do and probably like me you love them because they’re personal to you I have a mug that I walk around with often partly to keep my hands warm but partly because of two words that are imprinted on this mug and I think I’ve told some of you this maybe maybe everyone but it’s what we just sang he is our awesome God our Mighty God A Mighty Fortress God and these two words say simply look up just look up what a sermon what a statement I was

thinking of somebody I’ve never met when we sang that song some of you knew that Martin Luther the great reformer in he went through things that I can’t imagine going through I don’t think any of us can but he fought against not flesh and blood but but devils and he said very clearly and very accurately God is our Mighty Fortress if it was true then it’s true now is it not and I want you to take your seat for a moment kids stay right here with

us because we want you to do this too before you go to your group and I want you to close your eyes and I want you to say holy spirit show me something that is big and scary that I’m facing right now big people and little people would you do this right now just things that are on my heart big things scary things things that have me looking for a refuge now with those things on your mind would you would you just take a moment and

look up literally open your eyes and look up and say God I give it to you and I thank you that you don’t just take it and walk away you come to me and you’re the Refuge the Mighty Fortress that I seek and need will you just leave it there right now and say Lord talk to my heart today I want to leave here without a sense of the menacing presence of this thing I’ve given to you because I’ve looked up and I see you so

we do that right now in faith we thank you for being the one that takes it all and stays here to take in all of this with us teach us now holy spirit we pray amen amen kids go to class talk in class about what you just did okay it was kind of fun and it was important not just for grown-ups but for you and I I want to say something that I say it whenever I can’t be here and need somebody to step in for

me this this time it was John Moore and John is a dear friend and a a voice that we’re familiar with and and very helpful I I want to take a little credit that I didn’t call him as late as I have called on occasions I think what did you say 11 o’clock was yeah yeah are you keeping score somehow did you how how did you know it was 11 no my crisis was it happened you know and in that case but sometimes I’m away because

I’m away but in this case John once again thank you brother and we were with you but we were very sick and hi little Deb she’s almost back so it it hit us both and hit us both pretty hard and I’m glad it’s mostly over with can I say that I’m you’re seeing a guy that’s freshly considering an annual flu shot how many of you take one oh my goodness where have I been but see it’s a new thing that comes with being 65 and I

get extra notes now from Medicare saying get one dude you need this in bigger print so you can read it anyway so I I want to ask you a couple of questions that’ll help you lean into this conversation we continue now this this series what if Jesus was serious and I’m inspired by it I’m going to tell you a couple of times today and in weeks to come if we still have them we may have to order more but the book that I refer to I

have in my hand and there are less than 50 copies we we ordered and they arrived yesterday and they’re going to be available in the lobby so don’t leave without one what if Jesus was serious sky jethani is the author and he’s a very Jesus loving holy spirit filled just just a great solid guy solid guy you’re going to read you’re going to read some good things there but so I want to talk today about just who Jesus blesses because that alone is implication filled there’s

things there that should make us want want to go wait okay how does this work so let me start with something that’s familiar to us so what would you do if you suddenly came into vast fortunes okay now just think about that you know maybe from the lottery from the lottery you won the lottery right have you ever known somebody that won the lottery I did I I and it wasn’t a huge lottery I think it was only like I don’t know half a million or

something not huge but it wasn’t the billions or whatever crazy numbers there are out there now so let’s just say you’re one of those and it’s not a trick question I’m not going to decry the fact that you play the lottery or bought a ticket or something like that especially if you share your winnings with me but anyway that’s so here’s the deal what what would you do with let’s let’s go higher than that five million you won the lottery your numbers line up or whatever

it is would you would you share it with your family would you share the news let’s start there okay some of you a nervous chuckle I’m not sure I want to talk about it you know would you share it with friends we double your salary would you would well here’s one for you would you tithe Okay I I know a man that had thoroughbred race horses and he promised the winnings of one of his favorites to Grace Point and it it left the board with some

interesting conversations you know is that dirty money or what you know and my dad was alive then he says run horsey run I like his theology way to go Dad so here’s another let’s go deeper with okay you got million suddenly didn’t expect it would you view that five million how would you view it would you view it as a blessing would you view it as a burden or would you view it as a test interesting I thought through my way through I spent a

