Why does it matter if God uses the poor?   Why does it matter to us, if we’re not poor by the world’s standards,  if this is a night that changes the poor?  We may not be nomadic shepherds sleeping with the sheep in a field, but this still matters to us.

We are in spiritual poverty.  It’s different  from material poverty, but very important to recognize.

A sign is offered to us, from the poorest among us to the wealthiest, and it’s a poor baby in a manger.  This comes to us direct from God, though his heavenly messengers.   God helps us see our own poverty – spiritual and material – by his standards rather than our own.

When we see our own spiritual poverty compared to Jesus, we realize we need to get up and get to this baby, get to Jesus’ bedside just like those shepherds.  A spiritually or materially wealthier group may not have bothered – they may have considered themselves just fine – but the poor are those God started with because they are those who know they need outside help.

When we have enough, we can’t hunger for food.  It’s the same with God – if we consider ourselves spiritually rich and self-reliant, we won’t bother with reliance on God.

This is why, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor, or poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

In the Christmas story, all of humanity sees its poverty, its spiritual poverty, compared to this divine baby.  We realize we are unable to get back to relationship with God, and yet  he comes to us anyway.    We realize we can’t buy our way out of this debt to God (called sin), so someone else bailed us out and paid it off.

In the Christmas story, God helps us see our own poverty – spiritual and material.

In so doing, we realize the world’s standards are empty – we are all poor compared to God’s standards, and all need him equally.  This can motivate us to extend to others, who we now recognize as spiritually poor themselves, the same generosity God has shown to us.

Challenge: Give to the spiritually and materially poor in your life!  Toy drive, food bank, direct to a friend.  Tell them why – because God has been generous and loving to you.

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - July 4, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - Knowing

So far this week, we've seen that Christian faith is not about just the words you say, and not just about deeds you do. If it were, then Christian faith would be like trying to get to know a celebrity - you would either be guessing the right passcode to get through their mansion gates, or you'd be trying to hop the fence. It would be easy to know about the celebrity, and never really know them. But thankfully, God is not like a celebrity who keeps a safe distance from his fans. In Jesus, God came to earth. He didn’t have to, but he passed through those gates into our world and made it possible for us to know him personally. God took on human flesh, clothed in the way people were clothed in first century Israel, and spoke their language. We can actually know God, who came to earth in Jesus, and is active today through his Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus died and rose and since returned to heaven, we can still know him by studying his words, communicating with him in prayer, and with the community he calls his body on earth – the church. Like the one we are forming in Ajax in Durham Region just East of Toronto. The saying is true: it's not about what you know, or do, it’s about who you know. Who you know, will then affect what you say and do. Words and deeds are important, but are no substitute for the full picture of life in God's kingdom given in the Sermon on the Mount. It's about actually following who you say you follow. Inviting him to transform life…not just saying he does. The aim is to have him transform our hearts, so they look more like his. How do we know? That’s what Jesus has been teaching all through the Sermon on the Mount. He's been describing what God’s heart looks like, and wants your heart to look like, so that it transforms the rest of your life. The health of your actual heart matters – blood passes through to all areas of the body. An unhealthy heart means unhealthy life. No matter how healthy you appear, you aren’t healthy if your heart is hurting. God wants to transform the heart of our lives, so all other areas of life get healthy. And he warns us that starting with our words and actions will result in failure. It starts with openness to Jesus…a willing submission to his will. Challenge: List some ways to intentionally get to know a new friend, neighbour or colleague better. Now list ways you can intentionally get to know Jesus better. Pick one from each list and try it today.

From Series: Sermon on the Mount | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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