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Blessed are the Meek · CCC West Covina

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Father, we thank you for today, We thank you for all that you
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do. And we thank you Lord, for the
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opportunity we had to study Your word tonight.
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Open our eyes to behold your beauty.
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Help us to see the glory of the Lord.
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Help us to understand our responsibility to follow you and
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pray God that you touch all of our hearts as only you can,
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because you are a great and wonderful God.
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And we thank you that we can be together in Jesus name, Amen.
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If you have your Bible, turn with me to John chapter 18, John
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chapter 18 years from now we will be in chapter 18 of John,
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just not anytime soon. And the 18th chapter of John is
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just a whether it's all a great passage, but I preach on this
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section of Scripture in the Garden of Gethsemane when we go
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to Israel simply because it's such a powerful, powerful
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passage. But but it sets the tone for
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what we want to talk to you about this evening.
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Because the Bible says in Matthew chapter 5 verse #5
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blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
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And there's no greater example of meekness than Christ.
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And one of the areas in which it's illustrated the best is in
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John chapter 18. And it says this, when Jesus had
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spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over
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the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden in the in
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which he entered with his disciples.
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Now Judas also, who was betraying him, knew the place,
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for Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
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Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from
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the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with
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lanterns and torches and weapons.
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So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went
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forth and said to them, Whom do you seek?
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They answer him. Jesus and Nazarene.
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He said to them, I am. And Judas also, who was
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betraying him, was standing with them.
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So he said to them, I am. They drew back and fell to the
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ground. Therefore he again asked them,
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Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus and
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Nazarene. Jesus answered, I told you that
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I am. So if you seek me, let these go
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their way to fulfill the word which He spoke Of those whom you
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have given me. I lost not one.
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Simon Peter then having a sword, drew it and struck the high
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priest slave and cut off his right ear.
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And the slaves name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, Put the
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sword into the sheath, the cup which the Father has given me,
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shall I not drink it? So the Roman cohort and the
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commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and
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bound him. So Jesus goes off to one of his
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four trials as a prisoner. But Jesus was not a prisoner, He
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was a free man. But Judas and the Roman army,
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they were not free men, but they were truly prisoners.
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They just not, did not understand that.
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Think of it. Here is Jesus in the middle of
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the night and there are no St. lights in the Garden of
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Gethsemane. And so they come with torches
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and lanterns and weapons to imprison the Prince of Peace.
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And the cohort is 600 men. And you think of the Temple
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police being somewhere between 100 and 200 police.
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So you have around 800 people plus Pharisees and and some
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probably Sadducees and scribes all gathering together.
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So you have over 800 people all coming from Jerusalem, crossing
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over the Kidron with torches and and lanterns looking for the
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light of the world. And Jesus meets them at the
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entryway to the garden and asks them, well, whom do you seek?
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And they respond by saying Jesus and Nazarene and he says I am.
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And they all fall over backwards.
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And the most amazing thing is they get back up again.
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So he asked him the same question, whom do you seek?
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And they repeat Jesus and Nazarene.
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He says I am and they take him prisoner, but he's the only free
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man in the bunch, while those who perceive themselves to be
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free are really prisoners. You see, Jesus was in complete
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control of the situation and he had all the power to do whatever
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he wanted, but he chose, he chose willingly to go with them
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because why? He was the meekest on the face
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of the earth. He becomes the supreme
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illustration of what it means to be meek.
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But Christ is the is the master of the paradox.
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One day I would like to do a a series on on on all those
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paradoxes that Christ speaks of. Christ says the last are first.
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Those who give receive. Those who die live.
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Those who lose find. Those who are the least are
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really the greatest. Those who are the poorest are
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the richest. Those who are the weakest are
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the strongest, and those who serve are really those who rule.
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He's the master of the paradox. Nobody can say it quite like
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Jesus says it. And the way he puts it in the
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way he phrases it is so startling.
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And so if you're a Jew and you're you're on the North Shore
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of the Sea of Galilee in Christ ascends this mount and takes his
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seat and begins to say blessed are the poor in spirit, for
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theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. And blessed are those who mourn,
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for they shall be comforted and blessed are the are the meek,
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for they shall inherit the earth.
