Inheriting The Earth

• “You are young, and have the world before you; stoop as you go through it, and you will miss many hard thumps.”

• “You are young, and have the world before you; stoop as you go through it, and you will miss many hard thumps.”

• Franklin wrote, “I often think of [Mather‟s words] when I see pride mortified, and misfortunes brought upon people by their carrying their heads too high.

We, too, need to stoop as we

go through life.

• “By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Rom 12:3, ESV).

• “By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Rom 12:3, ESV).

• “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for „God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble‟” (1 Pt 5:5, ESV).

Christians & the world view

meekness quite differently

• The world views meekness as weakness, as allowing the people “to walk all over you.”


• Yet, true meekness is found in strength, not weakness.


• Yet, true meekness is found in strength, not weakness.

• John Milton spoke of the “invisible might of meekness.”

• “Gentleness” is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23).


▫ Paul wrote those words as he was inspired of the Spirit.



▫ But, when Paul withstood Peter to his face (Gal 2:11-14), would Peter say that you could walk all over Paul?



▫ But, when Paul withstood Peter to his face (Gal 2:11-14), would Peter say that you could walk all over Paul?

▫ When Paul offered to come to the Corinthians with a rod (1 Cor 4:21), would the Corinthians say that you could walk all over Paul?

• “The man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3, ESV).


▫ Moses was the most meek man on earth, but you didn‟t walk all over Moses!


▫ Moses was the most meek man on earth, but you didn‟t walk all over Moses!

▫ The morning Pharaoh awoke to find his firstborn son dead, would he have said that you could walk all over Moses?

• The Lord Jesus spoke these words, but you didn‟t walk all over Jesus!


▫ When Jesus cleansed the temple, would the money changers have said that you could walk all over the Lord?


▫ When Jesus cleansed the temple, would the money changers have said that you could walk all over the Lord?

▫ When Jesus referred to the scribes & Pharisees as hypocrites, would they have said that you could walk all over Jesus?

• This third Beatitude, like the first, deals with humility.


▫ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5, ESV).


▫ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5, ESV).

▫ This morning, we want to hear these words in detail & hear Jesus as he calls upon us to be a meek people.

THE MEEK ARE BLESSED

THE MEEK ARE BLESSEDBut, just who are the meek?

• Being meek means having a strong, but gentle & humble life.


▫ The word translated “meek” means to be “gentle, humble, considerate.”


▫ The word translated “meek” means to be “gentle, humble, considerate.”

▫ This is the person who has the ability to take & conquer, but he practices self-control.

• The controlled, disciplined person is meek.


▫ Passion & urges, speech & behavior, sight & touch are always controlled by the meek.



▫ The Scriptures exhort us to be self-controlled.




“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (Rom 6:12, ESV).





“„All things are lawful for me,‟ but not all things are helpful. „All things are lawful for me,‟ but I will not be enslaved by anything” (1 Cor 6:12, ESV).





“„All things are lawful for me,‟ but not all things are helpful. „All things are lawful for me,‟ but I will not be enslaved by anything” (1 Cor 6:12, ESV).

We are to add self-control to our lives (2 Pt 1:6).



▫ The Scriptures exhort us to be self-controlled (Rom 6:12; 1 Cor 6:12; 2 Pt 1:6).

▫ Someone has described self-control as “the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces.”





This person controls the chocolate instead of having the chocolate control him.





This person controls the chocolate instead of having the chocolate control him.

We must always stay in control of our selves!

• The person who is humble, not prideful is meek.


▫ This person is humble before God.



He is fully cognizant of his need for God.




God “has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic 6:8, ESV).




God “has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic 6:8, ESV).

As we are meek toward, God, we have an attitude of submission to his will.

We desperately need an

attitude of submission to

God’s will.

• “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20, ESV).


• Mary had this attitude of submission.


• Mary had this attitude of submission: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

• The word “meek” can refer to the taming of a wild animal.


▫ In this sense, the word refers to an animal that comes under the control of man.


▫ In this sense, the word refers to an animal that comes under the control of man.

▫ If we are meek toward God, the Lord tames “the animal” within us through his Word.

“Dear God, your will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”

That’s what it means to allow

God to reign in our lives!

• The one who is meek is humble before men.


▫ This person doesn‟t consider himself any better than anyone else.



▫ We are to be humble toward others.




“By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Rom 12:3, ESV).




Rom 12:3.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4, ESV).

• The one who is meek is gentle, not easily provoked.


▫ This person is in control when dealing with people.



▫ God expects us to be a gentle people.




“The Lord‟s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil” (2 Tm 2:24, ESV).




“The Lord‟s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil” (2 Tm 2:24, ESV).

Love is not “rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful” (1 Cor 13:5).

• The person who is forgiving, not revengeful, is meek.


▫ Because Jesus has forgiven our sins, we should be characterized by forgiveness.



▫ We are to be a forgiving people.




“If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mt 6:14, ESV).




“If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mt 6:14, ESV).

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32, ESV).

African proverb:“He who forgives ends the quarrel.”

Jesus is the PERFECT

example of one who is meek.

• Jesus left us an example that we should follow in his steps (1 Pt 2:21).


• Jesus was certainly meek.



▫ “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle [Gr=“meek”] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29, ESV).



▫ Mt 11:29.

▫ “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor 10:1, ESV).

• Jesus demonstrated meekness as he prayed in the Garden: “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, „My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will‟” (Mt 26:39, ESV).

• Jesus demonstrated meekness by his refusal to retaliate.


▫ “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Is 53:7, ESV).


▫ Is 53:7.

▫ “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pt 2:23, ESV).

Are you following the

example of Jesus?

Are you following the

example of Jesus?Are youmeek?

THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE

EARTH

• The meek shall certainly inherit the new earth that is coming.


▫ “According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pt 3:13).


▫ 2 Pt 3:13.

▫ “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Rv 21:1, ESV).

But, the meek also inherit

this present world.

• Mt 5:5 is an almost exact quotation from Ps 37:11:

▫ “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace” (ESV).

• Mt 5:5 is an almost exact quotation from Ps 37:11:

▫ “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace” (ESV).

▫ This is a promise that God would give the meek Jews abundant blessings in Canaan.

• It is also true of Christ‟s followers who are meek.


▫ They shall enjoy abundant blessings from God in this present world.



▫ The meek receive the best God has to offer in this life.



▫ The meek receive the best God has to offer in this life.

“So let no one boast in men. For 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 Christ‟s, and Christ is God‟s” (1 Cor 3:21-23, ESV).

If we are meek, we shall

receive abundant blessings in

this life.



this life.Are you receiving abundant blessings?



this life.Are you receiving abundant blessings?

Are you meek?

Spiritual

Inheriting The Earth