MEEKNESS IN PRACTICE
On September 11, 2001, the freedom-loving people of the
United States of America were taken down just as dramatically as the towers of
the World Trade Center in New York. This
weekend as we celebrate our freedom and the anniversary of our Declaration of
Independence, memories of that horrifying morning linger near the surface of
our minds reminding us that instead of strong cords of power, it is a delicate
thread of grace that sustains our freedom.
Once-proud citizens who had long held
themselves aloof and apart from the desperate plight of the rest of the world
were knocked off their pedestals of pride and found themselves humbled by the
realization that we are just as vulnerable to the assault of determined enemies
as any other nation. For a time after
the attacks, we lost our arrogance. Our
pride took a direct hit. We were humbled
and knocked to the ground and for the first time the rest of the world
witnessed a people looking up for help, instead of looking down with disdain.
As many of you remember, I was in the
south of India on that tragic morning (nearly midnight there). Having traveled overseas many times, as an
American I have endured a kind of cold—sometimes hostile—resentment, treatment by others who assumed that all
Americans would personify an air of superiority. By their attitudes and actions, they
communicated a clear message: “You are
no better than I am!” And in fact, they
are absolutely right!
But the next morning as we arrived at the
airport to try to make our way back home to the States, we were surprised. Security guards, porters, immigration
officers and passport control officers at the airport all went out of their way
to express their sorrow for our losses as a nation. At first I could not figure out what could
have produced such a dramatic change of attitude. Then it dawned on me…the once-proud people of
our nation had been brought down low. We
were all now on a level playing field with the rest of the world, and they could
genuinely sympathize with another broken people!
The proud had become meek! And meekness stands out head and shoulders
above arrogance! Jesus calls us to
meekness—not the kind that causes us to cower in fear, but a decision to govern
our hearts so that our lives are marked by strength
under God’s control.
THESIS: A meek and
humble spirit are delightful to the heart of God and attractive to the eyes of
man in adorning the name of Jesus Christ with the glory due His name.
As we observed last week, meekness has
been panned as a quality because it has been viewed as a weakness by most
people—unfamiliar with what it should be and unimpressed by what they think it
is. Therefore, even among Christians,
meekness is seldom mentioned as a godly quality we are actively seeking. In order to provoke more meekness in the body
of Christ, today we will explore three observations that should motivate us to
be among those Jesus lauds when He said, “Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
I. WE WILL NOT DESIRE WHAT WE DO NOT VALUE
HIGHLY
--Although
we might be required to invest a lot of time and energy in tasks we do not
enjoy or value, we consider it a pleasure to pour ourselves into doing what we
really want to do.
People who
complain about inconveniences at church, or at work, pay little attention to
those same inconveniences when they are related to what they really desire to
do…things they truly value.
Sports fans will park a mile away,
sit through driving rain, scream till they are hoarse and pay a lot of money to
participate in their chosen past-time. I
got to go to the Masters golf tournament this year and in spite of the pouring
rain, the heavy traffic, the distance I had to drive, I would not have missed
it!
It occurred to me that I should have
that same passion, that same desire, place an even higher value, on spiritual
pursuits. What delights the heart of God
should at the very least move me to invest what it takes to value the same
thing. He delights in meekness,
gentleness, humility—so I should place a similar emphasis on such things in my
own life!
--I
must value meekness, treasure it, in order that I may desire it enough to
pursue it through Christ.
u WE TREASURE MEEKNESS BECAUSE…
A. IT IS LIKE JESUS
Matt. 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek)
and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
--Jesus
is meek…that is what He is like, so if you do not treasure meekness or place
any value in it, that aspect of the life of Christ has little or no value to
you.
--But
if I love Christ, I love everything about Him and treasure each aspect of His
character—even the meekness that sometimes leaves me unimpressed, or even
indifferent.
--If
I want to be like Jesus, I will treasure meekness and desire it and do whatever
it takes to “take His yoke…learn from Him”…and become meek.
