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We are on a series called the King's speech. It really is about the sermon on the mount, Jesus Christ, the King of king, who King of kings, who gave this sermon and this is a great speech. It's a speech, it's a sermon about the kingdom of heaven and in this sermon on the mount, in this King's speech, He first tells us about the kind of people who will make up this kingdom.

He tells us about their description, their characteristics and we realize that this is really about the Beatitudes, we call that the pronouncements of blessings upon God's people. And so He tells us that the citizens the members of the kingdom of heaven are not people who are just wearing a cross on their neck or people who are just carrying a Bible to church every Sunday, but they are marked by very real, tangible life changes, these are the marks of new birth in any Christian. A child of God today, is someone who will be poor in spirit, someone who mourns, someone who is meek, someone who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, that's what tells a Christian apart, not his name, not the cross on his neck, but a real life change.

And so this morning I want to remind you, as we go through this series on the Beatitudes, that you will listen with a heart that says, "Lord, show me, show me if I really have been born again, show me if I have a new heart, because You tell me that such is the kingdom of heaven." And I pray also that you will listen to this series, with the attitude that says, "Grow me, I see these things in my life, but I pray it will be more and more prominent so that the beauty of Jesus may be seen in me."

0:03:52.0

So this is the introduction to the Beatitudes, I hope that helps you somewhat if you're here with us for the very first time. Today we come to the third beatitude that says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Mat 5:5) This is a very simple statement, but I don't think it's easy to understand. There are several reasons, I think first reason is that there is no good English word today, that fully conveys the original intent in the Bible about this word. So we don't have a direct translation and therefore you may lose some of the nuances in this value or virtue.

Number two, I think the expression of meekness is quite wide and varied, so it's very hard to nail down. So I think that's why this meek or meekness word is not so well understood.

So today I'm going to spend some time helping you get a good grasp of what is meek, okay. So very simple, we are going to spend time looking at some verses, we're going to spend time reading of how commentators and preachers and pastors of the past have interpreted this concept and I hope at the end of it all, you will have a crystal clear idea of meekness that you may ask God to grow you in, alright.

So in this whole series on the Beatitudes, ask God to show you if you do have any evidence of a changed heart and number two, ask God to grow you, if you already have these evidences, let it blossom, let it flourish more and more, because that is what the kingdom of heaven is to be like.

So let's look at the word meek, what does it really mean? Like I said the English word does not quite fully convey, because the Greek word, is the word práos, don't, don't look there, not yet. The word práos and the word práos is, the very basic meaning of the word práos means to be gentle, to be mild; gentle, mild, that's the basic meaning.
Now, immediately some people say, then I don't want to be meek because the word meek seems to be weak; gentle, mild, seems to be soft, flabby, spineless, wobbly, can't quite decide, sissy, you know, these are the words attribute to a word like meek or weak. You think that being meek is to be like a doormat, where people trample all over you, so you say I don't want to be meek, I don't want to be bullied, I don't want to be seen as a weak person. But really, that's not what this word means. Yes, its basic meaning is gentle or mildness, but there is more to it you see.

In classical Greek, práos is used in two word pictures, one is referring to a horse, a wild horse that is tamed. Two, it is used to refer to a gentle breeze. Take for example the wild horse, you know wild horse is very strong; I mean, they run, they gallop in the great outdoors, they are strong, muscular, powerful animals, one kick from the horse and you are dead, that's how strong horses are, but that wild horse, with that great strength is really quite useless unless it is controlled and harnessed. So when you have a tamed wild horse, it's a powerful being, that's the idea of práos, great strength but not violent, not excessive, not abusive, brought under great control.

The wind is a very powerful force. Typhoons can wipe out many things, destroy many things in its path; destructive, but gentle breeze is very soothing, like today, Singapore, I wish there's more breeze right, it's hot and a breeze is very soothing. Great strength brought under control is of great blessing.