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All these things are are supreme paradoxes in the minds of the
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people listening. But Jesus, Jesus knows how to
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say it in just the right way. He says very simply that those
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who realize their poverty are those who repent from their
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iniquity. And those who repent from their
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iniquity respond with humility. And what Jesus says goes against
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everything we believe. If you want to inherit the
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world, you're, you're the aggressor.
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If you want to rule the world, you, you are the powerful one,
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you're the rich one, you're the strong one.
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You're the one who overrides everyone else.
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So we think, try to tell Aceo that his greatest quality will
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be meekness and he will laugh at you because that's just unheard
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of. But in God's Kingdom, those who
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understand meekness are the ones who inherit the earth.
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In fact, Jesus said this way. All you that are heavy laden
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come to me, I will give you rest for I am meek and lowly in
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hearts. He He opens the door for us to
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see the inner workings of the of the Messiah.
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He is meek and he is lowly at heart.
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This was a a a difficult pill for the nation of Israel to
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swallow because of Jesus is their Messiah, which he claims
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to be and and he is. Their perception of the Messiah
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is different than than meekness, it's strength, it's power and
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they would they would begin to think in the Jewish mind.
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These verses about the Messiah Daniel 7 verse 13 Well Daniel
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says, I kept looking in the night visions, and behold with
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the clouds of heaven. 1 Like a son of man was coming, and he
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came up to the ancient of days and presented him, or presented
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before him. And to him was given dominion
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and glory in a Kingdom that all the peoples, nations, and men of
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every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting
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dominion which will not pass away, and his Kingdom is 1 which
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will not be destroyed. They think of the Messiah, which
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is a very, very familiar passage to Jews, that this is the the
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coming of the Messiah. He rules and reign with power
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and dominion. And then they would think of
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those very familiar words. And Isaiah Chapter 9, verse #6
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For a child will be born to us, and the Son will be given to us,
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and the government will rest on his shoulders.
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This name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God,
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eternal Father, Prince of Peace, And there will be no end to the
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increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and
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over His Kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice
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and righteousness from then on and forever more.
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The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
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They're thinking of their Messiah and understanding that
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when He comes, He rules over all.
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And then they would be drawn to Malachi chapter 4 verse #1 For
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behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all
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the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaffed, and the day
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that it is coming will set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts.
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So that will leave them neither root nor branch.
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But for you who fear my name, the Son of righteousness will
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rise with healing in its wings, and you will go forth and skip
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about like calves from the stall.
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You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under
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your the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,
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says the Lord of hosts. And they would think that here
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is the Lord who comes and he tramples everyone down, and he
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rules over all, and he is strong and mighty, and the dominion is
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his. That's what they're thinking
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about the Messiah. And Jesus comes and says,
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blessed are those who are poor, for I give them my Kingdom.
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Blessed are those who who mourn they and they only will be
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comforted and, and blessed are the meek for the earth is
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theirs. There's and and there's only, no
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one else's. And this was completely shocking
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to a, to a Jewish mindset. And so all, all throughout the
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ministry, they would hear words like Jesus saying, I've come to
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preach the gospel to the poor. I've come to preach the gospel
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as I look forward to those who are oppressed.
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And Israel saw themselves as oppressed, but not because of
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their iniquity, but because of their their enemy, Rome.
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They were under the oppression of Rome.
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And so if the Messiah comes, he is going to relieve their
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oppression. He will release them from their
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imprisonment. And they think, they're thinking
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their imprisonment is Rome, that Rome is is hovering over them
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and ruling over them. And they can be set free from
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that, not knowing that they are enslaved to their sin.
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They did not understand the arrival of the Messiah, even
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even at the end of his ministry. Remember Matthew chapter 21 it
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says when they had approached Jerusalem, Matthew chapter 21
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verse #1 and had come to Bethpage at the Mount of Olives.
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Then Jesus said two disciples saying to them, go to the
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village opposite you, and immediately you will find a
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donkey tied there in a colt with her.
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Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you,
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you shall say the Lord has need of them, and immediately He will
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send them. This took place to fulfill what
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was spoken through the prophet and he quotes Zechariah 9 verse
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#9 say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to
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you meek and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the full
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of a beast of burden. They would know Zechariah 9.