B. IT IS FROM JESUS
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
--I
cannot just follow His example and become meek—I have to realize that He gives
it to me and makes it a part of my new life in Him.
--When
He transforms me, as He conforms me to His image, as He shapes me to be like
Him, as part of the package I am made meek like Him.
--It
is available nowhere else and cannot be reproduced or counterfeited by anyone
who has not been made new in Christ.
--The
wisdom that comes from above that becomes mine when He gives me the mind of
Christ produces an attitude in me which is like that which is in Christ.
Phil. 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
--Apart
from Christ, I can only play with meekness, attempt to act meekly—but my heart
and mind cannot keep up the charade if my heart still clings to rights and
longs to show off its power.
Some
preachers, teachers and evangelists today have bought into the idea that the
most effective tool to reach people for Christ is power…demonstrated with
miraculous deeds and accompanied by signs and wonders.
They are partly right…power from on
high is an effective tool, but it is power under control, power in an
understated manner by willingly choosing the low place that ultimately
convinced more people than raw strength in action.
Satan can easily counterfeit
demonstrations of power, but seldom does it make sense for him to impress with
meekness. Meekness comes from Christ and
most beautifully reflects an aspect of His character seldom seen anywhere else.
C. IT IS FOR JESUS
1 Pet. 3:3-4 Let not your adornment be
merely external…but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
imperishable quality of a gentle (meek) and quiet spirit, which is precious in
the sight of God.
--We
should treasure meekness because it is a quality reproduced by Him in our lives
for His own pleasure and delight.
--While
others seek to impress with greatness, God calls on us to adorn our lives with
something that is precious in His sight—“the imperishable quality of a gentle
and quiet spirit.”
--Displays
of greatness and demonstrations of power may impress human beings, but God is
looking for something far different, an adornment that stands out in His eyes
as especially precious…the meekness of Christ!
--We
may be tempted to show off our greatness for others, to revel in our ability in
our own eyes, but God is looking at the heart and wants to see something there
that is exclusively for Him—something precious and treasured by Him…a gentle
and quiet spirit!
--If
you desire more power and strength, more demonstrations of an outward nature,
that is an indication of what you value.
--God
wants you to treasure and value meekness so that you will desire in yourself
what He desires for you.
II. WE WILL NOT
MASTER WHAT WE DO NOT SEEK DILIGENTLY
--Matthew
Henry offers instruction on this point when he writes…
”We must seek meekness…put on meekness…follow after meekness…show all meekness
unto all men…We must study to be quiet…To study the art of quietness is to take
pains with ourselves, to work upon our own hearts the principles, rules and
laws of meekness…(and) labor to be actuated by an even spirit under all the
unevenesses of Providence.” (Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible)
--Therefore,
to master God’s calling to meekness, we must…
A. SEEK IT
Zeph. 2:3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he
commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on
the day of the LORD’s anger.
--If
you do not have it and want it, you must seek it and do what He commands so
that you might find what is missing in your life.
Prov. 2:2-5 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to
understanding, 3 and if you
call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for
silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the
fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
--If
we believe that hidden treasure awaits us, is there any doubt that we would
seek it, look for it diligently, go after it with everything we’ve got?
B. PUT IT ON
Col. 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
--Once
we find it, we do not put it on a shelf somewhere to be preserved in the
inventory of untouched reserves, saving it for a rainy day when we really need
it.
--Even
though it is to be clothed in our best garments, we are still told to put them
on and wear them all the time!
--We
should never be out of uniform once we have been identified as those who belong
to Christ.
--Therefore,
moment by moment, we are to make sure that meekness
adorns us as is fitting for those who walk with Christ for His glory in a
world looking for something or someone authentic.
--Meekness
cannot be just an ideology, but must be a practical reality in the way we are
and the way we act.
C. SHOW IT
Titus 3:2 to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every
consideration (all meekness) for all men.
--Once
we have clothed ourselves in meekness, we are to take every opportunity to show
all meekness to all men everywhere in every consideration.
