Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the Meek
Sermon in the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Its important to keep reminding us that it is not good enough to live out many of the beatitudes. The beatitudes are not like a credit score. If you are living out 7 of the 8 beatitudes that is a excellent score; 5-6 is a good score; 3-4 fair; or 2 and lower poor score. This was never the plan that Jesus had when He preached these beatitudes. Each of these beatitudes should be lived out in every Christian. The truth is there is no reason we should not be able to live out all the beatitudes. After all, we have God living is us and empowering us.
Why? Why is not it good enough for us to live out many but not all of the beatitudes? Two answers:
Our comparison is not man but God. It is important that we follow Godly men as in the case of Paul -Paul, on many occasions told his disciples to follow him, he wanted to be an example to his followers-but our comparison is with God, not Godly men! Although I follow many of the same principles in my ministry as does my pastor, my comparison is not with his ministry but this Book! One day I will have to give an account before God, not based upon Brother Head’s ministry but this Book!
The principles of discipleship demand us to live out all the beatitudes. he discipleship process is a missing element in our churches. We tend to view discipleship in a one-hour Bible study once a week. Yet, this view contradicts completely the Biblical context of discipleship. Discipleship is about us giving our lives for others in such a way that they can understand the commands of Jesus by viewing our lives. The beatitudes we do not live out, may never be lived out in the lives of our students. We may produce a generation of unhealthy Christians because we were unwilling to surrender ourselves to be the beatitudes.
To this point in our study we have examined two beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This is the foundational beatitude. This is salvation. No one can be saved until they are broken by their sin spiritually. Several years back I worked with a Mormon. Before converting to mormonism, he was as alcoholic. His alcoholism was the prime-motivator that moved him to desire more from himself and convert to mormonism. This is not what os meant by “poor in spirit.” The “poor in spirit” understands that alcoholism is a manifestation of the disease. The disease is a sinful nature and understanding this leaves people without strength, incapable of doing anything good.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mourning is to be broken over sin. Today we are more invested in not offending our feelings or emotions or sense of right and wrong or convictions that we no longer mourn over offending God or His word! The benefit of mourning is being comforted by God. How does mourning over our sin move God in comforting us? .
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Never just read over the phrase “if we confess our sins” believing it is a simple process. Before we can get to the point of confessing sins we must have a poor in spirit and mournful attitude over the sin. The word “confess” means to agree with God; that He is right and we are wrong. There are two ways in which I confess I am wrong and someone else is right:
Out of anger or frustration. I come to the realization that I am wrong but I am not happy with being wrong. I would rather be right and the other person wrong. This confession is not what John mentions in .
Out of brokenness and sorrow. I come to realize that I am wrong, and this realization breaks me and causes me to mourn over sinning against my Lord and Savior. I willfully, confess that He is right and I am wrong. Along, with a desire to be in the right path as opposed to the wrong path. This produces a divine comfort because Jesus “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This evening our focus is the third beatitude -
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
For many this is the hardest to live out and understand
Complexity
Complexity
We need to
On one hand, here is what we know of Jesus:
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
He is meek, lowly and gentle.
Yet, on the other hand, here is what else we know about Jesus:
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
How do we reconcile these seeming contradictions?
In the vocabulary of the ancient Greek language, the meek person was not passive or easily pushed around. The main idea behind the word “meek” was strength under control, like a strong stallion that was trained to do the job instead of running wild.
Whenever the situation was about false accusations against Him, He was meek and lowly
Whenever the situation was about false accusations against Him, He was meek and lowly
Whenever the situation was about false accusations against Him, He was meek and lowly
Therefore, whenever it was about ministry, truth or the Lord’s House He was not meek and lowly; either was He arrogant but authoritative.
Whenever the situation was about false accusations against Him, He was meek and lowly
However, whenever it was about ministry, truth or the Lord’s House He was not meek and lowly; either was He arrogant but authoritative.