So meekness is not weakness, but it's actually great strength brought under immaculate control. Now the Bible uses it that way or I think the understanding of meekness has to be that way. In Numbers 12, verse 3, we are told that Moses was very meek. Now, I'm pretty sure, the Bible is not saying Moses was very weak; he's not saying that Moses is someone you can trample on, Moses is a pushover, Moses is a doormat, when his people wanted to rebel against him, he said nothing, he is useless, that's not what it means. I think Moses was a very strong man, I think he's highly educated, intelligent, capable, great leadership abilities, at least when he was 80, when God calls him, humble enough to be used. Moses lead 2 million people in the wilderness for 40 years, he's no lousy, weak leader, but the Bible say he's meek, not weak, great strength brought under immaculate control.

Jesus Christ Himself says I am gentle, the word there is also a derivative of práos; I'm práos and lowly in heart, Jesus is meek, now Jesus is not weak. Remember how He displayed His anger and His wrath when He went into the temple to cleanse the temple, when it is the right thing to do, when it is appropriate, He does not hold back the rightful use and employment of wrath. He's not weak but He's meek, when it is not necessary for Him to display the wrath, He is very gentle and mild, but don't take don't mistake it for weakness, it's strength under control. So, meekness, práos means to be gentle and mild, not weakness but strength under control.

0:10:24.2

Now I want to develop this idea even more in the Bible because I think this might be the general understanding people have about the word meekness, but I think there should be more unearthed, if you just search the Scriptures a little. Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." "The meek shall inherit the earth." It's clear there and I think this is a strong allusion to an Old Testament text in Psalm 37 where it says, "But the meek shall inherit the land." (Psa 37:11a)

Now, the Bible doesn't say, He quoted from it, but I think the allusion must be strong. So when you look at Psalm 37, you would see that it is actually a Psalm that describes the righteous man, describes the man who believes in God, describes this man as someone who is meek. So, it's helpful to look at what happens in verses 1 to 10 for example and that will furnish you with a fuller appreciation of what meekness is.

So verses 1 to 5, it says, "Fret not yourself because of evildoers;..be not envious of wrongdoers!..Trust in the Lord, and do good;..Delight yourself in the Lord..Commit your way to the Lord..trust in Him" these are the various phrases I picked up along the way. Verses 7 to 9, "Be still before the Lord..wait patiently for Him..fret not yourself..Refrain from anger, forsake wrath..Fret not yourself.." You have it over and over again. And then He says in verse 11, the meek shall inherit the earth.

So what am I trying to get at, I'm saying that when the psalmist says the meek shall inherit the earth, he's talking about a particular kind of person, he is meek and he in his meekness, frets not, envies not, but trust in the Lord, he does good, he delights in the Lord, he commits his way to the Lord and so on and so forth. So you see meekness is a big, big virtue that will be expressed in all these various ways.

Now you can see how it might be difficult to define it, but let me attempt it, so that you may at least have one statement to remember alright. What do you make out of this then, well I think meekness is gentleness for a start, I mean that's a basic word meaning you can't run away from that. It's about being mild, about being gentle, not being harsh, but you are calm, you are patient, you do not lash out, you forbear, you don't take revenge, you don't take, you don't retaliate, you are long-suffering, you are gentle.
So when you are abused, you don't abuse, in return. When you are ill treated, you don't return evil for evil, you are calm, you're composed, you're not lashing out, you are not brash, in word or in action and I believe this gentleness is a result of surrender to and trust in God. You are so surrendered to God, you know how the psalmist describes him, he commits his way to the Lord, he trusts in Him, he, in a sense is not seeking a meek man, is not envying someone to seek his own advancement. He is not there to seek his own privilege position, status, he is not there to seek his own, he's not worried about what other people say about him, he's not concerned about that, he's not unduly affected by that, he's not sitting in the corner, pitying himself, he has died to himself, he has entered into this self forgetfulness.

