THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 04
THE BEATITUDES
INTRODUCTION: I HOPE YOU HAVE BEGUNTO NOTICE FROM THE GIRST TWO BEATITUDES THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT TOGETHER, IS THAT LIVING OUT THE SECOND ONE WAS A LITTLE HARDER THAN LIVING OUT THE FIRST ONE.
AS WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN, THE BEATITUDES CAN BE SAID TO BE PROGRESSIVELY MORE DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO PRACTICE. THE FIRST BEATITUDE INVOLVES THE RECOGNITION OF OUR SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY AND THE BLESSING OF BEING POOR IN SPIRIT. THE SECOND BEATITUDE INVOLVES REMORSE OR MOURNING OVER OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF SINFULNESS. IT IS A GODLY SORROW THAT LEADS TO REPENTANCE AND A CHANGED LIFE THAT IS YIELDED TO THE LORD.
THE THIRD BEATITUDE IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE FIRST TWO, BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE ISSUE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS AND HAVING SELF CONTROL.
AGAIN, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, AND WILL KEEP REMINDING YOU – LIVINGOUT THE BEATITUDES IS A TREMENDOUS WITNESS, BUT SHOULD ALSO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT WITHOUT CHRIST, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO
BUT BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A BACKDOOR METHOD TO UNDERSTANDING THE BEATITUDES
THE UNBEATITUDES
WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE BEATITUDES BY LOOKING AT THEM FROM THEIR OPPOSITES. SOME, JESUS IMPLIED, WILL NOT BE BLESSED. THEIR CONDITION COULD BE DESCRIBED IN THIS WAY:
• WRETCHED ARE THE SPIRITUALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HELL.
• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO DENY THE TRAGEDY OF THEIR SINFULNESS, FOR THEY WILL BE TROUBLED.
• WRETCHED ARE THE SELF-CENTERED, FOR THEY WILL BE EMPTY.
• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO CEASELESSLY JUSTIFY THEMSELVES, FOR THEIR EFFORTS WILL BE IN VAIN.
• WRETCHED ARE THE MERCILESS, FOR NO MERCY WILL BE SHOWN TO THEM.
• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WITH IMPURE HEARTS, FOR THEY WILL NOT SEE GOD.
• WRETCHED ARE THOSE WHO REJECT PEACE, FOR THEY WILL EARN THE TITLE “SONS OF SATAN.”
• WRETCHED ARE THE UNCOMMITTED FOR CONVENIENCE’S SAKE, FOR THEIR DESTINATION IS HELL.
MATTHEW 5:5 BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH.
I. REMEMBERING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLESSED
a. A BLESSED PERSON IS ONE WHO IS ESPECIALLY FAVORED BY GOD
i. SO IN A REAL SENSE, THE BLESSING OR FAVOR OF GOD COMES FROM OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS DESIRES FOR US.
ii. REMEMBERING THAT WE CAN ONLY FULFILL HIS DESIRES WHEN WE ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
1. BE HOLY EVEN AS I AM HOLY
b. A BLESSED PERSON IN THIS CONTEXT IS ONE WHO LIVES CONTRARY TO THE WORLD AROUND HIM
c. OUR CONSTITUTION AFFORDS US THE ABILITY TO PURSUE HAPPINESS, JESUS GIVES US THE PATHWAY TO HAPPINESS
II. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE MEEK?
a. THE WORD “MEEKNESS” COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD PRAUS {PRAH-OOCE'} WHICH MEANS “NOT BEING OVERLY IMPRESSED BY A SENSE OF ONE’S SELF-IMPORTANCE, GENTLE, HUMBLE, LOWLINESS, DEFERENCE, CONSIDERATE, MILD, SOFT.”