little time on all three of those possibilities next scenario what is your go-to when I say go-to it’s the thing you do without a lot of thought it’s it’s like when you hear of something or see something your go-to explanation for sickness for disease for poverty or countless other calamities now think about you just catch news of that what’s your go-to you don’t have to think about it and think a correct flot it’s just in the moment you’re thinking well and and you may not even

say it to anybody but it’s something that you think about do you tend to view such things I’ll put it out there ways as deserved or even a consequence that means there’s a condition precedent to what just happened that’s what consequence is you were sewing this and you reap that if someone is truly you have to put my words in quotes truly a victim of hunger or birth defect or divorce what I mean by that is not have you been divorced have you were you completely

totally in every way a victim in that what words come to mind when you explained when you explain things like that I mean a u birth defect undeserved I would call all that I just mentioned undeserved hardship okay now you don’t need to admit this last answer to this question but do you sometimes suspect when you hear something like that and it’s in every way unsettling to you but do you sometimes suspect in that that the person telling you has a certain even little amount of

culpability in what they’re going through okay now you know there’s there’s different directions I want you to I want you to chew on these as some of you are writing them down quickly and you can go online like some are joining us today and and get them again but careful questions how true was what I just said about job’s friends they looked at him they saw horrific displays of of wretched sores and affliction the report was almost unreadable it makes breaking news look like a joke

it was cuz it was breaking news while the first person’s reporting Calamity interrupting him came another person with more Calamity and that’s how it reads in the early chapters it’s terrible on top of that he breaks out in the most horrific I I had part of my sickness this week some cold source and you know I thought of going to the store and getting some makeup so you wouldn’t be distracted by that so I’ll just hold my finger here and we’ll keep going okay but the

the sores that he had were everywhere he scraped at them because of the gnawing itch they brought so it’s a terrible situation here’s a fact the friends of of job there were three mentioned perhaps that’s all he had maybe he was that abandoned everybody left him in his condition elaz was one of them he was the first one mentioned and he described a common belief when explaining job’s suffering you don’t have to turn there because we all kind of know the job story well well enough

to just hear these words but it’s it’s a belief what I’m going to read to you out of the fourth chapter when elifaz first appears with the other two and it’s a it’s a view it’s a belief that has existed actually throughout the ages and many hold this belief today maybe some of us have this belief here’s what his friend said I’m quoting from chapter 4 vers 7 to9 stop and think was the beginning in other words job you’re scratching you’re you’re you’re you’re in agony

stop and think who being innocent has ever perished I have an answer to that but elifaz was bringing it up where were the upright ever destroyed give me one example is what he’s saying as I have observed he continues those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it and he finishes at the Breath of God they perish at the blast of his anger they are no more end quote verse n it’s a guy saying what you’re going through you had coming to you he’s

just more bold than most of us such a belief is known today as divine retribution it’s a it’s a Doctrine taught in many churches believed among many followers of Jesus it assumes that God listen now blesses those who are faithful to him and he punishes those who aren’t who sin you can see where this is going you know a load is easy burden is light not a chance I’m not done our experiences often bear this out in fact if you were to ask a mature believer

just go talk to somebody that’s been young and now they’re old and they’ve never seen the righteous forsaken Psalm 3 7 there’s a lot of them in this room my dad was one of them my mom was one of them my grandparents these are people that walk with Jesus got hit by a whole bunch of hurricanes and kept walking boom okay so go to one of these mature Believers and and ask them what they think of this Theology of divine retribution and they would likely affirm

this without a big reaction they would say well you know what the truth truth is things tend to turn out better when we follow God’s ways how’s that for a mature statement it’s true yeah Galatians 6:7 do you got you got the Bible behind you on that God causes all things to work together for the good finish the verse yeah of those who are called according to to his P purpose now ask the writer of Psalm 773 I want you to turn there right now we’re

going to end up in the New Testament in a minute maybe an hour but we’ll we’ll get there Psalm 73 would you just flip the page there okay the one that wrote this his name Asaf he would be on the stage today he would be the Kelly let’s call it call him he would be the worship leader and he was in that day of the temple ASF was his name and you can’t miss something a troubling conclusion that came to his soul and maybe some of

