people because they're poor,
or because they mourn, or because they're meek. He blesses them
and they are poor. That's why they're poor. They
do mourn because of His blessing. They are meek. And I love the
way one of these Beatitudes comes out of the other. Blessed are
they that are poor. that have nothing to recommend
them to God. And someone who is poor mourns
before God over their sin. And this is a private thing.
This is not something you're putting out to everybody to show
how humble you are. You mourn a part, as we saw last
week. And anyone that mourns over their
sin is meek before God. Now what is this thing of meekness? What does it mean to be meek
before God? Now in the new heaven and the
new earth, there will not be anybody there that was not meek
while they were here. The only people that'll be in
heaven are people who or meek here on earth. Now, when the
Lord says this, this is a quotation from Psalm 37, 11. But the meek shall inherit the
earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The
meekness spoken of here is not found in the natural man. We've
seen people and we'd say, well, they seem meek. That's not the
meekness the scripture is talking about. This is something that
all of God's elect possess. This meekness of spirit before
God is not found in the natural man. And it's actually the fruit
of the spirit of God. Philippians, I mean, Galatians
chapter five, verse 23, the fruit of the spirit is meekness. It's only in the elect, it's
only in those that Christ died for, it's only in those who have
been born of the Spirit, they possess this meekness. They do not inherit the earth
because of their meekness. They inherit the earth because
God elected them. They inherit the earth because Christ died
for their sins and put them away. They inherit the earth because
they're given the very righteousness of Christ and stand before God
justified with that guilt. Meekness is a grace given to
them in the new birth. As I attempted to see what the
Bible means by meekness, The beatitude that I don't know else
how to say this, it's the one I see least in myself. Meekness. If I'm a believer, I have it.
And if you're a believer, you have it. But it's not something
that I say, hey, I'm a meek person. And I don't go around saying
I'm poor in spirit. I'm way too proud in spirit.
I am poor in the sense that I know I have nothing to recommend me
to God. I don't feel like I mourn over my sin as I ought to. I
know I don't. The only one who sufficiently mourned over sin
was Christ himself when he was made sin. And do I feel like
I'm meek? Well, if I'm a believer, I am,
but it's not something that I can see all that readily. Watch me in traffic and you conclude
that I'm not a very meek man. What does the word actually mean,
blessed are the meek? For they, they're the only ones
that shall inherit the earth, the new heaven and the new earth.
The only people that will be in heaven are people who were
meek down here on earth by the grace of God. What is this meekness
that the Lord is talking about? And I don't think I could do
better than actually quoting what Vine said in Vine's Greek
dictionary. Let me read you what he said. He said, meekness toward God
is that disposition of spirit in which we accept his dealings
with us as good. Therefore, without disputing
or resisting, You see, we trust his character. Whatever he sends
our way is good. We may not enjoy it. We may not
like it. It might not be something we're
even comfortable with, but we know he sent it. He who is too
wise to err and too kind to be cruel and it's all good. That is a meek attitude before
God. It's meekness before God. In seeing his dealings with us,
we dispute, but we know we shouldn't.
Right? We murmur, but we know we shouldn't.
Everything he does is good. Now in the Old Testament, the
meek are those, I'm continuing this definition that Vine gives.
In the Old Testament, the meek are those wholly relying on God
rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice.