b. THE WORD IS USED THREE TIMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND IN THE OTHER TWO USES IT IS TRANSLATED, “GENTLE”
i. CONVEYING HUMILITY AND TRUST IN GOD
ii. MEEKNESS IS AN AVENUE WHEREBY GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST
iii. MEEKNESS HAS THE ABILITY TO THEN BLESS OTHERS THROUGH OUR LIVES
iv. MEEKNESS IS NOT A CHARACTERISTIC OF MEN
1. HUMAN NATURE WORKS AGAINST BEING MEEK
2. SIN NATURE WORKS AGAINST BEING MEEK
3. MEEKNESS IS A SUPERNATURAL WORKING OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES
c. MEEKNESS IS NOT WEAKNESS
i. KIND IN HEART AND ACTION
ii. DO NOTHING THAT HARMS OR OFFENDS OTHERS
1. “MEEKNESS GROWS OUT OF THE ASHES OF SELF-LOVE AND THE GRAVE OF PRIDE.”
iii. MEEKNESS IS A QUALITY OF OUR SPIRIT THAT ACCEPTS GOD’S DEALINGS WITH US AS GOOD AND THEREFORE WE DO NOT DISPUTE OR RESIST THEM.
d. MEEKNESS IS NOT SPINELESS
i. JESUS WAS “MEEK AND LOWLY
1. MATTHEW 11:29 TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
ii. MOSES, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES WAS THE MEEKEST OF ALL MEN
1. NUMBERS 12:3 (NOW MOSES WAS A VERY HUMBLE MAN, MORE HUMBLE THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.)
MOSES IS A CASE STUDY IN MEEKNESS – NUMBERS 12:1-10
NUMBERS 12:1–10 MIRIAM AND AARON OPPOSE MOSES
MIRIAM AND AARON BEGAN TO TALK AGAINST MOSES BECAUSE OF HIS CUSHITE WIFE, FOR HE HAD MARRIED A CUSHITE
MOSES HAS REMARRIED AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FIRST WIFE ZIPPORAH HAD DIED. THERE WAS NO INJUNCTION BY GOD AT THIS POINT REGARDING MARRYING SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT A JEW
THE ISSUE WITH THE NEW WIFE WAS, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES ABOUT HER RACE. SEE, SHE WAS BLACK
. 2 “HAS THE LORD SPOKEN ONLY THROUGH MOSES?” THEY ASKED. “HASN’T HE ALSO SPOKEN THROUGH US?” AND THE LORD HEARD THIS.
MIRIAM – THE SISTER OF MOSES AND AARON BEGAN TO CHALLENGE THE AUTHORITY OF MOSES. WHAT IS INTERESTIG IS THAT GOD HEARD THIS.
3 (NOW MOSES WAS A VERY HUMBLE MAN, MORE HUMBLE THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.)
THE MEEKNESS OF MOSES IS GOING TO BE SEEN IN HOW HE REACTS TO THE DISSENTION FROM HIS SISTER AND AARON
4 AT ONCE THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, AARON AND MIRIAM, “COME OUT TO THE TENT OF MEETING, ALL THREE OF YOU.” SO THE THREE OF THEM CAME OUT.
GOD HAD ALL THREE WHO WERE INVOLVED COME OUT AND GEAR WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. CAN I SUGGEST THAT TH MEEKNESS OF MOSES ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP SILENT AND ALLOW GOD TO BLESS HIM.
5 THEN THE LORD CAME DOWN IN A PILLAR OF CLOUD; HE STOOD AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE TENT AND SUMMONED AARON AND MIRIAM. WHEN BOTH OF THEM STEPPED FORWARD, 6 HE SAID, “LISTEN TO MY WORDS:
“WHEN A PROPHET OF THE LORD IS AMONG YOU,
I REVEAL MYSELF TO HIM IN VISIONS,
I SPEAK TO HIM IN DREAMS.
7 BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE OF MY SERVANT MOSES;
HE IS FAITHFUL IN ALL MY HOUSE.
8 WITH HIM I SPEAK FACE TO FACE,
CLEARLY AND NOT IN RIDDLES;
HE SEES THE FORM OF THE LORD.
WHY THEN WERE YOU NOT AFRAID
TO SPEAK AGAINST MY SERVANT MOSES?”
GOD MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT HE HAS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MOSES.