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They would understand that and they would try to, to connect
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the dots of how it is that the, the Son of Man 1 like a Son of
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man would come and come up to the ancient of days, that he
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would have received glory and power and the Kingdom.
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And, and it's the, the, the power of the Lord of hosts that
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caused him to accomplish these kinds of things.
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And and then they would read that, that the Messiah would
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come on the backside of a donkey instead of a, a Persian steed
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instead of a, a, a white stallion.
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He comes on the backside of a of a donkey.
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And yet, and yet disciples went and did just as Jesus had
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instructed them and brought the donkey in the colt and laid
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their coats on them. And he sat on their coats for
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Satan. Most of the crowd spread their
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coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the
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trees and spreading them in the road.
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The crowds going ahead of him and those who followed were
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shouting Hosanna to the Son of David.
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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
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Hosanna. Excuse me, Hosanna in the
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highest. Now you have to understand that
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here is Christ and he's making his way up to Jerusalem.
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It's Passover time and there are thousands upon thousands of
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people moving toward Jerusalem, and he's making his way up
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through Jericho, healing 2 blind men in Jericho, and the crowds
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begin to swell beyond number. And so they're following him
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into Jerusalem, while the crowds in Jerusalem are already there.
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And here comes Jesus fulfillment of Zechariah 99 and they see him
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coming and they begin to take off their their coats and, and
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lay them down in front of this beast of burden, this, this
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donkey. Why?
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Because they are saying, I'm giving all I have to you.
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You're in charge, you're the king.
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Others were taking branches and, and and waving them and laying
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them down. And that's why, that's why the
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Pharisees were so upset because of Passover.
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You don't cut down the branches and wave them.
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You do that at the Feast of Tabernacles, not at Passover.
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And the Pharisees knew that if they're doing this, they're
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doing it because they believe that their Messiah is coming.
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And if the Messiah is coming and they don't think he is, we got a
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major problem. Thus says the religious
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establishment. And so they believe in some
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small way that this is their Messiah.
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And then over in Luke's Luke's comment on this, he says the
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whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully
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with a loud voice because of his miracles, not because of his
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message. His message was blessed are the
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poor, blessed are those who mourn.
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Blessed are the are the meek and the and the hungry and the
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peacemakers and the pure heart. But they didn't listen to that.
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It was it was the the miracles that got them excited.
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And they've said blessed is the king who comes in the name of
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the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
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They even quote the Bible. They quote Psalm 110 and Psalm
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40, both Messianic Psalms, saying that Jesus is the
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Messiah, is the king, and Jesus goes into Jerusalem and he weeps
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over Jerusalem because he says, if you had known for on this day
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what I was here for, oh, I would have gathered you together, but
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you weren't willing. You did not recognize the day of
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your visitation and they should have recognized the day of his
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visitation because it was the exact day 173,880 days as
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prophesied by Daniel and Daniel 924 to 27.
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They should have known, but they missed it because they they
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believed in the dominion and power of the Messiah.
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And Jesus turns around and goes back to Bethany, comes back to
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the next day and cleanses the temple.
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Instead of setting up his Kingdom, instead of overthrowing
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Rome, he turns over the the tables in the temple.
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They are extremely confused. So confused that three days
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later they yell, crucify him, crucify him.
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See, the Messiah didn't come to be crowned, He came to be
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crucified. He didn't come to be exalted.
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He came to be humiliated. That's why he came.
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He came to die and they missed it all.
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So Jesus comes along early on in his ministry.
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He is paving the way to the end. He's helping them to understand
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He's the king. I want you to be children of My
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Kingdom. To do so, you must understand
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how to enter the Kingdom and how to grow up in the Kingdom.
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It begins with poverty of spirit.
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The moon moves to mourning over your sin.
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Then it moves to meekness. But with all that comes
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blessedness comes true joy comes happiness on the inside, a joy
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that's unaffected by anything on the outside because you're right
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with God on the inside and that's all that matters.
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And so he says, blessed are the meek.
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So hopefully you picked up an outline and you're able to
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follow us tonight because the outline is the same as it has
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been the last two weeks, and we'll be the same.
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As we go through the beatitudes #1 we will make sure that we
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define the condition for you, describe the consequences,
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detail the characteristics, and then determine our course.
