True Meek(Matthew11:28~30)

True Meek(Matthew11:28~30)

 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

Intro)

 

Through living long Christian life, we often come across to think of ‘why am I so weak and helpless? Why I’m not good at anything, couldn’t handle a simple task?’ and fall into frustration.

 

Some pastor had same thoughts and prayed to God, and heard God’s voice saying ‘it is because you aren’t weak.’ God is saying you are too strong to be used as God’s servant. Why? God raise weak to strong, but if you are too strong already it will be hard to handle.

 

Body)

 

A) Am I the weak one?

 

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says, ‘²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.’

 

Actually, we are too strong and that is the problem. We are too strong to be okay without praying, not attending to church etc.

 

Being in frustration is because we are strong. Many of us are strong..Maybe too strong, but think we are weak.

 

Have you seen ‘pray, read bible, forgive, spread gospel, thank, work hard on being together, and love each other’ in bible? You probably heard these already at some point. So, how is it coming? If this is not followed in your life you are too strong

 

Often people seem meek and gentle due to the environment. What does this mean by is for an example, in the army when you are private (E-1) you are obedient, and meek, but once you hit Sergeant (E-5) at least half of your true color will come out.

 

Baby tiger is cute, but once they grow they are fearful. Some personnel are so gentle at work, but at home that personnel could show violence and no mercy. Some people can be nice to their lovers, but not their parents. These aren’t true meek.

 

Meek that is coming naturally and from Holy Spirit is quite different.

For example, some dogs are loyal and gentle, but to stranger they are cold and strong, and in the other hand some dogs are gentle and nice to everyone.

So, true meek has to be stable to God, and whatever is related. If it’s God’s word we have to be meek to neighbors at all time, and show coldness and turn back on idolatry and something that is outside of God’s word.

 

In China there was a trainer for cockfight. Mayor of the town brought one of big chicken to trainer and told them to train this chicken to be best fighter. The chicken was big and strong, but he was feared other chicken. Trainer trained him to be brave and later on he became good fighter. Few months later Mayor came to see the chicken and mayor said this should do. But trainer said no give me one more month. After a month mayor came back to see the chicken. The chicken he left for training was standing on the center of the ground, and other chickens were afraid of him. His presence made other chickens afraid of it. Trainer trained this chicken to be the best chicken that has dignity. Chicken that fights all the time is not a good one. True meek is like becoming the best fighting chicken. Must be well trained.

 

 

B) What is true meek? 

 

Word meek does not refer to weakness or coward, but strong dignity. Strongest soldier is a soldier wins the battle without fight and brings peace.

 Ezekiel 36:26 says, ‘²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’

 

When you accept Jesus be obedient, Holy Spirit will get rid of our hard heart and make it soft, but strong.

True meek is that you gave up your own desire to become a companion of Jesus. Although your personality is good, if you don’t follow God’s word you are not truly meek.

 

 Matthew 11:29 says, ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

 1 peter 3:4 says, ’⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.’. true meek is living as God’s will like how Jesus prayed to God when he was at the edge of death on cross, ‘not as I will, but as you will.’ This is true attitude of meek.

 

There is a story of pastor Kim Hyo-sook. When she was in high school she when to prayer house and took a vow to become God’s servant for rest of her life, and later on her life she forgot about the vow and life got really hard. She figured her life is hard because she didn’t follow her vow, and bothered her so much, so she went back to that prayer house and prayed to God please take the vow back. That night there was rainstorm, but if she didn’t stand up God wouldn’t take the vow back, so she prayed to take the vow back that she made without knowing the world. A bit later storm moved away and she heard a voice and saw vision. ‘I made you like this person.’, and vision was iron ladle. She was disappointed. ‘I’m just a ladle? Nothing fancy just metal ladle..’ she went to her friend and told story about this, and friend said “this means God will use you.” Friend explained that ladle can’t stand alone and it a tool, so God will use you as his servant. So she realized she has to be God’s worker, and she started school of theology.

 

Even calm personnel they might have their temper that is hidden. Like Mosses he was calm person, but when he showed his anger he couldn’t make it into land of Canaan.

Meek means tamed. Naturally it was wild but tamed and changed its temper. So, meek in person is like tamed thoughts, and will and be obedient to God.

 

There was a young church member, when he first got the job; he wanted to spread God’s word. First dinning event at work, he refused to drink when his supervisor asked him to, and he was called in middle of an event and slapped, because he was rude. Next day he didn’t go to work and decided to quit the job, and went to prayer house and prayed about the hardships he went through. Later on he heard a voice, and it was Jesus saying ‘I have been hanged on cross to death, but you want to quit because of 1 slap?’ after that he returned to his job and worked hard on his mission.

 

True meek is not just controlling temper, but it shows in relationship with God.

 

To check if we grow true meek we need to become companion with Jesus. It’s not something you get in a day. It takes time and it slowly grows. True spiritual leader has true meek 24/7 and 365days.

 

2 Timothy 2:24, ‘²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,’

Galatians 6:1, ‘Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.’

 

Ephesians 4:1-3, ‘Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’

 We need to train to look at Jesus. When you look up Jesus everything will change, otherwise life will be full of complains.

 

Some missionary sent to small town church to help out. People there were complaining pastor and deacons’ faith was not good enough. Missionary thought to himself why do I have to work church like this? And he realized in middle of his prayer if everyone was good why people work at church. So, he changed his mind set. There is always problem that is why we have different roles in church. If everything is in order why we need pastor or Jesus? Right?

 

Con)

Do you look at Jesus 24/7? Do you wish to share a burden of holding cross? Do you think your cross is not light? Does complains grow inside of you?

 If you think you need more training true meek is not there yet.

This week you need to look at Jesus only. Let’s learn his patience and his true meek and move to action, so we become true servants and Christians of God. Hallelujah!

 

                        042818 Ik Sun Ahn