Clean Transcript

Walking With God - 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

• I began this brief message—I say brief message—a series of messages on walking with the Lord. This will be message number four, message number four of walking with the Lord. And I will probably, next Sunday, conclude at least this passage. I would imagine there's going to be, I don't know, eight to ten messages in this brief series. This is message number four. In the book of Ephesians, chapter four, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Ephesians 4, verse 1: "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all."

  #1 | 0:01 to 1:12 | cleaned

• But every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Let me just simply review the previous three messages very quickly, because I began with the first message and I pointed out how Enoch walked with the Lord, and the Bible says that he pleased the Lord. And then how in that same message God told Abraham, "Walk thou before me and be thou perfect." And I pointed out how you cannot walk with the Lord until you learn to walk before the Lord. And the word "before" there literally means in the face of or in the presence of the Lord. In other words, you are to walk as if you are standing in the very presence of God Himself. I also told you that as we walk with the Lord, there were several implications.

  #2 | 1:12 to 2:05 | cleaned

• I gave you five of them. I said, first of all, walking implies fellowship and communion. Many times as you walk with your wife or husband or children, you fellowship and commune with them.

  #3 | 2:05 to 2:17 | cleaned

• Secondly, it certainly implies agreement as well. For the scripture says, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" And thirdly, of course, it would imply what you and I would call purpose. There's a purpose in our walk, and it's not necessarily just for physical exercise. And then, of course, there is progress. You move from one place to the other. And as Scripture says, we go from faith to faith. And then, of course, there is resolution. If there's a problem, sometimes, many times as you walk, you work that problem out.

  #4 | 2:17 to 2:48 | cleaned

• And I also pointed out, even last week, how walking with the Lord implies, first of all, that the enmity in an individual's heart has been taken away. In other words, he's no longer fighting with God. He's not at war with God.

  #5 | 2:49 to 3:04 | cleaned

• Secondly, it means that that person has been reconciled to God the Father. And thirdly, that that person now has an abiding communion with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and, of course, consequently, you would be making progress in your divine life as well. Then in the second message, I really moved on into Hebrews 11, verses 5 and 6, where the Bible says, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, because before this translation he had this testimony that he pleased God." And then verse 6 went on to say, "But without faith it's impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is."

  #6 | 3:04 to 3:49 | cleaned

• and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. So I pointed out how walking by faith pleases God. And walking by faith is just absolutely fundamental. It is basic. It is foundational. And I pointed out that according to Hebrews 11, verse 6, walking by faith has reference, number one, to the person of God. Without faith, it's impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must first believe that he is. Secondly, it has reference to the promises of God and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And thirdly, it has reference to the providence of God, because God overrules everything and works everything out for our good and for his glory.

  #7 | 3:50 to 4:38 | cleaned

• And so last week, I began dealing with the third message on how to walk with the Lord. And the Apostle Paul is pointing out in Ephesians 4 and verse 1, that if we walk pleasing to the Lord, we must walk worthy. Now, I also compared Colossians 1 and verse 10 and Ephesians 4 and verse 1, and let me just simply call your attention back to verse 1 again, because he says, "I therefore the prisoner of the Lord," and I pointed out how Paul was using his imprisonment to demonstrate the fact that he is confined and unable to walk in obedience; all he could do is just simply patiently suffer. But these Ephesians to whom he is writing now have the ability and the opportunity to walk in obedience. So he says, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherever you are called." We looked at the word "vocation." It's the Greek word "klesis," which is the word for calling. And in fact, the Greek word "called" down in the very last word in verse 1 is "kaleo," which is the verb.

  #8 | 4:38 to 5:48 | cleaned

• So actually, when he tells us that we're to walk worthy of the vocation where we've been called, the word "vocation" actually refers to our salvation. I took you through 10 passages in the Bible and showed you how that word was used. And every time it has reference then basically to our salvation. So actually, what he's telling us in verse 1 is that we're to walk worthy of being called unto salvation through Jesus Christ. And then, of course, he begins to tell us how we're to walk worthily. And if you look in verse 2, we only got the first part.

  #9 | 5:49 to 6:29 | cleaned

• He says, "with all lowliness." So he tells us that if we're going to walk worthy, then we must walk in lowliness.

