Blessed Are The Meek
Matt. 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Introduction:
A. This beatitude is Completely and Entirely Opposed to everything that the Natural Man Thinks.
1. The World thinks in terms of:
a. Strength and Power and Perseverance,
b. Ability and Things and Matter,
c. Self-Assurance and Aggressiveness,
d. Arms and Armies,
e. Craft and Cunning.
2. The world thinks, the more you Assert yourself, and Express yourself, and Manifest your Powers and Ability, the more likely you are to succeed.
B. This beatitude was a great Shock To The Jews.
1. They had ideas of the Kingdom being set up then and there.
2. These ideas were not only Materialistic but also Militant.
3. To them the Messiah was one who was going to lead them to Victory.
4. They were thinking in terms of Conquest and Fighting.
C. Even so it is today --- not only is the World Unlike The Christian; the world Cannot Possibly Understand him.
1. The word "Gentleman" was not even known before the Christian era.
2. The World glamorizes Vice and minimizes Virtue.
D. If you and I are not Problems and Unexplainable Mysteries to the non-Christians around us, then this tells us a great deal about Our Christian Life.
E. There is an Obvious logical Connection between these different beatitudes.
1. Each one Suggest and Leads to the next.
2. They are Not spoken haphazardly.
3. As these beatitudes Proceed, they become Increasingly More:
Difficult --- Searching --- Humiliating .....
4. Anyone who thinks that he can Live the Christian life In Himself, is proclaiming that he Is Not A Christian.
F. God's life-giving waters are available only to those who will place themselves in a Lowly Position, as a cup under a facet.
1. In Christianity; there is only one way Up, and that is Down.
2. Only the Smaller Birds Sing --- canary --- wren --- lark --- etc.
3. You will never hear a musical note from the eagle --- turkey --- ostrich --- etc.
G. Being important in our own eyes will create in us an attitude of Demanding Our Rights.
Our legal Rights never cause our Hearts To Overflow, but the Mercy of God always does.
H. Some people are Impossible To Get Alone With --- because they think that they are Impossible To Get Along Without.
1. If you want to see How Important you are --- put your finger in a bucket of water, pull it out, and see how big a hole you leave.
2. The Worst idea a Christian can have is that he is Absolutely Necessary:
a. To the World in which he lives,
b. To the Work in which he is engaged.
c. To the Church of which he is a member.
3. That his Absence would mean the Collapse of:
The World --- the Business --- the Church .....
I. The meek looks upon the good things which he possesses as a Gift from God and not as a Reward of his own merit.
1. The meek does Not Expect to always be treated with Respect and Reverence.
2. Meekness seeks not honor from Men only ambitious to be well pleasing unto God.
J. Meekness Accepts God's dealings with us as Good, and therefore Without Disputing or Resisting.
1. Did Not imagine it was Their Business to take care of Themselves.
2. Never dreamed of Avenging themselves, or of returning anything but good for evil.
3. Did Not Assert themselves, Nor Defend themselves.
K. Joseph --- his brothers --- Egypt .....
Genesis 50:19-20, "And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
I. What Meekness Is Not.
A. Meekness is not a Natural Quality.
1. It is something Produced by the Spirit of God.
2. It is Not a matter of Natural Disposition.
3. Jesus did Not say, "Be meek, and ye shall inherit the earth.
B. Meekness does Not mean Easy-Going.
1. There are people who are Easy-Going, and you tend to say how meek they are:
2. This is not meekness --- It is softness --- Inactivity --- Idleness --- Laziness --- Slothfulness --- Sluggishness --- Apathy .....
C. Meekness does Not mean Niceness.
1. Some people seem to be Born Naturally Nice --- this is purely Biological.
2. This is what you get in Animals --- one dog is nicer than another dog.
3. Meekness goes Much Further than you temperament --- just being naturally nice or easy to get along with.
D. Meekness is Not Gentleness.
1. A Gentle person Acts humble while he may Think himself superior.
2. A Meek person thinks of himself as Nothing Apart From God.
3. Thinking ourselves Great and Acting Humble is not being meek at all.
4. A gentle person may be a Hypocrite, but a meek person acts what he is.
E. Meekness does Not mean Weakness in Personality or Character.
1. Meekness does Not mean a spirit of Compromise:
a. "Peace at any price."
b. "Anything rather than have a disagreement."
2. Meekness is compatible with great Strength --- Authority --- Power ...
3. The meek man is one who so believes in Standing for the Truth that he will Die For It.
a. They were Meek yet they were Strong.
b. A Weak man would Never be willing to:
1. Die for what he believes,
2. Be Ridiculed and laughed at for what he believes,
c. A Weak man would Compromise --- sell out --- make excuses or be Apologetic for what he professes to believe.
4. If you are Too Weak To Take A Stand for what is right, don't call it meekness, cal it what it is:
Cowardly --- Spineless --- Lily-Livered --- Chicken-Hearted --- Without Moral Power --- Loose --- Turn-Tail.
