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Matthew chapter 11 and verse 29.

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Jesus said, you know the text, take my

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yoke upon you and learn of me for

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I am meek and lowly in heart and

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ye shall find rest unto your souls.

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I read the text from the authorized version,

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not because I believe the authorized version, that

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is the King James version, is somehow more

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inspired than any other version of the Bible,

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although there are some who actually believe that,

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you know, they believe that Paul and Peter

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and John spoke in King James English.

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Nor did I read the text because I

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feel that all other English translations are somehow

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inferior, no.

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I read the authorized version because of one

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word and the word is meek.

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It's the only English translation that uses that.

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All the modern, even my beloved new King

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James uses the same word that your English

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standard version uses or the new American standard

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version uses and it's gentle.

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And while the word meekness can mean gentle,

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I don't think it's the best word to

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convey what Jesus was trying to say to

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those that day.

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I think meek is the appropriate word and

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should not be interpreted merely as gentleness because

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meekness is more than gentleness.

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Jesus wasn't always gentle.

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Remember Lucy's question about Aslan?

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Is he safe?

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And the answer was, no, he's not safe,

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but he's good.

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Jesus was not always gentle, especially with those

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who desecrated his father's house.

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Remember, he made a whip out of cords

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and drove out the money changers and turned

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over the tables.

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He wasn't very gentle as he lamented the

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religious condition of his day and the leaders

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when he called them, you brood of vipers.

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I mean, you know, those are fighting words

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and they took the challenge and not very

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many days hence they crucified him.

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Now he wasn't always gentle, but he was

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always meek.

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Is it wrong to interpret the word meek,

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gentle?

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No, not wrong, but you can't just leave

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it with gentleness.

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Meekness is much more than that.

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It's much deeper than that.

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It gets to the very character of a

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person.

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit

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the earth.

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The very first beatitude, the beginning beatitude, blessed

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are the meek.

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It's one of the qualities that is absolutely

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foundational and necessary for you and I as

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Christians.

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The Christian life cannot be lived as the

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New Testament orders without meekness.

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You've got to be a meek person.

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Why?

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Because Jesus was meek.

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If a whole goal of God in saving

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you is to conform you to the image

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of his son, then no wonder Jesus would

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say, it's time for your lesson.

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And here it is, learn of me for

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I am meek and lowly.

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Jesus is bidding you to come into his

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classroom.

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He's instructing you here this evening.

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Christ is here.

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One of the most blessed thoughts that I

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know that warms my heart is that he

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is omnipresent and that means he's always with

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me no matter where I go, whether I

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was in Portland, Maine last weekend or here

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I am this weekend with you.

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Wherever I am, there he is.

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And he's in this room tonight to teach

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us.

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And what will he teach you?

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What will he teach me?

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How to be like him?

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Learn of me.

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And the thing that he says is I'm

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meek.

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This is a remarkable statement.

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He could have said many different things.

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Could he not?

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He said he could have said I am

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mighty, but he does not say I am

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mighty.

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Learn of me.

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Why?

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Because your mind is not in you.

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It's not some self-help trick or remedy

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to make us strong.

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No, no.

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Our strength is his.

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Be strong in the Lord and the power

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of his mind.

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He could say be holy.

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Learn of me for I am holy.

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That he is.

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But he doesn't say that.

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He says be meek because I believe one

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of the chief attributes of God is his

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meekness, his humility.

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Now Jesus uses two words here, meekness and

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lowly or humble humility.

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What's the difference between the two?

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Really, actually none whatsoever.

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They both really are synonyms, mean the same

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thing.

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However, I do think if you must draw

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a distinction, if you must examine the frog's

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hair, you will find that meekness is really

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even foundational to humility.

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I think meekness is the attitude that drives

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humility.

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Meekness is the cornerstone to humility.

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Humility is your attitude about yourself in relationship

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to others.

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You don't seek the high end, you seek

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the low end.

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In other words, you don't seek the crown,

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you seek the feet to wash them as

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Christ did to serve one another.

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The word really humble means to put yourself

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low to the ground.

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It's not to take the exalted position, but

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to be willing to be a servant.

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That's behavior, that's actions.

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But those actions come out of a heart

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motivated by meekness.

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So what is meekness?

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For years I defined it as I'd heard

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others define it, velvet covered steel.

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Have you ever heard it that way?

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The idea is, is it strength?

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It's again, gentle.

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It's strength, not being abusive.

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It's strength that's not weak.

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But then again, that metaphor, I think we

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miss really what Jesus is and what he's

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asking us to learn with him.

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And so after years of experience, years of

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study, years of asking Lord, what is, what

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are you?

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Wouldn't you say you're meek?

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What do you mean?

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I think over the years I've come to

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understand this and here's my definition.

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And if you want to write it down

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fine, but just remember where you heard it,

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I expect some royalties.

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No, I'm just teasing.

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Meekness is the ability to be virtuous without

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feeling the necessity to prove it.

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Now, I want to prove that to you

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right now.

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What is meekness?

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It's the ability to be virtuous without feeling

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the necessity to prove it.

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There has never been man more virtuous than

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Christ.

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He was perfect in his attribute and in

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his character.

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He walked blameless before his father.

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There was no variableness, no shadow of turning

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with him.

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He was the same yesterday, today, and forever.

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He was perfect in his attitude.

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He was perfect in his ways and he

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felt no need to defend his perfection or

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his obedience.

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Do you ever see him defending his righteousness?

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Do you ever see him being challenged, defending

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his personal character?

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This is meekness.

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Here, I think you find the word's definition

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in Jesus himself.

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Meekness is this amazing ability as well as

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quality to be virtuous without feeling the need

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to prove to others that you're virtuous.

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It means really to take no pride in

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your righteousness.

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To take no pride in your righteousness.

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It is to be right without insisting you

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are right.

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Husbands, I might want to suggest that.

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Wives, I might want to suggest that to

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you.

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You know he's wrong and that you are

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right, but meekness says I won't insist upon

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it.

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It's to have the moral courage to stand

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for what is right without being wounded if

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you're accused of being wrong.

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And perhaps the best way to describe it

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is this.

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Meekness is the Christ-like attribute that only

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cares what God thinks about you and trusts

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him with your reputation.

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Look at Jesus.

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See him there before the Sanhedrin.

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What is the charge?

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The charge is one.

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Singular.

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You are a blasphemer.

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You've made yourself equal to God.

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You're worthy of death.

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And this is the accusation.

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This is the charge that brings the judgment

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of the Sanhedrin and all the nation of

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Israel against Jesus.

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He hangs on the cross with who?

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Malfactors.

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Criminals.

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But never was there a man hanging on

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a cross that was more right.

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In fact, not only was he more right

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than any other man hanging on a cross,

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he was perfectly right.

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He was the very epitome of righteousness.

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He is the very revelation of God the

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Father in all of his perfections.

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For the word was made flesh and we

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beheld his glory, the glory of the only

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begotten, full of grace and truth.

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And yet he's hanging on that cross as

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a criminal, as a wrongdoer, as a sinner.

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And he's perfectly willing to take to himself

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such titles and to be thought of and

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to be despised.

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That's meekness.

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That's meekness.

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My wife, Karen, asked me a question about

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a statement she was reading in the book.

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The book was Corrie Ten Boom's book, Tramp

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for the Lord.

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I don't know if you've ever read it.

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And she asked me while she was reading,

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what do you think she meant when she

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said this?

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And then she read the statement.

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It's easier to surrender one's sins than one's

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virtues.

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Let me repeat that because it's kind of

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tricky.

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It's easier to surrender one's sins than one's

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virtues.

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What did she mean by that?

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That was Karen's question.

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Well, you got to understand the event in

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her life that prompted this statement.

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She was being detained in the airport right

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after World War Two.

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If you don't know anything about Corrie Ten

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Boom, her and her sister were arrested by

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the Gestapo, Nazi Germany, the secret police for

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harboring Jews.

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That was a felony.

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It was a criminal case to do so.

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And they were caught.

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Her whole family, her father and her brother

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died in a concentration camp.

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And her sister Betty also died.

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And she would had not God and his

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providence had her released.

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And it's after the war.

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00:11:41,970 --> 00:11:45,470
And she's traveling, preaching, sharing the gospel about

279
00:11:45,470 --> 00:11:48,350
her events and learn and life in concentration

280
00:11:48,350 --> 00:11:48,990
camp.

281
00:11:49,510 --> 00:11:51,950
And she's crossed the border into an unnamed

282
00:11:51,950 --> 00:11:53,310
country to share the gospel.

283
00:11:53,550 --> 00:11:56,070
And she was asked by the customs agent

284
00:11:56,070 --> 00:11:57,750
if she had anything to declare.

285
00:11:57,990 --> 00:12:00,970
Well, she had taken out of her suitcase,

286
00:12:01,190 --> 00:12:04,430
one pair, a single pair of nylon stockings

287
00:12:04,430 --> 00:12:05,870
and laid it on the top of her

288
00:12:05,870 --> 00:12:08,770
suitcase and told this agent, customs agent, she

289
00:12:08,770 --> 00:12:10,870
was declaring her stockings.

