Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / The Sermon On The Mount
Raising The Bar By Using Restraint 05/20/07
Sermon Series: Raising the Bar: Living Above Mediocrity
Message: ‘Raising the bar by restraint’ Text: Matthew 5:5
Introduction: Have you ever heard of the ‘Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls?’ If you take the first letter of each word it reads ‘Doormats.’
· Their official insignia is a ‘yellow caution light’
· Their official motto is ‘The meek shall inherit the earth…if that’s OK with everybody.’ (Martin Field)
Once again we come to a beatitude that’s completely opposite of the way the world around us thinks and operates.
The world movesforward on power, conquest, domination… yet Jesus claims:
‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.’
According to the way of the world we need to use our power, whatever that may be, to take what we want, by any and all means possible. That’s how you inherit the earth.
Transition: Is that what Jesus is saying too? Let’s look a bit closer. Open your Bibles to Matthew 5:5 (pg. 739 in the Bibles under the chair in front of you.)
Here we’ll see that Jesus stands in opposition to the world and challenges us to stand with him, when we raise the bar of spiritual expectations and actions in our lives by using restraint.
Read: Matthew 5:5
I. Meekness defined
Let’s start at the beginning…what does it mean to be meek?
· In the Greek language a ‘meek’ person was not passive or easily pushed around, he/she was no doormat.
· The word ‘meek’ actually means: strength under control, restraint.
· It means a willingness to submit and work under the authority of another.
· It shows a willingness to give preference to another, thereby disregarding your own ‘rights’ and ‘privileges.’
We live just down the street from Monmouth Park…horse racing, so allow me to use an illustration describing meekness with something that’s close to home…literally.
ILL: Have you ever seen a race horse? When you look at them you see powerful muscles from head to tail. There can be no denying, that race horses are strong.
All of that power, however, is brought under control by a jockey and a bridle. That powerful race horse, at some point in his life, had to surrender itself to the training and the expertise of the jockey. It was only then that this powerful animal became meek and useful for his owner.
· Strength under control, restraint
· Submission to the authority of another
· Giving preference to another by giving up your rights and privileges.
That’s being meek. I said living out the beatitudes wasn’t going to be easy.
Transition: A question I asked myself when I read this text is ‘Where did this come from? Why is ‘meekness’ the next beatitude?
II. The relationship of meekness to the first two Beatitudes.
· ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’ First, we recognize that we have nothing to offer God, we’re totally dependant upon him for salvation and life…everyday.
· ‘Blessed are those who mourn.’ Second, we mourn, grieve; feel bad about our sinful condition and that leads us to repent, to turn away from our sin and turn to God.
· ‘Blessed are the meek.’ Finally, our brokenness leads us to submit to God’s authority over our lives.
Have you experienced this in your life?
Transition: Let’s briefly examine some of the qualities of meekness that Jesus requires in those who are his.
III. The relationship of meekness to Ps 37:1-11
Author, pastor John Piper sees a connection between Matthew 5:5 and Psalm 37:1-11. In the Greek translation of the OT (called the Septuagint) the words of Matthew 5:5 and Ps. 37:11 are almost identical.
Read: Psalm 37:1-11
What does this tell us about the qualities of those who are meek?
A. The meek trust in God
The meek are those who trust in God (vs 5a). They believe that God will be on their side and will defend them when attacked. Biblical meekness is rooted in the deep confidence that God is for us and not against us.
Do you trust in God?
B. The meek commit their way to God
The meek commit their way to the Lord. (5b) They have found that God can be trusted and they give over to him the reigns of their lives.
The meek admit they’re helpless to cope with all that’s going on in their lives and trust that God is able and willing to sustain, protect and guide them on their journey.
Have you committed your way to God?
C. The meek are quiet and wait for God
The meek are quiet or still before God and patiently wait for him. (vs 7a) This doesn’t mean they’re lazy but they have a calmness that comes from knowing that God is both omniscient and omnipotent…he knows all and can handle whatever comes their way.
Are you quiet before God? Do you wait patiently for him?
D. The meek don’t worry about the wicked
The meek don’t worry about the wicked in this world. This doesn’t mean they’re apathetic or indifferent, just that they don’t question God when the wicked prosper (vs 7b) or get angry when the wicked oppose them.
The meek trust that God will deal justly with the wicked in his time and in his way.