  #10 | 6:30 to 6:37 | cleaned

• Now, the Greek word for lowliness is made up of—it's actually a compound word, and it literally means humility or having a humble opinion about oneself or modesty. Or let me go a little bit further. It also has reference to a deep sense of one's smallness or littleness. It means, of course, humility and lowliness of mind. So as I pointed out last week, that lowliness is the opposite of pride, arrogance, haughtiness, a spirit of dominion, lordship, and manipulation. And if you and I really and truly want to maintain a lowly attitude, then the Word of God tells us that we must consider what we were and what we are by nature. We must also consider our desperately depraved condition.

  #11 | 6:38 to 7:32 | cleaned

• And we looked at Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 3 where the Apostle Paul told us what we were before we were converted. And we also looked at Isaiah 51 in verse 1 where God says, "Hearken unto me, you that follow after righteousness, you that seek the Lord, look unto the rock from which you were hewn and to the hole of the pit which you were digged." So He says, remember where you came from. Remember what you were.

  #12 | 7:33 to 8:01 | cleaned

• Now, how can we maintain a proud, arrogant, haughty attitude if we understand that we were and are, without the grace of God, nothing but an ungodly, wicked, perverted sinner? So that doesn't leave you too much for pride and arrogance. You have to remember, even the mighty Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, claimed to be the chief of sinners. And may I point out that if you truly have a lowly mind, you would be willing to fight the Apostle Paul for that position because you would think that you were the chief of sinners and not him. But lowliness of mind has reference not only to modesty, but it's taking an appropriate view of what we were.

  #13 | 8:02 to 8:59 | cleaned

• Now, today, I want to continue with verse 2. He says if we're going to walk worthy of the Lord, he says we are to walk in all lowliness and meekness. So Paul then did not stop with lowliness. He continued by saying that we should walk in meekness. So if we're going to walk worthy of our calling, we must walk in meekness.

  #14 | 8:59 to 9:21 | cleaned

• Now, when we use the term "meekness" today, and when we hear that term and think of the terminology or the use of the word today, when we hear the word "meekness," we tend to think of weakness, of milquetoast, someone that refuses to stand up for himself or for his rights or for others. And we usually think of one that is easily run over and manipulated. Well, obviously, biblical meekness does not relate to such a twisted, unmanly, unbiblical and ungodly description.

  #15 | 9:21 to 10:03 | cleaned

• You see, our Lord was meek. In fact, He claimed meekness as an attribute. Listen, everyone can quote this, but in Matthew 11, verse 29, he said this, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls." In fact, it was prophesied in the Old Testament, and then in Matthew 21 in verse 5, it was said again, "Tell you the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."

  #16 | 10:04 to 10:42 | cleaned

• So let me just spell it out for you. There was no one so meek and holy and mild as Jesus Christ. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ took a scourge of small cords, overthrew the money changers' tables, and drove them out of the temple in John chapter 2. So when you think about meekness, do not think about weakness. You remember, our Lord was raised in a carpentry shop and probably as a carpenter. And you simply do not become weak working as a carpenter. Moreover, you have to understand this, that our Lord was manly.

  #17 | 10:43 to 11:25 | cleaned

• We could say this, that he was a man's man. Let me tell you something. A 90-pound weakling, even if he has a scourge of small cords, who's going to run from him? Do you understand that when our Lord took that scourge of small cords, he not only had muscle, he had determination behind that scourge. Therefore, those people willingly fled from the temple. So obviously, meekness does not refer to weakness. Our Lord says, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly."

  #18 | 11:25 to 12:06 | cleaned

• What use is a Christian profession that leaves us without the character of Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul used the meekness and mildness of Christ as an encouragement. In fact, if you'll hold Ephesians chapter 4, but turn back, if you would, very quickly to 2 Corinthians chapter 10, and look, if you would, please, at verse 1. 2 Corinthians 10, just a few pages back. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 1. So the Apostle Paul says it like this, "Now I, Paul, myself, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you." But note what he says, "I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." Now, we're talking about meekness.

