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.