Cultivating Meekness

Matthew 5:5
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“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Pastor Colin explains that meekness is about controlled strength and using the example of a tamed horse, he illustrates how meekness involves submission and becoming useful under God’s guidance.

He recounts a feedback from a congregation member who realised that like a horse submitting to a bit and bridle enables it to win races, meekness enables us to be effective in our pursuits. Pastor Colin then reiterates the message from last week: meekness involves taming our temper and managing our soul’s impulses, making us a fountain of blessings.

Moving forward, he explains that to achieve meekness, one cannot directly aim for it but must first grasp poverty in spirit (realising our inadequacy before God) and mourn over sins, thus progressing through the Beatitudes. This sequential approach shapes a Christian’s character, leading to meekness naturally stemming from genuine repentance.

Pastor Colin emphasises that meekness is not only a Christian character trait but also a defining mark of Christian ministry, highlighting references from 2 Timothy and 1 Peter about teaching, witnessing, and even confrontation being carried out in a spirit of meekness.

He offers ten strategies for cultivating meekness, such as moderating expectations of others, finding joy in evidence of God’s grace, and taking time before forming judgments. He urges Christians to make friends with meek people, rejoice in others’ joys, discern God’s hand even in adversities, and walk daily in fellowship with Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, Pastor Colin assures that by anticipating God’s promises and asking Him for meekness, Christians can reflect the beauty of Jesus’ spirit and lead lives that glorify God. He encourages everyone to embody this gentle and quiet spirit, praying for it to grow within them.

1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,140 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 2 00:00:07,140 –> 00:00:14,680 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN365 or visit our website www.openthebible.org. 3 00:00:14,680 –> 00:00:17,540 Let’s get to the message. 4 00:00:17,540 –> 00:00:18,959 Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:18,959 –> 00:00:22,520 Would you open your Bibles please? 6 00:00:22,559 –> 00:00:29,719 Notice at Matthew 5 and verse 5 the words of the Son of God. 7 00:00:29,719 –> 00:00:35,740 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 8 00:00:35,740 –> 00:00:42,200 And last week we looked at what meekness is, and we learned that meekness literally means 9 00:00:42,200 –> 00:00:45,840 becoming used to the hand. 10 00:00:45,840 –> 00:00:47,520 We thought about a wild horse. 11 00:00:47,520 –> 00:00:52,080 If you can picture that horse out in the field, it resists the bit and the bridle. 12 00:00:52,080 –> 00:00:56,799 It is bucking, it is kicking, you cannot get near it, no one has ever ridden it, but when 13 00:00:56,799 –> 00:01:01,540 the horse gets used to the hand it has a dignity, it has a poise. 14 00:01:01,540 –> 00:01:04,940 You see it now in your mind with a rider upon it. 15 00:01:04,940 –> 00:01:06,940 This horse has become useful. 16 00:01:06,940 –> 00:01:08,820 This animal is at peace. 17 00:01:08,820 –> 00:01:10,519 Its strength is coordinated. 18 00:01:10,519 –> 00:01:14,599 It is altogether different. 19 00:01:14,599 –> 00:01:16,879 Used to the hand. 20 00:01:17,199 –> 00:01:24,320 And we thought in this connection about the word submission, which means literally putting 21 00:01:24,320 –> 00:01:28,099 yourself under – sub – the mission of someone else. 22 00:01:28,099 –> 00:01:32,519 And we saw that this is what Jesus Christ calls us to do, to put ourselves under his 23 00:01:32,519 –> 00:01:34,699 mission. 24 00:01:34,699 –> 00:01:40,639 Someone in the congregation after the service said to me last week, you know, Pastor, I 25 00:01:40,639 –> 00:01:45,180 have always been a really competitive person. 26 00:01:45,220 –> 00:01:52,260 She said I was competitive in sports, I’ve been competitive in business, and she said 27 00:01:52,260 –> 00:01:58,360 I really found this whole idea of submission very difficult, but she said the picture of 28 00:01:58,360 –> 00:02:00,980 the horse has really helped me. 29 00:02:00,980 –> 00:02:03,040 She said, and here’s why. 30 00:02:03,040 –> 00:02:08,740 It struck me that it’s only when the horse submits to the bit and the bridle that the 31 00:02:08,740 –> 00:02:11,220 horse can win the race. 32 00:02:11,220 –> 00:02:12,600 Now, think about that. 33 00:02:12,619 –> 00:02:14,080 Here’s a competitive person. 34 00:02:14,080 –> 00:02:15,559 Wants to win. 35 00:02:15,559 –> 00:02:18,179 Wild horses don’t win races, do they? 36 00:02:18,179 –> 00:02:19,179 Why? 37 00:02:19,179 –> 00:02:20,179 They have strength. 38 00:02:20,179 –> 00:02:24,380 Yes, but the strength is not coordinated, it’s dissipated, it’s all lost. 39 00:02:24,380 –> 00:02:28,619 Wild horses do not win races, and so here’s this lady. 40 00:02:28,619 –> 00:02:33,660 She says, now, I’ve come to see this meekness is what’s going to enable me to win, and 41 00:02:33,660 –> 00:02:36,600 as a competitive person, that’s what I want to do. 42 00:02:36,600 –> 00:02:37,800 Wonderful insight. 43 00:02:37,800 –> 00:02:39,399 Here’s what meekness is. 44 00:02:39,639 –> 00:02:41,820 Meekness brings strength under control. 45 00:02:41,820 –> 00:02:48,240 That’s what it does, and controlled strength is a beautiful thing. 46 00:02:48,240 –> 00:02:49,839 It is beautiful. 47 00:02:49,839 –> 00:02:51,759 We saw this is what meekness is about. 48 00:02:51,759 –> 00:02:54,039 It involves the taming of the temper. 49 00:02:54,039 –> 00:02:56,220 It involves the calming of the passions. 50 00:02:56,220 –> 00:03:00,759 It involves the managing, if you like, of the impulses of your soul. 51 00:03:00,759 –> 00:03:07,160 It involves bringing order out of the chaos that otherwise would exist within every human 52 00:03:07,160 –> 00:03:08,160 soul. 53 00:03:08,199 –> 00:03:13,059 Therefore, we saw that meekness is a fountain of blessing, and that when we see what it 54 00:03:13,059 –> 00:03:18,139 is, we’ve come to the position of saying, I want to get as much of that as I possibly 55 00:03:18,139 –> 00:03:24,899 can into my life, because I see now that the more I gain meekness, the more useful I become, 56 00:03:24,899 –> 00:03:28,839 and the more the strength that God gives is going to be deployed in a way that’s going 57 00:03:28,839 –> 00:03:32,720 to win, and is going to count, and is going to be for His glory. 