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Follow this through with me, if you will.
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What meekness is not and what meekness is.
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So many times we equate meekness with weakness, meekness with
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shyness, meekness with spinelessness, meekness with
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mere niceness. We we really have a hard time
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defining meekness. But just let me give you just a
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real simple illustration. The Bible says there's a man who
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was the meekest man on the face of the earth.
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That's Numbers 12 verse #3 Moses writes the Pentateuch under the
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inspiration of God. He says that he himself is the
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meekest man on the face of the earth.
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And so think of Moses as the essence of meekness in the Old
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Testament. And Moses was the one who who
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slew an Egyptian as the the meekest man on the face of the
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earth. He was the one who coming down
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from Mount Sinai with the the tablets, the 10 commandments
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written in stone by the finger of God, coming down only to see
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and hear the idolatry of the people of God.
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So the meekest man on the face of the earth takes the stones
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and throws him down to the ground and crushes them, and
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then he takes the molten calf that they had made as a symbol
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of their God that they would worship.
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He melted it down, let it dry, pounded it into dust, threw the
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dust into the water, and then made Israel drink the water.
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That is the meekest man on the face of the earth.
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That's just amazing because we don't understand meekness.
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Meekness is one who has all the power, but all that power is
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completely under control. It's a It's another word for
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being self controlled. Think of it this way.
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William Barkley says in his commentary on On the Beatitudes
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that meekness is a word with caress in it.
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And Colin Brown in his commentary in the New Testament
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says it's a word used to describe tame animals.
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A soothing medicine, a mild word, a gentle breeze.
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In other words, it implies self-control.
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Think about it, a gentle breeze. We, we love to to sit on the
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beach and, and have a have a gentle breeze or in the backyard
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and feel a gentle breeze. But if the wind is out of
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control, that gentle breeze becomes a hurricane, right?
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We love domesticated horses because they do what we tell
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them to do. They ride smooth and and quick.
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But an undomesticated horse is a wild horse and runs all over the
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place. Medicine is good if you take the
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dosage that the doctor gives to you, but if you overdose on the
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medicine, it can be deadly. You see, the essence of meekness
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is that it is power that is completely tamed and under
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control. And that's why our Lord would
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say that He has all the power in all the world, and yet He is the
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meekest because He is lowly and He wants you to come to Him
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because only He can do what no one else can do.
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That's so important to understand.
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Proverbs 1632 says he that is slow to anger is better than the
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mighty, and he ruleth that ruleth the spirit, than he that
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taketh a city. That's self-control.
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That's power under control. Point #2 Let's let's describe
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the consequences for today and for tomorrow, for today.
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There there is guidance for today there is blessing, for for
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today there is joy for today there is salvation.
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Listen to what the Old Testament says.
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It says in Proverbs 2226 The meek shall eat and be satisfied.
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Proverbs 25 verse #9 The meek will he guide injustice, and the
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meek will he teach his ways. Psalm 147 verse #6 The Lord
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lifts up the meek. Isaiah 2919.
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The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord.
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Think of it this way, the rich and the powerful never have
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enough. They never get enough.
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But the meek don't fight for that because they know in the
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end it's all going to be theirs anyway because they inherit the
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earth. So they're not worrying about
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what they don't have today or tomorrow because everything that
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the unbelieving world has is theirs That anyway because they
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along with the Lord inherit the earth.
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But tomorrow, tomorrow there's a, a ruling and reigning on this
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earth with the king. And over in Psalm, Psalm 37, the
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psalmist says this, which is so unique, he says in verse #9 for
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evildoers will be cut off. But those who wait for the Lord,
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they will inherit the land. That the meek person is one who
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who waits and and trusts because he is, he is patient for what
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God's going to do. And that person inherits the
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land, verse 11. But the humble will inherit the
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land, verse 18. The Lord knows the days of the
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blameless, and their inheritance will be forever.
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Verse 22. For those blessed by Him will
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again inherit the land. Verse 29.
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The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
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Verse 34. Wait for the Lord and keep His
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way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
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There's coming today because we are heirs of God and joint heirs
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with Christ. And in Psalm 2, the psalmist
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says this in verse #8 ask of me, and I will surely give you the
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nation's for your inheritance and the very ends of the earth
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as your possession. That's God speaking to the
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Messiah. And because we're joining us
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with Christ, what He receives, we receive, and therefore the
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earth is his and the fullness thereof.
