1
00:00:00,756 --> 00:00:00,916
Amen.

2
00:00:01,792 --> 00:00:02,748
Well, good morning church.

3
00:00:03,385 --> 00:00:05,695
It's good to see you all today. If

4
00:00:05,695 --> 00:00:06,651
you have your bibles,

5
00:00:07,129 --> 00:00:08,961
you wanna take that out and turn to...

6
00:00:09,852 --> 00:00:12,798
Matthew chapter 5. That's where we'll be at

7
00:00:12,798 --> 00:00:13,833
in just a few moments.

8
00:00:14,948 --> 00:00:16,938
If you have your program and you're a

9
00:00:16,938 --> 00:00:18,788
note taking per and there's an outline in

10
00:00:18,788 --> 00:00:20,386
there. You can take that out. If you'd

11
00:00:20,386 --> 00:00:22,883
like to take some notes as we

12
00:00:23,261 --> 00:00:23,661
continue.

13
00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:26,647
Our series on the beat

14
00:00:27,102 --> 00:00:27,840
from Matthew

15
00:00:28,375 --> 00:00:29,489
chapter 5.

16
00:00:30,603 --> 00:00:31,899
Well, Nicole

17
00:00:32,606 --> 00:00:33,106
Machiavelli

18
00:00:33,798 --> 00:00:34,990
was a renaissance,

19
00:00:35,864 --> 00:00:36,364
philosopher,

20
00:00:37,532 --> 00:00:38,724
politician, a writer,

21
00:00:39,534 --> 00:00:41,630
His writings greatly influenced

22
00:00:42,008 --> 00:00:42,508
modern

23
00:00:42,966 --> 00:00:44,004
political science.

24
00:00:44,882 --> 00:00:45,382
Machiavelli

25
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,697
believed that to be effective,

26
00:00:48,647 --> 00:00:49,625
political leaders

27
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:51,615
needed to be ruthless

28
00:00:52,309 --> 00:00:53,525
and tyra,

29
00:00:54,697 --> 00:00:55,197
not

30
00:00:55,652 --> 00:00:57,179
empathetic, and just.

31
00:00:57,895 --> 00:00:59,883
He wrote a book entitled the prince, and

32
00:00:59,883 --> 00:01:02,849
it is a short manual of advice

33
00:01:03,399 --> 00:01:06,595
for the princes of his day on how

34
00:01:06,595 --> 00:01:08,831
to not finish last.

35
00:01:09,790 --> 00:01:12,284
And the ant answer was never to be

36
00:01:12,284 --> 00:01:15,105
overly devoted to acting nicely

37
00:01:16,125 --> 00:01:16,625
or

38
00:01:17,084 --> 00:01:20,288
anything like that. But to know how to

39
00:01:20,288 --> 00:01:23,628
borrow every single trick employed by the most

40
00:01:23,628 --> 00:01:24,128
das

41
00:01:24,741 --> 00:01:25,479
and un

42
00:01:25,854 --> 00:01:28,081
and nasty people ever to have lived.

43
00:01:29,129 --> 00:01:34,162
Now until Machiavelli writings, most philosophers of politics

44
00:01:34,537 --> 00:01:37,900
had to defined a good leader as humble

45
00:01:38,528 --> 00:01:39,346
and moral

46
00:01:39,799 --> 00:01:40,514
and honest.

47
00:01:41,468 --> 00:01:42,365
But Machiavelli

48
00:01:42,739 --> 00:01:45,600
writing shed that notion. Notion. In fact, he

49
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,133
said frankly, it is better

50
00:01:47,603 --> 00:01:48,741
to be feared

51
00:01:49,197 --> 00:01:50,016
than loved,

52
00:01:50,631 --> 00:01:52,146
you cannot have both.

53
00:01:53,261 --> 00:01:54,000
Well Machiavelli

54
00:01:54,377 --> 00:01:54,776
knew,

55
00:01:55,347 --> 00:01:56,800
where this counter

56
00:01:58,204 --> 00:01:58,704
obsession

57
00:01:59,077 --> 00:02:00,450
of acting nicely

58
00:02:01,458 --> 00:02:02,093
originated from.

59
00:02:02,966 --> 00:02:03,704
The west

60
00:02:04,409 --> 00:02:06,789
was brought up on the Christian story of

61
00:02:06,948 --> 00:02:08,400
Jesus of Nazareth.

62
00:02:09,090 --> 00:02:10,915
He was a very nice man.

63
00:02:11,249 --> 00:02:11,988
From Galilee,

64
00:02:12,444 --> 00:02:14,675
who always treated people well.

65
00:02:15,631 --> 00:02:16,450
But Machiavelli

66
00:02:16,826 --> 00:02:20,513
pointed out an inconvenient detail to that sentimental

67
00:02:21,144 --> 00:02:24,279
tale of triumph, the triumph of goodness through

68
00:02:24,417 --> 00:02:25,535
through humility.

69
00:02:26,094 --> 00:02:27,073
From a practical

70
00:02:27,930 --> 00:02:28,430
perspective,

71
00:02:28,968 --> 00:02:30,586
Jesus life was

72
00:02:31,139 --> 00:02:32,517
an outright disaster.

73
00:02:33,374 --> 00:02:37,526
This gentle soul was tram to bond and

74
00:02:37,526 --> 00:02:40,615
humiliated and disregard and mocked

75
00:02:41,055 --> 00:02:42,275
and eventually murdered,

76
00:02:43,215 --> 00:02:45,215
judged in his lifetime.

77
00:02:46,094 --> 00:02:48,175
And outside of any divine assistance,

78
00:02:48,495 --> 00:02:48,995
Jesus

79
00:02:49,868 --> 00:02:51,877
could be considered 1 of history's

80
00:02:52,568 --> 00:02:53,703
greatest losers.

81
00:02:55,426 --> 00:02:56,879
But what Machiavelli

82
00:02:57,253 --> 00:03:00,449
and so many others who have as scribe

83
00:03:00,449 --> 00:03:01,268
to various

84
00:03:01,802 --> 00:03:04,211
versions of his philosophy through the centuries,

85
00:03:04,587 --> 00:03:06,757
what they failed to take into account

86
00:03:07,626 --> 00:03:10,039
is that the gentle lamb

87
00:03:11,053 --> 00:03:11,553
became

88
00:03:12,089 --> 00:03:12,727
a lion.

89
00:03:13,922 --> 00:03:15,947
We know that after the seeming

90
00:03:16,318 --> 00:03:19,038
defeat of the cross, our resurrected Lord

91
00:03:19,409 --> 00:03:21,549
defeated death itself and 1 day,

92
00:03:22,278 --> 00:03:24,903
He will return in great power and glory

93
00:03:24,903 --> 00:03:26,256
to reign over a new heaven.

94
00:03:26,972 --> 00:03:27,687
The new earth.

95
00:03:28,562 --> 00:03:30,831
He was exalted by the father

96
00:03:31,289 --> 00:03:31,789
specifically

97
00:03:32,805 --> 00:03:36,019
because of his willingness to humble

98
00:03:36,556 --> 00:03:36,875
himself.

99
00:03:37,607 --> 00:03:40,096
To take on the form of a servant

100
00:03:40,153 --> 00:03:42,323
to operate and model

101
00:03:42,857 --> 00:03:43,892
a lifestyle,

102
00:03:45,020 --> 00:03:46,316
of meekness.

103
00:03:47,566 --> 00:03:50,669
Well, today, we are entering into the third

104
00:03:50,669 --> 00:03:52,897
message in our series that we've called a

105
00:03:52,897 --> 00:03:53,349
life

106
00:03:53,707 --> 00:03:56,809
that flourish is. And in this series, we

107
00:03:56,809 --> 00:03:57,547
are focusing

108
00:03:58,081 --> 00:03:59,694
on Jesus opening

109
00:04:00,148 --> 00:04:02,773
to his most famous teaching the sermon on

110
00:04:02,773 --> 00:04:03,170
the mount.