F. Meekness is Not Weakness which is:
1. Easily Deterred from good,
2. Persuaded to Evil and Criminality
3. Meekness will Never Yield a principle of righteousness nor Compromise with evil.
G. God-given Meekness will always stand up for God-given Convictions.
1. There is No Passivity in meekness.
2. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes intro our heart, He does Not go to Sleep and put us to sleep.
3. He becomes Aggressively Active.
H. When God's Glory is Impeached, we must have a Zeal which is as Hot As Fire.
1. Moses --- Exodus 32:19, "And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
2. The Apostles --- Acts 16:35-37, "And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out."
3. Christ Himself --- John 2:15, "And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
4. Perhaps if the Lord had not overturned their tables, these merchants would have given Him a little gift of money or a dove.
a. Peter --- Matt. 16:23, "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
b. Mark 3:5, "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."
I. Meekness restrains from Private Revenge, but it in Nowise Conflicts with the requirements of Love To God --- His Cause, and His People.
1. A Christian Does and Should get Angry.
2. He must be careful to get angry over the Right Things.
3. He must refrain from getting angry at the Wrong Things.
4. We need Christ Like Meekness that is Not Afraid To Upset established evils even in the House of God.
J. Meekness includes Patience and Long-Suffering for Personal Affronts --- with the willingness to Speak Out Vigorously in defense of the Gospel.
1. To get Angry at what we should and when we should is definitely a Christian Characteristic.
2. You can tell how close a person is to the Lord, by noticing What He Gets Angry At And When.
K. Never, never, never think that a person who never gets angry is an Ideal Christian.
1. The man who cannot get angry at evil Lacks Enthusiasm For God.
2. Not to Do Good because some will hate you for it, is to Do Evil.
3. The Holy Spirit Never creates a character that is Lukewarm, Neutral, or Indifferent.
II. What Meekness Is:
A. Meekness is the Opposite of Self-Will toward God, and of Ill-Will toward man.
1. Arrogance has its own built-in Misery.
2. The arrogant person may offend others, but he Hurts Himself More.
3. I was once stung by a Bumble-Bee.
a. The sting hurt me, but,
b. It hurt the bee more, The Bee Died as a results, But I Didn't.
B. At this point (meekness) we begin to be Concerned About Other People.
1. So far (in the beatitudes) we have been looking at ourselves, now other people are Looking At Us.
2. We must allow Other People to put the Searchlight upon us, instead of our doing it ourselves.
3. This is more Humbling and more Humiliating, than anything we have done thus far.
4. David learned from his enemies.
2 Samuel 16:5-11, "... thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, ..... 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10 And the king said, ..... let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. ..... 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."
5. Meekness is a by-product of Self-Emptying and Self-Humiliation.
6. This is Dying To Self.
a. Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
b. Gal. 5:24, "And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
c. Gal. 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
7. Meekness, is a Broken Will and a Receptive Heart before God.
Meekness is essentially a True View of oneself.
C. The meek person is Not Proud of Himself.
1. Does Not in any sense Glory In Himself.
2. Feels that There Is Nothing in himself of which he can Boast.
D. The meek person doe Not Demand Anything For Himself.
1. He does not take all his Rights as Claims.
2. Does Not Make Demands for His:
a. Position,
b. Privileges,
c. Possessions,
d. Status in life.
3. The meek man is Like Christ.
Phil. 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
a. Christ did not demand His "Right" to be equal with God the Father.
b. "Let This Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
c. Eph. 4:1-2, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"
E. The meek person is Not Sensitive About Himself.
1. He is not always Watching Our For Himself and His Own Interest.
2. He is not always On The Defensive.
a. He no longer is always Protecting Himself.
b. He sees that there is Nothing about him worth defending.
3. A meek person No Longer Worries about himself and what other people say.
4. The truly meek person Never --- Pities himself --- or feels sorry for himself.
5. Never talks to himself and say, "You are having a hard time, how unkind these people are Not To Understand You.
6. Never thinks, "How wonderful I really am, if only other people would Give Me A Chance."
F. The meek person is Finished With Self which is the Cause of All Our Troubles.
1. He has No Rights or Deserts.
2. Nobody can Harm him.
3. He thinks more highly of Others than of Self.
4. Endures provocations Without being Inflamed by them.
5. Remains Cool when others are Heated.
6. John Bunyan, "He that is down need fear no fall."
7. When a man Truly sees himself --- he knows nobody can say anything about him that is too bad.
8. You need not worry about what men may say or do --- you know that you Deserve It All And More.
9. The truly meek man is Amazed that God and man can Think of him, and Treat him, and Speak of him As Well As They Do.
G. The meek person has a Teachable Spirit.
1. Ready to Accept instruction or admonition From The Least of the Saints.
a. Ready to be Taught and Led by the Holy Spirit.
b. A Yieldingness and Submissiveness.
2. A Broken Horse contributes much more to life than a Wild Donkey.
a. Energy out of control is Dangerous.
b. Energy under control is Powerful.