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It's not about me, because I'm surrendered to my God. So, he is gentle, because when people abuse him, he says, "It's okay, it's not about me, I'm serving my God." Gentleness that flows from surrender to God and trust in God, he waits upon the Lord, he frets not, he leaves all things into God's hands, he trusts in Him. So when a man is yielded to God, trust in God, he doesn't need to fight back, he doesn't need to be blazing everyone who is in his path. He doesn't need to come across as - "I got to get this fixed and I will be aggressive until you back down." He doesn't have to do that, he's gentle.

Now, when appropriate, he will, against sin and unrighteousness, but he's not doing it for his own way, he is not doing it so that "I get my way." See that's a very different persona, when meekness is in a man's life.

Joseph Thayer who gives us the Thayer's Lexicon, a kind of a translation tool from Greek-English and so on, he says "Meekness towards God" Alright, it's I think number one a attitude that that must start vertically; "Meekness towards God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good." Like Joseph when he was thrown into prison, he didn't complain, "Aiyoh God why you leave me in prison hah, aiyoh, I was accused by Potiphar's wife leh." He didn't complain; it was a difficult situation, but he still surrenders to and trust in his God. He was not lashing out at people, he was not in a bad mood, he was not, 'Huh, don't get in my way!" Nothing like this, he's calm, patient, cool.

0:16:37.7

"In the Old Testament, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice." So they are not vindictive, they are not retaliatory, they are not harsh. And "Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self interest." Why, it stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all.

So, meekness is gentleness, as a result of surrender to and trust in God. Meekness is not weakness that I read throughout the Bible, there is no place for a Christian to be wimpy and weak. Really, no. I give you some verses in Proverbs, "Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Pro 16:32) You know what's the mark of a real strongman? You know today, you have all these competitions, strongest man, wah, carry the tire, carry the drum, carry what, wah, that strongman. Well,  the Bible tells me, real strength is when you control your spirit, when you're slow to anger, that's great strength.

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There have been many great military leaders, conquered many lands, but they could never conquer what is inside. Well, the Bible tells me, meekness this kind of a controlled gentleness, is great strength. "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." (Pro 25:28) He could earn a lot of money, he could be very successful in business but he is as vulnerable as a defenseless city. "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Pro 28:1) I mean that is what a godly man should be, righteous man is bold, now he's not brash but he's not afraid of standing up for truth and on the other hand, he's not abusive, that's the balance therein.

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So Martin Lloyd Jones, a premier preacher of time past, he says, "Meekness is not weakness, but meekness", this gentleness because of surrender and trust, "does not use its power for its own defense or selfish purposes. Meekness is controlled strength or power completely surrendered to God's control. It is an attitude of heart in which all energies are brought into the perfect control of the Holy Spirit." He's yielded, he's trusting in God.

A W Tozer, he says, "The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life." And what is it? "He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto." Meekness, according to these pastors of time past, they have had a certain understanding of this beautiful virtue.

W E Vine from which you get the Vines dictionary, for those who study the Bible, you want to study the Greek and so on Vines is quite helpful. W E Vine, he says "The common assumption is that when a man is meek, it is because he cannot help himself;" That's why he says, bo pian, no choice. No, the Lord Jesus Christ was meek, not because He had no choice, He had the infinite resources of God at His command,  He could command legions of angels right there and then, but instead of doing that, He said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Jesus didn't say, "Kill them", He says, "Forgive them." Great strength not to vindicate Himself, great strength not to defend Himself, great strength used to bless, amazing. And why was Jesus able to be so meek? Because He was surrendered to, and because He trusts in the Lord. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:23, "Jesus kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." So the Bible tells us, meekness is this gentleness as a result of surrender to and trust in God and that's why, meekness is a distinctive feature of a Christian.

0:21:50.9

The world who do not know God, cannot really live out this meekness. They may look gentle, they may behave gentle, but their gentleness does not spring from a life of surrender to and trust in God. It is a natural disposition maybe, it is a learned behavior maybe, it is part of moral education maybe, but it is not a work of grace, it's not the work of God in a man's life. His centeredness is not God, it's not because of a great vertical relationship that he would have, this horizontal gentleness, but the child of God who knows Jesus, whose heart has been changed, knows God, surrenders to Him, trust Him and outflows this gentleness.