  #19 | 12:06 to 13:06 | cleaned

• You have to consider the fact that during the days of Moses, Moses was called the meekest man upon the earth. In Numbers chapter 12 and verse 3, the Bible says this, "Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." Now, consider the meekness of Moses. The meek and mild Moses killed an Egyptian while defending a helpless brother. The meek and mild Moses faced Pharaoh and all of his magicians and all the power elite of that day and stood them down. It was Moses, the mild and meek Moses, that pronounced all the plagues upon Egypt. It was the mild and meek Moses that pronounced the death penalty upon Pharaoh and the firstborn of all that he had. It was the mild and meek Moses that got on his knees and said, "Lord, I pray that a new thing will happen. I pray that the earth will open up and Dathan and Abiram and Korah and all that they have will go down alive into the pit."

  #20 | 13:07 to 14:25 | cleaned

• It was the mild and meek Moses who had to confront and face an irritated and disobedient people for forty years. And he did so with grace and strength and determination, and yet he was called the meekest man upon the earth. Moses may have been meek, but he was not a pushover. Moses may have been meek, but he was no weakling. So I want you to listen to this.

  #21 | 14:26 to 15:04 | cleaned

• Put it down right now in your mind. Meekness is neither weakness, meanness, nor a surrender of our rights, nor cowardice. If it's none of these, what in the world is meekness? Well, the Apostle Paul tells us in verse 2 of Ephesians 4 that we're to walk not only in lowliness, but in meekness. And how in the world can we walk in meekness if we don't even know what it is? Well, the Greek word for meekness is actually "praotes," and it literally is translated as meekness, but it also has the thought of gentleness in it as well. Meekness. It's that excellent disposition of soul which makes men unwilling to provoke others, and also able to be not easily provoked themselves or offended with their infirmities or their weakness. Meekness is opposed to angry resentments and peevishness. Meekness keeps us from having an irritable disposition and attitude. Meekness keeps us from becoming angry and irritated when someone else points out our own weaknesses and sins. Meekness enables us to hold our tongues and to hold our words when we are provoked.

  #22 | 15:04 to 16:51 | cleaned

• Now, I understand that there is a time when we need to boldly speak. I understand that. But everyone in this room can testify to the fact that there are times that you wish you had not said what you had said. You wish you had held your tongue. Well, that's meekness. You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 13 verse 10, listen to this, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." Only by pride cometh contention.

  #23 | 16:55 to 17:26 | cleaned

• So then, if Frank wants to rebuke me for my sin or my weakness, if I'm a meek individual, I'm going to accept that rebuke and accept it biblically. But if I'm proud and arrogant, then I'm going to resent it. I'm going to be angry. I'm going to lash back at him. So meekness, then, is that disposition of soul which allows us to receive review, instruction, and training without becoming irritated and offensive ourselves.

  #24 | 17:28 to 18:03 | cleaned

• It also enables us to hold our tongue and to keep our tongue instead of just simply being provoked. Let me give you a quote. John Gill said it like this, "in the exercise of humility, which shows itself in believers in entertaining and expressing the meanest thoughts of themselves and the best of others, in not envying the gifts and graces of others, but rejoicing at them, and at every increase of them, in a willingness to receive instruction

  #25 | 18:04 to 18:38 | cleaned

• from the meanest or the lowliest saints, in submission to the will of God in all adverse dispensations of providence, and in ascribing all that they have and are to the grace of God. And so to behave is to walk agreeably to their calling of God and what the consideration of that may engage them to when they serve the lowest state in condition out of which they are called, in which they were before their calling, and that in the effectual calling they have nothing but what they have received and that others are called with the same calling that they are. And to walk humbly before God and man is to walk according to the will of God that calls. And it is walking as Christ walked, who is meek and lowly and is agreeable to the blessed Spirit, one of whose fruits is meekness and what is very ornamental to the saints and is well pleasing in the sight of God."

  #26 | 18:38 to 19:33 | cleaned

• So John Gill just said exactly what I just said. So let me just point it out. Meekness is one of the attributes that is to be prevalent in the lives of all the saints of God. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Titus and then the book of Colossians. So we're going to go to the book of Titus first, Titus chapter 3, first and second Timothy and then Titus. And then we're going to turn back to the book of Colossians 3. So notice if you would, Titus 3 and notice if you would please in verse 2. And of course, we can read verse 1 so that you can see. Paul is writing to Titus and he's telling him how to teach the people.