58 00:03:32,720 –> 00:03:37,059 Now that’s what meekness is and that’s where we spent our time last week. 59 00:03:37,059 –> 00:03:39,800 Today we’re taking another step. 60 00:03:39,800 –> 00:03:42,119 First we asked what is it, what is Christ calling us to? 61 00:03:42,119 –> 00:03:44,779 Today, we’re asking, how can I get it? 62 00:03:44,779 –> 00:03:47,199 How can I get more meekness into my life? 63 00:03:47,199 –> 00:03:53,419 How can I experience more, grow more, in this wonderful thing that Jesus Christ is calling 64 00:03:53,419 –> 00:03:55,800 me to pursue? 65 00:03:55,800 –> 00:04:02,199 And so really, all of today’s message is really application in regards to what we began to 66 00:04:02,199 –> 00:04:03,339 learn last time. 67 00:04:03,380 –> 00:04:09,419 Now, as we ask the how question, the first thing to say is, you can’t start from here. 68 00:04:09,419 –> 00:04:14,600 You cannot simply say, oh, I wanna be meek, tell me how to be meek. 69 00:04:14,600 –> 00:04:15,860 You cannot start from here. 70 00:04:15,860 –> 00:04:21,619 Remember this is the whole point of our series on the Beatitudes that there is order, there 71 00:04:21,619 –> 00:04:24,980 is progression, there is progress within these Beatitudes. 72 00:04:24,980 –> 00:04:29,980 We have pictured the Beatitudes as being like a series of rings in which if you picture 73 00:04:30,079 –> 00:04:33,299 the monkey swing, you move from one to the next. 74 00:04:33,299 –> 00:04:37,760 The momentum that you have on the first moves you on to the second, the momentum you have 75 00:04:37,760 –> 00:04:40,059 on the second is what moves you on to the third. 76 00:04:40,059 –> 00:04:44,380 Now, meekness is the third ring, you can’t simply start on the third ring, you’ve got 77 00:04:44,380 –> 00:04:47,899 to get to it by means of the first two. 78 00:04:47,899 –> 00:04:52,200 That’s the whole principle of this series, and we can’t get to the beautiful, beautiful 79 00:04:52,200 –> 00:04:57,119 gifts that lie further down the line like purity of heart and forgiveness, mercy towards 80 00:04:57,119 –> 00:04:58,119 others. 81 00:04:58,119 –> 00:05:02,500 That far until we’re swinging on third ring of meekness, there’s progress, there’s order, 82 00:05:02,500 –> 00:05:05,019 there’s momentum, there’s movement. 83 00:05:05,019 –> 00:05:09,019 So, the only place you can start, you can’t simply say, oh, I want to be meek. 84 00:05:09,019 –> 00:05:11,019 You’ve got to start here on the first ring. 85 00:05:11,019 –> 00:05:12,019 What is the first ring? 86 00:05:12,019 –> 00:05:16,320 Well, it’s there in verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit. 87 00:05:16,320 –> 00:05:21,100 The starting point is that I recognize having done my best at living the Christian life 88 00:05:21,100 –> 00:05:26,019 this week, I am still in this position where I do not have in myself what it takes before 89 00:05:26,019 –> 00:05:27,179 God. 90 00:05:27,200 –> 00:05:28,980 This is a place to which all of us can come. 91 00:05:28,980 –> 00:05:34,459 The law of God always brings us there, recognizing our own poverty before God. 92 00:05:34,459 –> 00:05:39,519 The law will bring you to be poor in spirit if you take it seriously and Jesus Christ 93 00:05:39,519 –> 00:05:41,260 meets you there. 94 00:05:41,260 –> 00:05:45,739 That’s where all of the flow and all of the momentum of the Christian life really begins. 95 00:05:45,739 –> 00:05:48,859 And swinging on that first ring will take you to the second. 96 00:05:48,859 –> 00:05:50,799 What is the second? 97 00:05:50,799 –> 00:05:52,220 Blessed are those who mourn. 98 00:05:52,220 –> 00:05:54,579 Verse 4, you realize your own need. 99 00:05:54,679 –> 00:05:58,299 You see your own position before God and what does that bring you to? 100 00:05:58,299 –> 00:06:03,559 It brings you to a genuine sorrow over your own sins. 101 00:06:03,559 –> 00:06:11,359 You begin to count up the cost, what has this way of speaking done in damage to others, 102 00:06:11,359 –> 00:06:16,220 in damage to me and what did it mean for Christ to be buried on the cross? 103 00:06:16,220 –> 00:06:19,260 What is this way of thinking had by way of impact? 104 00:06:19,260 –> 00:06:21,160 What is this action done? 105 00:06:21,179 –> 00:06:25,480 And you aggregate up the cost in terms of what it has done to yourself and to others 106 00:06:25,480 –> 00:06:27,899 and then what it meant for Christ to bear it? 107 00:06:27,899 –> 00:06:34,160 And suddenly what glittered in that, what attracted you to that, now begins to fade 108 00:06:34,160 –> 00:06:39,059 and you begin to hate what you used to love and then to love what you used to hate and 109 00:06:39,059 –> 00:06:44,260 you’re experiencing spiritual mourning, what the Bible calls repentance. 110 00:06:44,260 –> 00:06:46,239 And you’re swinging on the second ring. 111 00:06:46,239 –> 00:06:48,440 And where will that second ring bring you? 112 00:06:48,440 –> 00:06:52,200 It will bring you here to the third ring, which is meekness. 113 00:06:52,200 –> 00:06:57,440 Oh, you think about how this works very practically. 114 00:06:57,440 –> 00:07:04,000 Last week, we pictured a self-opinionated and overbearing man. 115 00:07:04,000 –> 00:07:07,200 Is there anyone who doesn’t know someone like that by the way? 116 00:07:07,200 –> 00:07:12,600 That guy may be in your work, he may be in your extended family, you know that guy. 117 00:07:12,600 –> 00:07:16,980 Always pushing around his own weight, always absolutely sure that he’s right and that nobody 118 00:07:17,000 –> 00:07:20,019 else has anything useful very much to offer. 119 00:07:20,019 –> 00:07:23,160 He’s short tempered, he’s always insisting on his own way. 120 00:07:23,160 –> 00:07:26,760 When a meeting takes place, there’s really no point, because you know what’s gonna happen. 121 00:07:26,760 –> 00:07:31,200 At the end of it, it’s gonna be what he says and what he thinks that gets done anyway. 122 00:07:31,200 –> 00:07:34,959 Now, picture that man. 123 00:07:34,959 –> 00:07:40,820 Suppose he were truly to see his own spiritual poverty before God. 124 00:07:40,820 –> 00:07:45,760 Suppose that that man were to recognize that before God, he stands empty-handed. 125 00:07:46,179 –> 00:07:48,940 Suppose the law of God were to bring him there. 