Since Jesus Was Serious…Meek Matters!

ou saw my message title about meekness somebody said I don’t think I ever expected that I would hear a message from you on meekness and it was hilarious to me because this person loves me and knows me well and wondered how does meekness look and and it’s a good thing it’s it’s kind of a actually not a first time I’ve heard that or thought that it was it was true I thought Lord in this book that we’re we’re talking about we’re down to about five copies

so get one if you haven’t already it’s by Sky jethani called what if what if Jesus was serious and I don’t mind pushing this book I’ve had some people say to me wow It it’s just like you said it’s like short piy moments where you get to kind of hold that thought together during the day and come back to it later and I think that’s true and and the the fact is you’re going to learn something as I have been learning about meekness and what it

means and doesn’t mean and it’s kind of like that joke in Sunday school when the teacher asks a question and and I forget exactly what the teacher was fishing for but a child raised his hand a little boy and said she says does anybody know the N the answer and he went yes Jesus and and he wasn’t really connecting that to anything except he knew probably a pretty deep truth Carl Bart was a theologian that has written widely deeply and he was asked in the Twilight

years of his life okay give it to us straight what’s the most towering truth you’ve come across in all these years didn’t have to probably turn in his Bible to that truth he could quote it but instead he he got quiet and then his there was a quiver in his voice and he said Jesus loves me this I know help me for the Bible tells me so little ones to him belong they are weak but he is strong you can’t leave it there yes Jesus loves

me yes Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so I think you sound better than Bart then that day you know it’s very special very true let me come to my title right away and jump into the text in front of us here today by the way you can get these books in the back I mentioned that but I didn’t tell you where to get them and if we run out we’ll get you more all right so I’m I’m sure that my title for some sounds

a little a little strange if not confusing it’s like Meek matters and and you put Jesus in that s same sentence I mean he was a warrior remember he was the lion of Judah says Revelation but Meek you and I live in a world that wines when we hear the word meek it’s it’s not guesswork at all but it has little to no respect for meekness this world we live in in fact the common view of weakness of of meekness is weakness and it sayings like

Meek is well maybe you’ve heard this before like that person is as Meek as a mouse or Worse Meek like a doormat meekness is not something that there’s a big appetite for in this world go to any School of Business business and they’ll tell you that’s the quickest way to go out of business you be meek really can that only work in these four walls or maybe in your marriage or maybe as you’re bringing up your children and trying to instruct them in the discipline and

instruction of the Lord is that the place where it works and if so I wish Jesus had said so because the world world will eat you alive oh or seem like it might meekness given the disrepute that has descended on all things Meek you might say and this is my thought we have a pretty tall wall to climb if we are to say things the scripture affirms about meekness in a world with the view it has about meekness that’s a tall wall some are resisting it

already maybe not in the room in the house today but someplace else if you’re hearing this give it time give it a minute okay okay 35 minutes just give it that that’s all I ask and and we’ll see if your mind changes in Jesus Fame Sermon on the Mount he opens with a series of statements called Beatitudes you’re familiar with them The Sermon on the Mount covers chapter 5 6 and 7even of Matthew’s gospel it’s the most complete version of the four gospels and chapter five

he wastes no time Jesus repeats the word blessed nine times the list begins in chapter 5:3 and ends in verse 11 it’s a word the word blessed that refers to a a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity ity blessed is sometimes translated happy and even Blissful in each statement Jes Jesus calls attention to a character trait that hear me now and hear me good a character trait that if present in his people are you hearing a big word I emphasized if if present in his people

will result in a promising outcome okay it covers all of them look it over deeply on your own but that’s that’s a summary fact in the Third beatitude on his list which is in verse 5 if you haven’t turned to Matthew 5 we’re only going to stop there quickly and make note of it and then develop it in other places this morning in the Bible but Jesus describes a quality that is often scoffed at as I’ve mentioned already or even mocked by our world his words