111
00:04:03,821 --> 00:04:07,955
And these opening statements have been called the

112
00:04:07,955 --> 00:04:08,455
beat

113
00:04:09,306 --> 00:04:11,055
or the beautiful sayings.

114
00:04:11,870 --> 00:04:13,169
And these radical

115
00:04:13,469 --> 00:04:15,010
and shocking statements

116
00:04:15,870 --> 00:04:16,269
probe,

117
00:04:16,670 --> 00:04:18,850
the moral and the ethical and the

118
00:04:19,230 --> 00:04:20,209
spiritual guidelines,

119
00:04:21,163 --> 00:04:21,663
governing

120
00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,274
all of God's people.

121
00:04:25,231 --> 00:04:28,682
When kingdom citizens follow these guidelines,

122
00:04:29,458 --> 00:04:30,596
Jesus promised

123
00:04:30,909 --> 00:04:33,300
it would produce blessed ness,

124
00:04:33,858 --> 00:04:36,350
which we've learned is a deep down,

125
00:04:37,205 --> 00:04:38,481
abiding joy.

126
00:04:39,293 --> 00:04:40,989
Not based on the circumstances

127
00:04:41,766 --> 00:04:44,318
or current events of the world, but on

128
00:04:44,318 --> 00:04:45,057
the truth

129
00:04:45,754 --> 00:04:48,465
of god's grace and saving power.

130
00:04:49,039 --> 00:04:51,055
And when we understand that we

131
00:04:51,512 --> 00:04:53,209
begin to live a life

132
00:04:53,586 --> 00:04:54,485
that truly

133
00:04:54,942 --> 00:04:55,442
flourish.

134
00:04:56,473 --> 00:04:59,045
Well, today we are coming into the third

135
00:04:59,103 --> 00:04:59,820
beat attitude.

136
00:05:00,537 --> 00:05:02,211
Blessed are the meek.

137
00:05:02,849 --> 00:05:06,318
And before we explore this astonishing and puzzling

138
00:05:06,457 --> 00:05:06,936
statement.

139
00:05:07,416 --> 00:05:10,393
I'd like to read together again the entirety

140
00:05:10,932 --> 00:05:13,823
of Jesus beat attitudes from Matthew cha after

141
00:05:13,823 --> 00:05:16,930
5 versus 1 through tip 12. We've been

142
00:05:16,930 --> 00:05:19,421
reading each week from a different English

143
00:05:19,957 --> 00:05:22,284
translation after of the scriptures just to get

144
00:05:22,284 --> 00:05:26,272
some different angles and views of this deep

145
00:05:26,272 --> 00:05:26,772
and

146
00:05:27,150 --> 00:05:29,223
important teaching. And so today, today, we're reading

147
00:05:29,223 --> 00:05:31,868
from the new King James version, Matthew 5.

148
00:05:32,027 --> 00:05:33,380
1 through 12. The words are on the

149
00:05:33,380 --> 00:05:35,210
screen, let's read this together.

150
00:05:36,643 --> 00:05:38,018
And seeing the multitudes,

151
00:05:38,393 --> 00:05:40,718
Jesus went up on a mountain and when

152
00:05:40,718 --> 00:05:43,433
he was seated, his disciples came to him,

153
00:05:44,071 --> 00:05:46,626
then he opened his mouth and taught them

154
00:05:46,626 --> 00:05:47,025
saying,

155
00:05:47,983 --> 00:05:50,947
Blessed are the poor and spirit. For theirs

156
00:05:50,947 --> 00:05:52,216
is the kingdom of heaven.

157
00:05:53,090 --> 00:05:56,264
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall

158
00:05:56,264 --> 00:05:57,082
be comforted.

159
00:05:58,028 --> 00:06:01,717
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit

160
00:06:01,934 --> 00:06:02,652
the earth.

161
00:06:03,609 --> 00:06:06,654
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst. For

162
00:06:06,654 --> 00:06:07,154
righteousness

163
00:06:07,853 --> 00:06:09,291
for they shall be filled.

164
00:06:10,171 --> 00:06:13,308
Blessed are the mer for they shall obtain

165
00:06:13,367 --> 00:06:13,847
mercy.

166
00:06:14,646 --> 00:06:17,139
Blessed are the pure in heart. For they

167
00:06:17,139 --> 00:06:18,180
shall see God.

168
00:06:19,060 --> 00:06:20,439
Blessed are the peace

169
00:06:21,060 --> 00:06:23,379
for they shall be called sons of God.

170
00:06:24,194 --> 00:06:27,091
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness

171
00:06:27,389 --> 00:06:30,825
sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

172
00:06:31,798 --> 00:06:34,352
Blessed are you when they rev vile and

173
00:06:34,352 --> 00:06:37,406
per you and say all kinds of evil

174
00:06:37,465 --> 00:06:39,860
against you falsely for my sake.

175
00:06:40,990 --> 00:06:43,300
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad.

176
00:06:43,858 --> 00:06:46,349
For great is your reward in heaven

177
00:06:46,805 --> 00:06:49,035
for so they persecuted the prophets.

178
00:06:49,527 --> 00:06:50,959
Who were before you.

179
00:06:51,754 --> 00:06:53,106
Amen? God's word.

180
00:06:54,537 --> 00:06:56,605
And so as we enter into this passage,

181
00:06:56,844 --> 00:06:57,344
Jesus

182
00:06:57,654 --> 00:07:00,931
third the attitude, blessed are the meek

183
00:07:01,383 --> 00:07:03,232
for they will inherit

184
00:07:03,922 --> 00:07:07,449
the earth. Third That statement comes as somewhat

185
00:07:07,449 --> 00:07:08,330
of a surprise.

186
00:07:08,730 --> 00:07:10,350
What is so great

187
00:07:10,730 --> 00:07:11,930
about being meek?

188
00:07:12,810 --> 00:07:13,610
And why?

189
00:07:14,183 --> 00:07:16,091
Do the meek, inherit the earth.

190
00:07:17,045 --> 00:07:19,589
And part of our problem is due to

191
00:07:19,589 --> 00:07:20,089
a

192
00:07:20,464 --> 00:07:23,167
misunderstanding. We hear the word meek,

193
00:07:23,897 --> 00:07:26,517
and we automatically think weak.

194
00:07:27,390 --> 00:07:30,113
And that is because that sixteenth

195
00:07:30,487 --> 00:07:30,987
century,

196
00:07:31,614 --> 00:07:32,114
Machiavelli

197
00:07:32,890 --> 00:07:34,427
philosophy of power

198
00:07:34,804 --> 00:07:38,713
through strength is still ingrained in our 20

199
00:07:38,713 --> 00:07:39,611
first century

200
00:07:40,228 --> 00:07:41,265
American culture.

201
00:07:42,552 --> 00:07:45,095
But when we buy into that thinking, we

202
00:07:45,095 --> 00:07:47,241
could not be more wrong.

203
00:07:48,433 --> 00:07:48,933
Suppose

204
00:07:49,245 --> 00:07:51,345
Let's suppose that the company, the

205
00:07:51,645 --> 00:07:53,805
organization that you work for. If they were

206
00:07:53,805 --> 00:07:56,444
to write a description of the ideal person

207
00:07:56,444 --> 00:07:58,607
to be the next... Manager or the next

208
00:07:58,766 --> 00:07:59,266
Ceo.

209
00:07:59,877 --> 00:08:01,964
Do you think that meekness

210
00:08:02,416 --> 00:08:03,527
would be on the list?

211
00:08:04,574 --> 00:08:07,062
I've never seen a job description that included

212
00:08:07,278 --> 00:08:08,972
meekness as a requirement.

213
00:08:09,824 --> 00:08:11,256
What about in the current?

214
00:08:12,384 --> 00:08:15,327
Presidential election season in which we find ourselves.

215
00:08:15,646 --> 00:08:19,001
Which candidate would garner the most vote with

216
00:08:19,001 --> 00:08:19,638
the slogan.

217
00:08:20,115 --> 00:08:21,228
Vote for me.

218
00:08:21,785 --> 00:08:22,500
I'm meek.