126 00:07:48,940 –> 00:07:53,880 Suppose he were to see that his own sins and his own follies are in fact many. 127 00:07:53,880 –> 00:07:57,380 Suppose he were to learn the art of spiritual mourning. 128 00:07:57,380 –> 00:07:58,380 What would come of that? 129 00:07:58,380 –> 00:08:00,779 I’ll tell you what would come of that. 130 00:08:00,779 –> 00:08:02,339 Meekness would follow. 131 00:08:02,339 –> 00:08:04,160 Getting on the first ring would get him on the second. 132 00:08:04,160 –> 00:08:08,140 Getting on the second ring would get him on the third, and so forth and so on. 133 00:08:08,140 –> 00:08:11,119 The principle here is a very simple one, folks. 134 00:08:11,119 –> 00:08:17,079 When I see my own sins, I am kinder and gentler towards the sins and failings of others. 135 00:08:17,079 –> 00:08:22,940 And the more that I see my own sins and failings, and the clearer that that is, the kinder and 136 00:08:22,940 –> 00:08:26,239 the gentler I will become towards others. 137 00:08:26,239 –> 00:08:27,799 That’s how meekness grows. 138 00:08:27,799 –> 00:08:34,619 You can’t simply start on the third ring, you get to it by means of the first two. 139 00:08:34,619 –> 00:08:35,979 So you see how this follows. 140 00:08:36,020 –> 00:08:41,739 The man who sees how many times he has been mistaken in the past will not be a man who 141 00:08:41,739 –> 00:08:43,840 insists always on his own way. 142 00:08:43,840 –> 00:08:48,140 He’ll set out his own opinion, but then he’ll be very careful to listen to the opinions 143 00:08:48,140 –> 00:08:51,599 of others because he knows he has often been wrong in the past and therefore he’s in 144 00:08:51,599 –> 00:08:54,799 need of the wisdom that God may give to others. 145 00:08:54,799 –> 00:09:03,580 The woman who knows that she has often fallen into temptation herself will have sympathy 146 00:09:03,580 –> 00:09:05,059 towards the failings of others. 147 00:09:05,059 –> 00:09:10,479 She’s not going to be high handed and self-righteous and condescending towards the failures of 148 00:09:10,479 –> 00:09:11,479 others. 149 00:09:11,479 –> 00:09:12,479 Why? 150 00:09:12,479 –> 00:09:14,539 Because she knows spiritual mourning in her own life. 151 00:09:14,539 –> 00:09:19,099 She’s aware of her own failings and short commings and that is producing meekness in 152 00:09:19,099 –> 00:09:23,140 her character and it does it by cutting the root of self-righteousness. 153 00:09:23,140 –> 00:09:30,539 This is a wonderful thing, this is beautiful, and this is how Christian character grows. 154 00:09:30,539 –> 00:09:36,559 The man who sees that he depends on God’s grace, and it’s really clear to him, will 155 00:09:36,559 –> 00:09:42,440 not be a man who spends most of his time insisting on his rights. 156 00:09:42,440 –> 00:09:45,840 Let me personalize that for you. 157 00:09:45,840 –> 00:09:53,760 By right, I would be lost and condemned forever. 158 00:09:53,760 –> 00:09:55,520 And so would you. 159 00:09:56,460 –> 00:10:03,280 But God has shown to me grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. 160 00:10:03,280 –> 00:10:13,140 And when you experience grace, it makes you more generous in your judgments towards others. 161 00:10:13,140 –> 00:10:19,380 It leads you to think the best rather than the worst of them and causes you to be more 162 00:10:19,380 –> 00:10:21,200 lenient towards them. 163 00:10:21,200 –> 00:10:23,479 It’s wonderful, this is how meekness grows. 164 00:10:23,559 –> 00:10:28,039 This is what we’re after in our lives because it will make us useful, it’s the only way 165 00:10:28,039 –> 00:10:29,760 to win the race. 166 00:10:32,260 –> 00:10:35,080 This series is all about how you make progress in your Christian life. 167 00:10:35,080 –> 00:10:42,299 How do I grow as a Christian, and we’re seeing that meekness is the result of the momentum 168 00:10:42,299 –> 00:10:44,159 of repentance within your life. 169 00:10:44,159 –> 00:10:47,859 If there is not a spirit of repentance within your life at this point, there will not be 170 00:10:47,859 –> 00:10:52,799 evidence of meekness to follow, but inasmuch as repentance is a real dynamic throughout 171 00:10:52,859 –> 00:10:57,840 the course of your Christian life, you will find that meekness is what flows out of that. 172 00:10:57,840 –> 00:11:01,919 The second ring gets you on the third. 173 00:11:01,919 –> 00:11:08,659 Now, getting on this third ring is of huge importance because meekness is not only a 174 00:11:08,659 –> 00:11:14,520 distinctive of Christian character, it is also in the Bible a defining mark of Christian 175 00:11:14,520 –> 00:11:19,440 ministry, a defining mark of Christian ministry. 176 00:11:19,479 –> 00:11:26,419 Meekness is peppered across the New Testament, especially in relation to the work of ministry. 177 00:11:26,419 –> 00:11:33,119 The word that Jesus uses in Matthew 5 here for meekness is sometimes translated by the 178 00:11:33,119 –> 00:11:36,580 word gentleness in other places of the New Testament. 179 00:11:36,580 –> 00:11:42,179 But let me give you just three examples of where the same word that Jesus uses for meekness 180 00:11:42,179 –> 00:11:46,559 is used in regards to ministry in the Scriptures. 181 00:11:47,419 –> 00:11:53,239 First we are to show meekness in relation to all teaching in the life of the church. 182 00:11:53,239 –> 00:12:00,020 2 Timothy chapter 2 in verse 24, this is Paul the apostle speaking to a pastor, Timothy, 183 00:12:00,020 –> 00:12:09,280 and he says this, the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone. 184 00:12:09,419 –> 00:12:16,179 He must be able to teach, he must patiently endure evil, and he must correct his opponents 185 00:12:16,179 –> 00:12:18,280 with meekness. 186 00:12:18,280 –> 00:12:25,940 In other words, the ministry of the word that guides us is to be given from a Christian 187 00:12:25,940 –> 00:12:29,299 pulpit with the character of meekness. 188 00:12:29,299 –> 00:12:35,219 The teaching that goes on in a Sunday school class is to be characterized not by a thumping 189 00:12:35,219 –> 00:12:38,780 authoritarianism, but with a humble spirit. 190 00:12:38,780 –> 00:12:41,059 That’s how Christian teaching is to be. 191 00:12:41,059 –> 00:12:43,140 That is how ministry is to be done. 192 00:12:43,140 –> 00:12:46,260 The Bible says so. 193 00:12:46,260 –> 00:12:51,799 Not only in relation to teaching, this is to define the character of our witnessing. 194 00:12:51,799 –> 00:12:55,380 Many of you will know 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 15. 