Sermon on the Mount 3

Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes, 3—

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Introductory Thoughts

* If we want an antidote to superficial Christianity, there is no better single portion of scripture for us to study than the Sermon on the Mount.

** The Sermon on the Mount consists of the King of Heaven giving the first part of the constitution and by-laws of the Kingdom of Heaven.

*** In Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, Christ finishes the instruction, revealing the fullness of the New Covenant through His Apostles.

* The Beatitudes—the attitudes that ought to be.

* The Beatitudes are the character traits of the Christian.

** Principles to be learned from the beatitudes: (adapted from D.M. Lloyd-Jones)

1. All Christians are to be like this.
2. All Christians are meant to have some measure of all of these characteristics.
3. The Beatitudes show the utter difference between the Christian and the non-Christian.

“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it…” (Lloyd-Jones.)

a. The Christian is different from the world in what he admires.

b. The Christian is different from the world in what he seeks.

c. The Christian is different from the world in what he does.

d. The Christian is different from the world in what he thinks he can do.

e. Bottom line: the Christian and the lost man belong to completely different kingdoms.

* No one on this earth expresses these qualities perfectly or absolutely, but just as with the contrast in lifestyles given in Galatians 5, and 1 Cor 6, if you look at your life and some measure of the beatitudes is not to be found, you must begin to ask yourself if you are really a believer or not.

* The Biblical idea of happiness: God’s Concept of Happiness—“…3 Blessed…”



(1) Happiness comes from faith in Christ—John 20:29 "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [markarios, happy] are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

(2) Happiness comes from Following Christ—John 13:17 "If ye know these things, happy [markarios, happy] are ye if ye do them."

(3) The ultimate happiness for the Christian is the return of Christ—Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed [markarios, happy] hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"

* We first learned that poverty of spirit, or humility, is the first characteristic of the true believer.

* Last week, we faced a true riddle, “blessed are they that mourn,” or “happy are the sad.”

** Now, the world really thinks this is a stupid idea

** The world will say, “Happy are the sad? What are you Christians smoking?” “What kind of drug are you Christians on to believe such a thing?”

** We found last week that the sorrow of the world is death, the sorrow of the world is meaningless, but that Godly sorrow over sin leads to salvation and leads to all comforts, now and later.

* Today, we find another upside-down statement: Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

* There are six things about this beatitude that we must see:

** What the world thinks about meekness—because we must know how the lost world thinks about this word.

** What meekness is NOT

** What meekness IS

** Biblical Examples of meekness

** How to achieve true meekness

** The reward of meekness

The Message: Christian Meekness is power under the control of God and His Word, and it is a character trait expected of every Christian.

1. What the world thinks about meekness— Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

a. How the world defines meek.

(1) Weak

(2) Gentle and nothing but gentle

(3) Naturally withdrawn

b. The Proud Pagan or atheist laughs at the concept of meekness

(1) Pagan religion is about power, especially power over others and over circumstances, but never about power over sin.

(2) Pagan philosophy makes man the center of everything.

(3) Pagan science makes all life to be an accident of “nature,” and it laughs at Christian faith.

(4) Pagan military and political might—the pagan nations strut and parade their power as if they were something.

(5) Pagan sexuality—

(a) Proud of sin

(b) Proud of perversion

(c) Proud of whatever they are, without regard for any moral code.

(d) Laughing at morality

(6) Pagan law—just about anything goes except the idea that there is One True God.

c. The Proud Jew and meekness:

Jesus’ audience knew how to act spiritually proud and spiritually self-sufficient. They were proficient in erecting a pious facade. The actually believed that the Messiah was coming soon and would commend them for their goodness.[1]

(1) Their recent history—they were a conquered people

(2) Their arrogance was misplaced:

John 8:31-33 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?"

(3) They had a desire for a military Messiah and for worldly domination of their enemies.

(4) They wanted to defeat the pagan world using the pagan world’s ways; they were not interested in winning the pagan world.

d. So, in light of all this, what is the world’s view of Christ and the Gospel?

(1) 1 Cor 1:17-24

(2) Pagans (then and now) think that The Faith is foolish

(3) Religious people who are not saved (Jews and others, including professing Christians) see The Faith as a stumbling block.

2. Meekness— Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

Christian Meekness is power under the control of God and His Word, and it is a character trait expected of every Christian.

a. What meekness is NOT

(1) Meekness is not weakness

* The supreme example of every spiritual grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He was far from weak.

(2) Meekness is not total passivity

(a) Christ cleared the temple twice, once at the start of His ministry, once at the end

(b) Christ was not passive in His teaching

(c) Christ was not passive in His denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees

(d) Paul was never passive in his preaching, and he publicly denounced Peter, and wrote about it later.

(e) Christ knocked down a crowd of ruffians with a word in John 18.

(f) In the book of Revelation, the two witnesses keep a world in check by their powerful witness and ability to call fire down from heaven.

(3) Meekness is not cowardice

(a) Stephen was no coward when he faced down that ugly mob.

(b) Christ stood in the face of the false religionists time and time again and resisted them.

(4) Meekness is not failing to defend the flock

Acts 20:28-31 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."

b. What meekness IS— Christian Meekness is power under the control of God and His Word.

(1) The word meaning—the word means “humble, gentle, a servant-like attitude.

Mat 11:28-29 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."


(2) Some Biblical references

Num 12:3 "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)"

Psa 25:9 "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."

