February 9, 2025
SERMON SERIES: MOVE INTO BLESSED LIVING
(A STUDY OF THE BEATITUDES) Tommy C. Higle
Matthew 5:1-12
SERMON # 4: Having Control of Your Life
Matthew 5:5
Today, we continue our journey through one of the most profound and transformative passages in the Bible----Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Specifically, we are diving into the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12. These teachings offer us a blueprint for living a blessed and fulfilled life, regardless of the circumstances we face. The Beatitudes call us to embrace certain qualities, and guide us toward true happiness and lasting peace.
Each Beatitude builds on the previous one:
1. Being poor in spirit, means we are spiritual beggars, acknowledging our spiritual poverty and dependence on God.
2. To mourn over our sin. Mourning is the emotional response to the intellectual knowledge of our spiritual poverty and sin. Mourning leads us to our third Beatitude.
Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is the result of spiritual mourning.
Becoming Meek is to have control of your life, which require three actions.
I. FORFEIT CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE
The word meek is not a popular word today…..rather it is a word that goes against the grain of modern society. Our contemporary society often places a higher value on self-promotion and personal ambition. People are frequently rewarded and applauded for being outspoken, competitive, and self-focused. Our culture tends to celebrate power and aggression…Success is often associated with the ability to dominate and control. In our day, the word meek is associated with being weak and timid. Sometimes it is used as a slur, such as “meek as a mouse.” There was a woman who said to her husband, Are you a man or a mouse? ‘Squeak’ up.”
The word meek basically means “gentle” or power under control. Jesus is the ultimate example of meekness (Matthew 26:51-53b). Move into blessed living requires more than realizing our spiritual poverty and mourning about our sin. We must become meek and let God take control of our lives. As children of God, we must forfeit control of our lives and submit to the Lordship of Christ!
To have control of your life
1. Forfeit Control of Your Life
II. FORGIVE THOSE WHO HURT YOU
To have control of your life, you must forgive those who hurt you. Meekness doesn’t hold a grudge. Look at Joseph how he had a heart of forgiveness. His brothers abuse him and sold him into slavery. Yet, he was not revengeful (Gen. 45:2; 50:19-20). Joseph went from the pit to the palace. He had power to avenge what his brothers did to him, but instead he demonstrated true forgiveness.
Meekness means with God’s help we are loving enough to forgive. Let’s look at (Colossians 3:13a-b). I am to bear with others and forgive anyone who has a quarrel against me. Not being able to forgive those who hurt us is a horrible weakness. Jesus demonstrated ultimate meekness while he was on the cross in (Luke 23:34a).
If you don’t forgive those who hurt you, you don’t have control of your life.
To have control of your life
1. Forfeit Control Of Your Life
2. Forgive Those Who Hurt You
III. FOCUS ON THE REWARDS OF MEEKNESS
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
There is a present and future reward.
· There is the present reward--- we will be blessed here and now. The meek presently enjoy and experience the good things of the earth. The meek have found themselves. They are comfortable with themselves. They know who they are; therefore, they are strong and confident, yet tender humble.
· There is a future reward----the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). The future earth is the new earth (Rev. 21-22). It is the place Jesus spoke about in (John 14). In the new earth, all past hurt, pain, suffering, and sin will be forgotten. The future reward for the meek is the new earth.
Meekness is the opposite of being out of control. It is not weakness, but rather supreme control empowered by the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). It is a “God thing”,” something only the Holy Spirit can do in us and for us.
To Have control of your life.
1. Forfeit Control of Your Life
2. Forgive Those Who Hurt You
3. Focus On the Rewards of Meekness
Responsive Reading: Genesis 50:15-21
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