Meekness: Strength Under Control in Christ

 

Summary

In our exploration of the Beatitudes, we delve into the profound statement of Jesus: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). This teaching challenges our preconceived notions of meekness, often associated with weakness or passivity. Instead, meekness is a powerful spiritual discipline that requires strength and grace, achievable only through the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.

Meekness is not about being weak or mild; it is about strength under control. It involves the taming of our natural, wild inclinations, much like breaking in a wild horse. This process brings our souls under the management of God's hand, calming our tempers, subduing our assertive selves, and bringing order to the chaos within us. Meekness is about submitting to God's word, will, and people, allowing His peace to reign in our hearts and lives.

The journey to understanding meekness began with insights from Matthew Henry, who described meekness as being "used to the hand," akin to a wild animal being tamed. This imagery helps us grasp the essence of meekness as a transformative process that aligns our will with God's. It is about submitting our mission to God's mission, allowing His purposes to shape and direct our lives.

Meekness manifests in our relationships with others, as seen in the examples of Moses, David, Paul, and ultimately, Jesus. Moses, despite facing opposition and ingratitude, prayed for those who wronged him. David, when provoked by Shimei, chose restraint over retaliation. Paul, when disappointed by the absence of support, responded with forgiveness. Jesus, in His ultimate act of meekness, forgave those who crucified Him, demonstrating the power of meekness to transform and heal.

As we pursue meekness, we find deliverance from pride, harshness, anger, vengeance, and ambition. It brings us peace, contentment, and a deeper relationship with God and others. Meekness is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the strength and grace of Christ within us. It is a beautiful and powerful attribute that we should seek to cultivate in our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control, requiring the Holy Spirit's work in our lives to tame our natural inclinations and bring our souls under God's management. [03:41]

- Submitting to God's word, will, and people is central to meekness, allowing His peace to reign in our hearts and lives, transforming chaos into order. [18:08]

- Biblical examples of meekness, such as Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, illustrate how meekness involves responding to opposition, provocation, disappointment, and injury with grace and forgiveness. [32:10]

- Meekness delivers us from pride, harshness, anger, vengeance, and ambition, bringing peace, contentment, and a deeper relationship with God and others. [14:00]

- Pursuing meekness is a high calling, requiring us to submit our mission to God's mission, allowing His purposes to shape and direct our lives, leading to the inheritance of the earth. [17:17]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:18] - Introduction to the Beatitudes
- [00:49] - Understanding Meekness
- [02:36] - The Blessing of Meekness
- [03:41] - Meekness: Strength Under Control
- [05:12] - The Taming of the Temper
- [07:34] - Meekness in Everyday Life
- [09:23] - The Peace of Meekness
- [12:10] - The Power of Meekness
- [14:35] - Pursuing Meekness
- [16:15] - Submission and Meekness
- [18:08] - Submitting to God's Word and Will
- [21:55] - Receiving God's Word with Meekness
- [23:47] - Meekness in Difficult Circumstances
- [32:10] - Biblical Examples of Meekness
- [44:29] - Conclusion and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Beatitudes - Meekness

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 5:5 - "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
- Numbers 12:3 - "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."
- 2 Timothy 4:16 - "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them."

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the sermon redefine the common perception of meekness from weakness to "strength under control"? [03:41]

2. What examples from the Bible were used in the sermon to illustrate meekness, and how did these individuals demonstrate this trait? [32:10]

3. According to the sermon, what role does the Holy Spirit play in cultivating meekness in a believer's life? [03:56]

4. How does the imagery of a wild animal being tamed relate to the concept of meekness as described in the sermon? [05:12]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that meekness can transform personal relationships and interactions with others? [11:34]

2. How does the sermon explain the connection between meekness and submission to God's word, will, and people? [18:08]

3. What does the sermon imply about the challenges and rewards of pursuing meekness in one's life? [14:35]

4. How does the sermon use the example of Jesus' response to His crucifixion to illustrate the ultimate expression of meekness? [41:18]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt provoked or opposed. How might you have responded differently if you had approached it with meekness? [36:05]

2. Consider the areas of your life where you resist God's hand. What steps can you take to submit more fully to His will and experience the peace that comes with meekness? [25:32]

3. Identify a relationship in your life where there is tension or conflict. How can you apply the principles of meekness to bring healing and reconciliation? [11:34]

4. Think about a time when you were disappointed by others. How can you practice forgiveness and let go of resentment, following the example of Paul? [40:58]

5. In what ways can you cultivate a spirit of meekness in your daily interactions, especially in situations where you feel the urge to assert your own way? [07:14]

6. How can you actively submit your personal ambitions and desires to align with God's mission for your life? What practical steps can you take this week to do so? [16:47]

7. Reflect on the sermon’s call to be part of a committed community. How can you engage more deeply with your church or small group to grow in meekness through relationships? [29:07]

Devotional

Day 1: Meekness as Strength Under Control
Meekness is often misunderstood as weakness or passivity, but it is actually a profound strength under control. It involves the taming of our natural inclinations and bringing our souls under God's management. This spiritual discipline requires the Holy Spirit's work in our lives to calm our tempers, subdue our assertive selves, and bring order to the chaos within us. By submitting to God's word, will, and people, we allow His peace to reign in our hearts and lives, transforming chaos into order. [03:41]

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." (Proverbs 14:29, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to exercise strength under control? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you in these areas today?