  #27 | 19:33 to 20:20 | cleaned

• And he says this, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities, to powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work." Now watch verse 2, "to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men." Notice, "showing all meekness unto all men."

  #28 | 20:20 to 20:44 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to turn back to the book of Colossians. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians chapter 3. And I will probably deal with this passage in greater detail in the not too distant future. But notice if you would, Colossians chapter 3, beginning there with verse 12. He says it like this: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another."

  #29 | 20:45 to 21:20 | cleaned

• "If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do you." But notice if you would, he says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind and meekness."

  #30 | 21:21 to 21:38 | cleaned

• Now, let me point something out. Meekness is not in our flesh by nature. We are not naturally meek people. You strike me, by my nature I want to strike back. You cuss me, by my nature I want to cuss you back. We're talking about the unsaved nature. That's the flesh. That's the natural man. That is what we're talking about. Meekness is not in man naturally. In fact, if you will look in your Bible, since you're close there, to the book of Galatians chapter 5, Galatians chapter 5, and look in verses 22 and 23. Galatians 5, just pointing out the fact now, that meekness is not in man by nature because it is a work of the Spirit of God. It is something, as Paul said in the book of Colossians, that we are to put on.

  #31 | 21:38 to 22:46 | cleaned

• I'll explain that in a couple of weeks. But notice, if you would, in Galatians 5, in verse 22, he says, "But the fruit of the Spirit, this is what the Spirit produces, is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such, there is no law." Now, a meek individual is one that's able to receive rebukes. And I'll point this out a little bit later, he's also able to give rebukes. Meekness enables us to rejoice over the blessings and the gifts of God in the lives of others. For instance, when you stop and think, everyone in this room has their own proper gift from God. Some of these gifts are greater than others, so it just simply means this. If Roy has a gift greater than mine, if I'm a meek individual, I can say, "Bless God for giving Roy that gift." And I'm not envious of it, I'm not covetous of it particularly, I'm just thankful that God indeed did give it to someone.

  #32 | 22:47 to 24:08 | cleaned

• So, meekness then will allow us to have the basest thoughts of ourselves and the most generous and gracious thoughts of other individuals. Now we should stop and think about this. You know, usually what happens is this, in pride we lift ourselves up. And in desiring the first place in pride, we tear other people down. A biblically meek person is someone who will have low thoughts of himself. He will be modest. But he will also think graciously and kindly of other people.

  #33 | 24:08 to 24:47 | cleaned

• You know, I've often said, we always talk about, in fact, I can mention this concerning John Sutton, who was my friend who just went home to be with the Lord Friday night. He was a gracious, kind, loving man, one who took adversity with great stride. In fact, there were things that he went through that would take and make the average Christian totally, thoroughly, completely upset. But you know, as much as I love John and as much as I see the grace of God in his life, one of the reasons I can think so highly upon him is I know my own sins. I know my own weakness. I don't necessarily know his.

  #34 | 24:48 to 25:41 | cleaned

• You understand what I'm saying? But then he in turn might think the same concerning me because he would know his sins. So if you understand meekness, then it's going to allow you to think about other people more generously and graciously as well. And we understand in this God's absolute sovereignty. For instance, God gives gifts to men as it pleases him. That's what the scripture says. So I do not have, I do not have, I do not have to argue or complain or bellyache because God has given Frank something. God's sovereign. God may give his gifts as he pleases. I don't have the ability of Frank in some areas. Frank may not have my ability in some areas. I don't have Jim's ability in some areas. He may not have my ability in some areas. I'm going to show you next week how all this works together. I'm going to try to finish Ephesians 4 verses 2 through 7 and show you exactly how every bit of this all fits and flows together. So the Apostle Paul is saying, we have to understand this.

  #35 | 25:44 to 27:06 | cleaned

• Do you know the Bible says in James 1 verse 17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Wow. But every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above. God gives us gifts as pleases Him. That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 11, "But all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing severally to every man as he wills." Do you know why you have the gifts that God gave you? Because God was pleased to give them to you. Do you know why you do not have certain gifts? Because God was pleased not to give them to you. It's just that simple. It's just that simple.