you have this conclusion so you’ll it’ll resonate with you it’s verse one surely God is good to Israel to those who are pure in heart that was a statement of his belief if you asked ASF I said the same question of a senior Saint you know somebody mature in God he would say well here’s here’s my starting point surely God is good to Israel to those who are pure in heart but as for me notice what he follows verse two my feet had almost slipped I

had nearly lost my foothold for I envy The Arrogant verse three seems weird all by itself but finish verse three when I saw the prosperity of the wicked it did a number on me I’m infusing those words verse four they have no struggles their bodies are healthy and strong they’re free from common human burdens they’re not plagued by the stuff that plagues me is what he’s saying human ills that’s what he witnessed verse one’s what he believed verse 2 through five is what he had witnessed

and I’m just going to call that a tough pill to swallow there’s a reason I find my way to this conversation with a lot of people because they feel that way they thank God is good to Israel and he is and to those who are pure in heart and he is and it will over time it will turn out usually better for those of us that surrender to Jesus and seek Him First in our lives but the verse doesn’t end there nor does this Psalm end

there if you read a little later same Psalm which is I love the Integrity of being able to tell you this go to verse 12 this is what he continues the wicked are like always free of care they go on amassing wealth that’s a hard thing to admit and then he says verse 13 so surely in vain what’s that mean in normal speak I’ve wasted my time that’s what he’s saying I’ve wasted my time keeping a pure heart and having hands that are innocent I’ve washed

my hands in innocence all day long I’ve been Afflicted every morning brings new punishments drop down to verse 16 when I tried to get this in my head you you reading with me that’s why you’re going to love this Psalm when I tried to understand all of this it troubled me deeply until verse 17 needs to be circled the first word of verse 17 in your Bible until so if you got that vexing thing going on in your heart cuz it just doesn’t make sense I’m

walking well and I’m getting a shaft C comes the plaintiff voice of the psalm till I entered the sanctuary of God and then I gained some understanding of the ones that seem to have it all and I understood their final Destiny many of us carry a version of this struggle that stabs in our hearts maybe you showed up with it today maybe this is a desperate it’s football season fourth quarter long shot of the seasons riding on the outcome because you’ve tried to walk well and

you see others that haven’t tried to walk well and it’s working well it’s a problem sky sky jethani this book writes this ancient Jewish culture was plagued by this belief rooted in the understanding and its understanding of who was blessed at that time the time of Jesus he’s referring to most believed that just do a self assessment I did it when I read this most believed the healthy powerful Rich respected and educated were clearly finish the sentence favored by God the logic was simple if you

look good it’s because you must be good and God has blessed you for your goodness for your religious devotion still quoting jethani the opposite was also also thought to be true if your life looked bad it must be because you are bad and God has cursed you for your Badness your sinfulness you don’t have to show me your hand but I could tell most of you are sitting on the front row right now cuz you may not feel all of that but you sure know people

that do I hardly talked this week okay I want us to do what this series promises what if Jesus was serious well you got to go to the gospels right so we’re going to go click three just quick read and takeaways and I think you’ll get your answer who does Jesus bless so the first stop go to Luke Chapter 13 so flip clear over into the New Testament it’s the third of fourth four gospels Luke Chapter 13 some obscure stories not very well known you have

to do extra biblical research to find some sense of where were these when did this happen how did it look but Jesus gives us enough and Luke records enough for us to make sense without all that add on stuff right now I did it trust me but if we take so first statement here see if our view of those blessed by God as a result of this and then a time over in John and then a time in Matthew will finish see your answer the first

Luke 13 verse one there was some present at that time who told Jesus about the galileans whose blood pilot had mixed with their sacrifices these people are worshiping and pilate killed them and and that’s on their mind so they asked and Jesus answered do you think that these galileans were worse Sinners than all the other galileans because they suffer Ed this way so good I tell you no but unless you repent you too will all perish he switches examples verse four or those 18 who died

when the tower in silom fell on them do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem that didn’t get crushed CR by the tower is his inference I tell you no but unless you repent you too will all perish there’s a principle some people die for doing wrong and some people don’t it’s not just an observation it’s a truth Jesus is teaching here Jesus identif ifies two tragedies back to back both were understood by folks living in that day as Divine