219
00:08:24,886 --> 00:08:26,850
What about if let's say we were

220
00:08:27,208 --> 00:08:29,197
searching for a new preaching minister here at

221
00:08:29,277 --> 00:08:30,232
Garden way Church.

222
00:08:30,789 --> 00:08:33,415
How excited do you think the search committee

223
00:08:33,415 --> 00:08:36,414
would be about a candidate who listed their

224
00:08:36,613 --> 00:08:37,113
primary

225
00:08:38,041 --> 00:08:38,937
leadership quality

226
00:08:39,786 --> 00:08:41,000
as meekness.

227
00:08:42,165 --> 00:08:44,490
You see, we don't really want

228
00:08:44,958 --> 00:08:46,873
a meek person to be our leader.

229
00:08:47,750 --> 00:08:50,005
We want somebody who's dynamic,

230
00:08:51,020 --> 00:08:51,520
powerful,

231
00:08:51,977 --> 00:08:52,456
strong,

232
00:08:52,855 --> 00:08:53,355
authoritative.

233
00:08:55,181 --> 00:08:57,247
And so this morning, I wanna explore together,

234
00:08:57,486 --> 00:08:59,496
Jesus says counter cultural

235
00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:01,142
command and promise,

236
00:09:02,016 --> 00:09:03,152
concerning meekness.

237
00:09:04,177 --> 00:09:06,953
For those who would live in his kingdom.

238
00:09:07,429 --> 00:09:09,119
What is this meekness?

239
00:09:10,047 --> 00:09:10,864
And what

240
00:09:11,570 --> 00:09:12,784
does it require

241
00:09:13,476 --> 00:09:14,032
of us.

242
00:09:15,541 --> 00:09:17,073
And first, we will see

243
00:09:17,447 --> 00:09:18,821
that true meekness

244
00:09:19,765 --> 00:09:20,265
requires

245
00:09:20,798 --> 00:09:21,116
strength.

246
00:09:21,831 --> 00:09:22,331
Meekness

247
00:09:22,943 --> 00:09:23,443
requires

248
00:09:23,976 --> 00:09:24,373
strength.

249
00:09:25,167 --> 00:09:27,494
1 way to define meekness

250
00:09:28,042 --> 00:09:28,542
is

251
00:09:28,917 --> 00:09:30,213
strength under

252
00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:31,065
control.

253
00:09:32,099 --> 00:09:34,247
Strength under control. We get a sense of

254
00:09:34,247 --> 00:09:37,559
this, from the way this word is translated

255
00:09:37,860 --> 00:09:38,360
elsewhere

256
00:09:38,820 --> 00:09:41,700
in the new testament scriptures. For example, in

257
00:09:41,700 --> 00:09:42,980
some English versions,

258
00:09:43,713 --> 00:09:45,884
they use the word gentle

259
00:09:46,338 --> 00:09:49,758
in our passage today, blessed are the gentle.

260
00:09:50,553 --> 00:09:51,508
The the validity of,

261
00:09:52,399 --> 00:09:55,110
validity of that translation is supported by other

262
00:09:55,110 --> 00:09:58,379
bible passages Were the same word appears. For

263
00:09:58,379 --> 00:10:00,850
example, in second Timothy chapter 2,

264
00:10:01,503 --> 00:10:02,003
Paul

265
00:10:02,620 --> 00:10:06,789
identifies meekness or gentleness as an essential quality

266
00:10:07,326 --> 00:10:10,538
of leadership when he writes the lord's servant

267
00:10:10,596 --> 00:10:11,648
must not quarrel.

268
00:10:12,445 --> 00:10:15,633
Instead, he must be kind to everyone, able

269
00:10:15,633 --> 00:10:16,372
to teach

270
00:10:17,068 --> 00:10:20,587
and not resent full. Those who oppose him

271
00:10:20,587 --> 00:10:21,326
he must

272
00:10:21,939 --> 00:10:22,439
gently

273
00:10:23,131 --> 00:10:23,631
meek

274
00:10:24,244 --> 00:10:24,641
instruct.

275
00:10:25,118 --> 00:10:28,083
In the hope that God will grant them

276
00:10:28,298 --> 00:10:28,798
repentance

277
00:10:29,348 --> 00:10:31,044
leading to a knowledge

278
00:10:31,661 --> 00:10:32,857
of the truth.

279
00:10:33,654 --> 00:10:34,792
You see meekness

280
00:10:35,329 --> 00:10:37,880
does require strength. In fact,

281
00:10:38,373 --> 00:10:41,653
to be meek in the sense that Jesus

282
00:10:41,948 --> 00:10:46,658
describes here in Matthew 5 really requires supernatural

283
00:10:47,429 --> 00:10:47,929
strength

284
00:10:48,558 --> 00:10:51,193
It is a quality that is produced by

285
00:10:51,193 --> 00:10:51,693
god

286
00:10:52,311 --> 00:10:55,185
in the believer life. It's not 1 in

287
00:10:55,185 --> 00:10:56,803
which we naturally generate

288
00:10:57,341 --> 00:10:57,740
ourselves.

289
00:10:58,313 --> 00:10:58,813
Meekness

290
00:10:59,191 --> 00:11:00,010
or gentleness

291
00:11:00,546 --> 00:11:02,860
is in the list of the fruit of

292
00:11:02,860 --> 00:11:06,289
the spirit in galatians chapter 5 as we

293
00:11:06,289 --> 00:11:09,356
think about what it looks like to represent

294
00:11:09,415 --> 00:11:12,206
and live for Jesus in this world.

295
00:11:13,163 --> 00:11:16,194
But what are we really talking about in

296
00:11:16,194 --> 00:11:17,630
terms of behavior?

297
00:11:18,363 --> 00:11:22,053
If meekness isn't just another s for weakness,

298
00:11:22,431 --> 00:11:23,228
then what is it?

299
00:11:24,185 --> 00:11:25,164
Well, the stereotype

300
00:11:25,541 --> 00:11:28,504
of meekness is a person who has no

301
00:11:28,504 --> 00:11:29,694
will of their own.

302
00:11:30,408 --> 00:11:32,232
We often might think of a meek person

303
00:11:32,232 --> 00:11:34,691
as someone who is just very passive.

304
00:11:35,341 --> 00:11:38,042
Who cannot help but let others take advantage

305
00:11:38,042 --> 00:11:38,598
of them.

306
00:11:39,552 --> 00:11:40,370
But biblical,

307
00:11:40,823 --> 00:11:41,323
meekness

308
00:11:41,855 --> 00:11:42,355
requires

309
00:11:42,888 --> 00:11:43,285
strength,

310
00:11:44,331 --> 00:11:46,867
in the proverbs, the prove brighter in chapter

311
00:11:46,867 --> 00:11:50,196
16 and verse 32 says, better a patient

312
00:11:50,196 --> 00:11:50,696
man

313
00:11:51,163 --> 00:11:52,037
than a warrior.

314
00:11:52,513 --> 00:11:54,920
A man who controls his temper

315
00:11:55,533 --> 00:11:57,440
than 1 who takes a city.

316
00:11:58,155 --> 00:11:59,211
You see meekness

317
00:11:59,839 --> 00:12:01,032
is not weakness.

318
00:12:01,510 --> 00:12:04,716
A meek person is stronger than a warrior

319
00:12:05,410 --> 00:12:08,673
because it takes more strength to control your

320
00:12:08,673 --> 00:12:09,173
temper

321
00:12:09,802 --> 00:12:12,105
than it does to storm a city or

322
00:12:12,105 --> 00:12:14,114
to get into a fight. Meekness

323
00:12:15,203 --> 00:12:18,244
is not weakness, and it's not pass pass

324
00:12:18,459 --> 00:12:21,041
either. The meek person is

325
00:12:21,734 --> 00:12:22,132
intentional,

326
00:12:22,848 --> 00:12:24,462
and they are in

327
00:12:24,996 --> 00:12:25,473
control.