now blessed verse five are the meek said Jesus for they will inherit the earth end quote blessed are the meek came the words of Jesus for they will I said there’s a very positive payoff they will inherit the earth so even if you were in a hurry you open your Bible and you get to Matthew 5 and you’re in a hurry and you read a statement like that you will likely slow down when that if you read it with any thought you will slow down or

even stop and wonder if not just ask aloud what what does that mean how can that be the case so let’s begin with the payoff okay that’s that’s what I want us to do that Jesus promises the meek second half of that verse they will inherit help me the Earth okay now inherit is something that we understand most of us do just a quick review of that it’s where something of value is received by the previous owner of that something could be a car could be

a mutual fund it could be a home it could be a fortune in Gold there’s no inherits just that word that says if you’re the if you’re the recipient if you’re the beneficiary you inherit what belonged to somebody else so for the record Psalm 24 verse one says the Earth is the Lord’s did you know that so when Jesus says in Matthew 55 you will inherit what belongs to him you making that connection so you will inherit the earth is a way of saying because I

own it I’m not giving some it’s not an inheritance if you’re giving somebody something that did not belong to you you don’t have the legal authority to do that but God says the Earth is mine and it doesn’t matter as you think about inheritance the size of the inheritance it’s still receiving something that wasn’t yours and watch this now you didn’t pay for all that coming together it’s key here which makes it a blessing which makes more sense out of Jesus words blessed are the meek

because they’re about to get something they did not earn or pay for an inheritance from me clearly Jesus doesn’t give something small at all to the receiver you can’t get that from the whole earth right so we’re with we’re together on this when we read that it’s correct to think that’s about as big as it gets wouldn’t you say how many of you have ever inherited anything okay some of you how how many of you plan to make a a beneficiary out of something you leave

behind it’s okay all right so this is supposed to be the I we’re part of the generation that’s going to leave more money to the to our next of kin than any generation in history sus spend like crazy people and pray for the Rapture my uncle used to say that SP we would have a fun time and go to Disney Land on him and he’d say we’re like oh Uncle Bob this is too cool he goes spend like crazy pray for the Rapture you know he’s

just messing around so anyway back to Big you know the Earth is huge and when you receive that as an inheritance that’s just that’s bigger than anything right anything I can think of I guess you could in some stars or the universe but there Earth’s enough so here’s the deal Debbie and I live on a fifth of an acre on luk Lane it’s 0.20 of an acre that’s so insulting why don’t just call it a fifth of an acre that sounds bigger right but but here’s

here’s the deal when we were looking for for land to build this house on a long time ago 30 years ago we came to we came here and we had heard something I think of a a lie I’m going to call it not from anybody here but from just the the news out of out of this place out of the Northwest you know oh they just about give away land it’s just so you can just do any you know just offer anything they’ll take it and

so we we came up here with this thought that we want about five acres and so we we get up to the willamet valley in Oregon and we started looking around and it wasn’t long I think it was the first day we went oh my goodness we were lied to we got to adjust our expectations and we searched around town and eventually landed on a fifth of an acre which is where we live today that’s all we could afford so imagine my mental calculation when I

read these words that I will inherit that means free of charge which sounds good to a Scotchman how much everything that quickly Drew my attention to the terms and conditions let me use the word catch what’s the catch you ever think that way somebody goes you just you know you they they promised something too good to be true and I what I discovered surprise me there is a not terms and conditions but there is a single simple word that Jesus uses he States it as the

term the condition to qualify for this incalculable inheritance to inherit the earth I must be meek so I’m just going to say what you’re probably thinking if you’re if you’re you’re with me already you’re there’s a lot writing on this right I don’t just want a a fifth of an acre in the future I want the whole puppy I want wide freeways where no one else is on them yeah no you get my point I want I want to get this right so it’s wise that

we not assume what we know the meaning of Meek is so what is Meek here’s a Webster’s Dictionary definition it’s quick but it’s it’s a start Meek is an adjective that describes a Gentle Spirit thought that was interesting A Gentle Spirit it’s often use interchangeably with a couple other words in the Bible humble and gentle but is that the full story all you got to do Steve is learn to be humble and gentle that’s like that’s not you know like that’s going to be easy what’s

the difference I mean is that all there is to it perhaps you’ve heard the expression meekness isn’t weakness it’s strength under control I have a question I’ll ask it as a question is that true you get to just noodle on that it’s it’s a rhetorical question is that true so let’s ask Moses comes to mind got two people I want us to see and we’re done one’s Moses and did you know Moses was Meek okay so check this out when we first meet Moses in the