You see, that's why, blessed are the meek, they are God's people. That's the evidence, not a necklace, not a Bible, not coming to church, but a real life heart change. This is not weakness but this is strength under control, powerful amazing virtue.

A story is told of a lady in the US who began driving for the very first time in her life. She drove on one of the roads at a very slow speed at 20 mph. It was not long before a police car came beside her and the police officer says, "Ma'am can you please show me your driving license?" She shows him and, "Ma'am, do you know that you have been driving very slowly?" "Yes, I'm driving at 20, miles per hour." "Do you know that's, that's not appropriate?" "But sir, this is Route 20." "Aah, ma'am, you got it wrong, Route 20 doesn't mean that the speed limit is 20, it just means this is Route number 20." "Oh I got it, I'm so sorry sir, I, I, I know what to do now." So the police officer was leaving when he turned around and saw three ladies at the back of the car and the three ladies were absolutely shocked, frightened, pale, as if all the blood has drained from their face, they look really unwell and so he asked her, "Ma'am are these your friends?" "Yah" "They look really sick. Do you know where the nearby hospital is, I can bring you there." She says, "No, no, no, they will be fine, it's only just that we have turned out from Route 150." Well I think that is meekness. Your car has the power to go at 150, but you can also bring it down to 20. I think meekness is having this strength to control. They are not always going 150, blasting people and defending yourself and trying to get your own way. Now there are times you stand up for righteousness, you're bold as lion, you cleanse the temple as it were. But there's many times where you don't do that because you know it's ultimately self centered and you know that's really not the way it should be, often times. Strength under control.

You know this is such a valuable virtue. It is not only spoken of here in the Beatitudes, but throughout the Scriptures you see this mention of meekness. Colossians 3 tells us, put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy beloved, this compassionate heart, this kindness, this humility, this meekness. It is to be expected in God's people, the chosen ones the elect, the children of God that they will show forth meekness.

Now let me say it once again, it is not that you show these qualities to become a Christian, no, no, no, no, no, nobody gets to be a Christian by doing these things. By the way you can't even do it, because you don't have God in you. But this is saying that when you really are born again of God, when God changes your life, when you're saved, then you will see these things in your life, and it is your joy and privilege to let these qualities blossom in your life, put on, let this be seen, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness. Now all of us would be familiar with what compassion means, kindness means, not very difficult but meekness is like that Cinderella, nobody cares.

But it's one of the most beautiful things, if you ask me, because Jesus says I'm gentle and lowly in heart, I'm meek and lowly in heart because it's one of the key characteristics of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So what should the church be like? When I say church, I'm not talking about the building at all. What should the people of God be like? Sharp, abrasive, harsh, we live in such a world where in the secular realm, in business, in offices we say, if you are not like this, you never get the job done. So, we embrace a certain kind of aggression. Now let it be clear, I'm not saying that the people of God should be nuah and lembeh or whatever you call it in Singapore vernacular, we are sloppy and lazy, I, I don't think so, you pursue excellence and diligence.

But I think the attitude by which we go about our lives it's got to be right here, right here when you need to, you're firm and uncompromising. When you teach your kids you say, you, you don't, "Don't be like that lah, please lah, don't, don't spill the milk again hoh." No, there are times you have to speak to them very firmly, but you're not always harsh with people.

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I think the church should be a people that, that models this more. Calm, forbearing, patient, dying to self, trusting in God. You know how different you will look? When everybody is kang cheong spider, everybody is cutting one another's throat, you are right there, poised and trusting, gentle and gracious.

Wow what a guy and people ask you, "Why, why are you so different?" "Because God has changed my heart." But if we are like the rest of the world how would the world ever know you are a Christian? So we go around wearing big crosses, T-shirts that say 'I'm a Christian' but they look at your life say, "I don't believe you lah."