195 00:12:55,380 –> 00:13:00,960 We’re told, Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you the reason for the 196 00:13:00,960 –> 00:13:02,739 hope that is within you. 197 00:13:03,380 –> 00:13:10,179 I love this, by the way, that Peter envisions that Christians will live with such a lively 198 00:13:10,179 –> 00:13:15,380 hope in the fallen world, that unbelieving people would say, in the light of the state 199 00:13:15,380 –> 00:13:18,320 that everything’s in, why have you got so much hope? 200 00:13:18,320 –> 00:13:22,099 Has anyone asked you that in the last month? 201 00:13:22,099 –> 00:13:25,919 You see, Peter’s saying live in such a way that you have so much hope, that it would 202 00:13:25,919 –> 00:13:29,059 provoke a question, and then when it does, here’s what you’re to do. 203 00:13:29,059 –> 00:13:31,659 You’re to explain the faith, and here’s how. 204 00:13:31,659 –> 00:13:41,919 You are to do it with gentleness, the word is meekness, and with respect. 205 00:13:41,919 –> 00:13:47,599 There is to be no bombastic condescending Christian witness. 206 00:13:47,599 –> 00:13:55,280 We are to bear witness to Christ in the spirit of meekness, of humility, as those who know 207 00:13:55,679 –> 00:14:02,679 how much we hang on the grace of God, so that there would not be a trace of holier than 208 00:14:03,900 –> 00:14:10,239 thou when we speak even to those who hate and rebel against God. 209 00:14:10,239 –> 00:14:13,200 And then even this is to characterize confrontation. 210 00:14:13,200 –> 00:14:19,760 There are times in life where confrontation is necessary and where it is unavoidable. 211 00:14:19,760 –> 00:14:23,080 Galatians chapter six and verse one speaks of that. 212 00:14:23,299 –> 00:14:28,140 The situation that Paul describes is someone within the church is caught in a sin, literally 213 00:14:28,140 –> 00:14:31,719 the word is trapped, ensnared in a transgression. 214 00:14:31,719 –> 00:14:34,380 And when that happens what should the church do? 215 00:14:34,380 –> 00:14:38,859 Well, certainly not turn its back or turn a blind eye but what Paul says is this, you 216 00:14:38,859 –> 00:14:44,159 who are spiritual, that is spiritually mature people, should restore that person who has 217 00:14:44,159 –> 00:14:47,799 been caught up in a sin and they should do it how? 218 00:14:47,799 –> 00:14:51,599 In a spirit of meekness. 219 00:14:51,599 –> 00:14:52,960 Why meekness? 220 00:14:52,960 –> 00:14:59,400 Because those who are seeking to restore this earned brother or sister know that the same 221 00:14:59,400 –> 00:15:03,440 stuff that has caused that person to fall into sin lives within their own soul and could 222 00:15:03,440 –> 00:15:09,599 easily lead them into the same thing or something else or even worse. 223 00:15:09,599 –> 00:15:17,760 So, meekness, the characteristic of the preaching of God’s word, the teaching in every environment 224 00:15:17,780 –> 00:15:24,760 in which the word is taught, the characteristic of Christian witness in all these conversations 225 00:15:24,760 –> 00:15:30,500 that we are able to engage in for the sake of the gospel, the character even in these 226 00:15:30,500 –> 00:15:35,299 hardest moments where we have to confront, and yet we do it in a spirit of humility and 227 00:15:35,299 –> 00:15:41,859 of gentleness and of knowing our own vulnerability, meekness. 228 00:15:42,159 –> 00:15:47,919 So, you see, this is of huge importance, not only in terms of Christian character, but 229 00:15:47,919 –> 00:15:49,080 in terms of Christian ministry. 230 00:15:49,080 –> 00:15:51,460 It goes everywhere. 231 00:15:51,460 –> 00:15:55,119 And we’re asking the question today, how can I grow in meekness? 232 00:15:55,119 –> 00:16:01,479 How can I get as much of this power under control in my life? 233 00:16:01,479 –> 00:16:05,080 This beautiful, beautiful thing to which Christ calls us. 234 00:16:05,080 –> 00:16:07,979 Now, hold your breath. 235 00:16:08,020 –> 00:16:13,780 I want to give to you today, ten strategies for cultivating meekness. 236 00:16:13,780 –> 00:16:19,539 And I got my watch, and we’re just fine. 237 00:16:19,539 –> 00:16:23,859 And what I want you to do is to gather at least a fistful, that you’ll say, I’m gonna 238 00:16:23,859 –> 00:16:24,859 do that. 239 00:16:24,859 –> 00:16:26,280 I need to act on that one. 240 00:16:26,280 –> 00:16:28,500 And I see that that speaks right into my life. 241 00:16:28,500 –> 00:16:29,500 These are all very practical. 242 00:16:29,500 –> 00:16:33,159 It’s all application, folks, and it’s all straight out of the Bible. 243 00:16:33,159 –> 00:16:37,080 Ten strategies for cultivating meekness. 244 00:16:37,140 –> 00:16:42,380 Number one, moderate your expectations of others. 245 00:16:42,380 –> 00:16:47,080 I’m thinking here of Psalm 103, in verse fourteen, one of my favorite verses in the 246 00:16:47,080 –> 00:16:53,500 Old Testament, God knows our frame, and He remembers that we are dust. 247 00:16:53,500 –> 00:16:55,659 Don’t you love that verse? 248 00:16:55,659 –> 00:16:57,460 Aren’t you thankful for it? 249 00:16:57,460 –> 00:17:05,500 If God remembers the frailty that is mine, I also ought to be mindful of the frailty 250 00:17:05,500 –> 00:17:06,579 of others. 251 00:17:07,060 –> 00:17:12,140 Moderate your expectations, there have been some excellent books that have been produced 252 00:17:12,140 –> 00:17:17,459 in the last two years on the subject of marriage, but I think the one that has for me, at least, 253 00:17:17,459 –> 00:17:24,300 the best title, think of this title for a book on marriage, it’s called What Did You 254 00:17:24,300 –> 00:17:25,300 Expect? 255 00:17:25,300 –> 00:17:28,540 Isn’t that a great title for a book on marriage? 256 00:17:28,540 –> 00:17:31,099 What Did You Expect? 257 00:17:31,099 –> 00:17:36,020 I mean, think of what this is, two sinners in the process of redemption and recovery, 258 00:17:36,140 –> 00:17:39,339 and then they commit to share their whole lives together, what do you expect? 259 00:17:39,459 –> 00:17:41,660 Of course there’s going to be challenges. 260 00:17:41,660 –> 00:17:49,260 Now, think of this, God remembers that your spouse is dust, so you should remember that 261 00:17:49,260 –> 00:17:56,140 too, and it will moderate your expectations, it will help you to grow in meekness. 