Eph 4:1-2 "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"

Col 3:12 "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;"

3. Some examples of Meekness

a. Moses—Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)"

(1) Moses faced down Pharaoh

(2) Moses led millions through the wilderness

(3) Moses smashed the tablets and opposed those who rebelled against God and His authority.

(4) But Moses knew the Source of his power and authority was God and God alone.

(a) See Moses at the Bush:

(b) Moses keeps coming up with excuses, because by this time in his life, he is a broken man, and doesn’t feel like he can do anything!

Exo 3:11 "And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

Exo 3:13 "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?"

Exo 4:1 "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee."

Exo 4:10-14 "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart."

(c) God equipped Moses, and Moses knew that all of his power was from the Lord and Him alone.

(5) Moses was angry and he acted when God’s people were attacked or when God’s authority was challenged, but he retained the quality of meekness; according to the Bible, he was the meekest of men, and that is because he found his strength all and only in the Lord.

b. David

(1) David wrought great victories

(2) David overcame great adversity, even his own great sin.

(3) Yet David depended wholly upon God for his victories, and refused to kill King Saul when it would have been easy to do so.

(4) The great failures in David’s life came when he got his eyes off of God and when he became self-confident.

c. Paul

(1) Paul faced down opposition from the Jewish leaders, and boldly proclaimed the Gospel in front of howling mobs.

(2) Paul defended the faith in front of governors and kings, and before the assembled great minds of his day in Acts 17.

(3) Paul denounced Peter openly, in a crowd, face to face.

(4) Paul wrote to the Corinthians to put an openly rebellious man out of their church

(5) Paul, in 2 Cor, got downright sarcastic about the false teachers in Corinth

(6) Paul said very straightforward, even unkind things about those who opposed the Truth—he named names and wrote scathing comments.

(7) There was a party of false teachers called the circumcision—they wanted to put Christians back under the Law, and Paul suggested that instead of circumcision, the members of the circumcision party should have a more radical operation performed!

Gal 5:12 "I would they were even cut off which trouble you."

* Meekness is not weakness!

* Meekness is not rolling over!

(8) But Paul found his strength in God, and God worked despite great weaknesses in Paul’s life— 2 Cor 12:9-10 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

Christian Meekness is power under the control of God and His Word, and it is a character trait expected of every Christian.

d. The supreme Example of meekness—The Lord Jesus Christ

(1) He was mild when it was needed

(2) He could and did express anger when it was called for.

(3) He had all the power in the universe

(4) He used His great power only and always for what God wanted.

(a) He had used His power to protect Himself, when His hour had not yet come.

John 8:59 "Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

Luke 4:29-30 "And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,"

(b) Even on the night He was arrested, He demonstrated His power—John 18:4-6

(5) Christ sweat drops of blood in the garden the night before He took your sin and mine upon His shoulders.

(6) The creator of the universe held His Own Power, hid His Own Power, restrained His Own Power, and submitted to the cross, because that was the will of His Father.

4. How to achieve True Meekness— Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

a. The key—the beatitudes occur in order

(1) The first step in becoming meek is being poor in spirit— Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

(2) The Second step in becoming meek is mourning over sin— Mat 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

(3) When a man has realized that he is nothing without Christ, when he realizes his spiritual poverty, and when he realizes the ugliness of his sin and comes to Christ for salvation, what that man will have is the beginning of a realistic self-image.

Christian Meekness is power under the control of God and His Word, and it is a character trait expected of every Christian.

b. There is a progression in this grace of meekness, of a true self-image which results in meekness—

(1) *** 2 Pet 1:1-11

(2) *** Phil 2:1-5

(3) We all start at different places, and each of us has different needs

(a) You may be withdrawn, shy, reluctant to step forward. For you to grow in Biblical meekness, you need to step up, get involved, take stands.

(b) Another, like myself, is more naturally assertive, through upbringing, personality, training. My challenge is for those qualities to be under the control of the Spirit.


5. The Reward of Meekness: everything— Mat 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

a. “Inherit” in the original means “to receive your allotted portion.”

(1) Recall the allotted portion of man—all things

Gen 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”


(2) Who is exercising dominion over the earth now?

(a) Satan is the prince of this rebellious portion of the kingdom

John 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

John 14:30 "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."

2 Cor 4:4 "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Eph 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

(b) God is still in charge, for Providence overrides all, and Satan has to ask permission of God for his dirty deeds. God is accomplishing His purposes on this earth, in spite of its rebellion against Him.

(c) Satan is a roaring lion, but he is a lion on a leash.

(d) God allows Satan to attack us for these reasons:

(i) To keep us from being proud

2 Cor 12:7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

(ii) To teach us eternal things

Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

(iii) To humble us, to Purge us from sin and self

Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

(iv) To move us in the direction God wants us to go.

Acts 8:1 ”… And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they ere all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles…. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”


(3) Who will exercise dominion When Christ returns?

(a) Christ will receive the dominion

Rev 11:15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."

(b) Christ will give that dominion to His people, who are His stewards.

Mat 25:23 "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

(c) We shall inherit the New Earth!

b. See how the promises of the three beatitudes link up so far:

(1) The poor receive the kingdom

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

(2) The Mournful are made joyous

4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.


(3) The meek are made powerful

5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."


c. In other words, those who are truly saved will truly inherit all things!

Applications

1. Has the Devil been attacking you? Come to God to learn and to be healed.

2. Do you have this grace of meekness in your life?

3. Do you want to inherit all things? Come to Christ for salvation.


[1] John MacArthur, Commentary on Matthew, page 167.