judgments against bad people in other words we don’t know all the details of the lives of these people who were killed by pilate or of the victims of the tower that fell on them crushing them we don’t know all the details but we can make a good assumption they must have been bad because we’re still alive and they aren’t so do you see the logic it’s simple logic so that’s the that’s the logic here and so they Jesus addresses the first statement did this happen because

they were worse Sinners he asks it twice verse two and again verse four did they happen that way the common answer was yes of course that happened that way and Jesus emphatic and answer is well see verse three I tell you no do you see the exclamation mark at the end of no that’s not a soft no that’s a no and he and it’s not the only time he says it verse five he says the same thing I tell you no he doesn’t say this this

is me being a lousy preacher but dumb idea he could have said bad theology but I fought it maybe you have two and notice please without commentary Jesus uses both of these will agree their tragedies to implore the people asking today those of us listening to implore them to verse three and verse 5 says it repent he brings this up to say you know we can’t there’s no gain in going there but there is a takeaway get personal with yourself repent so some people die and

they die for doing wrong and some people die and didn’t do anything wrong want you to I told you we would move quickly second stop John chapter n John chapter N9 and some about 40 of you that remember our time in Jerusalem and in Israel will remember the pool of silom very cool it’s at the end of hezekiah’s tunnel and it’s where this story unfolds let’s pick up verse one as Jesus went along he saw a man blind from birth his disciples asked him Rabbi who

SED this man or his parents that he was born blind when you read something like that you need to spend a half hour thinking about the theology behind those words it’s really a good thought it’s really revealing thought is what I mean okay look at Jesus response mine shows up in red writing here neither this man nor his parents sinned said Jesus but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him as long as it is day we must do the works

of him who sent me night is coming when no one can work while I’m in the world I am the light of the world and after saying this little gross for teenagers if you’re reading this after saying this maybe for us grown-ups too he spit on the ground and made some mud with the saliva and put it on the Man’s eyes I don’t know why he didn’t just go hey you can see now blink but the there are groups that have actually made this a method

not not here at Grace Point no we anyway verse seven go he told this blind man with this salv on his eyes go and wash in the pool of silom this word means sent so the man look at this the man went and washed and came home seeing he was sent he was on a mission he’s going to talk about that the rest of his life and I would have too you talk about something as dramatic as that and this man had a story to tell

some people listen here’s the principle are born with handicaps a mystery that can bring God glory yeah even Jesus disciples verse two reveals sadly that they their belief an incorrect view of this man’s blindness does it not okay Jesus look there’s an assumption in the question he’s blind was it something he did or his parents and Jesus would say neither there’s a third option here that’s what he’s saying here jesus’ answer was verse three neither the man nor his parents and he tells that the man’s

blindness and Gift of Sight is for showing and telling the I love verse 3 to7 there it’s the power of God everybody’s going to go what you used to have one of those striped canes to get around or a a sight dog or or I mean what it it was a time to talk and boy was it the rest of this chapter is people talking from Neighbors to the Pharisees you talk about blowing the circuit board with the Pharisees unbelievably even his parents even the man

himself but I want you to flip to verse let’s go to verse 24 and just pick up how this exchange just unfolded instead of just going wow that’s just so cool he did what to your eyes man that’s neat I’m not blind but I don’t see real clearly maybe maybe some of that will work for me this is an adventure and missing the point right this is like you’re kidding me you’re going to getting a fistfight over what this represents so verse 24 the second a

second time they summoned the man who had been blind they as the Pharisees are the Pharisees give glory to God by telling the truth they said since you haven’t been was the inference we know this man is a sinner he replied well whether he is a sinner or or not I don’t know one thing I do know I was blind but now I see sounds like a song We Sing right Amazing Grace then they asked him what did he do to you how did he open

your eyes he answered I have told you already and you do not listen that’s not a way to build friendship but you decide why do you want to hear it again do you want to become his disciples too if you’re a Pharisee that’s a really not good thing to say or to hear when they hurled insults then they hurled insults at him to shut him up you’re this fellow’s disciple aren’t you we are Disciples of Moses do you see the pecking order here you’re of him