God's elect, God's chosen ones. Titus 3:2 teach, Paul is writing to Titus and say, you got to teach them, teach the people "to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, to show perfect courtesy toward all people." (Tit 3:2) Wow, so easy to talk bad about someone, especially when someone has offended me, it's easy to do that. But meekness is - no I won't do that, I trust God, I'm surrendered to Him. I don't have to be the one to pull the other guy down. You know David was amazing, David could have, you know the story right, David could have killed Saul. Saul was hunting for David's life and David had the opportunity, golden opportunity to kill Saul, but he says no, I should not do that. Great strength under control.

But we are very quick to kill one another with our words. Well, meekness says no. I want to show perfect courtesy, even to those who may be against me, because you know what, it's really not about me, surrender to God.

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In Ephesians 4, what does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling? What does it mean to be a Christian who walks in the way that glorifies Christ? Well, it says here you will do so with humility and gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Again these, these are the words in the Scriptures. Why do churches split? Oh because doctrines, oh because practices..well I think a lot of times church split because egos, won't let go, I must have my way, I won't tolerate another viewpoint and there's no real humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, he has offended me. That's why the church splits and that's why Paul urges the church at Ephesus, don't do that, walk in the way worthy.

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I think this meekness is particularly applied also to pastors. Now, Paul is now writing to Timothy and he says to Timothy, "the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil," A pastor should expect that, he "corrects his opponents with gentleness." (2Ti 2:24,25) I think today, I read quite a bit about pastoral abuse, not that the people abuse the pastor, though that can happen. But I read about pastoral abuse in that the pastor abuses the church. He becomes more and more and more a dictator in church. You say, where does it all begin, I think when we fail to realize the need for meekness in one's life. We are thankful for this church so far no pastoral abuse I hope, I've not abused you yet and will ever do that, but I think that's a terrible sign, because I think the Lord servant must not be like this, alright.

Now so the church is to be like this, meek, the pastors are supposed to be like this, meek and you know one more group of people that should be like this, you know who? See, nobody knows and if you don't know, how you apply? One more group, sorry? Husbands. Eh, why you all laugh? He is not that far off, by the way. It's to the wives. Aaah all the wives who laugh, now your turn. Actually, I find a specific verse for the wives. 1 Peter 3:4, "let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle" práos, "and a quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

Now today, in affluent Singapore, you want to look good, very easy fly to Korea, two weeks later come back. Okay, you can get that fixed. But that's not what God looks for. What is beautiful and precious in God's sight, is a wife with a heart of such imperishable beauty as that of a gentle práos and quiet spirit. Take it to heart, ladies, this is not my word. This is God, He says, this is very precious, wow.

We live in a day and age where women are as capable as men, if not more capable than men. I think so, I think my wife is more capable than me in many areas. She manages more things that I can, she is like an octopus. You know what ladies are, you can think about and handle so many things at one time. But in a culture that celebrates the equality or rather the significance and great attributes of women, that can come into us, a kind of thinking that says, "Why then should I listen? Why then should I submit? Why then should I yield to you?" Now, I hope I'm not coming across as chauvinistic, because the Bible tells me this is what is valuable. It's understanding your role, it's understanding your calling. Wives beautify yourself with a humble prayer and pursuit that says, "God make me to be more meek, I want to be like Your Son, Jesus Christ." Alright?

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Now I want to say this, meekness again, is a work of God, it's not what you can do, the Bible is very clear, this is the fruit of the Spirit, when a man's heart is worked upon by the Spirit of God, he will demonstrate, he will show forth love, joy, peace and so on, including práos, gentleness, meekness. And I think that's why I ask you in this series to listen with a prayerful heart - Lord, grow me. As I study the Bible, as I pray, as I am involved in community, as I'm engaged in all these means of grace, may that create space and even more space for the Holy Spirit to work in my life, I want to grow in meekness. I hope that's your prayer, I hope that's your desire.

By the way I think that's the wisdom of the Beatitudes. You start with a understanding that you're a beggar, you don't deserve anything. You mourn, you receive mercy and because you know you're nothing, and because you have been given everything, now you're yielded, surrendered to God, you trust Him and you can be meek towards others. That's the work of God in a man's life and heart.