  #36 | 27:07 to 28:08 | cleaned

• I want you to look in 1 Peter chapter 4. I could quote this, but I want you to look in 1 Peter 4 and verse 10. 1 Peter 4 and verse 10. Look at this. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Isn't that something? "As every man hath received the gift."

  #37 | 28:12 to 28:43 | cleaned

• Now, Frank ministered to me last night and I wasn't even old. He has a gift that God gave him and that he used. Well, that's what the scripture says. "As every man hath received the gift." Whatever God has given you, you use that gift to minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The word "manifold" means the variegated, the multicolored. In other words, God has given grace and God has given multitudinous gifts to various individuals. It's only as we begin to use those.

  #38 | 28:43 to 29:20 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully because here is an area where most Christians have failed and are still failing. If you understand biblical meekness, you're going to find that biblical meekness will enable us to help falling and fallen brethren. Now, I want you to stop and think of all the professing Christians that you have known that have fallen by the wayside.

  #39 | 29:21 to 30:03 | cleaned

• Now, I understand that a lot of these people were never genuinely converted to begin with. I understand that. But some were. And they've fallen into certain sins. They were tempted in the flesh. Tempted with the eyes. Tempted with the pride of life. They've fallen.

  #40 | 30:04 to 30:23 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to understand that biblical meekness will enable us to minister to those individuals without you and I having what we would call a high and mighty attitude. It would enable us to minister to these individuals without having an "I told you so" attitude. It will allow us to minister to these individuals without having an "if I had been in your place, I wouldn't have done that" attitude. I want to show you something. I want you to turn to Job 16, and then I want you to turn to Galatians chapter 6, OK? Galatians, chapter 6, I'm still trying to explain biblical meekness to you. So Galatians, chapter 6.

  #41 | 30:24 to 31:18 | cleaned

• Look, if you would, please, to Job 16 first. Everybody knows the story of Job. Thank you, I'd like that everybody knows the story of Job. If you don't know the story of Job, you should know the story of Job. But Job's three friends have come around, and of course, a lot of things they say happen to be true. They just don't apply to Job. But I want you to notice in Job chapter 16, what Job says to his friends. Watch carefully. "Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things."

  #42 | 31:20 to 32:05 | cleaned

• "Miserable comforters are you all? You're not worth a hill of beans. Shall vain words have an end?" In other words, won't you ever stop talking? "Or what emboldens thee that thou answerest?" Why are you answering? Look what he says in verse 4. "I could also speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you." Isn't that something?

  #43 | 32:07 to 32:33 | cleaned

• Do you hear what he just said? He says, you're blowing a bunch of hot air at me. And you're saying things that may be true in some areas, but they don't apply to me. And you're making matters worse. You're not giving me any comfort. You're not giving me any consolation. And he said, I tell you what, I could be in this. I could say the same thing if your soul was in my soul.

  #44 | 32:34 to 32:57 | cleaned

• How would you like that? How would you like me to tell you these same things if you were in my place?

  #45 | 32:57 to 33:02 | cleaned

• Now, look in Galatians chapter 6 and verses 1 through 5. Watch. I'm still talking about biblical meekness. Galatians 6 verse 1: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, that is, he's fallen, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden." Now, let me just say something about meekness here. First of all, it will enable us not to become an unnecessary burden upon others. In other words, as much as is humanly possible, we bear our own load. When we are weak and when we need help, we first go to our Heavenly Father.

  #46 | 33:04 to 34:20 | cleaned

• OK, now listen to what the Apostle Paul said. I quoted this verse last week. Let me quote it again. He said in Romans 12, verse 3, "Listen carefully, for I say through the grace of God given to me, unto every man that is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith."

  #47 | 34:20 to 34:47 | cleaned

• So meekness then is going to allow us not to become haughty, not to take a haughty attitude, not to speak proudly and not to indicate to the fallen brother that we would never committed the same sin that he committed if we were in his stead. Look back at Galatians 6 and verse 1. He says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness," note, "considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." What is he saying? The only reason we have not fallen is because of the grace of God. If it was not for the sovereign power and grace of God, we would be in the same fix that the fallen brother is in. That's why it says we're to seek to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. When we come around with a haughty attitude or "I told you so" attitude or "I would have never done that" attitude, we're not going to help anybody that is falling. We're not.

