Embracing Meekness
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We are looking at Jesus Sermon on the Mount so that we can learn how to live the Happy Life that Jesus came to bring. Each of his statements begin with Blessed or Happy is…
Today, we will look at this one…
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
I have struggle with this in the past, and maybe some of you do as well. It comes from not understanding what meekness is. We know Jesus doesn’t lie, but meek? In our ego driven culture, you don’t hear a lot about meekness. A job applicant doesn’t describe his main character trait as meekness.
If we can learn the true meaning of meekness, we can experience the best the world has to offer.
A meek person is not a weak person nor a freak person.
A meek person is not a weak person nor a freak person.
Most people when they think about a meek person, they think of a weak person. But Jesus says the opposite. Jesus says that meek people are the strongest people. Prideful and arrogant people are the weak people. Jesus also said that the world would be theirs… the meek.
The word meek comes from the Greek word Prautes which depicts the attitude of a person who is patient and slow to respond to anger; one who remains in control of themselves in the face of insults or injuries.
The word meek comes from the Greek word Prautes which depicts the attitude of a person who is patient and slow to respond to anger; one who remains in control of themselves in the face of insults or injuries.
A meek person is not controlled by their emotions. They don’t fly off the handle and they don’t have to react to everything.
A meek person is someone who is gentle, who has their strength under control.
A meek person is someone who is gentle, who has their strength under control.
The word “prautes” or meekness in the Bible was actually used to refer to a wild stallion that had been tamed. A horse that’s not tame is out of control and worth nothing, but one that is tame, is powerful and can win races…
When you are as follower of Jesus, are meek, you are NOT weak, not a doormat etc. It’s not that you do not get angry. It means that you have your emotions under control.
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Since Jesus was a meek person, we need to aspire to be a meek person as well.
Since Jesus was a meek person, we need to aspire to be a meek person as well.
So this morning that’s look at the strength of meekness which is the 3rd key to receiving God’s blessings.
What are the benefits of being a meek or gentle person?
What are the benefits of being a meek or gentle person?
1. Meekness helps us to diffuse conflict with others.
1. Meekness helps us to diffuse conflict with others.
1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
The human tendency is to meet the emotion and intensity of others. We do this because mirror neurons in our brain cause us to want to feel or express what others are feeling and expressing.
If they are happy, you will be happy… if they are sad, you will be sad… angry, angry.
Here is a tip. When others raise their voice, lower your. It will help you in all of your realtionships.
me with the lady I sold insurance to
When others raise their voice or get angry we need to have the self-control to do the opposite of what they are doing.
When others raise their voice or get angry we need to have the self-control to do the opposite of what they are doing.
Somebody may need this today…
4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
2. Meekness helps us to disarm our critics.
2. Meekness helps us to disarm our critics.
The more successful you become, the more critics you will have. No one criticizes you if you don’t do anything. But is you stand for something instead of falling for everything under the sun, you’re going to be criticized. The more successful you are, the worse it will be.
How do you typically handle people who criticize you?
How do you typically handle people who criticize you?
When we respond to our critics with meekness if disarms and disappoints them.
When we respond to our critics with meekness if disarms and disappoints them.
Most of the time when they attack you, they are looking for a fight. They expect to hook you and get you o respond to them in anger which causes them to escalate and reinforces the negative thoughts they had about you.
Some people are always looking for a fight, but followers of Jesus should not be like that.
Some people are always looking for a fight, but followers of Jesus should not be like that.
Some people thrive on being depressed or angry. If they are angry they are comfortable and energized. When you respond with gentleness, it disarms them. They will try to pull you in, but don’t let them. Paul summed it up this way…
13 We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment.
When someone hurts you or attacks you, you don’t attack back and try to get even. When you respond with meekness, you put them under you… if you try to retaliate, you place them even with you. Paul responded gently when people spoke evil of him and we need to do the same.
8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
As Believers, we need to live in ways that when people try to attack us, it makes them look bad for doing it. We live in a way there is nothing legitimate for them to criticize us about. Too many people want to give the ugly eye back to someone who looks at them, but we need to understand that meekness or gentleness disarms critics.
We need to continually ask the Lord for tough skin and a tender heart.
We need to continually ask the Lord for tough skin and a tender heart.
3. Meekness helps us to develop persuasiveness with others.
3. Meekness helps us to develop persuasiveness with others.
This is extremely important in sales. If you are in sales and you want to be successful, develop a gentleness.