328
00:12:26,363 --> 00:12:28,614
I I mentioned that the term meekness

329
00:12:28,989 --> 00:12:29,489
often

330
00:12:29,944 --> 00:12:33,445
is equated with strength under control. In the

331
00:12:33,445 --> 00:12:35,116
ancient world, the term,

332
00:12:35,689 --> 00:12:38,961
meekness was used to describe a war horse,

333
00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:42,154
A horse that had been trained to be

334
00:12:42,154 --> 00:12:43,852
strong and powerful,

335
00:12:44,723 --> 00:12:47,116
brave enough to enter into a bloody battle,

336
00:12:47,275 --> 00:12:49,769
but also willing to submit

337
00:12:50,705 --> 00:12:53,656
and stay under the control of its rider.

338
00:12:55,102 --> 00:12:57,504
The Greek word for meek, Pro

339
00:12:58,034 --> 00:13:01,625
was used in ancient greece to describe both

340
00:13:02,014 --> 00:13:03,475
the desired temperament

341
00:13:03,934 --> 00:13:05,554
of that military horse

342
00:13:05,934 --> 00:13:06,434
and

343
00:13:06,975 --> 00:13:09,534
the best way to handle them.

344
00:13:10,827 --> 00:13:13,881
The term making a horse in old English

345
00:13:14,099 --> 00:13:15,636
refers to harnessing,

346
00:13:16,253 --> 00:13:17,530
a horse's power.

347
00:13:18,103 --> 00:13:19,639
From a state of wild

348
00:13:20,095 --> 00:13:20,595
independence

349
00:13:20,971 --> 00:13:22,188
to 1 of loyalty

350
00:13:23,202 --> 00:13:24,738
so that it can be used

351
00:13:25,288 --> 00:13:27,671
as intended. Isn't that a great picture?

352
00:13:28,624 --> 00:13:31,746
You see Friends Jesus wants his people

353
00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:33,652
to move from wild

354
00:13:34,185 --> 00:13:34,685
independence

355
00:13:35,475 --> 00:13:36,295
to loyalty,

356
00:13:37,154 --> 00:13:38,434
loyalty to him,

357
00:13:39,394 --> 00:13:39,894
loyalty

358
00:13:40,434 --> 00:13:41,495
to his kingdom.

359
00:13:43,168 --> 00:13:44,067
Not wild

360
00:13:44,445 --> 00:13:47,337
independence based on my ideas, my preferences.

361
00:13:50,427 --> 00:13:52,421
So what does meekness this look like?

362
00:13:52,914 --> 00:13:55,475
In the real world. And specifically, what does

363
00:13:55,475 --> 00:13:57,954
it look like in the church, the body

364
00:13:57,954 --> 00:13:58,595
of Christ.

365
00:13:59,315 --> 00:14:01,425
Well, Paul gives us an interesting

366
00:14:01,797 --> 00:14:04,651
snapshot in ephesians chapter 4. When he says,

367
00:14:04,809 --> 00:14:07,346
as he writes to the church, I urge

368
00:14:07,346 --> 00:14:07,846
you

369
00:14:08,554 --> 00:14:10,572
I urge you to live a life worthy

370
00:14:10,871 --> 00:14:13,348
of the calling that you've received, be,

371
00:14:14,067 --> 00:14:16,005
completely humble and

372
00:14:16,558 --> 00:14:17,832
gentle or meek.

373
00:14:18,629 --> 00:14:19,129
Be

374
00:14:19,585 --> 00:14:23,010
patient, bearing with 1 another in love,

375
00:14:23,984 --> 00:14:27,100
And so in blunt terms, meekness means that

376
00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:28,399
you and I

377
00:14:29,018 --> 00:14:30,217
put up with each other.

378
00:14:31,096 --> 00:14:35,247
It means that at times, we endure 1

379
00:14:35,247 --> 00:14:35,564
another.

380
00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,820
And I appreciate the scriptures honesty on this

381
00:14:38,820 --> 00:14:40,885
matter. You know, on occasion, we give the

382
00:14:40,885 --> 00:14:41,385
impression

383
00:14:41,853 --> 00:14:44,236
that the life of the church is a

384
00:14:44,236 --> 00:14:45,769
kind of utopia.

385
00:14:46,461 --> 00:14:47,358
And we sometimes

386
00:14:47,812 --> 00:14:50,330
get the idea that real Christians never get

387
00:14:50,767 --> 00:14:53,096
annoyed with 1 another. We never get frustrated

388
00:14:53,312 --> 00:14:55,379
with each other. We never get fed up

389
00:14:55,379 --> 00:14:57,844
with 1 another. And friends if there's 1

390
00:14:57,844 --> 00:14:59,673
thing that I've learned as a church leader

391
00:14:59,673 --> 00:15:01,784
is that I can't please

392
00:15:02,245 --> 00:15:05,684
everyone in my ministry. There will always be

393
00:15:05,684 --> 00:15:07,659
a a handful of people who are

394
00:15:08,256 --> 00:15:11,701
disappointed in my teaching or my leadership style

395
00:15:11,837 --> 00:15:13,292
or our particular

396
00:15:13,747 --> 00:15:14,565
ministry priorities,

397
00:15:15,434 --> 00:15:17,268
or even the color of the carpets or

398
00:15:17,268 --> 00:15:18,624
paint on the church building.

399
00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:22,772
In reality, in any group of people,

400
00:15:23,410 --> 00:15:24,766
including the local church,

401
00:15:25,339 --> 00:15:25,839
someone

402
00:15:26,296 --> 00:15:27,674
will always be

403
00:15:28,052 --> 00:15:28,552
disgruntled.

404
00:15:29,248 --> 00:15:30,685
Sometimes it's even me.

405
00:15:31,881 --> 00:15:32,280
Hey, amen?

406
00:15:34,913 --> 00:15:38,322
And sometimes friends, the most spiritual thing that

407
00:15:38,322 --> 00:15:39,908
we can do in the church.

408
00:15:40,799 --> 00:15:43,195
Is to put up with 1 another.

409
00:15:43,914 --> 00:15:46,012
And it's a good thing too

410
00:15:46,950 --> 00:15:49,430
because Some of us can be hard to

411
00:15:49,430 --> 00:15:50,065
live with.

412
00:15:50,780 --> 00:15:52,687
Just ask my wife. She'll let you know.

413
00:15:54,593 --> 00:15:55,570
The emphasis

414
00:15:56,198 --> 00:15:57,416
on mutual

415
00:15:57,873 --> 00:16:01,382
in impulse command, bear with 1 another.

416
00:16:02,338 --> 00:16:04,571
And so do you find someone around you

417
00:16:04,571 --> 00:16:07,144
annoying? Hard to deal with? Guess what?

418
00:16:07,945 --> 00:16:10,904
There's a high degree and likelihood that they

419
00:16:10,904 --> 00:16:12,985
struggle with the same issue regarding you.

420
00:16:13,879 --> 00:16:15,179
And Paul's instruction

421
00:16:15,639 --> 00:16:18,360
would not be as helpful if it weren't

422
00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,919
for the clarifying phrase at the end of

423
00:16:20,919 --> 00:16:21,480
the verse.

424
00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,157
He says we are to bear with 1

425
00:16:25,157 --> 00:16:25,657
another

426
00:16:26,109 --> 00:16:26,609
in

427
00:16:26,981 --> 00:16:27,481
love.

428
00:16:28,567 --> 00:16:31,129
Yes. Life in the body of Christ

429
00:16:31,518 --> 00:16:34,071
does call for us to put up with

430
00:16:34,071 --> 00:16:36,724
each other, but not in a mean

431
00:16:37,341 --> 00:16:37,841
gru,

432
00:16:38,936 --> 00:16:40,531
harsh spirited way.

433
00:16:41,343 --> 00:16:43,961
You know, there are some who display patients

434
00:16:43,961 --> 00:16:45,889
towards others in a way that

435
00:16:46,262 --> 00:16:46,762
communicates

436
00:16:47,135 --> 00:16:47,635
imp

437
00:16:48,007 --> 00:16:49,039
or even contempt.