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And one day, according to the Book of Revelation, we will rule
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and reign with Christ as he sits on the throne of his Father
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David in Jerusalem. And we will reign over the land
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because we would have inherited the earth.
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But let me, let me try to describe for you the
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characteristics. Now follow very carefully.
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They're they're in your notes. 1 builds upon the other.
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The characteristics of the meek person is allegiance,
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benevolence, confidence, deference or preference,
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defense, and in essence, patience and obedience.
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Let me begin this way. Characteristic #1 is that those
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who are meek have an allegiance to God's sovereignty.
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If I had time, I could take you back to the book of Genesis and
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talk to you about the man Joseph.
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Joseph rose to a level of prominence in Egypt unlike any
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other person ever. And as he rose to a level of
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prominence, he became basically the Prime Minister of Egypt.
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And he had the opportunity to take care of Potiphar's wife,
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who had lied about him, but he chose not to.
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And when his brothers came to Egypt because they were starving
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and hungry and didn't recognize Joseph, he could have refused to
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give them food, but he didn't. He gave them food, and now he
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did. He give him food.
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He forgave them for what they did to him, while he had it in
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his power to destroy them. As the Prime Minister of Egypt.
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That is the essence of meekness. He had the power to destroy
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them. Meekness is always seen not when
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you do that which is wrong, but when you do that which is right.
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Because in doing that which is right and you're not in the
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wrong, you had the power to destroy those who are in the
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wrong, but you choose not to. Why?
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Because your allegiance is to God's sovereignty.
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And Joseph knew about the sovereign work of God in his
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life, how God had moved specifically in every aspect of
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his life to move him to where he was.
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So much so that at the end he could say you meant it for evil,
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but God meant it for good, because God's sovereignty is
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ruling over all. And because of that, two nations
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were saved, both Egypt and Israel.
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So the first characteristic is allegiance to God's sovereignty.
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The second characteristic is benevolence toward your enemy.
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Benevolence towards your enemy. You had the power to destroy
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them, but instead you show them kindness and goodness.
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In the illustration. For this is David, King David.
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He was anointed king over Israel and for over a decade Saul was
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so angry with him and hated him so much and tried to kill him.
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And when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, even
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though he was already anointed king of Israel, he did not kill
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Saul but spared his life. He was in complete control.
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He had the power as king of Israel already been anointed and
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Saul had already been rejected as king and but yet he, because
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of his allegiance to God's sovereignty, then would
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demonstrate his benevolence toward his enemy.
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That's exactly what he did even with Shemi.
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Remember that in, I think it's second Samuel when he was going
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along the, the, the hillside and throwing stones at David and
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cursing to David and Abishai said, Hey, let me go up there
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and cut off his head. And David said, no, no, let it
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go. If he's doing this, it's
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probably because God told him to do so.
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And David was the king and David could have had him executed, but
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he did not. He had the power to, but because
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of his allegiance to God's sovereignty, he could show
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benevolence toward his enemy. And those who show benevolence
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toward their enemy do so because they have confidence in the
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Almighty. And that was the apostle Paul.
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That's why he said, I can do all things through Christ who
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strengthens me. And the apostle Paul was the one
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who said we put no confidence in the flesh.
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Why? Because all of our confidence is
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in the Almighty God, and that's what the meek person does.
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And Paul is a perfect example of that.
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So the person who has allegiance to God's sovereignty shows
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benevolence toward his enemy because he has confidence in the
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Almighty. And those who have confidence in
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the Almighty show deference within their family, whether it
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be their personal family or their church family.
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In the illustration of this is Abraham.
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Remember in Genesis when lots herdsmen and and Abraham's
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herdsmen had this great fight that would break out and so they
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knew that they had to separate. So what did Abraham do?
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Abraham's the the father who received the promise.
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He knew what the land. The land was his.
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The promised land was was Abraham's.
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It was given to him. Not to lot, but lots.
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But but Abraham says a lot. You choose which way you want to
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go. You want to go right, I'll go
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left. You want to go left?
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I'll go right. You want to go north, I'll go
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South. You want to go South, I'll go
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north. Choose the way you want to go.