Do you worry about the wicked?
Transition: The Biblical description of the meek is not limited to Ps. 37. Teaching on meekness runs deep throughout all Scripture.
IV. The relationship of meekness to the rest of Scripture
A. The meek are teachable
Read: James 1:19-21
The meek are teachable. They recognize the limitations of their knowledge and are eager to listen and learn from others…and, from God’s Word.
Do you have an attitude of readiness to listen and learn?
B. The meek recognize their fallibility
Read: Galatians 6:1-2
The word ‘gently’ here is actually the same word as ‘meekness.’
The meek are those who when they see sin in others, recognize their own sin, and are gentle and humble when confronting sin in others.
Their confrontation of sin is not to condemn but to restore, it’s not an act of justice, but an exercise of grace.
Do you look to restore others in sin or condemn them?
C. The meek deal properly with anger
Read: James 1:19-21
The meek are slow to anger. This doesn’t mean they never get angry. It means they only get angry at the right time.
When is anger wrong and when is it right?
-Anger is always wrong when it’s the reaction to an injustice done to us. The meek demonstrate great patience and longsuffering when treated unjustly by others. Just as Jesus did.
-Anger is always right when it’s the reaction to an injustice done to others. The meek stand up for and protect those treated unjustly…just as Jesus did.
Do you know right anger from wrong anger?
D. The meek submit to God’s will
Read: Psalm 37:5
By committing their way to the Lord, the meek submit to God’s will. Everything in the Christian’s life depends upon this!
The meek offer no resistance, no rebellion and do not complain at God’s dealings in their lives.
Are you submitting to God’s will?
E. The meek submit to others
In the story of Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13, these two men had large herds and weren’t able to stay together and still feed and water them. So they had to separate and go their own way.
Abraham gave Lot first choice of the land and he would take what was left.
Here, Abraham demonstrated genuine meekness by submitting or giving preference to Lot. Remember, it was Abraham that God made the promise of blessing. Abraham could have easily insisted on having the first choice of the best land, but he instead chose to forgo his ‘rights’ without murmuring or complaining.
I need to make a point here. No one is perfect… except God.
· Your spouse will fail you,
· your kids will disappoint you,
· your friends will all let you down,
· your church will drop the ball
· and your pastor won’t meet all your needs.
And you’ll have a legitimate gripe. You’ll be right and they’ll be wrong. It’s at that exact moment that you’ll be standing at the crossroads of meekness. Which path will you take?
· Will you throw everything you have at them, proving your ‘rightness’?
· Or will you be meek and grant them grace and peace?
Before deciding, remember for a moment, just how gentle and gracious Jesus has been with you, when you were wrong and he was right.
Do you claim your ‘rights’ or do you submit to others?
F. The meek communicate the Good News
with grace
Read: 1 Peter 3:15
Sharing your faith in Jesus with others takes both courage and humility.
The meek, when sharing their faith in Jesus, are unyielding in their stand, yet humble in their presentation.
When sharing your faith in Jesus to others, do you draw them close or push them away?
Transition: I said Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount demanded radical obedience and life altering change. But it’s worth it!
V. The reward of meekness
We can only be meek, willing to restrain our power, our will and our rights because we are confident that God watches out for us and will protect us. ‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth’ promises that God will not allow his children to end up with the short end of the stick, as it were.
The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Read: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Did you hear that?
‘All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.’
This is saying that we don’t need to play the game of ‘one up man-ship.’ We don’t have to use our power, whatever that may be, to take what we want, by any and all means possible. Why?
God has already made you, Christian, an heir of the world. Who cares if your house is bigger than my house if God owns the city and my name is on the deed?
What’s the bottom line reward for those who are meek? Peace!
· They know who they are,
· they know where they are going,
· they know whose they are
· and they know there’s nothing to prove.
Conclusion
Very briefly, how do we become meek?
1. Meditate on the greatness of God.
2. Meditate on the humility of Christ.
3. Look for opportunities to be a servant
...like at the Lion’s Fair this week.
4. Depend upon the Holy Spirit to produce in you
the fruit of the Spirit which is meekness.
Let me close with a more literal translation of 1 Peter 3:3-4 than the NIV gives.
Read: 1 Peter 3:3-4 ‘Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.’
You are of great worth in God’s sight… when you are meek!