290
00:12:11,210 --> 00:12:13,010
He only saw the one pair that she

291
00:12:13,010 --> 00:12:13,650
put on.

292
00:12:13,850 --> 00:12:15,970
And when he rifled through her rest of

293
00:12:15,970 --> 00:12:19,110
her luggage, he found three more and said

294
00:12:19,110 --> 00:12:21,350
that she accused her of lying to him.

295
00:12:21,510 --> 00:12:22,690
You only declared one.

296
00:12:22,730 --> 00:12:23,710
You've got four.

297
00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:26,410
And she tried to explain to the man

298
00:12:26,410 --> 00:12:28,710
that she just simply put them, the one

299
00:12:28,710 --> 00:12:30,610
pair on top of her suitcase as an

300
00:12:30,610 --> 00:12:32,350
example of what she had to declare.

301
00:12:32,450 --> 00:12:34,550
She never said how many she had.

302
00:12:35,390 --> 00:12:38,050
And he began to attack her honesty by

303
00:12:38,050 --> 00:12:41,030
accusing her of lying to him.

304
00:12:42,150 --> 00:12:44,950
But he refused to believe her and proceeded

305
00:12:44,950 --> 00:12:48,590
to carefully inspect everything that she was bringing

306
00:12:48,590 --> 00:12:50,010
in all of her luggage.

307
00:12:50,270 --> 00:12:52,710
And the delay caused her to miss her

308
00:12:52,710 --> 00:12:53,350
next flight.

309
00:12:54,610 --> 00:12:57,430
She stated that she was offended by the

310
00:12:57,430 --> 00:12:59,670
man for not trusting her.

311
00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:01,470
What was her problem that day?

312
00:13:01,810 --> 00:13:02,830
The customs agent?

313
00:13:03,010 --> 00:13:04,150
No, it wasn't.

314
00:13:04,270 --> 00:13:05,390
It was her pride.

315
00:13:06,190 --> 00:13:07,970
Her pride had been wounded.

316
00:13:08,450 --> 00:13:11,250
And it was then in that moment, in

317
00:13:11,250 --> 00:13:14,610
that story of her life, she learned that

318
00:13:14,610 --> 00:13:18,130
it was less difficult to repent of your

319
00:13:18,130 --> 00:13:20,050
vices than your virtues.

320
00:13:22,470 --> 00:13:24,410
Miss Tim Boone put much value in her

321
00:13:24,410 --> 00:13:24,890
integrity.

322
00:13:25,130 --> 00:13:27,690
And when it was attacked, she became angry

323
00:13:27,690 --> 00:13:28,630
and defensive.

324
00:13:29,970 --> 00:13:32,170
Now, do you understand what she meant?

325
00:13:32,230 --> 00:13:33,630
And isn't that true?

326
00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:38,670
We're ready and willing to repent when God

327
00:13:38,670 --> 00:13:40,050
exposes our sins.

328
00:13:41,110 --> 00:13:44,390
But are you willing to repent your pride

329
00:13:44,390 --> 00:13:45,490
and your righteousness?

330
00:13:46,590 --> 00:13:49,070
And the problem is we often are proud

331
00:13:49,070 --> 00:13:50,970
and don't even know how proud we are.

332
00:13:51,390 --> 00:13:54,750
But let your character be attacked, whether it

333
00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:56,550
be from a spouse or a family member

334
00:13:56,550 --> 00:13:57,650
or a rank stranger.

335
00:13:57,970 --> 00:13:59,530
Let them doubt your integrity.

336
00:13:59,630 --> 00:14:02,350
Let them question your motives and see how

337
00:14:02,350 --> 00:14:03,350
the anger rages.

338
00:14:03,710 --> 00:14:06,190
See how you feel then and you will

339
00:14:06,190 --> 00:14:08,250
know how meek you really are.

340
00:14:08,510 --> 00:14:10,330
Here is our Lord Jesus.

341
00:14:10,730 --> 00:14:14,430
He is crucified as an enemy of God,

342
00:14:14,750 --> 00:14:18,470
cursed by man and even cursed by God.

343
00:14:18,570 --> 00:14:19,950
And he was willing to suffer.

344
00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:20,650
Why?

345
00:14:21,250 --> 00:14:23,230
Because he was meek.

346
00:14:23,670 --> 00:14:25,470
You said he suffered because of me.

347
00:14:25,590 --> 00:14:26,610
Well, of course he did.

348
00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:28,130
Yes, no doubt.

349
00:14:28,590 --> 00:14:30,110
But it wasn't forced.

350
00:14:31,370 --> 00:14:33,490
This is the nature of our God.

351
00:14:34,490 --> 00:14:35,650
He's meek.

352
00:14:36,230 --> 00:14:37,110
He's lowly.

353
00:14:37,670 --> 00:14:38,510
He's humble.

354
00:14:38,950 --> 00:14:41,250
Do you know how humble your God is?

355
00:14:42,390 --> 00:14:43,850
Do you know how far he has to

356
00:14:43,850 --> 00:14:45,770
step down to come and talk to you

357
00:14:45,770 --> 00:14:46,790
and fellowship with you?

358
00:14:47,750 --> 00:14:49,530
We sang some great hymns.

359
00:14:50,150 --> 00:14:52,650
It wasn't the power of the stanzas that

360
00:14:52,650 --> 00:14:54,050
brought him down from heaven.

361
00:14:54,650 --> 00:14:55,150
No, no.

362
00:14:55,510 --> 00:14:59,210
It was his meekness, his willingness to condescend

363
00:14:59,210 --> 00:15:03,910
and rub soldiers' hearts, his heart with our

364
00:15:03,910 --> 00:15:06,770
heart, with people who deserve it not.

365
00:15:07,770 --> 00:15:09,630
Oh yeah, you're his child, but you don't

366
00:15:09,630 --> 00:15:11,290
deserve any of God's loving kindness.

367
00:15:11,570 --> 00:15:12,990
I'll tell you how far he has to

368
00:15:12,990 --> 00:15:14,090
condescend to do that.

369
00:15:14,390 --> 00:15:14,910
Infinity.

370
00:15:18,530 --> 00:15:19,050
Infinity.

371
00:15:19,530 --> 00:15:20,490
And he does so.

372
00:15:20,610 --> 00:15:21,870
He delights to do so.

373
00:15:22,150 --> 00:15:24,170
He feels no less in doing so.

374
00:15:24,210 --> 00:15:24,550
Why?

375
00:15:24,890 --> 00:15:26,470
Because he's meek and lowly.

376
00:15:29,790 --> 00:15:32,310
Well, that's a tall order, isn't it?

377
00:15:33,370 --> 00:15:35,350
It's kind of hard to keep my spirit

378
00:15:35,350 --> 00:15:36,990
contained talking about this.

379
00:15:38,630 --> 00:15:41,430
Trying to preserve the voice, but my heart

380
00:15:41,430 --> 00:15:42,890
tells me, pump it out.

381
00:15:44,210 --> 00:15:45,870
You're bragging on Jesus.

382
00:15:46,310 --> 00:15:48,530
How can you do that softly and quietly?

383
00:15:50,910 --> 00:15:52,730
Well, it's a tall order, isn't it?

384
00:15:53,150 --> 00:15:54,230
Learn of me.

385
00:15:54,970 --> 00:15:58,610
Be willing to repent of your virtues as

386
00:15:58,610 --> 00:15:59,850
well as your vices.

387
00:16:00,330 --> 00:16:02,290
Be willing to take no pride in your

388
00:16:02,290 --> 00:16:03,690
spiritual advancement.

389
00:16:04,250 --> 00:16:06,850
Be willing to advance and have no one

390
00:16:06,850 --> 00:16:09,830
recognize your achievement.

391
00:16:11,150 --> 00:16:12,090
Learn of me.

392
00:16:12,670 --> 00:16:13,890
How do you do that?

393
00:16:14,130 --> 00:16:16,990
Well, let me explain that the foundation of

394
00:16:16,990 --> 00:16:19,370
meekness requires one thing.

395
00:16:20,330 --> 00:16:22,710
You want to be meek like Jesus, you've

396
00:16:22,710 --> 00:16:24,570
got to have one of his qualities, and

397
00:16:24,570 --> 00:16:27,350
that is a real desire for God's will.

398
00:16:29,050 --> 00:16:31,870
Turn in your Bibles to John 19 verses

399
00:16:31,870 --> 00:16:32,650
10 and 11.

400
00:16:32,910 --> 00:16:36,090
John's gospel, chapter 19, beginning with verse 10.

401
00:16:42,370 --> 00:16:44,470
I'll give you all that I have tonight,

402
00:16:45,490 --> 00:16:48,650
and Karen and mom and Victoria will have

403
00:16:48,650 --> 00:16:50,470
just but a whisper tomorrow, and they'll probably

404
00:16:50,470 --> 00:16:51,110
be happy.

405
00:16:53,710 --> 00:16:56,410
John 19, beginning with verse 10, then Pilate

406
00:16:56,410 --> 00:16:58,150
said to him, he's on trial.

407
00:16:59,370 --> 00:17:00,850
Jesus is on trial.

408
00:17:01,170 --> 00:17:02,750
Are you not speaking to me?

409
00:17:03,950 --> 00:17:05,030
Notice the question.