People are rarely reached by the hard sell today.
People are rarely reached by the hard sell today.
Remember the commercials that were loud, obnoxious and fast trying to get people’s attention?
I’m Robert Storey and I have the best deals on the WB for you. We have a 1973 Pinto just for you. For only 1999 you have have this car… Just go see Robert…. Go see Robert… but wait, if you will buy today, we will throw in a Ginsu knife, a sharpener
That doesn’t work in sales or relationships these days. What does work is gentleness and meekness. Most of us don’t buy anything because of a sales pitch. We buy because we asked some friends what they thought… etc. Why? Because our friends are usually a little gentle in their reply… Listen to this from Solomon.
15 With patience you can convince a ruler, and a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed.
Listen to me parents. If you are screaming at your kids, it will do more harm than good… it won’t work, especially with your teens. All screaming and intimidating does is create fear, anger and rebellion.
That’s why I preach the way I do. I could stand up here and preach on SIN all the time. I’m sure you would love to come here every week and be told what a horrible person you are. NOT!!! If I did that you would build up barriers and soon stop attending. Thats what happens at churches where that does happen… walls are built up. If I want to persuade you to live all out for Jesus, I have to be gentle or meek.
15 Patience and gentle talk can convince a ruler and overcome any problem.
Ruler here refers to a Boss. We all have bosses. Patience and gentle talk can convince your boss to help you overcome problems. Just remember
Screaming, yelling or being harsh doesn’t work well with children, teens, or adults.
Screaming, yelling or being harsh doesn’t work well with children, teens, or adults.
21 A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.
Draw a line from persuasive to pleasant. If you want to be persuasive, you better be pleasant.
We are never persuasive when we are abrasive.
We are never persuasive when we are abrasive.
The more pleasant you are, the more persuasive you are. Fools are rude, crude and abrasive.
Robert in seminary was top collector for a collection agency… he was gentle and pleasant, not rude and threatening.
Johnny Barlow - used pleasant Southern charm and a smile …
Wise people are pleasant and gentle in their speech.
Wise people are pleasant and gentle in their speech.
The wiser you are, the more pleasant you are. BTW,
One of the laws of life is that we attract people to us that are like us.
One of the laws of life is that we attract people to us that are like us.
We tend to attract what we are. If you are a rude person, you will attract other rude people. Gentle… you will attract other gentle people. Gentleness and godliness attract gentle and godly.
4. Meekness helps us to show love to others.
4. Meekness helps us to show love to others.
They quickest way to improve our relationships, especially to you guys, is to talk to our wives gently.
19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
Anyone can be selfish and rude, but godly and loving men and women are gentle with others.
Anyone can be selfish and rude, but godly and loving men and women are gentle with others.
Gentleness is the key to a great marriage, but it’s also a major key to effective parenting. Never discipline your child in anger or frustration.
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
5. Meekness helps us to deserve respect from others.
5. Meekness helps us to deserve respect from others.
16 A gracious woman gains respect…
Thats true of men as well. BTW,
Gentleness is a prerequisite to effective leadership.
Gentleness is a prerequisite to effective leadership.
If you are going to lead, whether it’s your family or at a job, you need to learn what we are looking at today. Every great leader was a gentle leader. Jesus is the nest example of this. Others are Abraham Lincoln… he even showed gentleness the way he treated the South after the Civil War. MLK was a gentle person.
Godly leadership is discerned, learned and earned through gentleness.
Godly leadership is discerned, learned and earned through gentleness.
Leadership is earned. It’s never demanded - that doesn’t work. When you demand it, you are a dictator and dictators are not leaders. There is a huge difference between a leader and a boss.
Moses was a great example of a gentle leader in the OT. Ht took on the most powerful man in the world at the time and won because the Lord was on his side. He freed the Israelites from 400 years of slavery. Here is what the Bible says about Moses.
3 (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)
Meekness or Gentleness is not weakness. There are 2 people that the Bible calls meek … Jesus and Moses… and neither was weak. Jesus challenged people and even cleared out the temple on day turning over tables … Moses had an anger problem. He killed an Egyptian. After receiving the 10 commandments, Moses threw them down after seeing the people sinning. Another time, he was supposed to speak to a rock to produce water, but Moses got angry and hit the rock. It was actually anger that kept Moses out of the promised land.