Now, the last thing I want to address is this question you have, 'Aiyoh, like that if I'm meek won't I, won't I lose out? Won't I be a loser?" In Cantonese, "won't I sit dai?" Because nice guys always finish last, right? I mean if I don't stand up and fight for my rights, if I don't tell people what I want, how will I get what I need? I will be seen as a doormat, I'll be rolled over, I've nothing left, I need to stand up and assert my rights. Now we live in a day where everybody talks about my rights, my rights. Now meekness is a very opposite of self assertiveness, remember that, but won't I lose out, what do you think? If you are meek today, won't you lose out in office, you are not so aggressive, in the workplace you are not trying to tear someone down, gossip, aiyoh, won't you sort of lose out, what does the Bible say? Very simple, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Mat 5:5)

What Jesus is saying here is not that when you're meek you always get to the top in your company, you may not, okay, you may not. There's no promise that says, oh I'm very meek now in my office, I'm not fighting for position, I know in some strange way, God will always make me to be the top dog. May not, really, you may not. You may, like in Joseph's case, God elevated Joseph from the prison to being the prime minister, it may happen, but it may not happen.

The promise is not that you'll always succeed in this life, in the way the world looks at it, but the promise is that you, after all this, will inherit the earth. So you're not going to get success all the time, here in this life, but you will definitely have it all in the eternal life, you get that? That takes amazing faith you see. We would give up to God, if we believe in one or two years time, the investments will return.

Now let me tell you, this is a longer-term thing, you surrender, you surrender, you give, you give, you're gracious and gentle, you don't retaliate and it maybe 50, 60 years before you die, and it's only after you die, that you can really experience what it means to be inheriting the earth. So blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. You'll have it all, you will have everything that God desires you to have, the world today fights for the world. Hitler fought for the world, but he could only have it for a short time, even if you consider him having any of it, but the children of God will inherit forever. And, and in the Greek it's very emphatic for they, and only they shall inherit the earth.

The psalmist tells us, "The wicked borrows but does not pay back," (Psa 37:21a) So this is a cheat right, he is a cheat, unscrupulous guy, this is the wicked. What happens to the wicked, the wicked will borrows but does not pay back, he seems to prosper, he seems to cheat, he seems to get away with his scams, look at the last phrase, "but those cursed by Him shall be cut off." (Psa 37:22b) The wicked are those who will be cursed, who will be cut off, they will pay for their sins. But those who are broken about their sins, those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who come to God for mercy, those will be the righteous, because they received the righteousness of Christ and the righteous are like the meek, they are the meek and they will be generous and they will give, they are not self assertive, but they're generous and these are those who are blessed by the Lord and they will inherit the land.

You look at the theology of the psalmist in Psalm 37, you inherit the land. Give instead of grab, grab, grab, prove I'm right, prove I'm right, give, it's okay to me, it's okay, if people rail accusation against you, you, you do not have to fight back. Now you can defend, but you don't have to fight back, because you will be blessed.

1 Corinthians tells us all things are yours, all are yours. I tell you if you really belong to Jesus today, all things are yours. You don't have to be jealous over someone's Lamborghini. You don't have to be jealous about someone's gourmet food that they eat every day. You don't have to be envious of your friend who is living in a penthouse somewhere, you don't have to. All things are yours, you may not possess them yet, but don't worry, you will possess them in time to come. As in 2 Corinthians 6, it says "as having nothing but yet possessing everything." (2Cor 6:10b) So when you know how blessed and how endowed you are, then you can trust, you can surrender, you can be gentle.