410
00:17:05,329 --> 00:17:06,530
Do you not know that I have power

411
00:17:06,530 --> 00:17:08,270
to crucify you and power to release you?

412
00:17:08,510 --> 00:17:10,150
Notice what Jesus answers.

413
00:17:11,210 --> 00:17:13,670
Jesus answered, you could have no power at

414
00:17:13,670 --> 00:17:16,230
all against me unless it had been given

415
00:17:16,230 --> 00:17:17,890
you from above.

416
00:17:18,130 --> 00:17:21,210
Therefore, the one who's delivered me to you

417
00:17:21,210 --> 00:17:22,810
as the greater sin, what's his answer?

418
00:17:24,770 --> 00:17:26,310
Sovereign will of God, his father.

419
00:17:29,810 --> 00:17:31,250
I can set you free.

420
00:17:31,870 --> 00:17:33,750
Why don't you just answer my questions?

421
00:17:34,670 --> 00:17:36,950
And even without answering the questions, what was

422
00:17:36,950 --> 00:17:38,050
Pilate's declaration?

423
00:17:38,570 --> 00:17:39,530
What was his finding?

424
00:17:39,630 --> 00:17:40,910
I find no fault in this man.

425
00:17:40,910 --> 00:17:41,370
Right.

426
00:17:42,790 --> 00:17:48,410
And Jesus does not concern himself that he

427
00:17:48,410 --> 00:17:49,550
could be released.

428
00:17:50,050 --> 00:17:52,910
The only thing that he desires is the

429
00:17:52,910 --> 00:17:55,330
father's will to be done.

430
00:17:55,530 --> 00:17:59,730
My friends, that is a sure sign of

431
00:17:59,730 --> 00:18:01,270
your meekness.

432
00:18:01,770 --> 00:18:03,390
How do you know if you're meek?

433
00:18:03,570 --> 00:18:04,690
Let me give you an example.

434
00:18:05,070 --> 00:18:07,470
You can remember this, I pray, and see

435
00:18:07,470 --> 00:18:09,130
if you pass the test of meekness.

436
00:18:09,230 --> 00:18:13,850
Meekness is evidenced by the sign, this sign.

437
00:18:15,530 --> 00:18:20,070
You experience complete peace when obstacles arise to

438
00:18:20,070 --> 00:18:20,850
your plans.

439
00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:25,800
When you are at perfect peace, even when

440
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,200
all of your plans have fallen through and

441
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,000
have been destroyed, and yet you can rejoice,

442
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,060
that means you are a meek man or

443
00:18:36,060 --> 00:18:36,460
woman.

444
00:18:37,580 --> 00:18:39,700
Why can you and how can you do

445
00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:39,880
that?

446
00:18:39,980 --> 00:18:42,960
When you desire God's will above all things,

447
00:18:43,060 --> 00:18:46,960
then problems give you no worry or fear.

448
00:18:47,180 --> 00:18:49,880
Rather, they give you a kind of pleasure.

449
00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:53,980
This is why meek people are so misunderstood.

450
00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,240
The world cannot savvy how you tick.

451
00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:00,580
They don't understand what pleases you.

452
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:01,700
And it's simple.

453
00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,960
What pleases me is God's will.

454
00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,040
I'm most delighted when God's will is being

455
00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:09,000
accomplished.

456
00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,000
And that means that when a problem does

457
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,600
arise, when my plans are thwarted or brought

458
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,140
to a screeching halt, I have a new

459
00:19:19,140 --> 00:19:21,520
opportunity to see God's power.

460
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:24,680
This is the attitude of Christ as he

461
00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:26,240
stands there before Pilate.

462
00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:27,960
He's not worried about it.

463
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,900
He knows that God's will will be done,

464
00:19:31,020 --> 00:19:33,880
and that's all he desires.

465
00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:35,900
Let me give you another example from a

466
00:19:35,900 --> 00:19:36,320
meek man.

467
00:19:36,420 --> 00:19:38,040
Who was the meekest man on all the

468
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,040
earth described as such in the Old Testament?

469
00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:42,480
His name is Moses.

470
00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:47,760
And an example of meekness, again, gentleness is

471
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,500
not the right word, I don't think.

472
00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,640
I think it's much deeper and stronger than

473
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:53,060
that.

474
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,740
The example of Moses' meekness is never more,

475
00:19:56,740 --> 00:19:59,420
I think, better illustrated than in the crossing

476
00:19:59,420 --> 00:20:00,280
of the Red Sea.

477
00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,320
Moses and the children of Israel were clearly

478
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,480
manifested, showing that Moses was meek and the

479
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:11,380
people were not.

480
00:20:12,540 --> 00:20:15,100
The Red Sea did not discourage Moses.

481
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,480
He realized that this afforded him and Israel

482
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,220
to see the intervention of the Lord.

483
00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,640
He knew they would see the mighty hand

484
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,220
of God, and they did.

485
00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:29,540
But the people worried, complained, murmured, and said,

486
00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:31,840
isn't this the reason we told you we

487
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,500
didn't want to come out with you?

488
00:20:34,460 --> 00:20:37,380
Is it because there were no graves in

489
00:20:37,380 --> 00:20:38,460
Egypt you brought us out here?

490
00:20:38,620 --> 00:20:42,320
That was their complaint after seeing the ten

491
00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:43,700
powerful miracles.

492
00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:45,040
Why?

493
00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:47,720
Because they're meek, not meek as he is.

494
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,580
They couldn't see what Moses saw.

495
00:20:51,860 --> 00:20:53,480
You think Moses knew what to do?

496
00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:53,940
No.

497
00:20:54,180 --> 00:20:55,440
He's praying too, remember?

498
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:57,760
And God tells him to get up.

499
00:20:57,860 --> 00:20:58,680
What are you praying for?

500
00:21:00,140 --> 00:21:02,140
Tell the people to go straight forward.

501
00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,060
Moses is praying because he's just simply needing

502
00:21:06,060 --> 00:21:09,180
instructions, and God seems to insinuate, Moses, you

503
00:21:09,180 --> 00:21:10,560
don't need instruction, you ought to know.

504
00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:11,540
So what?

505
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:13,200
The Egyptians are behind you, so what the

506
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:13,680
Red Sea?

507
00:21:14,020 --> 00:21:14,900
Just watch me.

508
00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,160
No obstacle comes your way except by my

509
00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,520
divine permission, and I mean to do something

510
00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:20,940
with it.

511
00:21:21,060 --> 00:21:21,860
Show my power.

512
00:21:24,020 --> 00:21:29,540
And when you are so carried away, delighted,

513
00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:32,260
and enthralled with God's will, you never will

514
00:21:32,260 --> 00:21:34,620
see an obstacle again the same way.

515
00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,920
That is at the heart of meekness, and

516
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:40,560
that's how you know you're meek or not.

517
00:21:41,260 --> 00:21:43,280
What happens when the schedule goes awry?

518
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,580
What happens when there's not enough money to

519
00:21:46,580 --> 00:21:47,820
stretch to cover the bills?

520
00:21:48,380 --> 00:21:51,920
What happens when the doctor's diagnosis is not

521
00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:52,740
what you'd hoped?

522
00:21:54,780 --> 00:21:56,460
What rules your spirit?

523
00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,240
The peace of God, the joy of knowing

524
00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,560
that God's will will be accomplished, and that

525
00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,700
he will have an opportunity to manifest himself

526
00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:08,740
to you in a very special and extraordinary

527
00:22:08,740 --> 00:22:12,800
way, or do you collapse under fear, anxiety,

528
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:13,460
and worry?

529
00:22:15,140 --> 00:22:17,660
You may accurately discern the degree of your

530
00:22:17,660 --> 00:22:19,280
surrender to the will of God in any

531
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:23,020
matter by the measure of impatience you feel

532
00:22:23,020 --> 00:22:25,140
at any obstacle in your way.

533
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,300
To the degree self-will controls you, to

534
00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:31,280
that degree you will feel anxious or angry

535
00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,140
whenever your plans are hindered, instead of resting

536
00:22:35,140 --> 00:22:36,220
in what?

537
00:22:36,460 --> 00:22:40,200
Desperate dependency upon the Lord, leaving all difficulties

538
00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:41,800
of the Lord to deal as he pleases.

539
00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:45,500
You'll manipulate, maneuver, and scheme, and struggle to

540
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,980
remove the obstacles and fulfill your plans.

541
00:22:48,780 --> 00:22:51,080
That's not meekness, that's the opposite.

542
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,760
Jesus said, learn of me for I'm meek

543
00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,000
and I'm lonely.

544
00:22:59,060 --> 00:23:00,220
I'm not there.

545
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,520
I need some more schooling in the school

546
00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:09,060
of Jesus, but I am learning that his

547
00:23:09,060 --> 00:23:10,020
will is best.

548
00:23:10,900 --> 00:23:14,580
I am learning to start looking at my

549
00:23:14,580 --> 00:23:16,920
problems differently.

550
00:23:18,540 --> 00:23:21,480
I'm now learning what a fellow told me

551
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:22,540
many, many years ago.

552
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,020
He would never use the word problem.

553
00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:26,960
He always substituted the word opportunity for the

554
00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:27,640
word problem.

