray. Lambs don't. They follow the sheep. The children are watching. We all are responsible.

Practice what you preach!

1. Start Early:

If you let them develop bad habits you have to get rid of these first before you can start training.

2. Discipline.

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him." Deuteronomy 8:5-6

3. Be Consistent.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a] Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

4. Stay in the Community of the Church.

"For lack of guidance a nation falls,
    but victory is won through many advisers." Proverbs 11:14

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

You're not alone. We're here to support each other. The world is going down and Jesus is coming back. Live in expectation of Jesus returning. Be a safe place for each other. Seek the family.

"Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7

We have a tendency to panic and fear. This doesn't need to be how we react. God gives us a better way.

Why should we fear God?

3 kinds of Biblical fear:
Terror: fear of the power of God
Respect: as a servant servicing a master.
Reverence: Understanding who He is and who we are.

Reverence is a deep, deep respect. Knowing who God is, who we are -- what God is capable of.

The benefits of fearing God (as in the reverence kind):
1. Hate Evil.
"To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech." Proverbs 8:13

The world has a problem of saying something is evil -- like sin. We need to look at the world through God's view. We get understanding when we look with God's perspective.

2. Live a "Long" Life (abundant, full life)
"The fear of the Lord adds length to life,
    but the years of the wicked are cut short." Proverbs 10:27

When God disciplines us He is loving us.
 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all." Hebrews 12:7-8

"Because He said so" is somehting we should accept from God.

Healthy vs. unhealthy fear:

Healthy fear: "Good judgment wins favor,
    but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction." Proverbs 13:15

Unhealthy fear: "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”" Genesis 3:8-10

Unhealthy fear can be based in shame or blame or condemnation.

We continue to hide in sin. You can't hide anything from God. 

Godly sorrow vs Worldly Sorrow:

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Choose Him or don't choose Him. Admitting sin is uncomfortable. We have a choice on what or who we fear. We can fear God or fear people. If I hide the good news from other people, if I don't share the "Cure" to fallenness, I am a coward, a selfish coward (those are Jane's words speaking to herself). 

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33

Those verses should scare us!
When we fear God we don't need to fear anything or anyone else. If we fear the world more than we fear God we distance ourselves from Jesus.

Jesus came to bring us home.

 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." Matthew 12:30

Am I gathering or scattering?

It's not multiple choice. It's true or false. Is there something stopping us from living for God?

The fear of God leads to a life of fearlessness! Halleluia!!

"The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23

If we find contentment in God everything will be provided. We serve a living God who is here right now.

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;" Psalm 103:11-13

"For those who fear Him" has to be part of the equation. It's okay to "rock the boat." It's okay to "stand alone." If you fear God, He'll take care of everything. We need not to have any fear of Satan or the future:

"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them." 1 John 5:18

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

God is a jealous God. He won't let anyone take you from HIm.

#1. Everything we do is seen by God.
#2. If I repent God will take care of me.
#3 We have to choose to fear God and not people. God or people. That's it.

Who do you choose to fear?

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Background for before Matthew 13 when the parables begin:

Sabbath is a day of rest. Jesus was again confronted by the Pharisees about Him breaking "their" rules. He had been giving them two years of direct quotes from Scriputre. He had to have constant arguments with the Pharisees. He healed on the Sabbath and all they could think is that he broke "their" rule. He finally was just done with them and their hard-heartedness. The parables were in a sense a kind of judgment on them.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12:30-32

"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Matthew 12:36-39

Why Parables?

Pride-- the mind of man: Science and theology and higher education. All these were created to bring us closer to God. But often man's pride will use them to feel like they are so important. Life becomes a theory, not a life application. When we are living in theories rather than really living there is a problem. 

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
1 Corinthians 1:21-27

It's not about how smart you are, it's about how much God loves us.

Parables fulfil prophecy

"In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:14-15

Jesus is done arguing with them.

Parables: they are all reflections of the kingdom of God. It's all about the heart -- the soils parables. Parables -- unfinished, not logical. 

"I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—" Psalm 78:2

They aren't just stories. 

Parables show the spiritual kingdom to Believers.

"With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." Mark 4:33-34

Explanation to the disciples.