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So what a lot choose. He chose the lush green area,
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the best area, and Abraham let him, although it was Abraham's.
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Why? Because he showed deference and
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preference in his family. What does Paul say in Romans
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chapter 12? He says give preference to one
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another in honor. That's within the church.
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You see, we need more of that in the church, don't we?
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We need meek people in the church who are willing to give
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preference to others, give honor to others, to lift up others.
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Why? Because they understand that
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within their family they want to lift others up above them,
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whether it's their personal family or their church family,
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because they do have confidence in the Almighty.
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Therefore, they want to show benevolence even toward their
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enemy because they have an allegiance towards God's
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sovereignty. That's the characteristic of
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those who are meek. And then, of course, there's the
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defense of your authority. That is, those who are meek are
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always willing to defend their God and defend the truth of the
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Word of God. And that is how Moses lived his
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life, how Paul lived his life, always standing strong in the
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truth, always defending his God, fighting the good fight of the
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faith, always living in defense of their great and grand
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authority, never living in defense of themselves, but
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always in their God. And of course, in essence, make
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people show patience and they are the ones who demonstrate
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obedience, and that's Christ. Christ himself was completely
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obedient to his Father, even though he is ridiculed, even
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though he was spat upon, even though he was mocked and he had
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the power to destroy, even as he hung on the cross, and he could
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have called legions of angels to come and save him.
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He did not. Instead he said, Father forgive
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them, for they know not what they do.
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And Peter, when he denied him, what did he do?
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He restored him. He restored him because that's
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what make people do. They give preference to others,
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they minister to others. And Christ live a life of
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obedience to His Father, always wanting to do the will of His
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Father in heaven, simply because He lived out the meek and quiet
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spirit. How about you?
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What characterizes your daily life?
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Are you the kind of person who, when you have the power to
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destroy, or you have the power for revenge, or you have the
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power to conquer, it's all under your authority.
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You choose not to because you want to demonstrate kindness,
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goodness, and gentleness. So lastly, what's, what's our
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course of action? How do we explain that?
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Let me, let me give you a few principles #1 is understand that
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meekness. Realize, realize it's a gift.
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Do you understand that Galatians chapter 5, the fruit of the
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Spirit is meekness, gentleness. It's a gift of God.
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Second Peter 14, we are partakers of the divine nature.
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As a child of God, you're a partaker of God's divine nature.
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And God's nature is that he's meek and lowly.
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So you become a part of that. His nature is in you.
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You now automatically have the opportunity to live a meek and
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quiet life. So important, but you got to #1
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realize it's a gift from God and then #2 resolve to pursue
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meekness. Listen to what Paul says in
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first Timothy chapter 6, verse 11.
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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue
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righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and
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meekness. Meekness is not only gift, but
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meekness is something that we are to pursue constantly.
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And then over in Second Timothy chapter 2 verse #24 Paul says
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the Lord's bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to
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all, able to teach patient went wronged, and with meekness
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correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God might
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grant them repentance. Wow.
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So not only do we realize that meekness truly is a gift from
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God, but we also need to understand that we are to to
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seek meekness. We are to pursue meekness and
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then #3 understand this. Oh by the way, Zephaniah 2-3
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says seek meekness and then we should always respond humbly to
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scripture. Make people do that.
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Listen to James chapter 1 verse #19 this you know my beloved
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brethren, but everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak,
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and slow to anger. For the anger of man does not
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achieve the righteousness of God.
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Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains
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of wickedness, in meekness receive the word implanted,
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which is able to save your souls.
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In other words, we are the kind of people who respond humbly to
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the Scriptures. That's what meek people do.
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They hear the Word of God and they respond in humility because
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they recognize that the all powerful God of the universe who
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could destroy them in a moment, His mercies are new every
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morning, and that His grace is sufficient for every situation.
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And then and then #4 Meek people receive criticism.
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Well, meek people receive criticism.
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Well, look at Titus chapter 3. Remind them verse #1 to be
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subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to
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be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable,
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meek, showing consideration for all men.