438
00:16:49,769 --> 00:16:52,477
And that's not what Paul is writing about

439
00:16:52,477 --> 00:16:52,716
here.

440
00:16:53,354 --> 00:16:55,925
And it is not the meekness that Jesus

441
00:16:55,982 --> 00:16:59,196
speaks of, in the third attitude. Meekness

442
00:16:59,805 --> 00:17:04,140
is an attribute of strength to exercise it

443
00:17:04,339 --> 00:17:07,128
I must go against the grain,

444
00:17:08,403 --> 00:17:11,671
but meekness doesn't merely take strengths.

445
00:17:12,323 --> 00:17:15,591
If I'm going to bear with others in

446
00:17:15,591 --> 00:17:16,069
love,

447
00:17:16,945 --> 00:17:19,336
I'll need to have their best interest at

448
00:17:19,336 --> 00:17:19,655
heart.

449
00:17:20,470 --> 00:17:22,250
And so this leads to a second

450
00:17:22,549 --> 00:17:23,670
requirement for meekness.

451
00:17:24,070 --> 00:17:26,650
Not only does meekness require

452
00:17:27,109 --> 00:17:27,609
strength

453
00:17:28,164 --> 00:17:29,463
but meekness

454
00:17:30,001 --> 00:17:30,501
requires

455
00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:31,859
humility.

456
00:17:33,037 --> 00:17:34,795
The word that Jesus uses,

457
00:17:35,208 --> 00:17:37,700
in this be attitude is often associated

458
00:17:38,316 --> 00:17:40,865
with humility in the scriptures. We already saw

459
00:17:40,865 --> 00:17:44,088
that in ephesians 4. Where humble and gentleness

460
00:17:44,145 --> 00:17:46,852
and patience and bearing with 1 another are

461
00:17:46,852 --> 00:17:49,638
all part of the same cluster of traits.

462
00:17:51,087 --> 00:17:53,023
We also find this in the great

463
00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:54,777
invitation of Jesus

464
00:17:55,474 --> 00:17:57,388
that he gives in Matthew 11,

465
00:17:57,946 --> 00:18:00,234
where our Lord says these words

466
00:18:00,834 --> 00:18:02,272
come to me.

467
00:18:03,151 --> 00:18:04,929
All you who are weary

468
00:18:05,388 --> 00:18:06,208
and burdened,

469
00:18:07,146 --> 00:18:08,424
and I will give you rest.

470
00:18:09,479 --> 00:18:12,595
Take my yoke upon you and learn from

471
00:18:12,595 --> 00:18:14,694
me for I am

472
00:18:15,393 --> 00:18:15,893
gentle

473
00:18:17,151 --> 00:18:17,870
or meek.

474
00:18:18,763 --> 00:18:20,274
Humble in heart,

475
00:18:21,149 --> 00:18:23,320
and you will find rest

476
00:18:23,854 --> 00:18:26,918
for your souls. Jesus says I am gentle,

477
00:18:28,014 --> 00:18:29,471
meek, and humble.

478
00:18:31,126 --> 00:18:33,222
So what is this humility?

479
00:18:34,809 --> 00:18:36,958
Well, sometimes, I think the best way to

480
00:18:36,958 --> 00:18:38,789
define a word or an idea is to

481
00:18:38,789 --> 00:18:40,005
look at its opposite.

482
00:18:40,858 --> 00:18:43,661
And, of course, the opposite of humility is

483
00:18:43,661 --> 00:18:44,138
pride.

484
00:18:45,174 --> 00:18:48,201
Pride. It's kinda like, remember those fun house

485
00:18:48,201 --> 00:18:50,113
mirrors at the Carnival when you looked into

486
00:18:50,113 --> 00:18:52,122
those and they just... Distorted your image.

487
00:18:53,079 --> 00:18:54,776
That's what pride does

488
00:18:55,233 --> 00:18:58,446
in our life. Pride will take some achievement

489
00:18:59,076 --> 00:19:01,004
some aspect of our character,

490
00:19:01,377 --> 00:19:03,281
and it will blow it out of proportion.

491
00:19:03,678 --> 00:19:05,924
Pride gives us a false

492
00:19:06,314 --> 00:19:07,672
view of ourselves.

493
00:19:08,711 --> 00:19:09,211
Pride

494
00:19:09,750 --> 00:19:11,209
inflate the few

495
00:19:11,907 --> 00:19:14,200
the the the few virtue that we possess

496
00:19:14,398 --> 00:19:16,231
and it makes us think that we have

497
00:19:16,231 --> 00:19:17,346
others that we don't.

498
00:19:18,461 --> 00:19:21,806
Pride blinds us so that we fail to

499
00:19:21,806 --> 00:19:23,262
see the glaring faults

500
00:19:23,574 --> 00:19:24,951
that are so often

501
00:19:25,648 --> 00:19:27,562
obvious to everyone else in our life.

502
00:19:28,519 --> 00:19:29,019
Pride

503
00:19:29,396 --> 00:19:29,896
minimizes

504
00:19:30,274 --> 00:19:33,246
the few weaknesses that we are willing

505
00:19:33,559 --> 00:19:34,059
to

506
00:19:34,599 --> 00:19:34,839
admit.

507
00:19:35,559 --> 00:19:37,579
Well, yeah, but we say

508
00:19:38,039 --> 00:19:39,079
as an excuse.

509
00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:41,339
And worse yet

510
00:19:41,734 --> 00:19:42,872
pride often

511
00:19:43,249 --> 00:19:46,440
prompts us to put on a mask of

512
00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:46,940
humility

513
00:19:47,955 --> 00:19:49,811
in an attempt to disguise

514
00:19:51,066 --> 00:19:52,359
that deep down,

515
00:19:52,919 --> 00:19:53,980
were really selfish

516
00:19:54,919 --> 00:19:56,359
and arrogant at times.

517
00:19:57,159 --> 00:19:58,379
And so our Lord's

518
00:19:58,759 --> 00:20:00,299
invitation in Matthew 11

519
00:20:00,693 --> 00:20:03,892
is to take up the yoke of disciples

520
00:20:03,947 --> 00:20:04,265
ship.

521
00:20:04,820 --> 00:20:07,225
And that is grounded in the attractiveness

522
00:20:08,407 --> 00:20:11,503
of this kind of humility, the humility of

523
00:20:11,662 --> 00:20:12,138
Jesus,

524
00:20:12,694 --> 00:20:13,884
come to me.

525
00:20:14,837 --> 00:20:15,710
Jesus says.

526
00:20:16,281 --> 00:20:20,093
Take my yoke upon you. Learn from me.

527
00:20:21,998 --> 00:20:23,507
Well, why do we want to do that?

528
00:20:25,190 --> 00:20:26,961
Because Jesus says, I

529
00:20:27,494 --> 00:20:28,392
am gentle

530
00:20:28,924 --> 00:20:30,593
and humble in heart.

531
00:20:31,641 --> 00:20:34,288
And you will find rest

532
00:20:34,902 --> 00:20:36,015
for your souls.

533
00:20:36,492 --> 00:20:37,390
That is his

534
00:20:37,764 --> 00:20:40,189
invitation, his win some beautiful

535
00:20:41,124 --> 00:20:41,364
invitation.

536
00:20:43,118 --> 00:20:44,257
There is a goodness,

537
00:20:45,033 --> 00:20:45,852
A joyous

538
00:20:46,468 --> 00:20:48,165
about humility. It is

539
00:20:48,622 --> 00:20:49,122
compelling

540
00:20:50,946 --> 00:20:52,400
as others see

541
00:20:52,775 --> 00:20:54,150
humility in us

542
00:20:56,927 --> 00:20:59,654
In many ways, Jan, Auto

543
00:21:00,427 --> 00:21:01,563
is an unlikely

544
00:21:02,495 --> 00:21:02,733
superstar.

545
00:21:03,544 --> 00:21:05,937
The Lan 29 year old who has been

546
00:21:05,937 --> 00:21:07,394
dubbed the Greek freak

547
00:21:07,771 --> 00:21:08,910
for his stunning

548
00:21:09,446 --> 00:21:10,345
athletic feat

549
00:21:10,723 --> 00:21:13,376
is widely regarded as 1 of the greatest

550
00:21:13,769 --> 00:21:15,450
power forwards of all time.