were of mooses right we know that God spoke to Moses but as for this guy we don’t we don’t know where he even came from Stay With Me the man answered now that is remarkable I just love this guy he’s probably not been to Seminary or has any good answers he’s just like hold on a sec that’s kind of crazy you don’t know where he comes from yet he opened my eyes we we know that God does not listen to Sinners he listens to The Godly

person who does his will there it is again who does God bless who does he not bless Sinners man that puts a lot of us outside of his Blessing doesn’t it how many of you have been a week without sinning raise your hand raise it tall and proud raise are really proud right now so we can certify that you’re a sinner because you’re proud anyway so okay so verse 32 no one has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind if this man

were not from God he could do nothing to this the Pharisees replied you were steeped in sin at Birth I have no idea what he did in his mother’s womb but it had to be bad how dare you lecture us and they threw him out that’s what you do when you can’t answer somebody’s question just kick them out you’re beneath us we don’t even want to give you the time of day let’s finish Jesus heard that they had thrown him out and when he found the

man he said do you believe in the son of man who is he sir the man asked tell me so that I may believe in him I just love that Jesus said you have now seen seen him what a great statement seen him I’ve taught a Bible study for a long time filled with elderly beautiful elderly people and there’s new people each time I’m there and some of the others have turned for home and it’s in a community near here and there’s this dear woman that

is visually impaired she’s she’s been blind for I think I think for her life and and I sometimes in my excitement when I’m teaching them and I’m I’m just going y’all just circle that word check it out somebody to you know take a look take a close look at that word and she would just sit there quietly in the front table saying I can’t see and I I’m going no it’s in verse 13 before I be you know hello wake up Pastor and I’m like no

check it out seriously it’s right there it’s every version has that word whatever I was talking about she goes and it wasn’t this passage it was another passage and I just go don’t you it’s so cool she goes I I’m I’m blind I can’t see want to get away I mean this dear Saint she just anyway I always think of that but here it’s a play on it’s not just a play on words it’s a truth you have now seen him in fact he is the

one speaking with you and the man said as you could imagine and predict Lord I believe and he worshiped him Jesus said for judgment I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked what are we blind too it’s about the best Insight of the day right there verse 41 Jesus said if you were blind you would not be guilty of sin but now that you

claim you can see oh your guilt remains I want you to take this to heart when you have a conversation with your life group or your meal buddies or whatever later today I want you to how do we view people who are afflicted and suffering because it comes out of this exchange here how do we view such people can God’s favor or disfavor actually be seen that’s where I found myself this week H is it really possible for me my opic me to actually see God’s

favor yes maybe so I want I want you to ponder I want you to talk it out with people that can say well how do you see it that way why do you see it like that here’s another related one can God’s favor or disfavor be seen always or never when you have your answer tell the tell the Widow who had two little coins that were that were coins you would you wouldn’t even bend over to pick one up most of us and Jesus said of

that woman to a group of people that probably thought yeah you know you’re broke for a reason you know he said no one’s given not a single person walked by the box has given More Than This dear woman who gave it all our stories told in two of the four gospels it’s worth it’s worth a look so a third stop and we’ll wrap it up here go back to The Sermon on the Mount Matthew Chapter 5 and Jesus is describing this gets right to the heart

of my message my message title just who does Jesus bless the answer is God Jesus blesses everyone verse 43 Jesus words you have heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate your enemy but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your father in Heaven this sermon is not complete if we don’t keep reading your father in Heaven he causes his son to rise on the what H how can that be there I’m

just Whispering out loud reactions I’ve had for real it’s not how I would have written this to rise on the evil and the good he’s not done he sends rain which is a good thing in this context on the righteous yeah there we go that’s what I’m talking about and the what what the unrighteous if you love those who love you what reward will that be what will it get you are not even the tax collectors doing that if you greet only your own people what

are you doing more than others don’t even pagans do that and then just a simple little wrapup statement in verse 48 be perf perfect therefore as your heavenly father is perfect God blesses everyone let’s can I can can we agree on a couple of things here because you’re as shocked as I am if I read it with the kind of wrestle that’s intended here Jesus gives big blessings sunshine and rain and he gives them to the righteous and most of us are tempted to do this

