Sermon Tone Analysis

April 15, 2007 at FBC, Comanche; */Expositional studies:/* Matthew

Text: *Matthew 5:1-12**, Matthew 5:5*

*5* “Blessed are the meek [gentle], for they shall inherit the earth.”

*/“The Beauty of Meekness”/*

*Introduction*:  Who wrote the Pentateuch?

The opposite of meekness is those who are proud, who seek to be powerful or important.

The proud Pharisees wanted a miraculous kingdom, the proud Sadducees wanted a materialistic kingdom, the proud Essenes wanted a monastic kingdom, and the proud Zealots wanted a military kingdom.

The humble Jesus offered a meek kingdom.

In spite of all the miracles of His ministry, the people never really believed in Him as the Messiah, because He failed to act in military or miracle power against Rome, according to their traditions and expectations!

Humility, mourning, and meekness didn’t seem to be the way to get what the people wanted, but that’s exactly what our Lord Jesus taught were the primary steps in righteousness towards God; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17-25.

Why didn’t they, “/the chosen people of God/,” /get it/?

They neglected, disregarded, rejected, and disobeyed the Word of God, because they were more interested in their agendas, affinities, and affections [the way that they thought things had always or should always be done] rather than the “/approval of God/.”

·        *Blessed*—*μακάριος *[*/makários/*]; possessing the favor of God, being marked by fullness from God; indicates the state of the believer in Christ; a partaker of God’s nature through faith in Christ ( 2 Peter 1:4 ).

·        *Meekness, gentleness*—*πραΰς** *[*/praus/*]; meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.

The meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice

·        *Inherit the earth*—*κληρονομέω* [*/kleronomeo/*]; to receive as an inheritance, obtain by right of inheritance; to be an heir

·        *Earth—**γῆ** *[*/ge/*] the ground, the earth as a standing place

·        *Kingdom of heaven*—*βασιλεία* [*/basileia/*]; what God promises believers, a golden age of blessing, is now on the verge of being realized and experienced, by those whose preparedness of spirit, mind, and heart make them receptive to the Gospel message

*1.    **The understanding of your position*

*A.     **Favor of God —* *Blessing*

*B.    **Fatherhood of God — “**Bless-er”*

*C.    **Family of God — “**Bless-ee”*

*@  *The righteous, the true children of God, those who consistently portray these biblical characteristics, those who alone will be entering the Kingdom of God, */see/* */God/* for Who He is [worship Him individually and corporately according to Scripture], and */see themselves/* for who we are [sinners in the hands of God Who is angry with the unrepentant every day; Psalms 7:11f.

Do you see yourself as biblically meek [Matt 21:5; Eph 4:1-3; 2 Cor 10:1]?

*2.    **the reality of true contrition*

*A.     **Conviction** from God’s **Holy Spirit** —* *Blessing*

*B.    **Confession by God’s Children – *

*C.    **Contrition of God’s  People — **2 Corinthians 7:10-11*

*@  *What makes the self-righteous person feel righteous?

You do not see your sins, your transgressions, and your unfaithfulness, because you’re so busy looking to see if you can find those things in the lives of others!

*3.    **the necessity of biblical submission*

*A.     **Sovereignty—Spirit-control; *He is faithful*  – 1 Corinthians 1:9*

*B.    **Humility—Self-control; *we must be faithful* – 1 Corinthians 4:1-5*

*C.    **Necessity**—*to receive the promised blessings, faith and repentance are required -- *Colossians 3:12**; Titus 3:1-2*

*@  *Who owns the authority and the ability to bless?

Who is the sovereign of the universe, and can give gifts to those who faithfully yield their will to Him?

*Conclusion and Application*: 

·        God’s sovereignty; your responsibility

·        God’s holiness; your unholiness

·        God’s purity; your depravity

Are you faithfully displaying the characteristics of those who are in the Kingdom of God?  Poverty in spirit focuses on our sinfulness, whereas meekness focuses on God’s holiness.

Meekness is power completely surrendered to God’s control.

The blessings of the Beatitudes are for those who are realistic about their sinfulness, who are repentant of their sins, and who are responsive to God in His righteousness.

Those who are unblessed, unhappy, and shut out of the kingdom are the proud, the arrogant, the unrepentant-the self-sufficient and self-righteous who see in themselves no unworthiness and feel no need for God’s help and God’s righteousness.

\\ 1783 - The Continental Congress ratified preliminary articles of peace ending the Revolutionary War with Great Britain.

