Upside Down Living: Blessed are the Meek

Post on 12-Apr-2017

158 views 1 download

Transcript of Upside Down Living: Blessed are the Meek

…the meek

Blessed are…

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the

earth.

First Point

Meekness is not synonymous with

weakness.

Webster’s Definition of Meekness

Mild of temper, gentle, not easily provoked or irritated; submissive; lacking courage.

Warren Wiersbe’s Definition

“Meekness is not weakness. It is power under

control.”

πραΰς/pra-ūsPraus was used by the Greeks for a war horse that was trained to obey instantly and absolutely, no matter how great the confusion of battle. 

Lipizzan Stallions

Matthew 1128 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 1129 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 21:5“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Lord Acton’s Principle

Power corrupts and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.

Second Point

Meekness will ultimately triumph over man’s evil

power.

Psalm 371 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

Psalm 373 Trust in the LORD, and do good;dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 375 Commit your way to the LORD;trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 377 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 378 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Psalm 3710 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

Psalm 3711 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Wise Observation

“It's too bad that the meek haven't already inherited the earth, because the unmeek are making a real mess of it.”

Psalm 3729 The righteous shall inherit the landand dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

Third Point

10 Practical Steps for Growing in Meekness

1. Moderate your expectations of others.

God knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 

Psalm 103:14Pastor Colin Smith

2. Find joy in evidences of God’s grace.…if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

Philippians 4:8Pastor Colin Smith

3. Remember how much you have been forgiven.For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9Pastor

Colin Smith

4. Take time before you make judgments.Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:9

Pastor Colin Smith

5. Make friends with meek people.24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, 25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. Proverbs 22:24-25Pastor

Colin Smith

6. Take pleasure in the joys of others.15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15Pastor Colin Smith

7. Discern God’s hand in the work of your enemies.

11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:11Pastor

Colin Smith

8. Walk daily in fellowship with Jesus.The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:6

Pastor Colin Smith

9. Anticipate all that God has promised.Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

Matthew 5:5Pastor Colin Smith

10. Ask God to give you meekness.But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

Pastor Colin Smith