--Meekness
must be shown to those we consider our superiors…shown to those we consider
under us…those we see as peers…in fact, to all!
--The
only way to show it is to put it into practice by taking the low place,
choosing the less obvious place of service, assuming the role of meekness
instead of playing the part of the arrogant and demanding.
--Ironically,
when we are most meek, we are probably least aware of it, least concerned with trying to show it, but simply
functioning in a way that has become normal for us as followers of Christ.
D. PURSUE IT
1 Tim. 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
--Seeking
meekness until we find it matches God’s design for us, but then He raises the
bar and exhorts us to pursue it as if we feared that it might get away from us
once we have located it.
--We
seek it until we know where it is, and then we pursue it wherever it takes us,
following hard after Christ in hot pursuit of all that He holds out for us to
claim in His name.
--Seeking
and pursuing are much alike but when we pursue meekness, there seems to be a
greater intensity, a higher expenditure of effort and energy—especially in this
context when we are told to flee from ungodly things and run after what a man
or woman of God should pursue in Christ.
E. BE AMBITIOUS FOR IT
1 Th. 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to
your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you;
--As
we discovered in the studies on contentment, ambition can be directed toward
something good.
--Here
Paul instructs believers to develop an ambition for a quiet life, a meekness
that satisfies and brings contentment and peace without having to create a fuss
or make a big deal about everything.
--God
is looking for folks who can take the low place and lead quiet lives with holy
dignity and thus bear a unique testimony to meekness in action speak of God’s
power under control.
--When
did you last include in your list of life’s ambitions to become meek like
Christ?
III. WE WILL NOT
PRACTICE WHAT WE DO NOT INTERNALIZE PERSONALLY
Standard
Truth: “We do what we do because we are what we are.”
--As
we have already noted, acting meekly soon wears thin if we are not genuinely
meek in our hearts.
A. ACTING IN A
MEEK MANNER DOES NOT GUARANTEE A MEEK HEART.
--People
can fake meekness for a while by doing the right things but motivated by the
wrong desires.
--We
know what that is like! Taking the role
of a servant, choosing the low place, deciding to play the part of a meek man
or woman—but when no one notices and we realize that we are not getting any
‘extra credit’ for our effort, our true “non-meek” side eventually comes
roaring back!
--Yes,
it is good to do the right thing, but can you sustain it if your heart is
motivated by less noble things? Your
true colors will come through under pressure, or over time!
B. CULTIVATING A
MEEK HEART DOES GUARANTEE A MEEK MANNER.
--We
are not called to ‘act’ meekly but to become meek.
--When
our hearts have become meek, the practice of meekness will unfold in such a way
that we will hardly notice—but it will be precious in the sight of God and a
treasure to Christ.
--A
meek heart produces meek behavior…Acting with humility only continues when our
hearts have been humbled and our attitude has become like Christ’s.
Frankly, we all know ourselves well enough to understand
that we should be humble…we have so much to be humble about! As a nation, we were humbled deeply for a
short while by the events of 9/11 but that brief humiliation did not result in
true meekness…only a resolve never to be humbled by someone else again!
The world is not impressed for very long
with raw power and brute strength. But
they do respond well when confronted with genuine meekness…godly strength under
God’s control!
God calls us to meekness and is willing to
do what He must to produce that quality in us.
It begins when we die…when are crucified with Christ.
Jesus told us that the meek are
blessed…that the humble shall be exalted…the those who die live…that when we
are weak we are strong.
Everything in our world drives us away
from meekness, but we keep hearing the voice of Christ calling us to it. To which voice will we listen? The ones who follow Christ and do His will
can count on His promises to satisfy them with life that is worth living and
filled with good things from His house.
· To desire meekness we must
treasure it.
· To master meekness we must pursue
it.
· To practice meekness we must
internalize it.
To this Jesus Christ calls us and promises
to give freely to all who will come to Him and find the joy of living out the
blessings of meekness in His name.
July 3, 2005
Providence Baptist Church
© David Horner 2005
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