555
00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:32,000
Well, that was just a self-help suggestion.

556
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,420
It was something he'd learned in sales training,

557
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,560
but now this has nothing to do about

558
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:41,280
sales training and achieving some goal, financial goal,

559
00:23:41,460 --> 00:23:43,180
or some strata in the company.

560
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,220
No, no, this is the will of God

561
00:23:46,220 --> 00:23:49,540
to see that every difficulty, every hindrance, every

562
00:23:49,540 --> 00:23:52,480
obstacle is an opportunity.

563
00:23:53,700 --> 00:23:56,280
Here's how, two ways, it's always an opportunity.

564
00:23:56,460 --> 00:23:59,020
One of two ways, either God has allowed

565
00:23:59,020 --> 00:24:02,000
the obstacle to come in order to display

566
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,740
his power, or secondly, he's stopping you from

567
00:24:05,740 --> 00:24:07,520
doing something he doesn't want you to do.

568
00:24:07,620 --> 00:24:09,540
Either way, God's will wins.

569
00:24:11,860 --> 00:24:14,500
So why shouldn't you rejoice and be at

570
00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:14,760
peace?

571
00:24:14,820 --> 00:24:19,700
You can't lose if you're meek, but the

572
00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:21,660
opposite of meekness is, no, no, we got

573
00:24:21,660 --> 00:24:24,300
to solve this, and the problem solvers among

574
00:24:24,300 --> 00:24:27,200
us, the task-oriented kind of individuals in

575
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,700
this room get to work, and the strategy

576
00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:32,340
comes to life.

577
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:34,200
You lay awake at night, and you get

578
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:35,800
an idea, and you can't wait till the

579
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,560
crack of dawn to put it into practice

580
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,860
to see if it'll work, and if that

581
00:24:39,860 --> 00:24:41,760
won't work, you'll try something else.

582
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,180
The opposite of meekness, and sometimes, as in

583
00:24:47,180 --> 00:24:49,020
the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, he

584
00:24:49,020 --> 00:24:50,120
uses enemies.

585
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,500
There are times when God delivers you from

586
00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:55,820
the hands of your enemies, and then there

587
00:24:55,820 --> 00:24:57,880
are times he delivers you into the hands

588
00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:58,680
of your enemies.

589
00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:00,380
I think of Joseph.

590
00:25:03,060 --> 00:25:06,600
It's an obscure verse, but it's Genesis 39

591
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,480
verse 1, and now Joseph had been taken

592
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,760
down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of

593
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,240
Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, brought

594
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,580
him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him

595
00:25:16,580 --> 00:25:16,900
down there.

596
00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:17,460
Why?

597
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:18,880
The detail.

598
00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:21,940
In chapter 47, the Lord told us that

599
00:25:21,940 --> 00:25:23,940
the Ishmaelites had bought him, and had taken

600
00:25:23,940 --> 00:25:24,460
him to Egypt.

601
00:25:24,620 --> 00:25:25,760
Why does he insert it again?

602
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,300
It's one of those little obscure things that

603
00:25:28,300 --> 00:25:29,800
we just kind of read over, and gloss

604
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:31,140
over, and say, I know that, and move

605
00:25:31,140 --> 00:25:31,340
on.

606
00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:32,620
One day, I read it, and I said,

607
00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:33,960
why does he do that?

608
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,440
It dawned on me, who are the Ishmaelites?

609
00:25:36,980 --> 00:25:40,080
The avowed enemies of God, God's people.

610
00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:45,180
Ishmael, the older brother, the child of the

611
00:25:45,180 --> 00:25:48,740
natural, the flesh, persecuted the child of promise,

612
00:25:48,860 --> 00:25:50,640
Isaac, and since then, they've been doing it

613
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,000
all these years.

614
00:25:52,780 --> 00:25:55,960
God turns Joseph over to his enemies, and

615
00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:56,640
then there's Job.

616
00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,460
You're studying Job on Sunday nights.

617
00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:01,680
I'm sorry I'm not here to hear it,

618
00:26:02,900 --> 00:26:05,820
but you remember that first chapter of Job,

619
00:26:05,900 --> 00:26:08,240
and that great discussion between the Lord and

620
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:08,780
Lucifer.

621
00:26:09,100 --> 00:26:11,240
The Lord said to Satan, have you considered

622
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:12,180
my servant Job?

623
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:13,760
But there's none like him on the earth,

624
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,100
a blameless and upright man, one who fears

625
00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:17,280
God and shuns evil.

626
00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:20,140
So Satan answered the Lord and said, does

627
00:26:20,140 --> 00:26:21,860
Job fear God for nothing?

628
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:23,340
Have you not made a hedge around him,

629
00:26:23,420 --> 00:26:25,300
around his household, and around all that he

630
00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:26,200
has on every side?

631
00:26:26,300 --> 00:26:27,960
You've blessed the work of his hands, and

632
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,980
his possessions have increased in the land, but

633
00:26:29,980 --> 00:26:32,560
now stretch out your hand and touch all

634
00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,140
that he has, and he'll surely curse you

635
00:26:34,140 --> 00:26:34,940
to your face.

636
00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:39,680
Brother Kyle shared most aptly on that text.

637
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,260
Satan's argument is, no, I haven't considered your

638
00:26:43,260 --> 00:26:45,440
servant Job, because I can't get to him.

639
00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,620
And why would I even want to bother?

640
00:26:49,860 --> 00:26:51,380
Why would he not want to serve you

641
00:26:51,380 --> 00:26:52,920
when you bless him the way you do?

642
00:26:53,700 --> 00:26:56,020
But you turn the tables on him.

643
00:26:56,860 --> 00:27:00,800
You trade in his prosperity for poverty, and

644
00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,780
see that he will not curse you.

645
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:04,220
And what does God say?

646
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,300
Behold, all that he has is in your

647
00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:09,940
power, only do not lay a hand on

648
00:27:09,940 --> 00:27:10,740
his person.

649
00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:14,540
God turns us over to our enemies.

650
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:15,700
And then there's Peter.

651
00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,880
One of the most remarkable discussions in all

652
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,760
of the Bible is the discussion of Jesus

653
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,840
to Peter in Luke 22, verses 31 and

654
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:26,400
32.

655
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,620
The Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has

656
00:27:30,620 --> 00:27:33,640
asked for you that you may be sifted

657
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:34,380
as wheat.

658
00:27:35,260 --> 00:27:38,340
But I've prayed for you that your faith

659
00:27:38,340 --> 00:27:40,160
should not fail, and when thou art converted,

660
00:27:40,540 --> 00:27:41,380
strengthen your brethren.

661
00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:45,060
Isn't that a remarkable insight into some heavenly,

662
00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:46,240
the heavenly realm?

663
00:27:47,820 --> 00:27:50,180
I get some encouragement to know that Satan

664
00:27:50,180 --> 00:27:52,160
can't touch me unless he has my daddy's

665
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:52,600
approval.

666
00:27:53,860 --> 00:27:56,400
And my big brother's always there.

667
00:27:57,660 --> 00:27:59,520
Now, I don't mean to be sacrilegious or

668
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,320
irreverent, but he is my father, and Jesus

669
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:08,000
is my older brother, my kinsman, redeemer of

670
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,520
my own blood and bone.

671
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,280
I have some comfort in that, but there's

672
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,880
no comfort to know that there are times

673
00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,960
the father says yes, and the son says,

674
00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:21,900
I'm praying for you.

675
00:28:24,140 --> 00:28:27,060
He turns you over, and then there's Paul,

676
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:28,720
the great apostle Paul.

677
00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:31,980
We wanted to come to you, he says

678
00:28:31,980 --> 00:28:35,540
to the Thessalonians, even I, Paul, time and

679
00:28:35,540 --> 00:28:37,280
again, but Satan hindered us.

680
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,820
And there he is at Philippi, he and

681
00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:44,900
Silas, their feet and hands fastened to stalks

682
00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:49,180
with their backs bruised and battered and bleeding.

683
00:28:51,540 --> 00:28:56,800
Shipwrecked at Malta, messenger from Satan to buffet

684
00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,000
him in the flesh.

685
00:28:58,100 --> 00:28:59,440
He said a thorn in the flesh was

686
00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,040
given to be a messenger of Satan to

687
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:02,720
buffet me.

688
00:29:06,940 --> 00:29:10,500
But all of these men cannot be compared

689
00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:12,160
to the sufferings of one.

690
00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:14,640
Jesus Christ.

691
00:29:17,300 --> 00:29:20,140
And even our Lord Jesus was turned over

692
00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:24,760
to the enemy, handed over to him.

693
00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,720
I wonder what kind of discussion there was

694
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,460
in heaven that day or prior to that

695
00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:31,780
day.

696
00:29:33,340 --> 00:29:39,200
I'm only speculative here, hypothesizing, thinking out loud.

697
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,500
I wonder if Satan and the Lord had

698
00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:43,320
another discussion.

699
00:29:43,620 --> 00:29:45,900
I wonder if the Lord allowed Satan to

700
00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:47,920
approach his throne and said, have you considered

701
00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,340
my servant, my son, that there is none

702
00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:52,120
like him on the earth, a blameless and

703
00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,300
not right man who fears God and shuns

704
00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:54,700
evil.

