Upside Down Kingdom - wk1

"Poor In Spirit"

Bryan Jones

“Upside down” is a phrase that dates back to the 14^th Century.  It refers to things being inverted or in disorder.  During the medieval times there were lots of similar phrases like “overtumble” and “topset downe,” which leads us to believe the people loved telling stories about people falling over.  I guess that was their version of “America’s Funniest Videos!”
 
Well, this Sunday we are starting a new sermon series called “Upside Down Kingdom.”  We’re going to be looking at the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.  In the Beatitudes, Jesus gave us a list of life principles and attitudes that are the hallmarks of those who follow Jesus.
 
This week we will cover the first two of the eight Beatitudes  – “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn.”  Now interestingly the word “blessed” comes from the Greek word “happy.”  But being poor in spirit and mourning don’t exactly conjure up a picture of happiness!  Yet Jesus tells us that these things will cause us to be happy.   Sounds pretty upside down – right?
 
Are you ready to turn your world upside down?