The Divine Conspiracy in the Beatitudes
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Scriptures: Matthew 5:1-10
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Summary
In the third sermon of our series Reads a Classic, Jeremy introduces us to Dallas Willard.
The meaning of meek: Jeremy focusses on the Sermon on the Mount to narrow in on what Dallas Willard calls, The Divine Conspiracy. He re-examines the word “meek” in the beatitudes. Jeremy reminds us that the word, “meek” does not invoke “coiled strength,” but submission, being humbled, not being overly impressed.
The source of blessing: This re-framing of our imagination is not a checklist to gain God’s favour, but a glimpse at who already has God’s attention. Jeremy says, this language is not just pretty poetry, but meant to help us shape the things we dream about.
A Poverty of Spirit: Jeremy returns to Dallas Willard by looking closely at those who are “poor in spirit.” Willard writes, “the poor in spirit are the spiritual zeros—the spiritually bankrupt, the deprived and deficient, the spiritual beggars, those without a wisp of ‘religion’.” The divine conspiracy is that God is for you, even when everything has been taken away.
Missing the point: Our attempts, Jeremy points out, to understand why we deserve this favour or blessing, and maybe why we feel that our neighbour doesn’t, is missing the point. Our journey includes the realization that God is completely incomprehensible, yet is still for us. Jeremy’s challenge to us is to let this truth seep into us, so that we might start to see the Kingdom of Heaven around us. -
Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.
Summer Discussion Guide 2025
If your group is meeting this summer and wants to talk about the sermons, here are a few questions that you could use to engage with our teaching.
What specific part of the message resonated with you the most? Why do you think that particular part, or idea, or story caught your attention?
Did the sermon speak into a particular struggle or question in your life or your faith journey right now?
What did the message challenge or encourage you personally? And what do you think the application could be for our church community? Was there anything that could strengthen or stretch us as a church?
How did the exposition of the scriptures used in the sermon provide you with a new perspective of deeper understanding?
It is good to remember that the conversation experience in the group is shaped by the personal stories of those who participate in it and how willing the people are to be open and vulnerable in the group.
So if you’re leading the discussion, feel free to model and encourage person-centred and story-centred sharing by reflecting on how some parts of the sermon resonate with you personally.Additionally, what contributes to a more authentic group discussion is when people can share not about the abstract and theoretical applications, but one or two practical things they are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion.
So, you can end your time together with this question:
What is one thing you are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion we’ve just had?
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CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 108
MUSIC Curated by Kevin Borst
Elevation Worship - God Is Not Against Me
Bethel Music - Always Good
Bethel Music - Goodness Of God
Mission House - Faith More Precious Than Gold
COMMUNITY PRAYER: GOD, YOU ARE THERE
Written by Bobbi Salkeld
For a community prayer today, we name the moments in our lives when we feel like things are stressfully uncertain.Even while things may be going well for you, the person near you might be feeling like life is very out of control. And for when you struggle with uncertainty, there is comfort in knowing that others pray for you.
Please join me as we for our communities.
In an uncertain time,
we often move from security to scarcity –
and wherever we go, God, you are there.
God of creation,
May we ground our being in you.
May we sense your comprehension for all things great and small.
May we seek your beauty, your benevolence, your intricate workings
in all that we understand and all that we do not.
In an uncertain time,
we often go from trust to distrust –
and wherever we go, God, you are there.
Christ our friend,
May we find your persistent love in all things.
May we hear your invitation to bring our burdens to you and to share them with each other.
May we be the friend the world needs – a friend who trusts, serves, and considers the good of others.
In an uncertain time,
we often leave love and choose fear –
and wherever we go, God, you are there.
Spirit of comfort,
May we sense your animation in our bodies.
May we know the sacred truth that every part of our humanity matters.
May we meet you in ever-surprising ways even when life slows us down and when we have to forge new paths toward a future of divine shalom.
Amen.
SERIES BUMPER
Reads A Classic