So how does the Bible call Moses gentle or meek? He was teachable. Moses was meek because he was teachable.
We can have anger or self-control problems in our lives but if we are meek and teachable like Moses, we can become great men and women of God.
We can have anger or self-control problems in our lives but if we are meek and teachable like Moses, we can become great men and women of God.
6. Meekness helps us to demonstrate Christ to others.
6. Meekness helps us to demonstrate Christ to others.
Non-believers are constantly watching Christians to see how we respond to the temptations and trials of life.
The questions is this. Are we any different than they are when we are stressed? When we respond to stress and pressure with gentleness, it’s a great witness.
2 They must not speak evil of anyone, nor quarrel, but be gentle and truly courteous to all.
Don’t speak evil. If we are believers, we are never to speak evil of others. That’s hard isn’t it? It doesn’t mean that we agree with that person or excuse sinful behavior. We are just not supposed to speak evil of them and slander them.
Be Gentle and be courteous. We can’t put people down and speak evil of them. We have to be courteous. Listen to me…
People are more likely to put their trust in Jesus when they have developed a trust in us.
People are more likely to put their trust in Jesus when they have developed a trust in us.
People generally won’t ask if the Bible is credible if we are credible. They want to know if we are credible… compassionate… and loving. If people like what they see when they see us, they will listen to what we say. That was the whole premise of our Campus Life Assembly programs we used to do…
We are to be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
These are the benefits of being Meek or Gentle, but can we live it out this week? How can we do that?
Ways to practice meekness
Ways to practice meekness
1. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being understanding rather than demanding with those who serve us.
1. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being understanding rather than demanding with those who serve us.
Have you ever been aggravated by a waiter or waitress and want to give them a piece of your mind? Or you get behind a slow driver and you can’t pass them and you want to give them the ugly eye? Don’t do it!
Try to put yourself into their shoes and understand them and what they are going through and treat them the way you would like to be treated… in a gentle way.
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
2. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being kind rather than unkind to those who disagree with us.
2. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being kind rather than unkind to those who disagree with us.
Does anyone disagree that our culture and our politics has gotten dirty? I know people that think that those who disagree with them aren’t saved because they support ??? To argue that is not being gentle or meek!
1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
3. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being gentle, not judgemental with those who disappoint us.
3. We can practice meekness/gentleness this week by being gentle, not judgemental with those who disappoint us.
1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
So how do you react when someone really messes up their life? Do you gloat? Cut them off? What do you think Jesus did? Jesus didn’t become angry with people’s sin as much as he did with the leaders who thought they were God’s appointed judge and put people down all the time.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Real happiness and blessing occurs in our lives when we are able to treat others the same way the Lord has treated us.
Real happiness and blessing occurs in our lives when we are able to treat others the same way the Lord has treated us.
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Conclusion
Do you really want to be like Jesus? If so, you have to learn to be meek / gentle. You may struggle with not being a meek and gentle person. But you can change that.
Would you pray this prayer in your heart: “Dear Jesus Christ, I am not by nature a gentle or meek person. I need your Spirit of power and love and self-control. This week when people serve me, help me to be understanding not demanding. This week when people disagree with me, help me to be kind and not unkind. And this week when people disappoint me, help me to be gentle not judgmental. Lord, I want to be like You. I want to have a gentle answer that turns away anger, not stirs it up. Help me to lower my voice when everybody else raises theirs. When evil things are said about me, help me to respond like Paul, to respond gently and disarm my critics. When people are headstrong and I’m trying to persuade them, help me to remember that I’m never persuasive when I’m abrasive. That the more pleasant my words, the more persuasive I’ll be. And Lord, help me to use gentleness this week to communicate love. To those that I love in my life, help me to be gentle with them. You said that gentleness and meekness earns respect. That a woman of gentle grace will be respected, and the godly man will be gentle. Lord, I want to be a gentle leader. I want to be meek like Moses and like Jesus, strength under control. I want my life to be a witness. And Lord, I ask you to help me to never speak evil of anyone, to not be quarrelsome, to show courtesy to everybody regardless of what they believe or how they live. Help me to share my faith with gentleness and respect. Most of all Jesus, you promised that if I would come to you and team up with you because you’re meek and gentle I would find rest for my soul. Replace my stress with your gentleness. Replace my mess with your meekness.”