551
00:21:16,410 --> 00:21:20,250
His professional resume is lengthy, includes being an

552
00:21:20,250 --> 00:21:23,064
8 time all star in the Nba. A

553
00:21:23,064 --> 00:21:25,001
2 time most valuable

554
00:21:25,539 --> 00:21:25,858
player,

555
00:21:26,497 --> 00:21:27,955
an Nba finals

556
00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:28,913
Mvp

557
00:21:29,291 --> 00:21:29,950
and an

558
00:21:30,408 --> 00:21:31,387
Nba champion

559
00:21:31,845 --> 00:21:34,660
with his Milwaukee bucks when they defeated the

560
00:21:34,820 --> 00:21:36,660
Phoenix sons in 20 21.

561
00:21:37,940 --> 00:21:38,920
But his most

562
00:21:39,554 --> 00:21:42,368
distinctive attribute might not be athletic,

563
00:21:43,624 --> 00:21:45,082
but his humility.

564
00:21:46,417 --> 00:21:49,067
Following the buck game for victory in which

565
00:21:49,067 --> 00:21:52,204
he helped preserve the win with a particularly

566
00:21:52,663 --> 00:21:56,294
impressive defensive play, Yan x explained

567
00:21:56,670 --> 00:21:59,081
how to keep a winning perspective

568
00:21:59,776 --> 00:22:00,276
after

569
00:22:00,652 --> 00:22:02,563
such a successful outing. I want you to

570
00:22:02,563 --> 00:22:05,210
listen to his words that he gave to

571
00:22:05,210 --> 00:22:08,190
the media that day. He said, for my

572
00:22:08,250 --> 00:22:08,750
experience,

573
00:22:09,529 --> 00:22:12,250
like, when I think about it, yeah I

574
00:22:12,250 --> 00:22:15,384
did this, I'm so great. I scored 30.

575
00:22:15,625 --> 00:22:17,944
I had 25, 10 and 10 or whatever

576
00:22:17,944 --> 00:22:20,265
the stat might be. Oh, we won this

577
00:22:20,265 --> 00:22:20,825
and that.

578
00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:22,619
Usually,

579
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:24,519
for the next few days,

580
00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,559
I'm gonna play very badly.

581
00:22:29,334 --> 00:22:29,834
Jan

582
00:22:30,212 --> 00:22:32,769
frank, elicit chuckle from the media.

583
00:22:33,248 --> 00:22:35,506
As he went on to illustrate the benefit,

584
00:22:36,059 --> 00:22:37,413
of staying humble.

585
00:22:38,130 --> 00:22:39,883
Remember, this is a guy that has just

586
00:22:39,883 --> 00:22:43,331
had the crown achievement of glory in his

587
00:22:43,548 --> 00:22:45,381
profession, bestowed upon him,

588
00:22:45,954 --> 00:22:48,914
and here he is lecturing the media about

589
00:22:48,914 --> 00:22:50,115
how to stay humble.

590
00:22:51,394 --> 00:22:53,954
Listen to his words again. When you focus

591
00:22:53,954 --> 00:22:54,835
on the past,

592
00:22:55,890 --> 00:22:56,769
that's your ego.

593
00:22:57,490 --> 00:22:58,369
I did this.

594
00:22:58,930 --> 00:23:01,350
We were able to beat this team for

595
00:23:01,410 --> 00:23:02,049
to nothing.

596
00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:04,210
I did this in the past.

597
00:23:05,022 --> 00:23:07,256
And he says, when I focus on the

598
00:23:07,256 --> 00:23:07,495
future,

599
00:23:08,212 --> 00:23:09,329
it's my pride.

600
00:23:09,967 --> 00:23:12,360
Yeah. Next game, I'll do this and this

601
00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:13,897
and this, I'm gonna dominate.

602
00:23:14,847 --> 00:23:16,602
That's my pride talking.

603
00:23:17,798 --> 00:23:20,531
My goal is always to try to focus

604
00:23:20,908 --> 00:23:21,727
in the moment

605
00:23:22,823 --> 00:23:23,700
in the present.

606
00:23:25,073 --> 00:23:26,212
And that's humility.

607
00:23:26,750 --> 00:23:27,709
That's being humble.

608
00:23:28,747 --> 00:23:29,887
That's not setting

609
00:23:30,505 --> 00:23:33,169
expectations. That's going out there and

610
00:23:33,544 --> 00:23:34,897
enjoying the game.

611
00:23:36,010 --> 00:23:37,894
Those words really struck me because

612
00:23:38,569 --> 00:23:39,387
they transcend

613
00:23:40,237 --> 00:23:40,737
basketball.

614
00:23:41,745 --> 00:23:42,721
They transcend

615
00:23:43,174 --> 00:23:43,571
sport,

616
00:23:44,682 --> 00:23:45,659
and they're true

617
00:23:46,032 --> 00:23:46,905
of life.

618
00:23:47,317 --> 00:23:50,518
You see friends, when we remain humble,

619
00:23:51,447 --> 00:23:53,195
when we remain teachable,

620
00:23:53,910 --> 00:23:56,316
we honor the model of Jesus.

621
00:23:57,021 --> 00:24:01,009
Who emptied himself by taking on the role

622
00:24:01,223 --> 00:24:02,174
of a servant.

623
00:24:02,650 --> 00:24:04,181
That is meekness.

624
00:24:05,205 --> 00:24:06,341
Strength under

625
00:24:06,716 --> 00:24:07,114
control,

626
00:24:07,909 --> 00:24:08,409
humility.

627
00:24:10,057 --> 00:24:10,955
And then finally,

628
00:24:11,583 --> 00:24:12,297
Number 3,

629
00:24:13,012 --> 00:24:13,512
meekness

630
00:24:14,361 --> 00:24:14,861
requires

631
00:24:15,789 --> 00:24:16,289
acceptance.

632
00:24:18,012 --> 00:24:18,512
Acceptance,

633
00:24:19,219 --> 00:24:20,998
is the third characteristic

634
00:24:21,377 --> 00:24:22,176
of meekness.

635
00:24:22,975 --> 00:24:26,033
You know, society's perception of a meek person

636
00:24:26,252 --> 00:24:27,631
who someone who is

637
00:24:28,010 --> 00:24:28,410
compliant.

638
00:24:29,382 --> 00:24:32,806
A person who doesn't fight, but simply accepts

639
00:24:32,806 --> 00:24:35,672
things. Now to some extent, that is the

640
00:24:35,672 --> 00:24:37,026
bible view as well,

641
00:24:37,838 --> 00:24:39,694
Though biblical meekness

642
00:24:40,071 --> 00:24:41,289
carries far

643
00:24:41,746 --> 00:24:42,246
more

644
00:24:43,102 --> 00:24:43,261
intention.

645
00:24:44,059 --> 00:24:45,675
It's not just a passive

646
00:24:46,053 --> 00:24:46,553
acceptance.

647
00:24:47,504 --> 00:24:51,444
To be meek is to yield to god

648
00:24:52,304 --> 00:24:53,764
to give way

649
00:24:54,144 --> 00:24:54,944
to the Lord,

650
00:24:55,676 --> 00:24:56,176
Meekness

651
00:24:56,708 --> 00:24:59,193
is acceptance of God's word

652
00:24:59,805 --> 00:25:00,305
and

653
00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:02,528
cooperation with his purposes.

654
00:25:03,633 --> 00:25:06,265
The apostle James helps us see what this

655
00:25:06,265 --> 00:25:09,216
looks like in James chapter 1. Here's what

656
00:25:09,216 --> 00:25:10,673
he says. Therefore,

657
00:25:11,131 --> 00:25:12,885
get rid of all moral filth,

658
00:25:13,617 --> 00:25:15,788
and the evil that is so prevalent

659
00:25:16,402 --> 00:25:17,379
and humbly

660
00:25:18,073 --> 00:25:18,970
or meek,

661
00:25:19,982 --> 00:25:20,434
accept

662
00:25:21,030 --> 00:25:23,172
the word planted in you,

663
00:25:24,124 --> 00:25:25,790
which can save you.