Bible it’s right there in Exodus we we meet a man that God chose to lead his oppressed that’s a strong word but it’s true people in bondage from Egypt to freedom in a land flowing with milk and honey it’s called the promised land it’s Israel Palestine and all that I just captured for you is in Exodus 3 through2 when they when they bust out a town and they’re on their way it’s only a twoe trip they took 40 years seriously you want to know how far

off the road you can go off the path you can go ask the Israelites it was less than two weeks it’s actually 11-day trip they could have made it I don’t like mana mana Burgers we were at a concert the other night that Keith Green’s got a great song about Mana it’s just really fun B Mana bread anyway it’s funny but you here in numbers 12 I stopped in numbers 12 I want to just give you a snapshot this is they’re on their way a 40-year

trip is what it became they’re on their way and there’s Moses in charge and he’s leading God’s people toward that Promised Land but they’re doing a circuitous route that would take a long time and his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam criticized him if you’re a leader criticism doesn’t just I mean sometimes you meet a Ronald Reagan and you think I don’t think anything stuck I don’t think he ever went home and said Nancy I’m really hurting I just I think she might have wondered that

I don’t know I’m just making this if it’s not my notes but I’m thinking he was just this guy that that just forged ahead changed our world everyone would have him back in a nano second but here’s the deal maybe he did go behind curtain and just go oh somebody said something that got through and I don’t mean a nice thing usually it’s the nasty grams somebody just takes a shot at him and it’s and it devastates him if not him let me tell you somebody

I know better than that me praise God that we are a a church that doesn’t pick on its leaders you who stood here today good for you you’re not you’re not a Target you are from the devil devil wants to take you and me out but you know what you have people around you that are willing to lay it down for you and don’t ever forget that that’s what this church is great for and we’re going to stay great for that amen you can applaud right

now that’s okay you got a chance to do it that’s what this is about but Moses from his brother and sister they take a swing at him and it was a sucker punch to pick on him for marrying and I don’t want to get into the details was it right or wrong for him to marry an Egyptian it really doesn’t matter an Ethiopian rather it was a cheap shot and we’re told in verse three of numbers 12 we’re told in verse three something we need to

remember about Moses why it hurt him so bad I’m quoting now Moses was a very Meek man meaker than anyone else on the face of the Earth are you getting this he is the one God goes hey bro come here Mo I’m gonna use you I’m gonna lead my people through you and you know the story he tried to get out of it because he knew I’m just a wuss I’m just a weenie I just am not the guy God you know the story it’s in

chapter 3 and 4 and if you are making excuses for why God can’t use you go there you will find your excuse right there God says I’m going to do it so he goes okay shaken there was this noise the whole 40 Years of his knees knocking together and miam way to go miam well then Aaron where’d he go they pick on him and Moses was Meek that’s for sure sure the Bible wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t true but not weak how can I say

that want you to take in this scene it’s we capture it a little bit later but I want you to hear it Moses remember when he met with God on that mountain it’s in the South Peninsula Mount Si and it was on that mountain that God took these tablets of stone and with his own finger wrote on him what we know as the Ten Commandments God did and while Moses was up on that mountain I don’t going to call that fairly holy place right like what

am I doing here I can’t I don’t belong here I’m just made of clay and God gives him these tablets and while he’s up there there’s this terrible development that takes place down in the camp and I want you to let me go to Exodus 32 and just read a couple of words I can find it here we go and while he’s there the people down in Camp I’m just going to say they went off the rails spiritually they absolutely lost their minds and he’s up