262 00:17:57,300 –> 00:18:02,739 This is true, not only in marriage, it’s also true in the church, you know, it is especially 263 00:18:02,780 –> 00:18:10,819 easy for leaders, scores of leaders in this congregation, it is especially easy for leaders 264 00:18:10,819 –> 00:18:17,939 and for pastors to forget this, that we are dust and to assume that all Christians will 265 00:18:17,939 –> 00:18:22,780 be deeply committed, ready for sacrifice, engaged in the mission of the church, walking 266 00:18:22,780 –> 00:18:27,219 by faith and living in full obedience to Jesus Christ, and when we find that that is not 267 00:18:27,219 –> 00:18:33,640 the case, and that there is actually a great deal of self-interest in and among the people 268 00:18:33,640 –> 00:18:42,359 of God, it is candidly easy to become disappointed and frustrated. So I need to remember and 269 00:18:42,359 –> 00:18:48,560 every leader needs to remember that every Christian is a sinner in the process of redemption 270 00:18:48,560 –> 00:18:56,060 and recovery just as I am. And if I apply the doctrine of sin correctly, what it will 271 00:18:56,099 –> 00:19:02,339 do is this, I will moderate my expectations of others. And what that means is that I will 272 00:19:02,339 –> 00:19:07,459 grow in meekness. That is how it works. So Matthew Henry says this very helpfully, 273 00:19:07,459 –> 00:19:13,880 The consideration of the common infirmity and corruption of mankind should be made use 274 00:19:13,880 –> 00:19:20,880 of, not to excuse our own faults but to excuse the faults of others.” You see how if you 275 00:19:21,760 –> 00:19:26,839 do that you’re going to grow in meekness, moderate your expectations of others. 276 00:19:26,839 –> 00:19:33,739 Second, find joy in evidences of God’s grace. Find joy in evidences of God’s grace. And 277 00:19:34,400 –> 00:19:41,000 here I’m thinking of Philippians chapter 4 and verse 8. You know this verse. Finally brothers, 278 00:19:41,000 –> 00:19:46,959 whatever is true, whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, whatever is commendable, if 279 00:19:46,959 –> 00:19:58,979 anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. Fix your mind on whatever 280 00:19:58,979 –> 00:20:07,400 is good and choose to pitch your thoughts there. I will tell you that there have been 281 00:20:07,400 –> 00:20:17,939 seasons in which that verse has been quoted aloud in our home every day. Every day. Whatever 282 00:20:17,939 –> 00:20:23,880 is good. Think about these things. It’s so easy for the mind to get focused on what it’s 283 00:20:23,880 –> 00:20:32,839 not yet. What it’s lacking. This is huge for overcoming frustration. It is huge for overcoming 284 00:20:33,839 –> 00:20:38,920 think in terms of in your mind, think of a large building development in which there 285 00:20:38,920 –> 00:20:45,520 are a hundred new homes that are in the process of construction. And they’re all at various 286 00:20:45,520 –> 00:20:51,099 stages of development, and some of them are far on, and you can see the walls are up and 287 00:20:51,099 –> 00:20:57,560 the roof is on, and you can see the shape and the magnificence of what is going to be 288 00:20:57,560 –> 00:21:03,319 complete. And you look at it and you say, wow, that is really going to be something. 289 00:21:03,319 –> 00:21:09,079 And then you move over to the other side of this building site and you see a huge hole 290 00:21:09,079 –> 00:21:16,359 in the ground, and it’s surrounded by mud and pools of water. And it’s really quite 291 00:21:16,359 –> 00:21:24,560 ugly. And you look at it and you say, is that ever going to come to anything? Now you see 292 00:21:24,560 –> 00:21:31,160 Christians are like houses at different stages of development. In some you can just see the 293 00:21:31,160 –> 00:21:38,479 forming and the shaping of a reflection of Jesus Christ. In some the work is hardly begun. 294 00:21:38,479 –> 00:21:42,540 You say, it’s just a hole, is anything ever going to come? But at least it’s a hole 295 00:21:42,540 –> 00:21:47,099 God is digging for a foundation. 296 00:21:47,099 –> 00:21:53,260 Rejoice in that. Rejoice in every evidence of progress. Remember this, that Christians 297 00:21:53,260 –> 00:21:58,780 are at different stages of development. None of us are yet what we will be, but in Christ 298 00:21:58,780 –> 00:22:06,420 all of us will one day be complete. So, rejoice in every evidence of progress and complain 299 00:22:06,420 –> 00:22:12,819 about the hole and what is not yet. Find joy in what God is doing. Another foundation is 300 00:22:12,819 –> 00:22:18,079 being laid in another life. Learn to admire the grace of God in others. 301 00:22:18,079 –> 00:22:29,719 Remember that any faith, any hope, any love is a miracle of God’s grace anywhere because 302 00:22:29,719 –> 00:22:37,839 it never comes from the flesh, it only comes from the work of the Spirit of God. So choose 303 00:22:37,839 –> 00:22:43,239 to fix your mind on these things and to find joy in them. Make it the habit of your heart 304 00:22:43,300 –> 00:22:47,819 to start spotting these things and to tell other people about them. Tell stories about 305 00:22:47,819 –> 00:22:52,699 where God is at work and find joy in that. 306 00:22:59,959 –> 00:23:05,819 I’m thinking of the second period in chapter one where the Apostle lists and characterizes 307 00:23:05,839 –> 00:23:13,800 a growing walk with Jesus Christ. He talks about love. He talks about perseverance. And 308 00:23:13,800 –> 00:23:21,640 he talks about self-control which brings us into our world of meekness. Power under control. 309 00:23:21,640 –> 00:23:27,219 That’s what meekness is, isn’t it? And then, he says this, that a person who 310 00:23:27,219 –> 00:23:31,400 doesn’t have this, a person who doesn’t have this meekness, this self-control, this 311 00:23:31,400 –> 00:23:38,819 loving spirit – why is that? He says, that person has forgotten that he has been cleansed 312 00:23:38,819 –> 00:23:45,140 from his former sins. Turn that around, it follows this way that if you have a lively 313 00:23:45,140 –> 00:23:50,660 memory of how great the cleansing of the blood of Christ is, and how good God’s grace has 314 00:23:50,660 –> 00:23:58,819 been towards you, then it will have the effect of causing you to grow in meekness. 315 00:23:58,819 –> 00:24:04,359 Matthew Henry suggests a very powerful question and I’m going to paraphrase it. He suggests 316 00:24:04,359 –> 00:24:13,739 that we ask this question of ourselves any time we are irritated by or provoked by others. 317 00:24:13,739 –> 00:24:24,199 This is the question. If God were to be as angry with me for my offenses against Him, 318 00:24:24,280 –> 00:24:33,280 as I am with others for their offenses against me, where would I be? Isn’t that a great question? 