Hope Alliance Bethlehem

In this first beatitude, Jesus uses the imagery of utter destitution - a bankrupt and desperate beggar completely dependent upon others for survival. And he applies it to the entire crowd in regards to their spiritual merit and morality. The secret to entrance into the kingdom of God is spiritual bankruptcy. It is the spiritual beggars who will find and need the gospel of grace which Jesus offers.

The beatitudes are the beginning of an inauguration address to engage a wide ranging audience with the good new of the kingdom. This introduction sets the stage for our study of the beatitudes by showing that they are not a list of commands to be accomplished, but rather an ever increasing reality in the lives of those who follow Jesus.

David’s sin of adultery leads to a massive cover up. In response, the Lord sends Nathan to rebuke David. But this is not the end of the story. David, moving from cover up to repentance, experiences mercy from the Lord. God’s words to David, “The Lord has taken away your sin,” are the basis for David’s story beyond his moral failure. The same is true for believers today! There can be a redemptive (and useful!) story beyond our failures because of the gospel.

The call to make disciples is a universal call for all followers of Jesus, not just those who go to foreign lands. Where is God calling you to go? And are you trusting him by following. When we do, we find his statement that he will always be with us to be unbelievably true. So, in the words of Kierkegaard we should will only one thing - to go and make disciples.

Coming home on a massive high, David and his men return to calamity. The town is ransacked, their families are captured and the men are turning on David. How do you respond to turmoil in life? David responded by going to God and finding strength there. It was from this strength that he could set the right course for his life - a course of obedience met by the providence of God.

There's a significant difference between being desperate for God and being desperate for what God can offer. When we feel far from God, it is our desperation for him that bridges the gap. But our desperation for what we can get from him makes him seem even farther off. Saul is desperate for direction from God and leaves in the darkness, but David is desperate for God and is saved from the darkness.

Tired from running and in a moment of weakness, David finds himself seeking refuge again amongst the Philistines. Even in this major failure on the part of David, two things stand out about God. First, he doesn't give up on David. Second, he is still using David to build his kingdom even in exile. Likewise, no matter where you find yourself in life, God hasn't given up on you. And even in the brokenness and exile of our world, God still calls us to build his kingdom.

Reading the story of Nabal reminds us that we are all in some way at our core foolish. Whether we are greedy like Nabal, vengeful like David or trusting the wrong things like Saul, we are prone to go off course. In Abigail, we are reminded of the humility of our Savior who willingly intervened and took on our sin in order to redeem us.

As David continues to run from Saul, it is amazing how David continues to elude the king and his forces. Likewise, Jesus was elusive to Satan himself in the wilderness, on the cross and ultimately through his resurrection. And through our connection to Jesus, we too are elusive to the enemy and able to withstand temptation through worship and most importantly through the gospel!

The same David who defeated Goliath is now ultimately hiding along in a cave. Some of it is his own doing and some of it because of those around him. In a word, David's life is messy. But even in the mess, God is still working his perfect plan into fulfillment - a plan that is committed to entering into the mess of our world in order to redeem it.