Study Questions: The BE-Attitudes [2]

Date: August 13, 2006
Passage: Matthew 5:1-12
Message: Blessed are the Broken Hearted
Series: The Be-Attitudes [2]

1. Mourning is not something we VALUE in our culture
We accept it has a place, but it’s always REACTIVE not PROACTIVE.

Australian culture doesn’t put a great store on mourning until something has gone terribly wrong! Discuss.
What are some of the ‘normal’ Ozzie attitudes to life?

2. We mourn over what we really VALUE
Give examples from your life.
Children are often unable to know the true value of things. They mourn over things that are of little value and are light hearted or off-handed at serious things. We accept that in children but it is tragic in adults.
Share how we do that in our society.

…..blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted
Let’s understand that Jesus is not advocating that we live lives of misery.
He is not suggesting that you will instantly recognise a Christian by their sad faces.
He is not teaching that a Christian is a religious derivation of a PESSEMIST.
Why do people have the impression that Christians are such sad people?
[cf John 10:10, Philippians 4:4]

We need to mourn over the –
1. SADNESS of LIFE
“I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chattered all the way,
But left me none the wiser for all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow, and ne’er a word said she,
But, oh, the things I learned from her, when Sorrow walked with me.”
Discuss
See Isaiah 53:34, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 56:8

2. SHALLOWNESS of LIFE
What moves us today?
What are we mourning over?
What has happened to our social conscience?
What has happened to our gospel conscience?
How much has information overload crushed our capacity to respond?
Have we still the heart for more than property, possessions and superannuation?

Read Matthew25:41-46
Discuss

3. SINFULNESS of our LIVES
James 4:8-10 says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom.”

We have never been good at mourning our sin.
Eg. Adam – blamed Eve.
How do we prefer to deal with sin?

The world today wants to blame religion for much of the problems we face.
Our problems go beyond belief or no belief – we all have broken hearts.
How does this show up right across the human race?

…..blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
How does God comfort?
What does His comfort achieve in us?