Sermon Tone Analysis

Are you growing meek or weak?

In a world that says power comes from strength and pride, Jesus says the opposite.

In fact, he commands us as Christians to live counter cultural lives- more specifically, to live as Kingdom people.

In this part of the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:5), Jesus says that humility and meekness is what Christians will inherit the earth with.

But what does that even mean?

If meekness is the lifestyle we are to live, we must examine our lives now.

So... are you growing meek or weak in your life?

(SLIDE, MATTHE 5:5)

John Stott, who was a well known preacher and author, says that “ “The Meek” come between those who mourn over sin and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

This would sound obvious at first, because Matthew 5:4 talks about those who mourn and Matthew 5:6 talks about those who thirst and hunger for righteousness.

At second glance reading that quote from Stott it reveals great truth in reality.

We must come out of our season of mourning with a meek spirit, as we hunger and thirst for righteousness growing closer to the Lord.

Let’s put it in lay mans terms: “It’s easy to confess our sin to God than it is to others in the state of mourning over our sin.

But when we come out of that season of acknowledgment and someone out of the blue calls us out on the carpet for that same sin, we want to punch them in the face, not grow closer to God.”

But isn’t that hypocrisy?

So we need to answer the question: What does Jesus mean when He says “The Meek”?

For this we’ll need to turn to Psalm 37:1-11, because this is the context in which Jesus quotes Matthew 5:5.

(SLIDE, PSALM 37:1-11)

This psalm goes against our natural impulses of how to live a full and abundant life.

The message here in Psalm 37 is that true fulfillment in life comes as we quietly look to God and let Him sort out our lives.

It is not manipulating the people or circumstances in our lives.

I love the three ways Derek Kidner, in His commentary, breaks down Psalm 37:1-11:

He first explains how verses 1, 7 & 8 are reinforced by three encouragements to us.

(3 SLIDES, 3 ENCOURAGEMENTS)

3 Encouragements through Psalm 37:1-11

1.

In verses 2 & 10 we are to “Look ahead!”

We often focus on time but we should be instead focused on eternity.

2. Verses 3-7 encourage us to “Look up!”

Trust in the Lord

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart

Commit your way to the Lord and trust Him.

He will make your righteous reward

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him

3. We are encouraged to “Stay constructive!”

Anger, wrath and fretting keep us from being productive for the Kingdom

If we stay angry we choose destruction and we can’t trust God

God overcomes evil with good.

We might all be familiar with Moses who God spoke to through a burning bush, used to free the people of Egypt through bringing plagues on the Pharoah and his people, the same guy who received the 10 commandments (no not Charleton Heston, the real Moses)

Moses was one of the most humble and meek men to serve God in all of time, however he did not get to enter into the promised land for one reason.

(SLIDE, Numbers 20:10-12)

What was that reason?

Moses had an anger issue.

Anger kept Moses from the very reward he was working towards.

Anger got in the way of his ability to inherit the land.

He was able to see the land from a distance but he could not enter it.

Jesus refers to this land called Canaan or the promised land in Matthew 5:5.

when he says “…Inherit the land.”

Canaan was the early name for Israel and Palestine.

Later they were were separated into the three places we know today as Galilee, Samaria and Judea.

Even though this reference is to Canaan, the promise of God extends to all of His people and to the whole earth now.

But God’s promises are only for the meek, who trust God.

Who hope in God (Psalm 37:9 says).

Jesus was speaking specifically, in Matthew 5:5, about the riches in heaven than He was about earthly blessings.

(2 SLIDES, 2 Peter 3:13 and Rev. 21:1-2)

2 Peter 3:13

Revelation 21:1-2

To sum up the meaning of “will inherit the land”, the Baker commentary sums it up in these three ways:

(3 SLIDES)

3 truths of “Will inherit the land”

By grace the citizen of the Kingdom has a right to this possession.

The believer will certainly receive it as a treasure that can’t be taken away.

The believer will not need to or can not earn it on their own.

I’m working backwards in Matthew 5:5 because now we’re gonna focus on the word “meek.”

If meekness before the Lord is key to inheriting what Jesus promises then what does it mean?

And how do we become meek?

(SLIDE, Tozer)

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority.

Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself.

He has accepted God's estimate of his own life.

He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels.

In himself, nothing; in God, everything.

That is his motto.”

-A.W. Tozer

We are nothing apart from God.

Part of working towards meekness is realizing this.

Meekness is a soul attitude toward God that involves both our mind and heart in sync together.

Where the world says meekness is weakness, the opposite is true.

Meekness is power under control.

Aristotle, a great philosopher once said,

“Anyone can become angry.

That is easy.

But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way- this is not easy.”

Don’t you agree??

I think Moses would’ve understood this to be true.

Another great Philosopher, Augustine of Hippo, who lived between 354 and 430 AD said,

“The meek are those who do not resist the will of God… to practice this; when things go well, praise God and when they are bad, do not speak against him.

Give glory to God for your good works and blame yourself for your own sin.”

Meekness is getting your mind and heart in sync:

1.

It is accepting and owning sin but giving it to God.

2. It is praising God in everything.

3. It is giving God all the glory in everything.

“Meek” in Matthew 5:5 is the same word used to describe:

A soothing medicine

Sailors used it to describe a gentle breeze

Farmers used it to describe a colt that was broken.

Medicine can cure or kill, wind is good or bad in sailing and a horse that is not broke is not good for working in the fields.

Meekness is power under control.

So how can we tell then if we are growing weak or meek?

We become weak when we give into the emotions, feelings, or actions that do not give glory to God or His will but instead keep us from them.

Anger has been a reoccurring theme today but pride is just as harmful.