"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Matthew 13:16-17

Blessed are we. We get to see it all.

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:10-12

It's to us they were written. We have so much potential that is unrealized. Am I being a Jonah? When I use my own "wisdom" I'm being a fool.

What are the parables to us today?

Examples of the kingdom of God.

God wants us to be hungry for Him. Then we will seek Him.

Through the discernment of study and the Holy Spirit, understanding.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

An "If" passage...If you do____________you wil get_____________.

If you don't seek it you will never find it.

The tools I have don't work if I don't use them. We can't fake our way through. We have to get to be one with God. 

Are you seeking?

Is your heart soft enough, are your ears and eyes open?

Are you willing to surrender your own pride to see what the Spirit is revealing?

In faith, the answers are waiting for you. 

"Because I said so" from God is enough.
​

(This sermon and sermon notes are from Sunday, October 6th. I wasn't able to post it until today, Saturday, October 12th. I'll post tomorrow's sermon tomorrow. The following sermon was a really good sermon. I hope you get a chance to listen to it.)

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake." Psalm 23:1-3

God is constantly trying to restore us. Always. He's the God of restoration.

The whole world awaits restoration.

"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:19-22

Why do we need restoring?

1. Willful neglect. It will fall apart. Our souls get the same way. If we don't do the regular maintenance our souls need they will fall apart. Do we expose it to the world?
        Temptation -- the devil and his demons constantly looking to tear us down. Can steal our fruit and testimony.

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

Sheep are the most frustrating animals. They will stray. They fight their own best interests.We humans do the same thing. We will do things we know will damage us. God knows this. He knows sin would pull us from Him. David kept coming back to God (that is what we need to do). He accepted his sin and repented and came back to God. Surrender to temptation is a choice. 

2. Restoration from Complacency.  Complacent until loss occurs (physical, emotional or spiritual).  Shock of loss will do great damage to us if we aren't close to God.

"Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." John 16:20

The world will go on partying even when you have great loss. The difference is coping or hoping.

No one can restore something better than the original creator. Going back to the Creator for our restoration makes sense. There is no restoration without God.

The world tells us to cope. God tells us to hope. 

Everyday we are one day closer to death.  

Don't hold onto decay.

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" Mark 8:36

You can't buy salvation. God didn't heal Jesus on the cross. He resurrected Him. 

You can't fake the work.

3. Restoration from ourselves.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing." Psalm 23:1

We take God's beauty and destroy it. We are taking blessings from God and distort them. A constant walking away from God when we insist, "Me, me, me!"

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!"
2 Corinthians 5:17

Restoration is a process. We will always need His grace.

Be a mirror for God's joy. The world neeeds to see God's joy. Pleasure fades. It never lasts. Without God we have no security in the future. We were created for unification with God.

Joy comes from God. If we don't share our joy why would the world want what we have?

Every single promise from the world has a bill in the end.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:24-26

The promises of John 14 are found in verses, 2, 3 and 12:
"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" John 14:2

​"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

His disciples had been following Jesus for 3 years. They still didn't understand it all. They needed the Holy Spirit, the Path of Truth.

"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness," Exodus 34:6 (The Father)

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 (The Son)

 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you." John 14:15-17 (The Spirit)

From the Father to the Son to the Spirit to Us.

The Spirit is our Advocate. He is just as real as Jesus, just as real as Father. Also called Counselor, Friend. In Greek His role means: "Someone who will protect you and lay  you down in a warm bed when you need it."

The Human Condition: "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44  Naturally, we are liars.

The path to understanding the truth: "Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:24-26

The Wisdom: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me." John 15:26

He sent the Spirit -- we are never left alone to figure all this out ourselves.

First step is to believe:
"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." 1 Corinthians 1:21

 "always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7 -- without the Spirit we can't come to the truth.

Salvation leads to truth:  "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 timothy 2:3-4

The Spirit can act. Be saved, How do you get the Spirit? By accepting Jesus.

"After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." John 2:22 (Because they now had the Spirit)

We need the Spirit to understand the Wod.

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[a] 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth." 1 John 2:20-21

The promise of the Anointing:
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:12-15

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." 1 John 2:27

The Word of God -- The Whole Truth.