MOSES HEARS PLAINLY WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY
MOSES SEES CLEARLY THE PERSON OF GOD
MOSES IS A FAITHFUL SERVANT
9 THE ANGER OF THE LORD BURNED AGAINST THEM, AND HE LEFT THEM.
10 WHEN THE CLOUD LIFTED FROM ABOVE THE TENT, THERE STOOD MIRIAM—LEPROUS, LIKE SNOW. AARON TURNED TOWARD HER AND SAW THAT SHE HAD LEPROSY;
WHY LEPROSY? I THINK THIS WAS AN APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT FOR THE PREJUDICE IN THE HEART OF MIRIAM. AARON FOR HIS PART SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN GOADED INTO GOING ALONG. WE SEE THIS HAPPENED WHEN MOSES IS ON THE MOUNT GETTING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
MIRIAM DID NOT SEEM TO LIKE THAT THE NEW WIFE OF MOSES WAS BLACK, SO GOD MADE HER WHITE.
SO IT YOU ARE EVER WONDERING WHAT GOD THINGS OF RACISM, HE IS AGAINST IT.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN THIS STORY IS THAT THE MEEKNESS OF MOSES COMES OUT – THE DESIRE TO BLESS OTHERS AS HE HAS BEEN BLESSED BY GOD
NUMBERS 12:13 SO MOSES CRIED OUT TO THE LORD, “O GOD, PLEASE HEAL HER!”
MOSES WAS MEEK IN HIS CONDUCT:
DID NOT FIGHT BACK
SUBMITTED HIMSELF TO GOD
HE WAS VINDICATED BY GOD
iii. AND WE SEE THIS ATTITUDE IN JESUS
1. COMMITTED NO SIN
2. NO DECEIT IN HIM
3. DID NOT RETALIATE
4. NOTHREATS WHEN HE SUFFERED
5. GOD THE SON ENTRUSTED HIMSELF TO GOD THE FATHER
MEEKNESS IS STRENGTH BECAUSE IT AVOIDS DOING WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN FAVOR OF WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO!
III. THE MEEK INHERIT THE EARTH.
a. I WISH THERE WAS SOME GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTH TO BE TOLD HERE, BUT THERE IS NOT
b. WHAT WE DO HAVE HERE IS TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT THIS INHERITANCE
c. THE MEEK INHERIT THE EARTH NOW
i. EMBRACING MEEKNESS ALLOWS US TO BE SATISFIED WITH OUR CONDITION AND THEREFORE CONTENT
ii. PAUL OWNED VERY LITTLE YET SPOKE OF HIMSELF AS POSSESSING EVERYTHING
d. THE MEEK HAVE AN INHERITANCE YET TO BE REALIZED
i. CHRIST PROMISED A FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM
ii. THE PROPHET DANIEL SPOKE OF INHERITING THE EARTH
iii. ISAIAH SPOKE OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH
iv. PAUL SPOKE OF BELIEVERS JUDGING THE WORLD – THE WORLD TO COME
v. JOHN N THE REVELATION SPOKE OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, WITH THE OLD ONE PASSING AWAY
THE KEY TAKE AWAY IN THIS BEATITUDE IS AM I WILLING, BY GOD’S HELP TO DEVELOP THE CHARACTERISTIC OF MEEKNESS IN MY LIFE?
AM I WILLING TO LET GOD INTO THE PART OF MY LIFE THAT IS IN TURMOIL WITH MY SURROUNDINGS AND LET HIM CHANGE ME?
IF I AM WILLING TO DO THIS THEN I WILL DEVELOP THE MEEK SPIRIT MECESSARY TO BE SATISFIED OF GOD’S CONTROL AND THEREFORE CONTENT. I INHERIT THE EARTH NOW BECAUSE I, LKE PAUL POSSESS EVERYTHING I NEED NOW.
AND I CAN WAIT UPON GOD’S TIMING TO INITIATE GOD’S PLAN FOR A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH WHERE I REIGN AND RESIDE WITH CHRIST.
