We're looking at the mind of Christ, number 5, meekness. Out of Matthew 11, learn of me, I am meek and lowly of heart. In Matthew 21 and verse 5, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king comes unto thee, meek. meek and sitting upon an ass upon the coat of the foal of an ass. Now this word meekness is obviously, it means mild, it means humble. Literally, mild or humble.

The Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, stooped like no person ever stooped. He never sinned. He had no sin. But he had a decree to fulfill, he had a purpose to fulfill in his providential dealing with the sons and daughters of Adam's race. He was, well, in Daniel, you don't have to turn to Daniel 7 verse 9, he's called the ancient of days, he became the infant of days, Isaiah 65,

20. So from eternity to an infant in a manger. Now meekness does not mean weakness and we'll see that when we look at Isaiah 53. But the ancient of days was the infant of days. He is likened and styled in scriptures in many places in holy writ as a lamb and as a dove. Be as wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. Such fitting emblems are suitable to this glorious and lovely, humble man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I got in here and I thought, no wonder Satan found nothing in him. Took him up to the top of the pinnacle and he had nothing, couldn't find anything. He promised him this, he promised him that, And he found nothing in him. What about us? Us? Oh, what a cesspool of iniquity, pride, and arrogance. That's us. Because of the fall of Adam, when Adam fell, we all fell.

And as we looked at, I don't know, Sunday or Sunday before last, Genesis 6-5, God looked down at the imaginations of the thought of his heart was only evil. Only evil. But in him, no wonder when he spoke, the words were, it says, full of grace and truth. Christ, when he was at the judgment seat of Pilate, accusation after accusation, but he answered not a word. Insults were hurled and rough language surrounded him, but he, as the scripture says, turned to Isaiah 53, was as a lamb to the slaughter, he opened not his mouth.

Now this is where meekness does not mean weakness. And I know this world, if you're a Christian, and I see these bumper stickers, it's not wrong to be a man and a Christian, you know, stupid stuff like that. No, we have the Lord Jesus Christ as our example. Isaiah 53, verse 7.

He, Christ, was oppressed and was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

This is the one, learn of me, I am meek and lonely of heart. Paul himself, turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul himself refers to this sovereign meekness as our example, as our aim, our motivation and our privilege. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 1. This is Paul exhorting the church at Corinth. Now I, Paul, myself, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence I am based among you, but being absent, am bold. towards you. I, Paul, myself beseech you, and I beseech you as your pastor, as your brother, as your friend. I beseech you, and that word simply means to entreat or exhort. I beseech you, I entreat you, each one here, to imitate this high priest after the order of Melchizedek, to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ. beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. What of us? What of us here tonight?

Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. I did it again. It's Romans chapter 12. I looked at that this evening and before and didn't change it. Romans chapter 12. What of us? What of us here tonight? There's no question that Christ was meeker and humbler than any person in existence. We can't attain that, but we ought to try, we ought to strive, we ought to imitate.

He is, as were our example, Hebrews chapter, Romans chapter 12, verses one and two. I beseech you, again, exhort you and treat you, therefore brethren, Paul's writing to the brethren at Rome, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, the mind of Christ, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, I just happen to remember when I was looking at this 36, 37 years ago, when the Lord laid on my heart to pastor. And I stood up there and I said, if you will have me.

And of course, everybody already knew before I did. And I've talked to several pastors. They said that's pretty common. I didn't think it was, but apparently it is. People know before the pastor does. But what I said is, I said, let us honor one another.

Let us honor Christ. But I went to this passage. It's your reasonable service. to walk with God, to walk with Christ. It's my reasonable service. I must be in season, in season, out of season, preach Christ. Paul's exhortation to Timothy, preach Christ. Any situation, there's no bad situation that you, if the opportunity affords itself, to speak of Christ. But which is your, my, our reasonable service. We're walking in this thing together. So what of us here tonight? This is our reasonable, that word is rational or logical service, to have the same mind of Christ.

And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Turn to 1 Peter. First Peter chapter two. This is what the world says. This is what the world says. First Peter chapter two and verse 20, the first part.

For what glory is it if when you are buffeted at work, your neighbors, for your faults. If you're not giving testimony to Christ and they buffet you, well, I deserve that. And there's times I spoke unadvisedly with my lips and somebody caught, you know, some, it wasn't a donkey, but it was an unbeliever and they rebuked me and I thought, I got mad and I thought, no, you're right. I would not, I wasn't, I wasn't testifying to Christ. I wasn't a light shining before them. I was being like the world.

So that's what the world says. What glory is it if when you're buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? But if this is what Christ, the meek one says, when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God. Why? It shows meekness, which is strength in itself, really. For even here unto were you called, verse 21, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. I have no problem with saying Christ is our example, this is in the scriptures, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps.

Incidentally, Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. Incidentally, Christ, in his own self, bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. For we are as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.

Let us all strive to listen And B, as Peter says, will stay on that same page, but in 1 Peter 3 and verse 4. Oh, he's speaking of women. He's speaking of godly women, godly men. All the scriptures can be applied that way. Chapter 3, verse 4, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Man, women, boy, girl, believer, we ought to have a meek and quiet spirit.

And again, back to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12 and verse 16. to the church at Rome, to the church in Jackson, Missouri, be of the same mind, one towards another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

That's the mind of Christ. He certainly did not usurp authority. He was only being obedient to what the Heavenly Father would have them to do. The same mind would be having the mind of Christ in all circumstances and all situations, thereby honoring our Father and glorifying our Savior and walking in the Spirit.

Turn in closing to Psalms 133. I think this is what David was saying here. I think this is what David was referring to in Psalms 133, being in the same mind as Christ. Psalms 133 verse 1, Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. That's part of what he's saying, is to be in the same mind.

And that's what I do love about this, the true gospels being preached. When you guys come through that door, there's no agenda. There's no, I'm gonna promote this, I'm gonna promote myself. No, it's just... We're trying to honor and glorify Christ. He's the head of the church, not me, not me by any means. But look at this unity. It's like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. So this meek, this meekness, this meekness as a mind of Christ, and this meek and harmonious living promotes pleasantness, strength, and God's blessing to simply, consistently, and continually follow and be as the Lamb of God, meek and lowly of heart. Bruce, would you close us? This is the only thing that's so hard for me.