right now great sermon that answers our question just who does Jesus blessed the righteous done but wait Jesus can almost slide his hand in here and go no read the whole verse there are two undeserving groups of people that receive from me sunshine and rain it’s there and they’ve got names labels at least evil and unrighteous Jesus I think is pointing to two practical takeaways the first if you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you you will be children he says of God

who causes sunshine and Reign to bless people who do not deserve blessing now that’s my words I Think Jesus would say say Steve I think you overstated that when we love on and when we pray for such people I’m talking evil and unrighteous people are we not behaving more like our heavenly father in some uncomfortable way and that sounds weird I’m saying I want to be like God I want to be like Jesus make me more like you and less like like me and then he

says okay so go be nice to evil and unrighteous people like are we sure we got that right here’s a conclusion circumstances don’t paint the full picture when telling who Jesus blessed a more accurate picture is that he seems to bless those that I think most of us could come up with a explanation or a description people who don’t deserve his Blessing if I had you show me your hands right now how many of you would say you deserve his Blessing now in one sense I

would say no I’m a he saved a Wretch like me but somewhere inside me there’s this well yeah if you’ve got scoops of blessing you’re going to give to people walking along the line I I guess I feel like maybe I don’t know maybe there’s a scoop or two for me and and then I noticed just a person coming through the line and and I’m thinking how did he get a scoop what if Jesus was serious I want to say it applies to the greatest blessing

of all this message does eternal life is it appears that he offers salv salvation to more than just good people would you agree with that I mean God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life whoever does not differentiate even between good and bad people they have to turn to him but you can’t be good enough to not need him the cross is unnecessary if that was possible it is necessary

for those of you that aren’t quite good enough but it’s not for those of us that are good enough do you see the flaw there a and you’re sin isn’t so bad that you can’t benefit from what Jesus did in your place amen it’s just huge to me these are just simple truths that just grab me and I Think Jesus wants us to be grabbed by them I want to have you tuck away your notes I want to to read words from 1 Corinthians chapter 1

at the end here and these are words that will set us up well for communion in fact I’m going to ask the lights to come down just a little bit and and worship team you can come up and reset right now it’s just fine because I want to I want to have you hear these words in a translation that will connect with you and it’s called the passion translation brothers and sisters so let’s just say Paul is talking to a group like this brothers and sisters

means you’re in you belong he you you are saved because you Romans 10:13 says it in one verse whoever calls upon in the name of the Lord will be saved not almost saved saved fully so brothers and sisters go back to who you were when God called you to Salvation not many of you were wise Scholars by human standards a few some that’s okay but not many not not many of you were in positions of power some but not many not many of you were considered

the elite when he when when he called you but God chose Those whom the world considers foolish to actually shame those who think they are wise and God chose the puny and the powerless to shame the high and mighty he chose the lowly and the laughable in the world’s eyes the nobody’s so that he would shame the somebody’s for he chose what is regarded as insignificant in order that he may supersede what is regarded as prominent so that there would be no place for prideful boasting

in his presence for it is not from man that we draw our life but from God as we are being joined to Jesus the anointed one and now Jesus is our god-given wisdom virtue our Holiness and our complete Redemption and this fulfills what is written if anyone boasts let him or her only boast in that they know God nothing I’ve said today is intended to say I don’t have to be or try to be as good as I can be but God will bless you before

you get good and and in that he wants you to trace the source and say wow maybe the those that that are worst of all are the ones that start out saying I don’t deserve sun or rain or anything in between so why me and Jesus you’ll you’ll ask that until you hear him say because I love you I love you there’s a there’s a great song that we’re going to sing and it’s in three words a true description has to do with how I could

be known by God how I can be saved from my sin how I can be promised the place for eternity with him even if I blow it even if I fall off the wagon or leave the path or take for a Time the wrong road and seem to stay there all comes down to the fact that Jesus Paid It all he did and as the song we’re going to sing as as servers come and they’re going to pass this out to you they’re that we want

you to think about those words you’ll hear them you’ll have your hands busy for a moment but you’ll hold on to the bread and the cup and you’ll you’ll remember Jesus Paid It All and therefore all to him I owe you owe so servers come join me at

Transcript machine-generated from the sermon audio, so it may contain errors. 6,710 words.