319 00:24:33,280 –> 00:24:42,000 If God were to be as angry with me over my offenses against Him, as I am with others 320 00:24:42,000 –> 00:24:50,640 over their offenses against me, where would I be? You remember the grace of God flooding 321 00:24:50,839 –> 00:24:55,880 into your own life, and just what that means in time and for eternity, it will help you 322 00:24:55,880 –> 00:25:00,520 to grow in meekness. Why? Because the person who knows that he has been forgiven much, 323 00:25:00,520 –> 00:25:06,819 loves much. Remember how much you’ve been forgiven, and you will grow in meekness. 324 00:25:06,819 –> 00:25:19,780 Strategy Number 4. Take time before you form judgments. I’m thinking here of James in chapter 325 00:25:20,640 –> 00:25:27,760 1 and verse 19. Let every person – so this is for all of us – be quick to hear, slow 326 00:25:27,760 –> 00:25:38,579 to speak, and slow to anger. Slow to speak, slow to anger. In Psalm 116, there’s a very 327 00:25:38,579 –> 00:25:46,040 interesting phrase. David says there, “…in my haste I said, All men are liars.” Now, 328 00:25:46,900 –> 00:25:52,079 you see what happened. I expect that you know, someone told David an untruth and then perhaps 329 00:25:52,079 –> 00:25:58,280 someone else did. And he jumped to conclusions, he jumped, he made a rash judgment. He said, 330 00:25:58,280 –> 00:26:02,479 you know, I’ve been told a couple of lies. Oh, it’s hopeless, you know, you can’t 331 00:26:02,479 –> 00:26:06,880 trust anybody these days, and all men are liars, and out he comes with this. And then 332 00:26:06,880 –> 00:26:14,219 he regretted saying that because that was a harsh judgment. That was jumping from, perhaps 333 00:26:14,420 –> 00:26:20,920 disappointment to a conclusion that was unwarranted. The book of Proverbs says this, perhaps you 334 00:26:20,920 –> 00:26:27,920 know this proverb, chapter 18 and verse 17, the one who states his case first seems right 335 00:26:29,319 –> 00:26:34,699 until another comes and examines him. Now, you’ve all experienced that. I’ve experienced 336 00:26:34,699 –> 00:26:41,579 it many times. You hear a story, Oh, really? And it seems right until you hear something 337 00:26:41,599 –> 00:26:46,680 else and then you wish you hadn’t made quite such a rash judgment of what you heard at 338 00:26:46,680 –> 00:26:53,680 first, so take time to form your judgments. Spurgeon has a wonderful little phrase here. 339 00:26:55,020 –> 00:27:02,020 He says, little pots soon boil over. You think of that, a little pot on the stove. Little 340 00:27:03,020 –> 00:27:10,020 pots soon boil over. And you know what that is like. Some people are like that. They’re 341 00:27:13,079 –> 00:27:20,079 little pots. And as soon as they hear some piece of gossip they boil over with indignation 342 00:27:20,500 –> 00:27:23,359 irrespective of the fact they do not know for sure that they do not know for sure that 343 00:27:23,359 –> 00:27:30,359 it is even true. And they make immediate judgments. Don’t be a little pot that soon boils over. 344 00:27:32,520 –> 00:27:39,520 Be quick to hear but slow to speak and very, very slow indeed to anger. Take time before 345 00:27:41,420 –> 00:27:47,500 you form judgments. Make sure that you are doing so with wisdom and with accuracy and 346 00:27:47,500 –> 00:27:50,359 with kindness. 347 00:27:50,359 –> 00:27:57,359 Number five. Make friends with meek people. Make friends with meek people. Now I wonder 348 00:27:57,520 –> 00:28:03,920 if you know this command that is given in the Bible in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 349 00:28:03,920 –> 00:28:10,920 24. It says this. Make no friendship with a man given to anger. Did you know that the 350 00:28:10,939 –> 00:28:17,319 Bible says that you should not make friends with an angry man? That is a person who is 351 00:28:17,319 –> 00:28:23,319 habitually angry, a person who’s habitually complaining and picking away at things and 352 00:28:23,380 –> 00:28:30,380 so forth and so on. If a person is habitually angry, that is not the friend for you. And 353 00:28:32,680 –> 00:28:39,680 here’s why. If you sit over breakfast, over lunch, over time, with a person who is constantly 354 00:28:40,319 –> 00:28:47,020 complaining, what will happen is that the habit of their heart will begin to rub off 355 00:28:48,020 –> 00:28:53,180 on you. And that is why the proverb says, make no friendship with a man given to anger 356 00:28:53,180 –> 00:28:58,699 lest you learn his ways. And then his snare is going to become a snare for you. 357 00:28:58,699 –> 00:29:04,420 Now, you may work of course beside people who are habitually angry. That’s just always 358 00:29:04,420 –> 00:29:11,180 how they are. They’re constantly in complaint mode. You may even worship besides some who 359 00:29:11,500 –> 00:29:18,500 that character. But the Bible says don’t choose such a person as your friend. Choose, rather, 360 00:29:19,219 –> 00:29:25,640 to cultivate closeness with people who will help you to be more like Jesus. That’s not 361 00:29:25,640 –> 00:29:32,520 the complainers. That’s not the constantly angry. It’s the meek. So make friends with 362 00:29:32,520 –> 00:29:37,560 meek people and guess what? You will grow in meekness. 363 00:29:37,560 –> 00:29:49,020 Number six, take pleasure in the joys of others, take pleasure in the joys of others. I’m thinking 364 00:29:49,020 –> 00:29:56,979 here of Romans chapter 12 and verse 15 where we have this command. Rejoice with those who 365 00:29:56,979 –> 00:30:04,000 rejoice and weep with those who weep. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those 366 00:30:04,079 –> 00:30:11,140 who weep. I wonder which of these two things you think is the easier and which is the harder. 367 00:30:11,140 –> 00:30:18,540 Pastor Ted Olsen who’s here this morning is such a wonderful example of meekness. He has 368 00:30:18,540 –> 00:30:24,380 a wonderful phrase that he has used over the years to help and encourage young pastors, 369 00:30:24,380 –> 00:30:33,180 but it is relevant to us all. Irrigate your soul in the joys and in the sorrows of your people. 