there and he’s in their judgment delayed in coming down and finally God says go down to those people there there’s there’s a sound of war in the camp and so verse I’m reading from Verse 18 Moses replied it’s it’s not the sound of Victory it’s not the sound of defeat it’s the sound of singing that I hear what verse 19 when Moses approached the camp he saw the calf that Aaron had ordered all the people bring their gold and will will make an idol we’re not

sure we’re going to see Moses again and who knows who God is maybe that’s his thinking I don’t know but he to to Plate the people he makes this golden calf and the and they’re dancing around it worshiping it and in Anger I’m reading from verse 19 his anger Moses the meek one’s anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain you wouldn’t miss that scene but there’s more and he took the calf and

melted it down in the fire then he Dred into powder and Scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it I don’t know what that’s like if if gold poisoning or something but anyway they’re drinking this right and we’re not done let me just say right here before I read the next he was Meek But Mighty how else do you explain what I’m going to read to you now it’s just across the page in Exodus 32:3 the next day Moses said to the people

you have committed a terrible sin but now I will go up to the Lord perhaps I can make atonement for your sin God offered to say hey I’ll smoke them now I’ll give you a brand new nation verse 31 so Moses went back to the Lord and said oh what what a great sin these people have committed they have made themselves gods of gold but now please forgive their sin this is Moses talking just him and God please forgive their sin but if not listen to

this then blot me out of the book you have written whoa folks Meek is not weak Meek is strength used properly Debbie and I enjoy a show called Heartland any Heartland people here I’m not going to tell you you should watch it but there’s a lot of things you shouldn’t watch okay and heartland’s not one of them it’s a good one and it’s it’s said in the Canadian Rockies on a Ranch in Alberta Canada it’s really beautiful setting and most episodes involve horses being the expert

on horses that I am I’m constantly saying Debbie is that true because her dad would had thoroughbreds and there you know there’s a lot about horses that she KN knows and knew and was around and I’m just not so I’ve learned a lot about horses and and it’s taken a long time because we’re in the 15th season of this show yeah we’re hooked we watched it twice okay so pray for us but anyway and here’s one of the things that I’ve discovered it’s called gentling a

horse now I’m the guy that doesn’t know horses and I thought what you do with a horse that’s wild as you break it right I don’t know what break means but it’s definitely a different word than gentling I’m like come here I’ll break you dude you know horse I’m in charge and and this gentling is where you take a wild horse or a stallion so I could relate to this that runs a lot and it bucks a lot and it lives freely without borders it just

goes these wild horses and and gentling brings the horse under the influence of a trainer through a relationship built on trust same Wild Horse but now it’s it’s gentled cool cool picture and that happens a lot on that show but that’s what Meek looks like when speaking of people as well you know you you know if you’re that person like a wild horse you’re you we too tend to be people that we buck and and we resist and we resent and we rebel against boundaries don’t

tell me what to do it’s called called stiff necked read Proverbs 29:1 and find out what happens to stiff neck people who will not Bend who will not be gentled and God wants to bring the wild within under his control I mentioned Jesus I will just quickly mention what I had in mind Jesus was the one who extolled the weat the the meekness virtue in that beatitude that we’ve already talked about chapter 5 in Matthew verse 5 but Jesus much later in chapter 26 on the

on your way there do you remember the this invitation from Jesus Matthew 11 the one that said blessed are the meek for they will inherit the world world the whole earth a little bit later said come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am one translation says gentle and humble in spirit and you will find rest for your souls another one says and you come unto me all

who are weary and heavy and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and lowly that’s Jesus talking and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my load is light that same Jesus we find in chapter 26 of Matthew please see this with your own eyes it’s a scene where Jesus is frankly redefined meek for me really did you thought maybe I was going to talk about the temple remember the

temple when he went in there and and he turned over the tables I actually know some people that say let say this is the table everybody can you see my table they say they they almost have a picture of Jesus that when he came in and turned over the tables of the money changers and all those right that that he went like this okay here we go there it’s turned over do you really think that’s Jesus is that well it’s Meek I’m not convinced that’s anywhere