3. To be meek is to be God-Controlled and Not Self-Controlled.
a. Who are you Living For --- Self Life --- Christ Life?
b. God knows that an Uncontrolled life is an Unhappy life.
c. The most Approachable person this world has ever seen was the Lord Jesus Christ.
d. In Him was a complete absence of the Spirit of Retaliation.
e. He was atient and long-suffering.
f. I Peter 2:21-23, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
H. We are to Leave Everything:
1. Our Rights --- Cause --- Whole Future --- in the Hands of God.
2. We are to leave ourselves and our cause, and our rights and everything with God, with a Quietness in Spirit and in Mind and in Heart.
The truly meek man is Always Satisfied --- Always Content.
III. Let's notice some examples of Read Men who were Meek:
A. Abraham --- Genesis 13:7-8, "And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
B. Moses --- Numbers 12:3, "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)"
C. David --- 2 Sam. 16:11-13, "And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust."
D. Jeremiah --- Jer. 26:14, "As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
E. Stephen --- Acts 7:60, "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
F. Paul --- 2 Timothy 4:16, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge."
G. Our Lord Jesus Christ --- Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
IV. What "Inherit" The Earth Does Not Mean.
A. Not a promise that the meek shall have Great Wealth.
Luke 12:15, "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
B. Not a promise that the meek shall Conquer The World.
1. When you Conquer you do it in Your Own Strenght.
2. What you Inherit, you have Not necessarily worked for.
3. An inheritance represents the Conquest of Another.
4. Why should someone who has the Creator within himself, Actively Seek that which Already Belongs To His Father.
5. Romans 8:16-17, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
6. 1 Peter 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"
C. You may not own the world Today, however:
1. It is the Weed that springs up quickly on the Dunghill.
2. But, it seem as though Corn would never come up.
3. So Christians seem to Develop Slowly --- but there is steady progress in their growth.
D. No Character ever yet came to Perfection in the fields of Prosperity.
V. What Does It Mean To "Inherit" The Earth?
A. A young man asked his minister to officiate at his Brother's Funeral. "Let me see," said the minister. "Your brother was thirty-two years old?" "Yes." "He worked hard for twenty years, didn't he?" "Yes." "Well, What Did He Get Out of It?" "He left eighty acres of fine land, money in the bank and thousands of dollars in insurance." "Yes, That's What You Get Out of It; but What Did He Get Out of It?" "Oh, we are going to buy him an Expensive Oak Casket!"
B. Though a man Without Money is poor, a man With Nothing But Money, is poorer still.
1. Worldly gifts Cannot Bear Up one's spirit during trials and troubles.
2. Headaches can not be cured by a golden crown.
3. What Is The Use of having Money if you do not have the opportunity to Spend It?
4. What would a rich man do with a Table Full of the best Food if he did Not have the Capacity to enjoy it?
C. Who can Truly be said to Possess the earth.
1. He who Owns A Thousand Houses, none of which is actually a home to him .....
2. Or, he who, Without One House to call his own, has ten in which his knock at the door would bring instant Joy.
3. King Agrippa --- or Tent Maker Paul.
4. A Christian In Jail for the sake of Christ is Freer than his persecutors who enjoy their so-called liberty.
Nothing that is ever Given Up For Christ is ever Lost.
D. Benjamin Franklin once said, "The sentence which has most influenced my life is, 'Some people grumble because God placed thorns among roses. Why not thank God because He placed roses among thorns.?'"
Two Men Looked Through The Self-Same Bars. One Saw Mud, The Other Saw Stars.
Which you see, depends upon your Relationship with Christ.
E. To "Inherit The Earth" is to be Delivered from a Greedy and Grasping disposition.
1. Psalm 37:16, "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
2. Prov. 15:16, "Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
3. Satisfied with what you have.
4. Contentment of mind.
5. Look at the folly of those who are so diligent in seeking earthly possessions without any regard to Christ.
F. To "Inherit The Earth" refers to the Present and the Future.
1. All Things:
1 Cor. 3:21-22, "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;"
2 Cor. 6:10, "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
2. Reign With Christ
2 Timothy 2:12, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:"
Rev. 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
3. Judge The Word And Angels.
1 Cor. 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"
4, Will you Meet God As An Heir?
Romans 8:16-17, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ -; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
5. Or, will you Meet God As Your Judge?
Acts 17:31, "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
VI. Why Is Meekness Necessary?
A. Only the meek can be Saved.
Psalm 149:4, "For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation."
Matt. 18:3, "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
B. Meekness Is Commanded.
Zephaniah 2:3, "Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger."
C. You Can't Receive God's Word Without Meekness.
James 1:21, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."
D. You Cannot Witness Without Meekness.
1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
E. You can't even be a Godly Woman without meekness.
1 Peter 3:4, "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."
VII. How Do I Know If I Am Meek?
A. Do you exhibit Self-Control?
B. Do you get angry, react, retaliate Only when God is Dishonored..
C. Do you always Respond Humbly and Obediently to the Word?
D. Do you always seek Peace --- Unity --- Forgiveness?
E. Do You Receive criticism well and Love the people who give it?
F. Do you give Instructions with Meekness or Pride.
If You Are Not Saved, Nothing Else Matters