Thus meekness toward other people means knowing God is permitting
the injuries they inflict. Do you have people inflicting
injuries upon you in some way? It's because God directed them
to do it every time. And they realize that he is using
them for the purifying of his elect and that he will deliver
his elect in his time. Gentleness and meekness is the
opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from
trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The meek
person is not occupied with self. This is the work of the Holy
Spirit and not the human will. This thing of meekness before
God. Mildness of disposition, God's
in control. Gentleness of spirit, meek. Now, this scripture, I think,
is the clearest definition of what meekness is. First Thessalonians
chapter 5 verse 18, in everything give thanks. The things that are troubling
you, the injustices you seem to have coming against you, the
wrong way people have viewed you, in everything give thanks. The trial you have, the difficult
time you're having, the thing that you've prayed that the Lord
would do something about it or, and your prayer seems to go unanswered. In everything, give thanks for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. That's meekness. In everything. Give thanks, for this is this
thing you're having a hard time giving thanks for. This is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now, when the Lord Jesus
tells us to learn of him, he says, take my yoke upon you and
learn of me, for I am me. and lowly in heart, and you shall
find rest for your souls. Now think about this. The creator,
the sovereign of the universe, the one who controls everybody
and everything, describes his own heart, I'm meek and lowly,
humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. Beauty
there is in his meekness. I think of the meekness he displayed
before Pilate when Pilate was questioning him. And he wouldn't
answer him. He answered him not a word. He
was meek before Pilate. Why? Because he knew everything
that was happening to him. I would have defended myself. Not him, he
was meek before his father because he knew everything coming his
way came from his father's hand. And he was meek before his father,
meek and lowly. And even when Pilate said, answer,
is that not me? Don't you know I have power?
Too. I crucify thee and I have power
to release thee. You're in my hands. He did not
leave his meek state when he said, you could have no power
at all over me. He was simply studying the facts.
You could have no power at all over me, except it be given thee
from above. The Lord Jesus Christ himself,
meek. And in reality, we see the strength
of meekness, don't we? Somebody says, well, meekness
doesn't mean weakness. You know, I get tired of hearing
that. We say that and nobody thinks
meekness is weakness. Meekness is the strength of the
grace of God in the heart of a man when he gives him this
meek and gentle spirit. Willing submission to God and
all of his providential dealings. You see, this is an attitude
toward God. Meek. before God. Turn with me for
a moment to 1 Peter 3. I want to look at several scriptures
that deal with this. 1 Peter 3. Likewise, you wives be in subjection
to your own husbands, that if they obey not the word, they
also may without the word be won by the conversation of the
wives. While they behold your chaste
conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning, let it not be
the outward adorning of the plaiting of the hair and of wearing the
gold and of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man
of the heart. in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of, and that is in italics, even a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Now, I love the way Peter calls
this the hidden man. The hidden man of the heart. This is talking about the new
nature. And it's not something you can say, there he is, there
he is, and identify it. But he says this hidden man of
the heart is not even subject to corruption. This is the work
of God, not even subject to corruption. This is that, uh, nature of the
dud and sin that John speaks of in first John chapter three.
And how does it manifest itself? This hidden man of the heart,
not subject to corruption, a meek and a quiet spirit. And what does God say about this
meek and quiet spirit? In God's sight, this is of great
price. That's how God values this. You
know, God created it. He's the one who made somebody
meek. And when he sees this meek and quiet spirit, not popping
off and murmuring and finding fault with God and finding fault
with his providence and being critical of everything and everyone.
No, it's a meek and a quiet spirit. which is in God's sight, of great
price. Now I think it's interesting,
Numbers chapter 12 is the first time the word meekness is mentioned. Numbers chapter 12. Verse one,
and Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian
woman whom he had married, for he'd married an Ethiopian woman.
And they said, hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses?
Hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard. He heard
everything that was said. He always does. Now Moses is
writing this. I've wondered about this. Moses
writing this about himself. Now the man Moses was very meek.
above all the men which are upon the face of the earth." Moses
was a meek man. Now, we can say all kinds of
things about Moses. You know he had a temper. You
know he had anger issues. There's all kinds of things you
could say about Moses, but yet he was a meek man. And you know
what he did not do at this time? He didn't try to defend himself.
When they made these accusations, he didn't say, that's not so.
He didn't try to defend himself. Now the Lord defended him, but
this lets me know I'm never to try to defend myself. And when
I do it, it's always wrong. Moses didn't try to defend himself.