  #48 | 34:47 to 36:04 | cleaned

• We have to confess that only the grace of God has kept us from falling into the same identical sin; we are still flesh and blood and we are still easily tempted. So if we really want to help fallen individuals, fallen Christians, we must have a meek spirit. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Second Timothy. Let me show you something else. And especially any preacher or teacher or anyone trying to help their own children, you need to understand this. Look in Second Timothy, chapter 2, beginning there verse 24. Paul is talking about the servant of the Lord, or the pastor, or really any Christian in one sense of the word. Verse 24, 2 Timothy chapter 2: "And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." Now watch.

  #49 | 36:06 to 37:11 | cleaned

• "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who were taken captive by him at his will." Now, what you would please, in verse 25, he says after he tells us the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, "in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." Have you ever asked yourself this question? How do men oppose themselves? Well, the answer is by holding to error and refusing truth.

  #50 | 37:11 to 37:54 | cleaned

• Many in pride think that they already know what is real and true, when in reality they know nothing. You know, the Bible says, and we read it just a few minutes ago in Galatians 6 and verse 4, "For if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth his own self." But when a man thinketh he knows something and he doesn't really know it, he's still deceiving his own self.

  #51 | 37:54 to 38:24 | cleaned

• I want you to watch this. He says in verse 25 of 2 Timothy 2, "in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." You remember I told you what the word meekness actually means. But meekness will allow us to not become angry with such persons immediately and denounce them as heretics just because they will not listen. Meekness will allow us not to hold them up to public reproach and scorn, but meekness will allow us to set about the business of patiently teaching them.

  #52 | 38:26 to 39:18 | cleaned

• The grand error of such people is that they are ignorant of truth. Our business is to calmly show them the truth. If they get angry, we cannot be angry. If they oppose the truth, we must still calmly demonstrate and teach the truth. We may pity them. We may not use hard words against them and denunciations. Have you ever stopped to think about this? Every one of us have been in arguments. Sometimes theological arguments. And have you ever noticed the more you denounce someone, the more you mock them, the more you scorn them, the more you ridicule them, the harder and the firmer they become in their own stance. That's human nature. Because fallen man by nature stiffens up in rebellion and his attitude is, "I'll show you. You won't teach me a thing. You won't teach me a thing." This is why the Bible says, "in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves."

  #53 | 39:20 to 40:48 | cleaned

• Now, let me ask you a question. How many of you received truth the very first time you ever heard it? The truth is you had to hear it over and over and over and over until God sovereignly opened your eyes. So this is why I'm saying "in meekness instructing those that oppose the truth."

  #54 | 40:50 to 41:19 | cleaned

• Now, lowliness and meekness are essential to being taught and led. Stop and think about this. A strong-minded, arrogant, proud, haughty individual cannot be taught, nor can they be led. Why? Because he thinks he knows it all. "You can't teach me." They already know it. That's their attitude. And "I don't care what you say, my mind is made up." That's their attitude. So a proud, haughty person is one who refuses to listen; his mind is made up beforehand. Oh, listen to me, it's only the meek that God teaches.

  #55 | 41:20 to 42:10 | cleaned

• And that our Lord leads. I want you to look, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 25. We'll look at several verses, Psalm 25. Notice, if you would please, verse 9, Psalm 25, verse 9. Psalm 25, verse 9. Look what the Bible says, we're talking about biblical meekness, Psalm 25, verse 9: "The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way." He's not going to teach the proud, the haughty, and the arrogant. No, no, no, no. It's the meek that He's going to guide in judgment. It's the meek that He's going to teach His way. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Jeremiah chapter 10. Whole Psalms. We're coming back there. But don't you look in Jeremiah chapter 10. Because, you see, the meek man understands this truth. Watch, if you would, Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23. The meek and lowly are ready to be led and they're ready to be taught. Why?