Spurgeon says, 'Blessed are the gentle, those who are ready to be thought nothing of. They are lowly-minded, and are ready to give up their portion in the earth; therefore it shall come back to them. They neither boast, nor contend, nor exult over others, yet are they heirs of all the good which God has created on the face of the earth.' They don't have to fight, they don't have to boast, they know that they will be theirs. What a blessed way to live, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Is that you? There's so much lacking in my life, when it comes to this beatitude, but that's our journey, "Lord, may Christ be formed in me, I want to grow as a Christian." Not just knowledge, not just Bible verses, you need to go to the Bible, go to the Bible but in going through the Bible, you are saying, "God, may you form Christ in me, that I will be poor in spirit, I'll mourn over my sins, I will be broken over my sins and not just brush it off and I'll be a man yielded, surrendered, gentle towards others."

You know why you should be like this, because your King is like this. The people of the kingdom will be like this, because the King is like this. Our King is gentle and lowly in heart, our King, by the way Jesus is not a wimp alright, one day He's going to come in the second coming, and wipe out those who reject Him. Great strength, but our King towards those who will come as beggars, He's meek, He's not going to crush you. He wants to save you and I pray you will come to Jesus today, as you see your sins, I tell you there's a loving Savior with His arms stretched wide, that says, "Turn from your sin and believe upon Me to have eternal life." Our King is meek.

Before I end, I just want to add one more thought - Matthew 11:29, I didn't quote the whole verse, because the very last phrase goes, "and you will find rest for your souls." They who will learn of Jesus and learn of the humility and meekness of Jesus, will find rest. You say how? What does it mean, what does it mean when I learned about Jesus and His meekness, I'm rested in my soul?

You know why many people are not rested in their soul? Well because they've not learned of Jesus, but why, how does it work? Tozer's one quote, I think is very helpful, "Jesus calls us to His rest," Many people are not at rest, because they are not coming to Jesus and we're not coming to Him because we don't realize that "meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all, who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort." The world is very restless because they are always trying to prove himself, man is restless because they're trying to say, I'm worth this, I'm worth this, I am worth this, I'm worth this, look at me, look at me, I've got to climb, I've got to climb, I've got to trample over people, I've got to fight for my rights, I've got to prove that I'm better, I'm, I have to do all these, otherwise, I'm not recognized, I don't have assurance of who I'm.

But the meek man says, no, I know who I am in Jesus Christ, I'm going to learn of Jesus, I'm just going to live my life for the audience of One, and you know what, you'll find rest, because you don't have to please everyone, you please God, you please Jesus, there you find rest, may you enter into this rest.

0:47:19.3

Let's bow for a word of prayer together. The world is a very cruel master, it's hard to live in this world, hard to live for the opinions of men, judgments of men, it's tiring to constantly try to prove yourself. But let me tell you God's estimation of you, you are a beggar, you are a bankrupt, but God loves those who come as beggars. I want to say to you today, Jesus welcomes bankrupts.

I pray this morning, you will humble yourself and come and find this rest in Christ. Find that there's only One who is worthy of your service, of your life. There's only One who will love you and pay for all your sins. His name is Jesus, God's Son born into this world, amazingly, 2000 years ago. God of infinite majesty, but humbled Himself, in meekness, born in a manger to die for you on the cross. Would you today come to this glorious, meek and majestic King, Jesus Christ for such is the kingdom of heaven.

I pray this morning, you will search your heart and see if there be evidence of life change. Chiefly, a poverty of spirit, a mourning over sin and a pattern of meekness in your life. That's how I know if I'm growing in the faith, that's how you know if you're growing in the faith, not mere knowledge, but life change. So pray to God, Lord grow me here, make me more like Jesus and may all today worship this King, meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, in perfect harmony, Jesus Christ, King's speech. Father we thank You this morning again for Your Word. Bless it now to each and every heart, that those who will need to repent and believe in Christ would have the opportunity to do so as Your Spirit works. For those who need to repent of our brashness, our self vindictiveness or even bitterness in our hearts, Lord, grant us liberation, freedom, as we come clean to you and as we believe and appropriate the power to change in Your Spirit. We ask today that all eyes will behold Christ as we experience the difficulty of living out a life of meekness, we are amazed at our King, who exemplified perfect meekness, may we praise Him, may we glorify Him, may we serve Him, so be with everyone here today. We thank You in Jesus Name, Amen.

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