705
00:29:55,460 --> 00:29:57,240
And I wondered if that did happen, what

706
00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,560
would Satan say?

707
00:29:59,140 --> 00:30:00,280
Would he have said as he said in

708
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:01,020
the case of Job?

709
00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,980
Yes, I've considered him, but he seems unsaleable.

710
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:06,680
I've done combat with him and he's too

711
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:07,700
strong for me.

712
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:10,580
And besides that, you have a hedger around

713
00:30:10,580 --> 00:30:11,900
him and he's clothed with your power.

714
00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:13,400
You've blessed the work of his hands.

715
00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,620
He has power over sickness, might, demons, and

716
00:30:16,620 --> 00:30:17,780
even death.

717
00:30:17,860 --> 00:30:19,840
And he has followers and the world has

718
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:20,820
gone after him.

719
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,040
But now stretch out your hand and touch

720
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:25,280
him.

721
00:30:26,540 --> 00:30:28,460
All that he has, make his disciples to

722
00:30:28,460 --> 00:30:30,980
forsake him and deny him and betray him,

723
00:30:30,980 --> 00:30:34,160
abandon him, turn your back on him, curse

724
00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:38,000
him, and he shall surely curse you to

725
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:38,640
your face.

726
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,580
And the Lord says to Satan, behold, he

727
00:30:42,580 --> 00:30:43,580
is in your hand.

728
00:30:44,140 --> 00:30:46,140
Do not spare his life.

729
00:30:47,820 --> 00:30:48,940
Now, of course, I don't know if that

730
00:30:48,940 --> 00:30:52,620
conversation took place or not, but it's very

731
00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:53,740
close to what happened.

732
00:30:55,580 --> 00:30:59,240
He's turned over to his own enemies and

733
00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:04,220
he does so with tranquility, full presence of

734
00:31:04,220 --> 00:31:04,800
mind.

735
00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:06,720
Oh yes.

736
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,380
You may cite to me the garden of

737
00:31:08,380 --> 00:31:11,200
Gethsemane where he says his sorrow is to

738
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,220
the point of dying and he could die

739
00:31:13,220 --> 00:31:15,420
of a broken heart over what is about

740
00:31:15,420 --> 00:31:16,020
to approach.

741
00:31:16,260 --> 00:31:19,620
But my dear friend, the man passed the

742
00:31:19,620 --> 00:31:20,880
test in the garden.

743
00:31:21,940 --> 00:31:22,620
Right.

744
00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:26,120
Unlike our predecessor and ancestor Adam, who did

745
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,940
not pass his test, this one, this perfect

746
00:31:29,940 --> 00:31:33,380
one, this holy man, under what a force

747
00:31:33,380 --> 00:31:35,920
severe test and Adam or Eve put together.

748
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:39,200
And he passed.

749
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:41,020
He took the cup.

750
00:31:41,580 --> 00:31:44,020
He took the cup from the father's hand

751
00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:45,080
and he drank it.

752
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:45,580
Why?

753
00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,240
Because he was meek and he was lonely.

754
00:31:48,620 --> 00:31:49,880
I want you to see his heart.

755
00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:50,180
Yes.

756
00:31:50,220 --> 00:31:51,020
He loves you.

757
00:31:51,460 --> 00:31:51,580
Yes.

758
00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:53,700
God demonstrated his love for us and that

759
00:31:53,700 --> 00:31:56,040
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for

760
00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:56,260
us.

761
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,580
But listen to his heart.

762
00:31:58,820 --> 00:31:59,480
Learn of me.

763
00:31:59,540 --> 00:32:00,420
I'm making lonely.

764
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,780
That's how I can do this because in

765
00:32:03,780 --> 00:32:05,420
the end, all I want is the father's

766
00:32:05,420 --> 00:32:05,760
will.

767
00:32:07,060 --> 00:32:09,100
And even if he turns me over to

768
00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:12,680
my enemies, I can rejoice.

769
00:32:13,860 --> 00:32:15,880
Now, what would be the purpose of doing

770
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,740
this in your life and the life of

771
00:32:19,740 --> 00:32:20,300
our Lord?

772
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,360
It's namely one.

773
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:25,900
Actually, there's three.

774
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,420
But when it comes to you personally, it

775
00:32:29,420 --> 00:32:32,260
is one to teach you humility and meekness.

776
00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,060
It's to advance your sanctification and you're not

777
00:32:37,060 --> 00:32:39,620
going to be any more sanctified than you

778
00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:40,760
are meek and humble.

779
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,620
I'm sorry to tell you that.

780
00:32:43,780 --> 00:32:44,880
I know that's not what you came to

781
00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:46,900
hear tonight, but I'm glad the pastor did

782
00:32:46,900 --> 00:32:47,160
pray.

783
00:32:47,380 --> 00:32:49,160
Even if I get rebuked tonight in the

784
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:50,280
sermon is rebuking.

785
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:51,560
Well, here it is.

786
00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:54,720
If you want to grow in your sanctification,

787
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:55,800
you won't be more like Jesus.

788
00:32:55,940 --> 00:32:57,120
You're going to have to go to his

789
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,520
classroom and learn meekness and humility.

790
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,240
You see, in the case of Joseph, he

791
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:04,200
was not so humble.

792
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:05,680
A young man.

793
00:33:06,460 --> 00:33:07,500
I can prove it to you.

794
00:33:07,980 --> 00:33:10,060
He made sure his brothers knew that he

795
00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:11,820
was not only the favorite son, but the

796
00:33:11,820 --> 00:33:13,740
one who would one day rule over them.

797
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,540
I mean, listen, he cared a wee bit

798
00:33:17,540 --> 00:33:19,880
too much about what his siblings thought about

799
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:20,180
him.

800
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,180
I know that if you tell a dream

801
00:33:23,180 --> 00:33:25,440
and you get a negative reaction, why do

802
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:26,620
you do it a second time?

803
00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:30,980
I'll tell you why you get second time.

804
00:33:31,060 --> 00:33:32,620
You want to rub their noses in it.

805
00:33:33,380 --> 00:33:34,500
That's what he was doing.

806
00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,000
Don't tell me he's a humble young man.

807
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:38,080
He was preferred.

808
00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,760
He was privileged and he was proud.

809
00:33:42,420 --> 00:33:45,920
Lord had to get Joseph to experience his

810
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:48,820
blessings without being proud about them.

811
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:51,000
And that's what he has to do with

812
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:51,440
you and me.

813
00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,380
If you stop and think about how blessed

814
00:33:54,380 --> 00:33:57,740
we are, how good God has been to

815
00:33:57,740 --> 00:33:58,180
you.

816
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,440
It's hard for me to imagine that you're

817
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,640
so holy tonight that you've never had to

818
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:07,080
battle.

819
00:34:07,699 --> 00:34:09,120
I must be special.

820
00:34:11,139 --> 00:34:13,960
God blesses me because, you know, I'm walking

821
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:15,219
obediently before him.

822
00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:17,420
No, it's not why he blesses you.

823
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,380
He blesses you because he just loves you

824
00:34:20,380 --> 00:34:22,980
undeserved kindness.

825
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:25,199
It's not about you.

826
00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:26,040
It's about him.

827
00:34:27,820 --> 00:34:29,880
The Lord had to get Joseph to experience

828
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,800
his blessings without being proud about it.

829
00:34:31,900 --> 00:34:33,860
He needed to be virtuous without being vain.

830
00:34:33,980 --> 00:34:35,679
And that's the work of sanctification.

831
00:34:37,380 --> 00:34:39,900
Let's get you to be virtuous without being

832
00:34:39,900 --> 00:34:41,199
vain about it.

833
00:34:41,780 --> 00:34:45,600
And then Job, what did the trial prove

834
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:46,219
about Job?

835
00:34:46,620 --> 00:34:50,320
There was a sliver of vain self-righteousness

836
00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:51,900
running through that blameless heart.

837
00:34:53,020 --> 00:34:55,760
And it was exposed through the endurance and

838
00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,140
prolonging of the trial.

839
00:34:59,260 --> 00:35:00,560
What about old Peter?

840
00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:02,580
What did we discover with Peter being turned

841
00:35:02,580 --> 00:35:03,300
over to Satan?

842
00:35:04,180 --> 00:35:06,020
He too was a very proud man.

843
00:35:06,260 --> 00:35:08,500
Lord, I'll never deny these guys.

844
00:35:08,740 --> 00:35:09,680
Yeah, they'll do it.

845
00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:10,680
Not me.

846
00:35:10,980 --> 00:35:11,940
I'll go to prison with you.

847
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,080
I'll even die.

848
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,360
Hours later, he denies the Lord.

849
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:16,460
Right.

850
00:35:19,620 --> 00:35:21,360
What about Paul's thorn in the flesh?

851
00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:23,960
Why was a messenger of Satan given to

852
00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:24,220
him?

853
00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:26,660
He tells us unless I should be exalted

854
00:35:26,660 --> 00:35:29,840
above measure by the abundance of the revelation,

855
00:35:30,340 --> 00:35:32,240
a thorn in the flesh was given to

856
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:33,940
me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me

857
00:35:33,940 --> 00:35:35,180
lest I'd be exalted above measure.