His meekness. I thought of, here's something
very similar, when Shemai is cursing David. He's hurling insults
at him. He's throwing dust in the air.
He's saying all manner of horrible things about David. Abishai says,
you want me to go take his head off? He says, no, the Lord said,
curse David. That is meekness. The Lord said, curse David. The only reason that man's cursing
me is because the Lord caused him to do it. You see, meekness
is meek before God. Whatever he does is right. You
don't have to understand it. You just got to believe his character.
Whatever he does is right. Turn to 2 Corinthians 10. Verse 1. Now I, Paul, myself, beseech
you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. That was his argument
with them. I'm beseeching you by the meekness
and the gentleness of Christ. Not by the anger of Christ over
your misbehavior. That's enough to stop me dead
in my tracks. What a argument. I beseech you
by the meekness and the gentleness of Christ. And that word gentle,
it means the humaneness of Christ. He knows the facts. He looks
at things and sees the weakness of the flesh, and he's not holding
people's feet to the fire. That's the way the Lord is. He's
meek before God, and he's gentle. What an appeal. That's the difference
between law and grace. Turn to Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter three, verse
12. Put on therefore as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies, it's compassion,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
long suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another.
If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you,
so also do ye. Now, I love the way meekness
is presented with being compassionate, vows of mercy, kindness, humbleness
of mind. You know, we have every reason
to be humble, don't we? Have every reason to be humble. Long-suffering, patience, forbearing,
putting up with one another is what that means, and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. What a beautiful attitude. It's
the clothing of God's elect. Turn to Ephesians chapter four.
Bible's got a lot to say about this. I therefore, the prisoner, verse
one. I therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord. I love it when Paul says that. Paul, you're in a
Roman prison. Yeah, but I'm the Lord's prisoner.
That's why I'm here. That's meekness before God. I
know why I'm here. I'm the Lord's prisoner. He put
me here. It's all according to his will.
I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you
are called, the calling wherewith you are called with all Lowliness
and meekness. Lowliness is a just attitude
about yourself, just understanding yourself. It's not being in the
slow of despond all the time, but it's being knowing. I'm a
sinner saved by the grace of God. That's lowliness. Meekness is this attitude before
God. Whatever he does is right. Forbearing one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. 2 Timothy chapter two, verse 24. And the servant of the Lord must
not strive, be argumentative, trying to stir up a fight. The servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient in
meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. if God, peradventure,
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,
and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who had taken captive by him and his will. I love this verse
of scripture for so many reasons. Repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth. A change of mind. I love repentance,
a change of mind concerning the character of God. All my thoughts
about him are wrong. A change of mind about myself.
All my thoughts about myself are wrong. A change of mind about
salvation. All my thoughts of salvation
are wrong. Now, when Paul is dealing with this person who
has been taken captive by the devil, he's talking about a believer.
