Sunday, October 20, 2024

Blessed Are The Meek

"This is How We Live"
Sermon series: Citizen: Living in the Reality of Two Kingdoms
Clay Smith JFBC

JFBC is looking at how best to expand due to capacity and growth.

It's easy to welcome a Trojan Horse into our lives , buying into the current political climate. If Clay gets too into politics he adopts an us vs them mentality. Jesus was countercultural. Is the Beatitudes a description of me?

Matthew 5:5...Blessed are in the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

Gentle = Meek. Clay likes the New American Standard, but the best translation is any one that you will read.

Understanding meekness: restrained power and strength. Jesus was meek.

Matt 11:28-29...come to me and I will give you rest…Jesus gives us an instrument of work, a yoke so we can work with God's power. God is big and powerful but is also approachable.

We are not called to bring heaven to earth, that is God's prerogative

Meekness is not…
1. Natural. Not a temperament. Requires having  the Holy Spirit. Clay discusses professional wrestling. Andre the Giant out of the ring was gentle, but without Christ that is not proper meekness.
2. Arrogant. We are bent towards sin at our core, without Christ. Meekness is the opposite of arrogance. Moses. Daniel. King David made mistakes but was dependent on the Lord. Mary. Jesus. Phil 2: one day every knee will bow.
3. Weak. The Chronicles of Narnia. Jesus was depicted as a lion, strong, not weak. Aslan was not weak but was not safe. William Tyndall called out the king, and was burned at the stake. He prayed Lord open the eyes of the king.
4. Defensive. We don't have to defend who we are. Authority is only given by God. Meekness is poise
5. Vindictive. We don't have to punish others Romans 12:17-20 "do not repay evil for evil…vengeance is mine says the Lord". We live in a world without grace.
 
Meekness Leads To Two Outcomes…
1. Satisfaction and contentment. Christ gives us strength. He's all we need. Psalm 37:11 contrasts the wicked and the righteous.
2. If we are truly meek, we have a shared sovereignty. We are given the chance to be co-regieners with Christ.

1 Corinthians 16: we will judge the angels. 
Revelation 22:5: we will reign forever. Don't be concerned about earthly politics. We should be more concerned about heavenly issues, and the condition of our own hearts.

Application: meekness grows when we are open and receptive to the work of the God's Word in our hearts and lives. Instead of watching Fox News all day.

James 1:19-21: be slow to speak and quick to hear. Man's anger will not bring the righteousness of God. Instead spend time reading God's word. God promises to remain present in our lives.

Jim Key book recommendation: Strengths to Strengths. Your analytical skills may peak around 30, then as the years pass and analytical skills fade, wisdom and experience and knowledge can make up for it. Older people have to work harder.  How old was the guy who wrote this? Seems like older people don't mind working harder.

Sunday School notes: Dan Rice

Luke 5:1-11...Peter James and John left everything to follow Jesus. They obeyed and cast their nets despite having already done so unsuccessfully.

1. When Peter told Jesus to go away, Jesus stayed with Peter.

2. Jesus will use the people who obey Him, even if they first doubt, even if their obedience isn't perfect.

3. Peter suddenly has this clear picture of who Jesus is, in relation to who Peter is.

4. They treasured Christ above all, leaving everything behind to follow Jesus, including a fortune in fish.

27 in class.

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