close to the truth I think turn over the tables tipped over the temple I think people I think he was like boom right I think so he’s the same one in Matthew 23 that said not once or twice but seven times woe to you scribes Pharisees and hypocrites and if you don’t think he didn’t point a finger they tell preachers don’t do that he did and he did it seven times and if you want to look on their face it was like cuz they were wild

horses and not about to be tamed Matthew 26 verse 47 you just got to see this while Jesus was speaking to his disciples they were asleep in the garden remember and then came a crowd to arrest him he says in verse 46 rise let us go here comes my betrayer it went down like this while he was still speaking Judas one of the 12 arrived with him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs sent from the chief priests and the Elders of the people

now the betrayers had ARR the betrayer Judas had arranged a signal with them the one I kiss is the man to get arrest him going once to Jesus Judas said greeting Rabbi and kissed him Jesus replied do what you came for friend then the men stepped forward seized Jesus and arrested him pay close attention now verse 51 with that one of Jesus companions we know from John 18 this was Peter no hiding it one of Jesus companions Peter reached for his sword drew it out and

struck the servant of the high priest cutting off his ear I used to say that’s because he missed should he wanted the head touch my Lord don’t touch my Lord verse 52 my Bible has red ink on these words they are Jesus words but put your sword back in its place he said to Peter for all who draw the sword will die by The Sword and this is what blew my mind about Meek do you think I cannot call on my father and he will at

once put at my disposal more than 12 Legions of angels but how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way don’t you think I have the power Jesus is the ultimate example of meek he had the means of self-defense it could have ended right then and there without anything but a thought but a hurricane went just blew all those people over he had the means of doing it that way but he abstained from using his means and in fact corrects Peter

for his lack of such restraint if let’s talk about Peter at the end here just a quick moment I if you had been there that night you would have seen it all we just captured it quickly here his arrest his attack the attack on malus the high priest’s servant by Peter we would have seen all that and the meekness of Jesus amidst all of this and like me you may have left wondering so Peter was there I know he went on to betray Jesus that night

but what eventually happened to him how did this night how did that moment impact him he saw Jesus he had ammo that would have taken care of this situation and he didn’t he didn’t even draw a weapon what did Peter do this we know denial and then he was restored but what did he do and to find the answer the correct answer I want you to turn to to words that he wrote These are autobiographical words from Peter himself I told you we’d bounce around but

this is really cool anyway I’m having a blast first Peter 2 these are these are words from that same guy that was there that night and went to that ear and heard Jesus say I could have done that Peter that’s not my priority in other words I have the power but I’m I’m I’m I’m Mighty but I me what did Peter take away wonder that well Wonder no more here’s his commentary on that night verse 19 1 Peter 2 for it is commendable if someone Bears

up under the pain of unjust suffering where did he get that idea unjust suffering it’s an outrage call an attorney do you know because they are conscious of God verse 20 how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it it’s called Justice but if you suffer for doing good and you endure it this is commendable before God to this you were called Peter says in verse 21 because Christ suffered for you leaving you an example so that you

should follow in Jesus steps he committed no sin no deceit was found in his mouth when they hled their insults which they did later that night and into the next morning he did not retaliate when he suffered he made no threats instead he himself entrusted himself to to his father who judges justly verse 24 concludes he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins live for righteousness by his wounds you have been healed I’d say Peter was

deeply changed and I can’t read those without feeling some of that change in my own life I used to be a hotthead people I still see it pop out every so often but meekness is one of Jesus very esteemed attributes and I thought to myself what would it what would it look like if it became one of my attributes all the time maybe that’s the prayer for you today would you bow your heads and let me give us a moment of quiet to pray that very

prayer Lord thank you for being the the example in yet another area an area that you bless when you see it in your people in an area that’s not poss

Transcript machine-generated from the sermon audio, so it may contain errors. 5,161 words.