858
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:36,240
You hear what he's saying?

859
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,760
Paul is telling you he it's not that

860
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,340
I might be a proud man because of

861
00:35:43,340 --> 00:35:47,260
all of this marvelous revelation given to me.

862
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,820
I would have been and to prevent it.

863
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,160
God has given me a messenger of Satan.

864
00:35:54,780 --> 00:35:58,120
It's the lesson of meekness and humility to

865
00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,580
be able to be so blessed by God

866
00:36:01,110 --> 00:36:03,540
and not become proud because of it.

867
00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:06,180
But there's another reason.

868
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:09,160
It's the advancement of the kingdom, the advancement

869
00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:09,760
of the kingdom.

870
00:36:10,820 --> 00:36:12,580
Who better to preach on the day of

871
00:36:12,580 --> 00:36:15,300
Pentecost to a bunch of sinners and God

872
00:36:15,300 --> 00:36:18,980
haters and deniers than the chief backslider himself,

873
00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:20,140
the apostle Paul.

874
00:36:20,260 --> 00:36:22,320
And who better to preach it without getting

875
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,200
proud about it?

876
00:36:24,540 --> 00:36:26,720
For in one hour, he saw more people

877
00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:29,160
say than Jesus did his entire ministry over

878
00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:30,420
a course of three years.

879
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:33,560
And what about Paul's imprisonment in Philippi?

880
00:36:34,100 --> 00:36:35,180
What about that?

881
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,680
The advancement of the kingdom.

882
00:36:36,980 --> 00:36:39,020
There happened to be a Philippian jailer and

883
00:36:39,020 --> 00:36:40,760
a household that needed the gospel.

884
00:36:42,700 --> 00:36:43,800
Shipwreck at Malta.

885
00:36:43,860 --> 00:36:44,540
No problem.

886
00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:48,060
Paul is not worried, even though before they

887
00:36:48,060 --> 00:36:51,140
step on that ship, he warns the centurion,

888
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:52,240
please don't do this.

889
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,380
I know this is not going to end

890
00:36:54,380 --> 00:36:57,620
good, but much loss of life.

891
00:36:57,900 --> 00:37:00,440
The centurion looks at the seafaring captain, a

892
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:01,420
man of the sea.

893
00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:02,940
This has been his whole profession.

894
00:37:03,300 --> 00:37:05,700
He looks at the apostle Paul, a preacher,

895
00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:08,980
not the best one either.

896
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,020
Ah, captain, what do you think?

897
00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:14,100
We'll be fine.

898
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:15,940
On board they go.

899
00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:18,580
And then they end in shipwreck.

900
00:37:18,660 --> 00:37:20,760
Why, why, why were they forwarded?

901
00:37:20,820 --> 00:37:21,760
Why were they delayed?

902
00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:22,080
Why?

903
00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:22,920
I'll tell you why.

904
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:25,440
There are some ladies on an island that

905
00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:27,440
needs to know that Jesus died for them

906
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:27,800
too.

907
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,180
You see, it wasn't a delay.

908
00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:31,520
It wasn't a hindrance.

909
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:33,380
It wasn't an obstacle.

910
00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:35,360
It was the will of God.

911
00:37:36,340 --> 00:37:39,140
And a meek man could see that and

912
00:37:39,140 --> 00:37:40,380
rejoice in it.

913
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,120
But there's one more reason.

914
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,100
As I've already alluded to, it's the revelation

915
00:37:47,100 --> 00:37:48,600
of the power of God.

916
00:37:49,620 --> 00:37:51,340
I told a group not too long ago,

917
00:37:51,380 --> 00:37:52,440
I think I said this to you all

918
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:52,980
one time.

919
00:37:53,660 --> 00:37:55,420
We all say, boy, I'd like to see

920
00:37:55,420 --> 00:37:55,880
a miracle.

921
00:37:56,100 --> 00:37:57,520
Boy, I wish we saw more miracles.

922
00:37:58,220 --> 00:37:59,820
And I just tell you right now, no,

923
00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:00,680
you don't.

924
00:38:01,340 --> 00:38:03,140
You don't want to see a miracle because

925
00:38:03,140 --> 00:38:04,540
you know what you got to have in

926
00:38:04,540 --> 00:38:06,580
order to have a miracle.

927
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:08,740
You've got to be between a rock and

928
00:38:08,740 --> 00:38:09,400
a hard place.

929
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:11,300
You've got to be in the place of

930
00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:12,360
impossibility.

931
00:38:12,940 --> 00:38:14,140
Now, how many of you want a miracle?

932
00:38:15,700 --> 00:38:16,540
You see what I mean?

933
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:23,420
But thank God, his will often takes us

934
00:38:23,420 --> 00:38:24,140
through the valley.

935
00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:28,240
And there in the valley, he gets to

936
00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:34,060
reveal his splendid power over all enemies and

937
00:38:34,060 --> 00:38:35,160
triumphs over them.

938
00:38:38,900 --> 00:38:41,360
There's our blessed Savior hanging there.

939
00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:44,960
There he is on the cross.

940
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:48,000
And we look at those soldiers as they

941
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:52,800
jeer him, mock him by taking his poor

942
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:56,040
garment and gambling over it.

943
00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,960
Jeering him as they nail on top the

944
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,080
king of the Jews, placing the crown, but

945
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,480
not a crown embedded with royal diadems, but

946
00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:07,420
a crown of thorns.

947
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,200
There's that crowd of mockers as they come

948
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,420
by him, their beautiful priestly robes jutting out

949
00:39:16,420 --> 00:39:20,820
their jaws, accustomed to deride someone and show

950
00:39:20,820 --> 00:39:23,080
that this is a person, a person who

951
00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,240
should be the object of derision.

952
00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,260
Oh, you say, God, save yourself.

953
00:39:31,620 --> 00:39:33,120
Come down on the cross.

954
00:39:34,780 --> 00:39:36,800
Friends, there were others there jeering him that

955
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:38,360
day, tormenting his soul.

956
00:39:39,020 --> 00:39:41,740
They're unseen and they're not heard by anyone

957
00:39:41,740 --> 00:39:42,880
except Jesus.

958
00:39:45,420 --> 00:39:48,560
David prophetically writes, my God, my God, why

959
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:49,900
have you forsaken me?

960
00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:54,260
But David is not just communicating something that

961
00:39:54,260 --> 00:39:55,040
he was enduring.

962
00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:56,240
No, no.

963
00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:58,660
He sends out a ray, a prophetic ray

964
00:39:58,660 --> 00:40:01,520
that passes through the centuries into the future.

965
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,720
And Jesus takes those very words and expresses

966
00:40:04,720 --> 00:40:05,960
his own soul.

967
00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:09,620
My father, my God, my God, why have

968
00:40:09,620 --> 00:40:10,540
you forsaken me?

969
00:40:11,260 --> 00:40:13,740
Did you notice, did you notice my mistake?

970
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:15,640
My father?

971
00:40:15,940 --> 00:40:17,700
No, he doesn't say my father.

972
00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:19,160
Why not?

973
00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:21,900
Every time he prays, he says, my father,

974
00:40:22,060 --> 00:40:23,580
he teaches us his prayer.

975
00:40:23,860 --> 00:40:25,720
He says, our father, this is the way

976
00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:26,680
you'd pray our father.

977
00:40:26,860 --> 00:40:28,760
But no, he doesn't address him as father.

978
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:29,880
But my God, why?

979
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,760
Because at that moment, the feeling, the consciousness

980
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,360
of the fathership, the fatherhood of God has

981
00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,120
been severed, reached into his soul and ripped

982
00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:40,500
out.

983
00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:46,160
He doesn't sense that God smiles upon him

984
00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:47,820
as a father to a son.

985
00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:54,080
There are others there that are tormenting his

986
00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:54,320
soul.

987
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:56,680
David gives us again another glimpse.

988
00:40:57,120 --> 00:40:59,080
He's called them the bulls of Bashan.

989
00:40:59,380 --> 00:41:02,800
It's a term that I believe is prophetic

990
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:04,560
of demonic powers themselves.

991
00:41:05,700 --> 00:41:09,220
And there on Calvary's mountain, around the cross,

992
00:41:09,540 --> 00:41:10,300
there he hangs.

993
00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,720
Not only does he have the Gentile soldiers

994
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:15,620
who are mocking him and killing him and

995
00:41:15,620 --> 00:41:17,260
treating him cruelly, not only does he have

996
00:41:17,260 --> 00:41:20,520
the religious leaders taunting him, not only does

997
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,500
he have these passerbys jutting out their jaws

998
00:41:23,500 --> 00:41:27,120
and wagging at him, but there are demonic

999
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:27,720
spirits.

1000
00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:31,440
All of hell is allowed to be released

1001
00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:33,900
upon the soul of our savior.

1002
00:41:34,460 --> 00:41:37,680
I wonder, I wonder if that legion of

1003
00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:40,600
demons whom he had set free from that

1004
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,760
lone man wandering about in the tombs, if

1005
00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:47,720
they too were there that day mocking him,

1006
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:51,020
yes, yes, you cast us out, but now

1007
00:41:51,020 --> 00:41:51,900
we have you.