Day 2: Submission to God's Will
Submitting to God's word, will, and people is central to meekness. It allows His peace to reign in our hearts and lives, transforming chaos into order. This submission is not about losing our identity but aligning our mission with God's mission. It involves allowing His purposes to shape and direct our lives, leading to a deeper relationship with Him and others. By embracing meekness, we find deliverance from pride, harshness, anger, vengeance, and ambition. [18:08]

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to submit to God's will? What steps can you take today to align your mission with His?


Day 3: Responding with Grace and Forgiveness
Biblical examples of meekness, such as Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, illustrate how meekness involves responding to opposition, provocation, disappointment, and injury with grace and forgiveness. Moses prayed for those who wronged him, David chose restraint over retaliation, Paul responded with forgiveness, and Jesus forgave those who crucified Him. These examples show the transformative power of meekness to heal and restore relationships. [32:10]

"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all." (Romans 12:17, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you were wronged. How can you respond with grace and forgiveness, following the examples of biblical figures?


Day 4: Deliverance from Pride and Ambition
Meekness delivers us from pride, harshness, anger, vengeance, and ambition. It brings peace, contentment, and a deeper relationship with God and others. By pursuing meekness, we find freedom from the destructive forces of pride and ambition, allowing us to experience the strength and grace of Christ within us. This pursuit is a high calling that requires us to submit our mission to God's mission, leading to the inheritance of the earth. [14:00]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways do pride and ambition manifest in your life? How can you actively seek deliverance from these through meekness today?


Day 5: Pursuing the Inheritance of the Earth
Pursuing meekness is a high calling that requires us to submit our mission to God's mission. By allowing His purposes to shape and direct our lives, we are promised the inheritance of the earth. This pursuit involves a transformative process that aligns our will with God's, leading to peace, contentment, and a deeper relationship with Him and others. Meekness is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the strength and grace of Christ within us. [17:17]

"But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace." (Psalm 37:11, ESV)

Reflection: What does it mean for you to pursue the inheritance of the earth through meekness? How can you begin this pursuit in your daily life?

Quotes


I want you to see uh today that far from being weakness uh what Jesus Christ is calling us to here is one of the toughest things in all of the world indeed something that is only possible by the grace and the presence of the holy spirit in the life of a Believer. [00:03:38]

Meekness is the means by which God is going to tame the distempers that are in the Fallen Soul uh bring it to hand uh subdue its wildness a and place this troubled heart under a proper management, used to the hand. [00:06:36]

Meekness then is about The Taming of the temper it is about the subduing of the assertive self it is about the calming of the passions it is about the managing of the impulses of your heart and of your life bringing order out of the chaos that otherwise exists in a human Soul. [00:07:02]

Meekness calms The Temper it subdues the soul it it it it calms the passion it it brings order out of the chaos and the turmoil that otherwise is going to tear us apart through the course of the day and is going to spill out into uh in destructive ways into the lives of other people who are around us. [00:11:40]

To be meek is to be humble it is to be gentle it is to be patient it is to be forgiving it is to be contented and what that means is Deliverance is the way it it it meekness is the way in which God delivers us from pride and from harshness and from anger and from Vengeance and from ambition. [00:14:00]

Grow in meekness, friend, and you will gain control over anger meekness will calm your passions you'll drive more easily as you grow in weekness and more safely too it will subdue your impulsiveness meekness is going to change the way that you speak um it will give you control over that harsh word and over that Edge that that is so destructive to relationships. [00:14:58]

Meekness is submitting to God's word it is submitting to God's Will and it is submitting to God's people three parts of it meekness it is a god word and a People word Dimension it it involves submitting to God's word submitting to God's Will and it involves submitting to God's people. [00:18:08]

The evidence that a person really submits to God is simply this in the first place that we believe and we do what God says Jesus said it's the person who hears my word and puts it into practice who is like the one who builds his house upon a rock. [00:18:39]

Meekness grows through the discipline of committed relationships there's no other way for this to happen and this is God's gift to us through the body of Christ uh what happens is that self-directed Christians autonomous Christians individualist Christians miss out on the blessing of meekness that Christ wants to bring into your life. [00:28:59]

Think about meekness when you are opposed and here we're I'm thinking particularly about the the meekness of Moses the Bible says in Numbers Chapter 12 that Moses was very Meek um so it's an astonishing word and statement that is used in relation to to to Moses. [00:32:10]

Moses was not like that he was Meek and so here's what he did he prayed for people who said the most astonishingly scarless things about him and then and take this in he went up a mountain and he said oh God if it was possible I would be happy for you to blot me out of your book in order that they should not be blotted out from your book. [00:34:34]

When he suffered he did not threaten you think of these folks nailing him to the Cross you think of these folks spewing out all their bile standing mocking him while he's there in agony and how with perfect Justice our Lord Jesus Christ could have said from the cross you wait you wait but he moderates his Justice with mercy and instead he says father forgive them they do not know what they are doing. [00:41:23]

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Transcript
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