664
00:25:26,980 --> 00:25:29,859
So James says that those who are meek

665
00:25:29,859 --> 00:25:31,240
or humble will

666
00:25:31,539 --> 00:25:32,039
accept

667
00:25:32,660 --> 00:25:33,539
God's word.

668
00:25:34,179 --> 00:25:36,660
Now, clearly, there is something more here than

669
00:25:36,660 --> 00:25:39,575
just merely having some factual knowledge

670
00:25:40,355 --> 00:25:40,994
about god.

671
00:25:42,274 --> 00:25:45,075
Those whom James is addressing, including you and

672
00:25:45,154 --> 00:25:45,474
I,

673
00:25:46,528 --> 00:25:50,118
already have an awareness of god's word, the

674
00:25:50,118 --> 00:25:53,070
word planted in you as James says.

675
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,814
Now that it is planted in you, he

676
00:25:56,814 --> 00:25:57,314
says

677
00:25:58,003 --> 00:25:58,821
accept it

678
00:25:59,431 --> 00:26:00,938
or yield to it.

679
00:26:01,827 --> 00:26:04,533
So James language seems to imply that the

680
00:26:04,533 --> 00:26:08,137
planting of the word does not automatically guarantee

681
00:26:08,751 --> 00:26:10,581
that the word will bear fruit.

682
00:26:11,391 --> 00:26:13,691
There seems to be a dimension of our

683
00:26:13,691 --> 00:26:15,515
will that is involved.

684
00:26:16,547 --> 00:26:18,712
Once the word is implanted,

685
00:26:19,576 --> 00:26:21,402
We must welcome commit.

686
00:26:22,514 --> 00:26:24,181
Open our heart to it.

687
00:26:24,895 --> 00:26:27,777
That is the idea of true meekness.

688
00:26:28,884 --> 00:26:31,042
Contained in James words here.

689
00:26:31,841 --> 00:26:35,378
The person who is meek is not continually

690
00:26:35,517 --> 00:26:38,075
seeking to defend his or her rights.

691
00:26:38,966 --> 00:26:42,175
They're not always trying to protect themselves.

692
00:26:46,073 --> 00:26:48,565
The meek accepting person re

693
00:26:49,180 --> 00:26:50,158
self effort

694
00:26:50,694 --> 00:26:54,598
in order to accept the Lord's plans and

695
00:26:54,598 --> 00:26:55,098
purposes.

696
00:26:57,005 --> 00:26:59,180
The person who is living in meekness

697
00:26:59,717 --> 00:27:00,934
reno self

698
00:27:01,312 --> 00:27:05,002
promotion as they rely on god's acceptance.

699
00:27:07,145 --> 00:27:08,202
The meek person

700
00:27:08,577 --> 00:27:10,270
can afford to be meek

701
00:27:10,724 --> 00:27:12,417
because they have

702
00:27:12,727 --> 00:27:13,782
an eternal

703
00:27:14,314 --> 00:27:14,814
perspective,

704
00:27:15,503 --> 00:27:17,804
a long view in mind,

705
00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:19,018
and therefore,

706
00:27:19,804 --> 00:27:22,774
the meek and the humble person can rest

707
00:27:22,832 --> 00:27:23,629
in God.

708
00:27:24,665 --> 00:27:26,897
And so friends this morning, I wanna challenge

709
00:27:26,897 --> 00:27:27,397
you

710
00:27:27,789 --> 00:27:29,862
wanna challenge you to do something very specific.

711
00:27:30,101 --> 00:27:31,877
I want you to identify

712
00:27:32,254 --> 00:27:35,067
1 area. Just 1 area of your life

713
00:27:35,364 --> 00:27:37,554
where you find yourselves struggling

714
00:27:38,015 --> 00:27:39,954
with accepting God's

715
00:27:40,255 --> 00:27:40,575
control?

716
00:27:41,934 --> 00:27:44,194
Where do you find yourself

717
00:27:44,654 --> 00:27:45,154
grasping.

718
00:27:46,185 --> 00:27:47,240
Or defending

719
00:27:48,167 --> 00:27:49,857
or self promoting

720
00:27:50,943 --> 00:27:53,029
or holding on too tightly

721
00:27:54,933 --> 00:27:55,992
That's the area

722
00:27:56,611 --> 00:27:57,990
that we need to release

723
00:27:58,849 --> 00:27:59,988
as we accept

724
00:28:00,447 --> 00:28:02,445
God's word implanted in us.

725
00:28:03,254 --> 00:28:05,000
Now you see the natural fear,

726
00:28:06,349 --> 00:28:08,571
the natural fear of the natural person,

727
00:28:09,523 --> 00:28:11,111
apart from God's holy spirit,

728
00:28:11,682 --> 00:28:13,773
that natural fear that is associated

729
00:28:14,387 --> 00:28:17,591
with meekness is that well if I meek

730
00:28:18,539 --> 00:28:19,416
I'll get ignored.

731
00:28:20,771 --> 00:28:23,881
Or others will ride rough side rough shot

732
00:28:23,881 --> 00:28:24,439
over me.

733
00:28:25,077 --> 00:28:27,150
I'll I'll get tram under foot.

734
00:28:28,361 --> 00:28:30,672
I'll be abused or taken advantage of.

735
00:28:31,788 --> 00:28:34,259
If we don't struggle for our benefits or

736
00:28:34,259 --> 00:28:36,585
our fight for our rights, who will?

737
00:28:38,495 --> 00:28:39,371
Fight, fight.

738
00:28:40,803 --> 00:28:42,077
That's a word of our culture.

739
00:28:43,764 --> 00:28:46,417
In our culture, it seems like the strong

740
00:28:46,476 --> 00:28:49,826
and the self sufficient, the over bearing, the

741
00:28:49,826 --> 00:28:53,175
capable, the aggressive, the ambitious. These are the

742
00:28:53,175 --> 00:28:57,117
ones that achieve success in our culture. They

743
00:28:57,255 --> 00:28:59,884
occupy the elite positions, and it might cause

744
00:28:59,884 --> 00:29:00,863
us to question

745
00:29:01,730 --> 00:29:02,627
will the meek

746
00:29:03,398 --> 00:29:03,898
really

747
00:29:04,352 --> 00:29:06,020
really be blessed by God? Really?

748
00:29:07,450 --> 00:29:09,277
Will they really inherit the earth because it

749
00:29:09,277 --> 00:29:10,786
sure doesn't look like it to me.

750
00:29:13,992 --> 00:29:15,769
But it is the word of god

751
00:29:16,386 --> 00:29:18,142
that has been implanted in us, and it

752
00:29:18,142 --> 00:29:18,914
is true

753
00:29:19,274 --> 00:29:21,748
and therefore, we hold on to that truth.

754
00:29:23,664 --> 00:29:27,117
Did you know that there are 290

755
00:29:27,175 --> 00:29:29,494
different, species of pigeons in the world.

756
00:29:31,082 --> 00:29:32,194
I never knew that either.

757
00:29:33,543 --> 00:29:35,052
Google helped me figure that out.

758
00:29:36,418 --> 00:29:37,691
But here's what's interesting.

759
00:29:38,407 --> 00:29:42,543
Only 1 has adopt adapted itself to live

760
00:29:42,543 --> 00:29:43,417
in the cities.

761
00:29:44,309 --> 00:29:47,262
And that 1 species, which you've seen many

762
00:29:47,262 --> 00:29:50,296
times I'm sure is often known as the

763
00:29:50,296 --> 00:29:52,611
rock dove or the common pigeon.

764
00:29:53,664 --> 00:29:55,585
And it has an amazing skill,

765
00:29:56,705 --> 00:29:59,205
the ability to carry an important message

766
00:29:59,985 --> 00:30:02,384
and then find its way back home. Do

767
00:30:02,384 --> 00:30:05,421
you know this? Studies have suggested that these

768
00:30:05,421 --> 00:30:07,271
common pigeons navigate

769
00:30:08,359 --> 00:30:09,813
using human structures.