370 00:30:33,560 –> 00:30:40,579 Isn’t that beautiful for a pastor to be replenished in his own soul by the identification that 371 00:30:40,579 –> 00:30:45,680 he has with the joys of his people and the sorrows of his people? It’s simply an application 372 00:30:45,680 –> 00:30:53,260 of Romans chapter 12 and verse 15, which is for all of us, rejoice with those who rejoice 373 00:30:53,260 –> 00:31:00,439 and weep with those who weep. Now, which do you think is the easier and 374 00:31:00,579 –> 00:31:06,900 which do you think is harder? I’ll tell you what I think. I find that it is often 375 00:31:06,900 –> 00:31:12,900 easier to share other people’s sorrows than it is to share other people’s joys. 376 00:31:12,900 –> 00:31:19,599 I want you to hear a C.H. Spurgeon’s wisdom here. Spurgeon struggled with the difficulty 377 00:31:19,599 –> 00:31:25,199 of often being unwell. He had multiple illnesses over the period of his life and sometimes 378 00:31:25,260 –> 00:31:31,380 was laid aside from the work that he loved so much. He comments in one place about when 379 00:31:31,380 –> 00:31:37,500 he was ill people would come and visit him as they do and would say to him, well now 380 00:31:37,500 –> 00:31:43,020 I’ve seen somebody who’s worse than you are. You know how this gets said when 381 00:31:43,020 –> 00:31:47,199 someone’s ill, you know, and even when we’re suffering ourselves, sometimes we say oh well 382 00:31:47,199 –> 00:31:54,099 there’s always other people worse, and so fourth. Spurgeon says well I never get any 383 00:31:54,219 –> 00:31:59,760 comfort from such a remark, and my usual response is you have just made me feel 384 00:31:59,760 –> 00:32:06,319 worse than I was before by telling me that someone else is worse than me.” He 385 00:32:06,319 –> 00:32:12,699 points out that the great comfort for a meek person is to know that others are 386 00:32:12,699 –> 00:32:20,140 doing better, quote, the meek spirited man is glad to know that other people are 387 00:32:20,140 –> 00:32:27,920 happy even when he’s not, because their happiness is his happiness. I think what 388 00:32:27,920 –> 00:32:33,479 this means, that meekness means that you can be glad for others who have more 389 00:32:33,479 –> 00:32:39,339 than you do, even as you may be sorry for others who have less. You can find great 390 00:32:39,339 –> 00:32:42,30 joy in the fact that others are doing better than you are, 391 00:32:42,380 –> 00:32:47,520 even as you will feel sympathy for others who are doing worse. Meekness 392 00:32:48,180 –> 00:32:56,020 you to find joy in what God has given to others. Rejoice with those who rejoice. 393 00:32:56,020 –> 00:33:07,020 So, think about this. When was the last time you heard someone say, you know, I 394 00:33:07,020 –> 00:33:12,579 don’t have much money, but at least I have this comfort that other people have 395 00:33:12,859 –> 00:33:19,699 much more than I do? When did you last hear that? Well, now you know how hard 396 00:33:19,699 –> 00:33:22,859 meekness is and how little there is around. We live in a world of envy don’t 397 00:33:22,859 –> 00:33:29,339 we? Rejoice with those who rejoice. My health is poor, but at least other 398 00:33:29,339 –> 00:33:36,979 people are well. Thank God for that. My son is really struggling right now, but 399 00:33:37,040 –> 00:33:46,319 thank God my friend’s son is doing well. That’s meekness. Rejoice with those who 400 00:33:46,319 –> 00:33:50,540 rejoice. You see now that meekness is only possible by the Spirit of God. That 401 00:33:50,540 –> 00:33:57,939 stuff never comes from the flesh. It cannot, but it’s beautiful. It’s wonderful, and it 402 00:33:57,939 –> 00:34:04,160 will lift you. Make the habit of rejoicing with those who rejoice when 403 00:34:04,219 –> 00:34:08,800 you see someone who is more blessed than you are. Thank God for it instead 404 00:34:08,800 –> 00:34:15,280 of muttering and complaining. Meekness, it’ll grow. Number seven, and this is the 405 00:34:15,280 –> 00:34:20,120 one that has come most powerfully to me as I’ve meditated on these applications. 406 00:34:20,120 –> 00:34:27,120 Discern God’s hand even in the work of your enemies. Discern God’s hand even 407 00:34:27,120 –> 00:34:34,100 in the work of your enemies. Thomas Watson, who I am quoting often, because 408 00:34:34,100 –> 00:34:38,479 he’s so helpful, he asks this very simple question. He thinks about Jesus on the 409 00:34:38,479 –> 00:34:43,360 cross and he asks this question, what made Christ so meek 410 00:34:43,360 –> 00:34:47,479 in his sufferings? Isn’t that a great question? How was it that Jesus could be 411 00:34:47,479 –> 00:34:55,840 so meek when he’s hanging on a cross? And here’s Thomas Watson’s answer, what made 412 00:34:55,879 –> 00:35:05,000 Christ so meek in his sufferings? He did not look to Judas or to Pilate, but to 413 00:35:05,000 –> 00:35:10,159 his Father. And then he quotes the verse that is on the screen, John 18 and verse 414 00:35:10,159 –> 00:35:17,939 11, it is the cup that the Father has given to me. Now think about what he’s 415 00:35:17,939 –> 00:35:25,000 saying. At one level you could say that the sufferings of Jesus on the cross 416 00:35:25,040 –> 00:35:30,479 were the direct result of the decision of Judas to betray him, and the decision 417 00:35:30,479 –> 00:35:36,340 of Pilate to condemn him. On the cross the Lord Jesus Christ could have said, 418 00:35:36,340 –> 00:35:46,760 Look what Judas did to me. Look what Pilate did to me. But says Watson, he did 419 00:35:46,760 –> 00:35:53,399 not look to Judas or to Pilate, but he looked to his Father. The cup that the 420 00:35:53,520 –> 00:36:01,580 Father has given me, shall I not drink it? In other words, Christ discerned the hand 421 00:36:01,580 –> 00:36:07,040 of God even in the work of his enemies. Now, here’s the application, and it’s of 422 00:36:07,040 –> 00:36:14,699 huge importance, friends, to thousands in church world today. As long as you see 423 00:36:14,699 –> 00:36:20,500 your life as the story of what other people have done to you, you will live in 424 00:36:20,500 –> 00:36:26,060 disappointment, anger, frustration, and resentment. As long as you think of 425 00:36:26,060 –> 00:36:30,000 yourself as a victim, look what this person did to me, look what that person 426 00:36:30,000 –> 00:36:35,280 did to me. As long as you see your life in terms of the story of what others 427 00:36:35,280 –> 00:36:39,300 have done to you, you will live in disappointment, and anger, and frustration, 428 00:36:39,300 –> 00:36:44,280 and resentment, and nobody wants to live there and you do not want to live there. 