Kingdom Influence Part 8
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
The name of our series is Kingdom Influence. As we began this series, we said the Beatitudes are not a list of things to do. They are a portrait. They tell you what it’s like to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
We talked about “Blessed are the poor in spirit” last week. The Kingdom starts when we stop acting like we are strong enough, good enough, and able to fix ourselves. And when we stop acting, we can see things more clearly. And when we see clearly, we start to feel things. That is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn.”
Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
This is not a little sad. This isn’t just a passing disappointment. This is the sadness that comes when you realize that the world is broken. Life isn’t going the way it should. And if we’re being honest, my sin is a part of that brokenness. This is the sorrow that comes with repentance. Not shame. Not hating yourself. But the painful truth is that I can’t fix this. I can’t fix everything in the world. I can’t make myself good. And that realization hurts.
Our culture is not good at mourning. We take our minds off things. We scroll. We argue. We numb. We don’t sit in sadness. Kingdom people, on the other hand, do things differently. They feel the heaviness of what is broken. They won’t say that darkness is light. They refuse to celebrate what God grieves. They allow their hearts to be tender.
That’s not a sign of weakness. That is spiritual clarity. And deep down, beneath all that sadness, there is a desire for everything to be made new. No matter how hard we try, something is still wrong. The pain is still there. And you can’t fill that ache with success, fun, or other things that take your mind off of it. It is meant to remind us that this is not our home. And this is what Jesus promised: those who mourn will be comforted. The Kingdom does not leave us in ruins. It meets us there, and it begins the work of restoration.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
