Believing that the Beatitudes, the Kingdom Ethics, build upon one another, being “poor in spirit” is the foundation. This is the first message of a month long series of messages about being poor in spirit. Poor is need. Poor in spirit is need of spirit. It is to live life understanding, and operating as if the Spirit of God is our greatest need, because it is. And those who live this way, the Kingdom is theirs.

This message, in the Kingdom Ethics series, prepares us to do a deep dive into the Beatitudes. This message lays the ground work to help us think appropriately about what we are embracing, Also, what Jesus may have been thinking when he was preparing to preach and teach them.

This is part two of the introduction into the Kingdom ethics. This sermon teaches us the way we receive and assimilate into the Kingdom of God: Repent. We approach the topic of repentance on a macro level, not a micro level. Looking at the Beatitudes, and understanding that we would never choose poor, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst, etc. on our own, according to the natural man, we realize our need to think, behave and live differently than our natural inclinations. That is the essence of repentance. Being convinced of the King and His Kingdom we abandon the ways of this life to follow Him, His ways and life in His Kingdom.

This is the first installment of a nine month journey of the “Kingdom Ethics” (the Beatitudes). It starts with a three week foundational teaching about the Kingdom of God. We can’t be convinced to live according to a Kingdom ethic, until we are convinced we are truly citizens of another Kingdom. This message lays out a predominant role that the concept of the Kingdom of God/Heaven plays in the gospel according to Matthew.

This is the first message of the year 2024. The beginning of this church’s 101st year. We used the story of Lazarus to illustrate this message. Suppose Lazarus died (the first time) on his 11,860th day (approximately 32 and a half years). After 4 days of death and a new outlook on life, what decisions did Lazarus make about how he would live the rest of his resurrected days? Hence the question for Church at the Armory: How will you live the rest of your days. A great question to ask on the first Sunday of our 101st year.

Danny Rivers, one of Church at the Armory’s Overseers, preached a message about Godly, Kingdom finances. Whereas this is his profession and he being the head of our budget team, Danny is uniquely qualified to discuss Biblical finances in a way that challenges the listener to purse Jesus in our giving, while not creating a picture of giving in a burdensome manner. This is solid, Bible, teaching on giving. We all should listen!

This years Christmas service features a sermon about the Love of God exemplified in the giving of His Son as proof of that love and perfect character. This is the reason we give gifts during this season. To mimic God by giving gifts of love.

Jesus does not end the Sermon on the Mount, the giving of the Kingdom ethics, with encouragement, but warning. That its potential is not a great rise, but a great fall. The hearer walked away with a very real sense of sobriety and responsibility to make that “sermon” a personal and corporate reality. Thus is the same for Church at the Armory after what God has released in our relaunch.

This Sunday morning we heard from a few people some raw unprepared testimonies about our relaunch weekend. Hear the heart of the body for this local church.