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For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient,
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deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending
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our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
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But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind
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appeared, He saved us not on the basis of our deeds which we have
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done in righteousness, but according to His mercy by the
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washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit we
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poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
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We we are to respond to the authorities, those who are over
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you, whether they're in your workplace or whether they're in
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the government or whether they're in your family, with an
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attitude of meekness. And then note this over in first
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Peter, First Peter chapter 3 verse #4 Peter says this about
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women who are married to unsaved men, says, yet your your
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adornment, adornment, excuse me, must not be merely external.
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Braiding of the hair and wearing gold jewelry or putting on
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dresses. It's not that it can't be
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external. It just must not be merely
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external. But let it be the hidden person
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of the heart with the imperishable quality of a meek
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and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God.
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Wow. So many times as women who are
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married to unbelievers or yet who are married to unbelievers,
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receive all kinds of criticism because of what they do or don't
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do. Or if they go to church, or they
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want to raise their kids in the ways of God and their husbands
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criticize them and malign them, They are to respond with
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meekness and in gentleness because this is precious in the
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sight of the Lord. Realize that meekness is a gift.
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Resolve to pursue meekness, Respond humbly to the
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Scriptures, receive criticism well, and restore a brother who
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sins. Galatians chapter 6 verse #1
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Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who
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are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, each
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one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted.
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Meet people, restore sinning, brothers and sisters, and they
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do it in the spirit of meekness. And one more I added it right
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before the service, and that is meek people react by walking
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worthy. Ephesians chapter 4, verse #1
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Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a
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manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
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with all, with all meekness and gentleness, with patience,
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showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent
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to preserve the unity of the Spirit, the bond of peace.
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Meet people, spend their energy maintaining the peace that we
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have in the body of Christ. And they do it because they
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prefer others more important than themselves.
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They do it because they trust in the sovereignty of God that
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rules over all. They do it because they know
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they have confidence in the Almighty God to accomplish His
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purposes, that they can sit back and rest and know that their God
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is in complete control. So Christ comes and he begins to
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preach. He begins to speak forth the
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truth of the Word of God, helping people understand that
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that entrance into my Kingdom comes because of poverty of
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spirit, complete spiritual bankruptcy.
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You have nothing to give me. You have nothing to earn my
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favor. You have nothing that will cause
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me to love you. You can't get God to love you.
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God is a lover of mankind. God so loved the world that He
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gave His only begotten Son. You can't affect the love of God
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by anything that you do, but it's the poverty of spirit, the
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recognition that I have nothing to give you, that causes me to
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cry out and mourn over my sin, recognizing that I'm separated
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from you. And then understand that the
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meek will inherit the earth. All foreign to a Jewish mind.
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Foreign basically even to our minds because we don't look at
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life the way Christ looks at it. But this is the way to true
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blessedness, true joy, true happiness, true gladness.
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It comes only God's way. It doesn't come my way or your
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way. It only comes God's way.
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And so therefore, you have to say, OK, am I going to submit to
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the sovereignty of God and follow his marching orders, or
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am I going to kick against the goads and, and, and continually
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fight against what God says? Or while I'm humility, receive
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with meekness the implanted word of God, which is able to save
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your soul. That's my prayer for you and my
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prayer for for me that that would be our attitude.
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Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today
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and the opportunity you give us to praise your glorious name.
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Thank you, Lord, for your word. There's so much to unfold, so
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much to uncover, so much to study and so little time to do
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it. But yet you've given us this
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opportunity and we are grateful. We thank you, Lord, for that.
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We can spend some time in the middle of the week.
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It's like, it's like a refueling, It's a, it's like a
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refocusing. It's, it's like a redirecting of
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our lives to make sure we're in line, to make sure that we are
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truly following the word of the Lord.
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Oh, so often we need that reminder of what Your Word says.
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And my prayers for everyone in the room.
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My prayer is always for those that are in the room.
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They're here because in the sovereignty of Your plan, You
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brought them here. They're not here by accident.
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They're here by divine appointment.
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And therefore, Lord, you want to use Your word in their lives.
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So, Lord, if there's someone here tonight who's not born
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again, that you'd save them from their sin.
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For those who are, may they understand that they need to
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live like a child of the King, honoring the King, glorifying
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his name. For there is nothing better than
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to understand that we are citizens of the Kingdom of the
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living God. For that we thank you in Jesus
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name, Amen.