Somebody says, can that happen to a believer? Evidently it happened
here. And he says in meekness, instructing
those that oppose themselves, if perventured, God will grant
them repentance to the acknowledging the embracing of the truth. Now, the only way to do this
is in meekness. I love the illustration Scott
Richardson gave. He said, if a farmer takes the
corn and throws it at the chickens, they're going to run away. They're
going to be scared to death. But he takes that same corn and
just puts it out where they can get to it. They're gonna come
and they're gonna eat and they're gonna enjoy. A soft answer turneth
away wrath. Galatians chapter six. Verse one, brethren. If a man be overtaken in a fault,
a trespass, a sin, don't you understand how easily
you could be overtaken by any sin? Do you understand that? And when
you see a man, a brother, overtaken with a fault, with a trespass,
with a sin, what does he say to do? You which are spiritual,
that means you which are born again, you which have a spiritual
nature, you which are spiritual restore such in one in the spirit
of meekness, considering yourself, lest you
also be tempted. Now, what that is saying is my
meek attitude toward my brother is this. If I see him overtaken
in a fault, I know for sure that I'll be worse apart from the
grace of God. And if I'm faced with a temptation,
I'll fall like he will. I really believe that. And so let that man who is spiritual,
who's been taught of the Spirit of God and been born of the Spirit
and given a new nature, let him restore such a one in the spirit
of meekness, considering yourself, understanding that you will fall
worse than him if you're faced with the same temptation. Now,
do you believe that? considering yourself, lest you
also be tempted. Now this consideration of yourself
prevents you from a judgmental, holier-than-thou, morally superior
attitude toward your brother. I repeat, meekness is so beautiful,
isn't it? Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth. First Peter chapter three, would
you turn with me there? We've already been in 1 Peter
3 once, but here we find the word again, verse 15. 1 Peter 3, verse 15. But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts. What's that mean? Regard Him
as holy. Regard Him as holy. You don't make Him holy. You
know he is holy. Holy and reverend is thy name. This has something to do with
the fear of God. You bow before his character
and you know the only way you can be accepted is in the beloved. You sanctify the Lord God in
your heart when you believe the gospel. That's when you honor
Christ. When you look to him only as
everything in your salvation. That's what it is to sanctify
the Lord God in your heart. Remember, he looks on the heart.
Man looks on the outward appearance. The Lord looketh on the heart.
And he says, sanctify, may the Lord enable me and you to do
this right now in our hearts. To sanctify the Lord God in our
hearts. And be ready, always, to give
an answer. every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that's in you." Now, if you ask me, give me a reason
for the hope that's in you, I can answer that question. Because
everything God requires of me, He looks to His Son for. Everything. What, don't you need to be meek?
everything He requires of me He looks to His Son for, everything. That's my hope. My hope is that
when Jesus Christ died on Calvary's tree and said, it is finished,
all my sins were put away. They're blotted out, they're
separated me as far as the east is from the west, and that's
an infinite distance. They're cast into the depths
of the sea. God says I remember them no more because there's
nothing there to remember. That's the reason for the hope
that's in me. My hope that I'm gonna stand accepted before God
is because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, nothing else. I'm not looking to, the Beatitudes
worked out in me. I'm looking to Jesus Christ only. I'm not looking to my meekness.
I'm not looking to my poverty of spirit. I'm not looking to
my mourning. I'm not looking to how much I'm hungering and
thirsting. I'm not looking to my merciful attitude, nor my
pure heart, nor me being a peacemaker, nor me being persecuted for righteousness
sake. I'm not looking, well I got assurance
because I'm okay there. No, the only reason I'm saved,
the only reason I hope for salvation is because Jesus Christ saved
me. He did it all. Now, how am I
to give this hope? When I'm telling it, look what
he says, with meekness and with fear. You know, somebody tells
the gospel in arrogance and anger and pride, it doesn't even seem
real, does it? It's not really believable. How
am I to give The reason for this hope that's in me? With meekness
before God. And the fear, the reverence,
the respect for God that makes me look nowhere but Christ alone. Meekness. First Timothy 611. Paul says, but thou, O man, flee
these things and follow after, pursue after righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, meekness. Now, meekness is something to
pursue. Somebody says, well, I've already got it. Oh, really?
I think meekness, just like all the fruit of the Spirit, not
only do we have it, it's something we pursue. Now, I want to close
by asking you to turn to Psalm 37, where this verse of Scripture
is that the Lord quoted. You know, the fact that the Lord
quotes the scriptures shows the power of the word. He uses the
Bible. He wrote it. He knows its meaning. And he said in Psalm 37, verse
11, but the meek shall inherit the earth and should delight
themselves with the abundance of peace. Now, The only way we're going to understand
what he's talking about is if we go up to verse one. Fret not thyself because of evildoers. Don't fret. Don't worry. Well, they're doing
it. Don't fret. God's in control
of it all. There's no room for fretting.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers. Oh, what's gonna happen? Neither
be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon
be cut off like the grass and withers the green herb. Don't
fret. Trust in the Lord. If my salvation is in Christ,
I can trust. If all God requires of me is
in His Son, I can trust. Trust in the Lord and do good. We can't do good, do good. Do
good. So shalt thou dwell in the land
and verily thou shalt be fed delight thyself also in the Lord
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Delight thyself
in the Lord. You know, I delight in who he
is. I delight in his Godhead. I delight in his sovereignty.