  #56 | 42:12 to 43:13 | cleaned

• Because they recognize their needs. A proud, haughty man will not. Notice in Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23, this is what a meek and lowly man recognizes. Verse 23, Jeremiah 10: "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." If I know that, if I know it's not in man to direct myself.

  #57 | 43:13 to 43:43 | cleaned

• What am I going to do? I'm going to ask the Lord to lead me. I'm going to ask the Lord to guide me. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 76. Psalm 76 and verse 9. Psalm 76, verse 9. Watch carefully, Psalm 76, verse 9: "When God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth." Isn't that amazing? God saves the meek. Look in Psalm 147 and verse 6. Psalm 147 and verse 6.

  #58 | 43:45 to 44:20 | cleaned

• In this passage, he says this: "The Lord lifted up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground." Well, if you want to be lifted up, then, of course, you have to be meek. Look, if you would, to Psalm 149 and verse 4. Psalm 149, verse 4: "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." Wow.

  #59 | 44:20 to 44:51 | cleaned

• Now, let me ask you, you don't have to turn there. Well, let me ask you, do you remember that passage in Luke, chapter 18, where our Lord is talking about two men that went to the temple to pray? The one a Pharisee, the other a publican. And the Pharisee, the Bible says, stood and prayed thus with himself, "I thank thee, Lord, that I'm not as other men are. I'm different. Lord, I tithe. I pray. I fast. I'm just thankful I'm not as other men are." And the old publican smote himself on the breast, would not even lift his eyes toward heaven, just said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." And our Lord said, "Verily, that man went down to his house justified." The one who said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." The Lord said he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

  #60 | 44:51 to 46:00 | cleaned

• And David said, in Psalm 51 and verse 17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken heart: a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Before I make some applications, I want to give you a picture of biblical meekness I trust will stick in your mind. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew 11, and as you turn there, I want to quote a couple of verses. I want you to go to Matthew 11. I want you to turn to Matthew 11.

  #61 | 46:00 to 46:41 | cleaned

• As you are turning there, may I remind you that our Lord pronounced a blessing upon the meek of the earth. In Matthew 5 and verse 5, He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

  #62 | 46:41 to 47:03 | cleaned

• Now, I want to tell you again what meekness does not mean. I read this years ago in one of Rushdoony's books. Rushdoony had talked about the fact he had gone into a restroom and someone had written on the bathroom wall, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." And he said, and someone came along and wrote right under it, "If that's all right." Do you see the concept of meekness they had? Well, well, we'll do it if everything's all right, if nobody opposes. In other words, their understanding of a meek individual was a weak individual and a milquetoast individual. It was David who said in Psalm 37 verse 11, "But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." So the question is, who are the meek? Well, I want you to look at Matthew 11 and let's begin reading there verse 28.

  #63 | 47:04 to 48:17 | cleaned

• You already know this passage. Matthew 11 verse 28. Watch it carefully. Our Lord says, "Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Wow! Now, look at verse 29 again. "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me." Then He says in verse 30, "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

  #64 | 48:17 to 48:54 | cleaned

• Now, here's what I want you to consider. I want you to consider for a moment that a yoke is for discipline and training. The Bible says in 1st Timothy 6 and verse 1 that servants are to be under a yoke. In 1st Kings 12 and verse 10, subjects are said to be under a yoke. But have you ever really considered the usage of a yoke? In fact, the yoke is used to train oxen. So how do you train an ox to pull or to plow? Here's the answer.

  #65 | 48:55 to 49:38 | cleaned

• You take a young ox. And you yoke him with an older, experienced ox. Listen carefully. The yoke fits tightly around the neck and shoulders of the older experienced ox. The younger ox that's inexperienced merely has his head in the yoke and it's very loose. And so when the plowing and the pulling are accomplished, really and truly all the young ox is doing is walking alongside of the older experienced ox. All of the burden, all of the weight, all of the work is on the older experienced ox. The younger ox is just being broken to yoke. That's all. So our Lord says, "Take my yoke upon you."

  #66 | 49:40 to 50:47 | cleaned

• "And learn of me, I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls." And then He makes this statement. "For my yoke is easy of my burden light." How could it be easy? Because our Lord has already done all the work. And He's doing all the work. He's now in heaven interceding for us. Our part is just merely to submit, to be disciplined, to be trained, to be His subject, to be His servants. So meekness, listen carefully. When he said, "Take my yoke upon you," it's just like my 3,000 pound bull. All such strength. You would not believe the strength that's just in his neck.