1008
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,160
Now we have you where we want you.

1009
00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:55,360
You're ours.

1010
00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:57,760
You've been turned over to us.

1011
00:42:00,620 --> 00:42:03,140
Even Jesus said that the prince of this

1012
00:42:03,140 --> 00:42:04,280
world has come in.

1013
00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:05,880
This is his hour.

1014
00:42:06,300 --> 00:42:09,040
It's been given over to him, including himself.

1015
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,980
And all hell gives him their rage and

1016
00:42:14,980 --> 00:42:15,460
anger.

1017
00:42:15,580 --> 00:42:16,940
Do you not know they hate him?

1018
00:42:18,500 --> 00:42:20,640
He made them, but they also had them

1019
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,240
expelled when they turned on him in heaven,

1020
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:24,740
splendor and beauty.

1021
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:26,460
There they were expelled.

1022
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,100
Now with a vengeance, they wreak upon our

1023
00:42:33,100 --> 00:42:36,940
Lord, a torment and a pain and an

1024
00:42:36,940 --> 00:42:39,560
agony that you and I have no idea.

1025
00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:43,220
Why?

1026
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:44,660
Yes.

1027
00:42:44,660 --> 00:42:45,840
For our sins.

1028
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:46,820
Yes.

1029
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:47,760
For our punishment.

1030
00:42:48,260 --> 00:42:48,680
Yes.

1031
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:50,300
For our curse that he bore.

1032
00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:51,360
Yes.

1033
00:42:51,540 --> 00:42:52,040
Yes.

1034
00:42:53,540 --> 00:42:56,160
But man could not have endured that had

1035
00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:57,920
he not been meek and lowly.

1036
00:43:01,420 --> 00:43:03,000
This was not an obstacle.

1037
00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:07,980
This was not God's will gone awry.

1038
00:43:09,380 --> 00:43:11,540
This was on God's timetable.

1039
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:16,680
And three days later, Jesus had the last

1040
00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:20,600
word and demons scurried.

1041
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,900
They tried to flee the tombs as fast

1042
00:43:24,900 --> 00:43:25,620
as they could.

1043
00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:27,920
They could not remain where the light of

1044
00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,960
God had burst forth and broke the bands

1045
00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:31,680
of death.

1046
00:43:32,180 --> 00:43:34,100
There comes for the conqueror.

1047
00:43:34,500 --> 00:43:35,500
There comes one.

1048
00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:39,560
Yes, meek and lowly, but overcomes all his

1049
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:40,060
enemies.

1050
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:45,480
Not so gentle, but very meek.

1051
00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:48,560
I was thinking the other day, what would

1052
00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:49,900
David have done?

1053
00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:53,500
Had he seen Jesus when he was on

1054
00:43:53,500 --> 00:43:54,560
this earth as a man?

1055
00:43:56,180 --> 00:43:57,860
Here was a man who'd take your head

1056
00:43:57,860 --> 00:44:01,280
off as quick as he batted an eye.

1057
00:44:01,460 --> 00:44:04,500
If you were his enemy, he was a

1058
00:44:04,500 --> 00:44:05,380
man's man.

1059
00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:07,340
He was a hero, was a champion of

1060
00:44:07,340 --> 00:44:07,860
Israel.

1061
00:44:08,500 --> 00:44:10,560
Saul has killed his thousands, but David has

1062
00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:12,000
killed his tens of thousands.

1063
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:16,140
What would this warrior King done when he

1064
00:44:16,140 --> 00:44:18,780
looked into the eyes of this carpenter from

1065
00:44:18,780 --> 00:44:19,180
Nazareth?

1066
00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:20,200
I'll tell you what he would have done.

1067
00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:21,400
He would have seen a strength he had

1068
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:22,820
never experienced before.

1069
00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,200
He would have witnessed and acknowledged that this

1070
00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:26,900
man was far stronger than him.

1071
00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,380
He would have seen the meekness and lowliness

1072
00:44:29,380 --> 00:44:31,080
of Jesus and he would have driven him

1073
00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:32,620
to his knees and utter worship.

1074
00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:36,400
This man wasn't just gentle.

1075
00:44:36,860 --> 00:44:38,240
He just wasn't mild.

1076
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:39,820
No, no.

1077
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:44,620
He was as strong as they come clothed

1078
00:44:44,620 --> 00:44:49,660
with infinite power and glory, but meek and

1079
00:44:49,660 --> 00:44:50,240
lowly.

1080
00:44:52,620 --> 00:44:54,180
And so I want to suggest to you

1081
00:44:54,180 --> 00:44:57,260
tonight, as we approach the table, you approach

1082
00:44:57,260 --> 00:45:02,440
the table of the Lord tomorrow, that you

1083
00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,120
too must be meek to be able to

1084
00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:07,300
be strong in the Lord.

1085
00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:11,260
I want to remind you of a passage.

1086
00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:12,800
I've already alluded to it a couple of

1087
00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:13,560
times tonight.

1088
00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:16,900
It's a second Corinthians 12, eight through 10.

1089
00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:25,760
This is Paul's argument for meekness.

1090
00:45:27,340 --> 00:45:29,500
Although the words not used in the text,

1091
00:45:30,140 --> 00:45:32,720
you can't read this understanding meekness and not

1092
00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:33,240
see it.

1093
00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:35,240
It's replete all through it.

1094
00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:39,660
You remember he's prayed three times verse eight

1095
00:45:39,660 --> 00:45:40,520
concerning this thing.

1096
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:41,880
I pleaded with the Lord three times that

1097
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:42,600
it might depart from me.

1098
00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:43,500
He didn't want it.

1099
00:45:43,740 --> 00:45:44,800
It's obvious.

1100
00:45:44,900 --> 00:45:47,500
He's not just a happy-go-lucky camper

1101
00:45:47,500 --> 00:45:49,160
who just says, okay, no problem.

1102
00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:50,340
No, no.

1103
00:45:51,300 --> 00:45:53,740
He's heard him in some fashion, whatever this

1104
00:45:53,740 --> 00:45:56,720
thorn in the flesh, this messenger from hell.

1105
00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:01,400
He prays, but the Lord answers and said,

1106
00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:04,620
my grace is sufficient for you.

1107
00:46:05,500 --> 00:46:09,860
For my strength is made perfect in weakness.

1108
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,120
And maybe you'd like to be strong for

1109
00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:14,640
Jesus.

1110
00:46:15,420 --> 00:46:18,660
We want to be strong for Jesus.

1111
00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:22,020
Yes, the proud always do.

1112
00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:26,380
Meek realize they have no strength.

1113
00:46:26,660 --> 00:46:26,980
Right.

1114
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:31,400
Let me understand this text.

1115
00:46:31,620 --> 00:46:35,180
My strength is made perfect in weakness.

1116
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:39,720
Therefore his conclusion is this most gladly, most

1117
00:46:39,720 --> 00:46:40,340
gladly.

1118
00:46:40,580 --> 00:46:42,360
I'll rather boast in my infirmities.

1119
00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:44,760
That word means weakness that the power of

1120
00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:45,980
Christ may rest upon me.

1121
00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:50,500
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches

1122
00:46:50,500 --> 00:46:53,840
in need in persecution in distresses for Christ's

1123
00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:53,980
sake.

1124
00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:57,320
For when I am weak, and I am

1125
00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:59,340
strong, let me ask you, let's just be

1126
00:46:59,340 --> 00:46:59,700
honest.

1127
00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:03,000
You know, me, I know you, do you

1128
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,180
really rejoice in infirmities, reproaches and needs, persecutions,

1129
00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:06,960
distresses.

1130
00:47:07,620 --> 00:47:08,960
Do you really do that?

1131
00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:13,900
Then I suggest more time in the school

1132
00:47:13,900 --> 00:47:14,720
of Jesus.

1133
00:47:16,460 --> 00:47:19,280
And don't worry, you don't have to double

1134
00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:19,840
enroll.

1135
00:47:21,500 --> 00:47:23,000
You're enrolled already.

1136
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:23,480
Amen.

1137
00:47:25,720 --> 00:47:27,820
And you don't skip these classes.

1138
00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:31,000
You try, but you don't succeed.

1139
00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:33,760
You will never skip the class because the

1140
00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:34,900
teacher is always with you.

1141
00:47:39,430 --> 00:47:41,950
If you can't take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches

1142
00:47:41,950 --> 00:47:44,830
and needs and persecutions and in distresses, let

1143
00:47:44,830 --> 00:47:47,570
me suggest to you that you need to

1144
00:47:47,570 --> 00:47:52,390
redefine what you believe to be the successful

1145
00:47:52,390 --> 00:47:53,270
Christian life.

1146
00:47:54,090 --> 00:47:58,430
You need to begin to see that your

1147
00:47:58,430 --> 00:48:00,790
life has been bought with this price of

1148
00:48:00,790 --> 00:48:03,490
his precious blood that you will commemorate tomorrow

1149
00:48:03,490 --> 00:48:03,990
evening.

1150
00:48:04,330 --> 00:48:06,410
And it's more than a cracker and some

1151
00:48:06,410 --> 00:48:08,450
juice in a little bitty cup that will

1152
00:48:08,450 --> 00:48:10,190
not satisfy your thirst.