​When I listen I will learn. Get in touch with Spirit.

Slavery was acceptable and public in Bible times. Now it is hidden (most of the time). Today, we are talking about a different kind of slavery.​

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Paul is telling them to not go back to slavery. They'd (and we) have been freed already. Don't go back. Jesus set us free so we would be and stay free. There were people coming from Jerusalem who told the Galatian church members they needed to obey the Mosiac law. They were trying to add to the gospel.

Faith in Christ is our freedom.

"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2

Two Slaveries: Legalism and Sin

"You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:4-6

If you're trying to live by rules instead of by Grace and faith, you aren't living a life of faith. It's all about faith. It's easy to fall into rules/legalism. Humans like to control things, to control other peole. 

Legalism= the excessive adherence to law/formula/rules.

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.'" Galatians 5:7-9

Who cut in on you? Who got you off course? Why are you listening to them?

It doesn't take much to change something. Watch out for "bad yeast." Legalism, if it comes in, can take over quickly. Faith is so simple it confounds the wise. Don't go back to the law.

"For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14

Jesus completed the law.

Don't choose slavery.
 
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:32-36

Second slavery -- Slavery of Self-Indulgence (license)

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13

Stay on the path. Don't use your freedom to fall away. If you love Jesus you will keep His commandments (that is what He says). Sin harms me and those around me.

Here is a short list of the self-indulgent sins:

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

We are for or against Christ. We walk by the Spirit or by the flesh. Either or. We must surrender/yield to the Spirit.

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a]you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Galatians 5:16-18

The Judge is the Judge. He judges right from wrong. We condemn ourselves. God never condemns. We choose Him or condemnation. We condemn ourselves when we don't choose Jesus. 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:22-24

That is a life walking by the Spirit.

Self-control and love go hand in hand. Our joy will come through loving and serving others. Be joyful!

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

It's easy to see someone is out of step because he or she eventually walks away. Correct them in love. If you aren't in step you're walking away. Keep in step with the Spirit. It is all behind us in less we stand still -- then the junk wil catch up with us. 

Hold on! He is coming!!

'Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’" Revelation 2:24-25

Mount vs. Plain:
Beatitudes are written in the 3rd person.
The Sermon on the Plain is written in the 2nd person.

"He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all." Luke 6:17-19

3 types of people present to hear the sermon on the plain:
The 12 apostles
The followers and Believers -- many, many followed Jesus who weren't part of the 12.
And The Multitude -- seeking physical healing and entertainment.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you." Luke 6:20-22

There were also Gentiles present in the crowd that day too. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns.

20 "Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:20-22

Look at these "people Groups" From Jesus's perspective:

Poverty, Hunger, Sad and Hated. He wasn't saying you should seek to be poor or hungry or sad or hated. He just said if you know you are these apart from Christ you are blessed.

If you don't come empty to Him, He can't fill You. If you don't know you need Him, You can't receive Him.

"“But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luke 6:24-26

Woe to you if you find satisfaction in anythig else but Him. Jesus is the 2-edged Sword.

Whatever stands between you and Jesus, get rid of it! 
Rich, well-fed; laughing, spoken well of. What's your great reputation based on? 

You can have Jesus or the World. Not both. You should come to Jesus starving for Him..

The context is what makes the difference. Of course we do these things (take care of the weak and voiceless and the poor and widows,,,the vulnerable), but we do it for Jesus.

"The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have me." Matthew 26:11

"‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:4

Have Christ's attitude toward people. He is the reason we do things. There's nothing we need more than Jesus.

What truly separates the world from Believers:

​"Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:22

"Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luke 6:26

Jesus did it right.

OT Prophets had really hard lives.

Who are you really?

Seek Him. Whose eyes are we looking through? The world's? Jesus's?

Our motivation is the difference.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets." Luke 6:23

I can never finish seeking Him and Running the race until I get to the finish line (which is Heaven). 

Sorry folks! I typed all the notes up on a blog post, but then somehow lost them. And I am too lazy to type them out again. But you can click on the link below and listen to a really good sermon. Today was a great day to be in the house of God!