770
00:30:11,314 --> 00:30:12,933
They follow the directions

771
00:30:13,551 --> 00:30:16,188
as well as natural ones, they'll follow roads.

772
00:30:16,747 --> 00:30:18,745
They'll follow canals and rivers.

773
00:30:19,237 --> 00:30:22,498
They've even been observed in large cities going

774
00:30:22,498 --> 00:30:23,634
round the roundabout

775
00:30:24,486 --> 00:30:26,633
before taking the appropriate exit.

776
00:30:27,746 --> 00:30:28,462
Not crazy?

777
00:30:31,187 --> 00:30:33,840
These common pigeons can fly

778
00:30:34,536 --> 00:30:36,211
extremely fast. They can fly up to a

779
00:30:36,211 --> 00:30:37,726
hundred and 10 miles an hour.

780
00:30:38,619 --> 00:30:40,619
And they can cover 700

781
00:30:40,619 --> 00:30:44,779
miles in 1 single in in uninterrupted flight.

782
00:30:45,593 --> 00:30:47,348
Now, there are faster birds.

783
00:30:48,305 --> 00:30:50,560
But none of those birds can fly horizontally

784
00:30:51,177 --> 00:30:54,208
under their own power as quickly and for

785
00:30:54,208 --> 00:30:55,027
as long

786
00:30:55,339 --> 00:30:56,700
as the common pigeon.

787
00:30:57,419 --> 00:30:57,740
Amazing.

788
00:30:58,460 --> 00:31:00,700
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,

789
00:31:01,259 --> 00:31:03,759
pigeons became so important

790
00:31:04,154 --> 00:31:06,234
because they were used as messengers, we all

791
00:31:06,234 --> 00:31:07,755
heard of messenger pigeons. Right?

792
00:31:08,315 --> 00:31:10,555
And during the siege of Paris in 18

793
00:31:10,555 --> 00:31:11,055
70

794
00:31:11,606 --> 00:31:13,986
pigeons were taken out of the city by

795
00:31:13,986 --> 00:31:17,636
balloon, and then they returned carrying thousands of

796
00:31:17,636 --> 00:31:18,033
letters.

797
00:31:18,845 --> 00:31:21,804
Stored on micro and sewn into the tail

798
00:31:21,804 --> 00:31:23,244
feathers of the pigeons.

799
00:31:24,365 --> 00:31:25,804
During the first world war,

800
00:31:26,285 --> 00:31:29,910
soldiers at the front, would use pigeons to

801
00:31:30,205 --> 00:31:32,352
communicate with those behind the lines.

802
00:31:33,227 --> 00:31:35,851
They'd send messages back to the tank commanders

803
00:31:35,851 --> 00:31:37,362
when their radios fail.

804
00:31:38,815 --> 00:31:42,595
During the second world war, most British bombers

805
00:31:43,295 --> 00:31:43,795
carried

806
00:31:44,174 --> 00:31:44,914
a pair

807
00:31:45,389 --> 00:31:49,778
of pigeons in a specially designed floating cage.

808
00:31:50,656 --> 00:31:53,151
And if the bomber were shot down

809
00:31:53,463 --> 00:31:56,429
they would release a pigeon, bearing a message

810
00:31:57,201 --> 00:32:01,098
detailing their position so that rescuers could be

811
00:32:01,098 --> 00:32:01,416
sent,

812
00:32:01,908 --> 00:32:04,458
to get the grounded clue after they jumped

813
00:32:04,458 --> 00:32:05,595
out with their parachutes.

814
00:32:07,166 --> 00:32:08,702
Major general fowler

815
00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:12,285
the British army chief of signals and communications

816
00:32:12,285 --> 00:32:15,258
wrote this. He said if it became necessary

817
00:32:15,317 --> 00:32:15,817
immediately,

818
00:32:16,369 --> 00:32:19,001
to discard every line of met and method

819
00:32:19,001 --> 00:32:20,836
of communication used on the front,

820
00:32:21,553 --> 00:32:22,112
except 1.

821
00:32:22,909 --> 00:32:23,888
I should un

822
00:32:24,664 --> 00:32:25,164
choose

823
00:32:25,621 --> 00:32:26,100
the pigeon.

824
00:32:27,469 --> 00:32:28,685
When the battle rages.

825
00:32:29,460 --> 00:32:33,123
And everything gives way to barrage to machine

826
00:32:33,123 --> 00:32:36,245
gun gunfire to gas attacks and to bombing,

827
00:32:36,564 --> 00:32:38,498
it is to the pigeons

828
00:32:38,955 --> 00:32:40,150
we should go.

829
00:32:41,266 --> 00:32:41,983
Not amazing.

830
00:32:43,672 --> 00:32:44,889
Never knew how important

831
00:32:45,345 --> 00:32:46,164
pigeons were

832
00:32:46,540 --> 00:32:48,213
in the history of mankind.

833
00:32:49,728 --> 00:32:52,053
We'll tell you that? Story friends because in

834
00:32:52,053 --> 00:32:53,089
the same way,

835
00:32:53,965 --> 00:32:56,355
as a follower of Jesus Christ,

836
00:32:57,231 --> 00:32:59,564
as a citizen of his kingdom

837
00:33:00,514 --> 00:33:03,089
we don't necessarily need to be the fastest

838
00:33:04,105 --> 00:33:05,164
or the smartest

839
00:33:06,739 --> 00:33:08,117
or the most attractive

840
00:33:09,385 --> 00:33:12,346
or the most powerful or the most amazing.

841
00:33:14,387 --> 00:33:16,316
We are simply called

842
00:33:16,927 --> 00:33:17,824
to be faithful

843
00:33:19,173 --> 00:33:20,312
to be reliable

844
00:33:21,969 --> 00:33:25,425
to live with strength under control

845
00:33:26,459 --> 00:33:26,959
in

846
00:33:27,337 --> 00:33:27,837
humility

847
00:33:28,936 --> 00:33:30,554
and in full acceptance

848
00:33:31,253 --> 00:33:32,232
of our lord

849
00:33:32,851 --> 00:33:33,910
and his plans

850
00:33:34,784 --> 00:33:35,763
and his purposes.

851
00:33:38,539 --> 00:33:40,376
Be like the pigeon.

852
00:33:42,227 --> 00:33:43,977
And as we do,

853
00:33:45,171 --> 00:33:46,467
we will experience

854
00:33:46,922 --> 00:33:48,195
the blessed ness.

855
00:33:50,118 --> 00:33:51,094
The divine

856
00:33:51,468 --> 00:33:51,968
joy,

857
00:33:53,057 --> 00:33:53,715
and the

858
00:33:54,089 --> 00:33:55,066
spiritual reality

859
00:33:55,439 --> 00:33:56,892
of our inheritance

860
00:33:57,758 --> 00:33:59,188
in god's kingdom.

861
00:33:59,745 --> 00:34:00,245
Blessed

862
00:34:00,698 --> 00:34:01,993
are the meek

863
00:34:02,367 --> 00:34:03,560
for they will,

864
00:34:04,355 --> 00:34:04,752
inherit.

865
00:34:05,882 --> 00:34:06,520
The earth.

866
00:34:07,556 --> 00:34:09,252
This is Jesus promise

867
00:34:10,027 --> 00:34:10,766
to us

868
00:34:11,781 --> 00:34:12,919
as we pursue

869
00:34:14,423 --> 00:34:15,454
the blessed life,

870
00:34:16,564 --> 00:34:17,302
the life

871
00:34:17,754 --> 00:34:18,547
of bounty,

872
00:34:19,261 --> 00:34:19,816
the life,

873
00:34:20,777 --> 00:34:21,491
of goodness,

874
00:34:22,442 --> 00:34:23,260
the life

875
00:34:23,949 --> 00:34:24,846
that flourish.

876
00:34:25,932 --> 00:34:27,225
Will you pray with me