429 00:36:44,280 –> 00:36:49,340 So by faith lift your eyes up right now with me to the Son of God 430 00:36:49,340 –> 00:36:54,699 hanging on the cross there. And see Him, see how when his enemies have done their 431 00:36:54,699 –> 00:37:02,320 worst they have not overcome him. See the glory of the Son of God as he stands 432 00:37:02,320 –> 00:37:08,239 there not consumed in resentment over Judas and over Pilate, but saying rather 433 00:37:08,239 –> 00:37:18,479 Father forgive them. They do not know what they are doing. That’s what you want 434 00:37:18,479 –> 00:37:29,340 to be like. And the question is how did he do that. He did not look at Judas or 435 00:37:29,540 –> 00:37:41,179 at Pilate, but at his Father. Which takes us to number eight. Walk daily 436 00:37:41,179 –> 00:37:46,300 in fellowship with Jesus Christ. You may be saying at this moment you are describing Christ 437 00:37:46,300 –> 00:37:51,179 on the cross. I can never get to where he was. Yes but what if Jesus Christ now should 438 00:37:51,179 –> 00:37:59,260 walk with you. What if Jesus Christ’s Spirit should be given to you. And live within you. 439 00:37:59,280 –> 00:38:05,199 This is what it means to be a Christian. And so Jesus says in Matthew 11 and verse 29 440 00:38:05,860 –> 00:38:10,340 take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I’m meek and this is how you’re going to 441 00:38:10,340 –> 00:38:15,860 find rest for your soul. This is how you’re going to get out of that trap of disappointment 442 00:38:15,860 –> 00:38:21,340 and frustration and bitterness and resentment. What was the yoke? The yoke tied two animals 443 00:38:21,340 –> 00:38:25,379 together so that they could share the load of pulling the plow and Jesus says I want 444 00:38:25,379 –> 00:38:30,620 you to walk with me and I want you to learn of me and you’re gonna discover my meekness 445 00:38:30,620 –> 00:38:35,540 and it’s gonna be rubbing off on you and my spirit within you is going to produce this 446 00:38:35,540 –> 00:38:40,179 beautiful, beautiful fruit. Friends, none of us has meekness by nature. No one is born 447 00:38:40,179 –> 00:38:46,780 meek. We have different temperaments but this is a God-given gift that comes through the 448 00:38:46,780 –> 00:38:53,780 presence of Jesus Christ in the life of a Christian. And it grows as you imitate the 449 00:38:53,820 –> 00:39:00,439 Savior, and as the Spirit of God indwells you, and as you walk with the one to whom 450 00:39:00,439 –> 00:39:07,439 you have bound your life, Jesus Christ, your Savior and your Lord. 451 00:39:08,179 –> 00:39:14,179 Strategy Number 9, Anticipate all that God has promised as you walk with Christ and His 452 00:39:14,179 –> 00:39:20,419 Spirit of meekness lives within you, you anticipate what he’s promised. What does Jesus say? 453 00:39:20,620 –> 00:39:27,500 Blessed are the meek. Why? Because they shall inherit the earth. Look what is ahead of you. 454 00:39:27,979 –> 00:39:34,219 As you pursue this path of meekness, isn’t inherit a wonderful word? Is there anyone 455 00:39:34,219 –> 00:39:41,219 who doesn’t like the word inherit? What does inherit mean? Someone who has much, chooses 456 00:39:42,120 –> 00:39:49,120 freely, for what belongs to him or her to become yours. And when God adopts you and 457 00:39:50,520 –> 00:39:56,820 acts you into his family, what does he do? He writes you into his will so that you have 458 00:39:56,820 –> 00:40:03,560 an inheritance that is undefiled, and it can never fade away, it can never go down in value, 459 00:40:03,560 –> 00:40:10,120 and it is kept in heaven for you, 1 Pet 1, verse 4. And what is that inheritance? God 460 00:40:10,120 –> 00:40:17,120 will create a new heaven and a new earth, and who is going to enter into it? Blessed 461 00:40:17,399 –> 00:40:24,399 are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Oh, how sustaining that is in a world of power 462 00:40:28,479 –> 00:40:35,479 struggles, might is right and Jesus says the meek will inherit the earth. John Calvin puts 463 00:40:35,479 –> 00:40:42,479 this with such beautiful clarity. Listen he says, Let us be clear about this. Provided 464 00:40:49,739 –> 00:40:55,520 as Christ says that we exercise self-control and are patient provided we possess that meekness 465 00:40:55,520 –> 00:41:02,520 which He requires of us and to which He calls us, we will inherit the whole earth. 466 00:41:02,620 –> 00:41:09,620 When you see that it is easier to rejoice in others who have much more than you do and 467 00:41:10,399 –> 00:41:17,399 have what you might have liked to have enjoyed. All things are yours in Christ. Look at what 468 00:41:17,560 –> 00:41:24,560 is coming. The meek will inherit the earth. Which takes me to the very last of these strategies 469 00:41:25,080 –> 00:41:32,080 strategies which is simply this. Ask God to give you meekness. We read from James in chapter 470 00:41:32,459 –> 00:41:38,800 three that the wisdom that comes from God. It’s pure and it is gentle and James speaks 471 00:41:38,800 –> 00:41:45,040 about the meekness of wisdom. Right at the beginning of the letter he says now if any 472 00:41:45,040 –> 00:41:50,479 of you lacks this wisdom. This wisdom that is meek and it is gentle. Here is what you 473 00:41:50,639 –> 00:41:57,639 do, you ask of God and he will give it generously to you. That’s his promise. That gives me 474 00:42:00,060 –> 00:42:05,439 a reason to be able to come before God in prayer today as I hope you will, and through 475 00:42:05,439 –> 00:42:11,060 this week as God is working this part of his truth into our lives and I hope deeply. Oh 476 00:42:11,060 –> 00:42:18,060 God you have said that a gentle and a quiet spirit is of great worth in your sight. Please 477 00:42:18,479 –> 00:42:24,620 give me that spirit in increasing measure. Please today curb this harsh tongue. Please 478 00:42:24,620 –> 00:42:30,760 keep me from rash judgments. Help me to think the best and not the worst of others. Help 479 00:42:30,760 –> 00:42:35,399 me to discern your hand working for my everlasting good even in the most difficult things where 480 00:42:35,399 –> 00:42:42,320 the hands of my enemies may be seen. Help me to discern and find pleasure in all your 481 00:42:42,320 –> 00:42:50,120 work and to rejoice with those who rejoice. Form within me a reflection of your meek son 482 00:42:50,120 –> 00:42:58,179 Jesus Christ as I walk with him today for your praise and your glory and your honor. 483 00:42:58,379 –> 00:43:10,919 Lord Jesus Christ grow this in us that we may reflect the beauty of meekness in 484 00:43:10,919 –> 00:43:16,340 Jesus name, Amen. 485 00:43:17,340 –> 00:43:22,000 You’ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 486 00:43:22,000 –> 00:43:30,560 To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website, OpenTheBible.org.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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