1153
00:48:11,090 --> 00:48:12,550
It's more than that.

1154
00:48:12,610 --> 00:48:15,630
My dear friends, it is emblematic of the

1155
00:48:15,630 --> 00:48:18,410
price, the infinite price that's been paid for

1156
00:48:18,410 --> 00:48:18,690
you.

1157
00:48:18,830 --> 00:48:20,490
You do not belong to yourself.

1158
00:48:20,710 --> 00:48:22,110
You belong to another.

1159
00:48:22,590 --> 00:48:24,650
You belong to God because you've been bought

1160
00:48:24,650 --> 00:48:25,830
both body and spirit.

1161
00:48:25,950 --> 00:48:27,370
You belong to God.

1162
00:48:29,250 --> 00:48:33,910
And in your servitude and enslavement to God,

1163
00:48:34,290 --> 00:48:37,090
God has purchased you to display to the

1164
00:48:37,090 --> 00:48:41,210
world that he doesn't work for strength, but

1165
00:48:41,210 --> 00:48:41,870
weakness.

1166
00:48:42,170 --> 00:48:44,670
That's what the cross is all about.

1167
00:48:45,370 --> 00:48:50,690
Weakness, death, hardship.

1168
00:48:52,150 --> 00:48:57,830
But in that weakness, power of God's revealed

1169
00:48:57,830 --> 00:49:01,870
because God's weakness is stronger than all hell

1170
00:49:01,870 --> 00:49:03,810
and all of humanity.

1171
00:49:05,510 --> 00:49:07,550
And that's how God is glorified.

1172
00:49:09,990 --> 00:49:13,290
As we discussed this morning about culture and

1173
00:49:13,290 --> 00:49:16,850
society, Pastor and I, and we talked about

1174
00:49:16,850 --> 00:49:21,910
roles and responsibilities in civil life and government.

1175
00:49:23,550 --> 00:49:27,770
I believe that if the church of Jesus

1176
00:49:27,770 --> 00:49:29,930
Christ said, I don't need, I don't need

1177
00:49:29,930 --> 00:49:31,610
the universal body.

1178
00:49:31,890 --> 00:49:35,070
I don't even believe that it requires half

1179
00:49:35,070 --> 00:49:36,630
of the Christians in America.

1180
00:49:36,790 --> 00:49:41,250
I believe if this church right here can

1181
00:49:41,250 --> 00:49:47,110
learn to embrace their weakness, things will start

1182
00:49:47,110 --> 00:49:47,810
to change.

1183
00:49:50,850 --> 00:49:53,850
I believe the environment of this area will

1184
00:49:53,850 --> 00:49:56,110
be transformed by you.

1185
00:49:56,250 --> 00:49:59,170
Few salt in light, because what you do

1186
00:49:59,170 --> 00:50:01,470
is you display the power of God because

1187
00:50:01,470 --> 00:50:03,550
the power of God's always revealed in human

1188
00:50:03,550 --> 00:50:05,410
weakness, not human strength.

1189
00:50:06,650 --> 00:50:09,270
But the problem with most of us, we

1190
00:50:09,270 --> 00:50:11,770
are weak in God's strength.

1191
00:50:12,670 --> 00:50:14,470
When we ought to be strong in him,

1192
00:50:15,370 --> 00:50:19,310
the sin of this moment of we, his

1193
00:50:19,310 --> 00:50:22,670
true children who know him, who are doctrinally

1194
00:50:22,670 --> 00:50:25,290
sound, our sin denied is that we're so

1195
00:50:25,290 --> 00:50:28,090
weak in his strength.

1196
00:50:28,610 --> 00:50:30,510
Why are we weak in his strength instead

1197
00:50:30,510 --> 00:50:31,290
of strong?

1198
00:50:32,170 --> 00:50:33,270
Because we're proud.

1199
00:50:34,370 --> 00:50:39,450
We want to solve our problems, our distresses.

1200
00:50:39,930 --> 00:50:41,850
We want to do the work of God

1201
00:50:41,850 --> 00:50:43,230
in our own way.

1202
00:50:43,890 --> 00:50:45,590
And we are not so meek to do

1203
00:50:45,590 --> 00:50:49,490
it his way, content, rejoicing, taking this strange

1204
00:50:49,490 --> 00:50:53,150
kind of pleasure and all of the obstacles

1205
00:50:53,150 --> 00:50:56,790
that the enemy is allowed to throw at

1206
00:50:56,790 --> 00:50:59,870
us because we've not learned that there's not

1207
00:50:59,870 --> 00:51:01,810
anything he can do but help us.

1208
00:51:02,810 --> 00:51:05,190
Why has Satan been allowed to remain as

1209
00:51:05,190 --> 00:51:07,690
long as he has to help us?

1210
00:51:10,830 --> 00:51:12,850
All he's there to do is prove how

1211
00:51:12,850 --> 00:51:13,810
weak you are.

1212
00:51:14,050 --> 00:51:15,670
And then when you've proven it and you've

1213
00:51:15,670 --> 00:51:19,470
embraced it and rejoice, then the power of

1214
00:51:19,470 --> 00:51:21,470
God burst forth just as much as it

1215
00:51:21,470 --> 00:51:24,510
did that morning on that third day as

1216
00:51:24,510 --> 00:51:29,610
light broke through the stone barrier and pushed

1217
00:51:29,610 --> 00:51:31,770
it back for all the world to know

1218
00:51:31,770 --> 00:51:32,730
he's not here.

1219
00:51:32,930 --> 00:51:33,710
He's risen.

1220
00:51:35,410 --> 00:51:36,610
Is he alive in you?

1221
00:51:36,690 --> 00:51:37,270
Of course he is.

1222
00:51:37,370 --> 00:51:39,130
If you're here, he's alive in you, but

1223
00:51:39,130 --> 00:51:41,670
you're too weak in his strength and too

1224
00:51:41,670 --> 00:51:42,850
strong in yours.

1225
00:51:43,870 --> 00:51:45,430
You're too strong in your weakness.

1226
00:51:48,090 --> 00:51:50,110
And so today I would just encourage you

1227
00:51:50,110 --> 00:51:51,890
to look at the cross with this thought

1228
00:51:51,890 --> 00:51:52,590
in mind.

1229
00:51:53,970 --> 00:51:55,550
Meek and lowly.

1230
00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:00,960
There's my sanctification.

1231
00:52:01,620 --> 00:52:03,980
There's the advancement of the kingdom and the

1232
00:52:03,980 --> 00:52:06,240
opportunity to see the power of God revealed.

1233
00:52:06,700 --> 00:52:08,100
May God help us to see it.

1234
00:52:08,720 --> 00:52:09,180
Amen.

1235
00:52:09,980 --> 00:52:10,660
Let's pray.

1236
00:52:14,060 --> 00:52:17,160
Father, thank you for helping me to get

1237
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:18,260
through the message tonight.

1238
00:52:20,220 --> 00:52:25,220
And I pray that we will learn of

1239
00:52:25,220 --> 00:52:30,760
you, not of me or someone else, but

1240
00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:31,280
of you.

1241
00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:36,620
Expose our pride tonight.

1242
00:52:37,660 --> 00:52:39,680
Lord, it's what these services are about.

1243
00:52:39,900 --> 00:52:45,440
They're about being real with you and also

1244
00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:46,500
real with ourselves.

1245
00:52:49,040 --> 00:52:50,900
We don't mind being real with you because

1246
00:52:50,900 --> 00:52:52,480
you already know us.

1247
00:52:53,080 --> 00:52:54,820
It's that we just hate to know certain

1248
00:52:54,820 --> 00:52:55,920
things about ourselves.

1249
00:52:57,760 --> 00:52:59,040
You know me, Lord.

1250
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:02,380
No, I want to be right.

1251
00:53:02,480 --> 00:53:03,340
I want to be perfect.

1252
00:53:03,500 --> 00:53:04,640
I want to be blameless.

1253
00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:05,740
I want to be upright.

1254
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:09,800
And I want to be proud about it.

1255
00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:18,040
I thank you for what you're doing in

1256
00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:21,540
me and in this body of these believers,

1257
00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:22,540
these my friends.

1258
00:53:23,740 --> 00:53:25,560
Because what you're doing is you're showing us

1259
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:29,460
how to embrace our weakness so that we

1260
00:53:29,460 --> 00:53:30,840
can be strong in you.

1261
00:53:31,940 --> 00:53:33,700
And that's what meekness is.

1262
00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:40,140
So Lord, do whatever you got to do

1263
00:53:40,140 --> 00:53:41,420
here tonight, tomorrow.

1264
00:53:44,460 --> 00:53:46,800
This is maybe a paradigm shift for some.

1265
00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:48,920
I know they won't maybe get it tonight,

1266
00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:50,700
but I'm trusting you.

1267
00:53:52,100 --> 00:53:54,100
If this is your word, you will bring

1268
00:53:54,100 --> 00:53:55,220
this understanding.

1269
00:53:56,520 --> 00:53:58,360
And for this, we thank you in Jesus

1270
00:53:58,360 --> 00:53:58,820
name.

1271
00:53:59,440 --> 00:53:59,820
Amen.