  #67 | 50:49 to 51:39 | cleaned

• And I can't do a thing with him except pet him and love him. But, if he was broken to yoke, he'd pull plows, he'd pull tractors, he'd pull trucks out of the mud. He could do anything with all of that strength. You see what I'm saying? Our part, our part is just to be disciplined and trained. Here's what meekness is. Listen carefully. Meekness is nothing less and nothing more than disciplined strength under Jesus Christ. That's all it is.

  #68 | 51:43 to 52:19 | cleaned

• We are under His direction. We are under His authority. Our lives are controlled by Him. We move at His command. Our attitudes are formed by His authority. In Him we live and move and have our being. He is our all in all. If I become angry, I am to become righteously angry at His command and His Word. If I become submissive, I am to become submissive at His command and His Word. If I am to defend, I am to defend at His command and His Word.

  #69 | 52:20 to 52:53 | cleaned

• He is the one who controls my life. I bear His yoke. I am under His control. When we walk worthy of our calling, we walk in lowliness and meekness. And meekness is disciplined strength under Christ. Let me say it like this. We're broken to yoke. And we plow at His pleasure. We plow at His command.

  #70 | 52:54 to 53:34 | cleaned

• Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. Meekness and lowliness are perfectly tempered in Jesus Christ. You have to remember that Jesus Christ is our life, our model and our example. We must bear his yoke and plow the path that he plowed. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2 and verse 23 concerning Christ, listen carefully, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again."

  #71 | 53:35 to 54:10 | cleaned

• "When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judged him righteously." That's meekness. When he was reviled, he did not revile back. When he suffered, he didn't threaten. He just bore it. It was disciplined strength under God. The second application is this. Lowliness and meekness brings joy to one's life according to the Word of God. Psalm 22, verse 26, "The meek shall eat and be satisfied."

  #72 | 54:11 to 54:46 | cleaned

• "They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live forever." Notice "the meek shall eat and be satisfied." And Isaiah 29, verse 19, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." And here's a third application. I want you to think about this meekness. It's not only an attribute that is produced by the Holy Spirit, it's a fruit of the Spirit, but meekness is also an attribute and a characteristic and a disposition that is to be sought after. I'll explain.

  #73 | 54:46 to 55:34 | cleaned

• Later on in this series, what Paul meant when he said in Colossians 3, "Put on therefore as the elect of God, bowels of mercy and meekness," etc. But in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 2 and verse 3, listen to this scripture. The Bible says, "Seek ye the Lord, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. Seek righteousness. Seek meekness." So we've been commanded to seek after meekness. We must seek the Holy Spirit to produce that in our life. May I remind you about a beautiful wife. May I remind you what the Scripture says? In 1 Peter 3 and verse 4, the Bible is talking about a beautiful wife and the Bible says, "But let it be the hidden man of the heart and that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is a great price." Wow! If you read the preceding verses, the Bible says the woman's beauty is not to be in her ornaments or in her attire. It's to be in that meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is a great price.

  #74 | 55:34 to 57:04 | cleaned

• And lastly, I just want to remind you of this. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is not cowardice. Meekness is not an inability to defend ourselves or our rights or others. Meekness is disciplined strength under Jesus Christ. We are bought with a price. We are not our own. Therefore, we are to glorify Him in our bodies, and in our spirits, which are His. How do you walk with the Lord? You walk in faith, and you're learning to walk worthy of your calling in lowliness and meekness.

  #75 | 57:06 to 57:53 | cleaned

• Next week, we'll see longsuffering and forbearance. But this is what God demands of each child of God if we're to walk pleasing in His sight. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your love. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We acknowledge, Lord, that Thou art God, and besides Thee, there is none other. Without Thee, Lord, we are absolutely helpless and hopeless and useless. Thou art our strength. Thou art our life.

  #76 | 57:55 to 58:29 | cleaned

• May we be broken to yoke. May we honor Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

  #77 | 58:31 to 58:39 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:43:47Z