1817 - The first American school for the deaf opened in Hartford, Connecticut.

1850 - The city of San Francisco was incorporated.

1861 - Three days after the attack on Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln mobilized Federal army at the outset of the Civil War.

1865 - Andrew Johnson became the nation's 17th president upon Abraham Lincoln's death.

1922 - Insulin was discovered by Canadian physiologist Frederick Banting and John Macleod.

1945 - During World War II, British and Canadian troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.

1955 - Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's; it was located in Des Plaines, Illinois.

1989 - Students in Beijing launched a series of pro-democracy protests following the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang; the protests culminated in the Tiananmen Square massacre.

*The Titanic*

British liner that sank on the night of Apr.

14-15, 1912, after crashing into an iceberg in the N Atlantic S of Newfoundland.

More than 1,500 lives were lost.

The /Titanic,/ thought to be the fastest ship afloat and almost unsinkable, was on her maiden voyage and carried many notables among the more than 2,200 persons aboard.

These circumstances made the loss seem the more appalling to the public in England and the United States.

Official and other investigations revealed that messages of warning had been sent but had either not been received by the commanding officers or had been ignored by them.

The ship had continued at full speed even after the warnings were sent.

She did not carry sufficient lifeboats, and many of the lifeboats were launched with only a few of the seats occupied.

Other vessels in the vicinity were unable to reach the /Titanic/ before she sank; one, only 10 mi (16 km) away, did not respond because her wireless operator had retired for the evening.

\\ Controlling Yourself

/“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt.

5:5)./

²²²

*/Gentleness is power under control./*

The Greek word translated “gentle” in Matthew 5:5 speaks of humility, meekness, and non-retaliation—traits that in our proud society are often equated with weakness or cowardice.

But in reality they are virtues that identify Kingdom citizens.

The same word was used by the Greeks to describe a gentle breeze, a soothing medicine, or a domesticated colt.

Those are examples of power under control.

A gentle breeze brings pleasure, but a hurricane brings destruction; a soothing medicine brings healing, but an overdose can kill; a domesticated colt is useful, but a wild horse is dangerous.

Christ Himself is the epitome of gentleness.

Even when officially announcing His messiahship to Jerusalem, He humbly entered the city astride a donkey (Matt.

21:5).

His behavior amid persecution was exemplary: “Christ … suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:21–23).

Despite His humility and restraint, Jesus wasn’t weak or cowardly.

He never defended Himself, but when His Father’s house was being desecrated, He made a whip and beat those who were defiling it (John 2:13–16; Matt.

21:12–13).

He never shirked from pronouncing judgment on unrepentant sinners and never compromised His integrity or disobeyed His Father’s will.

The hypocritical Jewish religious leaders expected that when Israel’s Messiah came, He would commend them for their wonderful spirituality.

Instead, Jesus condemned them and called them children of the devil (John 8:44).

In retaliation they had Him murdered.

His power was always under control; theirs wasn’t.

Our society has little use for gentleness.

The macho, do-your-own-thing mentality characterizes most of our heroes.

But you are called to a higher standard.

When you pattern your life after Jesus, you will have a significant impact on society and will know true happiness.

²²²

/Suggestions for Prayer:/  Thank God for the virtue of gentleness, which He is producing in you by the power of His Spirit.

Follow Christ’s example today so that gentleness will mark your character.

/For Further Study:/ Read the following passages, noting the responsibilities and blessings that accompany self-restraint: Proverbs 16:32; Ephesians 4:1–2; Colossians 3:12; and Titus 3:1–2.

\\ Inheriting the Earth

/“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt.

5:5)./

²²²

*/Someday God will reverse the curse and return the earth to His people./*

God said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen.

1:28).

But their sin cost them their sovereignty and brought a curse upon the earth (Gen.

3:17–18).

The Apostle Paul said, “The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God … in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption” (Rom.

8:19–21).

Someday that curse will be reversed, and God’s people will once again inherit the earth.

The Greek word translated “inherit” (Matt.

5:5) means “to receive an allotted portion.”

The earth is the allotted portion of believers, who will reign with the Lord when He comes in His Kingdom (Rev.

20:6).

That’s an emphatic promise in Matthew 5:5, which literally reads, “Blessed are the gentle, for /only/ they shall inherit the earth.”

Many Jewish people of Christ’s day thought the Kingdom belonged to the strong, proud, and defiant.