I delight in His power. I delight in His wisdom. I delight
in His justice. I delight in His independence. He doesn't need anything. He
has no needs. I delight in His immutability.
I delight in His love, in His grace, His character. I delight
in His character, delighting in the Lord, but that also means
delighting in the Lord. Paul put it this way, oh, that
I may win Christ and be found in him. That's the only place I want
to be found. And that's the desire of my heart. If you could look
into the desire of my heart, you know, I could say I'm, if I'm not deceived, the greatest
desire of my heart is to be found in Christ. To where all God sees
is Jesus Christ. That's the desire of my heart.
Trust, delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee
the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord. My marginal reading says, roll
thy way upon the Lord, casting all your care upon him, for he
careth for you. Trust also in him, and he shall
bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy
righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Now, if I didn't understand the gospel, that would scare me to
death. What righteousness? What light? Well, that's the
righteousness of Christ and the light of the gospel. He'll bring
it out as the noonday. Verse seven, rest in the Lord. They which
have believed do enter into rest. For he that's entered into his
rest hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Rest in the Lord. What are you
doing? You're resting. You're resting.
You're not working. You're resting. When do you rest?
When you see the work's finished. There's nothing for me to do.
I rest. Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently
for him. That's believing his character.
Threaten not thyself because of him who prospers in his way,
because of the man which bringeth wicked devices to pass. Don't
fret over anybody. I love this. Cease from anger. Well, you don't know how he treated
me. Cease from anger. You don't know what she did.
Cease from anger. Cease. I realize the only way we can
do that is by the grace of God, but this is what he says. Cease
from anger. And forsake wrath, forsake getting
even, forsake vengeance, forsake that way of thinking, fret not
thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off,
but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the
earth. For yet a little while, and the
wicked shall not be. Just a little while. Just a little
while. Thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be, but the meek shall inherit the
earth, and should delight themselves in the abundance of peace." The
abundance of the peace that He accomplished, having made peace
through the blood of His cross. Do you delight yourself in that?
That He is your peace? That He achieved peace? That
He made peace? We delight ourselves in the thought
of being eternally justified before God. There's never been
a time when I was not justified in His sight. Now, I didn't know
it. until I believe the gospel, but oh, the peace of knowing
I'm justified before God, I have no guilt. The meek shall inherit
the earth, and they shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace, resting in, believing on, and looking to the Prince
of Peace. Blessed, blessed of God, highly
favored of God are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you would give
us the grace to be the meek of the earth. Lord, we really believe that
you're God and beside thee is none else and that you control
everybody and everything and every event and whatever you
do is good. Lord, enable us to be meek before
you, trusting your character, believing your gospel. And let
us demonstrate this meekness before men that comes from meekness
before you. Lord, I ask that you would bless
this message in spite of me, in spite of if there was anything
said that was not according to your word, cause us to not hear
that and to hear only your word. Enable us to truly be meek before
you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Let's close with 485. Number
485, please stand. Let's sing Revive Us Again. We praise Thee, O God, for the
Son of Thy love, for Jesus who died and is now gone above. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, all men! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! We praise Thee, O God, for the
Spirit of light, Who has shown us our Savior and scattered our
night. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! All glory and praise to the Lamb
that was slain, Who has borne all our sins and has cleansed
every stain. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Amen! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! Revive us again. Fill each heart with Thy love. May each soul be rekindled with
fire from above. Alleluia, Thine the glory. Alleluia, Amen. Alleluia, Thine
the glory. Revive us again. th th Okay. Thank you. Thank you.