Barclay: Thus a meek individual is one who is angry on the right occasion with the right people at the right moment for the right length of time. Stated another way, meekness is "anger under control" but not just any kind of anger. Meekness is always the mean between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness. The man who is meek is able to balance his anger. Since a meek man is not a self-centered man, the anger is not about that which happens to him but is rather a righteous anger at what is wrongly done to others. (See the examples of Moses and Jesus in this discussion)
To put that in another way, the man who is praus is the man who is kindled by indignation at the wrongs and the sufferings of others, but is never moved to anger by the wrongs and the insults he himself has to bear. So, then, the man who is (as in the Authorized Version), meek is the man who is always angry at the right time but never angry at the wrong time.
When I was a kid I use to watch the old black-and-white Superman television show; and even as a child, I knew that - whatever else Clark Kent was - he certainly wasn't "weak". He perhaps presented himself as a 'weakling'; but that was just to hide his real identity - just like anyone who had x-ray vision obviously didn't really need glasses! Sure; he'd behave 'meek and mild-mannered' in front of Lois and Jimmy and Mr. White; and he would never use his great powers to serve his own interests. But all the kids knew that, as soon as anyone was in trouble, he'd jump out the window and fly to their rescue!
The lesson for us is:
The lesson for us is:
The lesson for us is:
When opposition, insults and provocation come our way, we should be meek.
But, when the argument is about truth (not about us bur God’s word) or ministry we must be soldiers.
CONTEXT - PERSPECTIVE
CONTEXT - PERSPECTIVE
To be meek requires an inward change - Therefore Meekness is an outgrowth of a divine nature.
Consider how hard it is to be meek:
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
In April 2004 President Bush gave a press conference. One of the last questions asked was:
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.
In the last campaign, you were asked a question about the biggest mistake you'd made in your life, and you used to like to joke that it was trading Sammy Sosa.
In the last campaign, you were asked a question about the biggest mistake you'd made in your life, and you used to like to joke that it was trading Sammy Sosa.
You've looked back before 9-11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9-11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have learned from it?
You've looked back before 9-11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9-11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have learned from it?
BUSH: I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it.
BUSH: I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it.
John, I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could've done it better this way or that way. You know, I just -- I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet.
John, I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could've done it better this way or that way. You know, I just -- I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet.
President Bush went on the justify his war with Iraq. The point of the question was not necessarily connected with - should we have went to war with Iraq; rather, have there been some mistakes along the way. No war has ever been fought without mistakes. My point is not to criticize President Bush but to show how hard it is to be meek.
So how do we live meekness? Never forget context
The context of who we are:
The context of who we are:
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says "A man can never be meek unless he is poor in spirit. A man can never be meek unless he has seen himself as a vile sinner. These other things must come first.
Pride rises and Meekness falters when we forget who we were before God saved us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul’s focus was to finish His course, which was the ministry that Jesus Christ gave Him. His was not concerned with past accomplishments
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant:
For in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way;
And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
The only reason we are standing in grace is God
The only reason we know truth is God
The only reason we have a wonderful inheritance is God
The only reason we will reign one day is God
The only reason we could ever be right is God
Is not this the idea of:
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
In and of ourselves we are nothing without God!
We must never forget the context of where we are going
We must never forget the context of where we are going
For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
We are so invested in fighting the here and now that we tend to lose sight of the then and there.
I wonder how many Christians have forever lost their testimonies through pride, instead of meekness. Yes, we may have won a temporal battle but lost an eternal reward.
Crown
Crown
A. Barnes: Meekness is the reception of injuries with a belief that God will vindicate us. “Vengeance is his; he will repay,” . It little becomes us to take his place, and to do what he has promised to do.
D. Guzik: We can only be meek, willing to control our desire for our rights and privileges because we are confident God watches out for us, that He will protect our cause. The promise “they shall inherit the earth” proves that God will not allow His meek ones to end up on the short end of the deal.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Meekness is the attitude expressed by John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress writing…
He that is down needs fear no fall,
He that is low no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.